Thursday, July 25, 2013

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Figuratively speaking, of course. There are no literal steps involved with this blog post.  That being said, this post is written with a lot of frustration. My apologies.

I went to see good ol' Dr. A a few days ago for a long overdue follow-up. I have been going once a month to see him, but missed June due to the passing of my grandma, and having to spend some time in the "great" state of New Jersey. So, it had been about 2 months since I had seen him. I was very, VERY nervous to see him. I knew it would be a long appointment because I had a lot of concerns about my progress.

Q1. Why am I not walking on my own?
Q2. Did the ex-fix work?
Q3. What happens next?

A1. So yes, I am STILL on crutches. Some times one, sometimes two. If I am home, I usually one-crutch it. If I fall, at least the floor is carpeted, and there is usually a bed or couch within falling distance. If I go out, I almost always two-crutch it. Unless I'm going to the corner Starbucks. I need a free hand to carry my coffee. With the help of my awesome physical therapist Lindsey, I learned that in order to walk properly, I needed another 10 degrees of dorisflextion (the UP motion of the ol' footie). My foot was stuck at neutral 90 degrees, and it was like hitting a brick wall trying to get passed that. This is why I am not walking on my own. The pain I have when that foot hits the 90 degree mark combined with my full body weight is around a 5, which isn't bad compared to the 20 I was having this time last year. Still, it prevents me from walking crutch-free. I can't even walk with my cane more than a few steps.

A2. I learned that yes, the ex-fix did do what it was intended to do. My tibia and talus are separated and, I still have about 4mm of space left. Those pesky bone spurs are also gone. However, it opened our eyes to another problem. Although I am pain-free in the original area, I am full of pain in another area (see A1 above).

A3. Every time I start thinking about this, I get very emotional. I started crying in the doctor's office. Some tears were out of frustration, some where out of fear, some were because I'm an over-emotional female. Ok, all were because I am an over-emotional female. I guess I should say why I was crying. I have to have a total ankle replacement. That's right...a third surgery is in the works. I am currently looking to get a second opinion on this all. It's not that I don't trust Dr. A, I just realize in hindsight that I should have gotten one before all of this started.

On an unrelated note, Aaron and I recently saw Book of Mormon. I HIGHLY recommend that if it is in your area, you see it immediately. You will laugh your butt right out of your seat!

Stay tuned for more updates on surgery #3!

- V