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They Gave Me the Boot!

I think I am going to bedazzle my boot!
(found on "Blinged Out Boot Ideas" on Pinterest)

 Today was a great day!  I went for my post-op appointment, and they gave ne the boot: off came the cast, bandages for the two incisions, and a boot for day and a boot for night.

 It took both my aide, Jennifer, and my good friend Judy to get me to the doctor's office where they took me into the cast room.  I finally learned what the band-aid was covering: in order to keep the ankle replacement straight, they insert something to align the implant before closing up the wound.  The band-aid covered a single stitch which was unceremoniously removed.

 With the oscillating cast saw in hand, the tech cut down both sides and under the foot in order to remove the cast.  Judy was curious how the saw cuts the fiberglass without cutting through the fiberglass, let along the skin.  Since the sawblade only vibrates, and does not spin, skin can withstand contact without being cut, but the inflexible cast material offers a lot of resistance, and the blade can do its job.

 Once the cast was off the incisions were revealed: not a pretty sight!
Don't look at the hairy leg, but this shows the stitch  that was under the bandage that was used to align the ankle.
It also shows the incision for the ankle replacement


By the way, my leg wasn't that hairy!  I think it's just some discoloration from the surgery and the cast.  After I took this photo the technician gave it a good alcohol rub and cleansing.  The next picture shows the two incisions: the front is the ankle replacement and the side is the ankle fusion.


Although it is pretty ugly ( a friend of mine told me I look like Frankenstein), the doctor and the technician said they look great!  The next step after cleaning all three incisions was covering the two wih a medicated adhesive that I would need to wear and change over the next five weeks.  They gave me two of each size and told me I could order the rest that I would need.  It turns out that medicated bandages aren't inexpensive -- $45 for 12 of the larger ones and $35 for the smaller ones.  



After applying the bandages, the doctor gave me a few exercises to do.  He explained that some of the pain I was having as well as the pins and needles and stiffness came mostly from not using the nerves and the muscles.  I need to gently tap my foot on the ground and move my toes back and forth to get the blood stimulated and the foot working again.  I still cannot bear any weight, although he told me that I could stand to brush my teeth and prepare a meal for short times as the pain allows over the next few weeks.  By May 2nd I should be able to start weight-bearing, which is perfect because that is when the meals and the dog-walking trains stop.

I was given two boots -- one of the day and one for sleeping.  However, when I tried the light one last night, I had some pain, so I put the big boot back on.  I'll keep trying until I am comfortable.  The boot seems like heaven after the cast; it probably weighs about half and gives me a lot more flexibility to move my foot inside of it.  I can also open it and scratch!  Taking a shower is also going to be much easier since I can take off the boot, cover the bandages, and shimmy somehow into the shower seat.  I am so glad that they gave me the boot!









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