My friend and neighbor, Judy Race, had taken me to my first post-op to get my cast removed, and she agreed to take me yesterday as well. Not only did a need a ride to the doctor, but I also needed emotional support.
The appointment began with x-rays. To my surprise, the technician asked me to remove both my shoe and my boot and to stand, weight-bearing, on the foot. The doctor requested a weight-bearing x-ray; this would be the first time I stood without the boot, and it feel exhilarating to be free of the burden of the boot. The x-rays were not without some discomfort, but I am assuming the pain pill I took earlier that morning helped.
After a brief wait in the examination room, Dr. Nunley entered and, in his laconic way, asked how I expected him to examine the sutures with the bandages still on? Actually, I hadn't heard him ask me to remove them, so he removed the bandages himself, admiring his work as it was revealed. Concerned that my big toe was still numb, I asked him what to expect, and I was a bit surprised when he replied that the feeling may never come back. There is a nerve that runs from the ankle to the big toe that is often affected by the incision made for the ankle replacement; I can continue to exercise the toes by flexing them back and forth to bring back some of the movement and feeling. I already have arthritis in my right big toe, so perhaps no feeling isn't all that bad!
Dr. Nunley continued to admire his work as he asked me to walk across the room. He gave me two exercises to do to start developing greater flexibility in the ankle; I won't be able to move my ankle side to side, but I am not playing basketball or football or doing any fancy dancing, so I am not concerned. I am, however, troubled by the lack of motion in my ankle. The doctor explained that with more use it will come back. Finally, I was totally flabbergasted when he told me that I only had to wear the boot for a week more! Originally, the prognosis was three months. Now I can drive and swim before Memorial Day. For a short time I was a very happy camper.
Then, it was time for the removal of the stitches. The nurse took over for the doctor, and I bit my lips after asking for the local anesthetic. It wasn't much of a relief, and when the pain became intense, she explained that it wasn't an option to reapply since the wound was already open. By the end of the procedure I had teeth marks burrowed into my arm.
I yelled so much that halfway through the removal the poor nurse had to leave the room. She asked if I needed some water, and when I declined, she said she needed some! I wouldn't have been able to get through the procedure without my dear friend Judy who kept trying to distract me with stories. We counted 22 stitches, and I would say that about five of them were excruciating. At the end, there was one that she couldn't get out. After she explained to me that if we left it in, it would eventually come out on its own, I readily agreed to keep it in.
The two photos above show the removal of the three sutures on my heel; these weren't covered with a bandage, and none of these hurt. I think the hard skin of the heal supported the removal more so than the 13 along the ankle. The small strips she put on the three incisions are dissolving (I wish they could have used dissolving stitches for the surgery), so they should come off or disappear on their own.
So, this morning I took a bath! It felt so good having the right foot in the water. Although I had been trying to keep it as clean as I could, I couldn't get the sutures wet, so part of my foot had not been washed in seven weeks. It was relatively easy to get into the tub, although when I was ready to get out, it took a few minutes to figure that out, even with the large grab bar. With a little maneuvering, and not a pretty sight, I was able to extricate myself from the tub and welcome a new stage of recovery.
My doctor also seemed excessively interested in admiring his work! And, I find it amazing that they don't tell you about the nerve damage and loss of feeling that is almost an inevitable result of the procedure.
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