Take It One Day At A Time

So in my last post I vented about how frustrated I am.  That hasn't changed, I am still frustrated, but I have chosen to have a better attitude about it.  And you know what......I felt so much better today.

My foot swells and turns colors if it isn't in the exact correct comfortable position and that is annoying, but it isn't going to change anytime soon. I have very little pain and am healing great.  I can't make time go any faster, so I just have to suck it up and move on.

My Mom has given me tons a great advice through this injury, but the one thing my mom has always said is to, "take it one day at a time." I suppose a mother always know best!  So yesterday was hard, today was easier.  I will just take it one day at a time and be thankful for each day I am given.  Injury or not, I am thankful.

I will be a success story!!

4 Weeks Post Surgery, 6 Weeks Post Injury

It has been six weeks since I have last walked, and I still have two weeks to go before I can start partial weight bearing.  Then who knows how long until I can walk without some sort of assistance. Don't get me wrong, I know it could be worse, but I am ready for this to be over with.

The past few days have been more of an emotional struggle than a physical one.  Physically I am doing great!  My incisions are healing well, I have little to know pain, I am able to get around a bit easier as I have figured out how to move without the use of my left foot over the past six weeks, and my foot looks pretty normal.  Its been emotionally more challenging recently.  Other stories I have read online told me this would happen, and to be honest I have tried to fight it for awhile now, and my mind finally gave in last night.

I am frustrated, I am annoyed, I am angry this happened.  I am tired of every task taking four times as long to complete, I am angry that I can't take a normal shower, I am tired of bruising from the crutches and leaning on the scooter. I am tired of not being able to be independent and having to ask and accept so much help.  UGH!  Its just not fun.

I am starting back to work this week, today was my first day back.  I think that contributed to the frustration, but I will figure it out, somehow things always just work out.  I will find out how to compensate, I am not a quitter!

I have wonderful family and friends, supportive and helpful co workers, I am fortunate to have a job, and I am blessed that I am healing well.  There are more positives than negatives, I am so thankful for that.


 

3 Weeks Post Surgery, Halfway to Weight Bearing

WOW.....I am now three weeks post surgery, and exactly halfway through the non weight bearing phase.  You know I always hated Mondays before, then I fell on Monday, had surgery on a Monday, I just really have a reason to hate Mondays now, lol.  Nah......could always be worse!  (I hear my Dad say that to me all the time.)

I am feeling pretty great physically.  My foot looks better every day; bruising going away, swelling going down, still little to no pain (enjoying that while it lasts), and incisions are healing well.  I fear I will have ugly scars....thank goodness my husband didn't fall in love with my feet.  :)

I still don't have full range of motion, but that is why I will be doing physical therapy.  It definitely feels tight in many spots and if I move my foot the wrong way I get pain, but otherwise I can't complain.  I am just thankful that my doctor didn't put me in a cast for six weeks and I can at least move my foot somewhat.

Emotionally I also am doing pretty great.  Whenever I feel myself slipping into negative territory I pull my self right back and think of all the positives.  This is a habit I am trying to create, as being positive and staying calm are not my strengths, but I am trying to create positive habits.  I hear that helps with recovery! I find I am less frustrated each day and am able to do a little more and am a bit stronger!

The Scooter!!!

Being on crutches was no fun and very dangerous.  Not only did it take me forever to just move about the house, I was also terrified that I would fall and do more damage.  During the first appointment with the surgeon I had mentioned that I would need to return to teaching at the end of the summer.  I asked how he thought that would be possible being non weight bearing......his answer......the KNEE SCOOTER!

Now at first my husband and I kinda blew it off, laughing like really I am going to get a scooter???  But then we thought more about it as the days passed and I wasn't getting any better on the crutches.  My husband decided to Google knee scooter and we could not believe what we found!  There were tons of videos, positive customer reviews, and different kinds.  My husband researched and found the best one in our price range and we ordered it for cheaper then you can rent one for the amount of time I will need it.  See....the problem is that I won't be weight bearing until the 11th of Sept and then only partial weight bearing with restrictions.  It is going to be some time before I won't need some sort of assistance walking so the knee scooter started to make some sense.

Let me tell you....I was a changed person once the scooter arrived.  Within the hour my husband had put it together and we were at Target.  It took me all of five minutes to get used to it and off I went.  I felt happy for the first time since surgery, I felt like I gained some independence back, and was no longer a prisoner of the couch.  I then became even more positive about this injury!!

One women said it gave her back her sanity after her lisfranc injury, and it totally gave me back mine.  It is actually easier to be at work then it is to be at home with the knee scooter.  Now, you have to be careful on this thing and watch for transitions, bumps, rocks, etc.  But I personally have had no problems.  Other people online said they have taken spills, so it isn't risk free.  I am not a dare devil so I won't be doing any fancy tricks, I am just thankful that it has made my life so much better during this healing time.

Post Operation

So....the time after surgery......you have a lot of time considering you can't walk and that limits what you can do.  I did not, and do not do well on the crutches.  Even going to the restroom was a challenge.  Then you are trying to balance on one leg since absolutely no weight can be applied to your foot.  I was going insane.

I have never really been a "calm" person, I tend to be very emotional and concentrate on the negative.   So to be told first that I needed surgery, then that I was going to be non weight bearing for so long did a number on me emotionally.

Thank goodness for my husband.  We have had a tough five years of marriage.  We have been dealt a tough hand to play and somehow have always come out on top and more in love, and this injury has just added to our stress. My husband has been my greatest strength.  He has cooked every meal, cleaned every corner of the house, kept up with my medicine, and has managed to make me laugh everyday.  My husband refuses to allow me to fall into a self pity mode.  He allows me to cry when I am frustrated, but then he says to keep positive and continue to look forward not back.  He makes me smile everyday and that more than anything else has kept me positive.

 This injury does have a silver lining.....it has taught me to relax, stay clam, and that some things can just wait and be dealt with later.  Resting and healing are what are most important right now, and that is exactly what I have been doing.  When I do get out I listen to my body and when I feel swelling or pain its time to go back on the couch.  But really.....in all honesty....there have been many positives.  I have had an overwhelming response from family and friends of well wishes, gifts, cards, and most importantly prayer.  

Some days are better than others, and yes sometimes I start to cry because I can't walk, get my own things, it takes me 3 times as long to complete a task, and so on.  But.....its just the nature of the beast right now.  Like my Dad always tells me, "it can always be worse" and like my husband always tells me, "its not that bad"  both are right.  I need to start listening to the two most amazing men in my life.

I have learned to stay positive, because if I don't it will not help my recovery.  I want to believe that staying positive will help my healing and I will do better in the future.  I am scared of the arthritis and how much pain I will be in on a daily basis when I start walking but I will deal with it then.  For right now I have little pain unless pressure is applied to the screws (yes you can feel them through the skin) or if I move my foot the wrong way.  I have to remember that the entire portion of my leg has not been used in five weeks and is rather weak.

I have read horrible stories about people with this injury and that is why I am blogging. I never really understood blogging until now.  I want to be a positive lisfranc story and I will be, I am sure of it. I refuse to allow negativity in, I have wasted too much of my life being negative.  I am taking this opportunity to change my perspective.  Yes I am injured, but I will be ok.  I am excited to learn what my new normal will be, and I will embrace it and be thankful for whatever movement I get back.  This will be a success story!

Surgery Day!

Exactly two weeks after my fall I was in for surgery.  Dr. Overly moved my bones back into place, I believe it was called an open reduction internal fixation, but I can't be sure.  I have two screws placed into my midfoot to keep the bones in place while scar tissue forms in place of the ligament.  The doctor did the surgery in twenty minutes!!!  It was outpatient and I had minimal pain post op.

Now I am almost five weeks post injury and three weeks post op.  The bruising is almost all gone as well as the swelling, but I have to be careful not to let my foot hang down for too long or it turns purple.  Yuck, I know!  I am out of the post operation splint and back into an orthopedic boot to help protect my foot.  I am allowed to bend and flex my foot, can can take the boot off to shower and sleep.  Since being in the boot life is a little bit better.  I am more comfortable and can move around a little easier.  I no longer take any pain medications and if I have pain it is minor and due to too much movement.  I will be non weight bearing for the next four weeks and then I will start partial weight bearing and physical therapy.  The doctor says I will be in pain then, but at least I will be walking again.  The non weight bearing is a challenge, I hate crutches, but I keep telling myself it is only a short period of time and worth it to be sure I heal properly.

The Day Lisfranc Struck!

It was July 16th, 2012 the day I had my injury.  I was waiting for workers to come and install insulation above my family room and they were late.  I had opened the outside garage door and heard some fussing outside.  I got up off my couch, opened my laundry room door into the garage, saw the trucks parked in the driveway, lifted my right leg to step down to greet the workers, and BAM, I was on the concrete floor.  

That is all it took, falling down two steps in a matter of seconds!  I was mid fall and I remember turning and saw my feet twisted in a very unnatural form.  When I hit the ground I checked my head, shoulders, arms, fingers.  All ok.  Then I rolled over and could wiggle my toes and move my legs. I remember thinking to myself that I was ok and was very lucky.  Then......I attempted to stand up.  That was when I realized something more was wrong.  As I tried to stand up I could not bear weight on the inside of my left foot.  It was an awful amount of pain and my foot had a huge bump on the inside.  Adrenaline kicked in, I made it inside my house and screamed for my husband.  We both assumed I had a broken bone.  

We told the workers to leave and went immediately to the emergency room.  When at the hospital they took NON WEIGHT BEARING XAYS, that was the mistake!  The x rays showed no broken bones or fractures, they told me it was a sprain, sent me on my way, and told me to follow up with an orthopedic doctor.  Thank goodness I did!  

The next day I went to the ortho and he suspected the lisfranc injury.  The thought of it being something more than a sprain jolted me into a panic.  They said I might need surgery (which I did) and told me to get an MRI.  I had the MRI on Friday of that same week and saw the specialist the following Wednesday.  I needed the MRI because this injury can not been seen on a non weight bearing xray.  You need to be standing for the separation of bones to be seen, but since the pain was so terrible what doctor in the ER was gonna get me to stand.  Most of these cases go unseen I am blessed I had an ortho doctor who knew what to look for. 

I am so thankful that God lead me to Dr. Overly.  He does reconstructive foot surgery and has been my foot hero since this injury.  

Basically when I fell I bent my foot and a ligament tore allowing all my bones to separate.  It is an injury to my midfoot (the lisfranc joint or complex).  That is why we thought I had a broken bone because one of my midfoot bones came down and out.  

My surgeon said that I will be able to walk again but will always have residual issues I will have to learn to live with.  Hopefully I will be able to run (though the doc did not promise anything).  I will learn my limits and learn to live with the pain, I will develop arthritis soon and have traded in my sports car for a mac truck.  That is how the doc described it anyway.  

This injury is the worst to the foot, rare, and each case is different.  But, I am hopeful and positive and whole heartily believe that everything happens for a reason, and that God has me learning something from this.