2 week check up April 12, 2011

All was well until this appointment.  My brain really couldn't entirely grasp what I was about to see under the secure layers of cotton in the splint.  Of course, you read about the procedure and the surgeon explains it all to you, but you just can't comprehend it until you see the incisions for the first time on YOUR foot.  You see the swelling, the dried blood and stitches.  Then you start counting how many incisions you have.  I had five.  THEN it dawns on you that there are staples in all those incisions that need to come out.  I had never had staples before and hope to never have them again.  She pulled out 40 of them (I made her and my husband count every one of them).  I couldn't take any more photos after she started.  I ended up with a cold compress on my head, and a puke bucket.  It hurt horribly despite the fact that I was on pain killers.  OUCH!!!!!

Then, once you get all that done to you, you get to be wheeled off to x-ray for some more torture.  I felt like my foot was hanging out into the universe unprotected.  I didn't know what to do with it.  And everything I did do brought on pain.  Even though I didn't want to get a cast on, I did feel it was much better protected and supported with one on.

But everything looked "good" as far as they were concerned.  The incisions were healing nicely and no sign of infection or seepage.  The x-rays told the story that all the hardware was still in place.

My splint being cut off.

My toes are in there somewhere!

A first look at my incision (s).

It was hard to photograph the incisions on the outside of my foot.  I never did see the one on the bottom of my heel.  There were two on the right side of the foot, one on the bottom of my heel, one long grizzly one on the left side and one up on my leg.

X-ray of my ankle screw with the heel screws also making an appearance.

An x-ray view from the bottom of my foot looking up.  I remember how painful it was to get into this position.  The technician had you lay down and put your heel directly onto the plate.  I had a hard time straightening my leg for one and then to have to rest it directly on top of the heel incision and those screws OUCH!

I was fascinated with this view, but couldn't understand what the function of the third, smaller screw was.  I figured out later that it was to secure the cadaver bone for the column lengthening procedure.

View of the foot from above.