Now I really did it :((

[marcy]

Hi Missy,

Look at you getting using the walker now. That is progress! I am sure your leg will get more used to being down with time. I am glad the icing felt good to you.

Quiet birthdays are sometimes the best. You and Greg were there so that is what counts. I told Marty he could bring me home one of the crown jewels but I seriously doubt he got me one of those. Weird, huh?

I will have to give American Hustle another chance then. I was busy taking some pictures at the time so I wasn’t really paying a lot of attention. It is fun to see different clothing styles from different decades.

Agreed that it is a wonderful thing we can keep our sense of humor in spite of the curve balls that come our way. I can always find something to laugh at which is a good thing.

I ran errands after work for 2 hours tonight. I didn’t get much accomplished either. I have to pick out a gift for a lingerie bridal shower – I think I am going to get a gift card. I feel weird picking something out.

Have a great evening. Sleep well.

Marcy

 

[missy]

Hi Missy,

Look at you getting using the walker now. That is progress! I am sure your leg will get more used to being down with time. I am glad the icing felt good to you.

Quiet birthdays are sometimes the best. You and Greg were there so that is what counts. I told Marty he could bring me home one of the crown jewels but I seriously doubt he got me one of those. Weird, huh?

I will have to give American Hustle another chance then. I was busy taking some pictures at the time so I wasn’t really paying a lot of attention. It is fun to see different clothing styles from different decades.

Agreed that it is a wonderful thing we can keep our sense of humor in spite of the curve balls that come our way. I can always find something to laugh at which is a good thing.

I ran errands after work for 2 hours tonight. I didn’t get much accomplished either. I have to pick out a gift for a lingerie bridal shower – I think I am going to get a gift card. I feel weird picking something out.

Have a great evening. Sleep well.

Marcy

Hi Marcy! Thank you and I hope you slept well. I had the usual sleep. Slept for a couple of hours then up for an hour or 2 and then slept for another couple of hours and then awake. It is the darn boot. I just cannot get comfortable. But you are right. I am making progress and I can see that compared to where I was even just 2 weeks ago. And I am very grateful and hope when I go for my follow up in another 2 weeks my X-rays show that my bones are healing. I am very nervous about that as no X-rays were taken since the surgery and we have no clue what is happening. I am hoping and praying that it is all going according to plan.

When I recover I am going to see if I can come up with something better for future wearers because there has to be a better more comfortable way! And I am also going to see what I can figure out re the walker handles. When one sweats the grip handle bars (not the technical term) get slippery so I am thinking it needs another type of material there for one to grip so it is safer.

As you can see I have too much time on my hands so my brain is in overdrive...despite the lack of sleep. It just doesn't shut off lol.

I like the idea of a gift card for a lingerie shower. Never even heard of a bridal lingerie shower but sounds like fun. It has been a very long while since I even wore lingerie. When I was in my mid thirties I decided there were most definitely more comfortable things to wear and I never looked back haha. No complaints from my dh so it was all good. Even while we were dating I never stopped with my night routine of applying heavy Eucerin moisturizer to my face before bed. I credit that in part to keeping my skin looking younger than my age. That and always wearing sunblock and not wearing much makeup and always removing it before bed. I cannot believe how many young women sleep with their makeup on. Crazy.

It's going to rain much of the day today and tomorrow so I guess I will be "walking" out in the hallway of my building today. It's carpeted so hopefully that won't be too challenging. It is good to start moving more though my leg/foot does hurt more for much of the day after I am more active. It must be due to the blood rushing to the leg/foot while I am using the walker because it's not like I am using the leg when hopping. I just hope this is OK and I am not causing any harm to it.

I wish the surgeon would give his patients a list of what they can do and what they should avoid. It all seems so complicated. I still am on the Lovenox as he never told me when to stop. And the steri strips have not fallen off my surgical incisions yet. It's been almost 3 weeks for the application of 2 of the lines of steri strips and almost 2 weeks for their application on my biggest incision. And the incisions hurt especially the big one and I cannot see what is underneath the steri strips. Except for a lot of dried blood. Yukk! Sorry for the detail. I am planning to call the PA today but not sure I will get to speak with him as he will be very busy.

Have fun at the bridal shower! When is Marty due back? Getting closer and closer to having him home and I am sure you both miss each other and are looking very forward to the reunion!

 

[missy]

Question: I spoke with the Physician Assistant today and he told me to remove the steri-strips since they have not fallen off yet. So I did but the biggest incision doesn't look closed and I tried calling him but he's gone for the day. And I did email him the pictures because he said to do that if there were any concerns but who knows if he checks that off hours.

Greg thinks it should be more healed by now and of course I am concerned.
(It looks gruesome as I cannot get all the dried blood off right now as it has been over 5 weeks of accumulation and I guess in time with cleaning gently that will come off). My main concern is the PA said not to put any topical (like bacitracin) on the incisions and just wrap it with an ace bandage or sock and put it back in the boot.

I was wondering if any PSers with a medical background might be able to say if this looks OK 5 weeks post surgery or is it a concern? I am just worried if I put it in the boot without any antibiotic (oral or topical) it could get infected as there is no bandage protecting it and it looks a bit open still. Attaching pics. Thanks.


ETA: Andrew responded that it's OK. Just to let it heal on its own. Still nervous but hope he's right. One of the issues with my mom's original surgery 2 years ago (not with this surgeon and PA) was that her leg became infected and they had to remove all the hardware and she was left with a dropped foot. So I guess I have that in my mind too. I think I would feel better with a strong oral antibiotic but I will listen to the professionals and hope they are correct.

 

[azstonie]

Hi Missy:

When it comes to surgical incisions this is the doc standard: Clean, dry and intact. Fully approximated. No signs of infection such as redness, drainage, warmth or swelling. Incisions/wounds must be inspected on a daily basis.

Okay, checking the pics. Overall things look good, your incisions are clean and dry. I don't see signs of infection (redness/drainage, wound-ie looking sorry I know that is nonspecific). You do have swelling but it is unrelated to the incisions. Most importantly, the one spot is not intact.

As you posted, your first responsibility is to prevent infection and damage to the surgeon's work and it looks like you are doing that very successfully. Good job!

Re approximated, I don't like that open section. I don't see how that will approximate. It can heal by the tincture of time (doctor phrase) but will you be left with a hole or deep depression there? If so, unacceptable. You are young, you are not diabetic or immunocompromised/have no healing issues, and have access to clean conditions and quality medical care, why should you tolerate being left with a hole or serious defect there?

From http://surgery.about.com/od/aftersurgery/ss/IncisionCare_3.htm

"A healthy incision will be well-approximated, meaning that the edges meet neatly and closely. Gaps in your incision should be reported to your surgeon."

you don't need a surgeon's attention tonight or tomorrow but don't wait on this. Put a ruler by the open section or a dime or something to indicate scale to a physician looking at these, place a piece of paper with in the pic with your surgery date and the date of the pic.

It is always something, I know, and you are doing a marvelous job at managing your healthcare. By all means, follow up on the Lovenox. When you come off of it, you can get on the Wobenzym N. I want you to know that if you were injured or started bleeding for any reason while on the Lovenox, a hospital or doc can immediately reverse it, just so ya know.

're sleep, Xanax or Ativan per my prior instructions. You cannot take traditional sleeping pills or Ambien due to discoordination/fall risk.

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Missy, Have you asked your doctor about taking a sleeping pill for a couple days in a row? I seems likes your body has gotten into a habit of waking for an hour or two every night. A sleeping pill will also keep your mind from racing all night. If you were able to get a few nights of good sleep maybe it would break the sleep cycle you have been dealing with.

Is your leg really feeling better pain wise? The picture looks painful.

 

[missy]

Thanks azstonie. Of course I am stressing again because Andrew (P.A.) just dismissed the pics saying I was doing well and that it looks fine but I trust you and also what you are saying makes sense. I am so exhausted with this roller coaster and I was hoping at least my medical team at HSS would know what they were doing and I wouldn't have to fight for decent care. Really upset and tired and now I am going to have to call him again tomorrow. I am sure he is going to be sick of me and just hope he won't avoid my calls. The surgeon is not back till next week and has a crazy schedule and is all booked up. I know because I tried moving my appointment to next week which is 6 weeks post surgical but couldn't and my next appt is August 27.

Hi Missy:

When it comes to surgical incisions this is the doc standard: Clean, dry and intact. Fully approximated. No signs of infection such as redness, drainage, warmth or swelling. Incisions/wounds must be inspected on a daily basis.

Okay, checking the pics. Overall things look good, your incisions are clean and dry. I don't see signs of infection (redness/drainage, wound-ie looking sorry I know that is nonspecific). You do have swelling but it is unrelated to the incisions. Most importantly, the one spot is not intact.

As you posted, your first responsibility is to prevent infection and damage to the surgeon's work and it looks like you are doing that very successfully. Good job!

Re approximated, I don't like that open section. I don't see how that will approximate. It can heal by the tincture of time (doctor phrase) but will you be left with a hole or deep depression there? If so, unacceptable. You are young, you are not diabetic or immunocompromised/have no healing issues, and have access to clean conditions and quality medical care, why should you tolerate being left with a hole or serious defect there?

From <a class="vglnk" title="Link added by VigLink" rel="nofollow" href="http://surgery.about.com/od/aftersurgery/ss/IncisionCare_3.htm"><span>http</span><span>://</span><span>surgery</span><span>.</span><span>about</span><span>.</span><span>com</span><span>/</span><span>od</span><span>/</span><span>aftersurgery</span><span>/</span><span>ss</span><span>/</span><span>IncisionCare</span><span>_</span><span>3</span><span>.</span><span>htm</span></a>

"A healthy incision will be well-approximated, meaning that the edges meet neatly and closely. Gaps in your incision should be reported to your surgeon."

you don't need a surgeon's attention tonight or tomorrow but don't wait on this. Put a ruler by the open section or a dime or something to indicate scale to a physician looking at these, place a piece of paper with in the pic with your surgery date and the date of the pic.

It is always something, I know, and you are doing a marvelous job at managing your healthcare. By all means, follow up on the Lovenox. When you come off of it, you can get on the Wobenzym N. I want you to know that if you were injured or started bleeding for any reason while on the Lovenox, a hospital or doc can immediately reverse it, just so ya know.

're sleep, Xanax or Ativan per my prior instructions. You cannot take traditional sleeping pills or Ambien due to discoordination/fall risk.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy, Have you asked your doctor about taking a sleeping pill for a couple days in a row? I seems likes your body has gotten into a habit of waking for an hour or two every night. A sleeping pill will also keep your mind from racing all night. If you were able to get a few nights of good sleep maybe it would break the sleep cycle you have been dealing with.

Is your leg really feeling better pain wise? The picture looks painful.

Hi Callie, my leg is hurting at the incision site now more so because I removed the steri strips (as per PA's instructions) and have an ace bandage over it now under the boot and it is more uncomfortable than it was. I feel like the boot is rubbing on it because the ace bandage is thicker than the sock I had on before I removed the steri strips. Sorry I know I am not being clear. But this is the least of my concerns right now. I am feeling overwhelmed again and I know Greg needs a break from me. I need a break from me.

I don't have anything I can take for sleep except for benadryl and that doesn't work very well for me. Maybe I will try it tonight. Last time I took it was the night of the accident.

Thanks Callie. Sorry to be such a downer all the time. I can be strong when I think things are going according to plan but now the worry of this incision not healing right is quite upsetting.

 

[azstonie]

Missy, you are so NOT a downer.

I know Callie will tell the same when she sees this.

1. The appointment you were given was for a postoperative patient with no issues. You have an incision healing problem so that means you will be seen ASAP.
2. In this situation, what the PA thinks is immaterial; what you and Greg think/see is the deciding factor. You saw the standard above, that one incision does not meet standards. Just keep repeating that "My incision is not approximating and does not meet standards" until you get the appointment.
3. Get a prescription for Ativan or Xanax ASAP; call your GP or go to an urgent care or NP-in- a-box to get it.

 

[missy]

Missy, you are so NOT a downer.

I know Callie will tell the same when she sees this.

1. The appointment you were given was for a postoperative patient with no issues. You have an incision healing problem so that means you will be seen ASAP.
2. In this situation, what the PA thinks is immaterial; what you and Greg think/see is the deciding factor. You saw the standard above, that one incision does not meet standards. Just keep repeating that "My incision is not approximating and does not meet standards" until you get the appointment.
3. Get a prescription for Ativan or Xanax ASAP; call your GP or go to an urgent care or NP-in- a-box to get it.

Thanks azstonie. I really appreciate that. Do you think my incision not approximating is something the PA can handle or is this something only the surgeon can handle? I ask because the surgeon won't be back till sometime next week and I don't know what to do.

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Missy, I just saw your post. You are NOT being downer. I apologize for saying your leg looks painful. I feel I have added to your anxiety and that's the last thing I want to do. I am so angry with myself for making such a stupid comment. Please forgive me Missy. If we are ever lucky enough to meet in person, please slap me for my earlier post. I certainly deserve it.

I am certainly not a doctor and the only surgeries I have had are female ones. I did have an incision get infected and it looked nothing like yours. It was extremely red, extremely swollen and ozing awful looking stuff. Your leg looks NOTHING like that.

I can tell how stressed you are and I think the only way you are going to feel better is to have the incision looked at by your doctor or one of his associates, if he is unavailable. They will be able to tell you if everything is healing the way they expect to see. Also please remember people may heal a little differently but it doesn't mean that they are not healing.'

It is extremely easy to get yourself worked up when you are tired and scared. You have not had a good night sleep in a long time. That really wears on a person and makes the smallest thing seem so much worse. If they can't give you a sleeping pill, please ask if you can take Xanax. That will also help you sleep and help with anxiety.

Greg loves you. He does not need a break from you. He just doesn't want you to worry.

hugs, hugs, hugs, hugs!

 

[azstonie]

Missy, there has to be another surgeon at HHS who is acting, or substituting for your doc; I assure you of this. That physician should evaluate the incisions and give you a treatment plan for it. If you have to cry on the phone, the let it rain on them!!!

While it is not emergent in the sense of uncontrolled bleeding or fever/infection, this has to be addressed immediately to avoid a deep defect.

So you're willing to see a PA as long as a physician/surgeon sees you with or after the PA evaluation.

Tomorrow:
1. Call to surgeon's office and cry on the appointment scheduler if needed, also use that language I gave you above.
2. Call your GP and get Xanax or Ativan, Greg can pick it up on his way home? Or spring for pharmacy delivery. Please do this.

It's all going to be work out in the long run, so stay as chill as you can, we are all thinking about you and how great a patient you are.

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy,

I am glad you are at least sleeping off and on during the night. I hate those nights when I look at the clock all night and rarely drift off to sleep. I still figure staying in bed is more rest than getting up. Marty has trouble sleeping and sometimes is up at 2 or 3 in the morning. I think all of his international travel just messes with his internal clock.

I am sure you’ll be glad to have an x-ray in a few weeks to see how your bones are mending. My mom shattered her leg along her shin years ago and it seems like they didn’t x-ray her leg too often either. I guess they want to wait long enough to see “progress”.

Great idea to try and come up with some better for the boot and handles for the walker. Would a standard plaster cast be lighter than the boot? I know those are heavy too but then again do they even use them anymore? I usually see people in boots or heavy Velcro casts. Do you have rubber handles? I know they had my parents put tennis balls on the front feet of their walkers because they slide better on carpet.

It’s not a bad thing to keep you mind busy and you are using some of those thoughts to invent things. You’ll be rich and famous. Sweet.

I am not into lingerie at all and am definitely too old for such fancy things. My friend is probably 30 years younger than me, I am sure I’m older than her mom but she wants me in her wedding so I couldn’t say no. I got her a gift card tonight so she can pick her own lingerie. The shower is Saturday afternoon so it should be fun. I can’t imagine sleeping with my makeup on. I can’t stand not to wash my face or floss my teeth before I go to bed at night.

Good idea to stay in for walking rather than venture out in the rain. I am sure your boot is keeping your leg fine.

You are so right that the surgeons and doctors should give patients a list of thing to do, watch for, not to do, medicines to take, etc. They tell you some stuff, forget to mention some stuff and expect you to remember it all. Those steri strips can hang on there or fall off too easy – neither seems good.

Marty gets home Friday night. I have a meeting that night and I am giving the program so I can’t stay home. Hopefully he is awake enough to stop by the meeting when he gets to town.

I am no expert but I’ve had some surgeries and I would definitely get someone to look at that one section of your incision. I don’t think it looks infected but I would sure have it checked. I am sure your surgeon arranged to have another surgeon cover his emergencies.

And you certainly aren’t a downer. You are very positive and upbeat. Really!

Take care!
Marcy

 

[missy]

Missy, there has to be another surgeon at HHS who is acting, or substituting for your doc; I assure you of this. That physician should evaluate the incisions and give you a treatment plan for it. If you have to cry on the phone, the let it rain on them!!!

While it is not emergent in the sense of uncontrolled bleeding or fever/infection, this has to be addressed immediately to avoid a deep defect.

So you're willing to see a PA as long as a physician/surgeon sees you with or after the PA evaluation.

Tomorrow:
1. Call to surgeon's office and cry on the appointment scheduler if needed, also use that language I gave you above.
2. Call your GP and get Xanax or Ativan, Greg can pick it up on his way home? Or spring for pharmacy delivery. Please do this.

It's all going to be work out in the long run, so stay as chill as you can, we are all thinking about you and how great a patient you are.

Thank you azstonie. I have a new challenge now lol I just have to laugh otherwise I would just start crying and never stop. I woke up at 3AM with a searing pain in my (left of course) foot. I took 1000 mg Tylenol but the searing pain was so intense I had to see what was going on and by that time Greg was awake because I was in so much pain. Turns out I now have a bruise/cut/booboo for lack of a better term on the top of my foot.

Initially when I got the boot a few weeks ago that area became irritated so the nurse put some gauze there to prevent the boot from rubbing but ever since I switched to wearing a sock under the boot (vs the scratchy stocking the doctor's office gave me) that irritated area resolved. Fast forward to now. I guess the Ace bandage in conjunction with the shorter (and thicker) sock I started using last night is causing some boot rubbing on that area though I have no idea how.

So I am still in quite a bit of pain from that little booboo and it is quite the conundrum as I am not sure how to alleviate it. We put a large bandaid on the area on the top of my foot, cut the Ace bandage off that area and I put the sock back over it and then the boot on...I wish I could go without the boot because g-d forbid it becomes an ulcerated area but I know I cannot risk not wearing the boot. It just never ends.

Another (very minor yet still ridiculous) weird thing that happened last night was right before bed my upper lip started swelling. Like it does if you get a bug bite or something but as far as I know I didn't get a bug bite. Anyway it swelled up quite a bit. I applied ice and took Benadryl but it is still a bit swollen this morning. Is my body trying to tell me something lol. It's like I am being rejected by my own body. Oh and believe it or not I still have the irritated area on my backside. I know I cannot believe it either. Greg says my body is hypersensitive and he's right.

Oh how I wish I could just jump ahead to next year (if I was healed and doing well that is) and be finished with this challenging and painful time. I can deal with the challenges, I really can, but it's when the pain gets intense that I start feeling down and also the not knowing what lies ahead for me. Though I know I will get through this a small part of me (very small) wonders when all these complications arise if I really will...

 

[missy]

Hi Missy,

I am glad you are at least sleeping off and on during the night. I hate those nights when I look at the clock all night and rarely drift off to sleep. I still figure staying in bed is more rest than getting up. Marty has trouble sleeping and sometimes is up at 2 or 3 in the morning. I think all of his international travel just messes with his internal clock.

I am sure you’ll be glad to have an x-ray in a few weeks to see how your bones are mending. My mom shattered her leg along her shin years ago and it seems like they didn’t x-ray her leg too often either. I guess they want to wait long enough to see “progress”.

Great idea to try and come up with some better for the boot and handles for the walker. Would a standard plaster cast be lighter than the boot? I know those are heavy too but then again do they even use them anymore? I usually see people in boots or heavy Velcro casts. Do you have rubber handles? I know they had my parents put tennis balls on the front feet of their walkers because they slide better on carpet.

It’s not a bad thing to keep you mind busy and you are using some of those thoughts to invent things. You’ll be rich and famous. Sweet.

I am not into lingerie at all and am definitely too old for such fancy things. My friend is probably 30 years younger than me, I am sure I’m older than her mom but she wants me in her wedding so I couldn’t say no. I got her a gift card tonight so she can pick her own lingerie. The shower is Saturday afternoon so it should be fun. I can’t imagine sleeping with my makeup on. I can’t stand not to wash my face or floss my teeth before I go to bed at night.

Good idea to stay in for walking rather than venture out in the rain. I am sure your boot is keeping your leg fine.

You are so right that the surgeons and doctors should give patients a list of thing to do, watch for, not to do, medicines to take, etc. They tell you some stuff, forget to mention some stuff and expect you to remember it all. Those steri strips can hang on there or fall off too easy – neither seems good.

Marty gets home Friday night. I have a meeting that night and I am giving the program so I can’t stay home. Hopefully he is awake enough to stop by the meeting when he gets to town.

I am no expert but I’ve had some surgeries and I would definitely get someone to look at that one section of your incision. I don’t think it looks infected but I would sure have it checked. I am sure your surgeon arranged to have another surgeon cover his emergencies.

And you certainly aren’t a downer. You are very positive and upbeat. Really!

Take care!
Marcy

Hi Marcy, I am so happy for you that finally Marty arrives home in 2 days woohoo!!! It's OK that you have a meeting because you will see him when you get home.

I hope your mom is fully recovered from her injury. I had no clue how long and intense the recovery could be for something like that having never broken anything before. It's really amazing how the doctors can put us back together but it does take a long time!

I don't think a plaster cast is lighter than the boot and any way I am stuck with the boot because the surgeon told me last time I saw him that going back to the cast would be a step backwards. Easy for him to say LOL.

Yes, international travel does mess with your internal body clock. I feel for Marty and anyone who travels a lot for business. It cannot be easy. Greg used to travel for work and his trick was to stay on NY time no matter where he went. Not sure how he did it but it worked for him. Whenever I used to travel abroad I would be a wreck for the first few days till I acclimated and then a mess when I returned home in terms of sleeping. My internal clock didn't much care for all that travel because it took a lot out of me. But it was worth it at the time because I loved all the places I went to and the people I met. For me that was always the best part. Meeting wonderful people all over the world.

I think a gift card for your friend is very thoughtful. Age doesn't matter when it comes to friendships I find. It's if your souls are compatible if that makes sense. I have some dear friends who are 30 plus years older than me and some good friends who are 20 years younger. We just click. Have fun at the shower Saturday!

I forgot to tell azstonie but hopefully she will read my reply to you too...I texted the pics of my leg to my BIL last night around 10PM and called my sister to let her know. Anyway he called me back a bit later and said that I will end up with a scar there (I don't care about a scar just want to have proper functioning etc) and to watch it but sometimes that's the way people heal for whatever reason. But because I am young (that's debatable haha) and healthy (again debatable given this whole year) and not immunocompromised I should heal fine. And to definitely have the surgeon check the area out which I know he will of course.

I am going to try to get an appointment next week and fingers crossed I can because I know how booked the surgeon is next week. I don't know how much of a fuss to raise since there always seems to be a new problem popping up and I am afraid to use up all the good will they might have for me if you kwim. I need to pick and choose my battles because there always seems to be something lately but I will try my best to get that appointment next week!

Thank you Marcy and enjoy your dh's homecoming!

 

[missy]

Hi Missy, I just saw your post. You are NOT being downer. I apologize for saying your leg looks painful. I feel I have added to your anxiety and that's the last thing I want to do. I am so angry with myself for making such a stupid comment. Please forgive me Missy. If we are ever lucky enough to meet in person, please slap me for my earlier post. I certainly deserve it.

I am certainly not a doctor and the only surgeries I have had are female ones. I did have an incision get infected and it looked nothing like yours. It was extremely red, extremely swollen and ozing awful looking stuff. Your leg looks NOTHING like that.

I can tell how stressed you are and I think the only way you are going to feel better is to have the incision looked at by your doctor or one of his associates, if he is unavailable. They will be able to tell you if everything is healing the way they expect to see. Also please remember people may heal a little differently but it doesn't mean that they are not healing.'

It is extremely easy to get yourself worked up when you are tired and scared. You have not had a good night sleep in a long time. That really wears on a person and makes the smallest thing seem so much worse. If they can't give you a sleeping pill, please ask if you can take Xanax. That will also help you sleep and help with anxiety.

Greg loves you. He does not need a break from you. He just doesn't want you to worry.

hugs, hugs, hugs, hugs!

Oh Callie, I am so sleep deprived I didn't even see your post this morning when I responded to azstonie and marcy. (((HUGS))) to you and there is absolutely no need to apologize! I promise you did not make me feel badly with your comments. It does hurt and you mentioning it didn't make it hurt more or me feel worse about it. I promise!

As you can see from my above posts to azstonie and marcy the incision not meeting is not the worst of my worries right now. It is the bruise/cut on the top of my foot from the irritation of the boot. Woke me up with a searing pain at 3AM and I could not fall back asleep. Right now we are trying to figure out how to make the boot tolerable because going without it is not a smart option. Really exhausted and I can barely think clearly. Not even sure I want to call the PA today as there is so much I am concerned about. Just going to see if I can get an appointment next week with the surgeon.

And no, Greg needs a break from me. The poor man is not getting enough sleep and dealing with all my crap in addition and I don't know what I can do right now to alleviate what I am putting him through. I know he doesn't blame me but it is wearing on him nevertheless.

OK I am going to snap out of this funk and just deal. I won't die from the cut/bruise on the top of my foot and if it ulcerates I will deal with that too. And as for the incisions when I see the surgeon we will see what he thinks and how to help it along. The main thing is I keep it from getting infected and that the bones heal. And when we get the X-rays we will know more. Until then deep breaths and one hour at a time.

Thanks everyone and again I apologize for my huge vent and emotional distress. I need to just relax and trust the process.

 

[junebug17]

Hi sweet missy! I am SO sorry I haven't checked in lately or been able to entirely catch up on this thread, have been dealing with some issues with my elderly mother and things have been a little crazy lately - but I've been keeping you in my thoughts and have skimmed enough of your past posts to see that you continue to be very strong in dealing with everything that is being thrown at you! I know you don't feel that way, but you're doing better than you think!

Ugh, so sorry to hear about your trouble sleeping - I can totally commiserate, I've been having trouble sleeping too and it just makes it so much harder to cope with what the day brings; it's hard to think straight! - you mentioned Benadryl in one of your posts, maybe it's better than nothing - if it gets you an extra hour or two of sleep it might be worth it. I take melatonin but it doesn't always work if I'm too keyed up. And lately I've had to up my dose lol. Just wanted you to know I understand what you're going through in the sleep department.

And so sorry your incision and bruise are causing you stress - geez, it's always something! But you yourself made an excellent point - you're not going to die from this! Both the PA and your bil don't seem to be worried, so it sounds like you're healing ok, but I hope you can get it looked again soon because I know it's bothering you. (fellow worrier here, I get it). I hope you can figure out a way to make the boot a little more comfortable too. I'm thinking you should give the PA a call about it. It just doesn't sound right that it's causing a cut and irritation like that.

Hang in there missy, please know you continue to be in my thoughts - I will try to do a better job of checking in, even if it's just to say hi and send a cyber hug to you. I'm with you in spirit, and I will be hoping and praying you can reach a point where things at least level out and you're more comfortable and can just focus on healing without dealing with all these issues. ((((((((hugs)))))))))

 

[missy]

Hi sweet missy! I am SO sorry I haven't checked in lately or been able to entirely catch up on this thread, have been dealing with some issues with my elderly mother and things have been a little crazy lately - but I've been keeping you in my thoughts and have skimmed enough of your past posts to see that you continue to be very strong in dealing with everything that is being thrown at you! I know you don't feel that way, but you're doing better than you think!

Ugh, so sorry to hear about your trouble sleeping - I can totally commiserate, I've been having trouble sleeping too and it just makes it so much harder to cope with what the day brings; it's hard to think straight! - you mentioned Benadryl in one of your posts, maybe it's better than nothing - if it gets you an extra hour or two of sleep it might be worth it. I take melatonin but it doesn't always work if I'm too keyed up. And lately I've had to up my dose lol. Just wanted you to know I understand what you're going through in the sleep department.

And so sorry your incision and bruise are causing you stress - geez, it's always something! But you yourself made an excellent point - you're not going to die from this! Both the PA and your bil don't seem to be worried, so it sounds like you're healing ok, but I hope you can get it looked again soon because I know it's bothering you. (fellow worrier here, I get it). I hope you can figure out a way to make the boot a little more comfortable too. I'm thinking you should give the PA a call about it. It just doesn't sound right that it's causing a cut and irritation like that.

Hang in there missy, please know you continue to be in my thoughts - I will try to do a better job of checking in, even if it's just to say hi and send a cyber hug to you. I'm with you in spirit, and I will be hoping and praying you can reach a point where things at least level out and you're more comfortable and can just focus on healing without dealing with all these issues. ((((((((hugs)))))))))

Dear Junebug, Please please please don't apologize...I am so sorry you are having issues with your mom and I hope she is doing OK and that you are too. How stressful that is and I am keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers. Isn't it funny how things come full circle. We are born into this world helpless and become independent and then as time marches on we become helpless again and depend on those we used to care for. Sending you and your mom all my best.

Thank you for your warm and loving post. It touches my heart and makes me feel like I will be OK. I can get through this and I just need to remember everything is going to work out.

Sleep would be amazing for all of us wouldn't it lol. Why is it so elusive just when we need it most? Wishing you sweet dreams and much needed good sleep for you too!

Andrew the PA emailed me back (in response to my email this morning about the edges of the wound not meeting as per azstonie-thanks azstonie!) and said to leave the incision alone and let the body heal itself naturally. He reiterated I can cover it with gauze and wrap with an ace bandage in the boot for comfort.

What we did this morning though after my shower was to cover the incisions with sterile gauze and instead of the ace bandage I put my sock on as I had been doing for the past week. That seemed to not cause any rubbing issues for the past week so fingers crossed it remains that way even though the difference is I have gauze covering the incisions hopefully that won't affect the fit of the boot on the foot area.

Thank you so much for continuing to think of me Junebug even with so very much on your plate. I appreciate your kindness and sending big (((hugs))) your way!

 

[siamese3]

Hi Missy..have been catching up on your thread. My mom has been staying with us for the last five weeks, so I have not been able to check in often. Glad to see that overall you are doing better, aside from the concerns about your incision site. Just wanted to say that years ago, I experienced my lips swelling. They kind of felt irritated, like hive-ish and then they would swell up ridiculously. I ended up going to urgent care the first time it occurred. I got a shot and it still took a god 24 hours for them to go back to normal. Lots of allergy testing and they were never able to figure out what was causing it. It happened on and off for months, and there didn't seem to be any common denominator. I would just have take some benedryl and wait for the swelling to subside. However, I think that it was due to stress. I also currently have bouts of eczema that seem to flare up during times of stress and then become aggravated by pollen allergies.

 

[VRBeauty]

Missy - I haven't followed the latest and just read the last few pages of this thread - I'm so sorry to read about your mother's accident. I can only imagine how much you'd like to be able to help her out right now, as I'm sure you would be doing if you could. Thank goodness for telephones, right?

As to your surgeon situation - all I can say is that it's familiar. My mother's oncologist was only in her hospital once a week, and there was no designated back-up when he was out of town or on vacation. Honestly, there are no words to express the frustration we felt when we couldn't get a chemo prescription filled because he hadn't filled out the script properly and there was no backup to take care of it for him. (We were eventually put through to him, but his response was... well, you've done without it this long. another week won't hurt. We were eventually able to cobble together a work-around.) Anyhow, I have no wisdom or solutions to share, just empathy. I'm very much aware that hospitals don't always work the way they should, and unfortunately we're often at their mercy.

I was wondering how the mystery illness you were dealing with before the fall is doing. Has that been resolved, or has it resolved itself? On of my on-line friends has been blogging about her scrapes with Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome, which is caused by some very potent broad-spectrum antibiotics and causes a wide range of symptoms... and it made me think of you. I'm sure it's googleable. My friend blogs as sarcastic granny.

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, I'm so sorry you're having to deal with all this. Hopefully the doctor can come up with a solution to make your leg more comfortable wearing the boot. I'm sure you are not the only person who has had a problem with the boot. It would seem they would have to have suggestions on what can be done to make you more comfortable. I'm sorry you were in so much pain in the middle of the night.

I wish you would not be so hard on yourself. You really are handling this ordeal unbelievably well. Of course there are going to be times you feel overwhelmed by all of this. Who wouldn't Missy? Please don't beat yourself up over a hard day. People who are going thru nothing compared to you have bad days all the time. I'm sure Greg is fine. You two just had a bad night. Everything will be better today. Trust me you are not the first wife to drive her husband slightly crazy for an hour or two and you certainly won't be the last. I freaked out so badly about a window size while we were building our house that my husband went to bed that night at 7:00 PM. I think he felt his options after an hour discussion were either go to sleep or kill me. We laugh about it today but no one was laughing that night. See what I mean, that was absolutely nothing compared to what you are going thru. This was probably a poor example but I really want you see that you are being too hard on yourself.

Sleep deprivation can really take a toll on a person. I've been through this myself. What seems insurmountable in the middle of night often feels completely different after you get some sleep. Seeing the doctor will probably go a long way in reducing your fears. I promise you in the future I won't make any comments like yesterday. As I said last night I am not a doctor and really have no idea how your ankle should look at this stage. Even if I'd had the exact surgery it by no means we would heal the exact same way. As Kenny would say "people vary". Again Missy, I really do apologize for yesterday. I care a lot about you and feel terrible that I could have added to your anxiety. Like I said above, I seriously think you just had a bad day yesterday and not sleeping just made everything seem 100 times worse. I'm sending you cashews, dust and hugs! Please let us know how you are feeling later today. I try to check in a couple times a day to make sure your ok even if I don't have time to post.

Junebug, I sorry you are going thru so much with your mom. I hope thing get better for you soon. Sending you dust and hugs. Sorry for the thread jack Missy.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy..have been catching up on your thread. My mom has been staying with us for the last five weeks, so I have not been able to check in often. Glad to see that overall you are doing better, aside from the concerns about your incision site. Just wanted to say that years ago, I experienced my lips swelling. They kind of felt irritated, like hive-ish and then they would swell up ridiculously. I ended up going to urgent care the first time it occurred. I got a shot and it still took a god 24 hours for them to go back to normal. Lots of allergy testing and they were never able to figure out what was causing it. It happened on and off for months, and there didn't seem to be any common denominator. I would just have take some benedryl and wait for the swelling to subside. However, I think that it was due to stress. I also currently have bouts of eczema that seem to flare up during times of stress and then become aggravated by pollen allergies.

Hi siamese, I hope you are enjoying your visit with your mom. Thanks for checking in on me. I am also very allergic to lots of things and have eczema. Though I think what caused the lip swelling last night was probably a cat kiss. I have taught my kitties to touch their lips to mine and I have never had an allergic reaction to that but I do get hives when they rub up against me so that's my guess.

Missy - I haven't followed the latest and just read the last few pages of this thread - I'm so sorry to read about your mother's accident. I can only imagine how much you'd like to be able to help her out right now, as I'm sure you would be doing if you could. Thank goodness for telephones, right?

As to your surgeon situation - all I can say is that it's familiar. My mother's oncologist was only in her hospital once a week, and there was no designated back-up when he was out of town or on vacation. Honestly, there are no words to express the frustration we felt when we couldn't get a chemo prescription filled because he hadn't filled out the script properly and there was no backup to take care of it for him. (We were eventually put through to him, but his response was... well, you've done without it this long. another week won't hurt. We were eventually able to cobble together a work-around.) Anyhow, I have no wisdom or solutions to share, just empathy. I'm very much aware that hospitals don't always work the way they should, and unfortunately we're often at their mercy.

I was wondering how the mystery illness you were dealing with before the fall is doing. Has that been resolved, or has it resolved itself? On of my on-line friends has been blogging about her scrapes with Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome, which is caused by some very potent broad-spectrum antibiotics and causes a wide range of symptoms... and it made me think of you. I'm sure it's googleable. My friend blogs as sarcastic granny.

VRBeauty, that's horrible about your mom's oncologist. It still amazes me when I hear stories about insensitive and uncaring and unkind doctors. Why did they even go into the profession in the first place? So sorry your mom had to go through that.

My mystery illness was never figured out but though I still have bouts of the burning symptoms thankfully it is very mild and the chest squeezing was most definitely due to the PPIs the doctors put me on for the other symptoms. When I figured it out and took myself off them the chest squeezing went away. And then they said it was impossible that would cause those symptoms. Ummm not impossible because I am living proof. And I am not the only one either. It would be nice if most doctors could think outside the box. I know many can and those are the ones I want to care for me!

Thank you for your empathy VR. I appreciate that and also am going to google your friend sarcastic granny. Love her blogging name!

 

[missy]

Missy, I'm so sorry you're having to deal with all this. Hopefully the doctor can come up with a solution to make your leg more comfortable wearing the boot. I'm sure you are not the only person who has had a problem with the boot. It would seem they would have to have suggestions on what can be done to make you more comfortable. I'm sorry you were in so much pain in the middle of the night.

I wish you would not be so hard on yourself. You really are handling this ordeal unbelievably well. Of course there are going to be times you feel overwhelmed by all of this. Who wouldn't Missy? Please don't beat yourself up over a hard day. People who are going thru nothing compared to you have bad days all the time. I'm sure Greg is fine. You two just had a bad night. Everything will be better today. Trust me you are not the first wife to drive her husband slightly crazy for an hour or two and you certainly won't be the last. I freaked out so badly about a window size while we were building our house that my husband went to bed that night at 7:00 PM. I think he felt his options after an hour discussion were either go to sleep or kill me. We laugh about it today but no one was laughing that night. See what I mean, that was absolutely nothing compared to what you are going thru. This was probably a poor example but I really want you see that you are being too hard on yourself.

Sleep deprivation can really take a toll on a person. I've been through this myself. What seems insurmountable in the middle of night often feels completely different after you get some sleep. Seeing the doctor will probably go a long way in reducing your fears. I promise you in the future I won't make any comments like yesterday. As I said last night I am not a doctor and really have no idea how your ankle should look at this stage. Even if I'd had the exact surgery it by no means we would heal the exact same way. As Kenny would say "people vary". Again Missy, I really do apologize for yesterday. I care a lot about you and feel terrible that I could have added to your anxiety. Like I said above, I seriously think you just had a bad day yesterday and not sleeping just made everything seem 100 times worse. I'm sending you cashews, dust and hugs! Please let us know how you are feeling later today. I try to check in a couple times a day to make sure your ok even if I don't have time to post.

Junebug, I sorry you are going thru so much with your mom. I hope thing get better for you soon. Sending you dust and hugs. Sorry for the thread jack Missy.

Thank you Callie. You are so sweet and kind and I am lucky you are helping me through this. Big hugs. And thank you for the cashews. I am eating my weight in them every week lol. I probably should slow down though as I have a few months left of this "rest" and well I gotta pace myself haha.

I had PT today and I am feeling better. Greg tried adjusting the boot so it was more comfortable and well for the moment it is but this darn boot is just painful much of the time. I pray tonight it won't bother me so we can both get some sleep.

Also, no apologizing is necessary as I wrote before. You have nothing to apologize for and I truly want honest opinions and not just sugar coating stuff. I mean sure I am vulnerable right now but I do value honesty because it helps me see more clearly at times. So if something looks bad you can (and should) tell it to me straight. If I want sugar coating I'll play Candy Crush lol. Btw I am stuck on level 70 for the longest time. That game can be frustrating.

Feel free to threadjack away please! It is good to get out of my situation for a while and hear how others are doing.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, honey, we need to scrape you off the ceiling. Sleep deprivation and pain can be so difficult to deal with. Do yourself a favor and get on Amazon or some other web site and order holy basil from New Chapters and pay for the fastest delivery you can. I'd never heard of holy basil, but when I was at my craziest after I broke my ankle (and I was pretty far up the crazy-meter and spent a lot of nights and days on the ceiling myself), one of my friends told me about it. I'd never heard of it and it sounded weird, but my friend is very serious about naturopathic medicine and she's taken it during times of stress and found it really helpful. I was just desperate enough to try anything so I got some and took it. IT WORKED. I felt less anxious and much more like myself. Please, please try it. It might help. You don't need a prescription and it's not an opiate or addictive like some things can be. The only thing I'd caution against is don't bite into the capsules as one person I found in my research had done to make it work faster. It tastes terrible in a uniquely terrible way.

I can't speak to the incision, but if you're concerned, persevere with your medical team. Be nice about it, but it's your body and you need to be comfortable about what's going on.

 

[caf]

Missy - a newbie here but have read about your accident, surgery and recovery on and off. Sleep is so important and it sounds like that is proving to be quite difficult for you. I would call your internist or GP tomorrow and tell them you are not sleeping, are anxious and are in pain. And that you need something to sleep called into the pharmacy asap. Tell them what the surgeon has you on and that sleep is elusive, the boot is painful and you are just fried. Surgeons aren't great at managing sleep issues. GPs and internists are better at it. Surgeons fix you up and leave the sleep and pain management to others. Surgeons are great but it sounds like you need a little more attention to the "whole" Missy rather than to just your foot. Sorry if you have heard this before - but I would call before the w/e and get them moving on this. Don't take no for an answer. IF the nurse cannot help you - get the doctor to call you back.

Take care - Cindy

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy,

I hate to hear you woke up in such pain last night and now have another thing to deal with from the ace bandage. Hugs to you, I am sure you feel like all of this will never end and what else can go wrong? I break out from adhesive so I use that self-sticking medical tape for things. Of course it seems to come off easy. I have a tendency to cut myself with knifes so I keep that tape handy. I don’t know if that would help under your heavy boot though. I hope the gauze and sock work for you tonight. I am glad the PA got back to you and said keep it covered and let it heal naturally.

I am definitely out of the loop on what they use these days for casts. I am sure the old plaster cast is considered very outdated now.

I would think Greg staying on NY time when he travels would be difficult. Marty is probably going to be overseas a lot in September too. When he gets home he usually naps on the couch for a few days.

I agree – age doesn’t matter when it comes to being a friend. This friend and I bring out a bit of the obnoxiousness in each other. I think I give her a mature stable person in her live and she brings out some crazy live a little side in me. Luckily our husbands get a long. I saw a story online about a 3 year old boy would became really good friends with his neighbor who is about 84. It was a really cute story.

That is reassuring to hear what your BIL said and your incision. I wouldn’t worry about calling the surgeons too much; you are paying them plenty for their services.

I hope you and Greg both sleep soundly and peacefully tonight. I am sending you PS sleeping dust to help.

Marcy

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Hi Missy,

Just now checking-in on you. the incision looks nice. If it were infected, you'd see red streaks and it would be oozing, or hot to the touch in the area as well. I see none of that in the pictures. However, a portion of it does not look like it is approximating.

If you are really anxious all the time, I would suggest maybe Prozac (it can be used as an anxiolytic). Xanax can help you sleep, but many people complain about feeling groggy and not having a good quality sleep. Not to worry you, but these may be things to bring up with your MD.

Big, big hugs!

 

[missy]

Missy, honey, we need to scrape you off the ceiling. Sleep deprivation and pain can be so difficult to deal with. Do yourself a favor and get on Amazon or some other web site and order holy basil from New Chapters and pay for the fastest delivery you can. I'd never heard of holy basil, but when I was at my craziest after I broke my ankle (and I was pretty far up the crazy-meter and spent a lot of nights and days on the ceiling myself), one of my friends told me about it. I'd never heard of it and it sounded weird, but my friend is very serious about naturopathic medicine and she's taken it during times of stress and found it really helpful. I was just desperate enough to try anything so I got some and took it. IT WORKED. I felt less anxious and much more like myself. Please, please try it. It might help. You don't need a prescription and it's not an opiate or addictive like some things can be. The only thing I'd caution against is don't bite into the capsules as one person I found in my research had done to make it work faster. It tastes terrible in a uniquely terrible way.

I can't speak to the incision, but if you're concerned, persevere with your medical team. Be nice about it, but it's your body and you need to be comfortable about what's going on.

Thanks for that recommendation rainwood. I am going to order it now. It's appealing in that it is a naturopathic medicine and that you have real life experience with it. I often have bad reactions to meds so this sounds like a good option. Nature's Way vegan Holy Basil is what I am going to order after checking it out. First I am going to send Greg to our pharmacy down the block to see if they have it so I can get it today. Thanks rainwood!

Missy - a newbie here but have read about your accident, surgery and recovery on and off. Sleep is so important and it sounds like that is proving to be quite difficult for you. I would call your internist or GP tomorrow and tell them you are not sleeping, are anxious and are in pain. And that you need something to sleep called into the pharmacy asap. Tell them what the surgeon has you on and that sleep is elusive, the boot is painful and you are just fried. Surgeons aren't great at managing sleep issues. GPs and internists are better at it. Surgeons fix you up and leave the sleep and pain management to others. Surgeons are great but it sounds like you need a little more attention to the "whole" Missy rather than to just your foot. Sorry if you have heard this before - but I would call before the w/e and get them moving on this. Don't take no for an answer. IF the nurse cannot help you - get the doctor to call you back.

Take care - Cindy

Hi Cindy, thank you for chiming in. I appreciate that.
What is my main concern right now is the fact that I may not be healing properly and I have already contacted the surgeon's PA about this twice. So now I am going to have to wait and see what the surgeon says when I get to see him. I don't see any other options for me right now. I agree with you about sleep but I am hesitant to take anything more than a Benadryl just because I tend to have bad reactions to meds. I am getting rainwood's rec of Holy Basil and hoping that will help.

But I will keep your suggestion in mind because if nothing else helps I would consider it. Thank you.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy,

I hate to hear you woke up in such pain last night and now have another thing to deal with from the ace bandage. Hugs to you, I am sure you feel like all of this will never end and what else can go wrong? I break out from adhesive so I use that self-sticking medical tape for things. Of course it seems to come off easy. I have a tendency to cut myself with knifes so I keep that tape handy. I don’t know if that would help under your heavy boot though. I hope the gauze and sock work for you tonight. I am glad the PA got back to you and said keep it covered and let it heal naturally.

I am definitely out of the loop on what they use these days for casts. I am sure the old plaster cast is considered very outdated now.

I would think Greg staying on NY time when he travels would be difficult. Marty is probably going to be overseas a lot in September too. When he gets home he usually naps on the couch for a few days.

I agree – age doesn’t matter when it comes to being a friend. This friend and I bring out a bit of the obnoxiousness in each other. I think I give her a mature stable person in her live and she brings out some crazy live a little side in me. Luckily our husbands get a long. I saw a story online about a 3 year old boy would became really good friends with his neighbor who is about 84. It was a really cute story.

That is reassuring to hear what your BIL said and your incision. I wouldn’t worry about calling the surgeons too much; you are paying them plenty for their services.

I hope you and Greg both sleep soundly and peacefully tonight. I am sending you PS sleeping dust to help.

Marcy

Thanks Marcy. We both slept better last night. I woke at 2AM and was up till 4AM but then thankfully fell back to sleep till 6:15AM so all in all not bad and an improvement over the previous night.

We have much in common because I also break out from the adhesive tape and I am accident prone too. LOL wish we didn't have that in common.

One more day till Marty arrives home woohoo!!!

Hi Missy,

Just now checking-in on you. the incision looks nice. If it were infected, you'd see red streaks and it would be oozing, or hot to the touch in the area as well. I see none of that in the pictures. However, a portion of it does not look like it is approximating.

If you are really anxious all the time, I would suggest maybe Prozac (it can be used as an anxiolytic). Xanax can help you sleep, but many people complain about feeling groggy and not having a good quality sleep. Not to worry you, but these may be things to bring up with your MD.

Big, big hugs!

Thanks Resonance Of Life. I am not anxious much of the time but the wound not approximating is causing me concern. I contacted my PA about it twice and he wrote to just let the body heal it on its own and so now I am just waiting for when I can see the surgeon. I don't think there is anything else I can reasonably do. But yes it is causing me concern. I am hesitant to medicate my feelings away but I understand that sometimes that might be a benefit. I am going to try rainwood's suggestion first and then I'll see.

Thank you so much for checking in and seeing how I am doing. Really appreciate that and big hugs to you too!

 

[missy]

OK so my dh just went to the pharmacy and bought the Nature's Way Holy Basil vegicaps. It was more expensive than amazon but there was no option for 1 day delivery for Nature's Way on amazon so this is the best option for me. I will let you know how I do with it. Thank you very much rainwood.

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Missy, I'm glad to hear you were able to sleep a little better last night. Let's hope this new remedy Rainwood recommended will do the trick. You sound good today. Are you feeling a little better emotionally or still pretty anxious? I think sleep will make all difference in how you feel. Has your pain been more manageable? Is the boot feeling a little better or is it still uncomfortable?

How is your mom doing?

Sorry I'm bombarding you with questions Missy. Hugs