1 Week: Doctor's Office (WARNING: Graphic Photos)

Daily Tip: Make sure your doctor completes paperwork for you to get a temporary handicapped hang tag for your car.  It usually is valid from 6mo-year and you will need this, especially if you are nonweighbearing or just getting back to walking. You have to take it to the DMV in person, so it's best to knock it out BEFORE you have the surgery.

Take a pain pill about an hour before your doctor's appointments. With all of the moving, poking and prodding, you'll need it.

Getting to leave the house is exciting and terrifying. Up until this point I have been using the computer chair to wheel to the bathroom because it's extremely painful to let this foot feel gravity.  But in order to get to the doctor's office, I have got to be able to move around on the scooter.  
I have a KneeRover Deluxe Knee Scooter - got it from Amazon (again not me in the photo!):

It's pretty durable and seems to be able to handle turns well and has a brake, which is super important. Today's test is using it, using it well and getting used to the feeling of that surgery site pointing down to the ground. PAIN.FUL.   But we shall see.




So I got up and dressed and was promptly exhausted. 

The CAM walker boot that I have, while great, was difficult this time around due to alll of the gauze and padding and ACE bandages and probably swelling with my foot.  It also straps directly over the incision site. But we press on, lol.  It was difficult riding in the car without elevation. I was able to try to place the large boot across my waist, but that was also uncomfortable.  All that being said, the scooter transports great so it was good to pull up to the handicap accessible ramp, get the scooter out, and just scuttle into the office.  While waiting the scooter also serves as a great way to keep the foot elevated.

And now the moment of truth! I first took some x-rays. This actually proved to be very painful, as it required me to actually place my foot down on the x-ray surface. That pressure, along with the blood rushing to my foot was NO fun.

The nurse then came in and removed the bandages. Behold, a first look at my foot since surgery day!:

Stitches!

Everyone was really pleased with the way my foot looked! No signs of any type of infection and I had very minimal swelling in the foot.  Albeit gross looking, the stitch technique is designed to help my scar heal flat, as I have a skin tone/type that is prone to raised scarring.

After wrapping me back up, we got a chance to look at the x-rays:

Frontal view

Side view

Doc and team were delighted with the angling, and placement of the hardware and screws. Additionally, I got a change of pain medication. Other than that, the report was excellent. No immersion in water or anything that will get the foot wet, but stitches should be able to come out at the 2nd post op appointment on Day 14. Yay!

In other news, I need a pain pill and sleep. Tired, exhausted, and the pain is coming back. But we made it, lol.