Stepping Into Spring .....

Hi! I am still doing okay overall with the foot. Today was a really rough day with finding shoes that worked. As we are starting to transition into spring/summer shoes, it is much more challenging to find something that fits and feels good. I looked for white sandals over the weekend and didn't have any luck. I must have tried on fifty shoes at 6-8 different shops and department stores with no luck. I really need to have a back on the sandal with no toe piece, which eliminates like 95% of the sandals from the start. At first I viewed finding workable shoes as a "shopping challenge," but that only lasted for a few months. I have to keep reminding myself to be thankful that I can wear a shoe and if it takes a while to find something that works, then I've got it made if that is the worst of it.

Over the weekend I had a little scare ..... all of a sudden my foot had horrible pain and I could feel the muscles/tendons in my toes start to contract & it felt like they were going to stay contracted permanently (which has happened in the past). I quickly drove home from Target, took off the tennis shoe and massaged/worked with it it for the longest time .... eventually it seemed to resolve itself. Never did figure out what caused it, but thankfully it was just a short scare! I was going to be on the first plane back to the Dallas orthopod, otherwise.

There is another tiny area of skin that is now open, so I am "babying it" and am trying to get it to improve. I am not making much progress on it, but am still trying.

I go on April 12th at 3pm to the hip surgeon to discuss possible hip revision surgery ... I'm thinking MAYBE early July for the surgery. I have to get through summer camp at JA in June. I can tell that it feels different every night now when I go to bed. I will be very surprised, if he tells me to wait until next summer. Supposedly the implants have improved so much that this might be the last time that I'd need to have it done .... amazing that the technology has improved that much. My hip surgeon is a great doctor and is in private practice by himself, so the smaller office is nice. I am his youngest patient & he was the first doctor we met after we moved to STL.

Better call it a day and get some zzzz's ..... pray for a good appt. on April 12th!

Jenny

All is Good ....

Greetings! I am doing well and am doing everyday life things. All is still well with the foot. This week I dried the foot too hard with a towel and it started bleeding in two places, but I got it under control. I sent an e-mail yesterday to my Chicago orthopod and told her that all is well, except the bunion on the opposite foot. I would guess that she will write back over the weekend. We had kids everyday this week at JA, so by Thurs/Friday I resorted to wearing tennis shoes for comfort. I still have to be pretty careful with wearing shoes and thinking about how much standing/walking I'll be doing each day.

More & more people are noticing the hip limp now, so clearly it is becoming more obvious. Most assume that the limp is due to the foot, but it is not. I am on vacation beginning next Wednesday or almost a week, so I'm looking forward to heading south with warmer temps. This is the first time in six years that I've had days to use for something other than medical needs .... I even had to go to our HR person and ask how to submit a vacation day form, because I've never done it in all my time at JA ... it is a good problem to have now.

It was great to see the sunshine this week in STL!

Happy weekend to you!
Jenny

All is Good .....

Post #392 ....

Quick blog update ..... overall I am doing fine with the foot and no major new developments. I am already tired of moving the "lift" insert from one shoe to the next each day, but I am doing it. It does help the hip some or at least makes the leg length situation a little less. I am still walking quite a bit at work, so I've been pretty tired lately by the evenings. I should be returning to the gym for overall health, but I've felt like I've been doing so much walking at work that I didn't want to overdo it. Next week will be the one year post-op mark from the last surgery in Dallas (tendon lengthening 2nd try).

It has been very nice to not have to keep track of scheduling for medical or pt appointments. I think February was the first month in several years that I went 4 weeks with no appointments - that is a milestone for sure. I have a bunion on my left foot (good foot) that has been there since way before I started any of this foot ordeal and in the last few weeks it has really been aggravating ..... I'm doing all the normal stuff for comfort, but some point it is going to need some attention. I may go to Chicago at some point this spring and might have my orthopod there look at it .... I'm sure she will say, "We're not doing anything with it!" I'm taking the wait and see what happens approach for now & am trying to ignore the pain.

I am traveling back to Memphis tomorrow for JA and will be there through the end of the week. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer down South! The JA office in TN always gives me a rough time that I cannot drink the sweet tea that everyone loves in the south. I love ice tea, but the sweet tea is too sweet ... they laugh when I ask for unsweetened and am told it is all sweet.

I will replace the snowflake border and remove the falling snow on this blog page this weekend .... ready for something that screams SPRING!

Thanks for checking in .... happy to report that all is good. Better get some zzzzz's .... long day of travel tomorrow.

je