Haglund’s Deformity: Surgery Week 2
In the second week of my recovery the observations have reduced and the changes are less pronounced. So there may not be an entry for every day.
MON 03/25
At least 6 trips in the night, and my smartwatch thinks I got less than five hours of sleep. Of course, today is the day I decided to go back into work. I got up at the usual time of 5:30 AM and did okay, although it is a very long walk, in the iWalk, from the building’s entrance to my desk. Every day there’s been a small stumble as the foot of the iWalk catches on the edge of a rug, a bump in the pavement, or the threshold of a door. Or if, in a moment of distraction or weariness, I fail to lift it high enough and the rubber bottom “grabs” the floor. There haven’t been any falls, but it’s going to be hard to make it three weeks without an incident. I’ve had the same issue with crutches, so it’s not like they would be less dangerous than the iWalk. At least with he iWalk I have a chance to grab a handrail, door jamb, or countertop to prevent a fall. I have a wheelchair as an option, but lifting it out of the trunk and maneuvering it through doors seems a lot more trouble than it’s worth.
TUE 03/26
The topic of pain or discomfort has been at the forefront of these journal entries because that’s the aspect in which most readers would be interested (because the most likely readers are those about to undergo a similar procedure and want to know what they can expect). But in context the pain has not been severe or even an impediment, and mostly just an annoyance. And that’s when it’s been noticeable, and in the balance that’s been the minority. The one area where it seems to be amplified is when I’m trying to sleep. The discomfort doesn’t increase, just my awareness of it. And as my mind tries to wind down and defocus, the discomfort shifts to center stage. Without any competition or distractions it “seems” to intensify. Consequently, I’ve decided to always take my pain meds before bed, so that such minor sensations are proactively silenced before they can begin yammering for attention.
While on the topic of pain, I did have a short and painful burst today while in the iWalk. This device holds your leg in a bent position, with your foot behind you. You use that trapped leg to lift and position the iWalk as if it were a prosthetic. There’s extra effort to lift the 12 pounds of apparatus each time (that is, including the brace boot and bandaging). And today I happened to get a cramp in the muscle that runs along the back of my that thigh. Instinctively I knew that I wanted to straighten that leg, but that’s impossible while strapped into the iWalk. Releasing the straps, however, meant closing (not opening) the angle of my leg which triggered the cramping. So it was an interesting few seconds as I tried to remove the iWalk of without tightening any of the trigger muscles!
THU 03/28
The swelling in my foot was quite reduced today, and I was able to see more than the tips of my toes peeking out from the bandages. The three middle toes have deep bruises and are quite sore. It’s been almost two week since the surgery, so I have to wonder what kind of vise did they have those toes in to create such long-lasting effects?
FRI 03/29
I figured how to get to the mailbox at the bottom of our steep driveway: by stumping sideways in the iWalk. Unfortunately it didn’t work for the uphill return trip. My neighbors were treated to a couple of hilarious pirouettes. My “peg leg” did a series of rapid fire taps as I desperately spun on my good foot. I managed to get close enough to my wife’s CRV and grab the spare wheel and then used the vehicle to drag myself to a flatter area. It’s a miracle that I’ve made it nearly two weeks without falling.
SAT 03/30
I made a minor sink repair which involved kneeling on an area rug. That allowed the exposed Velcro on my boot to “glue” me to the floor! It was an interesting moment trying to stand back up from a kneeling position using only one foot, while the other is stuck to the mat.