First Follow Up with My Doctor

I have been waiting for this day for two weeks, coping with boredom, inactivity, TOTAL dependence on others to do the most basic things for me, missing going out to the movies and restaurants and just being anywhere but the first floor of my house! Today at 10:00 a.m. was my first follow up with my surgeon, Dr. Arcand, since my surgery just over two weeks ago and it couldn't get here quick enough.

My exhaustive "dress rehearsal" earlier this week trying to nagivate my steps proved to be rather easily remedied: just have a strong guy right there to let you put all your weight on him as you step down and also as you use your crutches to cross over his lawn to my waiting car! Jim was strong enough to support me and my sister and partner followed closeby just to remind me "you're almost there!" and ta da, I got to my car in one piece.

My early impressions of Dr. Nicole Arcand still hold very true: I just plain like her, her "bedside manner", her hearty laugh, and, most of all, her honesty and ease in explaining what is going on with me in a way I can truly understand. She told me my incision looked "great" today, lauding me for "obviously keeping your foot elevated and staying off of it these past two weeks, and that couldn't have been too easy for you!" I smiled very proudly because, indeed, I have been the "good, compliant patient" and very motivated to hear just what I heard today - you done good.

She reviewed her findings during the surgery wherein I had a shortened tendon that represented two challenges: not only reattaching the ruptured tendon so the two ends could securely heal again but ALSO ensuring that the tendon would reattach to the bone. This is the part that is very much "wait and see" right now. When I asked how she would evalaute the progress of this, she said "clinically" meaning she would be checking over the coming weeks my range of motion, ability to bear weight, etc. She told me that she used four "anchors" when reattaching the tendon to the bone (I think the usual number is more like two) to do her best to ensure proper healing. When I told her I've really had no pain in my leg or foot, she reminded me that this could be due, in part, to my neuropathy (secondary to having Type II diabetes) but also due to my being compliant in keeping my foot elevated and non weight bearing.

So, after removing my sutures (which hardly hurt at all, contrary to what others have reported), they changed my splint and put on a second one (which basically is just layers of ace bandages, and put my toes in a slightly downward position. I will go back for another appointment in two weeks at which point the splint position will be returned to a neutral positioning. She thinks that, in four weeks, I may be able to transition to the cam boot (which I had briefly before the surgery) and start bearing weight. The other BIG news is that I no longer need to keep my foot elevated. When you've been constantly doing so for two weeks and feel just how inconvenient and uncomfortable that can become, believe me, you hear this type of report and silently say a big "yahoo"!

Dr. Arcand also detailed what the Plan B would consist of, should my tendon not properly heal when attaching itself back to the bone. She would suggest grafting some tendon tissue from my toe to use on my shortened, less healthy achilles tendon and see if that would do the trick. It's interesting - I didn't flinch at all upon hearing this or tense up or say "Oh my God no, not another surgery!" I actually have come through all of this so far rather well rested, comfortable with who is treating me and also with who has been taking care of me, and all I want is to have a valuable quality of life back again: the ability to walk, enjoy the nice weather, and just feel plain unrestricted! Freedoms like these that have been denied for even a short time make them all the more precious to a person, so perhaps that is one reason I have encountered this time in my life. It truly has made me value those "little things" that don't seem very little at all right now.

And just for the record, I want to thank the following from the bottom of my heart (and not necessarily in this order, it's just what my memory pops into my mind at this time)!: My partner Lucy, my sister Karen, my Mom for all her great telephone and e-mail support, my nephew Ryan for calling me yesterday and just making my day by doing something so uncharacteristic for him (STAYING IN TOUCH!), my friends from work, especially Sabrina and Tina, my wonderful support network of close friends like Elizabeth P., Dottye B., Renee, Judy S., Norma C. and some acquaintances I didn't expect to really hear from who were such pleasant surprises. If I left you out, please don't take it personally. Just know that anything and everything people have done for me has made this bearable and even somehow important for me to go through. This has NOT killed me and it HAS made me stronger. Thanks.