Epic pain

After what I thought was such a fantastic day my foot began to hurt unbearably bad.   I was crying and had to have my mom come over. She rewrapped the outer elastic because it felt tight. I feel like princess and the pea, I can feel everything and its so excruciating.   All I can do is breath and try not to cry.

First post-op reality

So, of course I made it bigger in my mind than reality.  My doctor is nice, kind, compassionate, and good at his job. My visit was a success for both me and my doctor. I couldn't be happier. He did unwrap it and let me take photos. I cant decide if I am amazed or horrified. Perhaps its both.  No lectures about pain meds and in fact an apology about new state law.  Maybe I was being sensitive, or losing my mind. Being super emotional since I broke my foot, is the one thing I notice a lot.  

First Post-op Nerves

Going to my first post op tomorrow.  Everything has hurt and I am scared. It seems like every time I start getting used to something it changes.  I don't want them to unwrap it. What I want is to go disappear in a dark cave like the wounded animal I am. However, tomorrow I will go to the doctor like a good girl. Maybe I will get lucky and sleep. Its 11:30pm and finally my foot doesn't feel like its spasming so much. Nothing is comfortable.  I move one way and I feel like my ankle is nailed to the cross. I move another and it feels like various pliars around my toes and forefoot pulling and grinding in all directions.  Sadly what I look forward to least tomorrow is defending I am in pain or proving that i might need pain meds. I have never been a substance abuser and appreciate the care taken to keep me from that life but seriously... if this isn't managed I see why people flip over to trying something else.  Luckily my dark side is sneaking ibuprofen at night so I can sleep.  F****** druggies are ruining the normal recovery process. In fairness, I have decided I am not dying on a wagon train heading west in the days of old.  My life could be way worse... I could have met Dr. Lisfranc instead of a namesake injury. My coping mechanism of choice post surgery is distraction and visualization.  Not sure how to explain the latter as I made it up for myself. Basically I   imagine the hurting spot and kind of turn it into something else in my mind. For example my pain felt like I had kicked a sharp corner over and over again between every toe. I tried to imagine running my bare foot along a smooth cold ball, gentle cool pressure helping relax my warm foot...... and I would do that until I could think about something else.

Stupid things

The stupidest things bother you when your laid up. For example, somebody cleaned the front of the TV but left dust lines across the viewing surface. Normally I would go fix it but now... getting across the room is effort not to mention finding a cloth, carrying it, putting it away.  All those little tasks used to be no big deal.

The first 48 hours

The pain was excruciating.   In recovery it felt like my first three toes were in vice grips that would never let go.  That eventually turned into that sensation of jamming your foot into a sharp hard corner... only it never stops and hurts in more than one spot.

 

Night 2 I thought I was going to die. I wished I could die or just chop my foot off... I don't scream no one believes me that it hurts.

Better or Worse

1st night of surgery. Trying to distract myself from the pain... 1 hour till meds... I cant believe how much I hurt.  I had just adjusted to the pain of the break.

My doctor swears that the first 48 hours are the hardest.

 

 

The podiatrist says its bad

Initially at the hospital my foot didn't look so bad. Swollen and painful but visually it didn't seam like anything special. If it had not of hurt so much I wouldn't have gone in at all. I knew I hurt myself but I had no idea what I was in for. 

The ER doc got ex-rays and informed me I had a break in the third metatarsal.  He gave me pain meds and told me I could walk on it. I thought, 'this man is crazy, no way am I walking on it'.  I was referred to a podiatrist.

The podiatrist did a weight bearing ex-ray and determined a Lisfranc injury and sent me for ct scans.  The visuals for the ct were really cool, btw.  Anyways, it was determined I had 5 fractures and 2 dislocations.  This became easier to believe once the bruising pattern started to show.  Classic bruising on the under foot and along the outside edge of the top.