Foot, Part Deux

This is the "before" X-ray;
I neglected to snap the "after"

I suppose I've been posting here infrequently enough that my prolonged absence after glibly reporting that I was headed to surgery didn't cause any alarm, so that's good!

In fact, the surgery went really well. The most unpleasant thing was probably just waiting for it to start: feeling frumpy and naked in one of those drafty gowns, a hairnet, my glasses, and no make up, whilst being grilled by a bevy of medical professionals. Oh, and hungry and thirsty; my surgery was at 2, and I hadn't been permitted to eat or drink anything after 10pm the night before. The nurses were extraordinarily kind to me, though; they wrapped me up in heated blankets, and even switched out my pillow on the operating table for a comfier one, even though I was planning to be as little aware of it, and everything else, as possible. (The anesthesiologist was kind of a jerk; he told me I might wake up during surgery, but that it wasn't a big deal if I did. Ahem? [Thankfully, I didn't.])

So. They gave me something delightful to knock me out; although I felt it tingling through my veins as I did when I had my wisdom teeth out, I mostly felt chill and awesome. Then they slipped the oxygen mask on and I went under.

I woke up without crying, and felt pretty excellent as the nurses helped me off the table and into a chair and wheeled me into recovery. I felt even better when they brought me snacks, and lots of water! David tells me I was a little loopy as we heard the post-surgery instructions, although I felt pretty clear-headed--just nice and chill, still. My foot didn't hurt at all (I ended up not regaining full sensation in my toes until Monday!), and before long at all they wheeled me out to the curb, where David helped me load into the car with my foot on the dashboard.

The next few days were super lame. I was in a surgical shoe, so I could put weight on my foot, but only to go from the couch to the bathroom or bed. I took some Vicodin that night, out of caution, but it just knocked me out and messed up my sleep schedule. I did a lot of reading and cuddling with the kittens. It was spring break, so I thankfully didn't have to do any teaching work.

Tonight

Anyway, even when I regained feeling in my foot, it didn't hurt much, although it turned all sorts of colors. I had my first post-op visit on Wednesday, when I got my first look at the incision, had an X-ray, and got a nice lighter dressing. (The X-ray was amazing; I only snapped a picture of the "before" image, but that big bump on my joint is totally gone in the "after.") The next week I had my stitches out. Today I went in for another follow-up, and got the green light to do yoga. Within the next two to four weeks, my podiatrist says, I can even start easing into running. Don't worry: I am obviously going to take it very slowly. But it is a very exciting thought, especially since our weather has been preternaturally vernal!

Obviously, I've been taking pictures. Here they are, if you want to see them.* They're not too gruesome, for the most part, although my toenails do look pretty nasty from the betadine. And I've been Mederma-ing my scar, but I do kind of like how simultaneously badass and feminine (pink! like cherry blossoms!) it looks.

*Picassa's not letting me add captions right now, and it's past my bedtime, but I'll try to add them later. They're roughly chronological, and the flowers are from my mom and David (who also got me a  fruit arrangement!).