First of all, the title - see what I did there? You've got to have a little sense of humor about it, right? I decided to create this blog so that anyone with questions about what led up to the surgery, the procedure and the recovery can learn from my experiences. I'm still not sure how to pronounce cheilectomy, but hopefully this gives anyone considering the procedure a little insight into what they can expect.
About me
I'm 43 years old and am generally a healthy and active guy. I've participated in athletics since I was a kid, and as an adult have been a pretty avid runner (anywhere from 20-40 miles/week). I've logged two marathons, too many 5 and 10k's to count and several triathlons along the way. I'm not finishing on the podium, but instead use exercise as a means to stay healthy, eat pretty much what I like and drink beer without needing a seat belt extension on an airplane.
Ouch - when it all began
It started about 5 or 6 months ago. I noticed a pain in my right big toe during yoga class. You know the part where you flip over from up dog to down dog, and your toes roll? I felt a somewhat sharp pain that I thought was just a weird positioning thing. Then it happened again. Then I noticed it while running. Pretty soon, I felt it all the time while walking. Some shoes were better than others - stiff, supportive running shoes felt better while dress shoes for work felt like torture devices. I went to my doctor who thought it could be a broken toe. She put me on crutches for a week just to take it easy. An x-ray showed nothing. It still hurt. So she referred me to an orthopedist. That's when we found the problem.
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| x-ray of my foot |
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| A closer look - you can see the two bumps (smaller on the left, larger on the right). The green line shows the bone to be removed in the cheilectomy. |
The x-ray revealed those two bumps on either side of the joint. After the first visit with the NP, we scheduled a follow up visit with the surgeon. Between those appointments I did a lot of research about the procedure, watched a lot of youtube videos (not for the squeamish) and decided I would rather get this done and over with before summer. I live in Boston - our summers are short, and I didn't want recovery time cutting into hiking, lake and beach time.
Time to operate
Yesterday was surgery day. Perhaps the most annoying part of pre-surgery was not being able to eat or drink because of the general anesthesia used during the procedure. My surgery was scheduled for 3pm, and all I was allowed was one cup of black coffee at 7am leaving hangry for most of the day. Thank goodness for the carb buffet in recovery (more on that later).
I checked in, and within 30 minutes was wearing a johnny (that's hospital lingo for the gown that leaves your backside breezy), had a line inserted into my arm for anesthesia and was being asked all the routine questions like medications I take, did I feel well today, name, rank, serial number, etc. It wasn't long before they rolled me into the OR, and I was out before I knew it. After the procedure, which I was told lasted about 40 minutes, I slowly woke up in the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit) with my foot wrapped up in a sturdy dressing. That's when the nurse brought me ginger ale, cookies and crackers. I had seconds. After a few instructions from the nurses, I was on my way. Here's what I was told:
-No drinking with the oxycodone (wasn't planning on it)
-Maybe some weight bearing within a few days if it feels right
-KEEP THE FOOT ELEVATED (there's a reason that's in caps) - 3 or 4 pillows high if possible
-Ice
I took the pain medication immediately, and after a short wheelchair ride to the lobby was headed home. Within a few hours, the pain was pretty significant. On night one, I stayed in bed, foot elevated, pain medication on board and ate a lot of pizza. This is when Netflix comes in handy.
Day 1
This is where we are as I start writing this blog. I took the day off of work and stayed horizontal with foot elevated for most of the day.
The pain was pretty significant in the morning, but has leveled off as the day goes on. getting up on the crutches increased the pain - elevation is definitely the key for now. I've decided to stay home tomorrow as well to allow for a little more recovery before crutching into work.
The dressing you see there has to stay on for two weeks while the incision heals. Until then, I can't get it wet. I guess it's baths with half of my leg out of the tub until then. That blue velcro contraption is the sweet shoe I'll be sporting for the next couple of weeks when I'm finally able to put weight on my foot. I think I'll try to see how that feels tomorrow. As my astute friend pointed out, the laundry in the basket isn't happening today. More tomorrow.
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