Running

Nine Days Post Op

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Note: This post includes photos that some might find a little gory.  You’ve been warned.

I’ve had a number of people check in to see how yesterday’s doctor appointment went so I guess that means a new blog post is in order.  Let’s step back just a bit…

Nine days ago I underwent Lapiplasty surgery on my left foot to correct the alignment of my toes. It’s basically the newest approach to fixing bunions, which in my case, were causing pain in the ball of my foot and in my toes.  I described the process in this post.

Yesterday we drove to Scottsdale to see Dr. McAlister for the first follow up appointment. I was so relieved when Yenzie, the medical assistant, immediately took me back and proceeded to cut off the splint I’d been in for the past week.  Underneath the exterior wrap, my entire lower leg was wrapped in gauze. That’s when I first saw the blood stains. Immediately I asked her if that was normal, and she assured me that it was. Okay, keep breathing…

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Once she got the splint off and removed the bandages I could see the incision and sutures.  While it’s a bit repulsive for me to look at, I snapped a few shots and was immediately amazed that it wasn’t more bruised and swollen. It looks pretty awful, but I guess I was expecting much worse.

Dr. McAlister seemed pleased with the progress and said I need one more week before the stitches can come out.  The x-rays showed that the toes are now in alignment and my new, shiny hardware is in place.  It will be 6-8 weeks before the bones are fully fused if everything goes as planned. Until then I will be in a boot.

Over the next week I’ve got to be careful not to put much weight on it, wear my boot when up on my feet, and continue to use my pretty pink scooter.  My primary job right now is to continue to elevate and ice my foot. The great news is that it’s easier to sleep with my newly wrapped foot and I’m off the pain meds. Even though it’s a challenge to get around, it feels like great progress.IMG_7960

Steve continues to be an excellent nurse. He brings me ice, food, water, and treats. He’s been shopping, cleaning, doing laundry, and all the other things that I can’t get up to do. I’m certainly lucky to have him as my wing man. And soon we’ll be ready to hit the road again in the RV.  Until then, it’s all about the boot and the pink scooter.

 

Lapiplasty and the road to recovery

/ marniesteve / 12 Comments

As I mentioned in the last post, our wings have been clipped in more ways than one. The COVID-19 pandemic took us and our rig off the road literally. And since we were going to be home indefinitely it seemed like a good time to address a long-standing problem I’ve been having with my feet. Let’s go back…

After nearly 30 years of leading management workshops while wearing (beautiful) high heeled shoes and then running over a dozen half-marathons (not to mention high arches, thanks Mom!) my feet were trashed. I was hiking fewer and fewer miles before the pain hit and running has been out of the question for awhile. Since retiring four years ago I’ve sought relief from numerous doctors, received shots in four different places in my feet, tried massage, physical therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture treatments. Nothing seemed to provide relief.

Earlier this year I found Dr. Jeff McAlister at the Phoenix Foot and Ankle Institute. After multiple diagnostics he determined that a bunion was creating the pain in the balls of my feet. However, rather than treating the issue with a traditional bunionectomy where they shave off part of the big toe joint, he recommended a Lapiplasty 3D bunion correction. This procedure realigns the toes at the base and thus straightens and stabilizes the entire joint. Of course it’s more technical than that, but you get the idea. This picture isn’t my x-ray, but you can see the hardware I now have.

Having elective surgery in the age of COVID-19 created a few challenges. First, the surgery was delayed for about a month until the Governor lifted restrictions. Then I could not have the procedure without a negative COVID test two days prior to the surgery. Luckily the hospital mobilized quickly to make sure the tests were available and processed in a timely manner. P.S. the nasal swab is NOT fun.

On the day of the surgery we went to the outpatient facility and got right in. In fact there were only a few other patients that day and it felt like I had the place to myself, along with plenty of nurses , technicians, and doctors. I was in and out of surgery in about an hour and home before 4:00 with a wonderful thing called a nerve block. I couldn’t feel the lower half of my leg for 24 hours and I was tricked into thinking this was going to be easy!

Now that the nerve block has worn off and the post surgical pain has set in I’m managing with ice, elevation, and pain medication. My hope is that the pain begins to subside in the next few days. However, so far it’s not been easy or fun. Poodles, neighbors, and a wonderful nurse named Steve are getting me through. I’ll go back to see Dr. McAlister in one week to hopefully have stitches removed and to receive a walking boot. Until then I’m non-weight bearing and learning to get around on my cute pink scooter.

Thanks for reading and I’ll post an update when something noteworthy transpires. In the meantime you can find me either in bed or on the couch, but wishing we were on the road again!

New Braunfels and a Winner at the Alamo

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Our Texas tour continued in the Hill Country town of New Braunfels. Just 30 miles north of San Antonio, New Braunfels allowed us to further explore the Hill Country while also putting us close enough to San Antonio for Steve’s next marathon.  It was a fun few days.

New Braunfels is at the confluence of the Guadalupe and Comal rivers, and activities like fishing and tubing are very popular. It was too chilly for us to get in the water, but we did enjoy a visit to nearby Canyon Lake and the eye-popping River Road. IMG_7687Lined with camps, parks, and homes, the road looked like the place to be when the weather turns warmer. We’d love to come back.

We also loved this area because of the variety of bars, breweries, and live music.  We visited the Phoenix Saloon.

Established in 1871, it was the first bar in Texas to serve women, and they claim it’s where chili powder was invented. The noontime live show was really great and Steve loved the chili! The Phoenix Saloon was just one of several establishments we visited while in New Braunfels.  At Guadalupe Brewing we enjoyed a brew beside a fire and met new friends. At the Grapevine we listened to some authentic Texas music while watching children play behind the stage.

New Braunfels is super family-friendly, vibrant, and rapidly growing. There’s new construction everywhere, reminding us of the rapid growth we saw in Gilbert AZ in the past few years.

When you’re in New Braunfels, you can’t miss the historic district of Gruene (pronounced “Green”).  Established in the 1840s, Gruene, which means “Green” in German, fell into disrepair during the Great Depression. In the 1970s Gruene was resurrected and today is a bustling shopping, dining, and drinking destination. In fact, we visited the area three times and loved listening to the live music and watching the Texas Swing dancers at Greune Hall, Texas’ oldest continually operating and most famous dance hall.

Over the weekend Steve completed his first marathon of 2020 in San Antonio. We spent Saturday checking out a few of San Antonio’s highlights, including the Riverwalk,  the Alamo, and the Pearl Farmer’s Market.

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Steve and I had been here ten years ago when we did the San Antonio Rock and Roll race.  Steve ended up in an ambulance at mile 25 in that race and the DNF (Did Not Finish) result has haunted him ever since. Here’s the photo from that race many years ago:IMG_0090He was set on redemption and the Run the Alamo race was his opportunity. After a few months of no races, lots of training, rest, and my pasta dinner the night before, he was well prepared. And HE WON!!

Steve came in first place in his age group and 24th overall! How encouraging it was to know that preparation and focus leads to success!

We celebrated with another visit to New Braunfel’s music and drinking establishments and Mia was happy about that.IMG_7707 4.jpgWe’re now in Austin for what was supposed to be the big event: South by Southwest (SXSW).  The event has been cancelled, along with the Chris Stapleton concert for which we had purchased tickets.  We’ll post another blog related to this craziness.