theworryblog.com

I just had a post foot surgery checkup.  This was not a typical foot surgery - it was a correction that involved “screws”, multiple incisions, bone marrow transplant (from a distal point in the heal to another point in the foot).  There were 4 areas of stitches.

 I didn’t realize the complexity of the recovery (I knew what he was going to do) even though nothing had been disguised from me.  I think it was my determination to get this done and denial about the short term cost. 

But that is not my point today.   After a post-op x-ray, the doc’s own words were “I know this looks a bit like texas chain saw massacre, but it will improve”.  I was ok with that.  I think he’s being fair and right.  I’ve had scars before, and with time, they heal satisfactorily.

No… my beef is what came next.  The nurse removed the sutures and then put me in a more “permanent” cast than the preceding one.  This one was the regular sort you see on broken limbs, etc.  I chose black from her palatte of colors.  I was happy with my choice and it was all very simple.  That is until she told me she was going to cut away some of the cast to expose my toes.  The purpose of this is to enable everyone to keep an eye on things and make sure my toes don’t turn blue or red. 

So she brought out the saw.  And I do mean *SAW*.  it was a round blade.  If I have to estimate, I’d guess it was about a 3 inch diameter saw.  She told me, as I appeared hesitant, that children either scream or laugh.  None have no response.  Well, I think I was a mixture of both, as an adult.  I really didn’t know whether to scream or laugh.  But there it was.. She sawed an squared off “U” into the cast. 

HOW DID SHE KNOW HOW DEEP TO SAW?  She assured me, when I asked that there would be no problem.  First of all, the saw could only go “so deep”.  She showed me the protected area, which was only half the area of the saw.  That meant it was 1 1/2 inches exposed.  My cast, was at most - with protection beneath - maybe 3/4 inch thick.  She put her hand against the blade and told me it was soft and then she said:

“If anything is going to happen, you’d feel a burning sensation long before I’d cut into you”.  This just didn’t help.  My foot, and possibly my life, was simply in her hands. 

It didn’t help that I was also told to return in 2 weeks to redo the cast.  That’s because they expect a reduction in swelling by then and my cast might be too loose to promote secure healing.

So - I have to have it completely sawed off, then re-applied…  the squared “U” cut out again, all before the final time it gets sawed off.

 If this isn’t the stuff nightmares are made of - tell me what is!!!