Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Hooray!  The cast came off today and stayed off!  I am now wearing the boot.  I can have limited weight bearing… up to 25% until my next office visit.  I haven’t tried much of that yet.  I’m still getting used to the freedom of no cast! 

Dr. Beskin pulled the pin out.  It was sticking out of my foot the whole time and I was dreading having it pulled out.  But just as he said, it didn’t hurt too much.  He sprayed this icy liquid all over it and I was still feeling the pain from that when he pulled it out so I almost didn’t even notice when he did it!  But it came out quickly much to my relief. 

I still have the strange pains here and there in my foot, but now I can look and see that it’s not something pinching from the outside.  My foot is very stiff and I need to start moving it a lot, but it’s not easy.  Dr. Beskin thinks I’ll do better to do my own personal therapy often at home as opposed to an hour of out-patient therapy three times a week.  So none of that for now.  Please pray that I will be diligent to exercise and move it as much as possible, even though it will cause pain. 

I just realized that I never sent a picture of my ‘rolling knee walker’ so here’s a picture of it.  It’s great!  100% better than that walker was.  I can carry things in one hand as I go unless I’m trying to turn around.  Do you have any idea how many times you turn around in a day?!!  I never realized till now!

It looks like it will be sometime in March before I am allowed to return to Mali.  The doctor wants to be sure that I am walking well before I go back.  Please pray that the healing process will go well and that I will make the best progress possible as quickly as possible.  And please continue to pray for BCA and those who are carrying on there, especially the substitute teacher who will begin teaching Kindergarten when school begins again. 

May you all have a blessed and happy New Year! 

Love,

Kim

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Finally, some news!  It was pretty quiet around here for a couple of weeks after the surgery.  The first week went quickly enough as I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family.  The second week went by a bit slower!  I needed to keep my foot elevated as much as possible, but I was able to move about from place to place with a walker.  There were a few nice days when I was able to sit on the deck, but other than and meals at the table, my time was divided between bed and the living room couch.  I occupied myself with reading and email and computer stuff and a little bit of school administration that I could do by email. 

I had my doctor’s appointment yesterday and it seems that all is going well.  It was rather a shock to see my foot looking like something from Frankenstein.  J  He showed me the mark he had made where he didn’t have to cut after all!  He had thought he might need to make two incisions during the surgery, but only needed to do one in the end.  Praising God for that!  There were 10 stitches on the incision and a little pole (well, I guess he called it a pin) sticking out of my foot on the side under my big toe!  He thought it all looked good…  They took the stitches out, but the pin will remain until my next visit in 3 weeks. 

My first cast was a ‘soft cast’ (could have fooled me!).  It felt very hard when my foot would swell up.  But actually it was not solid all the way around.  There was a hole where my heel is, and from the ankle up, it only went halfway around my leg.  All along I have had strange sensations in various places in my foot.  The pain has not been too bad, but the discomfort is frequent.  It often feels like there is a pole going through my foot, but not always in the same place.  There is pressure from time to time, like my foot is going to explode out of the cast.  This is because of swelling.  Sometimes there is itching which drives me nuts. 

I had a choice of color for my new cast… red, yellow, royal blue, purple, green…  Of course I chose red since it’s Christmas!  J  This one is a hard cast, solid and all the way round my foot and leg.  More difficult to scratch when it itches…  L

The pain and discomfort are supposed to start getting better now.  Please pray that they will cease quickly!  It doesn’t bother me as much when I’m distracted with other things, but when I’m being still and resting (which I’m supposed to do most of the time) it starts bugging me more. 

The doctor has prescribed the “rolling knee walker” and I hope to get it soon!  Can’t wait to see how it works.  It’s supposed to make it easier for me to get around and free up my hands so I can carry things as I go, or stand in the kitchen and help out a little bit.  I’m just praying I won’t fall off of it as soon as I get it!  J 

The doctor has also given me more freedom to do things.  I’ll still need to keep the foot elevated a good bit, but I can get out and go to Christmas parties and Hobby Lobby!  I’ve already done both.  J  I’m still dependent on others to take me places, though, and that’s hard when I’m so used to being independent and doing things when I want to do them. 

Your prayers are carrying me through!

Love and Blessings,

Kim