Bits and Pieces

Mike's knee is healing well after the surgery. He is continuing with physical therapy. He is still having some issues with swelling, and there is some fluid build-up on the knee. The doctor said this is normal and he can come back into the office to have the fluid drawn off. So far, he is waiting on that; he said the last time he had a needle in that knee it was excruciatingly painful.

Update on Mike

Mike started physical therapy for his knee on Friday. Now he is feeling the pain! They said he would.

He has to go to therapy twice a week, and he has to do several exercises at home several times a day. He also has to continue the ice therapy three times a day. (And yes, my poor family does a great job of tolerating me following them around with a camera ready at all times!)

As you can see, he is never alone. (Ha Ha) Lizzie jumped up onto Mike and decided to lie there with him while he was using the ice therapy brace.

This is what his knee looked like when we took off the bandaging. Ick! Of course it looked much better after we cleaned the wounds with peroxide. He doesn't have to wear the bulky bandaging now. We just have to keep the wounds clean and covered with steri-strips. Bathing is an issue because he hasn't yet been released to get the wounds wet (other than dabbing them with peroxide).

He goes back to the doctor for his post-operative check-up on Wednesday when he will be given a brace to wear.

Mike's Knee Surgery

We arrived at the hospital at 6:45 this morning. We left the hospital at 10:20 this morning. In and out pretty quickly. Fairly uncomplicated procedure. God is good.

He has spent most of the day in the recliner, as to be expected. Surprisingly, his pain has been tolerable. So much so that he has chosen not to take the pain medicine the doctor prescribed, but Tylenol instead. Hmm.

He begins physical therapy on Friday. They actually want him using his leg as soon as possible. In the meantime, he has to use ice therapy for the swelling and inflammation. It's a pretty neat contraption they sent us home with, a machine kind of like a small cooler that holds ice water which is pumped through circulatory tubes connected to a brace wrapped around his knee. Pretty cool. Except that I have to keep adding ice, because he has to wear it continuously, night and day for the next 3 days.

He is not one who enjoys sitting very much either. He's a fairly active type, so he has already become quite bored. Lord, help us over the next few days :)

Polar Ice Therapy

This is a picture of the inside of Mike's knee. The arthroscopic surgery is really cool, as it allows you to watch the procedure being performed. This image is one of the lesser gross-looking ones. Not sure just what is happening here... I know the doctor had to remove a bone fragment that had broken off the knee, as well as the tissue build-up around the fragment. He also had to remove part of a certain band from the side of the knee.



Plantar Fasciitis, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, oh yeah, and Knee Surgery Too!

I've been having heel pain in my right foot for over a month now. I'm not one to complain much with pain, so I've been taking ibuprofen and just hoping it would eventually go away. Not so.

I finally decided to go to the doctor last Friday. I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. What in the world?? Apparently I have somehow injured my plantar fascia.

So the doctor set up a treatment plan involving stretching exercises, ice therapy, an anti-inflammatory drug, and wearing this hideous night splint.

Sleeping in this contraption is not much fun. The first night I woke up what seemed like every hour, it was so uncomfortable! The next morning, as I was telling my husband about it, he laughed when he realized that I had not readjusted those long straps that run along the outer edges. I had them pulled too tight and my foot was pulled too far up! Good grief!

The next night I loosened the straps a little, but still I wasn't taking any chances. I took Tylenol PM before going to bed and I only woke up twice. Now it doesn't hurt my foot to wear it, but it is cumbersome and I have to sleep with my foot out from under the covers.

I have to admit that wearing this splint has helped a great deal. And I'm doing my exercises and taking my medicine. So I hope the recovery time won't be too long. And I hope that I don't have to take the cortisone shot that the doctor mentioned. Ouch!

I was supposed to have a follow-up appointment with the doctor in two weeks to see how much progress I am making, but I ended up having to go back today because I've started having some numbness in my toes. When I called the doctor about it, he told me that numbness was definitely not a symptom of plantar fasciitis, so I had to go back to see him today.

He said it could be a couple of different things, but he thinks it is tarsal tunnel syndrome, and that wearing the night splint is aggravating the nerve. So... he said I won't be wearing the night splint as long as he would have liked. And it really seems to be helping the most :(.

Fortunately, the initial treatment plan for tarsal tunnel syndrome is basically the same as for plantar fasciitis (except for wearing the night splint), so I will continue the same exercises. And starting next week I will begin sleeping in the splint every other night, gradually leaving it off altogether. Then I will have a follow-up appointment with the doctor in one month. If I still have the numbness in my toes, he will do a nerve study to see exactly what's going on.

I'm supposed to be staying off my foot and resting it as much as possible. Ha Ha! When a doctor tells a woman to stay off her foot, he may as well put a cast on the foot if he actually expects that to happen! Seriously, as a busy wife and homeschooling mother, I'm not so sure I'm allowed to stay off my feet :) Especially considering the fact that my husband is having knee surgery next week, and he won't be allowed to walk or put any pressure on that leg at all for one week following the surgery.

So, actually he'll be the one laying around staying off his feet, and I'll be up and about, taking care of him. But that's ok. I'm not complaining about that. It is my privilege to take care of him and pamper him a little. I am so grateful that he works hard to provide for our family, and that he allows me to be a stay-at-home mom! And he really is helping me in the evenings with cooking supper while I prop up in the recliner and try to rest it a little. I'm just glad that I'm not having surgery too (the doctor did say that surgery was a last resort if the other treatment options didn't work). Now that would be something, wouldn't it, if we both had surgery and had to be laid up recovering at the same time! Thank goodness our all wise heavenly Father has not allowed that to be!

Foot Surgery

I've been having some foot pain for the past three weeks, so I went to the doctor last Tuesday. It was a plantar wart and the doctor treated it with cryotherapy. Unfortunately, as of today (exactly one week later) it was absolutely zero percent better.

It was supposed to have blistered and begun cracking and peeling by now. But...nothing...stubborn wart.

So I went back in to see the doctor this afternoon, and of course he said he would have to surgically remove it. Yikes! I knew this would be a simple office procedure...therefore I would have to have a local anesthetic (as opposed to general...meaning I would have to be awake and feel this shot). I don't like needles!

He had me lie down on my stomach on the table, and while the nurse began spraying the freezing treatment on it, he injected the anesthetic. I began raising the upper half of my body off the table while simultaneously kicking my "unoccupied" foot! Ouch!

Thankfully, the anesthetic was very quick acting. Literally, within less than a minute I didn't feel anything anymore.

Then the doctor began removing it with a scalpel and cauterizing it with what my daughter described as a "mini-blowtorch!" He did tell me that it went deep. He had to cut and cauterize about half an inch down into my foot. He said it would definitely be very painful when the anesthetic wears off. As of the writing of this post, my foot is still numb and I had the procedure at about 5:30 this afternoon. I plan to take the pain medicine he prescribed in just a few moments and then go to bed. The medicine is to be taken every four to six hours (as needed), so that means I will probably wake up with some pain tonight.

So, to my blogging friend Tom, I can probably empathize (maybe a tiny bit) with you by tomorrow morning! I know it won't be ANYTHING like what he has gone through with his foot surgery, though.

On a lighter note, as the doctor was performing the procedure, he was explaining to the nurse and to me that when he practiced in a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, he performed this very procedure many times in a day. Only, he had a laser to cauterize it with (which meant less chance of damaging healthy tissue), and there was some sort of vacuum attachment that sucked up the burnt flesh so you didn't have to smell it as much.

Oh the joys of living in a small town!

Summer Daze

Thanks to all of you who posted kind comments about the loss of our family pet. It is hard not seeing him run to greet us when we walk outside, but we are coping.

I'm sorry I've been away from my blog for so long, but it's been really crazy around here. Daughter's softball schedule has been taking up a good portion of our day throughout the summer. Rec dept All-Stars softball is over for us now; her team received third place in the district tournament and only the first place winner goes on to compete in the state tournament (awww). But she is interested in joining a travel ball team to finish out the summer. We'll see...

Here she is at bat

Here she is at the position of catcher

Oldest son has a summer job at a pizza restaurant to keep him busy and to put some spending money in his pocket! He's doing a great job of saving most of his earnings....Amazing how much more careful he is about what he spends his money on now that he is earning it, rather than receiving an allowance from us!

Youngest son is just having a blast this summer...playing with friends...doing nothing...enjoying the days!

Dear Hubby is doing what he always does...working...taking care of us. I know that he is counting down the days until we go on vacation...counting today, it's 13 days until we leave...woo-hoo!! We are going to the beach for one week (the gulf coast side of Florida). We can't wait!

And I am recovering from gall bladder surgery. I had the surgery one week ago today and I am recovering well...Just very sore, trying to take it easy and do very little until I heal. But that is hard for me...I'm not used to sitting around doing nothing! I spent the first few days in the recliner doing absolutely nothing (physical, that is...I had plenty of time to stimulate my brain through books, puzzles and games). Now I'm getting around pretty well, but still not 100 percent yet...hopefully by next week I'll be back to normal. My family has been wonderful through it all...waiting on Mom hand and foot, dividing up my jobs among themselves (in addition to their regular chores). And the meals from our friends have been absolutely wonderful! I couldn't ask for things to go any smoother than they have. I am thankful.

Well, now you are caught up on what's been happening in my life, so I'd better get to reading about what's been going on in yours.

Blessings!

My Father-in-Law, Part 2

I am happy to report that we are praising Jesus from Central Alabama all the way to South Georgia! My dear fil came through his hip surgery wonderfully. God is so good! The doctors did not have to replace the whole hip, just the ball; so he will have an easier and a quicker recovery! God is so merciful! And during the surgery they did not put him to sleep completely, just an epidural, so he did not have to experience the horrible nausea that (for him) always accompanies the general anesthesia. Did I mention God is so merciful?

My dh is spending tonight in the hospital with his father. The doctors anticipate fil's release on Saturday or Sunday, followed by a 7 to 10 day stay in a rehabilitation/therapy home. Then he will stay at my sil's home until such time as she feels he is ready to be alone in his own home again. *Thank you, Jesus! You are so good!*

I am ready for my dh and dd to be back home, for us all to be together again. I don't like being apart. But I am glad that they were able to go. Thank you for praying! I am so glad we serve a God who hears us, One who responds, One who knows our needs before we even ask.

My Father-in-Law

The doctors decided not to do surgery yesterday. We're not sure why; they said his coumadin levels were in the target zone and that should not pose a problem. They just said they thought it best to wait. Some family members were a little miffed about the postponement; but I say God knows why we need to wait. He is in control and we will trust Him.

My dh decided last night that he and our dd would drive up this morning to be there for the surgery this afternoon. He felt that it would be best for our two sons and I to stay put for now. Oldest son doesn't want to miss any days at school (if he can help it) so he can exempt from finals. I am heading up a field trip for our homeschool group tomorrow...wasn't sure whether to postpone it and go on up with dh. And as for youngest son, I just knew what a long day it would be to spend at the hospital with him (the hospital is not in their hometown, so we would be just sitting at the hospital).

Now...after having said all that, I'm just not sure if it was the right thing to do. I know that all the other "stuff" we have going on is just that - stuff, unimportant stuff in the light of what really matters. It doesn't really matter in the long run if oldest son has to take final exams, if we miss AWANA tonight and a field trip tomorrow, or if youngest son is bored to tears and drives me crazy while sitting in hospital waiting room. However, dh really thinks this is what I should do and if complications arise, then the boys and I will just pack up and drive up there. Life is so hard sometimes.

Please continue to pray that all goes well with fil's surgery today.

Please Pray

Well, it's been a while since I've been here. Life sure has gotten busier lately. With three kids playing baseball/softball (lots of practices and games), along with getting things in order for my high school senior's upcoming graduation, I've not had a lot of time to spare for the computer.

Most urgent and pressing is the fact that my dear father-in-law (82 years old) fell and broke his hip. My sister-in-law called this morning at 6 am to tell me that he fell last night around 8 pm. They took him to the ER where they spent 4 hours, before they decided to send him to a larger hospital (about an hour's drive away). They had to spend several hours in the ER at the new hospital before they settled him into a room. As of early this morning, they were planning to put his leg in traction. They will have to wait to do surgery when they get his coumadin levels reversed, hopefully this afternoon, possibly tomorrow morning.

It is times like these when I wish we lived closer to home so I could help my sister-in-law. She takes care of her dad and her handicapped brother (the ones who came to stay with us for a week back in March). They do have a brother who lives closer to them, and he will drive down to be with them for the surgery. I always feel as if I am never fully able to do my part in helping out. The best I can do here on my end of the situation is to pray. I have a feeling, though, that we'll be making a trip up this weekend, if all goes well with his surgery (possibly sooner).

Will you join me in praying for him, that everything goes well with his surgery, and for his recuperation?