Sexy Heels (and an update)!

These shoes are my goal.  I could not resist these sexy heels yesterday, so I bought them as an inspiration to walk again very soon (not that I really need more of an incentive than my kids).  The price was just too good to pass up!

Once I'm up and walking again, I'm going to make Ryan take me out on a nice date so I can wear them!

Speaking of walking....  I had my very first physical therapy session this morning.  For the first time in 10.5 weeks, I put weight on my left foot and "walked" on it.  Range of motion in my ankle will be the biggest concern, as well as being able to put weight on it.

I have had continuing knee problems since the accident.  It's no surprise, since it was crushed between a car and our motorcycle.  But the orthopedic surgeon told me the x-rays were clear (but he would refer me to a sports medicine doctor if it continued to bother me).  The physician's assistant that I saw 2 weeks ago just brushed it off (I was not impressed with her and will not see her again).  I haven't really pushed it, since I knew the ankle was the bigger concern.  But it is still fairly swollen and bruised.  It also hurts if it is in one position too long (especially bent).  The therapist looked at it, and told me that I definitely sprained the MCL, and deeply bruised something I can't pronounce (much less spell!) that is connected to the MCL.  He said I do not need to seek treatment from a doctor now, only if the therapy does not help.  They will work on my knee, but the ankle is still top priority.  Once I'm up and walking more, the knee therapy will start.

I was told to do excersizes twice a day on non-therapy days.  I will go 3 times a week for about 6 weeks, depending on how things go. 

It was not painful, but extremely uncomfortable.  Well, I lied.  Putting weight on it was painful, as was "walking" on it.  I will still use the crutches, for balance and support.  The boot stays for now.  It is designed to keep pressure off of my heel.  I still have an open wound on the back of my heel where the skin graft didn't "take", so it has to stay bandaged up.  Once my heel has healed a little more, I will be able to start wearing regular shoes again.  The therapist told me about a neoprene "sleeve" that I can wear to cover the back of my heel/ankle, so that my shoes won't rub against it. 

Hopefully that neoprene sleeve will work with my new heels!  I am determined to wear them within 3 months. 

We also took Riley back to the doctor today for his 4 year well check.  He was happy that he didn't have to get shots (the vaccines are all back-ordered until late July).  We talked more about his PTSD.  His behavior has been better, but I'm still concerned about some other things (as is our doctor).  She gave me the name of a child psychistrist, but he doesn't do play therapy for children his age.  I was given some other names of child therapists and psychologists, and we are working on geting him into play therapy to help him work through his emotions.  It's been hard, and things are getting slightly better, but he still needs just a little help to figure things out.  

Riley has also been talking (mostly to my mom) about how he doesn't like motorcycles anymore.  He told Ryan and I last night that we couldn't ride a motorcycle again because it was too dangerous (his words, not mine).  This coming from a little boy who used to love his daddy's motorcycles. 

Overall, things are going very well.  Life is still very busy, and it never stops.  We will get past this chapter in our life, and we will move on.

For now, though, I just can't wait to wear those heels!

Update 6/2/11

Sorry, it's been awhile since and actual update with what's going on.  But things are progressing well.  I just came home yesterday from another surgery and a brief hospital stay. 

I had a skin graft done on my heel, where all of the skin/tissue had died off.  This is great news, that it was only a skin graft.  It was 2 weeks after the last surgery (4th surgery total), when the plastic surgeon cleaned up all the dead tissue and put a wound vac on it.  The wound vac is a special pump that puts negative pressure on my heel and sucks away all the "gunk".  It promotes healing and prepared the tissue for the skin graft.  In the 2 weeks between surgeries, I had a home health nurse change the dressing 3 times a week. 

He had planned on doing a 4-5 hour surgery, called a "reverse flow flap" (WARNING: link is for a medical study and contains photos of actual procedures).  He would have taken a small area from the back of my calf (including a little muscle) and created a new pad for the back of my heel, while moving the vein so blood can flow through my heel (which it hasn't been able to do).  But, because the wound vac did such a good job, he didn't need to do this!  If he had to do the flap, it would have meant a longer hospital stay, bedrest for over a week, and a longer recovery.  But with just a skin graft I was home within 24 hours after surgery, and can resume "normal" (at least my new normal, still no weight on the left foot) activities, as tolerated.

I have a follow up appointment on Monday to see how the graft is doing.  At that time he will remove the wound vac, hopefully for good.  He may or may not continue the wound vac therapy, depending on how well it's healing.  He will also show me how to change the dressing for my graft sight (the outer side of my upper left thigh).  If all is doing well, he said I should be able to start physical therapy in 2-3 weeks to start moving my left ankle, and eventually start putting weight on it. 

As far as the orthopedic part (my left fibula, left ankle, and right pelvic bone), I am doing well.  The orthopedic surgeon is waiting for the plastic surgeon to clear me to start PT.  I am unsure of if/when the 2 screws in my left ankle will come out, but he said the torn ligament is healing well, as is the fibula.  I will get new xrays of my pevlic bone on the 14th, but he also said I am doing well as far as that goes.  It takes about 12 full weeks for a minor pelvic fracture to heal.  As of today, it's been 6 weeks and 5 days.

My mom is still staying with us, helping out with the boys and around the house.  She had a break over the holiday weekend, when Ryan was off of work, so she could go home and pack.  They are moving in just a few weeks to Jacksboro. 

The boys are doing fine, though there are still some behavioral problems we are dealing with, especially with Riley.  3 is a hard age anyway, but I know this accident has greatly effected him.  It has been a life changing event, and those are always hard to deal with.  Lately, it's been bedtime.  Bedtime has been a fight every night recently, with both boys.  Eli just wants to cuddle with me until he falls asleep (which he hasn't done in a very long time).  Riley just doesn't want to go to bed, no matter how tired he is.  Last night was slightly better.  We are having to find new ways of dealing with them, to see what will work best.  It is hard to balance the comofort they crave with the discipline they need.  Please continue to pray that we do the best we can to find that balance.  Also pray for the boys, especially Riley.

Ryan is still doing well.  Tired, but good.  He goes on call tomorrow, which means 2 weeks of working non-stop (unless he doesn't get called out Sat. and Sun., which is rare). 

I will not include pictures of my foot, at least not until I see how it looks Monday when the wound vac comes off.  It has not been nice to look at.  There is still a possibility of more surgery (if the graft doesn't heal well, or the physical therapy is too much pressure for it) down the road, but hopefully this was it.  The heel is a difficult place for a graft.  It is still unknown how much sensation I have lost for good in my heel. 

I still don't know if I now have 4 tattoos, or if I'm down to 3.  My very first tattoo was a tiny butterfly on my left ankle, hard to see unless you're looking.  I forgot to ask if he was able to work around it or not.  Guess I'll find out on Monday....  I've been itching to get a new one anyway.

Update 5/18/11

Surgery went well yesterday.  It was the outcome we were praying for!  Which means that the dead tissue was not too deep, and only a skin graft will be required.  For now, I have another wound vac on my heel.  I will be going home today!  Home health will come out a few times a week to check the wound vac.  I have a follow up on Monday with the plastic surgeon.

He wants to wait a little bit on the next surgery, to see how my foot does on it's own.  He wants to let the skin try to regrow itself before doing the skin graft. 

Anyway, I'll keep this short and sweet, but this is what's going on right now.  I was actually expecting to hear that it was the worst case scenario, so I was pleasantly surprised!


UPDATE ON THE UPDATE:

Well, I spoke too soon this morning.  I just spoke with the plastic surgeon.  He told me that on Monday he will be able to tell what needs to be done next.  While the tissue looks okay now, it could still need the "flap" (skin, muscle, and veins) if it continues to die in the next few days.  A skin graft is very difficult on the heel, and even if he were to just do a skin graft now, later down the road (when I'm able to start walking on that foot again) I may still need to have the flap done then.

So it looks like next week I'll be back in surgery, but which direction is still unseen.