After a break of seven years from any surgeries I’m off to have my foot operated on before Christmas. After six orthopaedic surgeries over thirty years I’m over it.
I had the unfortunate luck to be born with a dislocated left hip, in my day a child was walking before a limp was the giveaway of a serious problem. Now the ‘ clicky hips’ test is enough soon after birth to recognise any problems. Once my problem was discovered I was put into a full plaster cast for 10 months a “frog leg “ plaster it’s called.
My mum was told I would probably get rheumatics at about 40 which was pretty accurate. At 42 I had my first hip replacement, followed over the years by two more replacements in the left hip, a right hip and right knee replacement and the first surgery for a foot reconstruction. Hips in 1987 had a life of about twelve years before being replaced with a new one. I fell on my new one and damaged it ten weeks post op, hence the need for the third one.
The tendon in my foot snapped in 2001 and I was told if I didn’t have the operation I would have to wear a special boot for the rest of my life. At the time I was told the other foot would probably go the same way. It was a slow recovery, twelve weeks in plaster non weight bearing.
Now 16 years later I’m facing surgery on the right foot. The tendon has stretched and my foot has virtually collapsed. Another slow recovery, eight weeks in plaster, followed by a month in an air cast boot.
We are due to to go on a cruise in April, I should be close to full recovery by then.
January 2018
Calcaneal osteotomy and tendon transfer surgery over with, now three weeks post op. After a few days in hospital I was home three days before I became sick and ended up back in hospital with pneumonia. I got home Christmas Eve feeling so much better after intravenous antibiotics followed by oral antibiotics before being discharged.
The Christmas period was great, Kay, Bec and Kath sorted the food as I felt so useless and we all enjoyed the get together. We had celebrations over three days as not everyone could make it on Christmas Day. Kay and Ralph came Boxing Day and Nath and Tash on 27th. John,Kath and Bec have been very good looking after me.
Stitches are out, new plaster on, now for the slow recovery. Keeping busy with reading, computer and knitting.
