Ouch!

I did it! I had the bunion removed. I anticipated the worst type of pain ever but was pleasantly surprised when it only *really* hurt for the first two days. On the third day I realized that the "mind altering" prescription was making me sick to my stomach, so I got rid of it and started taking regular old Tylenol. That worked just fine until about the third week when I visited the doctor's office to have the two-ton cast cut off -- then he put me in a torture device called a walking cast. He put it on my foot, tightened the straps (which ultimately cut of any blood supply to my toes) and made me feel like I was wearing a shoe that was about 12 sizes too small.

I wore the walking cast for about a week before I started gently walking on the foot; relieved to discover that I actually had the capability to loosen the straps every now and then. I was a little disappointed to learn that I will have to wear this walking cast for a total of 10 weeks (or so), but the time will go by quickly. It always does... Up until this time I have been using a product called a "Roll-A-Bout" instead of crutches. I can't even tell you how grateful I have been for this little contraption -- it saved my arm pits from destruction via the use of crutches.

It's funny how we get a picture in our minds of how things will be, then discover that things don't really work out as we planned. I honestly thought that this surgery and recovery would be different. I imagined myself laying in bed for a week in total misery, then quickly recovering enough to run a marathon. Well ~ not actually a marathon, but you get the picture. Instead, I have learned that my body tolerates pain pretty well up to a point -- this learning to walk again is for the birds. I just thought I was plain miserable until I caught my kid making fun of me in the kitchen the other day as I was limping around: step, thud, step, thud. We both saw the humor in the new walking situation until I tried to convince her to trade legs with me. If course, she had to point out that it wasn't possible... ;)

The very worst part of it all? The fact that I can't drive. I have lost my sense of independence because I have to rely on my husband to take me EVERYWHERE. He claims that he doesn't mind, but I am sure it gets to him after a while. The other worst part? Not being able to get my regular jobs done around the house. Putting laundry away is not a big issue with the other household members. The folded laundry has been piling up for what seems like weeks. I shudder to think what everyone's drawers look like -- I admit that I am a bit of a neat freak or obsessive compulsive when it comes to putting away clothes in the dresser. I haven't really minded the fact that I can't stand at the sink at wash the dirty pans, etc. It is great to watch someone else do that little task! :)