My Recovery Timeline From "FEM-POP" Surgery

November 18, 2021

Femoral Popliteal Bypass: 

My Recovery Timeline From “FEM-POP” Surgery 

     I decided to write this blog to document my recovery, and also help others that may be going through the same situation. Hopefully, the information you find here will give you some good tips, but most of all, hope that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. 

     So let's start with a little background. I’m 50 years old and lead a fairly active lifestyle. I’m an Army Veteran and former UPS driver of 20 years. I’m still currently employed with UPS but now work on the “Ramp” (Airport). Marshaling, loading, unloading, etc. Not as physical as being a driver, but still on my feet for over 12 hours a day. I’m not a smoker but enjoy a cigar once in a blue moon. I also don’t drink alcohol on a daily basis, maybe a few beers a month, if any. According to every doctor that’s examined me, I’m in excellent health for my age. In hindsight, there were signs of an issue in my leg that at the time I just chalked up to growing “out of shape”, but we’ll talk about that more later. Before October 11th, 2021, if you told me I would have to have a major bypass surgery I would’ve scoffed at the very thought. Yet here we are. It can happen to anyone, even someone that’s very active and by all means, “healthy”. 

THE EVENT: OCTOBER 11, 2021, 5 AM

     I work nights, so my routine is to get home from work around 4 AM, shower, throw my work clothes in the laundry, and as they’re washing, grab a snack and watch some TV. This night was no different than any other night prior to the “event”. At around 5 AM I laid down to go to sleep. Within a few minutes, I experienced the worst “Chally Horse” I ever had. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “Chally Horse”, or “Charlie Horse”, it’s when you experience a muscle cramp or muscle spasm. This particular muscle cramp was the worst I had ever experienced. My entire right leg locked up. Instant pain, and on a scale of 1 through 10, a 20. I jumped out of bed and tried to walk it off, but it got worse. The pain started to focus more below the knee. The entire calf and portion of my leg below the knee was suddenly rock hard, and quickly turning white. Picture below. Note, I’ll be sharing post-op surgery pictures as well, so be forewarned some are pretty nasty. Anyway, my right foot turned completely white. I knew the blood was pushed out, or cut off, but wasn’t sure why a massive “Charlie Horse” would cause this. I took a picture of my feet and sent it to my fiancé who just so happens to be a Nurse, and, was at the hospital when this event occurred. As you can see, normal albeit ugly and hairy foot on the Left. Bloodless, ugly, hairy foot on the Right. That’s the picture I sent to her. Her reply? “It could be a blood clot”.

     I left out the section of the text where I argued with her on her diagnosis for about an hour because I’m an idiot. I’m an even bigger idiot for ignoring her plea to go to the hospital. If you’re reading this now, let this be the one major takeaway from this whole endeavor. Never argue with your wife/fiancé, especially when it’s medical advice and they’re in the medical field. I didn’t go to the hospital that morning when she told me to. Instead, I went to sleep intending to go to work that afternoon. It wasn’t until she came home and sternly convinced me to go to the ER, that I begrudgingly went. Dumbest thing I could’ve done in that situation, and I made stupidity look like I was gifted with it. Don’t do that. Go to the hospital. It’s literally Life & Death. 

THE “ER”: BE PREPARED TO WAIT FOR A LONG TIME

     This is also an important decision to make, but you can decide which hospital to go to after you’ve been diagnosed, even after you've been seen in the Emergency Room. I picked a hospital near me that my sister-in-law happens to be the Charge Nurse of the Emergency Room. My brother is also a Nurse, so I knew they had friends there that would look out for me. Welp, the week I go to the hospital, she’s on vacation. I ended up waiting in the ER to be taken back for almost 3 hours. Plan on that ahead of time, and take a phone charger just in case. 

     Once we were taken to a room within the ER, the normal process of checking you out begins. Starting with having your blood drawn! Ugh! I hate needles. Not afraid to admit that, but I’m not really fond of them. Never met anyone that actually was fond of needles, and the fact that I had a bad memory of learning how to run an IV when I took a Combat Lifesaving course in the Army, I never look forward to giving blood. Piece of advice, don’t let them run your IV in a) your dominant arm and b) near where it bends. It might seem like a great idea at the time, big vein, stronger arm, whatever, but later on it’ll be a real pain. Pick your non-dominant arm and thank me later. You’ll also fill out paperwork, answer lots of questions pertaining to your medical history, and wait until a room in the hospital becomes available. For me that was around Midnight, and my fiancé had to leave at that point.

Picture of my bad decision having the IV placed in my dominant arm and at the bend. Don’t do this!  

DAY 1: TESTING AND DIAGNOSIS

     The first test I was sent to was an Ultrasound. Yes, the same thing they use on pregnant women to check on the baby, they can also locate any problems in your arteries. I was unaware of that. They’ll take you from your hospital room in your bed, wheel you down the hall, onto an elevator if need be, and into the room for the Ultrasound. I didn’t even have to get out of bed. The room is fairly dark so they can see the screen better, and they just uncover the leg that is getting checked, apply some type of gel to the tip of the device, and start working it up and down your leg. Ladies, those of you that have had an ultrasound knows what I’m talking about. 

     Ten minutes or so into the exam I noticed the nurse had stopped moving the pointer with the gel on it just behind my knee. She would ever so gently push it in and around always focused behind the knee. Something didn’t seem right. They won’t tell you anything is wrong, but you can sense it pretty quickly. When I inquired as to why she was so focused on that area, and if she had found something, her response was “not sure, but I’m gonna need a second opinion”. At which time she walked out of the room, and a moment later returned with another Nurse. Immediately the second Nurse looked at the same spot, paused, looked over the first Nurse, and said “you know they’re gonna order it right?”. To which I said, “order what?!”. That’s when I found out that I wound now need a CT Scan, and the fear of having a blood clot like my fiancé had initially diagnosed really hit me. It hit me very hard. I actually started shaking a little in my bed while they were wrapping up the ultrasound. My grandmother on my mom's side died of an aneurysm, and my grandfather, also on my mom's side, had died of a blood clot. Not exactly the family history you wanna have at that exact moment, but during difficult times your mind really wanders. 

     After a few hours back in my room I was again wheeled out and taken for my CT Scan. This isn’t an invasive exam, but for me, it was a nightmare. They had to stick me in feet-first. The bottles holding the dye they were going to inject via my IV line were on my left. My IV line was on my right, so when they initiated the test, and as the machine pushed me inward, the line to my IV broke at the connection. Dye, clear type liquid, began to squirt all over my arm and down towards my hospital gown soaking me. I yelled to the Nurse, she stopped the machine, and they reconnected the line. Well, it happened on the second attempt at the same exact point. Now I was drenched in whatever clear liquid that was, and the Nurse wanted to remove the IV and start a new one. I plead with her not to start a new line and to try it again, and the other Nurse agreed with me. Remember, I hate needles! Why run a new line if the first one was great? The break was occurring where they connected the dye line, so on the third attempt they taped it down to my arm really well, and the exam finally went off without a hitch. The Nurses cleaned me up, gave me a new hospital gown to wear, and wheeled me back to my room to wait for the doctor.

     Later that afternoon I finally met my Vascular Surgeon and his Group. He introduced himself, Dr. Smith (real name), and his colleagues. He explained that I had an “exotic” condition. A not-so-common condition, and exactly what was going in my leg. I had an aneurysm behind the knee, it was thrombosis, a clot had formed, and I also had Entrapment Syndrome. He drew me a diagram on a piece of paper similar to this diagram I found online. (See below) and explained that Entrapment Syndrome, also known as PAES, is “a rare vascular disease that affects the legs of some young athletes. The muscle and tendons near the knee are positioned so that they compress the popliteal artery - the main artery that runs through and behind the knee. Compression of the artery restricts blood flow to the lower leg and can damage the artery.”

     He also explained that the CT Scan did a decent job of showing him just how bad it was, but he would need to send me for an Angiogram to get a better look at the area, and that way he could better plan the surgery. I was also told at this time that it looked like I had this issue growing over many years since I had “good collateral” veins taking blood around the affected area and to the foot. Remember when I said in hindsight I noticed issues going on in that leg that I just chalked up to being out-of-shape? My right calf would cramp up after walking mildly, and since I was closing in on 45 years old at the time and no longer a driver for UPS, I just figured the cramping was because I wasn’t as active as I used to be. Here, it turns out that the PAES was causing my muscle to cut-off blood circulation every time I stepped. Even a brisk walk would cause slight cramping, and it was all due to the growing issue I was unaware of. 

DAY 2: ANGIOGRAM

     Didn’t get much sleep, and I just realized I forgot to explain how your time in your hospital room will be broken down. Every few hours a nurse comes in to take your blood pressure and temperature. They’ll check your IV drip if you have one, and chances are you’ll be on a blood thinner right from the start like I was. I was on a Heparin drip, and it takes two Nurses to sign off on the bag change. Every 6 hours like clockwork a Nurse will come to draw your blood. Believe it or not, I opted to have this done on the back of my hand on my left arm. I barely felt the little needle they used to poke me. That was a huge relief, and also the first time I learned that they won’t take it from your initial IV line. The things you learn in the hospital right? Lots of pointy things being stuck in you on a daily. Since you’re hooked up to an IV line, you’ll have to unplug the monitor and wheel the entire thing with you to the bathroom. That’s fun. Just remember to plug it back in, but don’t worry if you forget. They’ll notice it later. Oh, huge hospital tip! If you have a hairy chest, shave it before going to the hospital! Man, when they stick those monitor patches on you and you have to remove them, say goodbye to any hair you had underneath. So annoying, and yes, that shit hurts. I have so much respect for women that get bikini waxes now.

      Moving on, once you’re awake you’ll get a tray with breakfast on it. Yuck. The only thing decent at this hospital was the soup. Everything else was terrible. I ate a lot of soup, drank a lot of tea and juice, and the only soda available was Ginger Ale. Lunch and Dinner weren’t any better. Processed food, usually cold, and just absolutely awful. If you have someone that loves you, ask them to bring you decent food. 

(Picture above; my daily junk food and my hospital food tray that I usually didn’t eat. Oh, and two pee bottles. Those things are GOLD! We’ll talk about those later)

     While you’re waiting to get stuck again, or your blood pressure and temp is taken, you’re just stuck watching awful TV and occasionally hear someone scream from down the hall. I guess they weren’t too happy with the food either. Since we’re also in the Covid Era, only one visitor at a time was allowed in my room. My fiancé would come just after my mom would leave, and then stay till visiting hours were over. Even stay a little after since no one was being strict about it. Make sure you bring a very long phone charger cable, and having an electric razor is also a good idea. You won’t be allowed to shave with a rear blade while on blood thinners. Don’t cheap out on an electric razor, or this will happen to your next. (See photo to the right). Lesson learned. 

     Also, they have these shower-type caps in the ICU that you warm up in a microwave, place it on your head, massage it in, and it literals washes your hair! Never knew these even existed, and wish I had this on deployment in Iraq. Ask about them as soon as you get there, or order them online. You can’t shower while you’re there, but these things are great! Here’s a picture of me about to have one massaged into my scalp. Felt great, and cleans your hair very well. 

     Finally, late that afternoon they came to take me for an Angiogram procedure. This would also be the first time in my life that I underwent full anesthesia. I was always concerned to be put “under” during surgery, but after the Angiogram, my concerns disappeared. Here’s why. They wheel you down to the pre-op room across from the OR. There you’ll sign documents, get a shower cap to wear, and if you have a ring on like I did, get a piece of tape placed over it. You’ll be there for a short time, and then they wheel you down the hall to the OR. If you’ve never been in an OR, be prepared for how cold it is. It’s freezing! Like a walk-in style freezer in a restaurant-type cold. They’ll move your hospital bed close to the OR table, lock it in place, raise it so it’s level with it, and then scoot you over to this ice-cold hard, and not-so-pleasant platform. As soon as you lay down the Nurse will gently rest an oxygen mask over your face. We started talking about the schools we both went to as kids and realized we had mutual friends. As I talked about a few friends we both knew, that was it. Lights out. That’s all I can remember. Next thing I know I’m waking up on my way back to my room. All done. What?! No countdown, no preparation that I’ll be knocked out, nothing. Just BAM! One minute you’re conscientious. The next thing you’ll realize is that you’re waking up groggy. 

DAY 3: FEM-POP BYPASS SURGERY

     Just like the day before, everything was the same. You’re just not allowed to eat after midnight prior to your surgery. A certain amount of time has to pass before surgery and your last meal. Other than that, everything is pretty routine by now and you know the daily drill of poking, prodding, bad food, and walking to the bathroom in a gown. This time when they took me for my surgery I was a lot less nervous about it. The day before helped alleviate a lot of my worries. I felt a lot more relaxed and not as anxious. I went into surgery just before noon. I wouldn’t wake up for over 8 hours later.

     Post-surgery wasn’t a great experience. Not gonna sugarcoat it. We’re gonna talk about pain, the shock, and show you pictures that may unnerve some of you, but trust men when I say this, there’s a happy ending to all of this. Just bear with me. The first thing I remember waking up was seeing my fiancé standing over me as they wheeled me back to my room. She was kind enough to record this, and I was cracking bad jokes and talking like a drunk. I was high. High on some really good pain medicine. I didn’t feel a thing. I did come to the sudden and horrible realization that there was something in my “pee-pee”. I literally said, “oh my God, there’s something in my pee-pee”. Yup. What a poignant moment between my fiancé and me. It was the catheter. The thing I dreaded most was now stuck inside me, albeit not very far because I’m Irish, but it was there, and if you moved it was discomforting. Try to stay still. As long as you don’t move around, it’s really no big deal. Just feels really weird when you automatically start to drain urine. Can’t explain this anymore. You’ll just have to experience it to understand. 

     The next thing I realized was a huge padded white soft cast around my leg with velcro straps. It was there to mobilize my leg as they moved me. Once back in the room a Nurse came in to remove the soft cast and reveal the leg wrapped in gauze. (See picture right) Oddly, because of the pain medicine they gave me, I still didn’t feel any “real” or significant pain. The leg felt fine in that position.

DAY 4: FIRST DAY POST-OP “WEEK 1 RECOVERY BEGINS”

     They took me off of the Heparin IV drip and started giving me twice daily blood thinner shots directly into my belly. Don’t worry, these don’t hurt at all. Well, one did, and that’s because the Nurse screwed up and caused a HUGE bruise. 99% of them just don’t hurt at all. Nothing to worry about, and at this point, you’ve been stuck more times than you can recall, so it’s no big deal. My leg was sore, but I wouldn’t say painful. They kept asking me what my pain level was on a scale of 1 -10, and it was always 5 to 6 when moving it, and a 1-2 while resting. Sometimes even close to zero when it was resting for a while. They told me that I would have to “ambulate”, which is a term I didn’t know at the time, but quickly learned it means “walk” or “move about”. Well duh. Just say that. Anyway, the ICU Nurse came in later that night and told me I would have to stand on the leg, or at least try. So he and my fiancé both grabbed an arm as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and before they even raise me up,  I could feel the pain shoot from zero to 10 and beyond. The second they stood me upright on my good leg, the pain in my bad leg went through the roof. I think I screamed. They had to put me down quickly and elevate my leg as fast as possible. The Nurse decided to give me a strong dose of pain medicine which knocked me out for about 20 minutes, and when I work up high as a kite, they attempted to lift me up on one leg again. Even with the pain meds, I couldn’t do it. It was excruciating. This is the part of the story you have to come to grips with. There will be pain. It doesn’t last, and it’s fleeting. However, no pain no gain right? Remember that. A doctor also came in with two students. Remember that catheter in my “pee-pee”? It was time to remove it. The lucky Nurse looked as nervous as I did. As the doctor was telling her to gently pull it out, she was just too nervous to be near a penis I guess, and just pulled it out like she was starting a Lawn Mower! No friggin joke. Pulled it out too fast and I felt every inch of that thing. Ugh. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya. Maybe yours will be better. Just think positive! 

     Now it was time to change the bandages and finally see what they did to my leg. This was a shock I wasn’t prepared for, but I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. (See picture)

     That’s right! 68 staples from groin to calf. I couldn’t believe it. Surprisingly it didn’t hurt while resting it elevated. I just gawked at the incision line and since it was close to Halloween kept referring to myself as Frankenstein. I mean, look at it. Would ya just look at it? Looks like a school project done during a lunch period, and then there’s that staple job, ugh. Who did that? Walking that line wouldn’t pass a DUI test. They kept telling me I would have to start walking, and that I should be on my feet in a few days. Looking at my wound and the amount of pain it caused me just trying to stand, I knew there was no way I would be walking any time soon. 

DAY 5: YOU HAVE TO WALK AND POOP TODAY

     It was Sunday, two days after my surgery. A surgeon from the Vascular Group came in to see me. He wanted to look at the wound. They removed the great dressing job the Nurse did the day before, took a peek, and then he attempted to redress my incision and made it look awful. He might be great at attaching veins and arteries, but he failed dressing class. The picture will be below of his hack job. He also told me that someone from “PT” would be coming in. That’s Physical Therapy to us laypeople, and that I would have to walk today in order to be discharged. Oh, and I would have to poop. Yup, they’ll wanna make sure you can use the restroom, and go both Number One and Number Two. It’s gonna be difficult to poop. It’s because of all the pain medicine you’ve been receiving. It causes you to be constipated. I opted not to have a stool softener, but others may want one. For me, that was one of the most difficult tasks, and pains to endure aside from standing. Another great tip though, and something you might want to consider. They gave me a Walker to use to navigate with, and when the two PT Nurses came in to have me “walk” using the Walker, they also wanted me to navigate to the bathroom. If you have to sit down on the toilet and you can’t bend your leg because it’s painful, ask the Nurse to slide the trashcan over on its side so you can prop up your leg. It makes a world of a difference! Why don’t hospitals have these little devices already there but off to the side? I can’t be the only one that’s had to have their leg propped up while they sat on a hospital toilet. 

     I wouldn’t call what I did “walking” when the PT Nurses had me use the Walker. I would call it hopping on one leg uses my arms while my leg dangled in a lot of pain. I couldn’t ambulate yet, and any toe touching to the ground was just too much to bear. The good news was that the PT Nurses cleared me to be discharged since I could use a Walker, and I could use a toilet. Hooray! Go me! They really don’t wanna keep you in the hospital any longer than they need to.

(Picture is how the surgeon redressed the wound. Way too much Tegraderm!)

 

DAY 6: DISCHARGED! TIME TO START RECOVERY AT HOME

     Monday, and I was able to opt-out of any more blood being drawn. Why take it? I’m leaving today, so that was a great feeling. Also having the IV removed was liberating. My insurance paid for a brand new Walker, and once the paperwork was all done we were taken by wheelchair to the lobby and out to the curb. My fiancé went to get her SUV, and then I was helped into the front seat and sent on my way. Fairly quick process, just a little confusion in the morning on if I was actually going home or not. 

     Now the real fun begins! First, a quick drive over to my local CVS Pharmacy to pick up all my scripts and meds I have to take, and then home to somehow get from the driveway and up a flight of stairs to the bedroom where I would be stuck for a few weeks. Literally. It would not be easy, and I realized that the Walker we just got would almost be completely useless. You couldn’t navigate stairs with it, and just getting in the front door was a huge task. Somehow I was able to hop and lean on the railing of the stairs to get to the second floor, then use the Walker to get to the bedroom, and finally my temporary resting place where I would be stuck for two weeks to come. Remember when the surgeon said I should ambulate and be up on my leg in a day or two? It was three days after surgery and I couldn’t even rest my toes on the ground. The greatest thing we took home from the hospital were two pee cups they give you. We asked for an extra one. Scroll up and you’ll see them on the table next to my bed with my food tray. I strongly recommend getting two to take home. If you can’t get out of bed without help like I couldn’t, then while your significant other is sleeping these cups will save you from waking them up. From this point on I will be breaking down the recovery in weeks rather than days. It’ll be easier to describe my progress weekly and give you a better idea of what to expect once you leave the hospital. 

RECOVERY: WEEK 1

     I’m gonna recommend some items that we used that I honestly believe will help. One, order some Tegaderm. It’s a clear very thin tape they used in the hospital to cover the bandages that is also waterproof and flexible. You can find it on Amazon. Great for when you finally sit in the shower and don’t have to worry about the wound getting wet. Also didn’t have to change the dressing until every third day. Next, order gauze bandages that you can cut in strips that will cover the incision line. You can place them over the incision, then place the Tegaderm on top like in my pictures. I also recommend getting a pair of crutches, and a medical shower seat for your tub. You can’t stand, so sitting in the shower is great. The warm water going over the bandages over the wound also helps stop the itching that’ll start, and will just make it feel a lot better. Trust me on that one. 

    You’re gonna have to start trying to put weight on the leg, and it won’t be easy. For me it was impossible. Just swinging my legs over the side of the bed in preparation to use the walker to make a bathroom run was excruciating. There’s a process to this. I’d sit up, swing my legs off the side of the bed. The pain would start, but after a few minutes it would settle down, and then I would use the walker to go to the bathroom. Even at home, I used something as simple as a roll of toilet paper to prop my leg up just enough while I sat on the toilet to ease the pain. I couldn’t bend my leg because it was very painful. This routine repeated itself for the entire first week. Sleeping was another huge task. Just trying to keep the leg elevated and still while sleeping wasn’t easy. The leg will be swollen, or full of “edema” as my fiancé kept saying. Even though it may be painful, flex the foot and leg. Don’t just keep it still and expect it to heel all by itself. No pain, no gain. Seriously. Just don’t overdo it. 

     By the end of Week 1, I was using the Walker for support in the bathroom, but at this point, I started using crutches. Going into week 2 we ditched the Walker completely.

RECOVERY: WEEK 2

     Starting week 2 I was using crutches and getting around fairly easy, although I still couldn’t place any weight on my leg, and my fiancé was starting to get concerned. The problem was that I couldn’t bend or flex my ankle. The calf was too tight. Like a really bad cramp that wouldn’t release, and the only way to get the cramp to go away was to stand and flex the muscle. Something we just couldn’t do, stand. My fiancé found a solution that gave me overnight results. She ordered me a stretching device used for Planters Fasciitis. (See picture)

     Up to this point, I couldn’t put my foot flat on the ground. This device was going to change me overnight. You strap it to your foot and pull the strap back to stretch the foot and calf muscles using your arm/hand instead of standing. I could do this while laying down, and although slightly painful to pull on, no pain no gain! The very next morning I was able to place my foot flat on the ground for the first time and even stand up with both feet flat. Although, it was still painful and I needed support, but I was finally standing. Wasn’t easy, but I recommend this type of tool if you find yourself in the same situation. 

     Now that we could put weight on my foot we ordered a boot to wear so I could go outside and start walking on it. I still had to use the crutches, but with the boot on I could rest standing still and even balance myself using the “bad” leg. I still couldn’t straighten my leg fully without a lot of pain, but my new goal was to walk into the doctor's office for my visit just a week away. What seemed impossible a day before was suddenly very probable. 

     A few days into week 2 had passed and I was using the “PFD” (Planters Fasciitis Device) nightly. I’m not sure of the exact day, but on this particular morning, things suddenly got even better towards my goal of walking. My fiancé was downstairs, and I had to use the bathroom. It normally would take me about ten minutes to stretch my leg and get my foot flat on the ground beside the bed. This was my daily routine now that I could place a little weight on my leg. On this particular morning, everything was the same as it was in the days prior, but as soon as I placed my foot flat on the ground I immediately knew something was different. Something was better. I didn’t have the normal pain in the calf that was restricting me from ambulating the leg. I stood up in total shock and slowly started to walk towards the doorway like a drunk person but without the use of my crutches. I was doing it all on my own! It was difficult, and yes it was painful, but I was actually walking. I entered the hallway above the stairs and yelled “BABE!!!! BABE!!! C’mere!!!” She quickly ran around to the base of the stairs and looked up. I threw my hands above my head palms open and said “LOOK! I’M WALKING!”. It’s one of those moments you’ll always remember, especially during something like this. I wish I could say that from that point on I was walking on my own, but it was short-lived and the pain came right back forcing me to scurry back to the bedroom and lay down to elevate the leg. That was one of those “OK, time to pop a pain pill” moments before we try that again. I didn’t like taking the pain medicine. It would always make me feel nauseous the next morning, but for a few days, I had to suck it up and take it just so I could bear walking. 

     Week two ended and as we started week 3 I was finally “walking” on the leg. We ditched the crutches and I bought a HurryCane that I remember seeing an infomercial for. Let me tell ya something, best cane ever! Using the cane and boot really helped. Using a padded boot to slowly move about was liberating. When I didn’t have the boot on I would grab the crutches if I needed to move to the restroom quickly etc. 

    As you can see, after two weeks I could walk on the leg. If you’re further along at this point than I was, awesome! If you’re not there yet, stay positive. Everyone heels differently. I really recommend this cane. Cheap, but well built. Ordered it from Amazon. At this point in my recovery Amazon was delivering medical stuff on a daily basis. 

WEEK 3: NO MORE BOOT AND THE STAPLES COME OUT

     Starting week 3 I stopped wearing the medical boot and started wearing my hiking boots again. They’re a mid-cut Merrell Yokota 2 and very comfortable. Great company that makes great boots. I definitely recommend them. Anyway, we started walking around the development (neighborhood) with the use of the cane, going up and down the hill to work the muscles in the calf, and pausing to stretch. Every day was the same routine. Stretch, walk, elevate the leg, rest, and then start massaging around the incision line but not over it. Not yet. It’s still too painful at this point. Every day was a little better than the day before. You just have to set your mind to get up and on the leg daily. It sucks, but it’s necessary. 

     Thursday came and it was time to get the staples out. All 68 of them. This was something I was dreading from the moment I saw them. What goes in must come out, and like the catheter, I anticipated a not-so-pleasant experience. Here’s the reality though, it doesn’t hurt. Out of 68 staples the surgeon removed, only one was slightly painful, but only like a needle jab and it dissipates quickly. That’s it. 67 of them I didn’t even feel. Just one. The doctor uses this wicked-looking staple remover, and you guessed it, I snapped a video of him removing these so there’s a screenshot below. Don’t worry about getting these out. It’s a piece of cake and afterward, you’ll feel a lot better. You’ll be able to flex the leg even more too. Unfortunately, my goal of walking into the doctor's office on my own and unassisted fell a little short. I had to use my cane, but it’s important to set yourself goals even if you don’t achieve them fully. It’s the motivation of accomplishing them that helps get you through some of the pain and discomfort. OK, check out the cool staple remover below. Neat huh? As you can see, two prongs go under the staple, and when you press down the one in the middle bends the staple out. Oh, and they’re not in very far. They come out very easily. 

     By Saturday I was able to get rid of my cane. I really like that cane, but I’m glad I’m no longer dependent on using it. It served its purpose, and now it awaits a new home. Maybe I’ll need it again down the road, who knows, but the HurryCane is in storage. Also on Saturday, I was able to drive for the first time. We went to a parking lot and I got behind the wheel of my fiancé’s Dodge Durango. I drive a Trackhawk, so interior-wise they’re very similar. Surprisingly it was very easy to drive. No pain at all. Slight discomfort throughout the incision line, but I wouldn’t classify it as “pain”. You don’t even realize how simple it is to maneuver your foot between the gas and the brake pedal. Your heel is a pivot point most of the time, and my reaction time was unaffected. It felt really good to drive. It had been over a month from the time I drove to the hospital before getting back behind the wheel again. As week 3 was coming to an end I was driving again, walking without a cane, although still limping, and pretty much independent once again. We also started massaging the incision line directly to help break up the scar tissue building up beneath it. 

Starting to heel fairly quickly…

WEEK 4: ITCH AND BURNING SENSATION

     Now that the incision is healing nicely, a new sensation has arrived. Itching and a slight burning sensation along the incision line. As the wound heals, it’s starting to itch, and the once numb nerve endings are starting to come back to life. This makes the scar feel like it’s “burning” in some areas when I move around and stretch it. It’s like a really big cat stretch. That’s the best way to describe it. If you’ve ever been scratched by a cat, then think of that feeling as it heels. Hot water in the shower really helps stop the itching since heat affects the never receptors, and we’ve also been using Silicone Scar Sheets to keep it moist throughout the day. Dermatologists recommend silicone scar sheets to help in minimizing how bad the scar works. Don’t use Vitamin E. I’m sure some of you have all heard the myth that applying Vitamin E directly to a scar helps it disappear. It doesn’t. No scientific data supports that myth either.

      I still have a slight limp, but aside from that, I can walk and even jog a little. Trying to jog was the scariest thing to try this soon into my recovery. Probably not advisable, but I wanted to test my leg and decided there’s no real test until you actually do it. First, we started with a jog with an obvious limp involved. Next, on a steep hill, I took off in a sprint and was able to run half a city block. This was uphill. I don’t have the confidence yet to attempt this on a slight decline. Not yet anyway.  I was afraid my knee would give out since there’s still slight numbing on the left side of it right next to the scar. So far so good though, so we press on. I only have two more weeks of recovery before I go back to work, but even at this stage, I’m confident I could do my job effectively. I also have a follow-up ultrasound in two weeks to see if the surgery was a complete success. The diameter of my swollen calf has now receded and is closing in on being back to normal, although there’s still significant edema whenever I do some physical therapy, or just move around on the leg for long periods of time. 

WEKK 5: NO MORE CALF PAIN

After 5 weeks the pain in my calf that once restricted me from being and flexing my foot while walking is not gone. That’s the good news. However, I now have a lot of pain in the scar on my inner thigh. It started yesterday, and from all the literature I’ve read online, this is quite common. Still massaging the scar and trying to break the stiffness up, but this new pain is annoying. Tomorrow I’m gonna apply the Silicone Scar Sheets I ordered and start a daily record of how they help with healing. It’s more about the cosmetics of the scar that I’m concerned about. When I flex my foot as far as I can (toes pointing towards my head), the calf is still really tight, but alas, no pain. It just feels like someone wrapped that area really tight with an Ace Bandage and it’s just hard to flex. 

I think I’m gonna end this blog for a while because for the most part I’m pretty much healed. I go back to work in exactly one week and feel as though I can manage my job in my current condition. I’m about 85% back to normal, albeit this limp and scar tissue issue will take a lot more time to resolve. I will make an update in about a year from the date of surgery and have another picture of the scar. Below is what the scar looks like throughout the weeks. Hopefully, this blog has helped in whatever way it could, whether it was through hope, or the tips provided on how to deal with recovery. Just stay positive! That is all for now.