October 4, 2022

Extreme navel gazing

It is a chilly 37F outside this morning.it is a far more comfortable 69F inside. I suspect I will have to break down and consider turning on the heat by the end of the week as daytime highs are expected in the mid-fifties. Coupled with nighttime’s in the thirties, the house will not retain enough warmth to keep the wife from complaining she’s cold. The crabapple is starting to drop a few leaves and the hard maple is starting to turn. Fall is upon us. I’m not ready. The holidays are not far off. 

I need to decide if I want to do another foot surgery or live with it. Unless I am on my feet for long periods  I can manage the low level pain. I do walk with a slight limp. I sometimes wonder if it is habit or necessity. I rarely have swelling anymore. Much depends on what shoes I wear. 

It isn’t the surgery that bothers me. That’s no big deal, even if the doc re-breaks or reconstructs my foot. It is the eight weeks of recovery. Long John Silvering it around with no weight on my foot at all has no appeal. Crawling up the stairs, crutches, scooters, one-legged showers, no driving,wholly dependent on my wife - that has me reconsidering. Even going to pee in the middle of the night becomes an ordeal as I navigate on crutches. A little limp doesn’t seem so bad. I know, boo hoo, boo hoo. 

Yes,I know my problems are small, my complaints large, my worries insignificant. Most people in the world face a life far, far more difficult than my little foot pain in suburbia. I am blessed beyond measure.

Have a great Tuesday. 

3 comments:

Greybeard said...

The anesthesia for that kind of surgery is more dangerous than the surgery itself sometimes. But the grinding away on the damaged machinery will only get worse as you age. You'll go to the head of airport lines while "disabled", so I think I'd do it.
Delivering Meals on Wheels today I started with the heater on in the bus. By the end of my duty I was using the A/C.
I LOVE this time of year.

Anonymous said...

Had knee surgery with a similar recovery. Thankfully we live in a ranch - all one floor. Hubby was a good "nurse." I spent most of the day in our back sun room, crocheting, watching videos/movies/etc. & watching the leaves turn (it was fall). I also had one of those ice machines on it, which I loved! Biggest challenge was as you mentioned, getting up to use the bathroom at night with crutches - no weight on that knee. I did lose my balance once pulling down my pajama bottoms & fell backwards into the bathtub, taking the whole shower curtain/rod down with me. Husband found me laying there laughing uncontrollably! Poor guy was terrified!

Honestly, you're best to get it taken care of now - the younger we are, the quicker we heal & bounce back. And we ain't getting any younger! ha! (I'm just approaching 60).

Good luck making your decision!

Anonymous said...

You may have already done so, but I suggest getting a second opinion on the foot just to confirm you’re considering all the available options. Places like Mayo Clinic and (my favorite for ortho issues) Hospital for Special Surgery all now do virtual second opinions. Most insurance covers it, it is very convenient (you send your films and have a videoconference), and my really good doctors welcomed the input. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes, eyes that see hundreds of these cases, can be helpful, whether in confirming your diagnosis or suggesting alternatives. Just a thought…it was a huge help to me. Dr. Google has more information on how the process works. In any case, hope you feel better soon.

Ginger

Consider everything here that is of original content copyrighted as of March 2005
Powered By Blogger