But It Still Hurts!

The swelling finally went down last week, but I was still having a bit of pain while walking.  I couldn't take much more of it, so I went to see my good friend Dr. W last week to get his opinion on the subject.  Luckily, after that whole stress fracture debacle in September and not believing me when I said I was in pain, he now listens to me every time I shout "Ouch!".

After touching several points on the top of the foot, the ankle, and finally the outside, I screamed and jumped off the exam table. . .

"OK, I know what this is," Dr. W calmly said.

"Well, that's good.  What do we do now?" I responded.

Apparently, scar tissue has built up and is pinching the nerve on the outside of my ankle.  He suggested two alternatives--try to numb the nerve with a cortisone shot or perform "another surgery . . ." to remove it altogether.  Yeah, I thought we should try the shot first.  It took a full week to make a difference, but I am finally feeling like myself again!

I Was in Stitches

Last night while getting a nice relaxing massage from the physical therapist, she said to me, "I think you might still have a stitch in your foot.  I can feel it."  And, after she rubbed over the scar a few times, I could feel it too.

After grabbing a needle and a pair of tweezers, I was able to quickly release the laden string from its three month hiding spot on the first try.  When I had felt it under the surface of the skin, I really thought it would just be a little nobbin or a microscopic piece of lint. . . low and behold my shock and awe when I saw that it was nearly a 1/4 inch long!  How this little piece of nylon managed to stay below my skin for so long without causing an infection or wiggling its way to the surface independently is beyond my understanding?!

I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty . . .

Today marked the 6 week post-op mark and I am feeling divine (well, considering the current circumstances)! My body continues to heal nicely and I am anxiously awaiting this final week before we remove the cast and I can take my first steps . . . everyone (including me) has been so consumed with the progress on my foot/ankle that I've neglected to report on the other half of my surgery--the thyroidectomy.

Well, it's gorgeous people! Gorgeously perfect! The incision is approximately 2 inches and Dr. Genden (I like to call him Michaelangelo) cut it directly along the natural crease of my neck to make it eventually fade into oblivion. It has felt a little tender to the touch over the last few weeks as it heals internally, but overall, the thyroidectomy has been an extremely easy and gentle healing process with little to no discomfort. In fact, I haven't felt better in months with more energy and the absence of that awful "swollen gland" feeling . . .