Fanklebot

(This is my fifth post in My Fankle Journey.)

I decided to write this post using dates so that people who are having (or have had) posterior tibial tendon surgery can see my timeline and get and an idea of what to expect with their recovery. We ankle-tendon-surgery peeps gotta stick together! :)

8/10—two days after my first post-op appointment; one week after surgery (8/03/16):
I was still absolutely using crutches 100% of the time to get anywhere, besides when I took a shower. Then I used my shower chair that Greg bought for me at Walmart. My whole body was sore from the crutches—especially my hands, shoulders and abdominal muscles. Fankle still hurt, but the pain was a little less intense, so I was up and about a lot more that day. I even taught piano lessons for the first time since my surgery! :)

8/11:
Despite being super excited to be more physically active (well, as active as one can be on crutches!), I sadly realized that I did too much the day before because I had new bruising and swelling in Fankle. Thus, I laid down a lot that day and felt pretty bummed out.

8/12:
From Monday, August 8th (after my post-op appointment), through Friday night, August 12th, I worked so hard to get my foot flatly in my boot. You see, my podiatrist said I must get my foot/leg to a 90° angle, or I would risk losing even more of my calf's muscle mass. Working to flatten my foot put me in pain every single day!

There were times when I just didn't think it was possible to get my foot flatly in my boot without washcloths/towels stuffed inside to protect Fankle. Thankfully, my tiring and painful work paid off! By 11:30 p.m. Friday night, I finally pushed my foot flatly into my boot! Yes, I was very close to my podiatrist's deadline, but I made it in time, so it totally counts! Yay me! I don't think it's possible to fully convey what this accomplishment meant to me. Just know that I felt like I ran a marathon and won first place! :)

This is mere moments after I pushed my foot flatly into my boot! I'd like to introduce you to Fanklebot!

*My oldest son couldn't figure out why on earth I nicknamed it Fanklebot, but there's a reason: my boot reminds me of a big robot leg—like in the movie "Spy Kids 3-D Game Over." So instead of calling it my robot leg, I just called it Fanklebot! It makes perfect sense to me! ;)

After accomplishing my boot-feat (so punny!), I was exhausted both physically and emotionally. I called it a night and gratefully went to sleep.

8/13:
That morning, I knew it was time to begin walking ever-so-gently with my crutches. I felt quite strange not putting all of my weight only on my left foot and crutches. Thus, my stomach muscles, shoulders and hands were happy to have a break! :) Even though I desperately wanted to speed things along, I knew I had to take it slowly and put very minimal weight on Fanklebot for the first little while.

Later that day, I did some more research on ankle tendon surgery recovery...I've spent a lot of time researching ankles throughout my Fankle ordeal! I found a blog, "Documenting My Posterior Tibial Tendon Surgery and Recovery," that made me super glad I had surgery as soon as I did after my injury!

You see, the woman blogger let her injury progress entirely too long. She said it was about 11 years from the time she was injured, to the time she was diagnosed with a longitudinal tear in her tendon—like my injury. Then she waited another six years to actually have posterior tibial tendon surgery. By the time she had surgery, she ended up having a major ankle reconstruction instead of just repairing her torn tendon!

Thus, I'm so happy I caught my tendon problem relatively quickly so my ankle issues didn't worsen! If you want to see photos of the other blogger's ankles before and after, click here and here—but be warned, the images look very painful! Here are both of her feet before surgery, and after surgery.

8/16:
I was extremely happy to be able to go to breakfast with some very dear friends of mine! Being that I was a legit cripple, my friend who lives not too far away came and picked me up. I was so grateful for her service to me! Oh, I was a sad sight as I walked with my crutches and boot out to the car, and from the car into the restaurant! It was the first time I'd been out of the house without my Gregor, so I felt self conscious. You see, Greg just has this magical effect on me. Whenever we're together, nothing else in this world matters! So, yeah, it was strange to be out and about without my main squeeze.

My friends and I spent a grand two-and-a-half hours talking, laughing, and giving each other free therapy! At the end of our breakfast, one of the employees came over to us and said, "Oh, please don't leave! I'll be bored now!" So apparently, the entire restaurant could hear our conversations! Ha ha.

We asked that darling older lady if she would take a photo of us, and she did. I had to balance between my friends and hold onto them because Fanklebot was very achy and heavy. I knew there was no way I could put any pressure on it without my crutches, so I held on to my friends for dear life! As I posted on my Instagram photo that day, "We all need good friends in our lives to help balance and support us!" It's so true!

8/19:
I started walking very short distances—in my house—using only one crutch! I was a total gimp, but it felt so amazing to have one free arm while I was walking—even if it was for a very short period of time!

8/20:
I became the One-Crutch Wonder! I was super excited because Fanklebot allowed me to do some very minimal housework! I actually moved laundry baskets all by myself(!), without having to ask for help from my family! Of course I had to lay down on my bed again after all of that activity, but at least I wasn't "Queen of the Bed" anymore! Yes, I think the hashtag #AbdicatedAdrie is quite appropriate!

8/21:
I cannot express how happy I was to finally be able to return to my beloved church again! I was still hobbling on one crutch—it wasn't pretty, but at least I made it! Church lasted three hours and I barely endured. Fanklebot began throbbing, so I put it up on the chairs next to me. When I got home from church, I felt like I had climbed a mountain. I took a nap for two hours! It's just amazing to me how much energy is required for recovering from surgery.

8/22 was a huge day! I walked across my kitchen for the very first time withOUT the help of crutches! I was actually walking on my very own for the first time in 19 days! I couldn't help but yell, "I'm walking!"—reminiscent of Bob in "What About Bob"! :)



I rewrote Bob's script to match my situation!

"Guess what?! Ahoy! I walk! I'm a walker! I walk! Isn't this a breakthrough?! That I'm a walker?! I walk! I walk now! I'm walking in my boot...in my kitchen...across the floor...without crutches! All by myself, and I didn't fall down...and everything!"

So if you're not laughing now, too bad for you because this scene in my head is hilarious! :) Yes, I was very excited to be walking Fanklebot all by me'self! But I must clarify that I was walking very gingerly for the first little while. I was definitely not hip-hopping it all over the place like I wanted.

A major discovery was made that day: I realized just how skinny my leg had become because of a lack of physical activity. When I laid out my legs next to each other, my left leg was very muscly and my right leg was seriously withered. My right shin bone was so pronounced and sharp, I could actually feel some of its circumference! I measured my calf muscles and was astounded with the results: my right leg was an entire inch smaller than my left leg! I began referring to my right leg as chicken leg and my left leg as beef leg. Oh, it was so funny to me! I'll never get over my chicken leg and beef leg! :)

8/23:
I went to my three-week post-op appointment and finally had my sutures removed! I was greatly surprised that they actually hurt a little bit to remove. Granted, it wasn't horrible, but it didn't feel good at all. When Fankle was finally free of its restraints, my podiatrist sprayed my foot with adhesive (not on my incision) and put Steri-Strips on to prevent my incision from opening back up.

Here's a photo mere moments before my podiatrist snipped out my sutures!

That's my husband's wonderful foot next to me! We love Nike! :)

Here is Fankle without stitches!

I was also cleared for driving! Yay! I think my podiatrist thought I should have been driving sooner, but I didn't ever remember him saying it previously in my other appointments. Plus, I didn't want to mess up any work he had done in my surgery, so I was perfectly okay waiting three weeks to drive.

That night, I happily wore my boot and did a few things a mother must do to keep a household running. My oldest son wanted a haircut, so I brought out our supplies and started cutting his hair. It was a hot night so my foot began sweating. Toward the end of my son's haircut, Fanklebot was pretty uncomfortable, but I finished anyway.

When I sat down to ice my foot, I gasped after I pulled my sock off. The men's sock I bought—to keep the boot's lining from irritating my leg—was nylon, so it didn't absorb sweat at all. Because I was so hot and sweaty while cutting my son's hair, the front-end Steri-Strip on Fankle actually came off and my incision popped open slightly at the end! It was bleeding a bit and didn't look good. Yay not me. :'(

I panicked slightly and asked my husband what I should do—even though I'm much more medically minded than he is. Like I said before, Greg calms me down when I'm in a scary spot—thank goodness for him! :) We decided I would call the doctor the next morning and ask him what to do. I put povidone iodine (Betadine) on/around my incision, put the Steri-Strip back on and covered it tightly with a small bandage. I tried to stay calm, but I was totally nervous because I've never had an incision open up after having sutures removed!

8/24:
I went back to my podiatrist and showed him the damage at the end of my incision near my arch. He cleaned out my wound quite vigorously with a povidone-iodine-dipped gauze pad...it didn't feel good! Yet I was happy to see him rub my wound in that way because it helped me know my incision was healing well. Based on his actions, I knew my incision wasn't going to pop completely apart like I feared it would the night before! I know, my imagination totally got the better of me again! My podiatrist sprayed adhesive on my foot again and strongly applied the longest Steri-Strip to help it stay in place.

Here is Fankle re-Steri-Stripped! I know it's not the best photo, and please ignore my hairy leg!

Dr. _____ told me that in order for my incision to heal properly, I shouldn't take long showers and I had to keep my foot dry—when I wasn't showering, of course. He then gave me a bunch of gauze pads and told me to put those over the top of my incision and the Steri-Strips to help keep the moisture from accumulating.

I changed my socks as soon as I got home. I started wearing an absorbent cotton ankle sock underneath my nylon sock. That way, I knew the ankle sock would absorb the moisture, and the nylon sock would help protect my calf/shin from being rubbed raw.

Because I paid such close attention to my podiatrist when he fixed my incision, I knew I could do exactly what he did if my Steri-Strips peeled off again. Most people wouldn't worry a thing about their incision at this point in their recovery, but I'm assuming most people don't have a sweaty-hands-and-feet problem like I do! Ha ha. Thus, I ordered a box of long Steri-Strips from Amazon! (Have I mentioned before how much I adore Amazon?! They are awesome!) I hoped my incision would heal as my podiatrist said it would, but I felt so much more relaxed knowing I had backup Steri-Strips if anything went wrong. :)

While I was so grateful to be able to drive anywhere I wanted, I was frustrated with the fact that I had to put on my boot to walk to my car, then I had to remove my boot so I could drive! Then every time I went into our house, I had to put on my boot in the car again, walk inside, and then clean off the bottom of it with a couple of baby wipes. I know that sounds excessive, but we have a shoes-off house because I love sitting/laying on the floor, and I don't want to hang out on dirty carpet! So yeah, I was tired of putting on/removing my boot so many times each day.

8/24–8/26:
I continued working on walking Fanklebot and tried not to get sweaty at all. I began showering every other day—which about killed me! I became very frustrated because my incision's healing time seemed to take f.o.r.e.v.e.r. and the Steri-Strips kept peeling off every couple of days. I reapplied my Steri-Strips, but I was concerned about my incision...the whole thing was so annoying!

8/25:
That night I went shopping with my daughter at Sam's Club and Walmart. I walked pretty okay for a while, but then we ended up in the middle of Walmart and Fanklebot began hurting. I felt such pain, I wanted to cry! I suddenly felt like I was stranded in a deadly desert with no available rescue...but we were in the middle of Walmart! Ha ha. I didn't know if I would make it out of there okay, but I survived. I took it very easy after that Fanklebot episode. ;)

8/29:
I began walking up and down my stairs with both legs doing their part! That was exciting for me because, previously, I had walked our stairs very cautiously and had a weird gimp. Sadly, I did too much physical activity that day again.

I was shocked later that night to find some yellowish goo oozing out from under my Steri-Strip. Hi! Panic mode activated! I immediately took a shower and afterward redid my Steri-Strip with povidone-iodine. I was totally bummed that my incision took a few more days to heal—read: resting in bed with minimal activity again. I was beyond frustrated at my situation! I just wanted to be the mother I've always been! I was so done feeling physically useless.

8/30:
I put myself on bed-rest and only walked when I needed to drive my children to/from school.

8/31:
I finally slept well because my incision got a smidgen better. Yay!

9/03:
I was very tired of laying in bed most of the time so I wouldn't get sweaty—you know, so my incision could actually close. I desperately wanted out of my Fankle Jail! After one month of frustrating recovery, I decided that all criminals should have tendon surgery as punishment for their crimes—and as a deterrent for future criminals! Ha ha. Just kidding. I wouldn't wish this pain on anybody.

That night, I prayed and cried in my shower. I've prayed throughout my entire recovery, but that was the first time I was so emotional with my prayers. I had finally hit my true breaking point. I was beyond done with my incision taking its own sweet time to heal that last, final, dinky little piece of skin that I so foolishly split open (the night I gave my oldest son a haircut.)

It felt so good to pray and cry like that! I pleaded with our Heavenly Father to please help me. I explained that I had literally done everything I possibly could to ensure a good outcome for my surgery. I told Him that I knew He could heal me, so would he please just do it?!!!

9/04:
During my shower that night, my Steri-Strip peeled off again and I was like, "No! Not again!" I shouldn't have been surprised as I had had that strip on for a couple of days. I decided to let my incision be until after I finished showering. I dreaded looking at my incision. Thus, I was happily surprised when I looked at my incision and realized it was down to mere millimeters left to be healed! I had such happy tears! I finally felt a peace I hadn't felt in weeks. :)

9/11:
While walking out of my church's regional conference, I held onto Greg's elbow for balance. We ended up behind the most adorable old couple. They were holding each other's hands and walking very slowly as well—I think one of them had a cane. My heart burst with happiness as I watched that darling old couple walk together! I said to Greg, "I found my people!" Oh, yes, it was such a happy day to finally be walking with people who were actually going my exact pace—and they weren't doing it to help me! Ha ha.

As a side note, I absolutely loved Elder Ballard's talk from our regional talk. I highly recommend reading, "To the Saints of the Utah Salt Lake Area."

9/12:
You can see from the gap between the 4th and 11th that I relaxed a little. :) I also finally quit using Steri-Strips on the 12th. That was a very triumphant moment for me! I still had a weird little nubbin to heal that stuck out of my incision, but I was so grateful everything else had healed together that I did not care if I had a nubbin for the rest of my life! Hey, if Chandler Bing (from "Friends") can go through life with a nubbin in an awkward place, I could certainly have a Fanklenubbin for the rest of my life!

Interestingly, my eye had been twitching for several weeks after I acquired Fankle because of pain and worries. Thus, I was very happy not to be worried about my incision anymore. Yes, I was completely fascinated that my eye finally quit twitching after my incision healed!

*Let that be a lesson to everyone: when someone has an eye twitch, it most likely means something is really bothering them, and you should probably be extra kind to them! :)

9/14:
I was terrified to go to my six-week post-op appointment! I simply couldn't fathom the fact that my podiatrist was going to tell me it was time to start walking without a boot! My chicken leg didn't seem like it could remotely handle walking without my boot. Thankfully, Dr. _____ relieved my mind of any worries! :) During my appointment, he explained how I would build up my strength:

1. Start off each day by wearing sturdy arch supports in my athletic shoes. He gave me Powerstep Slim-Tech orthotics—they are awesome! I like them so much, I thought about buying another pair—but they're a little on the pricey side, so instead, I decided to switch my orthotics when I wear different athletic shoes.
2. Walk just until my ankle begins to hurt, then put my boot on for the rest of the day.
3. Move my foot in circular motions—both directions.
4. Towel stretch: sit down, put my leg out in front of me, pull the ball of my foot toward me with a hand towel, hold in place for 30 seconds, work up to one minute.
5. Stork-stand on my right foot each night for two minutes while brushing my teeth. He explained that he didn't care how many times my left foot touched the ground, as long as I tried to hold my position for two full minutes. At the beginning of my stork-standing efforts, my near-constant left-foot tapping sounded like I was weakly trying to tap dance!

I was also concerned about one area of my inside ankle bone and partway up my calf next to my shin bone that was still really stiff and sore. He explained it was my tendon that was attached to the tibialis posterior muscle, and it would be sore as I was building up my muscle again. I've tried massaging and gently stretching that area a lot, but it's still pretty achy. I hope it clears up soon! Click here to see what the tibialis posterior muscle looks like in our calves. 

Even though I was cleared for walking without my boot, I happily continued wearing it for the remainder of that day. I wanted to give Fanklebot exactly six weeks of serious recovery before setting it free!

9/15:

I nervously started out my day with arch supports in my new bluish/purplish Nikes I bought before my Fankle tragedy happened. I walked soooo tenderly, timidly and slowly! My ankle felt strangely stiff and flimsy all at once! I was pleasantly surprised that I made it without my boot until 12:00 p.m. on my very first walking day! But when my foot started throbbing, I happily put my boot back on.

Can you even believe my beef leg and chicken leg?! I was able to flex my left leg, but my right leg was utterly hopeless—there was absolutely zero flexing going on because of my significantly decreased muscle mass!

9/16:

I was amazed at how quickly Fankle was progressing. I walked without my boot until 3:00 p.m. that day! I was also amazed that I could love my boot so much. You laugh, but for the longest time, I hated Fanklebot! I was so tired of having to "put my leg on" in order to go do anything. I was very frustrated with the amount of time it took to put my boot on and take it off—I couldn't wait to just walk out the door and go back inside without having to go through a huge procedure! So when I actually looked forward to putting my boot back on, well, it was pretty hilarious! Long live Fanklebot! ;)

9/17:

I awoke and went about my Saturday as usual, but then my sweet mom sent a text to all of her children that scared us: she was in the hospital because her world was spinning and she couldn't stop vomiting. After many tests and exams, her doctors determined she had a severe case of vertigo.

The hospital staff eventually decided my mom would be okay to send home, but she needed someone to stay with her overnight. She also needed someone to teach her Relief Society lesson on Sunday, so I volunteered to do both! :) I love helping my mama! I was nervous about driving 45 minutes to my mom's house, as Fankle was still recovering, but I prayed and knew I would be fine. I did the quickest packing job of my life(!) and drove to be with my mom.

*Speaking of my amazing mama, I forgot to share that, on August 8th, I received a card in the mail from her! :) My dearest mom sent me a substantial check to help pay for Fankle's medical expenses! I didn't ask her for help at all, but she said helping me pay for my surgery felt like the right thing to do. As you can imagine, I totally cried at her generosity. Is there anything that compares to grateful, happy tears?!

While I'd love to explain more about my mom and our hospital experiences, this post is about my ankle surgery recovery! Suffice it to say, my mom and I were quite the sight: me with Fanklebot, and my mom as tipsy and unstable as a drunkard! *I'm not making fun—it's just that my mom and I laughed a lot about our conditions! :) I'm sure the hospital staff and security camera operators had quite a laugh when gimpy me walked my woozy mom out to my car!

9/18:

I taught my mom's Relief Society lesson and I think I did a pretty good job! Although, the topic was about eternal marriage which is one of my all-time favorite topics! Thus, it was a pretty easy lesson for me to give. :)

I'm happy I wore my boot to church that day so Fanklebot wouldn't hurt from standing for 35 minutes straight. I took off my boot after I arrived back at my mom's house.

One more thing, then I promise I'll get back to Fanklebot!

I found out from my mom a couple of days ago (10/04) that one of the older ladies in her ward (church congregation) announced on Facebook that she just got married! And to an 80-year-old man, nonetheless! I'm sorry, but I can't help wondering if my lesson had anything to do with her decision to get married at such an advanced age! The only reason I say that is because my mom said that very same lady told my mom how much she loved my lesson! :) Even if I had only the teensiest part to do with her decision to get married, I'll totally take it! I want everyone to be happily married for eternity! :)

9/19:

I awoke and was surprised to find that I actually wanted to walk without my boot on! I was truly happy to feel that I wanted to wear my athletic shoes and orthotics! I also finally put my crutches away for good, which felt unbelievably amazing! I could have put them away sooner, but I kept them out just in case I had a bad day and needed them.

Sadly, my excitement got the better of me and I did too much that day again! I went on my first huge shopping run in nearly seven weeks and way over-did it. I wore my boot, but Fanklebot was extremely mad at me. I was swollen and in pain for days afterward. I ended up wearing my boot every late-afternoon and evening for the next five days.

9/23:

I decided it was time to watch posterior tibial tendon surgeries on YouTube to help me understand Fankle. Watching what the podiatrists and orthopedists did to their patients really helped me understand my pain level.

One lady had extreme ankle reconstruction surgery with incisions in three places. She filmed her entire first post-op visit. I found it utterly fascinating that even though the woman had three large incisions and major work done on her entire ankle, her main source of pain was where her posterior tibial tendon repair was done! Her experience showed me that my surgery results and pain levels are not abnormal! Posterior tibial tendon surgery is a major ordeal!

I also watched interviews with two other ladies who had similar surgeries as mine. They were finally feeling good at four months post-op, which made me feel so much better about my recovery! I relaxed, realizing I have a long way to go before I feel close-to-normal again, and that's okay! :)

9/26:

I happily thought that was the very last day I'd wear my boot! But it wasn't.

9/27:

Seven weeks and six days after my surgery, I didn't need to wear my boot at all that day—which was super way exciting! My ankle was still swollen and a bit sore, but it didn't hurt as much. I loved walking up and down my stairs with less pain. :)

9/28:

I was thrilled to realize it had been eight full weeks since my surgery! My podiatrist was right on for my recovery-time estimate!

9/29 was my first day venturing outside, away from home, without my boot on! I literally cried tiny happy tears! On my way to my ophthalmologist's office (to pick up Greg's glasses, and my daughter's and my contacts), I drove slowly through some road construction. I suddenly saw a veteran walking slowly in the crosswalk. No construction people were manning that spot, so I'm grateful I actually saw him with all the commotion going on.

As I waited for the veteran to cross, I realized he had a slight balance issue and held his arm in an odd way. Understanding he was injured, I felt so badly for him. After watching him for a few seconds, I could tell he was wearing an above-the-knee prosthetic leg. My respect and love for him grew by leaps and bounds in that moment.

As much as I've struggled with my tendon recovery, I know it's nowhere near what that veteran has endured. Plus, I have the hope that my tendon will heal completely, and, one day, I'll be able to return to my active lifestyle. Sadly, that wonderful, young veteran will never have his leg again. That is a very heavy thought to me because I simply can't imagine not having full use of my leg again! I smiled at the veteran as he walked down the road next to my car. I wished I could help him in some way, but I couldn't think of anything I could do right then besides smile...

9/30:

Fankle was very sore again—I must have overdone it on the 29th. Back in the boot I went for the entire morning! Thankfully, after a few hours in the boot, Fanklebot felt better! I removed my boot and that, my friends, was literally the last time I wore my boot!!!

10/01:
I went on my first shopping trip without wearing my boot! I was nervous about going because of what happened during and after my previous shopping run on 9/19. I took two ibuprofen to help me through my spree. :) I walked extremely slowly and I didn't care what anyone else thought of my speed or gait. I simply tried my best not to overdo it, and I accomplished my goal! While Fankle was a little tender the next day, I was pleased with the outcome of my endeavor! :)

10/6:

Today! I still have random Fankle soreness that pops up now and then. I also have swelling by the end of each day, but overall, I feel better! I've been trying to walk normally everywhere I go—you know, using my full foot every time I take a step. Previously, my gait had been pretty off, so it feels good using my foot's full range of motion.

Part of my problem is this: I know I need to really move my foot to strengthen and stretch my muscles, and to fully progress to where I want to be, but I struggle with knowing when I've moved too much. My podiatrist has told me to not do anything if Fankle becomes painful, yet I have a really high pain tolerance!

Remember? I did a 23-mile pioneer trek through Wyoming with a partially-torn ligament, two bone bruises, and a torn posterior tibial tendon! I know I've said that too many times, but it never ceases to astound me that I actually did all of that with my severe injury! I also know that my right foot and leg will probably feel slightly uncomfortable as I continue moving because I'm working them in ways I haven't previously for nine weeks. Hence, my chicken leg problem!

I had my nine-week post-op appointment this morning! I was shocked at how short it was, but I know it was technically (hopefully) my last appointment with my podiatrist, so there's probably not much more he could say to me. :) Dr. _____ examined Fankle and prescribed the following:

• Wear an elastic ankle brace to help reduce swelling. I need to wear the ankle brace until I have minimal-to-zero swelling at the end of the day.
• Ice my ankle at the end of the day if I'm still in pain. My podiatrist doesn't recommend usage of ibuprofen long-term and I wholeheartedly agree with him!
• Physical therapy: two times a week for three weeks. He clarified I might need to go only three or four times total, not six. He also made sure I understood that it will most likely take me two more months (from now) to get back my full mobility and strength because I didn't use my foot/leg for two months—which makes perfect sense.

While I'm bummed Fankle didn't get a clean bill of health today, I'm not surprised with the results of my appointment. As I said before, I've been struggling with knowing how much activity is too much. Dr. _____ clarified that my brain is still treating my ankle carefully/cautiously because I endured a trauma. My brain is trying to figure out how to deal with not only what happened to my ankle (severe sprain; tendon surgery), but also how to use my ankle again—so I'm probably being too cautious at this point.

Yet after my experience of having done too much previously, I'm glad I've been on the conservative side this time around. Hopefully that means that I've protected my ankle so it had the opportunity to heal properly and completely. In my heart, I know I've literally done everything my podiatrist told me to do with exactness and determination...and that feels really good! :)

Dr. _____ said if I don't improve after three weeks of physical therapy, I should go back and see him again. I'm hoping and praying (like crazy!) that I don't have to see my podiatrist ever again—unless it's randomly at the grocery store, or at a sporting event! Ha ha.

I must say, when I saw the words "traumatic injury" written in my chart (I peeked at my file on their computer screen), it made me feel better. It sounds strange, but it made me happy knowing that I totally wasn't overreacting to my Fankle experience! I have endured so much over these past four months! I've done my very best, but let me tell you, it has been more than difficult at times. I have been utterly changed forever because of my Fankle journey.

Here's my Fankle scar today—it looks and feels so much better! You might be grossed out by this, or wonder why I'm posting a photo of my scar again, but I'm very pleased with my accomplishment! This scar represents so much mental and physical toughness—you have no idea what it's taken for me to get to this point! Plus, I wanted to show how funny it is when I flex my foot up: Fankle "smiles"! (The far right photo.)

I'd like to point out that my incision healed perfectly! Fanklenubbin has disappeared! And there's only one small little visual reminder that Fanklenubbin ever existed in the first place! I'm overjoyed with how well it healed!

I probably have one or two more Fankle posts in me, but for now...Fanklebot out!

The next post in My Fankle Journey is "I Love Physical Therapy!"

19 Years!

Today is a special day for my husband and me! 19 years ago, today, at 10:20 a.m., Greg and I were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple!

It's amazing for me to think back on our life together. From our precious time dating, to our endless waiting while he was a missionary in Japan, to our thrilling engagement, and finally our sacred marriage and eternal sealing, my heart is overwhelmed with happiness! Has life been perfect for Greg and me? No, absolutely not. Yet because we have each other, we are perfectly happy together!

This morning as I walked awkwardly down the stairs in my big boot with a laundry basket, Greg was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a big smile on his handsome face. :) His combed, shiny black hair and glasses totally reminded me of Clark Kent! He was wearing his black and white "H" shirt in honor of his Harvard distance class that he'll be participating in tonight.

Smiling Greg took my laundry basket, smiled even brighter, got down on one knee, pulled a little, tan, textured box out of his pocket, opened it, presented it to me and said, "Will you marry me again? Because I would marry you again and again and again!" I excitedly said, "YES! I will marry you a million times!" Then I hugged and kissed and hugged him! Greg pushed the ring box toward me and said, "Well?! Aren't you going to put it on?! You've been so patient!"

Oh, my darling Gregor knows me so well! He knows how much I love beautiful jewelry, and indeed how difficult it was for me to wait so patiently for my amazing Jose Hess ring! You see, I've been eyeing this designer ring for just over two years! Yet it was just never the right time for us to buy this ring because it was too pricey for our family's budget.

So when I randomly stumbled across "my" ring during an internet search (Remember, I've had a lot of down time due to Fankle!) and saw that it was 55% off, well, I just had to have it! I totally love that I "conveniently" found out about my ring right before our 19th wedding anniversary! Yes, I have a delightful shopping angel for sure! Ha ha.

Here is a collage of my happiest ring:

I took three of the photos from JTV, and obviously, my copyright doesn't apply to those. :)

The reasons I love my new ring so much are:

1. It's sterling silver. From the research I've done, sterling silver is the best metal for your skin—it's the least toxic.
2. It has cubic zirconia stones. Even though diamonds are the traditional stone for anniversary bands, and they're much harder, I have issues with the way diamonds have messed up the lives and economies of the people and countries who mine them. Plus, cubic zirconia stones are only one-and-a-half steps down from diamonds on the Mohs Hardness Scale; they're also only a half-step away from rubies, sapphires and emeralds!
3. It's in the shape of a braid. I've done research in the past to see the history of wedding rings. Apparently back in the day (thousands of years ago), couples in love exchanged rings made out of braided or woven rushes/grasses to show their love and commitment to each other. I like that this ring reminds me of the longevity of the wonderful institution of traditional marriage—I love feeling connected to the past love stories of our world! :)
4. I've always had a thing for long, beautiful, leafy vines—this ring reminds me of the kind I used to doodle as a teenager. :)
5. I love the fact that I waited just over two years for my ring, which is the exact amount of time I had to wait for Greg to return from his mission in Japan!
6. It reminds me of a laurel wreath which represents victory. Yes, Greg and I have absolutely been victorious in our marriage for the past 19 years! :)
7. My darling, wonderful, sweet, and oh-so-charismatic husband presented it to me in the best way possible! I never imagined he would do something so romantic! Be still my heart! :)

Now, maybe some of you are thinking, "Well, the way Greg presented the ring to her wasn't that romantic...", and you might be right. But for me—Adrie Peterson, eternal wife of Gregory Peterson—the way I was presented my lovely anniversary ring was exactly perfect and utterly romantic to the max!

You see, when a married couple has been through as much as Greg and I have (especially recently), our happiest little encounter at the bottom of our stairs this morning couldn't have been more perfect! Heart sigh. :) Besides, time was of the essence: Greg had to get on a business call and I had many loads of laundry to fold—still do! Ha ha.

Yes, romantic moments can be fully had when we least expect them. Romance comes in all sorts of ways—we just need to be ready and willing to participate when those moments are available! And we shouldn't ever try to force romance into a box (pardon the pun!), for there isn't just one right way to be romantic! We must forever cherish whatever romantic moments we're given—with our whole hearts and souls!

I'm so grateful for the smiles Greg has given to me for the past 22 years! (I'm including the time since we met each other.) No amount of money or possessions will ever compare to the spiritual connection, physical love, and eternal dedication that Greg and I share. When all is said and done in this crazy world, there will still be Greg and Adrie for eternity!

P.S. This is exactly how I feel about my Gregor! :)

Fanklebaby

(This is my fourth post in My Fankle Journey.)

I pretty much laid in bed the entire first day of my Fankle surgery recovery. My foot—which I'll refer to as Fanklebaby for the next little while because of the immense amount of time and energy I've spent caring for it(!)—was tingly and numb from the nerve block I received just before surgery.

The nerve block seemed to wear off in stages/sections of my foot. The crazy/scary thing was that my foot was still partially numb at 10:00 that night! At that point, I was nervous and wondered if maybe my podiatrist had nicked a nerve in my foot?? Thankfully, the last part of Fanklebaby—my right pinky toe—regained feeling around 12:00 that night, er, morning. Even though I felt pain when the nerve block wore off, I was extremely relieved that my entire foot had full feeling again! I have no idea how people deal with permanent nerve damage on a daily basis!

So, the oxycodone-acetaminophen pills I was prescribed made me feel totally wacky! I felt as if everything around me was in slower motion, or maybe I was in slow-motion. Whatever it was, I felt sort of jiggly inside—like my mind and body weren't fully connected. I know that sounds weird and I can't accurately describe it, but I'm not a fan of that partial-narcotic! I ended up taking my OC-AC pills (Clever nickname, huh?!) for only two full days because I couldn't tolerate the side effects any longer! Plus, the scariest thing happened to me on day two:

I was very tired because of tossing and turning all night long—Fanklebaby did a great job of keeping me up! Grrr... So I napped for the majority of day two. I took my OC-AC right on schedule and it helped a little. Yet while I napped on and off, I distinctly remember feeling like I was forgetting to breathe. I remember having to remind myself, "Breathe, Adrie!" multiple times! Then I would take a really deep breath and keep breathing...until I forgot to breathe again! So yeah, after I took my afternoon dose, I decided I wouldn't take anymore of those scary pills that made me forget to breathe! Seriously, partial-narcotics are nuts! They are nothing to mess around with!

I shudder to think of those precious souls who accidentally overdose. After my experience with oxycodone-acetaminophen, I can see how easily a person could quit breathing if they took too many pills, and that would simply be the end of them. Again, please don't take any prescription painkillers unless you absolutely have to!

My family was blessed to have dinner provided by four wonderful women in our ward (church congregation) on the first and second days of my Fankle recovery. Our dinners were unbelievably yummy and we even had leftovers! Yay! I'm so grateful for their service and help, they made my life so much easier during those first two days!

Also, my darling little sister brought me the most beautiful flowers and a chocolate-peanut-butter milkshake! Her gifts were to-die-for and perfectly hit my soul's happy spot! But what I loved the most is that my sister took time out of her unbelievably busy full-time-employment and mama-of-two schedule to drive 30 minutes to my house, talk with me while eating her lunch, and drive 30 minutes back to work. Her sweet sacrifice was so appreciated and will never be forgotten!

Friday, day three of my recovery, was a rough pain day for me because I took only ibuprofen. Yet I knew that my pain level would also worsen because I'd decided not to take any kind of pain medication after Friday.

You see, I'd recently read that ibuprofen is somewhat controversial in terms of tendon healing. Based on all of the research studies I read, ibuprofen possibly interferes with the healing/rebuilding process; it possibly slows down a person's entire tendon recovery; and it possibly causes tendons to not be as strong when they're completely healed. Thus, instead of taking more pain medication, I managed my pain on my own through rest, elevation, ice therapy and sleep, i.e., multiple mini-naps each day!

As a side note, I've also read recently that after week four of tendon surgery, ibuprofen can possibly help prevent the formation of adhesions (internal scar tissue caused by surgery) while healing. Thus, I've taken one or two ibuprofen pills now and then when my Fankle is feeling achy/tender.

By Friday night, I finally ventured into our pink bathtub! Yes, our Disco Dandy 70s house still has its original pink tub! Oh man, was my bath time awkward and frustrating! I hung my calf/foot on the edge of the tub on a folded towel so my wrapped incision wouldn't get wet. I washed my hair using the tub faucet, but I felt more like a pretzel than a happy bath goer! Ha ha. I think my bath took an astonishing 40 minutes to complete, and I wasn't at all relaxed afterward! That said, I was unbelievably happy to be so squeaky clean!! Yes, that deserves two exclamation points!

Saturday, day four of my recovery, was probably my most frustrating day because I hadn't slept well since two nights before my surgery. #Fanklebaby! My problem with sleeping was three-fold: pain; awkward body positions; and an uncomfortable foot position inside my boot. I had to stuff my boot with a washcloth and a small kitchen hand towel in order to get the right support and angle for Fanklebaby. Yet even then, if I moved my boot the wrong way, it was unbelievably painful!

I remember feeling such annoyance and a slight depression with my situation that Saturday because I realized I wouldn't be off my crutches anytime soon. I thought back to my MRI-followup appointment when my podiatrist explained to me that I'd be back to driving a week after my surgery. In my hurting state, I thought, "What was he thinking?! There's NO way I can drive in four days! I can't even move my foot a smidgen without wanting to cry out in pain!" The thought of me driving my minivan at that point of my recovery was akin to summiting K2! Yeah, not gonna happen!

While I enjoyed laying in bed for a smidgen of my recovery—because it felt so nice to not have to do anything for once in my life(!)—after laying in bed for four whole days, I was completely over it. I wanted out of my situation! 

I wanted to be able to walk from my bed to the bathroom without using crutches or hopping on one foot! I wanted to be able to sleep without my foot in a huge, uncomfortable robotic boot! I wanted to sleep under the covers with my Gregor instead of using a mountain of pillows and a separate sheet to cover me! I wanted to shower normally and not worry about my incision! I wanted to move my foot normally without gasping in pain if my foot accidentally jerked the wrong way! I wanted to serve my family! I wanted to be able to drive! I wanted to be able to put my foot below my heart without desiring to cut it off (because of pain)! Ha ha.

I wanted,

I wanted,

I wanted...

By Sunday, day five of my recovery, I awoke feeling much better! :) I thoroughly enjoyed our special Sabbath by watching BYU Devotionals, reading my scriptures, napping, and watching the Olympics. I also finally felt true hope because I knew my post-op appointment was only one day away! Hip hop hooray! I couldn't wait for my podiatrist to give me some sort of good news!

Speaking of the Olympics, I will be forever grateful that I had my Fanklestein recovery during the 2016 Summer Games! The Olympics were so much fun to watch from my Fankle bed! They gave me something to enjoy with our world as it happened! I was truly happy to connect with our amazing athletes on Instagram, as well as watching them on NBC.

Michael Phelps was probably my favorite Olympic athlete. I loved cheering him on! I mean, how often do we get to witness history in the making?! Of course, the other athletes were sooo talented and fun to watch, and I truly enjoyed so many events, but I guess I latched on to Michael because of his story. He was an amazing athlete as a young man; then he struggled for many years; but then he made the biggest comeback ever! Not to mention, he has a beautiful family now! I truly appreciated his dedication, grit, determination, and follow through. He was an absolute inspiration!

Blessed Monday morning, day six of my recovery, finally arrived! I had taken a bath the night before and put my hair in French braids so I could easily get ready for my post-op appointment. The morning passed more slowly than I had hoped, but suddenly it was time to leave and I didn't want to be late! Ha ha. Isn't that always how it is?! As Greg drove us to my appointment, I relished how amazing it felt to finally get out of the house! Oh, I was such a sad little shut-in! Ha ha.

We checked in with the receptionist and barely waited two minutes when the nurse called me back to see the podiatrist. I was grateful she told me I could put my leg up on their stool because I couldn't fathom just letting my foot hang down with all the blood pooling in Fanklestein, causing me more pain!

Dr. _____ came in shortly and cut off my bandage—I was fascinated to see how much gauze was underneath! I was also extremely relieved to see him pull surgical tape off with the gauze as well. You see, whenever I moved a certain way, the tape pulled my skin and I envisioned the worst: that my sutures (stitches) were tearing, or something horrible like that! I was legitimately worried that I had undone something important that was created during my surgery, thus I didn't sleep very well—ever. After my tape revelation, I laughed at my very vivid imagination!

My sutures looked creepy (see my Fanklestein post for the photo), but I was so happy to actually see them instead of relying on my wild ideas of what might be lurking underneath my bandage! Ha ha. I was so relieved when Dr. _____ told me that my wound looked really good. Yay! He was so pleased with my progress! Double yay! His kind words meant so much because I had worked so hard at laying down, icing Fanklebaby and keeping it above my heart. And using crutches without falling down felt like a pretty awesome feat in itself! Ha ha.

I wanted to shout for joy when Dr. _____ told me I was cleared for taking a shower! He said to make sure I didn't soak my incision—that I could only let the shower water run over it, and wash it with soapy water. He also suggested that we purchase a shower chair for my comfort and safety. I was shocked I hadn't thought of that before! The Fankle dollar signs just kept adding up! Boo to the hoo. :(

Then my podiatrist told me the bad news: I needed to get my foot flat in my boot at a 90° angle no later than that upcoming Friday. He showed me—by pushing my forefoot up—just how much I would have to flex my foot to get it flat in my boot. I nearly screamed with pain at his actions and wanted to kick him in the head! Ha ha. Yet I know he only did that to show me it was safe to stretch Fanklebaby, despite my searing discomfort.

Dr. _____ then explained how my recovery would proceed. He said once I got my foot flatly into my boot, I could start putting minor pressure on it walking with two crutches. Once that felt okay, I could taper off to one crutch. He then took one of my crutches and demonstrated how to walk! I thought it was nice of him to show me so I wouldn't accidentally put too much pressure on Fanklebaby. Lastly, he instructed me to schedule my next appointment—suture removal(!)—for just over two weeks away.

As I think back on my first five days after posterior tibial tendon surgery (six if you include my surgery day), I'm reminded of how much service my husband provided for me. Greg continually checked on me and asked what he could do for me. He did everything possible to help me in any way I needed. I literally could not have had my ankle surgery without him! I have no idea how people handle surgery when they don't have family members to help them! My children helped me in many ways, as well. I consider myself mighty blessed!

Here is just one example of many sweet things my husband did for me while I spent all of my energy caring for Fanklebaby: After Greg brought me my blue ice pack (that's covering my foot, pictured below), he surprised me with this delicious treat plate! I nearly cried because not only did the fruit taste so delicious with all that whipped cream, but I loved seeing how much my wonderful husband continuously loves and cares for me!

That's it for now, but get ready for more Fankle because I'm not finished yet! :)

The next post in My Fankle Journey is "Fanklebot."

Fanklestein

(This is my third post in My Fankle Journey.)

I was anxious the night before I went in for my posterior tibial tendon surgery. To combat my anxiety, I prayed a lot! :) I prayed for good mental health and my body's efficient and safe healing. I prayed for my podiatrist, that he would be capable in every way and do a phenomenal job for my ankle. (Hey, I might as well go all-out in my prayer requests! Ha ha.) I prayed for the anesthesiologist that he/she would give me the correct dosing and that I wouldn't have any negative effects from the anesthesia. I prayed for the nurses that they would be able to assist in every way my doctors needed. I especially prayed that my body would stay infection free!

You might chuckle at all of my worries, but I had a brother-in-law who recently became a below-the-knee amputee due to a life-threatening infection in his foot. He doesn't have diabetes, it was just a random, terrible infection that didn't respond to IV antibiotics. His antibiotic-resistant infection spread so quickly that they had no choice but to amputate. I honestly can't imagine the trauma my brother-in-law went through—it brings tears to my eyes! And I certainly didn't want any complications anywhere near his unbelievable/serious issues. Thus, I prayed!

*Speaking of prayer, I highly recommend watching War Room. I loved it so much that I bought it on Blu-ray the very next day! By the way, no one is asking me or compensating me in any way to write my happy feelings about War Room. I'm sharing it with you because it's honestly one of my favorite movies!

Following my podiatrist's orders, I drank a lot of water before midnight. I got my outfit ready for the next morning and took a shower. I tried my best to stay calm, but my mind raced as I thought about everything that was about to happen in 12 short hours. I didn't have a problem going to sleep, but I definitely had a problem staying asleep. All of the water I drank kept me returning to the bathroom throughout the night—it was awful! As I think back about it now, my podiatrist's advice for me to drink as much water as I could probably wasn't the best strategy! I mean, I know my podiatrist was just trying to have my veins nice and fat for the benefit of the nurse giving me an IV, but not sleeping well the night before an important surgery probably isn't the best idea for a good recovery.

I awoke on time and took another shower, washed my hair, dressed, brushed my teeth and put on makeup. I blow-dried my hair without gel because I knew it would be a longer time-frame than normal before I could wash my hair again, so I wanted it squeaky clean and fluffy! :)

Greg slept in a little bit that morning, but he was totally ready by the time we had to leave. That's one of Greg's wonderful traits: he can always be counted on to be on time! (It's also a little frustrating when I want to be a little late! Ha ha.) I was happy he was able to sleep in because he works so hard and doesn't get enough sleep. :) I double checked my list of things I needed to bring to my surgery and wrote a little love note to my children. I also made Greg take a photo of me standing on both of my feet before we left. It may seem silly, but I wanted to document my "before gimpy" self. :)

Let's do this thing!

I held Greg's hand as we drove to the surgical center. The sun was shining so brightly, and the sky was a lovely shade of blue with puffy clouds! I was happy it was a beautiful day. For a minute, the smiling sun and having my Gregor drive me around almost made me forget that I was having surgery within the hour. As we neared the surgical center, the van in the right lane behind us wouldn't let us merge over. It was a scary moment thinking we almost got in a wreck! Even worse, the man in the fat white van shouted a string of obscenities as he drove past us! I was truly embarrassed for him.

Thankfully, Greg got us to the surgical center safely, dropped me off, and parked the car. I walked in the front door wondering how it would go—especially since we were there 15 minutes early. Yet I'm glad we arrived early, for the registration receptionist got me started filling out paperwork. Suddenly, Greg was standing next to me, which I enjoyed greatly! Yeah, Greg has a habit of doing that. :)

Everything was fine until the receptionist asked me if I had an advance directive? I looked at Greg and was like, "What? I don't have one of those!" but she didn't worry about it and just checked the box that I didn't have one. Greg quickly said, "Do everything you can to save her." My mind started racing, thinking about the fact that I was about to be the star of a medical procedure where the doctors and nurses actually needed to know what I wanted them to do if I was near death, or if I were to actually die! I thought to myself, "I've seen too many Grey's Anatomy episodes! I'm sure I'll be fine!" Ha ha.

I took my unfinished paperwork and we went and sat down. As I scanned the room of chairs, looking for a place to sit, I decided that the surgical center really needed to reupholster their chairs because they were outdated. Even though the fabric looked new and nice, the design was highly distracting and somewhat uncomfortable to look at. Yet in that moment, I wondered if my dislike of the fabric had more to do with my nerves than the actual style? As I've rethought about the effect those chairs had on me, I'm resolute in my opinion: they either need to purchase new chairs, or recover the ones they have! Ha ha. Either way, their surgical waiting room needs to help create a calming effect, and it all begins with the style of their interior design! :)

I thought I would have time to finish filling out my paperwork, but my name was called shortly after we sat down. The admitting nurse took us into a room and took my vitals. My blood pressure was really low: 93/66! She was a little concerned and asked, "Is your blood pressure always this low?" I replied that I have low blood pressure anyway, but added that I was also really hungry and drank a lot of water the night before—meaning that my sodium levels were probably really low, thus the low blood pressure. Greg said, "Just make sure you use the paddles on her if needed!" That got a laugh out of our demure nurse! My Charming Greg has quite the happy effect on older ladies! Ha ha. She took notes about my medical history and said I could keep filling out my paperwork in the next room. Then she put my admittance bracelet on and added a sticker with "Sulfa" printed on it—to make everyone aware of my allergy. I'm grateful they're so careful with their patients!

We were then shuttled to another area of the surgical center to weigh me and do a urine test. I was happy that I totally had my weight listed exactly right on my paperwork! I know that's silly, but it's important to tell the truth—even when it's about something as mundane as our weight! :) (Plus, I was happy I hadn't gained any weight since my yearly physical.) I was then taken to their pre-op area and told to change my clothes and lay on the gurney.

After I changed clothes, the nurse started my IV with fluids and antibiotics. She asked if I was nervous, and I replied, "A little." She said, "Your palms are a little sweaty." I said, "Yeah, my palms sweat when I'm nervous...I come from a long line of sweaty palms!" Ha ha. Relieved, she said, "Oh that's good to know. I was worried I had terrified you!" I said, "Nope! I'm good."

Yet the IV did not feel good in the least. I'd forgotten just how much they hurt to put in because I haven't had one in 12 years—since my youngest baby was born. I laid back on the pillow because I was so tired from my night of visiting the bathroom every two hours! I tried to be chill even though I was still nervous. Greg sat in the chair next to me and we chatted. We couldn't help but listen to the other pre-op patients' conversations in the curtain-rooms next to us. One lady was getting cataract surgery. It was fascinating listening to her kind and patient doctor explain how her surgery would go. After listening to his explanation, I have zero worries about cataract surgery—if I ever have to have it in the far-future!

This was taken before my podiatrist came in to chat with us. Greg made me take two photos because he said I look ill in the first one! Ha ha. But hey, I was very sleepy!

My podiatrist finally came in with his surgical notes of my chart. (I have no idea if that's what it's called, but it sounds good! Ha ha.) We chatted for a minute and then he examined my foot. He put a sharpie smiley face on the top of my arch, then asked me to point out where my tendon hurt. After we came to an agreement of the location of my pain, he drew a line right next to my ankle bone that resembled a slight smile. While I instantly and semi-nervously thought, "Oh my goodness, he's going to cut my foot open right on that line!" I was simultaneously happy knowing that my ankle would have a "smile" on it for the rest of my mortal life! Ha ha.

My podiatrist then explained how the surgery would go and what to do during my recovery. Greg and I then played the waiting game. It seemed to take forever before it was my turn for surgery—even though I have no idea how long it actually was! Ha ha. Just when I was getting antsy, my number was up!

The anesthesiologist came in and prepped me for what was about to happen, injected my IV line with anesthesia, and the surgical nurse began rolling me out of my room and down the hall. It was really fun when they spun my gurney around in a circle to get my head facing the right direction. I didn't say this out loud, but inside my mind I was like, "WHEE!" and I'm pretty sure that was the anesthesia talking. Ha ha. They put my gurney next to the surgical table, helped me transfer, and I laid down. The last thing I remember is them talking to me as they adjusted my gown and situated my body in the correct position.

Because I'm utterly fascinated with all-things medical, I love knowing how quickly the anesthesia took effect on my body. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it took probably only two minutes—if that—before I was completely knocked out from the IV anesthesia! And even more fascinating is the fact that they said they weren't even giving me full anesthesia. I've always thought that medication really affects me—I can get by on smaller doses than most people—and I think this is proof of my theory being correct!

The next thing I remember is being in a dim room with high ceilings and Greg standing on the right side of my bed. I vaguely remember someone walking out of the curtains of my "room," but it's a fuzzy memory. I also remember the recovery nurse talking to me and fiddling with my IV.

I told Greg of my experience being awake before surgery, and then suddenly being completely "out" after I transferred to the surgical table. Greg informed me that I already told him that and I was like, "What?! Whoa! I have no memory of ever telling you that!" He laughed and blamed it on the anesthesia.

The nurse asked me if I needed anything, or if I wanted a snack, but I said no. She came back later and asked if I was ready to leave, or not yet? I told her not yet, and that I was cold. She brought me the warmest heated blanket and wrapped it around my head, shoulders, and upper body. It was absolutely heavenly! I think we should create "warm blanket therapy" for children and people struggling in life. Maybe it sounds too simple, but I think it would help anyone who's struggling to calm down! :)

See how peaceful I am?! :)

A little while later, I was feeling more awake and not as cold. I finally asked for some saltine crackers to go with my water. Greg did a great job feeding and watering me (ha ha) and we chatted for a little bit. I asked him what my podiatrist said about the surgery. Greg explained that Dr._____ had already come in and I had actually talked with him! Greg said my podiatrist put his hand on my shoulder, asked how I was doing, and proceeded to tell us how my surgery went. Apparently, I said, "Thank you so much, I appreciate it!" HA! I was like, "Whoa, what?! I have ZERO recollection of talking with him at all!" But as I really thought hard about my experience in that recovery room, I did remember seeing my podiatrist walk out of the curtains—I just didn't remember anything before that.

While Greg says I was completely fine and appropriate with all of my actions and words after coming out of surgery, it totally freaks me out knowing that I was actually acting "coherent": talking, moving, and interacting with others, and I have no memory of any such actions! And that, my friends, is precisely why I will never, ever do drugs or drink alcohol—even if I wasn't brought up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and taught to obey the Word of Wisdom! I simply never want to be out of control of my mind/body! :)

The results of my surgery are this: my tendon had about a one-and-a-half inch linear tear in it that my podiatrist successfully repaired. Yay! Craziest thing is, I was in surgery for only 26 minutes—Greg timed me! Ha ha. I'm surprised my tendon repair went so quickly, for I thought I would be in there for at least 45 minutes, if not longer! I'm hoping that means my podiatrist is a rock-star surgeon and my type of surgery is like a walk in the park for him! :)

After about an hour in the post-op recovery room, I finally felt good enough to go home. I got dressed and the nurse helped me try and fit my Fankle into my new walking boot. It was ridiculously difficult trying to get my foot to bend enough, so we put the boot's Velcro straps together pretty loosely. The nurse explained about my recovery again and what to expect. I listened, and I can kind of remember what she said, but it's pretty blurry. Thus, I'm really grateful Greg was there and taking notes in his wonderful brain for me! I had to ask him more than once to remind me of their instructions!

The recovery nurse and Greg helped me into the wheelchair and we headed down the hallway. My nurse stopped driving me for a minute and gave me a little stuffed bear in a t-shirt with the name of the surgical center on it. She said, "You're not too old for a teddy bear, are you?!" I happily said, "Nope!" Besides, who am I to turn down a $3,500 bear?! Ha ha. Yeah, surgery is expensive! I'm beyond grateful our medical insurance deductible had already been met this year because there's no way we could have afforded my surgery otherwise. I shudder at the thought of what we would have done because even after our insurance paid its portion, my surgery was still very expensive and we only had to pay 20% of the allowable charges (that I listed previously)!

When we were in the surgical center's waiting room again, my nurse asked if I wanted a snack for the road. I said, "Sure! I'll have a brown-sugar Pop Tart!" I gave it to my youngest son because I'm not too hot for Pop Tarts. Ha ha.

As we went out into the parking lot, I was so happy to see sunshine and sprinkler raindrops on the pine trees! There really is something healing about nature—whether you're in the mountains, or the trees are brought into the city, the calming effect is the same. :) Greg helped me into the car and we said goodbye to my kind nurse. She is good at her job; I'm positive she's found her calling in life!

On our way home, Greg decided to pick up his new suit (by the awesome Alain Dupetit) from the tailor shop—he had his pants cuffed. (Again, my enthusiasm for Alain Dupetit is genuine! Nobody is paying me to recommend them!) We then stopped for a fresh strawberry slush—they are unbelievably divine! Lastly, we stopped at the grocery store and picked up milk, and ice for my foot. When we finally got home, I was exhausted!

I had Greg take my "after" photo, and I headed back to our room. Per my podiatrist's orders, I took my first oxycodone-acetaminophin pill, antibiotic, went to the bathroom, and laid down in bed. When I looked at the time, I was surprised to see that my entire ordeal, from start to finish (driving there/home; including other stops), only took about four-and-a-half hours!

And now, I'd like to introduce you to Fanklestein! This photo was actually taken right after I got home from my post-op appointment, five days after my surgery, but I'm sharing it now to get the suspense out of the way! Ha ha. Stay tuned for even more Fankle! :)

The next post in My Fankle Journey is "Fanklebaby."