I had my appointment with my surgeon in
Indianapolis on Wednesday (5/30). I thought it would be a "rubber
stamp" kind of appointment and then I would head down to the Cincinnati
area to have a new socket made. I’ve
been getting sores on the same spot for the last few months and it appeared to
be a matter of my current socket not fitting well. Instead, after x-rays, my surgeon said that I
needed surgery to correct the problem I've been having. That was a shock! It took me the rest of
the day to get my head wrapped around that major change in my plans.
I just got the surgery scheduled for
July 6th in Indianapolis at Eskenazi Hospital. I was hoping for something sooner; but I
guess it is what it is. Ever notice that
just because we want something to be different, it doesn’t change reality?
After surgery, I’ll go home to recover
and then have to make a return trip from Eau Claire, WI to Indianapolis, IN for
a two-week post-op follow-up appointment.
After surgery, I'll be wheelchair bound
for 3-4 weeks or so, until I can heal enough to go down to get a new socket
made (another two week trip to Cincinnati, OH area).
So it looks like I'll be limited
mobility for the next couple of months or so at least, and racking up some
miles on the truck as I go back and forth.
This all reminds me of the quote,
"If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans". I think He got
a good belly laugh out of this one.
I am grateful that this problem was
identified prior to wasting a lot of time and energy spent by my prosthetist trying
to fix a problem that couldn't be corrected with just getting a new socket.
Having a definite problem and clear solution is so preferable to a nebulous
uncertainty leading to a lot of failed attempts. I hate wasting time! I
want to get on with life!
I had my original amputation in
12/2013. Then I had an Ertl revision
done in 9/2016. Now this reconstruction
surgery is planned for 7/2018. On the
x-ray, you can see that my tibia (the bone on the left) protrudes below the
bridge. Where it protrudes is right in
the area that I keep developing sores on the bottom of my limb. So the idea of this surgery will be to
shorten the tibia so that it is more in line with the bridge, reducing that as
a pressure point.
I appreciate your prayers. I have
to admit that I’m frustrated that my summer will be once again spent with limited
mobility. Last summer, I was limited due
to a heart issue that took months and months to figure out. I want to be much more active and to be able
to do all the things that I enjoy. Sigh! I’ll just have to set my sights on the fall
and be content with what I can do for the time being.
Here’s a reminder for each one of
us: You have no idea what another person
is going through, what struggles they must overcome, or the frustrations that
they face. Unless you live with a
person, you probably don’t have a good understanding of what they face each
day. Most of us show our best side to
the world when we are out and about; so you may never know what that other
person is coping with at home or for the rest of the day. So seek to be kind, understanding, and
pleasant to everyone you encounter today.
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