Pre-Op
As instructed, I arrived at the hospital at 9:00am. The procedure was scheduled for 11:00am. I brought a LARGE book and settled in for the wait. Wasn't necessary. I was quickly escorted to the pre-op staging area. Here's what happened next:
- A nurse dropped off paper underwear and a hospital gown
- After I removed my clothes (and dignity), I was asked a series of questions (a Series of Questions):
- What is my name, first, middle and last?
- What is my birth date?
- What procedure am I having? On what foot?
- How tall am I? How much do I weigh?
- Am I allergic to [anything under the sun]?
- Is anyone in my family allergic to [anything under the sun]?
- Have I ever been sick?
- Has anyone in my family ever been sick?
- Do I smoke? Drink? Take drugs?
- Etcetera
- A physicians assistant (PA) arrived. The PA asked me a Series of Questions.
- Another nurse stopped by. She washed and shaved (!) my foot. Then she asked me a Series of Questions.
- The anesthesiologist stopped by. She asked me a Series of Questions. She also said that I would be partially anesthetized before getting a spinal block. After the spinal block, I would get additional anesthesia. She predicted I would remember none of this. She was right.
- The doctor stopped by. Same Series of Questions. I'm confident they've got it now.
- I walked into the operating room under my own power. Big lights. Lots of people. Lots of cutting tools. For the first time I feel a pang of anxiety.
- The anesthesiologist said that she's added anesthesia to my drip.
Post-Op
I remember nothing after the anesthesia was added to my drip. I woke up in the recovery room, listening to a couple of nurses discuss how long it would take for me to come to. When I settled that for them, my brother joined me bedside.
Until the effects of the spinal block wore off, I had no feeling in my legs -- left or right. After 60 - 90 mins., the feeling had returned and my left leg was strong enough to get out of bed and head home. It's around 2:30pm.
I took two oxycodone pills as the spinal block wore off. Pain was manage-able.
Hi, I have something very similar. I got it playing soccer also. How can I contact you to see how your toe did?
ReplyDeleteChris, I sent my contact info to you on Google Hangout.
ReplyDeleteHello, considering this surgery as well at 28 and would love to hear your thoughts, thanks.
ReplyDeleteI ultimately had the surgery on both my left and right feet. And I'm still playing soccer, so I guess that's a win. But I am definitely not "good as new." The cartilage damage caused by the bone spurs is irreversible and continues to cause pain (though less pain -- maybe 50% less.) I play soccer because I love it, but I've replaced jogging with cycling and I'll never do another burpie. Any frontal impact on my toes is very painful, and I limp for a day or two after every soccer game. I recommend the surgery because it helps, but you should expect the pain to be reduced rather than eliminated.
ReplyDeleteWhat made you a better candidate for a cheilectomy over having a fusion surgery?
ReplyDeleteI could have done either, but I wanted to continue player soccer. Hard to do that when you can’t bend your toe. The cheilectomy reduces the pain, it doesn’t eliminate it. I still have cartilage damage (is, arthritis.) But at least I can still bend my toes. Fusion is supposed to eliminate the pain, but at the cost of your mobility.
DeleteIt looks like I need to have this surgery done as well. How long is the recovery period? I'm hoping not to miss too much work. I work as a cashier.
ReplyDeleteMy doctor told me to stay off the foot for 2 weeks, then crutches for 2 more. A friend had the same surgery and his doctor let him hobble around in a surgical boot the same day. So I guess it depends . . .
DeleteIt took a full year before I completely recovered (meaning it was as good as it was ever going to be. Still have some pain when I play soccer but much less.)
Hello, I am in the same situation as you (although 10 years younger). I can barely bend my right tow upward and although the pain is pretty bearable my toe just never feels right. I would love to hear more about your surgery.
ReplyDeleteSure. On the advice of my doctor, I postponed the surgery until the pain was unbearable. By the end, even the weight of my bed sheets on my toes was uncomfortable.
DeleteMy doctor said the surgery would reduce the pain by 50% - 90%. I know weather forecasters that provide a tighter range. In the end, I think it was closer to 50% than 90%, but given how much it hurt before the procedure, that was enough.
I play soccer now regularly with minimal discomfort. I won’t do burpees though because the pain is intense. And I hate burpees.