April 2010 and I'm back in work allbeit initially 3 hours a day. My employer had to find a position for me as they have a policy preventing anyone with a mobility issue to work above the 3rd floor (there are 16 in some parts of the site).
Everything was going ok, it took me longer to increase hours than I thought it would everything took so much more energy!
Attended podiatrist clinic every 4-6 weeks so they could keep an eye on the remaining foot and life just ticked along.
We installed a new bathroom in the house with a wet room shower that had a seat so that I could sit in the shower rather than try & manipulate myself into and out of the bath.
In April 2011 the toenail in my middle toe started to come off. Rather than leave it to be pulled off accidentally, the podiatrist I saw at the time decided to cut it down.
One thing led to another and it ended up I was dressing the toe every other day.
As a family we did manage to go on holiday. We went for 2 weeks to Jersey, I drove the car to Weymouth and we took the ferry across.
However, things weren't to last. Within 2 weeks of coming back from holiday the middle toe on my left foot had gone black (sorry this is so descriptive) but as it was dry the podiatrist I was now seeing regularly and one of the vascular surgeons decided to leave well alone and let it just shrivel and drop off.
Within 1 week I couldn't walk on it & was in so much pain it was unbelievable. I had an appt at the limb clinic to try & resolve some of the lateral shift and hyperextension issues I was having with the right leg and the poor prosthetist didn't know what hit him when I burst into tears.
Thankfully they're a really good team & they got in touch with the podiatrist who agreed to see me there & then.
She took one look at it & immediately phoned the surgeon who agreed I should come in to ward to have it looked at. I agreed with podiatrist that I could take my car home & one of the support workers from podiatry would follow me home & take me back.
So there I was in CDU (clinical decision unit) having to explain yet again what was going on. I knew my vascular surgeon would take the toe but it would then be a "wait and see if it heals" job!
In the end my own vascular surgeon came & it was "That needs to come off today". That was August 12th 2011
Next time I'll talk about my time in hospital for this amputation.
Thursday 7 June 2012
Friday 18 May 2012
Stage 4 - initial recovery & getting mobile.
So there I am 23 December 2009 with a new prosthesis fitting. You don't get the leg home with u 1st time u try it, you need to see physiotherapist 1st. So off I went to limb centre on Christmas Eve determined to persuade the physio that I could take the leg home to walk into my mother-in-laws house for christmas dinner.
I must be very persuasive cos I came home with the leg. Christmas day was extra special - and then the snow fell! I was housebound for 3 weeks as ambulance transport couldn't get to my house. In those 3 weeks I taught myself how to do things. The physio came out to the house to see me & said I could start to increase the length of time I was wearing the leg. So by the time I was back in the limb centre I was wearing the leg for the majority of the time.
My mobility was improving all the time but what they don't tell u is that the stump shrinks. It can take up to 18 months to 2 years to be in it's final state. So every time u shrink enough, u need to be recast for a new socket . By March 2010, I was on socket no 2, had just been recast for socket no 3 and was ready to get back out & drive. I was lucky, my brother-in-law, had driven automatics (I already had an automatic car) so he took me somewhere quiet to get to grips with driving with my left foot rather than my right, as is usual.
I also took a major step and returned to work in April 2010. Initially started at 3 hours a day with a gradual build up of time. R
Next time will talk about the inbetween years. I promise I won't take so long to publish!
I must be very persuasive cos I came home with the leg. Christmas day was extra special - and then the snow fell! I was housebound for 3 weeks as ambulance transport couldn't get to my house. In those 3 weeks I taught myself how to do things. The physio came out to the house to see me & said I could start to increase the length of time I was wearing the leg. So by the time I was back in the limb centre I was wearing the leg for the majority of the time.
My mobility was improving all the time but what they don't tell u is that the stump shrinks. It can take up to 18 months to 2 years to be in it's final state. So every time u shrink enough, u need to be recast for a new socket . By March 2010, I was on socket no 2, had just been recast for socket no 3 and was ready to get back out & drive. I was lucky, my brother-in-law, had driven automatics (I already had an automatic car) so he took me somewhere quiet to get to grips with driving with my left foot rather than my right, as is usual.
I also took a major step and returned to work in April 2010. Initially started at 3 hours a day with a gradual build up of time. R
Next time will talk about the inbetween years. I promise I won't take so long to publish!
Thursday 19 April 2012
Stage 3 of story.
So there I was. 1st amputation carried out (4th toe of right foot) on 23 September 2009. Everything went ok initially - the district nurses were coming every other day to change the dressing. I had recall appt with the surgeon after 2 wks at which pint it was discovered that whoever had done the amputation had stitched packing into the wound socket. It had been in there all that time!
Surgeon was quite pleased but wanted to see me again in 3 wks. It's at this point things went down hill. I started to take an allergic reaction to any adhesive plaster the put on the wound & my foot started to blister & wither. When I went to see the surgeon on 1 Nov 2009 I was given a choice - I could have a partial foot amputation or below knee. Bear in mind now that the blockage causing the problem is in my ankle.
So after discussing with my other half I decided to opt for the below knee amputation. This was carried out on 9 November 2009 and I walked with a prosthesis 6 weeks & 3 days later on 23 December.
Shorter today as such a short period of time between amputations. It also helped that I took to this one like a duck takes to water. I had no major problems, the wound healed really quickly and I was extremely stubborn about doing things for myself.
Next time I'll talk a bit about recovery & getting mobile again!
Surgeon was quite pleased but wanted to see me again in 3 wks. It's at this point things went down hill. I started to take an allergic reaction to any adhesive plaster the put on the wound & my foot started to blister & wither. When I went to see the surgeon on 1 Nov 2009 I was given a choice - I could have a partial foot amputation or below knee. Bear in mind now that the blockage causing the problem is in my ankle.
So after discussing with my other half I decided to opt for the below knee amputation. This was carried out on 9 November 2009 and I walked with a prosthesis 6 weeks & 3 days later on 23 December.
Shorter today as such a short period of time between amputations. It also helped that I took to this one like a duck takes to water. I had no major problems, the wound healed really quickly and I was extremely stubborn about doing things for myself.
Next time I'll talk a bit about recovery & getting mobile again!
Sunday 15 April 2012
The 2nd stage of my journey
Apologies folks, I originally thought I would tell this story in 2 parts but it deserves more than that. Sorry I'm not doing this regularly it still needs to become a habit rather than when I feel able to put finger to keypad!
So, where were we? Oh yes, just had sympathectomy on right side. I was off work for 3 months following that & felt everything was going ok, apart from 1 toe on my right foot. It had been hurting for a while & a little black area next to nail was starting to get larger.
So I went back to work, on reduced hours originally with the intention of building up to full time within 4 weeks.
After 3 weeks, while attending a meeting, someone stepped on my foot. Immediately I was concerned , cos at this point the toe was relatively ok. So I phoned my GP, who advised I go to casualty. So off I trot, without much success I may add as they weren't really interested.
As things turned out I had an appt with the podiatrists about 10 days later, at which point she phoned the surgeon who advised I should be admitted. So the wait began for a bed! It took 3 days to get a bed in the vascular ward. The surgeon took one look at it & said "that needs to come off". So I was settled into little ward & so began my 2 & a half yr relationship with the staff on this ward. I had the toe removed the following day in the hope that the rest of the foot would be ok. So with specialised shoe & crutches in tow I got home 10 days later with district nurses coming every other day to change the dressing.
I've bored you enough on this one. Time to go. Will speak soon. TTFN.
So, where were we? Oh yes, just had sympathectomy on right side. I was off work for 3 months following that & felt everything was going ok, apart from 1 toe on my right foot. It had been hurting for a while & a little black area next to nail was starting to get larger.
So I went back to work, on reduced hours originally with the intention of building up to full time within 4 weeks.
After 3 weeks, while attending a meeting, someone stepped on my foot. Immediately I was concerned , cos at this point the toe was relatively ok. So I phoned my GP, who advised I go to casualty. So off I trot, without much success I may add as they weren't really interested.
As things turned out I had an appt with the podiatrists about 10 days later, at which point she phoned the surgeon who advised I should be admitted. So the wait began for a bed! It took 3 days to get a bed in the vascular ward. The surgeon took one look at it & said "that needs to come off". So I was settled into little ward & so began my 2 & a half yr relationship with the staff on this ward. I had the toe removed the following day in the hope that the rest of the foot would be ok. So with specialised shoe & crutches in tow I got home 10 days later with district nurses coming every other day to change the dressing.
I've bored you enough on this one. Time to go. Will speak soon. TTFN.
Monday 9 April 2012
The first half of my story
This all began back in Nov/Dec 2008 when it was discovered during my annual diabetes review that I had some neuropathy (nerve damage) in my right foot. As a consequence the circulation in the foot was under threat. As a result of this I was referred to a vascular surgeon for review.
I met the vascular surgeon for the 1st time in Feb 2009 at which point he sent me for an MRI scan to see what circulation in leg was like.
When I saw him again in Mar/Apr 2009 the results were inconclusive so he arranged for me to come into hospital for an angiogram (this happened within days).
This showed that I had a blockage (calcification) in the ankle area. A bypass of the blockage was out of the question as it was too dangerous & too small a blood vessel. However, they could offer me something called a sympathectamy (alcohol -phenol- is injected into the sympathetic nerve through one of the lumbar vertebrae to kill the nerve and encourage the blood vessels to widen.
Everything all tickety boo then!
Next stage is for next time!
I met the vascular surgeon for the 1st time in Feb 2009 at which point he sent me for an MRI scan to see what circulation in leg was like.
When I saw him again in Mar/Apr 2009 the results were inconclusive so he arranged for me to come into hospital for an angiogram (this happened within days).
This showed that I had a blockage (calcification) in the ankle area. A bypass of the blockage was out of the question as it was too dangerous & too small a blood vessel. However, they could offer me something called a sympathectamy (alcohol -phenol- is injected into the sympathetic nerve through one of the lumbar vertebrae to kill the nerve and encourage the blood vessels to widen.
Everything all tickety boo then!
Next stage is for next time!
Saturday 7 April 2012
Hello
I'm 47 and I'm a bilateral below knee (bk) amputee. This is a relatively new thing for me & I wanted to record some of my journey as a blog, 1st step tho is to show u my legs. Over time I'll tell u all a bit more about my story but it's too long to bore u to death with right at the start so I'll give u some of that 2moro. 
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)