Working Full Time: Days 25 - 26

Working Full Time

On the one hand, it's been easy to return to work after only three weeks: driving a half hour each way, standing, sitting, walking through the school. There are several shoe options that feel fine. On the other hand, the strain creeps up on me. Welcome relief comes when I elevate my foot on a stool under my desk and ice it several times a day. Yesterday I had a couple of minutes of intense pain when I somehow snagged my right big toe on the low horizontal crossbar of a classroom stool, bending my toe sharply and unexpectedly upward. Yeeowww! I collapsed in a chair and sent a student of another staff member to our staff room freezer to fetch a fresh ice pack. Later in the day my foot was noticeably more uncomfortable and light shade of reddish-purple. I iced and elevated more through the evening at home and my foot seemed to bounce back to normal; well, my current normal. I have high expectations for my new and improved "normal" a few months down the road.

Back to Work: Day 24 after Cheilectomy

It had to happen eventually... back to the salt mine. I really can't complain: two weeks of medical leave followed by one week of vacation, half of which I spent in Hawaii. I'm a teacher. In my own classroom with my fabulous 5th graders, most of the time I'm able to stand, sit, walk, wiggle, fidget, shift, sashay, and elevate my leg as necessary. I did have to forgo my customary speed walking, and I tried to reduce the number of trips to the workroom. 

The only real stress on my foot occurred during those relatively quick conversations while standing with other staff in the hallway or workroom, before or after school and during recess. Two or three minutes of standing is all it takes. My attention would be drawn to the blood pooling in my foot and the whisper of a throb developing, at which time I would "jog" in place or hoist my right leg up on the nearest desk or table. Ahhhh... Flexibility is a plus. I wore the Birkenstock sandals, shown in a previous post, that provide such wonderful support for my entire foot and also protect my toe joint from excessive motion and sudden pain. 

I managed to do some toe PT twice during the day: once during lunch, and once during afternoon recess. This basically consists of rocking the big toe joint gently from front to back and from side to side. Next, I apply pressure outward on my toe, pull it down and hold, followed by pressure outward, pull up and hold. Ouch. Finally, I try to manipulate the sesamoid bones that continue to be uncooperative. After each torture session I strapped on one of my favorite ice packs for a little while. 

Everyone is surprised at how good my foot looks, me included. Visually, the healing is remarkable. As for regaining normal range of motion, time will tell...

First Hot Tub: Day 23 after Cheilectomy

First Hot Tub

Whatever made me think that this might be painful? I suppose because applying cold has brought so much relief over the past three weeks, I assumed applying heat might hurt. Nope... Bliss! I performed the required PT manipulations while in 102 degree water. Perhaps the heat will help me relax more and stretch this stiff joint. I'm planning to fit in a bit of home-style hydrotherapy every day. When I got out, I did ice and elevate. Not that my foot was craving cold; it just seemed like the right thing to do. I'm going to ask my physical therapist about the benefits of hot and cold at this point of the healing process. (Postscript: The PT assistant who massaged and manipulated my toe and foot for 45 minutes today said to limit the time in the tub. Heat contributes to swelling, and can be the enemy of healing. However, a brief period in the tub to relax and do the exercises followed by ice and elevation would be beneficial.)