Last March I had what might be considered by some (especially me) as major surgery on my right foot - it was totally messed up due, I believe, to genetics. Bunion, Hammer Toe, two claw toes, all I needed was wings! But I have to say, I was happy with the results, until I noticed one of the former claw toes had decided to become a hammer toe when it grew up, and it was growing up fast!
First of all, the reason I had the surgey on my foot was because my knee was causing me some considerable discomfort, even pain, and worse, it was preventing me from running. Now, I have to tell you I don't really love running. But I need to do some serious exercise to stop my bones from crumbling - as they fully intend to do - and running is the best of a bad lot, the exercise I dislike the least. So I went to my doctor, who sent me to a knee surgeon, who told me my knee was fine, the problem was my foot, so I went to a foot surgeon.. and the result is documented under the Gross Foot Photos tab.
It took 6 months before I was passed fit to run - fat to run more like - in those 6 months of sitting around with my foot up, I had gained more weight than I care to admit to. I started back slowly, running a quarter of a mile, walking a quarter of a mile, till I built up to 3 miles. Then I started stretching the running to half a mile. At this stage my lungs were my biggest enemy, they had decided they were retired and it was sole destroying to find my legs could continue but my lungs wimped out.
Then we had our annual boot camp at work, I really enjoy that! I need a trainer to keep me motivated, and early in the morning, outdoors with five or six colleagues, great way to really get moving. It was an 8 session boot camp over 4 weeks - I completed exactly half of the sessions, the fourth being a really tough but enjoyable workout. However, next morning I could scarcely move. My foot was sore, but it was doing ok, my knee on the other hand was totally not ok.
As my newly erupting hammer toe was beginning to cause me discomfort I decided to return to my foot surgeon and see what he thought about it and at the same time get his opinion on what I should do with my knee.
So, I took my right foot, my knee, and the rest of me to TxOrtho in Cedar Park. The verdict was, yes, my toe is hammering and sooner or later it would need surgery, when was up to me to decide.
My decision will be based on how long I can tolerate the discomfort .. ok pain .. from the deformity, and also, when my dear husband will be off work long enough to take care of me after surgery - looks like early March is a good time for surgery, that is spring break and I think I can survive as it is till then. The second issue, my knee, resulted in a recommendation to try physical therapy to see if I can strengthen supporting muscles and minimize the knee effect. TxOrtho have a physical therapy department and so I wandered over there to make an appointment. The Universe, always my friend, took charge and I was informed they just had a cancellation and next thing I knew I was working my way through series of exercises designed to strengthen the thigh and hip muscles. I left an hour later with wobbly thigh muscles, a sheaf of papers containing detailed descriptions, fully illustrated, of the exercises I need to do every day and an appointment for two weeks hence to follow up.
The recommendation was interval training, as I had been doing, .25 mile run, .25 mile walk and 20 minutes on a stationary bike, plus the sheaf of exercises. Ready, set, go!
Maybe I can get my knee sorted before the next surgery for my cursed right foot.
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