Surgery

On Thursday July 22nd, I woke up bright and early and headed for the University of Utah Orthopedic Center with my mother to get this beautiful thing removed from the outside of my left foot

For those of you who don't know what that good looking thing is- it's called a bunionette, not a bunion (bunions are on the inside of the foot). And what is a bunionette one might ask? This wonderful site can tell you. I have had bunionettes on both my feet for as long as I can remember and they have started causing me more pain than ever before this past year so I decided that it's time something be done.

I got to the Orthopedic Center at 8:45am and didn't go into surgery until about noon. Luckily I had 2 episodes of "Say YES to the Dress" (by the way did you know they're starting a new one in Miami as well, it's going to be a little more sassy, I'm excited), "What Not to Wear," and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to keep me occupied while I waited.

They hooked me up to an IV shortly after I got there and got to poke me in both my hands because they said they said they kept hitting a valve in the first hand they tried. That was a lot of fun and now I have awesome bruises on both my hands from IVs. I laid there, hooked up to an IV for 3 hours and then about a 1/2 hour before they took me into to surgery they gave me a nerve block which is an injection they gave me behind my knee that numbed my entire left side from the waist down for about 18 hours. The nerve block was the most painful thing I experienced while awake but it was manageable enough.

Then my doctor and the resident physician (who my mom mentioned to me later was "cute and not wearing a ring"- really, even when I'm about to get put under my mom notices possible prospects for me!? Sometimes I really think she thinks I won't get married or something) took me in for surgery. The surgery itself only lasted a little over an hour but I was in recovery for over an hour and 1/2 because I apparently didn't want to wake up. The first thing I remember was was grabbing at my throat and then they removed my breathing tube. I slept with an oxygen mask for awhile longer and then remember tears coming down my cheeks because I "just wanted to sleep." But then overhearing some of the others in recovery talk with the nurses and the nurses saying how they would rather have a chatty patient in recovery than one that is comatose, I willed myself to start waking up. Because I didn't want to be "that patient" (the crazy things that go on in your head after being under anesthesia). Shortly after, I was dressed and with my mom on our way back home to Midway...

which is where I get to do this. I spend most of my time either in my bed or on the couch with my foot propped up.

I do have some of these things. But crutches not only take away use of your foot but also your hands. I feel extremely useless and can't even get myself a drink from the fridge unless I plan on drinking it right there because I can't move on crutches with a drink in hand. Luckily I have my wonderful parents to wait on my but I feel bad having to ask for every little thing. So soon...

we're getting me one of these "knee walker" scooter things. That way I can at least gain back a little independence and it will be easier to get around once and do things once I'm no longer being "babied" by mommy and daddy. AND, since I'm not supposed to put any pressure on my foot for at least 6 weeks, and by that time teaching will have started up again, I'll be able to get around my school a little easier and have a place to put things which I need to carry.
So yeah, that's my story. I'm doing well, though a little secluded from people since I'm up in Midway. The nerve block kept the pain away for the 1st two days and luckily I haven't had to take too much of the percocet they prescribed me.

Oh, another thing! I get attention from being on crutches and let's be honest... a bunionette removal is not that cool of a thing and therefore I need a more exciting story as to what happened to me. I'm hoping to have enough excuses that I can make up a new story every day and therefore will just keep from telling the real reason. So this is where I need your help: what are some excuses I can say for being on crutches?