Week 20

Hi all! Sorry for not updating sooner, it feels like it was just yesterday that I last posted.

With that said, it's update time!!

Here are some questions I've received via email that I thought I'd list & answer:

How do you feel physically? Pretty good! Better than I thought I would at this point, actually. 

Are you in pain? No, it's more of a tired ache/soreness at the end of an active day.

Can you run? I can! I started up on badminton again just this week and played very comfortably even though I felt like my heart was gonna explode lol! Months of taking it easy will do this to you.

Can you bend your toe? I can with my hand but not much on it's own. It bends as much as it did back at week 14.

Does your cut hurt? Not really, it stings lightly sometimes but it's probably because the scar away sheet is so sticky, it sticks to the skin so it doesn't let it move like it should. BONUS: Everyone thinks the sheet is a band-aid so they extra stay away from my feet haha!

What shoes are you wearing? I made the switch to very cushy comfy flats, both open and closed toe. The closed toe fit comfortably but I do feel more tired on the days that I wear them. Because of this, I haven't bothered with heels. It would be too tiring.

How's the swelling? There is still some if I walk around a lot. I just take off my shoes for a while if they start feeling tight. It doesn't last very long. 

Are you limping? Yes, if I'm tired I walk with an obvious limp lol

Have you bumped your foot/toe? Yes. I slammed my toe into the corner of the couch a couple of weeks ago. It hurt but no more than if it had been any other toe.

Did you ever bump it while wearing the fixator? No.

Did you get an infection? No but this is not common. Most people get minor infections that clear up quickly with antibiotics. I have absolutely no clue why I didn't; everyone is different. 

How is your toe nail growth? It's normal which was unexpected. The nail bed stretched with the rest of the toe and now it looks like a good ol' normal toe nail :D

Are you still using the bone stimulator? Yes. I'll use it 'til it dies I guess!

On to the pictures!

Closed toe cushy flats! Very comfy :)

Scar Away Week 10 :)

I'm feeling great emotionally too. I'm really happy with my results and sometimes forget that I got it done. It goes both ways: sometimes I forget my foot is normal now and sometimes I forget I ever had brachy. A good friend of mine threw a pool party recently and while I didn't hesitate to take off my flip flops and get in the pool, I could not help but think about the strangeness of the situation. NEVER in my life did I think I would actually be able to do that but as I sat there with a my group of friends on the pool edge with my feet in the water, I thought to myself "this isn't that different from before". In other words, I guess I had some glamorized view of what it would be like to not have brachy, but really my life was already great all along.  I'm exactly the same person and my friends are the exactly the same great people. Even with brachy, I accomplished a lot. The reality is that brachy didn't hold me back as much as I recently thought it did. If anything, it taught me to be resourceful and problem-solvy. Flip flops and barefoot walking are cool but I can't say that I didn't have a great life before surgery. With THAT said, I'm still very glad I did it. I know I probably sound completely mental to anyone but brachyfolk (and even then lol). I hope this made sense & I'll try to tone down the crazy next time ;)

Thanks for following & have a wonderful week!