Madison Sanders Writes

Today I am three weeks post-op. I am honestly happy that I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday so I can get out of the house. I tried to go to church on Sunday night, making sure to elevate my leg in the car and in the service. It was hard to restrain myself during the worship. My wheelchair was rocking - literally. Even though the brakes were on. I was so happy to be back for a service! I had to say to myself, "Madison, you have GOT to calm down." So, clapping in a restrained manner would have to suffice for the evening. Everything went well until about 5:30 a.m. My left leg was throbbing and the medication was taken to no avail. I woke my mom up and iced it for a little over forty minutes. Finally, sweet relief. But, this was coupled with frustration and disappointment that I wasn't quite ready to be doing much...even if that something was just a little something in the grand scheme of things. Couple these feelings with an overdose of Food Network's "

It's been two weeks since my surgery, and I'm doing good. My doctor is pleased so I am very happy that things are healing well and there are no signs of infection. I have four more weeks of no weight bearing on my left foot.  I thought I would share some pictures my mom took on my doctor's appointment on Wednesday. WARNING: If you have a squeamish stomach, you will probably want to stop reading now.  I'm sharing these images in the hopes of showing every side of my recovery. It's raw, real, and unedited. The yellow color on my feet and toes is the cleaning solution used on my wounds when I go to the doctor. I am limited to sponge baths right now because the cast can't get wet. This last picture shows two small incisions on my heel where the Achilles tendon was lengthened. 

Well, it's been eight days since I've had a fusion of the metatarsal joint of my left big toe and lengthening of my Achilles tendon. It was done on September 27, 2013. This is my sixth major surgery, not including a biopsy I had done. You can find out more about my surgeries here . I've had lots of surgeries, just never any on my feet. This is uncharted territory for me, but I am up for the challenge because I want to be able to walk again and not have to use the wheelchair as I've said in previous posts. I'm doing pretty well. I just can't put any weight on my left foot for six weeks. The first two nights home were rough because I am used to transferring from my bed to my wheelchair with no help. Since my left leg must be elevated, my mom has had to help me more. That has been an adjustment. :) The first post-op visit with my doctor showed that my foot looked great. I usually have never taken many pictures before or after my surgeries as I have gotten ol