Prayer Request: Reconstructive Foot Surgery

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EchoDelta
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I know it's been awhile since I've been here since I spend most of my time prepping for this surgery on My Fitness Pal (Yes even with my weight goals achieved, I've continued to track food and "prime" for my foot surgery).

So it's finally happening. After a year of waiting with numerous setbacks I'm finally scheduled to have reconstructive foot surgery to my right foot this Wednesday, July 24. Now this a copy/paste from a prayer request I posted in a Christian group on My Fitness Pal. It'll explain the reason I need this operation and the risks involved:
This Wednesday, July 24, I will be undergoing reconstructive foot surgery on my right foot. After I was told I'd spend 2 months non-weight bearing needing to use a wheelchair and crutches to get around, I didn't want to be a couch potato. I joined MFP back in February to "prime" myself for the foot surgery. I've known since September of last year that I've needed this operation but it's been postponed twice as well as seeing a total of 8 doctors.

This stems from a work accident I was in many years ago where both of my feet were crushed by a 5000 lb piece of equipment. This resulted in a bilateral lisfranc injuries (midfoot). I've endured countless number of surgeries including bone fusions & skin grafts and it was only after the seventh surgery that my feet were saved from the risk of amputation. However, it didn't stop there because three months later, I developed a bone infection in my right foot because the original skin graft never healed/bonded with my foot. This required another major operation to save my foot yet again from amputation. When the equipment landed on my feet, my right foot settled at an angle thereby having it crushed diagonally. While both feet have never felt normal since, my right foot has always felt much different from my left. Since then, I've endured constant chronic pain and stabbing pains in both feet plus limited walking & standing due to pain as well as needing to wear special shoes and inserts that allow me to walk "normal." I continue to have balance issues with the risk of falling plus I still suffer from PTSD due to "loud sudden noises." In total, I've had 19 operations to my right foot and 14 to my left.

So here's a more background story on the operation I need. Back in 2008, I developed a "bump" at midfoot beside the location of where the bone infection occurred. There is remains a permanent divit in my foot from how the bone infection finally healed. My podiatrist ruled out against another operation because there was too much of a risk that I'd develop another bone infection and risk my foot being amputated. So I accepted this and moved on. Since 2008, this bump would act up causing pain and continued to grow. But eventually after about two weeks, the bump would calm down and I wouldn't feel it. At first the bump was about 1/4-inch in diameter. Last summer, the bump acted up again, but this time the pain didn't go away. In fact, it caused a lot more pain than I was used to. Plus by now the bump was 3/4-inch in diameter and had grown vertically from 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch from the top of my foot. This time, I sought for a second opinion because the pain was too great. X-rays revealed that the bone fusions I originally endured, had failed. This means that the joints never fused to one another resulting in bone grinding against bone with no cartilage in between. As a result I was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis. The MRI revealed the bump to be a large bone spur growing on top of my right midfoot. From what I understand, my body recognized there was a problem and is trying to fix it on its own by growing more bone between the joints. But it doesn't understand that the bone needs to connect horizontally instead of vertically which results in the bones growing upwards. The CT scan not only revealed the bone spur but multiple bone spurs growing to the right of my foot. As of now, I can feel a smaller bone spur that has doubled in size since last summer. The large bone spur can be seen visibly and touched while the smaller bone spur is still small enough to not be seen visibly.

The tests also revealed problems with my right big toe. For years I thought it was fused because I couldn't move it. Plus I would get more acute stabbing pains in the joint below the big toe. X-rays showed another bone spur but with sharper edging resulting in greater pain.

In total, 5 procedures will be performed on Wednesday:

Remove the bone spurs as midfoot
Fuse the bones again
Remove the bone spur below the big toe joint plus shave down the bones in an attempt to provide more movement of the toe
Reduce the high arch in the foot
Install a new skin graft

The operation is 6 hours long. I need to spend 5 days in the hospital as well. Since this is the same location of the bone infection, my plastic surgeon is taking precautions with the skin graft as the new one will have its own blood vessel attached. My hospital stay will be in an 80F heated room. This opens up my blood vessels to allow for adequate blood flow to my right foot.

Upon discharge and barring no complications, I will spend 6 weeks non-weight bearing to my right foot. If all goes well, then I will begin physical therapy and start placing a small amount of weight on my right foot. I've been given 1 to 2 years to make a full recovery. Then my left foot will be addressed.

I've been advised of the risks of this operation with 4 of the 8 doctors telling me I have the risk of losing my foot again should another bone infection occur. Another risk of having this operation is the fact that I am a type-1 diabetic. Although I've never had diabetic complications to my feet, I do have a "slow healing" of cuts. One doctor told me that I will likely get another bone infection. I've gone through the ups and downs of dealing with this reality. Through a great deal of prayer and faith in God, I've accepted the risks and I'm poised to follow through with it.

On February 1, I began exercising to get in shape for the surgery. About 2 weeks later, I joined MFP to track the types of food I ate in addition to keep track of my exercise routines. My exercise routines are all low impact due to the limitations of my feet. I used DDP Yoga plus primarily the use of a Total Gym at home for exercise while maintaining a Paleo food plan. Since August of last year when I began eating Paleo (to help control my diabetes) plus the vigorous exercises I've done, I've lost about 40 pounds. I've met my goal weight so it fluctuates between 2 to 5 pounds monthly. At first I thinned down then began building muscle in my legs and arms and shoulders. I concentrated on my arms and shoulders in order to sustain myself using crutches and a wheelchair during my recovery from surgery. I began riding my mountain bike this past April but the pain from my right foot was too much to handle. So I stopped due to pain. I should note that one year I did train for the STP (Seattle to Portland bike ride) but was forced to stop due to excessive right foot pain. I now understand why.

I've had a lot of setbacks with my right foot since last summer. Since May, I've been on disability from work. This allowed me to remain at home and prepare for the operation with more exercise. Medical retirement plus retraining has been discussed. For now, I am only concentrating on a problem & risk-free operation and speedy recovery. However, from past experience from the original traumatic injury, my recovery will be long and demanding.

I originally planned to deactivate my MFP account after the operation but have since decided to use it to again, but not to prime myself but to aid in my recovery; to ensure I'm eating the right foods due to my diabetes. Then when I can exercise again, to track it on MFP as well.

So I ask for your prayers for Wednesday, to guide both my orthopedic surgeon as well as plastic surgeon's hands to finally "fix" my right foot. As well as to pray that another bone infection does not occur.

In Christ,
Ed
One thing I forgot to mention is the amount of anxiety that's been building since last Tuesday, the day after my 2nd pre-op. Although I'm doing well not thinking too much about the operation, my subconscious is dwelling on it because I've had difficulty sleeping lately. Right now, I get about 4 hours of sleep and it's not continuous. I've begun taking codeine to help with the pain in combination with a sleeping pill in hopes that it keeps me asleep but unfortunately it doesn't. I refuse to "pop more pills."

So I ask for your prayers Wednesday morning PST :) I will keep this thread updated on my progress after surgery. Plus if anyone has suggestions for Android games or Netflix or Hulu movies/TV shows to pre-occupy my time in the hospital, I'm all ears.

Again, in Christ's name,
Ed
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ccgr
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praying, please keep us posted!
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Chozon1
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Praying.

Check out the Angry Beavers, Deep Space Nine, Kick Buttowski, Psych, and, if you're in the mood for mystery, Brother Cadfael. Those shows usually cheer me up. ^_^

Isaiah 50:10

Who among you fears the LORD, listening to the voice of His servant? Who among you walks in the darkness, and has no light? Let Him trust in the name of Yahweh; let him lean on His God.
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EchoDelta
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Hello, I have an update. First and foremost, I'd say thanks for the prayers. Last Wednesday morning, I went into my surgery perfectly calm with no anxiety.

The orthopedic part of the operation went as planned. The bone spurs at midfoot were removed. My first, second, & third metatarsal were fused with the bones at mid foot. From the x-rays, I count at least 16 screws & 3 metal plates. I'll upload a pic eventually :-) Bone from my right big toe joint was removed. As for the high arch, I'm unsure if that was done because I haven't spoken to my orthopedic surgeon yet.

As for the skin graft part, here's what happened. The plastic surgeon team took over after the orthopedic team finished their part. They cut a new "flap" (they don't want me to refer to it as a skin graft) from my right foot. As they placed the flap, it began to die immediately. They placed it back in its original location and set a new operation date for this past Friday. I have a vacuum dressing with 2 tubes drawing blood out from the open wounds. Thursday was very difficult due to pain. It took nearly the entire day to figure out the right combination of meds in addition to a nerve block in my right leg that numbs below my right knee. I'll just say the first set of meds had too many side effects.

During Friday's operation, the flap still wasn't ready for a transfer to a new sight. The plastic surgeon said it wasn't "ripe" yet. The team is trying to prevent the complicated 8-hour operation if this flap fails. So this Wednesday, I return to the operating room with the understanding that it'll be an easy 2 hour operation or the difficult 8 hour type. I've remained in the hospital bed ridden with my right foot elevated since Wednesday. I am doing great but it hasn't been easy due to digestive problems. I can't give a time table how much longer I'll remain in the hospital after Wednesday and all communication may cease for 5 days if the need for the 8 hour operation occurs.

I ask for your continued prayers. Like I said I remain happy. One thing I vowed was not to give the nursing staff a hard time as I've personally witnessed patients treat them bad. I am in the Burns and Plastics unit. It is specialized and the nursing staff has been great with a better response time.

Again thank you. Hopefully I can provide an update on Thursday.
-Ed
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Still praying. ^_^ Awesome about the first surgery!
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ditto on what chozon1 said
EchoDelta
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Hi again!

Ed here. I have a brief update. Last Wednesday's operation went fine but it was a 6-hour complicated operation called a "free flap." After 17 days I am finally being discharged tomorrow. This weekend, I will provide a lengthier post including pictures using a full length keyboard and mouse. I'm just limited typing using only my smartphone. Again thanks again for the prayers. Being in God's Hands helped for successful surgeries.
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Sorry it took so long but I'm sure it'll be worth it, glad you're getting discharged! Praying for a speedy recovery.
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Sweet!
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EchoDelta
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Hi there, Ed here and as usual I am late providing an update. Since Friday night, I've been at home recovering. Whew, I can't say it's been easy which is the reason my update is a little later. It seems like being in the hospital for 2+weeks made everything easy. I do love being back home but it's been a shock having to do everything myself. You know when I was in the original accident, that was hard and I am having difficulty trying to remember how I managed the first time.

Anyways, I hope these pictures do not upset anyone concerning some being too graphic.

Here are 2 pictures of how my foot looked prior to the new set of surgeries. Yes there is a large & painful bone spur there. Plus it also shows remnants of the bone infection I had previously:

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Here are 2 x-rays after the first operation. This is more of the orthopedic part that fused the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd metatarsals to cuneiforms. Again, 3 metal plates and at least 18 screws but sometimes I count 20, lol.

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All that black ...

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My plastic surgeon said a basic split-thickness skin graft will not adhere to the new metal in my foot. We had to wait for the first flap attempt to be healthy. In the meantime, vacuum dressings were used to drain excess blood from the two open wounds in my foot. These remained attached to my feet for about a week while we waited for the new flap to get healthy:

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Yes I know that looks absolutely painful :o A nerve block completely eliminated the pain.

On Wednesday, July 31, I had my final operation. The new flap was not enough to cover the 2 open wounds. As a result, a free flap was used. This involved taking the gracilis muscle from my upper right leg to cover the open wounds as well as the metal. Then skin tissue was taken again from my upper right leg to cover the muscle. All blood vessels and arteries from the muscle & new skin were connected to my foot to ensure they will live. Two microphones were installed in my foot in order to listen to the blood vessels to ensure they continued to pump blood.

This picture was taken on August 6, six days after my final operation:

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Yes that is the new "lump" over my foot. I jokingly refer to it as an "A.L.F." If anyone remembers or watched the TV show ALF from the 80s, it refers to "Alien Life Form." That's what I call this massive lump that has now replaced the bone spur. My plastic surgeon says the ALF will eventually shrink as the muscle atrophies & the swelling goes down.

After the final operation, the nerve block was removed. That's when the pain really set in. I'll be honest, it's been painful since then. Unfortunately, I remain doped up taking a high amount of oxycodone to help with the pain. Here's a picture of me in a wheelchair with my right foot partially lowered due to the blood rush.

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BTW, I lost about 10 more pounds in the hospital. I'm sort of bony now. I primarily lost the muscle mass I gained while preparing for the surgery. I have exercised some at home and actually lifted weights on Monday. This proved to be a huge mistake. Although I protected my right foot, the blood rush swelled up my foot. Plus, the blood rush also seeped through the new free flap. Skin is porous ... it was not pretty. I have pics of that but won't post them :)

I'll continue to keep this thread updated and will provide new pictures of how my foot looks periodically. The free flap needs to be cleaned daily and I usually take pictures.

Thanks for reading. Again, I thank you for the prayers. Like the original accident, this will be a long recovery. Even when the swelling reduced, I'll need to be fitted with a new custom shoe. I've been told that could occur in 3 to 6 months. A return to work date has not even been discussed. I really hope I am medically retired but I doubt that will happen.
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praying for a quick recovery and healing!
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I hope the rest of your recovery goes smoothly!
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Amigo, that looks all kinds of painful. O_o For what it may be worth to you, I think you're doing great just being home and doing what you're doing; I would've wanted to stay in the hospital longer. :D Let alone try lifting weights.

Still praying, and I hope your recovery goes smoothly.
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EchoDelta
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Hello again,

I know I'm late with this one. It's been about 8 months since I've provided an update. I'm now 9 months post-op since reconstructive surgery to my right foot that occurred last July. Each day I have worked diligently on strengthening my right foot and leg. I had 6 months of physical therapy. Unfortunately, I still have foot pain as well as swelling. My doctor says, the foot is "healed," but the pain and swelling will remain for years to come.

Here's a picture of an x-ray, how my right foot looked prior to the surgery and how it looks now:

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So, I have another prayer request and I do promise to keep with regular updates this time ... This Wednesday, 4/23, I'm having reconstructive foot surgery to my left foot. In February I had the foot examined and my doctor said and I quote, "Your left is worse than your right." Most of it is similar to the issues with my right, but more complex as well. Wednesday's surgery will include reducing the high arch, moving the 4th and 5th toe so they're not on top of each other, bone fusions, moving the heel slightly to the left, cutting tendons, and another free flap procedure (skin graft). The free flap is where the outer most muscle on my inner thigh (gracilis muscle) is transferred to the open wounds on the foot then new skin is placed over the muscle.

The surgery will be a minimum of 10 to 12 hours and a 10 to 20-day stay in the hospital. I'll be non weight bearing for 2 to 3 months and the recovery time is 1 to 2 years.

So I ask for your prayers. One, to guide these surgeons hands as well as to minimize problems. Last summer's surgeries were originally supposed to be 1 long operation but turned into 3 over 7 days. Two, to help deal with the pain immediately after the surgery. Thankfully, I may get a nerve block which numbs below the knee but only lasts a few days. Three, for my recovery. As I said, I'm not fully healed from the surgeries to my right foot. I don't think I mentioned this before. I'm a Type 1 diabetic (insulin dependent). Although my blood sugars are under control, diabetes can impact the feet which may slow the healing time or complicate it. The diabetes occurred as the result of the crush injury: stress.

Please pray that everything goes smoothly. I'll post a picture of how my left foot currently looks tomorrow. Need to upload them first.

Thanks,
Ed
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Thanks for the update, praying for wisdom for the doctors and a quick and reasonably pain free recovery
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