Thursday, May 24th was one month since my gastric bypass surgery. I’ve lost 35 pounds. I’m eating way less than before surgery which is to be expected. So far, I’ve not experienced any sickness.
The doctor has taken me off of all my insulin and put me on mounjuro. (Sp) It’s a once per week injection of 2.5 mg for 4 weeks. I’m not sure if they’re going to up the dosage after that or not.
If I’m still in my boot and not in a cast, I’m planning on going to Summer camp with the Boy Scouts. There is no way I can hobble around the campgrounds in this boot so I’ve purchased a used mobility scooter. I had to drive 3.5 hours one-way to get it. I just couldn’t pass up the good deal. I’ll find other uses for it I’m sure.
I’m sure I’m not the only one to have to go through the experience of trying to walk in one of these Crow Boots but let me tell you, it’s not for the weak. I drove myself to a men’s Bible study this morning. I walked to my truck, took the boot off and put on a tennis shoe. Once at the church I replaced the shoe with the boot. With the cane in hand, I walked to the outdoor pavilion where the Bible study was held. I made it fine but this low iron condition I have didn’t make it any easier. I had visions of doing a lot of different things once I was able to walk but I’m just so fatigued. Hopefully I’ll get an iron infusion next week. That should help with the tiredness.
My boot is made of hard plastic with foam inside. It’s made of two pieces. My foot goes into the main bottom piece and the top layer snaps in place and is held together with three Velcro straps. I’m told that I have to wear it all day with the exception of taking a shower and sleeping. Should I be driving? Probably not, but, I’ve had it with my wife’s driving.
I’m really not sure just how long I’ll be in this boot but from what the doctor said I could be in this boot at least 14 months. It’s not bad considering I could be dealing with an amputated foot.
I’ve had neuropathy in both of my feet for several years. I can stump my toe and never know it. It is a blessing and a curse. I’ve had blisters on my toes and feet so bad that it would take months to heal. The bad part is that I never knew I had these blisters until it was too late. I have tried to check my feet several times a day since then. I wasn’t too surprised when they told me that I had broken a bone in my foot as well as having several fractures on the top of my foot. The scary part is that I don’t know how I did it.
Two weeks ago, I woke up to get ready to go to church and noticed my right foot had swelled badly. I first thought of gout. I treated my foot for gout for a couple of days and when it didn’t get any better, I made an appointment to see a doctor.
The doctor took X-rays and took bloodwork. The doctor told me that I had osteomyelitis, an infection in the bones of my foot, and that I needed to go straight to the ER. Fortunately, I live on the way to my hospital, so I stopped and packed a bag grabbed my wife, and went to the ER. Nine hours later I was finally seen by a doctor. A CAT scan and more bloodwork were performed. I was seen by no less than five different doctors, and all speculated the same thing. It all depended on a scheduled MRI that didn’t happen for another two days. Yes, I was finally admitted and had to wait until an MRI was performed.
I had an orthopedic surgeon come see me and he was the only one who offered another scenario. All the other doctors were saying the only way to stop the infection was to amputate my leg. The orthopedic surgeon suggested that I had Charcot Midfoot, a rare occurrence that diabetics with severe neuropathy can get. Basically, it makes your bones brittle and if not treated can cause amputation of a limb or two. If the MRI showed infection that would mean several months of heavy antibiotics with the possibility of amputation of my foot to start off with. If the MRI showed no infection, my foot would be put in a splint and I could go home and schedule an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon for follow-up appointments.
At approximately 11 am I was wheeled off for my MRI. At approximately 2 pm I was told that there was no infection, and I was cleared to go home once my foot was put in a brace. At that time I was told that transport had been called and should be there within the hour. At 8:15 pm the transport finally arrived but not after my daughter called the hospital and complained.
Once home there had to be several changes. A knee scooter, a shower stool, and a toilet rail had to be ordered to make my life a little easier. I’ll be laid up for at least six weeks, maybe longer. I’ve called and left a message with one of the doctors. Hopefully, they’ll call me tomorrow to set up a follow-up appointment. I’ve also got several other doctors to call tomorrow to reschedule appointments. Oh, one other thing. I live in a house with stairs leading to my living area. I’ll have to call the fire department to get me in and out of my house. This should be fun.
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