On Pins and Needles

(This is a continuation of the tale that began with the previous entry:')

'It's been a very long six more weeks of winter'

After getting the stitches out, I was told that I could now walk w/out the crutches, but ONLY if I was wearing the boot at the time, and only on the heel.
I figured even walking on my right heel while wearing the boot HAD to be better than using crutches. I had been looking forward to that moment for a long time - being able to put my crutches away! Well, like a lot of things in life, what is promised is not always what is delivered.

When we arrived home from the clinic that Friday, I was all excited to start taking my first steps w/out the crutches - at this stage, I had been using the crutches for five weeks.

I took my first tentative steps on my heel, and immediately felt something in the top of my foot, something slightly painful.
This immediately brought back to mind a stern warning I had received at the Clinic that day, supposedly people at this stage attempt to walk w/out the boot - and end up bending their pins (and bones) which prolongs their recovery time - and postpones when the pins can be removed.

Since I did not want to risk even the slightest possibility of bending my pins - I reluctantly cut my experiment short - and went back to the crutches.
To say I was disappointed would be a major understatement, I had been looking forward to walking w/out crutches for weeks - and now I was terrified to do so.

I was able to change my lifestyle slightly though - I decided to return to work 2-3 days a week while on crutches - as a way of proving to myself that things were getting better, that things HAD changed (even slightly) after all.

The next two weeks passed pretty uneventfully, my Dad offered to drive me to work on the days I would be in the office, which meant Julie only had to pick me up in the evening. This worked out very well for us - and was VERY much appreciated.

As the day came closer to get the pins out, I started asking around to try to gauge what sort of experience I would be in for. If you are wondering the same - I will be pulling no punches in my upcoming description....

My boss at work told me at one time he had pins in his hand, and that when they were removed, he was given a pain killer and the pins we removed w/out any pain at all.

Speaking of the pins, at one point I was under the mistaken impression that they went along side the bones - sorta like a splint, but the surgeon set me straight - the pins had been bored INTO my bones - right down the middle.
That made me all the more glad I had been completely out of it during that procedure. In all honesty - I wish their removal could have been done similar to their insertion - with my out of it, but I knew that was impractical.

The night before the appointment to get my foot XRAYed in anticipation of being able to remove the pins (it had to look good on the XRAY first - before they would come out) I was worrying myself sick - but somehow managed to sleep.

This appointment, unlike me previous ones, was in the middle of the afternoon, so I had the entire morning to continue worrying about it...

Of course, the Clinic was very busy that afternoon, so I had plenty more time on arrival to continue my worrying about what was to come. Finally - it was time to head for the XRAYs - and then some more waiting and more worrying.

At this point I was worried that the XRAYs would show that the bones had not healed enough to remove the pins, and I was also worried that they HAD healed enough - a "lose / lose situation" in my worried mind.

Finally, the surgeon whom I had not seen since the sugery comes into the exam room wielding a small silver pair of pliers - and asked me if I was ready to get the pins out.

*Ulp!*

I was relived that the XRAYs showed they could come out - but seeing the pliers also terrified me.

Luckily Julie was there - so I was able to hold her hand while the surgeon went to work on my foot - merely removing the cover on one of the pins, and a makeshift band-aid cover from the one where I had lost the rubber cover.

At this point I resolved NOT to watch and gripped Julie's hand - and the surgeon went to work on the first pin. I could lie and say that it slid out of my toe like a greased pig - but sadly, it did not. It took some CONSIDERABLE tugging to and I assume twisting to get the first pin out - and boy did it HURT!

I was very much relived when the first one came out, and it did not remove my toe in the process.

And then the second pin... this one gave him trouble - and by that I mean it gave ME trouble - in the form of pain!

After what seemed like hours (probably less than a minute) it was done - the second pin was out.
I actually amazed myself by not passing out - although by the way I was hyperventinlating, I was definitely trying...

My toe tips were bleeding where the pins had been - so he applied some gauzed to them and bundled my foot back up in ace bandages.

I asked to keep the pins as souveniors, something I had planned all a long. With a smile, he told me I could now walk in shoes - at least when my foot would actually fit in one.

When we left the Clinic I was still wearing the boot, but I was walking on it - and not on the heel - but really walking for the first time in seven weeks!
That would truly be end of the road for my crutches, I am happy to stay I have not used them since, and hopefully, I'll never be on crutches again in my life.

(Here I am showing how long the pins are by holding them up against a short metal rule)

One of the pins is approximately 3" long, and the other is 3 1/2 " long.
About 1/4" of each pin protruded from the tip of my toes - which left the remainder buried inside my foot.

To see roughly just how deep into my foot these pins were, I tried laying them on top of my foot, but they kept rolling off. So I used the handy man's secret weapon to hold them in place for the following picture.

As you can see - those pins went considerably past the visible portion of my toes - deep into the underlying bones.
You can also see the scar above the #4 toe that required the serious surgery.

As I write this, I am now beginning my third week of walking w/out the crutches, and my second week of being at the office full time - and driving myself to get there :-)

I still park in the handicap section since it is the closest to the doors, my temporary placard is good until May, although I doubt I'll use it that long. But at the rate my foot swelling is not going down, who knows - maybe I will.

My final (?) appointment is in a couple of days, this will be for physical therapy. I have no idea what they intend for me to accomplish there - since I am already walking with only a slight limp.
Maybe they will bend my toes - which sadly, I have not been able to bend since their pins were removed.
I am positive they will loosen up with time - and even if they don't they support my weight while walking, and quite frankly - that is good enough for me.

Well, this saga is hopefully almost over - at least the physical portion.
I was very relieved to learn last week that we had been found NOT at fault - which I had suspected all along - due to our light being green - and the other driver's insurance company had accepted liability - in their words.

To this day, it is still a mystery to us what exactly happened - but you can bet we'll never drive through another intersection w/out thinking back just a little bit - at what happened that January evening...