Unfortunately, on 8/24 I had a fall. A child of mine (may he rest in peace--just kidding...) spilled water on the floor without cleaning it up and I, in all of my barefoot wonder, slipped causing both feet to fly in the air and me to land pretty much directly on the fusion site, cutting my foot up on the way down. I was so devastated when that happened---three months of very hard work in recovery flashed before my eyes. Thankfully Michael was able to come home ASAP and my awesome neighbor saw my frustrated post on Facebook and showed up at my door. She asked if I was "okay" to which I sobbed "noooooooo". When Michael arrived he patched up my foot and my neighbor took me into acute care. My xrays did not show any damage to the rods and screws. I left with three new medications (another point of frustration, before the fall I was down to just using Tylenol during the day and a muscle relaxer at night).
The following Monday was my 3 month appointment. I was still so sore from the fall and was not walking well. Thankfully my surgeon agreed that the xrays showed no damage and that I had probably injured the weak muscles around it and "stirred up" the nerves.
The past two weeks then have been. Well. CRAP. To say the least. I started back at Loras full-time (which is awesome and a great distraction from my pain) but the changes in schedule coupled with the fall has left my right leg screaming at night. My muscle twitches all day long (I believe it's called fasciculations) and then at night, around 7 or 8 p.m. when I lay on my side to get some pressure off of my back for the first time of the day my legs start going into horrible spasms, particularly my right leg. Since this has happened I have tried a slew of natural remedies but my surgeon has increased my muscle relaxer dosage by 3x. What seems to help the most is a "sling" that I've fashioned for my foot that helps prevent it from "falling" into a pointed toe when I lie down. Pointed toes cause calf muscle to constrict which increases the likelihood that I will have a spasm. This helps some, but on the roughest and most exhausting of days it doesn't seem to have too much of an effect.
I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that I am EXHAUSTED of this. I have no regrets for having had the surgery, and I can feel my lower back getting stronger, but after two years of these challenges I feel mentally done. Some days I feel like I am the oldest youngest person I know. I am VERY grateful for friends and family who have found ways to spend time with me knowing my limitations in travel and activity, and my friends and family who have had patient and kind ears as I've gone through what has been the 2nd most difficult emotional and physical journey of my life (the first being the initial diagnostic phases of Noah's chromosome disorder....so a huge kudos to family and friends who have supported and stuck by me through both of these times :-).
I also thank God daily for my job. Teaching gives me a focus and energy in a way that nothing else can, I truly believe that I would be much worse off if the semester had not started. Even though there are many more demands on my body now, the mental lift is something that I desperately needed. I don't take for granted that I have a job that does this for me.
Another bonus is that since the the Great Kitchen Fall of 2013 the kids have been on high alert about cleaning up there messes from the floor. Our youngest boy spilled water the other day and started shouting "Emergency! Emergency!" and ran frantically around the house to find a towel. Similarly my daughter spilled the contents of her taco on the floor and would not let me enter the kitchen claiming "But you fall down, Mommy." So, at least it was a logical lesson learned by all :-)
I will post again after my 6-month post-op appointment in November.
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