It has been almost 11 months since my last surgery. I would like to say that everything is going wonderfully, but when you have had so many problems over such a long period you start to question yourself.
I still have some numbness and tingling feelings in my legs. I can poke and touch them, but if my Fiance rubs his foot on certain spots on my legs I just can't stand it. It's an indescribable feeling. It's almost as if I cannot feel it, and at the same time, it's like he is tickling me, or pushing really hard- all at the same time. Weird.
I wear compression socks every day. I have 2 pairs of medical ones, and about ten pairs of Smartwool PhD compression socks. They both have pros and cons. I like the Smartwool ones because they help to wick away moisture, while the nylon ones make my feet sweat and stink. The medical ones are a bit tighter, and work very well in the summer because I can wear open-toe sandals. But I am very picky about what sandals I buy now because there has to be a band that goes across the front of the foot that is thick enough where the sock can end underneath it. That way it doesn't look as weird, or so I tell myself. I still have people kind of stare at me because they cannot figure out if I am wearing nylons or not. And usually I just explain the socks, and they are very relieved because they did not want to ask about it, but you can obviously see them staring. The only person who has come right out and asked me is my future mother in law. One day as I was standing in her kitchen, she turned to me and said something like 'what is up with your nylons?' It doesn't really bother me because I know that they do help a lot. I can notice a difference in the way my legs feel after a day of wearing them versus not. And when I do any kind of intense workout, like Insanity, I cannot workout without them on. But if I am just doing the elliptical, I am just fine in regular socks. However, I have become a fan of diabetic athletic socks. All other socks seem to be too tight at the top, even my everyday Smartwool socks are too tight if I leave them up. I have to fold them halfway down. I have heard that there might be some companies that are starting to make cute designs for the compression socks, but for now I just have plain colors.
Working out has not been a top priority of mine for more than two years now. I'm not sure if I am just afraid to jump back on the horse, or if I begin a normal regime the symptoms will begin to flood back. I still have pain in my legs, sometimes for no reason at all. And my feet like to go to sleep quite frequently. I have learned that I should not cross my legs, the angle of my thighs cannot be too tight to my torso, athletic shoes often cause pressures, and I often have to change positions when in a chair or car for any length of time. Don't get me wrong, the numbness and falling asleep is not as in depth or frequent as it was before my popliteal entrapment release, but it is still plenty of cause for caution.
I now live in Minnesota, and am not associated with the UW Health system in Madison, so the thought of making a quick appointment with Dr. Turnipseed to check things out is out of the question. Where would you even begin? For now these are just thoughts in my mind. Will I live with these feelings in my legs for the rest of my life? Are these the feelings of post surgery, or are they the initial feelings of yet another round of incisions? Only time will tell.
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