The homemade crutch bag

Making the crutch bags

Things needed:

Fabric scissors

Needle/thread or sewing machine (I don’t own a sewing machine, sadly)

Fabric, preferably a thicker one like flannel or fleece ($4)

Sew-on velcro strips, 3 ft x ¾ in ($2)

Measuring tape or ruler

I also had a cheese quesadilla while I made this but that’s not mandatory.

To make:

I got a pretty dark purple fleece that matches a lot of my wardrobe, and black Velcro for the straps. The gap between my crutches’ two poles is 4 inches, and the space from the handle to where the poles join is about eleven inches, but my bag will only go to about nine inches. So I’ll cut a 5 x 20 piece of fabric (lengthwise so that the bottom of the bag doesn’t have stitching holding it together). For a smaller front pocket I cut a five by six square.

I flipped the fabric so it is inside out, sewed it up, sewed the bottom of the small pocket, and then muscle-sewed the Velcro on- four pieces paired off for the straps, and a small square inside the top pocket so that one closes. Later I added a velcro strap around the bag near the bottom to keep it from flapping around while I'm in movement.

And then I still had a ton of fabric so I made the armpit- bits up there by measuring the length and how far over it I wanted the fabric to go, sewing it up and putting it on. And then I made a second of those too. But I haven't technically finished it so there's no photo.

Things I've Bought For Recovery

I'm a little frustrated today, it hit a little how long this is going to take to heal (over a month in, and after six months on crutches already. I don't know. This is just how I think). I was trying to do my exercises this morning- moving my foot up and down, and moving it in little circles- and I couldn't get it to do either of them, it just sort of hung there from my leg, occasionally twitching hopefully. Plus apparently the cut went further than I was aware because I found a faint line of scarring along the side of my foot that completely explains why the skin there is tender. Anyway.

I was reading through some other blogs and several list things they've bought or done to make things easier during recovery from various versions of peroneal tendon surgery, so I'm going to share with you a list of things I have purchased for this.

My walking boot. This wasn't so much a purchase as a prescription, but I've developed a deep emotional attachment to its stability and padding, and most importantly the little air puff ball that can incread the amount of padding (and is fun to play with). My ankle swelling has decreased somewhat while back in the boot and is very comfortable, and when the doctor tells me I can start walking this is the boot I will be doing it in for a few weeks.

Dual showerhead thing, where one is removable and you can switch the water flow to one or the other. I used the removable showerhead when I was in the cast so I could really control the water flow. Now that I'm out of the cast and physically completely in the shower again I don't have to worry about it and can use the normal showerhead. I plan on taking this with me when I move out of my apartment.

The incredible shower stool. I got this before my surgery when I didn't feel like putting weight on my sad, crippled foot on a slick smooth tub floor, and I've continued to use it during being in a cast and especially now that my foot is unprotected in the shower.

10-cent trashbag and $2 duct tape (and the shower curtain) was all that was between wonderful shower water and my non-waterproof cast for the last month. I did purchase one of those rubber cast booties, however I have chunky legs and even my atrophied calf was still too wide- it ripped the second time I used it, proving that sometimes the simple solutions are the best. Even if ripping duct tape off skin hurts, this concoction never once leaked.

And as far as entertainment, I already had Netflix, and I bought a big puzzle that I haven't had the table space to do yet. However the most important thing to have wasn't a thing at all- having someone around to help, especially when it comes to things like getting laundry done and groceries. In my case, it was having first my mom, and then my dad staying with me to do most of the work until I could do it again.

Graphic scar photos

After two good washings I've decided to post photos of the scar/all of my foot after all. It's kind of nasty but not the worst thing on the internet, so if discolored swollen feet or scars are not your thing, don't look. If you do then go ahead.

The scar's longer than the usual because the whole tendon had to be examined- I messed that sucker up. The surgery (29 days ago, to recap), ultimately involved deepening the groove the tendons sit in, fixing a tear, and two grafts onto frayed parts. Below, a closeup:

Not sure why the sutures left such distinct marks. The wrinkly look to my skin is from the Ace bandage wrap, my skin is not naturally like that.

And below, I model my trusty walking boot (with the amazing velcro-ended Ace wrap underneath it), which does still have the hospital sticker on the side. I'm very happy to wear pants again.

So there. Pain is minimal, and skin healing is going about average. The swelling was down a little today, which is probably a good sign. In a month when I'm supposed to start walking again I should be as good as new!

Also- I went back through my blog and added photos, such as of my doctor, my assortment of various casts, etc., so please go see!

Post Op Appointment 2

First, I'd like to thank the City of Albuquerque for having handicap-accessible port-a-potties at their annual fireworks display at the Balloon Fiesta Field on Sunday. That made my afternoon much, much nicer. And I'd also like to thank WalMart for selling surprisingly nice lawnchairs for $10, because I sat in one for six hours straight and was not at all uncomfortable. And thank you to all the people who walk up to me and tell me about their surgeries and large scars in public, in stores, in general, I like a good story. Below is me, along with a friend, hanging out at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta field on the 4th until the fireworks that night.

And now, to business-

Today was my second post-surgery appointment. It was surprisingly brief- the green cast was taken off and I didn't actually pass out this time, which was a nice change. If I had any inclination towards graphic injury photos I would show you my foot, however that's probably better left alone for a few more weeks until it's scarred over. My foot's still incredibly swollen and very bruised (I bruise easily), and the healing incision is probably five inches long- from a little way above my ankle to almost the bottom of my foot. It will look very cool in a few months.

The sutures got removed as well. Getting the sutures out was kind of painful because of the snipping, which pulled on my very abused skin, however it was over pretty quickly and my second and final cast was put on. I had mentioned the irritated skin spot near my toes to the doctor, but there wasn't any redness anywhere around that problem zone so we chalked it up to the bandages.

Something important I need to add is that my calf has been hurting this last week or so, off and on, mostly after I do something physical. Dad insists it's my calf muscle trying to not wither away, however my doctor made his Serious Face and said that if it started hurting consistently to immediately call him because I may develop a blood clot from inactivity (which is why long periods of inactivity are frowned upon, and they tell you to move your limbs around every hour or so). At the moment I don't think I have one, and I think it really is my calf rioting when I do activities that require its use, however blot clots are not to be taken lightly so I will be keeping an eye on that.

My next appointment is on the 16th, in 10 days, and I will be getting the cast off and be put back in my boot, with very light therapeutic exercises to help that foot learn to walk again. At the moment I can only bend three of my toes and move my foot about a centimeter without help (I had to at the doctor's), so there's quite a bit of work to do still.

So unless I find something to talk about before then, I'll see you next weekend.

The surgery

I probably should have written this days ago, however it wasn't until today that I started feeling human again. So here it is now- the surgery, and the first few days afterward until now.

Surgery day/Friday:

My surgery was scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and my check in time was 6 a.m. The nurses put me into the preparation room, had me pee in a cup (possibly men don't have to do this, I'm pretty sure it was a last-minute pregnancy test), strip down, put on a gown, and then they stuck a needle in me to pump hydrating fluids so I wouldn't be dehydrated during surgery. If you haven't had surgery before, the IV is normally put into the back of the hand. However my blood veins weren't popping up enough so they had to put mine in my arm in the area blood is normally drawn from (I don't know the name of it). This was all about 45 minutes before my surgery.

My podiatric surgeon/podiatrist at Lovelace Women's Hospital. I liked having my actual doctor do the procedure.

The anestheticist came in to make sure of the level I wanted to be drugged to ( I didn't want to remember a thing, and he made it so), and then my surgeon came in to make sure which ankle the surgery is on, and that I knew of the procedures that were going to be done, and then about 7:15 the nurses wheeled the bed I was in into the surgery unit, into a little room, where the last thing I remember is the anestheticist telling me he was starting the anesthesia.

Immediately post surgery:

I woke up around 10 a.m., had a few small semi-conscious panic attacks so the nurse standing there had to keep calming me down, and then my parents were brought in once the shaking was under control- I wish I'd received more of a warning the anesthesia would make me shake, because it was alarming and kind of annoying. During the next hour or so I didn't really pay attention to or care what anyone was saying because I was in intense, agonizing pain and the quick-relief drugs they kept shooting me with never did start working (they probably do for normal people. I have strange reactions to medicines related to pain relief in that they either make me really high and work too well or never take effect at all). If I hadn't already known how to use crutches I would have been taught then, however since I do that lesson was skipped. Eventually they gave me one of my Vicodin and once that kicked in (because that is a drug that works too well on me) they got me into the backseat of the car

and somehow got me back to my apartment.

The cast I have is big and shapeless and bulky, and it feels like it weights at least twenty pounds- it's much heavier than my big boot had been, and it is not to get wet or be walked on. I drew a smiley face on it while I was drugged over the weekend.

Me, drugged. Can you tell?

Rest of surgery day:

The trick is to throw up as quickly as you can without forcing it, because that will get most of the anesthesia out. I almost immediately feel better from that alone. The agonizing pain continued, and I just had to suffer through it and take my medicines regularly. I highly recommend sleeping as much as possible because you will not sleep very well at night and won't be good for anything else anyway. I didn't eat most of the day because of the nausea, but that night my parents had Chili's To Go for dinner and I ate their fries without any problems. Also, the IV left huge bruises on my arm that even four days later are still very purple and angry-looking.

Post-Op Day 1/Saturday:

Roughly the same as surgery day in that it's a strong general pain that went all the way up to my hip, but the skin where the sutures are hurt a lot as well. More sleeping. I was a little more confident in my ability to successfully eat and digest regular food, and did. By this point I had claimed the couch as my own and pretty much did not move from it.

Day 2/Sunday:

Bone pain on Sunday, and focused more on the general area of the ankle rather than my whole leg. Still very consistant on taking all of my medicine as soon as I could, and still didn't sleep well. By this point I had also figured out how to go to the bathroom by myself on one leg, and with the aid of a trashbag, duct tape, and lots of towels I managed to take a shower as well without getting the cast wet or maiming myself in an exciting new way.

Day 3/Monday:

I almost felt human again. The chief problem was having to keep my leg elevated- if I had it down too much, I could feel my ankle swell up and there would be a lot of pressure in the cast. However if I kept it elevated it would be fine and there wouldn't be much pain at all.

Day 4/Tuesday/Today:

I finally feel human in that pain is minimal- moderate at worst- I slept a lot better than the last several days, and don't have to nap every few hours anymore. Actually, I spent almost three hours this morning working on classwork for my online class, and just sat on my desk chair like a normal human for half an hour without my casted ankle swelling up. I suppose the problem at this point will be not getting restless.

I have my first post-surgery doctor appointment on Friday, so I'll be back with a new post around then sometime.