a "new" pain management technique....NOT

[ERvet]

Hey, folks, been lurking again for a bit. Busy at work, etc. Harrison knows a small part of the story, which was an annoying stress fracture in my 5th metatarsal. Well, 8 weeks after its discovery, there I was, minding my OWN business.....when I heard a distinctive SNAP. OK, I stepped back on my foot with no protection.....not even shoes. BUT in my defense, it had been 8 weeks, there was evidence of healing on rads two weeks prior.....still, there was that SNAP. yep, snapped that dang think in two. In JUST the wrong place! Literally ANYwhere else along that bone would have been nothing. But (as I have learned) the proximal 5th metatarsal area does not like to heal.

SO, have surgery scheduled for Monday to install some hardware. Lucky me. And I've been on crutches (which should be BANNED from the world....in favor of levitation) for the past week. And still working (oh, dopey me) until surgery on Monday. Then a mandatory 2 weeks (well, 12 days) off. Then 6 more weeks of winter, er, I mean crutches. And then probably a few more weeks of crutches. I should be certifiable by then!

But it has taken my mind off my back. Hence the subject title. Though not likely recommended by 9 out of 10 pain management docs.

I'm just sayin'....

With tongue firmly in cheek.
Susan/ERvet (not doing this) (doing this) (and this)

[Harrison]

If it's not one thing, it's your mother!

Sue, maybe there is a silver lining: being on the crutches provides a teensy bit of decompression for your back, and laying down recooping may do the same.

If you get bored during your recovery, come back and catch us up on your latest adventures. And good luck with your procedure (tell us more when you can).

PS: Don't forget to get snowtires for your crutches. And Yaktrax for your feet!

[ERvet]

Well, I'm not exactly lying down, never was one to do that for long! AAhhh, adventure. Yep, that's what it was. Spent a bit more than 2 hours under anesthesia. The compression screw originally planned (for placement down the long axis of the bone, to reduce the fracture) did NOT work, apparently. It displaced the fracture more. SO, they tried to extract the screw and couldn't get it out by just unscrewing it. They sent out to Home Depot or Lowe's or somewhere (probably just down the hall to central supply...) for a screw extractor. Got the dang thing out, and put a plate on instead, with a "perfect" outcome.

So now I've got a plate (salad or dessert, not dinner, too small for a dinner plate) and 4 screws in the 5th metatarsal of my right foot. And spending some time in front of the TV, watching whatever. The crutches are still the bane of my existence. And they whole situation is actually causing my back and radicular pain to flare a bit. The Toradol I'm taking post-op is probable keeping that somewhat at bay. Gonna try and post a pre-op and post-op cell phone pic of the fracture and the plated fracture. I've never tried to post a picture before, so this may not work at all. In which case I'll just draw a picture for all y'all.

Ciao!
Susan/ERvet
guess I need to upgrade my profile, eh? right foot second view.jpg

right foot post-op.jpg

[2cool4U]

Susan,

Based on only a small amount of info about you, I'd suggest you consider getting a bone density study of some type. Although that's a common area to injure, the mechanism you report is at least questionable, unless there's more to the prior injury than I know.

Wife's doc suggested a bone density study after she slipped in the mud while pulling weeds and broke her ankle. A year earlier, she broke a wrist when she totaled a race car. I thought she had adequate mechanisms of injury to explain both fractures, and in her mid-40's with no other risk factors, I felt it was unnecessary. Guess what? Osteoporosis. Her live-in doctor was wrong and the one she actually pays for care was right. Keep my mouth shut now, I do (not really.)

Just a thought.

-tc-

[ERvet]

TC, thanks for the rec, but actually had that scheduled for the day after the bone actually snapped.....fortuitous? Perhaps. Portentous? Maybe. Other $0.25 words? probably. My bone density is actually quite marvelous. So I've got THAT going for me! My orthopod and I had discussed that on the first visit, when they first found the stress fracture, my age, etc. 2 months before the thing finally snapped. I assume they called it a stress fracture because I couldn't point to a traumatic event. But I often have little bumps, bruises, scratches, etc which I do not recall sustaining. So it is entirely possible I did something and just kept going..... I did that with a broken rib once. Couldn't point to anything that happened specifically, but it happened, nonetheless. I'm glad I have good bones! I'm glad I can get away with an NSAID for pain control instead of narcotics.

I am currently counting down the days to actually stepping on my foot again, and then counting further to having the hardware extracted. I'm open to suggestions as to what I should do with said hardware, once it is gone from my foot. Not much of a jewelry fanatic....maybe a shiny cat toy?

Ciao
Susan/Ervet

[Harrison]

Sue, just checking in...are you OK? How are you healing these days? How are your little metatarsals? And a curious question: what is the composition of the new metal(s) in your foot? Or is it now just "cool jewelry?"

[ERvet]

Harrison-
Well, I'm probably healing up fine.....still haven't put my actual foot on the actual ground, only in my dreams. Have a 7wk follow up appt on Monday (yep, 5 days from now....) for add'l radiographs, and the possibility of having the Earth exert some gravitational pull on my foot. Just not ALL of the gravity it possesses. I may need to write my own gravitational constant. Newton won't mind, he's dead.
My stupid insurance company, )after my doc spoke to their doc and explained, using small words, that it was not an acute fracture, and yes a bone stimulator was indicated, so get on it!) finally OK'd a bone stimulator, so I've been faithfully using that daily. I'll see if I can post another radiograph next week, after my appt.
My back is not taking kindly to my situation, nor is my left carpal joint (torn cartilage, not quite standard apposition of the ulna and the carpal bones, just my luck), but I have instructed both of these areas to take a *&^%&*&% number!! Back at work full time sinced about 10 days post-op. Had a rather busy New Years weekend, and had to work the Christmas weekend as well. Such is the life of an ER vet.
Gonna snow here again tonight. But hey it's January, it's supposed to snow.

Ciao
Susan/ERvet
(for those wondering about the cryptic title.....the official name of my fracture is a Jones Fracture.......catchy, eh?)

[ERvet]

[ what is the composition of the new metal(s) in your foot? Or is it now just "cool jewelry?" [/QUOTE]


It is still in my foot, so far. I assume it is surgical steel, but didn't actually ask. I'll have to do that. I anticipate its removal sometime in March or April (April is more likely), once I have been walking in normal shoes, with no pain, for a few weeks. then I shall have a large, shiny cat toy. Or maybe I will hang it from my rear view mirror!! "Pimp My Ride!"

Susan