Speaking of foot pain.......

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

I hope all goes well with your surgery! Painful feet are no fun. I, like

you, would want to be out! I don't want to see anyone cutting on me! God bless

you girl!

I paint also. Well, I piddle and diddle in it. No formal training just what

I have taught myself. I have done some things for family and friends. I do

more " folk " style. I paint on any surface I can. I love to paint mailboxes! I

have had my children in classes and they love to paint. I love to do crafts and

cross stitch. It is one thing I look forward to when I am having a bad day. I

have an excuse to sit down relax and cross stitch!

Angie in SC

" The happiest of people don't necessarily have the

best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along

their way. "

[Guest guest]

Hi y'all,

Well, I've agreed to go " under the knife " once again! I'll be having

my " Austin Bunionectomy " on my right foot this Tuesday morning at the

Surgery Center in Beaufort. I figure since the procedure has the

same name as my dear one and only,(so far), grandchild, that it's a

good omen.

Apparently the surgery is 2 1/2 - 3 hours, which sounds like a

tremendously long time for a foot surgery, but they do have to do some

cutting and put in pins or screws into the bone, so I guess that

explains why it's so long. The nurse said that they usually only give

the patient a sedative and then a local anesthetic.....which I DON'T

like the sounds of, because I really don't want to be awake while they

do this. I'm not one of those patients who gets interested in the

surgery and wants to know what's going on....LOL! I'd much rather

sleep through it all, if you know what I mean!

Do any of you know if this " sedative " that they'd be using is enough

to let me sleep through it? The nurse and surgeon did say that there

would be an anesthesiologist on site, that's the only way my primary

doctor would agree to the surgery.

It's an out-patient procedure and doesn't require hospitalization, so

I'll be coming home the same day. Wearing a surgical shoe for three

or four days, I guess, and then into tennis shoes. The doctor said I

won't be able to drive for several days, (right foot), but my husband

will be home for two days afterward, and my daughter is coming down

from ton on the weekend to help me out.

Since I'll be " housebound " for a while, I've set aside some work to

keep me busy while I recooperate. I started a large canvas two weeks

ago, and then stopped half way through, so I could work on it while I

rest my foot. I don't know if I ever mentioned to anyone that I

paint. I was a Fine Arts major in college and still do a few oil

paintings each year. The oil I'm working on now is a late afternoon

stormy marsh scene, and is coming along very well.

My other " recooperative " project is some more sewing, I'm making new

curtains and some decorative pillows for our bedroom. I've already

purchased all the fabric and cut it, all I need to do now is put it

together and sew, now using my LEFT foot on the peddle! The cats have

made a nice plumb bed in the middle of the stacks of fabric and

pillows, and will hate losing their new nest when I start working on it!

I'll stop by the library today and pick up a few books, and then I

should be fully prepared for some down time, don't you think? I've

probably overloaded myself with " projects " , and will be back on my

feet and anxious to get out, before they're ever finished...;-)

I can't wait to get some new shoes when this is all over with....I'm

down to wearing sneakers whenever I go out, or flip flops inside all

the time, so it will be nice to feel comfortable in shoes again!

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

Bluffton, SC

South Carolina State Rep.

South Eastern Regional Rep., PAI

http://www.pancassociation.org/anthology#Heidi.html

Note: All comments or advice are from personal experiences or opinion,

and should not be a substitute for consultation with a medical

professional.

[Guest guest]

I am not sure what your doctor meant by " sedation " but

anesthesiologist will often do what is referred to as MAC. It

stands for Monitored Anesthesia Control or something along those

lines, I forget the exact terminology. Anyway, its as close as a pt

can get total sedation without having to be intubated. It is quite

effective and you wont know a thing afterwards. However, if the doc

asked you to quack like a duck during surgery you will.

Ask the anestesiologist when you see him exactly what he will be

doing. If he does not see you before the surgery, insist on it.

For people who have been taking a lot of narcotic medication; such

as those if use with cp; it will take a little more then demerol and

versed to knock them out. I am sure the anes. will want to know all

that as well. They use bretylium (sp?) which is an excellent med

for deep sedation without too much respiratory interference.

Also I am venturing a guess that you will be a hard stick, so let

the nursing staff know that when you arrive and request the anes to

the sticking. Also you can ask him/her to use lidocaine to numb the

area where they stick for the IV. It burns for about 7 seconds but

hurts a lot less then having IV sticks. I have used it thousands of

times when starting IV's and had great success with it.

I had no idea you were so talented. I took art classes for years

and always enjoyed sketching. Do you remember Virgina Bolton,

Fouche', she is/was a very well known ton artist. I studied

under her for 3 years. Used to do her matting. Great artist, a

little ecentric tho. I would love to see some of your work. Maybe

I can drive up to your place for a day trip.

If you have any other questions about the surgery, please dont

hesitate. You know how to reach me.

Talk soon,