Surgery

I've been putting it off and putting it off, but I can't put it off any longer.  I'm finally going to have plantar fasciitis surgery on my left foot on October 19th.  The surgery isn't always successful so I tried anything and everything before making this decision.  I'm sick to death of pain ruling my life so I'm finally willing to give surgery a try.

The outpatient surgery itself apparently isn't a huge deal.  I'll have to spend 5 days doing absolutely nothing and then will slowly be able to start walking again.  I'll need to wear a surgical shoe to accommodate my bandages, but apparently will not have to wear the stupid boot cast.  I hate that boot!  I'll miss 6-8 weeks of work, but that's just because my job is so physical and I'm on my feet all day.  My goal is to walk without pain.  I want to sleep at least 6 or 7 hours straight without waking from pain.  I am sooooooo tired of pain ruling my life.  I want it gone!

I have often felt like this blog exists primarily to whine about my feet.  Over the past three years I have tried just about everything to beat this plantar fasciitis.  Supposedly, 95% of people get over it within a year with just using orthotics and stretches.  I am the 5%.  Yippee.  All of the crap I've purchased to try to "fix" my feet cracks me up.  I have a bubbling foot bath, a shiatsu foot massager (with heat), a foot log massager, a slant board, a Freezie Wrap for ice and an Inferno Wrap that plugs into the wall and is a heating pad for my foot.  I have blocked out what I spent on the home ultrasound device that I spent hours and hours using on my heel and ankle to no avail.  I've done weeks of physical therapy.  I've tried countless Icy-Hot type rubs and have been on countless painkillers and anti-inflammatory meds.  I wore that stupid walking cast at work for so many weeks (and three different times) I wanted to buy a gun and blow it to bits.  I have insanely expensive walking shoes that I wear to shovel poop at work.  I've got a drawer full of ankle braces and tape.  I have two different night splints and I hate them both :)  I even bought a jar of marbles so I could spill them on the floor and pick them up with my toes.  I can't remember what that was supposed to do...  Nothing has worked!

If surgery doesn't work I don't know what I'll do.  I guess I'll get a Hoveround wheelchair and go to the Grand Canyon.