39 days post op

I have been doing physical therapy for several weeks now.  Barry, my PT, gave me some specific exercises to complete at home. He wants me to be partial weight bearing with the crutches.  I have been walking around with the crutches but have noticed pain on the bottom of my foot under the incision area.  I think this is due to all the swelling because it feels so tight like I have an inflated balloon in the area. I also have been doing some aquatherapy.  I spend about 30 minutes in a therapy pool which is set to 92 degrees.  I do some dog paddling, bicycle and scissor movements, and stretches.  I then swim laps for 30 minutes without kicking.  I am happy that I am capable of at least swimming as a form of exercise.

I did have a scare the other day.  I noticed a dark raised area on my incision that didn't look right.  Sure enough the next day a blister formed there and after I removed my bandage after swimming, the blister popped and puss started oozing out of it.  I panicked and immediately contacted Dr. Parker's nurse, Monica.  She told me to get some Epsom salt and make a paste and apply it to the area with a steri-strip to seal it.  She reassured me not to worry and that it could be an internal dissoluble stitch that migrated up through the skin.  I am keeping an eye on this and am hoping it does not get infected.  I decided not to swim or do aquatherapy for a few days just to be on the safe side.

Area of concern before it opened up (dark red blister)

This week I am staying at my parent's house in Kansas City with my 2 year old son while the rest of my family goes on a ski trip. I am so upset that I can't go.  This has been a very difficult week emotionally for me mainly because I am realizing I am completely helpless in the healing of this.  I like being in control and giving this completely to God has been very challenging for me.  Today, we did not have church due to the bad weather so we listened to a sermon from John MacArthur called "Comfort in Trouble".  So why does God allows bad things to happen to good people?  1. To test the validity of our faith.  2. To help break attachments from the world (money, power, friendships, etc.)  3. To live for the hope of heaven  4. To show us what we really love and think is important. 5. To teach us obedience. 6. To reveal His compassion. 7. To develop our spiritual strength for greater usefulness. 8. To enable us to help others in their trials.

This has offered me great assurance and made me realize what really is important in this temporary life. No matter what hardship we go through God will help us get through it if we fully trust in Him and His word.