July 2015 – charcot cha-cha

SWEET FREEDOM!

Well, after several toads, I found a prince of a vehicle! It’s a sporty hatchback with just 72,000 miles, and it comes with features I’ve never had in my 40 years of driving cars, a moon roof and electric windows! No more struggling to unroll windows whilst barreling down the road!

Something one probably doesn’t think about too; when we Charcoter’s (Charcot Foot sufferer!) are tooling down the breezeway in our car, we are the same as everyone else, and our disability disappears! When driving about, I am just a normal person without a handicap, and it feels so good, so free.

It’s just a matter of weeks now before I head to my own home for the first time in 11 months, and the combination of that plus the freedom of the new car is making me very intolerable towards my disability…every aspect of it is frustrating me and pissing me off! This is something I suspect we go through after a certain amount of time…a restless, stir crazy kind of angst. I hope that I will be able to walk again rather than face a bone failure, because I honestly don’t know if I am capable of doing this all over again! Time will tell.

For me and all my fellow Charcoters, it’s one day at a time, hang in there and pray for miracles!

HOMEWARD BOUND?

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I am trying to make the best of mine…sitting out in the sun and getting just enough of a tan to fake everyone into thinking I am having a normal summer, ha ha! I suppose I am really just trying to fake myself out!

There are ups and downs with Charcot Foot…and I just found a down; just got my “statement of benefits” from the health insurer, and it looks like I am expected to pay for half of the bone stimulator…to the tune of $1,450!! Had I known this prior, I am pretty sure I would have said “thanks, but no thanks”! Ahh well, I suppose really, this is a small price to pay for getting my foot back into walk-able condition, wouldn’t you agree?

Speaking of my foot being walk-able…my doctor says it is looking great and I might be able to introduce some weight bearing in as little as 4 weeks! Like, ACK! Wow! Well, it’s exciting, of course, but also scary as hell!

And, it looks like I am about to finally move back home to my condo!! Y e s s s! I am having a chair lift installed in the next few weeks, and I have sold my stick-shift car and am in the process of getting a car with an automatic transmission, so as to save my foot from all that clutch shifting! I am finding, however, that being a buyer with a walker is extremely intimidating for most sellers…so far I have had two people actually refuse to let me drive their car! One guy used insurance purposes as his excuse, and the other fellow just outright looked at my foot and said he did not trust my ability to drive, even though I explained I was perfectly capable! (Him I just walked away from…not playing his game!) That’s ok…my philosophy is such that I know their car was not the right one for me. The right car will also have the right seller, who will be kind and unafraid of a woman with a walker and wearing a huge ugly boot on her foot!

So, things are looking up! It’s been a long road, but I think my destination is approaching soon. Same for all of us suffering from Charcot…there is a period of waiting waiting waiting, and finally better days come. So hang in there fellow charcoters!

-Cassandra, Charcotchacha copyright

CHARCOT FOOT AND SLOW RECOVERY

My apologies for not being consistent with my updates, it’s amazing how one can forget to tend to things when you have nothing to do!

It is now getting full swing into summer, and I am still housebound elevating my foot. For reasons unknown, it is taking longer than expected or my surgical wounds to close and heal, but they are nearly there now, and my doc says all looks well and still no signs of infection. I have started with the ultrasound bone stimulator…20 minute daily sessions. Doesn’t hurt, and I only occasionally will get a zingy sensation in the foot from it. I hope that it works to grow new bone for me!

As I am laid-up in my little cottage, It is odd and mildly depressing to hear out my window the people laughing and chatting as they pass by on the street, going on leisurly walks, the kids giggling on their skateboards, cars being entered into and fired up for trips to the shopping center or the restaurants. But I know that in small time, hopefully I too will once again join society and help stimulate the economy with my beloved shopping trips…just not for shoes, ha ha!

If you too are also housebound, doing the non-weight-bearing thing, wearing an aircast, or recovering from surgery, try not to dwell on your “TODAY”, but rather focus on the potentials for your “tomorrows”, and the hope for walking again and being productive. Take each day as a step in the process, and be sure to mark each day off the calendar as it passes, you’ll be amazed how quickly time will fly. So stay positive and ever hopefull my fellow Charcoter’s…we will get through this!