Getting Back on My Feet

Setting Goals: Getting Back to 90°

Since 1973, I’ve walked on my toes. My goal with these surgeries was to get my feet flat to the floor again. One is down, and one is well on its way.

 

The Left Foot

The journey began in August 2008 with Dr. Thomas Lee. He performed four procedures—flattening the metatarsals, removing a bunion, straightening my toes, and fusing the big toe. In October, his associate, Dr. William DeCarbo (a "wizard" with external fixators), added a "halo" to the foot. After 73 days, it was removed. I can finally say, "I love my left foot!" After decades of walking like a ballerina, being flat-footed is a dream.

 

The Right Foot

On April 6, 2010, Dr. DeCarbo tackled the right foot at Grant Medical Center. Like the left, he flattened the metatarsals and applied a halo with eight wires securing my forefoot, heel, and ankle.

This photo was taken on May 5th, about a

month after my surgery. Looking at the steep

slant of the bottom U-ring now, I believe the

heel wires had already torn through the bone

— though I had no clue at the time.

 

Turning halo struts to straighten ankle

From April to May, my brother Rick turned the halo struts daily to gradually straighten the ankle. However, on May 24, X-rays revealed a setback: the heel wires had cut through the bone. Decades of "toe-walking" had made my heel bone porous (osteoporosis). Because the skin was also breaking down, the halo had to be removed a month early.

 

Slow recovery…

Recovery has been a challenge. I’ve dealt with necrotic skin and open wounds on my heel, requiring daily dressing changes from the wonderful nurses at Comprehensive Health Network. I recently managed a 90-foot walk to the kitchen—it took five minutes and left me exhausted—but I’m determined to improve before my next appointment on July 12.

This wide shot from June 9th shows the 

ankle at the desired 90° angle, though the

skin around the heel was torn during the

straightening process. Because we could

only use saline rather than soap for

cleaning, surgical debris is still visible.

The black areas are necrosis (dead tissue),

which Dr. DeCarbo will eventually need to

debride to allow new skin to grow.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A view of the outside and sole of my right

foot, also taken on June 9th. The white residue

is debris left behind from the previous half-cast.

 

These wide and close-up views were taken

on June 17th, eight days after my previous

photos. While the improvement isn't visually

dramatic yet, Dr. DeCarbo is "very happy"

with the progress. I will continue daily dressing

changes through July 11th, just before my next

appointment at Orthopedic Foot and Ankle on

July 12th.

 

Dr. Do-Wacka-Do

I have a nickname for my surgeon. Dr. DeCarbo is a top-notch professional, but his "off-beat" sense of humor with his staff initially caught me off guard. After I gave him a "10" on a hospital survey, but mentioned his teasing of the staff, he joked to my transport team that I was the first person to get him "in trouble" since kindergarten!

 

I’ve since realized the office staff gives it right back to him. It turns out he's just as competitive as he is funny; I found his Facebook and Twitter pages and learned he’s been obsessed with an office "Fitness Challenge." I’ll have to find out if he won when I see him in July.

 

As the old Roger Miller song says, "Do-Wacka-Do"—he does things his own way, but I’m glad he’s the one getting me back on my feet!