Last time I wrote I mentioned I was told I should pursue more opinions on my leg. The chiropractor sent me to a physiatrist. She did a nerve study. It showed nerve damage which I already knew but she seemed positive. She was expecting worse based on my muscle weakness. She told me I am very lucky not to have foot drop. She thinks I could still gain back some function. She was surprised I never had any physical therapy on my foot and ankle. I am likely losing muscle. She asked if I wore heels and guessed not...yup..no heels. My ankle just turns. That's a whole 'nother post but I haven't gotten rid of any heels yet. I'm a heels kind of person. Anyway...she wrote me a prescription for more physical therapy and a potential name but there are so many physical therapists out there I am concerned with finding one to work with my ankle and foot specifically. I don't want to waste my time.
The chiropractor called me and suggested I should sue my surgeon. The suggestion came after much hesitation and I took it from the place he comes from...a very opposite to surgery kind of mindset. However, I feel the surgeon was very upfront about my outcome. He was pretty negative actually. I am much better off than he told me to expect. He basically was trying to fix this trauma but nothing else. Considering I had zero leg function and feeling before the surgery and a heck of lot more than that now I would have to say the surgery was successful. So - I think the avenue of working with this chiropractor is closed now. He did a number of very positive, helpful things for me and I am grateful. My road forward feels different though.
He was helping me manage my care though - so now I need to find someone else. I guess I will go see my primary care physician but this seems outside her realm. Hopefully she is connected enough to send me to someone who can do it.
I think it still makes sense to pursue some things about my foot and leg. While I don't have foot drop I have a toe that drops and trying to walk the dog tonight it felt like I was walking on the stupid thing. I can't feel those toes well enough and sometimes one gets left where it shouldn't. Since some of my muscles don't work the one that goes to my big toe is working overtime. Every time I try to make a movement that the non-working muscles should be doing - that one muscle tries instead. It is getting very sore and tight.
As far as my back goes it is doing pretty well. I definitely aggravated it on the boat and traveling home in July. It has gotten better since then. I still can't/don't bend a whole lot. I still use my grabber for most things on the floor but if I have a chair I can often trap it with my feet and try to lift it up and grab it. I tried that at work today though and failed. I never realized how often I drop things. It's ridiculous. I've stupidly taken a hand basket when shopping and filled it too much. I did that at Trader Joe's the other day and have now promised myself to always use a cart. It would be so dumb to ruin my back again because I was carrying too many groceries.
My next post will be about something other that medical issues (knock wood). Like back to school or our new dog.
