Surgery was 8 weeks ago and the stitches were removed 6 weeks ago. The toes look great, pink and healthy, no signs of infection and getting better every day. The pain however has not relented. Even the missing ones seem to hurt - though they are not there anymore. Sometimes they feel like their on fire and sometimes like they are getting poked with an icepick. Painkillers help but bring significant risk of dependence. I'm probably going to try Lyrica - a new drug developed to reduce diabetic nerve pain. I'm not diabetic but the damage to my feet is basically the same so it may offer an alternative to opioid-based painkillers. We shall see.
I've been back on my bike each weekend for short (60-90 Min/15-20 mile) rides but the foot pain is still limiting the time/distance. It's also really hard to stay below my Cardiologists recommended maximum heart rate of 155 BPM. I use a Heart Rate Monitor and have an audible alarm at 156. I find myself using that as a speed limiter - pedal hard till it beeps, back off a notch and hold it right at 155. I don't think this is what the Dr. was thinking when he set the maximum rate. Looking at Strava from before the valve failed I used to regularly log 60-90 Minutes of a 2-3 hour ride at nearly 190 BPM
Now that all the surgery is complete (knock on wood) and my feet are about their final size I finally got a couple of new pairs of new shoes. I chose the stiffest shoes I could find to provide as much support for all the lost toes as possible. I ended up with one pair of low-cut leather hiking boots and a pair of Giro cycling shoes. Both are really stiff and have been more then a little difficult to break in. I'm doing regular physical therapy to improve the strength of my remaining toes so that I can ultimately wear "normal" shoes with out injuring anything.
 |
With just 2 toes remaining I need all the support
I can get. The stuffy is Staph bacteria -
the cause of my amputations |
