Imagine my surprise when I looked down my legs this morning and noticed that my feet had come back to me. I’m not quite sure where they had gone, but for the last 9 weeks since my knee replacement surgery, they had somehow been replaced by Strange Feet that I didn’t recognize at all. Perhaps a hobbit had kindly loaned them to me? Except they weren’t hairy. What they were: big, puffy, scaly, rough, plump, enlarged. They were swollen so big that I called them my Giant Baby Feet. You know how babies’ feet look round and plump with their little toes sticking up? Cute on a baby… weird on a grownup.
My feet were so swollen that I couldn’t wear any of my shoes, not even when we took the laces out of my sneakers. We went to a thrift store and got me a pair of men’s size 10 shoes (I’m usually 8 1/2 women’s), just so I had something I could wear outside the house, Inside, I went around in slipper socks with grips on the bottoms.
So it was pretty nice to have my own feet back today, and to be able to put on some of my old shoes again. I’m finding that there are a lot of little (and sometimes big) milestones After Surgery. Taking a shower by myself without help. Being able to do some of the cooking in the kitchen. Putting on my own socks. I’ve learned to appreciate the small things, once again. It’s not a bad lesson to learn.
I’ll be curious to see how it goes my second time around, when I have the other knee done in January (or sooner if they call my number on the waiting list). It will be different in some ways — like we know what to expect from surgery (for the most part; every surgery is different). I’ll already have a good knee this time, so hopefully that will make things easier. I’m already familiar with how to use all the special equipment, like the walker, shower seat, tall toilet seat, etc.
And we’ll see if I get to borrow Giant Baby Feet again. I didn’t take pictures, darn it. They were kind of interesting. But at least I know that eventually, the swelling will go down and I’ll get my own feet back again before long.
You’re a trooper!
Also, I have those same Haflingers. 🙂
Thanks, S! I keep buying these same ones… so comfy!
Woot! Glad you’re feeling better and better! The body is an amazing thing!!
Little by little… it sure is amazing, to think of a whole new knee in there!
Your title reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, where she eats the little cake and shoots up so tall that she’s afraid that she will never see her feet again.
Yes, funny, Gio! Sometimes it did feel that way, even though nothing made me tall (darn!).