I've been struggling for many months on how to bring this up. Bear with me as this has been something I've wanted to do for a while and am now finding the strength to get started.
If you have come here because you are looking for advice on recovering from surgery then you have come to the right place. I have documented 3 years worth of information on Calcaneal Osteotomy and various other things on this blog and now on my Youtube Channel TheFootGal. However, as some of you may know I am only 23 years old at this time. I have so much of my life ahead of me and would like to make a change.
It's been about 6 months if not longer that I've spent wringing my hands about how to make this change. I am very proud of my work here on my blog and I am still extremely passionate on helping people when it comes to recovery. As agonizing as this journey has been it made me into a stronger and better version of myself. I fully believe if we take the hardships inward and use them to strengthen ourselves we can become more humble and honest. I have seen some sides of having a physical disability that I still can not shake nor do I want to. The hard moments are the ones that make you think. They are the moments that change history.
I'd like to help the world see the pain and loneliness that a surgery or injury can bring into someones life. Help people understand how to better help others who may be going through the struggle that is recovery. I've met a handful of people going through recovery and I've noticed they also have some of the same struggles I had. The one that sticks with me the most is the struggle to talk about the pain. Somehow I was able to blog about my experience. I don't think this is that easy for people. I saw the need and I grabbed on full force. I would really want to continue doing that. At this moment in time I still have one (that I know of) surgery to undergo. My journey has not yet come to an end. I do have restored faith that there is an end for me. This was something I had been uncertain about for nearly 2 years. I can finally breathe just a little bit better.
This new found hope has given me the strength that I couldn't find in the last 6 months. I hope if you have been following my story you will continue to do so and I hope if you have just stumbled upon my site that you will see everything I have to offer and not only see a "bank of information" as I sometimes feel I'm treated.
Now if you've gotten this far into the post (thank you) then you will want to know what this "change" is. Well as this blog and this journey have shaped me I would like to continue my online identity on this blog. I have so much more I want to offer the world but none of this would be possible if I hadn't started this blog. I want to start posting comics, art work, knitting, and more personal opinions that don't revolve around a foot surgery. I want to grab my professional identity on here and use it for my continual journey through life. I have mentioned before that I may change the URL to this blog and this was ultimately why. I don't want to be just known for something I couldn't control in my life. I have a future and I'd like to move forward with that.
So from here on out be prepared to experience more of who I am.
Until next time,
Kristy Edgerton
Showing posts with label surgery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label surgery. Show all posts
Monday, May 5, 2014
Friday, December 27, 2013
Nonunion 4 Months | Relearning to Walk and Walking Aids
Hello and Happy Holidays.
I meant to post this video a couple weeks ago but the holidays got the best of me which is always a good thing.
I started walking on October 30th. My doctor ordered me off the knee scooter! Mostly because I love how fast I can go on it, I'm such a little kid these days. The video touches on how I was doing about a month after walking. I started using the motto "Just Move" shortly after making this video. I strongly urge you to do that once you are given the go ahead on walking. It's not fun at first but if you are healing it is the best thing you can do. Walking on your injured foot actually stimulates bone growth. Which, if you are like me, you would really like that to happen!
Just like the video title says have cautious optimism. Don't expect to be where you were before surgery anytime soon. After being off your foot for an extended period of time your body will be used to sitting and probably not sitting very well. What I mean is that from many years of experience with having casts/wrappings/walking boots on my foot, I have found that I tend to sit in the "most comfortable" way possible. If you have any injury you understand what I mean by this. This surgery I found that I leaned to the left a lot. I'm not sure if this is something that can be avoided but I do plan to test it during my next surgery.
It's good to be aware of how you are sitting. If at all possible, try to sit up straight. Having to correct more than what is already being damaged is not easy. I had someone ask me about how I dealt with hip/knee pain along with walking in the boot. I hadn't noticed previous surgeries that I struggled with those. This time though I really did notice the knee and hip pain. I've started going to a massage therapist as often as cost allows. I know not everyone can do this. I certainly wouldn't have been able to during my first surgeries. A couple things I have learned though is that getting a walking cane and a product called Evenup are solutions I have found to help without the massages.
You may not realize the benefits of a walking cane. I know I didn't know anything about it other than "old people" used it, but don't let that stop you from getting one. After having a cane for a month I can testify that it is extremely useful for lower body injuries. It has helped me focus and slow down while walking along with helping my balance and mobility and evening out the strain on my joints and muscles. I can't really say why doctors haven't suggested the use of a cane before to me but if you have not been suggested to use one I am here to say that you should. I have been able to feel my joints loosening up and my muscles being used correctly. It's not an easy change but it is one I am grateful for each day. Here is a short article about walking sticks/canes "Benefits of Using a Walking Stick."
Now to inform you about the product called the Evenup. First things first here is the official website where you can read all about it http://www.evenupcorp.com/ . Second, I will be making a video reviewing my walking cane and the evenup I received so subscribe to my Youtube Channel for when that gets uploaded. There isn't a whole lot else to share with you about it. It's pretty straight forward. When you wear a walking boot it is higher than most shoes. It is also still a noticeable amount higher than most sneakers (all sneakers I've had). All I have to say about both of these products is how much does your health and body mean to you? The simple truth is if you don't use these products you run a high risk of learning to walk wrong and continuing to hurt your body when you do so, even after you are all healed and out of the walking boot.
I'm here to share my woes and joys with you. When it comes to physical trials they tend to be filled with many woes. I hope you see that these products I share with you are ones that have bettered my life in ways I have a hard time finding words for. If you do buy these products let me know what you noticed by getting them! It may seem like a lot of money but trust me in the long run it will be something you couldn't put a price on.
Until Next Time,
TheFootGal
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Reoccurring Theme
I'm not sure if I've openly talked about my opinion on situations such as mine (anything that is life changing or altering). It's easy to see that I am physically handicapped. It's not as easy to see or be aware that there are two sides to having a physical handicap.
This is a very personal subject to me and I have only shared it with a handful of close friends and relatives. I strongly believe that there is always a physical and mental challenge while tackling a life changing situation, whether it be changing your diet or losing your feet. It's something that I have been able to be more aware of as I have been going through this for almost 3 years now.
Think about it this way. When you decided to cut out that daily dose of Mickey D's french fries you don't just do your body good but you mentally tend to crave or even miss it like a long lost friend. Studies have shown that people over eat because of their feelings.
I've had so many experiences and still to this day encounter at least one person a day that can not see past my physical trial. They want to know what happened? What is this thing you are on? how long have you been in that cast/boot? Is it going to get better? and well.. when you are honest and say "I do not know and neither does my doctor" they all seem to shrink away. I witness their face gone from curiosity to immediate pity. Most cases these people ask some less "harmful" questions and then walk away and continue their day leaving me with the awful sense that I just told them their dog died.
I'm not sure where you say "HEY I'M A HUMAN WITH THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS." I haven't quite figured this out yet. I usually just scoot along and find a quiet place to read or indulge in my current obsession. The sense that every time I encounter someone like this doesn't go or fade away though. It lingers and sits like I just ate rotten food. In fact I've had it happen over and over with immediate family and close friends, where they swear to me that I don't deserve this and that I will get better. Then I have to silently tell myself that they mean well but the real truth is no one knows the outcome.
It's hard to make friends when so many people look at me and all they see is a big booted foot.
Until next time,
TheFootGal
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Nonunion Week 17 | Weight-loss & Why It's So Important
Hello viewers & welcome any new arrivals to my blog!
I hope you all enjoy the new look! I spent a whole day learning some tricks in photoshop (which I've never used) and trying new layout formats just to make it more appealing! I also changed the top title to "TheFootGal" instead of "undergoing a Calcaneal Osteotomy." Mostly because I am no longer JUST undergoing a calcaneal osteotomy so it doesn't quite fit for my new posts. Also because my blog is changing as I change and I want to welcome all walks of life! SO, HELLO! Welcome, I hope you do enjoy!
Today I wanted to talk about weight loss. It's something that I believe every human being wants at one point or another in their life and when they realize that desire they feel like they will not reach it or that they will have to put a ton of extra work into it. Well, I'm here to tell you it can be easier than that. I don't mean "diets" the "simple answer" no. It will be hard to LEARN how to eat healthy. But once you've learned it your body will know the difference and it will start being hard to go back to the "bad foods" you used to eat. Let's start off by showing you a before and after picture. I apologize I put the after picture on the wrong side! But you get the general idea! Also these are only three days apart when it comes to months so one is from Sep 9th 2012 and the new one was taken Sep 11th 2013! which I thought was fun!
Wowowowow. It even shocks me honestly! Because when you lose weight the healthy way then it's a much slower process and you don't lose weight so dramatically. However, because of that it is much easier to maintain the body you create! Yes, I do say create. This body, I made. I took the time to study and learn what my body needs and how my body needs it. Which even with all the websites and all the people telling you they lost weight from counting calories. We are all different people and we all have different bodies that crave and desire different things! For example.. I hate avocados. Hate them. I don't care if they are good for me I will not pick that up and eat it. I wont. I would sooner eat a whole bag of chips then pick up one avocado. Another example is when I first started counting calories I tried to fill in my "hunger" periods or "snack" periods with bowls and bowls of carrots. ughh. Don't do that to yourself.
As always I'm here cheering you on if you need it! I have all my information on the right side of this blog now. Email, Instagram, Google plus, and you can always comment and I'll reply!
I hope you all enjoy the new look! I spent a whole day learning some tricks in photoshop (which I've never used) and trying new layout formats just to make it more appealing! I also changed the top title to "TheFootGal" instead of "undergoing a Calcaneal Osteotomy." Mostly because I am no longer JUST undergoing a calcaneal osteotomy so it doesn't quite fit for my new posts. Also because my blog is changing as I change and I want to welcome all walks of life! SO, HELLO! Welcome, I hope you do enjoy!
Today I wanted to talk about weight loss. It's something that I believe every human being wants at one point or another in their life and when they realize that desire they feel like they will not reach it or that they will have to put a ton of extra work into it. Well, I'm here to tell you it can be easier than that. I don't mean "diets" the "simple answer" no. It will be hard to LEARN how to eat healthy. But once you've learned it your body will know the difference and it will start being hard to go back to the "bad foods" you used to eat. Let's start off by showing you a before and after picture. I apologize I put the after picture on the wrong side! But you get the general idea! Also these are only three days apart when it comes to months so one is from Sep 9th 2012 and the new one was taken Sep 11th 2013! which I thought was fun!
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| Sep. 11th 2013 Sep. 9 2012 |
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| Sep. 11th 2013 Sep. 9 2012 |
This world has MANY different plants and foods to choose from. Choose something you like and stick with it! Or choose 100 things you like and stick with that! Don't force yourself to eat what someone, sometime once said. Trust me, it won't work. You'll quit. I almost did. Then I just said "F*** carrots" I don't think I've had more then 5 carrots in the last 6 months.. well I actually enjoy carrot juice but not just bowls of carrots!
So some simple tips I can give you!
- Use this Calorie Counter!
- I say use this calorie counter because it gives you a different number then most magazines/blogs/websites/trainers will give you! As a woman they general tell you 1200 a day. This website told me 1534 a day and that was with 0 working out! Also that was just "fat loss" and not "extreme fat loss." I never went lower then 1534 either! Look at my progress! So do this website and I suggest you start at the higher number even if you want to go down! Because no matter what you will need to adjust to the change.
- Realize what fuels you.
- Find the combination you like. What I mean by this is.. for example I enjoy breakfast. LOVE IT. I could probably eat some type of breakfast food for every meal if I could. However, I dislike lunch.. and enjoy a BIG dinner! So I had to adjust what I ate at each meal to fit the calories now I eat around 500 for breakfast and 200-300 for lunch and then I have plenty of calories for a snack and a goood dinner!
- Also along with this CUT OUT SODA and high fructose corn syrup. Trust me. By doing those two things you stop craving ANYTHING that shares those qualities. Real sugar is a lot harder to get addicted to!
- Don't weigh yourself
- This one is my biggest suggestion. I didn't way myself. Infact I've only been weighed twice this year. Once at my annual OBGYN visit and second when I went in for surgery! I weighed 135 pounds then!! wooooo. I was like "please don't die you are finally healthy!" It helps to SEE your body changing because you may put on muscle and that weighs more then fat.
- Drink Water
- If you don't know why this is good for you then.. you are in denial! Water has been here for all animals and plants and the earth in general to FUEL us. Without water we are nothing. So drink it. Feed it to your body! Soon enough it will become easy!
- Enjoy the ride
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| One of my favorite breakfast! Pear Cinnamon Oatmeal |
I didn't do it any other way. I realized portion sizes once I started cutting the calories back and now my body gets hungry and full when it should. Once I got surgery I realized all crazy benefits. A few are I am so much lighter. so lifting myself up on my arms and caring my body on crutches has become so much easier! Then not to mention how flexible I'm becoming. I can move around a lot easier and it helps my body feel good through out the day! I have ENERGY. Past surgeries I would be so worn out day after day after day. I can say I've hardly been worn out! Not after the first week! It's been a breeze.
Another thing. Once I started taking the pounds off my feet didn't hurt quite as bad! I have talked to multiple people at this point that have told me they have had some serious health problems with their feet or their knees that losing weight has made go away completely! Think of the wear and tear just carrying those pounds around on your body. I'm here to tell you that it makes a HUGE difference. I've experienced both sides.
Another thing. Once I started taking the pounds off my feet didn't hurt quite as bad! I have talked to multiple people at this point that have told me they have had some serious health problems with their feet or their knees that losing weight has made go away completely! Think of the wear and tear just carrying those pounds around on your body. I'm here to tell you that it makes a HUGE difference. I've experienced both sides.
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| All these are on my pinterest! |
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| Healthy ThanksGiving! |
Until next time,
TheFootGal
P.S. Here is some of my Pinterest Boards that I put some of the information I used. However, a lot of it I didn't but it could still be helpful to look through. Feel free to follow me :) I still add to them!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Nonunion Week 14 | Atrophy and Some Unpleasantness
I've been thinking a lot lately about how I want to approach my blog. I do still want to talk about my foot journey but I've gotten to a weird point where people who will be having the foot surgery will still relate but they will get better sooner than I have.
If you are reading this for tips then know you are at the right place. If you see that I've been on this journey for 3 years then please do not think that you will also be out of luck for 3 years or longer as I am. I am a rare case. My doctors have all said so. "so young" "I'm not sure why" "you are so healthy." I recently went to get my 3rd cast on and stitches removed. I was excited for both. Stitches are very uncomfortable in a cast and due to atrophy (loss of muscle) in my leg the cast had become extremely loose and wiggly causing it to be even more uncomfortable.
The three days before going in, when I started really losing the muscle, I was having a hard time. Of course I knew this was coming. I wish this was my first time and could be naive to the hardest parts of surgery. However, I knew and I posted about it showing how I'd miss my calf muscle. It took me 2 years to get both of my calf muscles back. I only had full calf muscle for 4 months before I was told I'd have to get surgery again.
To those of you who are reading this and haven't had to experience atrophy I will try to help you understand how hard it can be.
If you are reading this for tips then know you are at the right place. If you see that I've been on this journey for 3 years then please do not think that you will also be out of luck for 3 years or longer as I am. I am a rare case. My doctors have all said so. "so young" "I'm not sure why" "you are so healthy." I recently went to get my 3rd cast on and stitches removed. I was excited for both. Stitches are very uncomfortable in a cast and due to atrophy (loss of muscle) in my leg the cast had become extremely loose and wiggly causing it to be even more uncomfortable.
The three days before going in, when I started really losing the muscle, I was having a hard time. Of course I knew this was coming. I wish this was my first time and could be naive to the hardest parts of surgery. However, I knew and I posted about it showing how I'd miss my calf muscle. It took me 2 years to get both of my calf muscles back. I only had full calf muscle for 4 months before I was told I'd have to get surgery again.
To those of you who are reading this and haven't had to experience atrophy I will try to help you understand how hard it can be.
at·ro·phy
ˈatrəfē/
verb
- 2.gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect."her artistic skills atrophied from lack of use"
Here is a picture showing my own atrophy. I am skinny so there isn't a whole lot but muscle to lose. I'm slowly turning into bone. I have to watch my leg waste away to nothing. Then one day I'll have to go through pain and agony and work through the weakness that my leg will have become by then. It's like when you have taken too much time away from the gym; you've become fat and weak. You go to the gym and work out and what happens? You start becoming strong again. The things that come along with that strength are usually tightness, pain, and discomfort.
This is similar to my atrophy however.. this muscle I'm losing is everyday muscle that you can't lose without actually not using it. Ever. It's the muscles you use to walk, stand, sit, squat, pic up things off the ground, etc. The muscle that by nature you need to be a human and move around. I can't use that during the healing so I lose them. Then I have to rebuild later but I haven't been walking, standing, squatting or picking up things off the floor. I've been recovering, healing, resting, and preparing.
It's hard. To know that I am watching myself even in this small area, my calf, waste away to bone. To know that I in a small way am weak. If I tried to walk on this today I probably could but only for a short time. Just like working out you have to slowly build up how much weight you can lift or how many lunges you can do. I'm starting over again. Just like a baby who has never walked before doesn't have the muscles. Each time I go through a surgery like this I lose those muscles. It's hard to watch. It hurts me emotionally. I had to cry for it. I had to accept it. I do accept it. That doesn't change the fact that I'm human. I would like to be able to kick someones ass if needs be.
My doctor told me some honest truth this visit. He said "Kristy, I have to be honest with you. I do not know why this happened. It's so rare and I've never seen it before. If I'm being honest it could have been done differently the first time but it wasn't anything you did."
He isn't saying that my doctor before messed up, just that my case was hard from the start and that my feet alone were a bit rare, which is probably true since my other doctor laughed and said "where did you get these feet?" when he first saw them. But the important part of that was when my doctor now said "..it wasn't anything you did."
He isn't saying that my doctor before messed up, just that my case was hard from the start and that my feet alone were a bit rare, which is probably true since my other doctor laughed and said "where did you get these feet?" when he first saw them. But the important part of that was when my doctor now said "..it wasn't anything you did."
The relief to know that I haven't brought this upon myself is tremendous. You always have to be weary in this kind of situation. On some level you give the doctors the 'O.K' to go and work on you. There is a level of uncertainty when things don't go exactly how they should, which seems to happen a lot in my case. So again if you are here for advice then take the advice that atrophy is hard. That you will have to mourn it but that you have the strength to build it up again in the future. Don't fret and worry that this may happen to you.. because honestly my doctor has done so many of these surgeries and has never seen a case like mine. Ever. So odds are you will be fine! you will heal within a Year and be on your way to running marathons. I do hope you come back to my blog and visit. Or even contact me. I will be trying new things and exploring the world in a new way. I do enjoy success stories though so if you are one I'd love to hear about it.
Until next time,
TheFootGal
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Nonunion Week 13 | Medical Cannabis (weed)
Hello viewers.
I have some news to share with you and I wanted to have really experienced the difference and affects of Medical Cannabis (weed) before I announced that it was my drug of choice. well I am now almost two weeks out of surgery and I Can say it now :
That's right people grapefruit can kill you. Because of the drugs that are "supposed" to help us. I know that I've mentioned this on many occasions because it was such a disappointment to have to deal with when I was already in so much pain. But I was eating grapefruit, during my second surgery, because I really care about my health now. Well, I was eating grapefruit for breakfast every morning and mixed with the amounts of Lortab (norco) I was on, it made me physically ill. I vomited horribly on multiple occasions. I have a extremely STRONG stomach. So vomiting is not a normal thing for me. Let alone projectile vomiting.
Why may you ask does this have to do with Medical Cannabis well guess what? I don't have to worry about DYING from my breakfast. I can get as High and as HAPPY as I want. Thanks to medical cannabis not only that I've experienced some extreme differences.
Keep in mind I do not smoke weed. I have been Vaping weed, (much softer on your body and gets rid of other bad things), and Digesting it. My preferred method when used for pain is Edibles. Why? because it causes you to have a longer lasting and more body high. This can be a intense high if you haven't gotten high before. I highly (haha, wink, wink) suggest you either smoke/vape it for the first few times to get used to the way being high is.
So you may be wondering now. HOW? how can it be good for pain Kristy. It's a plant. That's crazy. You are crazy. Weed is bad. Bad Kristy Bad bad bad Kristy. Well You can think what you want honestly I could give two shits about that. Because I am never going back to norco, never.
So to paint a picture for you. Kristy two years ago before surgery. Full of life and full of the future. She wanted to do anything and be everything. Then she had to get surgery. She lost her dreams and hopes and aspirations. She couldn't see how her future could work anymore without the proper function of her feet. She felt worthless. During those first surgeries she took pain killers. Lots of them because she thought it was the only way to survive the time she was forced to be on the couch and the only way to relieve the pain.
Second surgery rolls around six months after the first. She's ready to jump on board and get this out of the way. Life is too short to have to "WASTE" her time with foot surgeries. YUCK. Then the pain killers came back into her life. It all got darker when she took them, she fell so easily back into old patterns that she had spent the last 3 months getting rid of. But it was just sooo easy. Then she realized the pain had gone a little but she didn't care. Her pain still existed. Deep down in her heart. She was still broken and the pain killers let her ignore that. Then Kristy realized that she could go off the pain killers for things she really desired to do. Like, Read the hunger games. Then she slowly just got rid of them. (later on I realized I was detoxing but at the time I had no idea I was addicted).
She was a much different person. She thought she had escaped the world she had been forced to live in for two years. She was trying new things and improving her life in EVERY way. She knew she had a lot to catch up on. Two years is a long time for not living a life you want to live.
Then it happened. The doctor told me the hard news. The true news. The honest news. "You have to do it again, I am so sorry."
deep deep deep down I went. Back into that sadness. WHY... again? but I thought.. really? again?.. Okay again we go. BUT... NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. I can't do the pills I can't. How will I do this without the pills. I can't do them they hurt me. They KILL me. Yes they KILL me.
Then I phoned my brother and he gave me this bit of advice "Kristy at least you don't have to take lortab this time." WHAT? I DON"T? HOW? "you live in california you can just use weed." Wait... I can? but weed is bad? that is bad? that makes me bad right? no.
That is how my journey started. After surgery I took the pain killers they gave me in the hospital and then the second day I also took it. Because I was afraid to use the cannabis because it was "bad." I did have everything I need to use weed, though. I had used it to see what it was like a few times to see how the pain went away with what pain I had before surgery. Which, if you decide to do this please learn what it is like to FEEL your body before you have extreme pain. Weed makes you extremely aware of your body. It takes a while to get used to. Especially if you live with chronic pain as I do. You have to re learn what the pain is and how it's happening. The weed helps that though and will train you to move your body in a way that HELPS the pain go away.
So before this gets crazy insanely long. I want to tell you. When I was on pain killers for that one day.. it made me do and say things that I couldn't control. horrible awful, rotten, rude, things. Because you have to fight against the constant urge to fall asleep. This constant urge to NOT shut your brain off. so the main difference and easiest way I know how to put it is:
Pain Killers : They cause your brain to turn off. Because they TURN OFF the part of your brain that tells you that you are feeling pain.
Medical Cannabis : Makes you feel the pain but makes you understand it and makes you aware of how it needs to be taken care of then makes you not care about it (AT ALL). It makes you not CARE because you will just be doing exactly what your body needs. which is rest. and rest you will. However, my brain went into HYPER drive. I could think and read, learn, live, love, feel, and anything else you do when your brain does not get SHUT OFF by pain killers.
I will write more about this. I have a lot to say. The last thing on here though I want to say is that it was the easiest thing to NOT take. I've been off of any kind of medicine for basically two days now! I have the CHOICE to take it when I need it. I didn't have a choice with the pain killers. I have the CHOICE to go off it if I don't need it. With pain killers my body still WANTED IT. because on pain killers you don't experience the pain. So when you turn your brain on again you experience the new pain ALL over again. so awful.. but with weed I just experience everything I see and feel the pain go away.
With that. I do hope some of you take the time to realize the dangers of pain killers. Even the simple ones like eating grapefruit with it. Even though they are "legal" in most places. It KILLED me.
The Foot Gal
I have some news to share with you and I wanted to have really experienced the difference and affects of Medical Cannabis (weed) before I announced that it was my drug of choice. well I am now almost two weeks out of surgery and I Can say it now :
MEDICAL CANNABIS IS MY DRUG OF CHOICE FOR PAIN RELIEF
Yep I just said that. Me, Kristy, who about a year ago (10 months) was MORMON. I have done weed on higher levels then some "pot heads." Yep, I just said that too. Wow, surprising even myself. I'm proud of it though, because this is the way of the future and it should be. I want to start off by posting this video I just watched:
That's right people grapefruit can kill you. Because of the drugs that are "supposed" to help us. I know that I've mentioned this on many occasions because it was such a disappointment to have to deal with when I was already in so much pain. But I was eating grapefruit, during my second surgery, because I really care about my health now. Well, I was eating grapefruit for breakfast every morning and mixed with the amounts of Lortab (norco) I was on, it made me physically ill. I vomited horribly on multiple occasions. I have a extremely STRONG stomach. So vomiting is not a normal thing for me. Let alone projectile vomiting.
Why may you ask does this have to do with Medical Cannabis well guess what? I don't have to worry about DYING from my breakfast. I can get as High and as HAPPY as I want. Thanks to medical cannabis not only that I've experienced some extreme differences.
Keep in mind I do not smoke weed. I have been Vaping weed, (much softer on your body and gets rid of other bad things), and Digesting it. My preferred method when used for pain is Edibles. Why? because it causes you to have a longer lasting and more body high. This can be a intense high if you haven't gotten high before. I highly (haha, wink, wink) suggest you either smoke/vape it for the first few times to get used to the way being high is.
So you may be wondering now. HOW? how can it be good for pain Kristy. It's a plant. That's crazy. You are crazy. Weed is bad. Bad Kristy Bad bad bad Kristy. Well You can think what you want honestly I could give two shits about that. Because I am never going back to norco, never.
So to paint a picture for you. Kristy two years ago before surgery. Full of life and full of the future. She wanted to do anything and be everything. Then she had to get surgery. She lost her dreams and hopes and aspirations. She couldn't see how her future could work anymore without the proper function of her feet. She felt worthless. During those first surgeries she took pain killers. Lots of them because she thought it was the only way to survive the time she was forced to be on the couch and the only way to relieve the pain.
Second surgery rolls around six months after the first. She's ready to jump on board and get this out of the way. Life is too short to have to "WASTE" her time with foot surgeries. YUCK. Then the pain killers came back into her life. It all got darker when she took them, she fell so easily back into old patterns that she had spent the last 3 months getting rid of. But it was just sooo easy. Then she realized the pain had gone a little but she didn't care. Her pain still existed. Deep down in her heart. She was still broken and the pain killers let her ignore that. Then Kristy realized that she could go off the pain killers for things she really desired to do. Like, Read the hunger games. Then she slowly just got rid of them. (later on I realized I was detoxing but at the time I had no idea I was addicted).
FAST FORWARD A YEAR to now and some really difficult news later.
She was a much different person. She thought she had escaped the world she had been forced to live in for two years. She was trying new things and improving her life in EVERY way. She knew she had a lot to catch up on. Two years is a long time for not living a life you want to live.
Then it happened. The doctor told me the hard news. The true news. The honest news. "You have to do it again, I am so sorry."
deep deep deep down I went. Back into that sadness. WHY... again? but I thought.. really? again?.. Okay again we go. BUT... NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. I can't do the pills I can't. How will I do this without the pills. I can't do them they hurt me. They KILL me. Yes they KILL me.
Then I phoned my brother and he gave me this bit of advice "Kristy at least you don't have to take lortab this time." WHAT? I DON"T? HOW? "you live in california you can just use weed." Wait... I can? but weed is bad? that is bad? that makes me bad right? no.
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| Some SPICY Dark Canna-Chocolate Dip on a banana |
That is how my journey started. After surgery I took the pain killers they gave me in the hospital and then the second day I also took it. Because I was afraid to use the cannabis because it was "bad." I did have everything I need to use weed, though. I had used it to see what it was like a few times to see how the pain went away with what pain I had before surgery. Which, if you decide to do this please learn what it is like to FEEL your body before you have extreme pain. Weed makes you extremely aware of your body. It takes a while to get used to. Especially if you live with chronic pain as I do. You have to re learn what the pain is and how it's happening. The weed helps that though and will train you to move your body in a way that HELPS the pain go away.
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| Some Cannabutter Cinnamon Bread yum yum. |
So before this gets crazy insanely long. I want to tell you. When I was on pain killers for that one day.. it made me do and say things that I couldn't control. horrible awful, rotten, rude, things. Because you have to fight against the constant urge to fall asleep. This constant urge to NOT shut your brain off. so the main difference and easiest way I know how to put it is:
Pain Killers : They cause your brain to turn off. Because they TURN OFF the part of your brain that tells you that you are feeling pain.
Medical Cannabis : Makes you feel the pain but makes you understand it and makes you aware of how it needs to be taken care of then makes you not care about it (AT ALL). It makes you not CARE because you will just be doing exactly what your body needs. which is rest. and rest you will. However, my brain went into HYPER drive. I could think and read, learn, live, love, feel, and anything else you do when your brain does not get SHUT OFF by pain killers.
I will write more about this. I have a lot to say. The last thing on here though I want to say is that it was the easiest thing to NOT take. I've been off of any kind of medicine for basically two days now! I have the CHOICE to take it when I need it. I didn't have a choice with the pain killers. I have the CHOICE to go off it if I don't need it. With pain killers my body still WANTED IT. because on pain killers you don't experience the pain. So when you turn your brain on again you experience the new pain ALL over again. so awful.. but with weed I just experience everything I see and feel the pain go away.
With that. I do hope some of you take the time to realize the dangers of pain killers. Even the simple ones like eating grapefruit with it. Even though they are "legal" in most places. It KILLED me.
The Foot Gal
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Nonunion Week 12 | 5 Stages Of Grief
So I planned this video out well. I don't have a whole lot to add today!I really think anyone that happens on this blog should watch this video. It took me 2 years to realize all of this for myself. Don't let it take you that long no matter the situation! as usual I am always here! feel free to follow me on twitter, instagram, email, youtube! THANK YOU!
@thefootgal
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