Reconstruction Surgery Gone Wrong
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My most recent foot surgery has had some serious complications that's prevented me from being able to work. I was only supposed to be out for 6-8 weeks & that's all I could afford to not work for. This is my last resort as churches or other places can't help me. (You have to be on the lease in order to get financial help) I'm behind on rent & bills which is so stressful & very anxiety filled. I'm struggling to get gas for appointments, money for medications & food. Anything helps.
This is the long story:
In 2014 I got a blister on the bottom of my foot that turned into a pressure sore. It wouldn't heal/ close so I had several infections from it. At first we didn't know why but after MRI's, CT scans & whatever else they could think of, we found some underlying issues. I had an extra bone in that foot that was actually sticking through the pressure sore which was the biggest reason why it wasn't closing. We also learned I had six cysts along my spine & two of them at the base of my spine were pinching the major nerve down that leg. My spinal cord is also still tethered so my nerves are hyperextend. Because of these things I had severe nerve damage in that foot so I lost feeling & also behind my leg. My first surgery was to remove the extra bone & clear out the infection. Fast forward a year & I'm in the same situation. Throughout the two years I was in the hospital more times than I remember because of these infections. They eventually decided to go in again to clean it out & hope the pressure sore closes which thankfully it did. Because of the severity of the infections I had a pic line both times, one in each arm. Also because of the nerve damage & me not having feeling in the foot I couldn't tell when it was rubbing something, or was even cut which made things worse. I was 15/16 at the time-my mother tried to get me in for spinal surgery to remove the cysts & snip my spinal cord. Mayo said they couldn't go the surgery because I was a minor so we had to go to Rochester. Well that was an absolute nightmare & it was impossible to get an appointment there so I didn't get the surgery.
Due to all the infections, my big toe joint deteriorated & the toe was technically dislocated all the time for 4+ years. In the photo it shows how my toe was side ways, over my second toe. That's how I was for 4+ years until this year. I was never able to afford the 6-8 week recovery time for this reconstruction surgery I needed. I didn't get help like other kids, I had to work for my money & I was barely scraping by as it was. Fast forward to this September, I had to switch to Gunderson from Mayo because of my insurance. So I met my new podatrist & we went over my options for surgery. I had to decide if I wanted this surgery, or to amputate my toe & I had three days to decide due to my doctor's schedule. He needed to be free for two consecutive weeks because I technically had two surgeries. The first they took out a chunk of the joint to send in for testing of infections before putting the metal in. I also has a bone graft from my heel because there wasn't enough in the toe.
Not to say my doctor is bad, but he hasn't been listening to me since then. The splints & boots I've been given have made things much worse which I've told him. The splint was rock hard so it caused another pressure sore on my heel that's a huge worry right now. So then he put me in a boot which was cutting me after two days but he wouldn't let me go back to the splint. So it cut me all over the top of my foot & also cut me on my heel above the pressure sore. Got put back in the splint & it made my heel worse & caused more bruising/ pressure areas on the side of my foot.
That's the jist of it, I know it's a lot. Because of these issues my recovery time has now been three months & I was just told I have at the very least another month still. Not being able to work is absolutely killing me. I've sold my nicest things already so now all I can sell are my clothes & what not, which nobody is buying. I'm stressed to the max & being stuck to sit all day is making my mental health horrific on top of it all.
The best Christmas gift I could get is support & help so I can pay my bills & actually breathe again. Anything helps & I would be extremely appreciative. Thank you in advance ❤️
This is the long story:
In 2014 I got a blister on the bottom of my foot that turned into a pressure sore. It wouldn't heal/ close so I had several infections from it. At first we didn't know why but after MRI's, CT scans & whatever else they could think of, we found some underlying issues. I had an extra bone in that foot that was actually sticking through the pressure sore which was the biggest reason why it wasn't closing. We also learned I had six cysts along my spine & two of them at the base of my spine were pinching the major nerve down that leg. My spinal cord is also still tethered so my nerves are hyperextend. Because of these things I had severe nerve damage in that foot so I lost feeling & also behind my leg. My first surgery was to remove the extra bone & clear out the infection. Fast forward a year & I'm in the same situation. Throughout the two years I was in the hospital more times than I remember because of these infections. They eventually decided to go in again to clean it out & hope the pressure sore closes which thankfully it did. Because of the severity of the infections I had a pic line both times, one in each arm. Also because of the nerve damage & me not having feeling in the foot I couldn't tell when it was rubbing something, or was even cut which made things worse. I was 15/16 at the time-my mother tried to get me in for spinal surgery to remove the cysts & snip my spinal cord. Mayo said they couldn't go the surgery because I was a minor so we had to go to Rochester. Well that was an absolute nightmare & it was impossible to get an appointment there so I didn't get the surgery.
Due to all the infections, my big toe joint deteriorated & the toe was technically dislocated all the time for 4+ years. In the photo it shows how my toe was side ways, over my second toe. That's how I was for 4+ years until this year. I was never able to afford the 6-8 week recovery time for this reconstruction surgery I needed. I didn't get help like other kids, I had to work for my money & I was barely scraping by as it was. Fast forward to this September, I had to switch to Gunderson from Mayo because of my insurance. So I met my new podatrist & we went over my options for surgery. I had to decide if I wanted this surgery, or to amputate my toe & I had three days to decide due to my doctor's schedule. He needed to be free for two consecutive weeks because I technically had two surgeries. The first they took out a chunk of the joint to send in for testing of infections before putting the metal in. I also has a bone graft from my heel because there wasn't enough in the toe.
Not to say my doctor is bad, but he hasn't been listening to me since then. The splints & boots I've been given have made things much worse which I've told him. The splint was rock hard so it caused another pressure sore on my heel that's a huge worry right now. So then he put me in a boot which was cutting me after two days but he wouldn't let me go back to the splint. So it cut me all over the top of my foot & also cut me on my heel above the pressure sore. Got put back in the splint & it made my heel worse & caused more bruising/ pressure areas on the side of my foot.
That's the jist of it, I know it's a lot. Because of these issues my recovery time has now been three months & I was just told I have at the very least another month still. Not being able to work is absolutely killing me. I've sold my nicest things already so now all I can sell are my clothes & what not, which nobody is buying. I'm stressed to the max & being stuck to sit all day is making my mental health horrific on top of it all.
The best Christmas gift I could get is support & help so I can pay my bills & actually breathe again. Anything helps & I would be extremely appreciative. Thank you in advance ❤️
Organizer
Alura Richards
Organizer
Onalaska, WI
