It’s my first week back at work with nine toes, and some things will take some getting used to:
*My right foot now comes to a point.
*I never have to worry about my big toe hitting the front of my shoe when I’m wearing it. Although, that means my foot looks odd when I’m wearing certain shoes.
*One of my students was really excited that I was back and wanted to see the before and after pictures. She said they were the coolest thing she’d ever seen. She also told me that she was disappointed I couldn’t keep the toe 🙂 I, however, have no qualms about the toe going away for testing and never coming back.
*Walking is going pretty well with the surgery shoe. I’m a touch slower than I used to be. I also have a slight limp, but my balance is stronger than I expected it to be. I really can’t wait to wear two of the same shoes at the same time again 🙂
*I have to be extra careful walking up and down stairs (it’s that balance thing again).
*The surgery shoe is surprisingly good at keeping my foot dry and warm despite all the snow on the ground.
*Phantom pain is legit. I’ll hit my foot on something, and my toe will hurt even though it’s not there. It also tingles and aches quite a bit.
*Flip-flops and Chacos with a toe loop aren’t in my future 😦
*I cry and then laugh and then cry and laugh some more when I see my foot. It’s a little shocking to see it without a big toe.
*I have no regrets. Hindsight is always 20/20, and I never live in the past. I should have had the bump checked out sooner, but it was actually pretty big the first time I saw it. Who knows if the outcome would have been any different had I gone to the doctor earlier. Also, I would have had to go to a different doctor because mine had only been in the region for five weeks before I went to her. She came to Montana to start the type of department I needed to go to, and she’s great! I’ll take God’s timing any day 🙂
Glimpses from the Other Side 