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TKR My RTKR journey

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Talk about mixed-up: Saturday night it POURED here in the city (it hadn't been predicted--in fact, on Friday night the weather forecasts had advised concertgoers that Saturday night's concert weather would be "perfect"). So the night I went, there was no rain and our seats were sheltered. But Saturday night, Bob & Gordy's seats were completely uncovered down in the field box section and they got DRENCHED!

Yesterday was my longest drive yet: Chicago to Madison and back--3 hrs. each way. Managed just fine. I did hurt after performing on my feet for an hour--but it was the LEFT knee and its I.T. band, not the right. So I am resigning myself to the inevitability of having to do a LTKR as soon as my and my OS' schedules permit. By the time I return from Europe, the magic 3-month mark (at least the one my OS prefers) will have been passed. The fact that my left knee now stays stiffer and more painful longer after "startup," and bothers me more while on my feet, is the signal that it is indeed "ready." But I have a very busy fall season right up until the week before Christmas, and my OS is away from then till just before New Year's Eve. We're contemplating early January. My sister in VA (who had to do a winter rehab for combined ACL/MCL reconstruction and right now is recovering from metatarsal-fracture external fixation/ligament reconstruction surgery) strongly urges me to avoid doing rehab during the winter, but I disagree: between the hospital and rehab facility I will be indoors for two solid weeks; and there should be no need for me to leave the house for another four weeks because of visiting physical therapists. If I do need to leave (and descend icy stairs) for doctors' visits, I can always hire a medi-van service to haul me in a wheelchair up and down the stairs, just as they did when I was non-weightbearing in the weeks after my tib-fib fixation surgery in the winter of 1996-7. I can rent a basic "companion" wheelchair for that purpose, as I will otherwise be on my feet except going between house and medi-van. Moreover, that should be a non-issue if we have the kind of mild and largely snow-free winter we had in 2011-12.
 
Sitting in the gate lounge at ORD-about to board my flight to Heathrow and turn this iPad off. As expected, my new knee set off the metal detector, and I had to wait 15 min. for a female TSA agent to pat me down (no hand-wanding done). Propping my leg up on my bag. Looking forward to the roomy seat with footrest; hopefully, not so much turbulence to prevent my getting up periodically. Not much walking in the terminal--have a close-in gate; though 20 min. standing in the TSA line was a trial. (walking is much easier). Not sure how much wi-fi access I'll have at Heathrow during our layover, so next time I'll post will probably be from our room in Budapest tomorrow afternoon. So far, so good knee wise--and down 2 lbs!
 
Checking in from aboard the Viking Njord, killing time before stateroom is ready. Rough day yesterday with knee--my seats aboard the flights, even Premium Economy, did not allow both knees to elevate. My seat had this strange motor housing on the leg of the seat in front that interfered with the foot and leg rests, so my left knee stayed painfully bent unless I either crossed my ankles or kept the foot turned uncomfortably. My lap tray had a broken hinge and wouldnt stay level--had to prop it up with a magazine. Bob's reading light didnt work. Neither of us slept in flight, either to Heathrow or Budapest. Will see if I can upgrade to business class on the flight home, so i can at lesst ice and elevate if not sleep. Much standing around waiting in security, bag claim and waiting for the hotel shuttle that never came. (As expected, my RTKR earned me the full pat-down treatment from the TSA at O'Hare and Heathrow, though Bob's carry-on got more scrutiny). Waiting in line for the loo on the flight was an English lady, and we compared TKRs. She had a BTKR 5 months ago and says it was the best surgery she ever had. Was going to ask if she was a fellow Bonesmartie, but then the loo became available. While in line, we did our lunges, wall squats and toe raises, no doubt alarming some passengers, who thought we were readying ourselves for some nefarious international activity.

Time change and the need to take aspirin to prevent DVT played havoc with when to take my Bonesmart Cocktail--had to take a Norco to get to sleep and beat jet lag. Hotel beds were very low--tough to get out Awoke with sore back and knees, and was quite grateful for my supply of Voltaren gel. But the walking through airports, as long as I kept moving, wasn't so bad. Having one of those "spinner" rollaboards along with my cane was like using a walker.

Here on the ship are several other TKR veterans--hope I can keep up with them on the tours. Most of the passengers are Canadian, next biggest group American, then British. There is an Aussie couple and one Kiwi lady. We are two of the youngest passengers, despite being in our early sixties.There was a walking tour of the city planned, but only Bob was intrepid enough to brave it. I passed on it due to sand in my sandals (walking shoes are in my suitcase, which is in transit to our room; blisters would have been an inauspicious way to begin this cruise) and a fiercely whipping wind. Even Bob returned to the ship early, after changing some money--his carryon bag was too heavy. There'll be a full bus tour of the area tomorrow anyway. Already eating & drinking too well. After we finally move into our room, my knee & I will spend quality time with an ice bag. More later.
 
Three months and a day! I keep trying to post but the ship's Internet kicks me off every five minutes.

No need for my cane aboard the ship: just a short flight of stairs with banisters between my cabin and main deck, and an elevator between upper and main deck. Sun deck is closed since we left Vienna, as the bridges and locks are too low for clearance.

The walking tours have ranged from gentle to brutal, but worth it nonetheless. Budapest was a challenge: Pest was easy and flat but the hike up the hill to Buda's Coronation Church was tough, steep and cobblestoned. Even twisted my ankle briefly, but I recovered. Bratislava was a snap, as was Vienna (skipped Schonbrunn Palace due to lots of steps). Melk was tough: hilly, wet stony climb to the Abbey but was rewarded with wonderful views and rich history. Passau was extremely tough, since our tour guide (a mountain goat in a past life) decided to take us down shortcuts which featured teeny sharp cobblestones and twisty stairs sans railings. But it's a beautiful town, and the cathedral was gorgeous with an equally impressive organ concert. Regensburg was only slightly easier but just as beautiful--one of the few German towns not destroyed in WWII and rebuilt. As with every walking tour thus far since Vienna, it culminated in a steep climb up to the town cathedral. But I passed on the Alte Wurstkuchen (the original hot dog stand, the world's first fast food joint) to search for good old fashioned unfashionable cushy sneakers (no luck but I did find thick wool socks, metatarsal pads, and OTC Voltaren gel, spray, pills and patches).

I should have disregarded my podiatrist, who encouraged me to take my three pairs of Finn Comfort walking shoes (sandals, high-vamp loafers and oxfords, plus orthotics): even their thick soles and cork-and-leather arch-support insoles are no match for cobblestones. I brought two pair of dress shoes, one of which I wore to a concert in Vienna (nearly falling off the bottom step of the bus when my kitten heel caught) and the other staying in the closet till the Captain's farewell dinner. The pads ended up doing more harm than good, in that they made every step feel like it was on cobblestones.

Let me warn you about cobblestones: they are not just sprains waiting to happen but the equivalent of rocks in your shoes. The cheapest pair of Payless gym shoes, as long as they're cushy, beat the most expensive European walking shoes by a country mile. The heck with fashion. Some on Facebook have suggested Crocs, but they're what gave me a stress fracture/cuboid syndrome to begin with. Sole is too "sticky," especially on terrazzo or tile, and foot moves around too much inside for meaningful support. My injury in 2009 happened when, while visiting a friend in-hospital, I found my shoe stopped dead in its tracks while my foot kept going. Good for chefs and nurses who stand for long periods indoors, bad for locomotion, especially outdoors.

So yesterday was Nuremberg--I opted to stay in the relatively flat Old Town section rather than hike up to the castle. There was a huge Saturday market going on, but alas--nowhere close enough to buy sneakers and still get back to the ship in time. And the regular shoe stores had only slim and fashionable shoes. Darn bunions! But I am not going to have bunion surgery and risk the integrity of my implant for the sake of fashion. (I'd have to be nonweightbearing too, which would put the kibosh on rehabbing the left knee when I replace it).

Today was the acid test thus far: Bamberg. Practically everything worth seeing involved cobblestones and brutal hill climbs. And medieval-era stones are the worst. But by now, I was the only person signing up for the "leisure -paced" tours, so I had to bite the bullet. Heck, even the elderly British nurse and hefty KY retiree who are pre-TKR, the SC exec who's only 4 months post-TKR and the octogenarian German gentleman from Alberta who uses arm crutches and has two TKRs decided to go for it. Nothing like peer pressure, eh? But I was rewarded with a magnificent view, cardio workout, and a nice tall schooner of smoky "rauchbier," the Bamberg-only specialty that tastes like drinking bacon (not as bizarre as it sounds).

So far, so good. The left foot hurts worse than either knee, and except for a few seconds of startup pain (and the need for help getting off a non-"kneeling" bus) the right knee is better than the left. But God bless the Bonesmart Cocktail, Josephine: I have turned my fellow orthopedic patient shipmates on to it (and topical Voltaren). BTW, one Canadian passenger is singing the praises of a device called the Biomat, which she uses for back pain and says some bone-on-bone patients have used to successfully forestall a TKR. Anyone here familiar with it, and if so, is it the real deal or ionic snake oil?
 
10 members of my biking group left for Budapest yesterday!! I am so jealous. My husband cannot travel--he is 6'6" with a really bad back and congestive heart failure. So, I will have to continue biking in the smokey Flathead Valley. Fires from the east side of Montana and Idaho are making our skies very gray and smokey. My asthma does not like this!

One of the women on the trip used to live in Budapest, so they will spend four days there and then go on a biking tour of Hungary. I want to bike in Ireland. Kelly
 
Don't know if it was the smoked beer in Bamberg or the NSAIDs, but I awoke 4am Monday with chest, upper back and upper ab pain so fierce that I thought I was having either a heart attack or P.E. (Bob deduced after taking my pulse and quizzing me that it was neither). Dared manage only my blood pressure pill and some sweetened herb tea for breakfast. Morning bus ride to and short walking tour of the insanely ornate Bishop's Palace in Wurzburg was marred by the feeling I was about to explode, alternating with belching like a locomotive. (ominously, nothing comparable "down south" if you get my drift; tooling down the autobahn and seeing the sign "ausfahrt," my first thought was "I wish." Okay, second thought--I know it means "freeway exit""). We made it along the Romantic Road to the medieval village of Rothenburg; when we got off the bus and I told Bob, he was sure I had either a retained gallstone (left over in the common duct after my lap choly in 1994) or even an ileus, either of which would require medical rather than pharmacist attention and possibly hospitalization. Bright side was that I forgot about my orthopedic and foot pain for a bit.

Began the first arduous quarter mile trek to the restaurant where we (three bus loads) were to have our "traditional German lunch." Mass tourist meals in faux-quaint restaurants rarely turn out well, but this was no worse than blah. Bob deemed it okay for me to drink water, have some sips of (forgettable Franconian Silvaner) wine and nibble a bit on some dry bratwurst, okay sauerkraut and decent strudel. By then, after a trip to the loo where I did relieve some pressure (TMI, I know), I was feeling well enough to walk with our guide to the apothecary and peel off from the herd for awhile. Described my symptoms to the pharmacist and she agreed I needed some simethicone and perhaps some herbal tummy drops to settle my stomach. Both worked within minutes, and I was able to wander the marketplace. No comfy shoe stores, but there was a huge Christmas boutique that made a dent in my wallet (and a bulge in my luggage); also sipped some delicious freshly-pressed juice made from local heirloom apple varieties. None of the gelato flavors were sufficiently unusual to risk a relapse, and I didn't feel like beer or wine. The trip back was uneventful and once again my first task once on board was to ice and elevate.

That's not as easy as it sounds on a river cruise ship: the rooms have fridges without freezers, and the ziplock bags I'd been filling with cubes from the ice machine were leaking. So I have had to resort to chilling gel packs I'd bought in Bratislava and switching them every 10 minutes, and resting the sole of my left foot on the bottle of bubbly from the fridge. Nonetheless, I'm eating lighter and taking my NSAIDs topically, using arnica gel, and avoiding any opioids till I see my gastroenterologist back home.

Today was much easier. We docked in Wertheim, another lovely medieval town in the Baden region along the Main. The town is quite flat, and the cobblestones new enough to be fairly level. Our guide led us at a gentle pace and showed us some hidden gems of the town's history, including the tomb of a court jester (the only uphill/stair climbing I had to do in order to enter the chapel). Strolled back to the ship after buying some wine, but found to my chagrin that the next walking tour--to the Jewish cemetery--would involve some very steep hill climbs and descents. So I swapped out the contents of the fridge--put in the wine, took out the gel packs--and chilled my knee.

One major worry back home is marring my trip. I had set up a real estate closing to occur in my absence, hiring my mentor and former boss--an octogenarian real estate expert who knows more about the realty scene than the rest of Chicago combined--to be present. But the day I left Vienna he had a stroke. We were able to postpone the closing to next week. But though he is in fine spirits, not paralyzed, eating well and joking, and his aphasia is resolving dramatically, he still cannot read and has no right-sided field of vision. I've been praying for him and Bob (who is Catholic and can do so whereas as a Jew I can't) has been lighting a candle for him in every church we've been visiting. Tonight is erev Yom Kippur, and he will be in my thoughts as I log on at 3am to the Kol Nidre service (provided the ship has Internet) being webcast from Cong. Nashuva in L.A.
 
Nearly 4 months post-op!

The biggest challenge of the trip turned out to be those darn cobblestones--no matter how I padded my shoes, my left ball-of-foot felt bruised (and even now, still does). The day after Wertheim, after sailing all day and night on the Main, we awoke to find ourselves unexpectedly docked in Mainz in order for the KY man with the pre-op knees, who'd fallen on wet cobblestones and hit his head in Wertheim, to get medical care. Turns out he was just severely dehydrated, was treated, and rejoined us in Koblenz that evening. In between, we stopped at Marksburg Castle for the mountain goats among us (my Bob included) to take the hiking/climbing (can't call it walking) tour while we sailed the Rhine. "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink:" all those wonderful vineyards, wineries and storybook villages, but we didn't dock at any of them. We docked in Koblenz and I went in search of some Rhine & Mosel Rieslings to taste and buy, but it was too early for the weinstubes to open (and if I'd waited I'd have missed dinner--and we sailed right after dinner). Bob & the others rejoined us just before dinner. He reported I'd have done fine on the hike up from the parking lot to the castle but the castle itself might have been a disaster for me--even the nimblest had trouble on the slick and mossy wet stone steps, which were uneven in height (but at least 10-12" high) and lacked railings or any handholds--the walls were slick!

Next morning we docked in Cologne--the walking tour was on relatively level terrain with some sidewalks. Only the pace (as it was in Koblenz) was difficult to keep up with--the "leisurely" walking tours were dropped because I was the only one signing up for them (and Bob & I were among the inadequate number of passengers signing up for the kolsch bier pub crawl). Any notion of heading off on our own for beer, wine, and a gourmet dinner was quashed by the incredibly slick and steep gangplank. While the others toured the cathedral, I made my way to the center of town to buy a much-needed extra suitcase: lightweight polycarbonate with spinner wheels. It was easy to roll back to the ship, where I had lunch and began planning the dreaded ordeal of repacking, as we had just two days before disembarking and flying home. Captain's farewell dinner & reception were that night. Afterward, I decided to try singing with the lounge pianist, who did a double take and asked why on earth I hadn't done so earlier in the cruise. I replied that I get my chance on a weekly basis and didn't want to steal anyone else's spotlight. He said I should bring a "fake book" (lyrics & lead sheets for 100-200 songs) for my next cruise.

Next day, the Rhine turned broad and the landscape flat and intermittently industrial as we entered the Netherlands and docked at Kinderdijk for a tour of windmills (we were given a lecture and slide show, along with some gouda and genever liqueur, as we sailed toward it). It was very windy (duh) and drizzly; I lagged behind and walked at my own pace, not needing to climb up to the top floor of the windmill (steep ladders) but still seeing quite a bit downstairs. After a slide show at the pump house, I bought some souvenirs (incl. a wonderful aged organic Gouda, of which I'd have bought more but it was the only wheel not flavored with fenugreek), went back to the ship and finished packing. (Had started before we docked, but cut my finger on a disposable razor--don't ask--and needed to treat and preemptively disinfect the wound for nearly 20 minutes before I could keep a band-aid on. (Band-aids kept falling off for days after, so I eventually used surgical adhesive instead). Was fully packed, except for dinner, sleep & travel outfit, before dinner time so we were able to relax before bed and then sailed to Amsterdam--where we docked at 2 am. In retrospect, I'd rather we skipped the windmills so we could have spent an evening in Amsterdam. We had to have our bags in the corridor by 5:30 am, so we turned in early. After an early breakfast we said our goodbyes and boarded the transfer bus to Schipol Airport. Since it was so early on a Sat. morning, there was no traffic so the bus driver gave us a quick city tour en route.

At the British Airways desk in Schipol, the agent saw I had a cane and asked if I'd like assistance. I gladly accepted. But if I'd accepted the handicap tram to the gate, Bob wouldn't have been able to accompany me. So I took a wheelchair, but he had to wheel me as I steered my suitcase. It was insane--the airport is a zoo (albeit an upscale zoo) and we had several collisions and many near-collisions as queues suddenly formed along our way. Security there is at each cluster of gates (and, thanks to Murphy's Law ours was the last). I got out of the chair, took off my shoes, set off the metal detector as I'd warned them I would, and was wanded. It was my bra's underwire that was the culprit. I was subjected to a pat-down more intrusive than the ones I endured when I was an asst. Atty. Gen. doing hearings at Stateville Prison. Plenty of room in Economy on that flight to Heathrow. Was met on the jetway by a wheelchair and attendant, who then loaded us into a tram to take us to the disabled-assistance dispatch station. I was assigned a new chair (with a shelf for my suitcase), with porter who was charming and very helpful. Went through a special security lane where I didn't have to walk through the wicket nor even remove my shoes--was wanded and patted down as I sat. Once again, Bob's carryon attracted more scrutiny than did my knee. The porter then wheeled us to the disability lounge to check us in, and at our request to the caviar bar. Finally--real caviar and real champagne. (Sounds extravagant, but we owed ourselves this oasis in our airport ordeal, and needed to spend our remaining Euros). Got another porter when our flight was assigned a gate (at Heathrow, you never know where you're going till an hour before the flight)--to our chagrin, it was a 747 with STAIRCASE--a shortage of jetways that day. Fortunately, instead of having to wrestle my way onto and off a stand-up bus and then have to struggle up the stairs, I was rolled on to a "high-lift" truck, which lifted us into its cab and then elevated its cab to be flush with the plane's entry door. Economy Plus on the 747 was roomier than on the 777, with much nicer food and full video-on-demand. When we landed at O'Hare, we were met by another wheelchair and porter. This young kid breezed us past the long queues and through the Handicap Priority I.C.E. gateway, retrieved our luggage and put it on a cart, and steered me and the cart first through Customs and then to the taxi stand, where we got a minivan. Home at last!

Next few days when I awoke, I would look out the window and think, "DANG--are we STILL docked in Chicago? When is this house going to sail anywhere?"
 
Part 2
Had a gig (Woody Guthrie tribute showcase) the Fri. after arriving home: this time, I ascended the stage easily (sans cane) and stood for all five songs. No problem. My ankles were swollen when I got home but I didn't have any stiffness.

No progress in the real estate closing: in fact, it was delayed another couple of weeks due to the other party's lender throwing up roadblocks. We finally scheduled it for today. Meanwhile, my boss/co-counsel went home from RIC last Thurs. (the day after I left for St. Louis for the Folk Alliance Region Midwest aka FARM conference) and is making progress with his occupational therapy. Wed. I drove down to St. Louis (stopping just once, for a rest stop and snack). My GPS re-routed me around a lane closure (which turned out to be nonexistent) and took me to the city's southwest suburbs via a creepy industrial section of E. St. Louis. (Remember that scene in "National Lampoon's Vacation")? Got to the hotel and found to my chagrin that my room was in a different wing 3 blocks from the tower where the conference itself was taking place. Between that and the fact that the evening programs were at a playhouse a couple more blocks away I didn't even have to break out my exercise clothes to use the gym. Barely used the cane the entire weekend. My foot caught a lucky break: it was warm enough to wear my Fit-Flops most of the time, and they were like pillows. And when it was cooler, My New Balance sneakers with gel inserts were great. (If only I'd brought them to Europe). The one downside was that after my late-night "guerrilla" showcases I had to miss the lobby jams--I'd have had to walk the three blocks to my room to get my additional instruments, walk back to the conference tower lobby and walk back to my room again when the jams broke up at dawn. By 2 am each night my ankles were the size of Chicago softballs, so I elected instead to use the time icing, massaging and elevating as I checked and answered e-mail. Got about 6 hrs. of sleep a night--too exhausted to wake up. Drive back home Sunday was a snap, except for the howling winds and the ominous wedge clouds on the horizon. Fortunately, no twisters nor even storms. (From what I hear, it was very stormy up here, with tornado sirens going off several times).

Finally did the closing today--which took insanely long because the lender kept making mistakes (accidentally-on-purpose) in the computations it was faxing in and changing its policies from minute to minute. But in the end, the house changed hands and the check got "cut." Finished watching the debate tonight--waiting for the Aleve to kick in. I intend to be a slug-a-bed tomorrow, reestablishing a meaningful relationship with my pillows and ice packs.
 
What a wonderful trip. Our daughter lives in Bonn, but we really cannot go since the trip would be too much for Bob right now. I am envious. We are in the midst of my second favorite season--fall. The aspen trees turn a wonderful gold. Then, onto my favorite season---winter!! Yah.
 
Here's my cobblestone-injury update:

2 weeks ago I got a lift downtown to the Bar Assn. for rehearsal, so I had to make my own way back. Was wearing the Finn Comfort loafers I wore on those cobblestoned streets, but figured my foot was probably healed by now. It was a lovely day, I have a CTA prepaid transit pass and I couldn't see blowing $20 on a cab or spending most of my ride sitting in a partly-underground train. (Besides, my neighborhood station is 4 blocks from home). So I took the bus instead, knowing it'd take forever but I'd definitely get a seat, have stuff to look at out the window, and alight only 1/2 block from my door. Reached my stop, alit and walked to my house. A few feet along the sidewalk I reallized that every step was agony--my ball-of-foot was extremely sore and tender and I felt as if the cobblestone were inside my shoe. Got inside, tore off the shoe and sock and ascertained to my relief that there was no redness or heat, no skin tenderness, and that the sore and burning pain was only when I rolled off onto that forefoot when walking. Slipped into my Fit-Flops and the pain was gone--just like that, I was walking on pillows. Unfortunately, rubber thong sandals, no matter how blingy, are not appropriate for all (or even most) occasions or weather conditions. I found some 3/4 length gel pads, took my old orthotics out of my NB sneakers and replaced the original-equipment insoles, and laid the gel pads atop the insoles so as to create air space between the sole of my forefoot and the shoe. That too felt good. (But big clunky sneakers, even in stealth black, don't cut it in formal or business situations). As I mentioned earlier, conditions at the music conf. in St. Louis were such that I was able to wear either the Fit Flops or the NBs.

After sufficiently resting and icing today, I decided I had to do something--there would be situations in which I would have to wear shoes other than sandals., trainers or UGGs, so I drove up to the burbs to the orthopedic shoe store (where three years ago I nearly gave their top salesman, aka "the shoe whisperer," a nervous breakdown trying to fit my trouble-child of a left foot, with its bunion, bunionette, and healing cuboid bone stress fx). When I mentioned to the salesman (a different guy) that I now had metatarsalgia on top of all that, he was about to turf me off to the pedorthist (who wouldn't be in till later this week). I described what seemed to be working, and the particular shoes that were inadequate to protect me from the cobblestones (those Finn Comforts, made in Germany for Germans to wear, presumably walking on German cobblestones).

We ascertained that not only were those outsoles too thin, the insole was not cushioned enough. So I bought the newer softer memory-foam-forefoot arch support insoles FC now makes, to retrofit the inadequate shoes, and tried a couple of new rocker-bottom FCs--an oxford and a Mary Jane. Voila--no metatarsalgia! Apparently, a lot of patients with sensitive feet and/or diabetes along with hard-to-fit feet had given them feedback, so this new line of softer shoes with thicker rocker soles was developed. Also picked up a pair of boiled wool mule clogs to wear around the house (which are sturdy enough if I have to go down into my garden). Will let you know how it goes.
 
I ran across this comment, about your shoe dilemma, in another thread:

The aftermath of the dang cobblestones is making even a block seem like a mile--I keep dreaming of shoes & inserts that would cradle and prop up my sore spot and keep it from contacting anything, while keeping my toes from being smushed. I doubt they exist. Before the cobblestones I could go nearly a half mile without stopping!

Here, it seems you've found a solution, but I wanted to mention Aerosoles to you. The insole on the sandals I have comes out and on the underside, you can remove a spot, or however many spots necessary, to relieve pressure on particular spots on the foot. They have a whole line of shoes and boots. I don't know if they all have this type of insole. Cobblestones are rough! Nine years in Europe, I always looked for an adjacent non-cobblestoned surface to walk on.
 
What a great recovery adventure! Seems we all have been searching for comfortable, supportive shoes for different reasons. My Ecco Performance Yucatan sandals are AWESOME, but i have yet to find the perfect shoe.
 
Most of my sandals, slippers, boots and shoes now are Orthaheels. I need the arch support.
 
Five months already! Today was the first full choreography rehearsal for the annual Chicago Bar Assn. Christmas Spirits show, and oh, my are my dogs ever barking! Howling at the moon, actually. Yup--it's my feet that are bearing the brunt of the quasi-dancing I have to do (low-impact walking, swaying, arm-waving, do-si-do-ing, shimmying and that blasted knee bending). My knees hurt of course when I'm bending while bearing weight--but the right one is the pain of healing, and I'm bending as much as when wall-squatting. The left one, OTOH, is wearing out fast and threatening to collapse: have to rehearse with half a Flector (diclofenac) patch on it for the pain and a brace or sleeve for support. Ironically, in the show's opener, I play an elderly attorney complaining about being put out to pasture, and my part calls for hobbling. Nearly 12 weeks of physical therapy to get rid of a limp and now I have to fake one! But no using a cane as a prop: two of my castmates need them for real, one because she's rehabbing a broken ankle and the other because he had his hip replaced in Sept. (by my OS, who is fast becoming the "team physician"). In another scene I play an Occupy singer-guitarist leading a protest hootenanny. (But the only shoes that don't hurt me are also way too pricey for a scruffy protester. Maybe I can get a pair of fake cheap sneakers or espadrilles from Payless and rough them up a bit, padding them inside with orthotics and gel pads). The toughest part of the show, as always, will be costume changes (five) and trips between my third-floor dressing room (second-floor is just for offices) and the orchestra pit/green room in the basement. The first three changes are within 5-10 min. of each other (and I'm such a klutz that it takes me nearly that long just to tie & untie my shoes--three different pair). Looks like lots of layering may save the day. And then I have to dash to the wings & back to grab my guitar at the end of the finale for the encore. (Then the three-flight trek upstairs to get back into street clothes, which doubtless will include snow boots).

Speaking of my feet, the metatarsalgia in the left one is getting worse. Even the rocker-sole shoes help for only a little while, and I must reapply topical painkillers (Voltaren gel or spray or Bio-Freeze roll-on) often. I've even had to resort to putting the other half of the Flector patch on the ball of my foot. Since it's not a Morton's neuroma after all (no telltale lump or toe separation), a cortisone or nerve-block shot wouldn't really help. So I will have to jump the gun and get cast ASAP for new rigid orthotics. My OS' staff podiatrist doesn't sell or fit the kind I need, and neither does my regular chiro/naprapath. So it's off to a special clinic for that--and it may be a couple of weeks before they're ready.

Worst of all is that I had planned to get my LTKR in early Jan., but my OS forgot to tell his office staff that he told me to wait until the cast party (his wife is a castmate in the show) to talk to him about scheduling it; so they scheduled him for surgeries clear up till the first week in April. Of course, that won't work, since I have a trip with my DH to the Napa Valley (continuing ed and R&R) the third week. So it looks like it's back into the unloader brace till late April for the surgery and hope I can make the next show I have booked in St. Louis (a library) in early June. Since it's my left leg, and there are no complications (just plain old bone-on-bone) I should be okay to ride or even drive. I certainly don't want to blow an entire season of gigs again, especially not another summer when we'll have several new recordings to promote. Meanwhile, I'm scrambling to fill Jan., Feb. & March with dates close to home, recording sessions, and perhaps remedial podiatry.
 
Dulcimer Diva said:
At the British Airways desk in Schipol, the agent saw I had a cane and asked if I'd like assistance. I gladly accepted....... Got another porter when our flight was assigned a gate (at Heathrow, you never know where you're going till an hour before the flight)--to our chagrin, it was a 747 with STAIRCASE--a shortage of jetways that day. Fortunately, instead of having to wrestle my way onto and off a stand-up bus and then have to struggle up the stairs, I was rolled on to a "high-lift" truck, which lifted us into its cab and then elevated its cab to be flush with the plane's entry door.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a nice and perfectly timed vacation.

I've done that same flight several times for work who fortunately flies us first class. Yes! But I do love Schiphol, it is such a great airport for people watching and they have those mini tours that are timed for travelers passing through. I've stayed at the .... I think it is the Sheraton there and it is so convenient with the train right in the same location. I never did the disabled cart assistance, thinking back I should have but was always too proud. Now after having a TKR, I am amazed that I was able to walk that distance.

And I've had that same issue at Heathrow with the aircraft on the tarmac. My heart sank when I saw that we had to walk up the stairs. Fortunately, people were very nice and didn't complain as I did the one foot at a time up the stairs. And a very cute guy took charge of my carry on and hauled it up the stairs for me. Since then, though, I have tended to avoid going through Heathrow because of that adventure.

Of course, now that I know so many BoneSmarties in the UK, I may have to purposely route through and spend an additional day and visit them.
 
Diva, I feel sorry for anyone with feet problems. I am one of them too. I have orthotics for both feet but my right one the podiatrist when casting my foot marked the ball of my foot with a marking pen so it would show on the cast and then when the orthotics came that one had that part cut out. I can't have any pressure on the ball of my foot because when I had a big toe joint replaced, it shortened my big toe and now my second toe is way longer and takes all the walking load and causes extreme pain on the bottom of my foot. So this cut out orthotic seems to help.
 
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