Wanda’s World
By Wanda Bingaman
On June 13th, I had foot surgery. I had a Hagland’s deformity aka pump bump on my right heel. There’s a lot of technical mumbo jumbo I could add to make me sound smart, but let’s face it- it’s summer and my brain is off.
I’ve had this bump on the back of my right heel for at least the last four years. I was working at a small cafe/catering business and I started to have some pain. I noticed standing for long periods was rough, flexing that foot was difficult, I was knocked in the calf- right above my heel with 700 pounds of meat and I couldn’t get it to stop aching. I went to my PCM and when asked if I had any concerns, I told her about the bump. She felt it and went “oh, my, well that’s something.” Um, yeah, lady. She got me into see a foot doctor. He confirmed that yes, I had a bump, no it wouldn’t go away, and that surgery should be out last option. He sent me to physical therapy. That helped a bit and for awhile. But, I was still in pain, I was still getting aches in my calf, this is when the bump was named Larry. My boys were always asking “how’s Larry today?” or after a walk “”how’s Larry doing?”. So, yes, my bump, was affecting the entire family.
I plugged along at the deli job another eight months. Then I made a decision for my mental health, my foot, and for my family’s sake I was going to find another job. I did, my dream job. I thought for sure Larry would benefit. No more standing for hours at a time on a concrete floor. Nope, didn’t happen. Larry made himself known there as well. I tried all kinds of shoes- I have nice tennis shoes that almost have a hole worn through the right heel. My first spring there during testing season, I proctored for every test- Larry was not having any of that.
I thought summer would come, Larry would rest, I’d be back to normal. I rested. I did nothing else. I looked like it too when school started back. Larry still wasn’t happy. I decided he wasn’t happy when I walked a lot, he wasn’t happy when I sat a lot- I was going to at least walk so I wasn’t big as a house! My school had a walking group- I completed nine 5Ks this past year. I didn’t run, I walked and finished each one in less then an hour- I was pleased. Larry was Larry. I finally got back to my foot guy. Seems Larry had grown I knew this- I could feel him growing, it would itch -yuck! So surgery was decided on.
Surgery. A Larry-ectomy. Opening my Achilles’ tendon like a book, shaving Larry into a fine powder, four screws in my foot, stitching up my Achilles, then stitching up my skin. No pressure for two months. No driving either. It sounded like a summer thing! Larry still wasn’t very happy, but there was an end in sight. Then testing season started- two weeks of 15K steps a day for another year. Yep- I was impatiently waiting for surgery day!
Two months pretty much of me sitting around being a cripple…….giving up control of my house, my kids, my freedom. Y’all- I have major control issues. This was not something to take lightly. Two weeks in a splint, Two weeks in a cast. Weeks of JUST SITTING with my foot raised. Four weeks in a walking boot. This is my summer. I should have two weeks of a “normal” foot before I start school again.
It’s not always about being in control…..sometimes, you have to just in and let other people (and your family) help you out.