Post Leg Vein Ablation Update Nov. 11/11

On Nov. 02/11 I had bilateral (both legs) vein ablation. I was in the hospital for the procedure and received general anesthesia. The surgery was under 2 hours in duration. I had a bit of pain right after and received a non-opiate pain pill. I was fine after that! No pain at all!! I received some minor bruising on my legs and a tiny incision on each calf where the catheter was inserted. My two Dr's were wonderful and the nursing staff was extremely attentive. I noticed a bit of improvement post surgery but nothing earth shattering. My thighs and calves and feet all felt like heavy concrete before my ablation and afterwards (1 day) I noticed that the thighs and calves in both legs were much lighter feeling, the left foot also was lighter. The right foot still felt like I was wearing concrete shoes. The numbness and tingling in both feet and calves seemed to absent and I havent had any pain or swelling from the surgery. I do have some new, post op numbness in my right shin. The Dr's warned me this may occur but in the scheme of things I've had to deal with, this is but a trifle and may go away on it's own.

One thing I did notice was anesthesia hangover!!! OY!!! I would get so mind and body fatigued, about mid day, that I felt like my batteries were drained! I started drinking lots of coconut water and it really helped!! It's like Mother Nature's gator aide. When I went walking the dogs my right leg still felt weaker and heavy when it got fatigued and it fatigued much faster than the left. (as per usual) I was happy for the benefit I got from surgery but still was a bit bummed that my right leg wasnt much better.

I dont want to jinx myself but for the last 2 days, (Nov 9,10), there has been a change in my right leg. The concrete shoe is gone and a knife in my calf muscle, just below the back of the knee has replaced it! You laugh! I laughed too!! But I thought this was a good thing!!! It felt like a charlie horse so I assumed my calf muscle and peronneal nerve wer finally getting proper blood flow and waking up. Last night when I was walking the dogs at bedtime, the knife was gone and I was walking normally for the first time in years. Now when I say normally, you have to understand what that means to me! I felt like both my legs were normal feeling. No concrete heaviness, no knife etc. It felt amazing!!! My husband noticed that I wasnt really walking "normally" in the true sense of the word. He said my ankles would wobble a bit and step was a bit wobbley, even though I was able to make longer, fluid strides. Today on my walks I have been practicing the heel toe mantra as I walk. It's like I have to re train my brain and legs again! I noticed that I have improved stamina in both legs but practicing the heel toe walk, my legs fatigue a bit quicker.

I am going to start some self directed physio and rehab in the gym once my 2 weeks post op is done and I can remove these lovely compression knee highs. I do not know if I have permanent nerve damage or foot drop and would like a professional diagnosis. All these years I was told that my walking problem was "MS" and nobody looked any further. If I still lived in Canada I doubt that I would have gotten treatment for my venous insufficiency of my legs due to the negative bias against CCSVI patients. Even here, in Hong Kong, I ran across a UK Dr. who all but crawled out of his skin and lied to my face so he could justify not performing the vein ablation on my legs. I made the mistake of telling him I had undergone CCSVI treatment and he was, unfortunately, one of those ignorant haters. Dare I name the mann? Suffice to say I will never go back to him!!!