The Incident

Food Processor VS. Foot SmackDown

So, my EHL was injured on 2/23/14 during an aggressive Spring Cleaning rampage. My brand-new KitchenAid 9-Cup Food Processor had been sitting on my counter, unused since Christmas. I decided to pack it up neatly, and return it to Bed Bath & Beyond in exchange for some satin sheets & pillowcases as an apology gift to my recently over-bleached hair. While fitting the Food Processor pieces into the styrofoam blocks, the largest blade popped out, as carefree as can be, blew me a kiss, and free-fell right onto the middle of my foot- my right foot. It also tickled my shin on the way down, and left a slice that would later be sealed with 5 stitches. Rude.

"That must have hurt!!!" said no one, because I was home alone, in a Victoria's Secret bathrobe cape for naked people.

Did it hurt, though? Barely. Just enough for me to bark "FUCK" for a 3-MISSISSIPPI count, and scamper to the bathroom.

My plan: rinse wounds, apply bandaid, make a snack, sit down.

What actually happened: rinse off blood, see gaping wounds, realize my big toe was completely paralyzed, somehow manage to clothe myself while calling for an ambulance to bring me to the ER.

At the hospital, I was given: antibiotics, tetanus shot, and an evaluation of my foot. The diagnosis? A lacerated EHL Tendon. This is the tendon that allows the Big Boss Toe to dorsiflex (reach toward the shin) I could lift and move all other toes, but the Chief just hung there, drooping about an inch lower than the other phalanges. Sigh.

The Podiatrist numbed the area, and poked around with a needle to "find the 2 severed ends" Yum. He was only able to find one, which means the other end had retracted back into the foot. An MRI revealed that the gap between the tendon was about 3 centimeters.

I rejoiced, because for the last 25 years, I have believed that a centimeter is roughly this size:  |

It turns out, that is false.

The Podiatrist says "This is a time-sensitive injury which will require surgery, ideally these should be operated on within 2 weeks. We can see you in 5 days." Phew!

Then they put me in a splint with my foot at a "90* angle" (it looked more like 70* to me, but they seemed to think that was fine?) Then, they gave me crutches, and commanded me to keep the foot elevated at all times, and DO NOT put ANY weight on it. This would keep the tendon still, and prevent it from pulling apart any further.

They told me the tendon would heal within 3-6 weeks. Okay! I can deal.

These were easy instructions but the next 5 days were completely fraught with anxiety, and I barely slept more than 10 hours collectively. Why? I made the epic mistake of googling the injury. What I found was terrifying and made me completely doubt the 3-6 weeks healing window I was quoted. 

Some of the stories I found online: People who took nearly 10-12 months to regain full strength, some who were grateful to reclaim "some movement" of their toe, or people who wore Keds forever and threw away all their high heels. What?!? On the other hand, there 2 beacons of hope that helped me stay calm: An actual case study of a touring Ballet Dancer who was able to return to the stage within 13 weeks after complete tendon laceration. And also, Serena Williams: EHL repair surgery in 2010. She is clearly still an agile beast of an athlete and also my Spirit Animal.

I started to wonder if I should trust a Podiatrist Surgeon with this surgery? Or should I choose an Orthopedic Surgeon instead? I have heard strong opinions rallying for both. An Orthopedic surgeon is a master of tendon repair, but a Podiatrist surgeon is a master of the dynamics of the foot. PLUS, in my case, this Podiatrist Surgeon was the chief of the entire department, and had already done 2 EHL surgery repairs that same week! Ultimately, I chose the Podiatrist Surgeon.

Are you facing this decision? My advice: Relax, and figure out your options. Don't be afraid to ask questions: How many surgeries has he/she performed? What is their success rate? etc. You deserve the best care! Simply choose the surgeon with the most relevant experience.

XOXO

:)