I'm a Medical Mess

I'm feeling quite overwhelmed right now. I saw my fourth, yes fourth, podiatrist today and this one's a keeper. He's awesome. He asked where my heel hurt and I showed him, he started pushing on different spots on my foot and made the diagnosis that I do not have plantar faciitis! I have a pinched nerve in my foot and basically everything to treat PF aggravates the pinched nerve. Then he took x-rays and confirmed the pinched nerve. In between all this, I tell him about my right big toe, how I think it's infected from the ingrown toenail removal back in December. He looks at it and says it was ingrown again. UGH. So he removes the ingrown part, but says I need to have the root removed or it will grow back again. I thought the first podiatrist did that, but I guess not. It was kind of painful to have him remove the ingrown toenail because my foot wasn't really numb, but it was no where near as painful as when he injected my left foot with some medication to help loosen up the nerve. Holy mother of Mary did that hurt. I was literally doing Lamaze breathing.

So I make the appointment to have the root of my toenail removed and I can't get in until May 4th! This guy must be good. I really liked him alot, super nice and friendly, but very intelligent and professional. I'm feeling overwhelmed because the directions they gave me for the root removal are very strict. The "surgery" will be at 7:30 am, but they won't let me leave until 11am. Toes bleed a lot so they want to make sure I'm ok. I absolutely cannot drive so I have to have someone with me. I can only walk to the bathroom that day, and they strongly advise someone to be home with me the rest of the day. I can't get the bandage wet, meaning no showers or baths, I don't know for how long. I have to go in for 3 post op visits and the worst part is I have to wear a surgical shoe for 3-6 weeks. ARGH! We're getting into flip flop season....not good. I asked the receptionist if this was all for an ingrown toenail root removal and she said it was. They are general surgery instructions, so maybe they will be loosed up a little, but not much. I'm dreading the surgical shoe.

Also this medication he shot me up with doesn't seem to be working and the only other alternative is an in office surgical procedure where he makes an incision and surgically loosens the nerve. i should just have him do that the same day as the ingrown toenail. The post op instructions are probably the same!

Then on my way home I get a call from Aurora, my pap from last week was unsatisfactory for evaluation so I have to have a repeat in 3 months. Great, another time for Dr. Gibson to see my crotch. I swear everytime I've seen this man I've been in stirrups. But yet another dr. apt., and more time away from work.

AND on top of all this foolishness, Dr. Gibson called me last week to discuss my inferility stuff. One of the cultures he took from my crotch show that I have some cervical infection called ureaplasma which can lead to infertility. It's not an STD, basically just an infection. But it can cause infertility because the infection produces antibodies that don't allow sperm through cervical fluid. So he prescribed antiobiotics for Mike and I both. He reviewed the xrays from my HSG and the radiologist says one of my tubes is slightly distended (bent) probably from my cyst that was endo. Finally, Mike's semen analysis was pretty good. His sperm count is excellent (his chest puffed out when I told him that), but he has a few more abnormal sperm than he should. But because he has so many sperm, that's really not an issue. I have low progesterone too. So these are a lot of little things that are adding up and he recommended he see Dr. Severino.

So between my foot and my infertility shit, I'm feeling like quite the mess.

So here's what's on tap for me in the next three months:
March 9th: Mike and I meet with Dr. Severino. Who knows what will come of that? Ultrasounds, blood work, meds...who knows?
May 4th: ingrown toenail root removal (with those post op instructions, I'm wondering if he's just going to lop off my toe)
June 1st: repeat Pap

Maybe I'm being a wimp, but that's a lot to take in.