"Foot" Notes - Day 57 - Surgery on Hallux Limius

I took my shadow out for walk today. It was a beautiful day and felt great to stretch my legs (and foot!).  

Health Benefits of Broccoli

For years, I have mentioned to patients that eating your broccoli is a good idea. This hearty, tasty vegetable is rich in dozens of nutrients. In fact, it packs the most nutritional punch of any vegetable!

Broccoli's noteworthy nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene), folic acid, calcium and the extra bonus of fiber.

In terms of fiber, broccoli is a fiber find! Not only is it a rich source, but half of its fiber is insoluble and half is soluble, helping to meet your needs for both types of fiber. But the story doesn't end with broccoli's rich array of nutrients. Broccoli provides a health bonus in the form of protective substances that may shield you from disease. Botanically, broccoli belongs to the cabbage family, collectively known as cruciferous vegetables.

Health organizations have singled out cruciferous vegetables as must-have foods, recommending we eat them several times a week. Why? They are linked to lower rates of cancer. Like all cruciferous vegetables, broccoli naturally contains two important phytochemicals -- indoles and isothiocyanates. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore isolated from broccoli an isothiocyanate, called sulforaphane that increases the activity of a group of enzymes in our bodies that squelch cancer-causing agents.

Broccoli and other brassica family vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, kale and cabbage are well known for their high concentration of this compund sulforaphane.

If you just so happen to dislike broccoli, kale, bok choy, cabbage or kale, then you can obtain even higher concentrated protection by taking your sulforaphane in supplement form.  Products like Indolplex by Integrative Therapeutics and Oncoplex SGS by Xymogen are excellent add-ons to your daily nutrition.  Both protect the body with antioxidant action as well as effectively regulating the body’s natural phase 2 detoxification enzymes. 

"Foot" Notes - Day 38 - Surgery for Hallux Limitus

Hello again!

Walking short distances with a focus on correct gait. Physical therapy is fun with the balancing, dexterity and strength exercises. My foot feels better every day. Starting to get excited to go hiking in two weeks!

Here is a current photo of how my foot is healing.

"Foot" Notes - Day 21 - Surgery on Hallux Limitus

Today is three weeks post-op.   As you can see I have new taping from my physical therapist to reduce edema and inflammation.  Still no medications at this point.

I am taking the supplements, Bromelain, Curcurmin and Vitamin C  to encourage healing, reduce inflammation and manage pain, which has helped tremendously.

The Physical therapy sounds simple: wiggle my toes. Actually there are many exercises and I am doing them all day long!

"Foot" Notes - Day 13 - Surgery on Hallux Limitus

First outing with roll-a-bout. The roll-a-bout is best suited for those who have injuries below the knee.  This includes heel spurs, diabetic ulcers, infections, fractures, dislocations, ruptured tendons, sprained ankles, or where a lower leg surgical operation is necessary.  

What a wonderful day!

"Foot" Notes - Day 12 - Surgery on Hallux Limitus

Seems to be healing very well. The stitches are out and I get the post-op x-rays today.

I'm taking lots of bromelain, Curcumin and Vitamin C to help bone and tissue heal, reduce inflammation and ease the ache.

"Foot" Notes - Day 8 - Surgery on Hallux Limitus

After being in steady discomfort and not wanting more pain meds I called the surgeon and we agreed that I could cut off the bandage and have my wife re-wrap the foot. She's a very handy person to have around!

I am moving the foot around trying to "polish glass". At this point I cannot move my big toe at all. Will definitely be working on moving it everyday.  

"Foot" Notes - Day 4 - Surgery on Hallux Limitus

I slept good last night. The need for Percocet is way down. My last dose was 18 hours ago. I think my post surgery supplements are really helping tremendously.









For post-operative nutrition, I'm taking Paleomeal protein powder, Hydrolyzed Whey protein powder, a super strong probiotic called VSL #3, Ultranutrients multivitamin, Ultra Pure Fish oil, Vitamin E, Bromelain and Curcumin.

The pre-operative nutrition is also important and I also recommend the following supplements taken 10 days before a scheduled surgery:  Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Green Tea Extract, Hawthorne, Herbulk fiber, Milk Thistle, a multi-vitamin-mineral, maitake d fraction for immune support and sometime more depending on the surgery.  At the office, I have a great handout for the "pre"-"post"-operative nutrition or add it to another post.

I really think I will be walking, even running in 6-8 weeks. :)

"Foot" Notes - Day 3 - Surgery on Hallux Limitus

Surgeon's assistant suggested cutting and loosening the bandage. The decrease in pressure felt wonderful and significantly reduced the pain. Reduce the narcotic pain medication and added Ibuprophen. Slept pretty well last night all things considered.

The blue boot is a cryocuff which keeps my foot cold. This therapy reduces inflammation, edema and hemarthrosis (blood in the joint) which is essential to good healing.

It is still quite uncomfortable to have my foot not elevated so it is a bit early to do so.

"Foot" Notes - Day 2 - Post Surgery for Hallux Limitus

Hi again. I made it through the night some how. The Percocet is strong but the pain kicked my butt. Was dosed up plenty high prior to local anesthetic (bupivocaine), but when it wore off...OMG!

My dog Piper laid with me the rest of the night and she tempered the pain down quite a bit, which was remarkable.  This picture shows how my foot looks this morning post surgery, quite unlike how my foot looked yesterday!

Foot Surgery - Day 1 - 3 hours prior to surgery for Hallux Limitus

I get surgery on my injured and painful left foot today.

The problem started with an injury sustained while playing Ultimate Frisbee ten years ago.

I was sprinting down the length of the field and quickly stopped in order to make a defensive play. I heard a “POP” sound from my left foot. Ii didn’t hurt at all, so I played on.

Over the next ten years the 1st metatarsalphalangeal joint began to swell and become painful. The bump you can see in the picture is arthritic bone. The condition is called Hallux Limitus. It is a very common condition with athletes. Former Los Angeles Laker Shaquille O’Neal had the identical condition.

My surgery will consists of several parts:

1) Cheilectomy to clean up the bone chips and bone spurs in and around the joint

2) Micro-fracture to encourage new cartilage growth in the joint surfaces

3) Osteotomy to both the long metatarsal and the proximal phalanx to shorten and straighten these bones to give the best chance of slowing the inevitable return of the arthritis as I continue to age.

The recovery period is 8-12 weeks. The first 2 weeks are critical in order to insure that the bones heal properly. I have been commissioned as the Captain of the Couch.

How to Get More Energy

Most of my patients want more energy.  Is energy, or the lack of energy, a simple problem?  Can a person ever have enough energy?  Outside of mania, most people want more energy.  What is energy and how do we get more of it?

Our bodies produce energy and spend energy.  We are constantly producing and spending energy.  It would make sense that to have more energy, we should reduce the amount that we expend.  Simply, we can do this by resting more when we are fatigued and relaxing more often than being stressed.  Most of my extremely tired patients do not have effective ways to relax and rest.  Most of these individuals are also poor sleepers. One great way to relax is by having a hobby, something that you enjoy that is not stressful.  Poor sleepers can benefit from getting to bed at the same time each day, as well as learning to unwind later in the day and scheduling some down time before bed.

Other ways in which we expend energy unnecessarily is by over-thinking.  Our minds are connected to our bodies and thinking thoughts requires energy.  We spend our precious energy thinking our thoughts.  One way to have more energy is to come to a resting place in our thinking.  Making peace of mind, at least for a period of time, will reduce the amount of energy you spend.

Exercise is a great way to take a pause from our thinking and worrying.  When we are moving our bodies our metabolism (our energy making and spending) shifts in wonderful and healthy ways.  Some ways that exercise helps includes helping to control weight, disease prevention, boosts mood, increases energy, promotes better sleep and it can be fun and help you unwind.  Exercise can include all sorts of activities like walking, biking, hiking and yoga.

Additionally, our nutrition is vital to our energy.  We spend energy eating and digesting our nutrition.  Many, many people eat too much food at one time and spend a great deal of their energy simply recovering from this activity.  Portion control helps the body digest food much easier and helps keep the body from becoming out of balance and losing precious energy.

Along that same line, our bodies require nutrients to make energy and grow and repair themselves.  If we are without any of the various necessary nutrients our energy will be lower than it could be if we were properly nourished.

Some patients are at a point where they only feel great after they receive intravenous nutrition.  This is because their bodies have become unable to extract the necessary nutrition from the foods they eat due to stress, chronic illness, medications, and aging.  These individuals can benefit from nutrition obtained through IV (intravenous) therapy and oral nutrition through dietary supplements. 

If you feel that you could improve upon your energy levels but feel you could use some guidance with nutrition, exercise, coping skills, IV Therapies, or even nutritional supplements, please contact our office to schedule an office visit.

Thank you and be well!

Boulder Natural Medicine

Boulder Natural Medicine is a full service, natural medicine office located in Boulder, Colorado.