Nerve Damage

Since I've been walking more recently, I've had a chance to evaluate what impact my nerve damage will have on my awesome gait. Surprisingly, I believe my gait will be just fine.

Here's someone's foot. It isn't mine. This foot looks like it's been pampered. Mine hit a tree going really, really fast. I think we can all agree, my foot has not been pampered. The area shaded in what I've been told is red is where I have absolutely no sensation.

Real quick -- Yes, I'm color blind. I know what you're thinking. The answer is No. Contrary to what you just thought, I can tell the difference between the color white and the color of whatever color a tree is. I don't know what color they are, but they are different from white snow.

So back to what I was talking about. I can't feel anything on the bottom of my foot -- except, oddly enough, I can sense cold. Not sure how this is going to help me.

Someone suggested now I can walk across hot coals easily. No. I cannot. I'd have to hop on my bad leg. This is just a bad decision, Don Grote.

The area shaded in what I've been told is blue is where I used to have really good sensation a few weeks ago. Since I've been walking, it's very dull now.

As I walk around barefoot I can judge how my weight is distributed based on how the top of my foot feels. I can feel the right half of my foot on the top. As I bear weight, I can sense the skin here push out from the pressure of the floor. The brain adapts quickly, I guess.

I'm still hoping for a return of sensation by February 2011, but I'm glad to see that it may not be that big of a deal.

The worst part about the nerve damage is I have continuous fits of stabbing nerve pain in my toes, the soul of my foot, and the sides. It's been like this since day one, and I doubt it's going away anytime soon. I've gotten used to it.

It reminds me to avoid trees.