Miracles

Well, today was my first full day without a cast. Of course, I did have a huge walking boot but I did have the freedom of coming home and taking it off.

After a 6-hour surgery and 11 weeks in a cast, I have no idea what my "new" foot is like. Last night, I washed my foot and took some time to get reacquainted with my foot. Overall, the foot is utterly amazing. The toes, which were once like claws, are straight and separate. The scars are flat and completely healed. The skin grafts are not as "Silence of the Lamb"-ish as they first appeared. If you can't tell, I am thrilled with the outcomes.

For most of my life, I have had little or no feeling in my feet. Charcot-Marie-Tooth is a neurological condition that falls into the category of a peripheral neuropathy. Basically, it means that the nerves that are farthest from the spinal cord are damaged and do not receive from or send messages to the brain. Below my knee, I have little to no feeling. I wouldn't even say that there is numbness. There is just nothing. Except now.

Suddenly, I can feel the temperature of water dripping on my foot. I could feel the doctor debriding my toes. When I put my foot on the carpet, I can feel its texture. This is mind blowing to me. I expected straight toes, but feeling in my foot? I asked the doctor about this strange side effect. He stated that the surgery, technically, could not have done anything to restore the functioning of damaged nerves. But, he also reported that he had other patients had regained feeling in feet with previous neuropathies.

I never imagined that anything like this would even ever be possible. Who knows if this will last, but I am enjoying each drop of water, each loop of carpet, each twinge of pain. I am not taking this amazing gift for granted and I pray that you, loyal reader, do not overlook the everyday miracles in your life.

Thank you for reading and God bless!

Devin