Hello from Casper, Wyoming! I’m back and ready for round two of the Botox injections. My appointment is first thing tomorrow morning, and I’m currently feeling a whole slew of emotions. From the anxiety about the needles (again) to nervousness about the ‘what-if’s’ post-procedure, I’m still 100% all-in and keeping my fingers crossed that this touch-up is exactly what my leg needs to be pain free.

To be clear, the decision to come back to Casper and visit with the McGinley group wasn’t easy. I had a standing appointment scheduled with arguably the top surgeon in the states for CECS. That appointment was supposed to be this week, but after weighing the pro’s and con’s, there were a few important factors that really swayed my decision to give this one last shot (literally).

If you’re going through an important decision like whether or not to proceed with surgery, I can’t stress enough about how critical it is to seriously think through all of your available options. Below are the facts and feelings I considered prior to making my final decision:

Why I considered a second surgery:

• I already had a surgery date scheduled with the top surgeon in the US for CECS
• The surgeon only sees a select number of patients every year as he is partially retired – I was one of the last appointments on his list for the summer
• This surgeon has written numerous articles about CECS and establishing a cure through surgery
• The Botox hadn’t worked, so maybe the surgery would
• My previous vascular surgeons who treated me with a successful PAES surgery highly recommended this surgeon
• It would be a different type of surgery (a fasciectomy) from my surgery last summer which was a fasciotomy
• The surgery would be covered by my insurance by up to 90%

 What would be the potential drawbacks of the second surgery:

• It doesn’t work, and I still have pain
• The recovery period would be longer and more intense than my surgery last year (last year I was walking again within days)
• Potential build-up of more scar tissue causing additional complications
• External and unexpected issues (i.e. my surgery last year caused some nerve damage where I’ve since lost feeling on the top of my right foot and exterior part of my ankle)
• Taking time off from work and spending more $$ on flights, 1-2 weeks in a hotel, and additional expenses during my stay post-surgery
• Unclear expectations from the surgeon’s team on the timelines, everything seemed up in the air
• I’d also have to go through a third compartment test, which, if you’ve had one done before then you know that it’s not a walk in the park

 Why I considered a Botox ‘touch-up’ treatment:

• I really like the McGinley team
• They had given me good feedback for why phase one of the Botox may not have worked
• The recovery period is basically none, I can fly the same day of treatment
• Although I hate needles, they were nothing in comparison to the compartment pressure tests and what I’d be feeling waking up after a surgery
• Maybe all I need is one more touch-up in order to feel some positive effects kick in
• I actually enjoy traveling to Casper
• If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t prohibit me from having a surgery down the road

 What would be the potential drawbacks of the second Botox treatment:

• It doesn’t work
• I’ve now spent a lot of money on a treatment that didn’t work

 Changes in my life during the decision-making process:

• My original Botox date was scheduled for Aug 22, but I received a notice about a cancellation date for July 23 – moving up the process by a month really swayed my decision.
• This week in July happens to be my boyfriend’s birthday, and my surgery last summer happened right before his big day. This year my surgery was also scheduled during his birthday week and as my biggest supporter and champion, there was no way I was going to miss his big day.

Again, there were many personal factors and opinions that went into my final decision, and although they may be different than some of the things you’ll be considering, I hope it’s helpful!

Fingers crossed for tomorrow. Stay tuned.