It has officially been a month and three days since I had my touch-up procedure done by Dr. McGinley, and unfortunately the pain is still present. It’s just as strong if not stronger than before, and I find myself even more frustrated, not to mentioned exhausted and bummed out.

I apologize for those of you that have been following along and sending such nice notes! I was hoping to post an update earlier than today that would also include more positive results than what I will actually be sharing.

As each day went by these past few weeks, I procrastinated writing up a post because I thought (and wished) that the next day I’d have something positive to report back. Since that isn’t the case, I think it’s best to share what’s been going on with my leg for the past 3-4 weeks regardless.

1. The Botox worked, I just still have pain.

How do I know the Botox worked? During this last session, Dr. McGinley injected 2 vials of Botox directly into a concentrated area above my surgery scar and where I’m feeling most of the pain. My pain is fairly concentrated in a specific area and predictable, so issues around nerve damage, etc. have already been ruled out for my case.

About 2-3 weeks post injections, when pressing on the ‘pain-site’, I noticed that the muscle didn’t move while flexing my foot (on the other leg I could feel the muscle). I think it’s safe to assume that the muscle in that area did in fact freeze from the Botox (please keep in mind that this is also my non-medical opinion).

My pain, however, has since expanded a little lower and closer to my scar. Because I had the steroid injections in that area too, I’m not 100% sure if I’m feeling additional pain from that part of the procedure. Either way, I’m still unable to walk or stand for even short periods of time.

2. I have a foot drop.

A few weeks ago, as I walked around my office, I noticed that my right foot was a little heavier than the left (Injections have only been done in my right leg. My left leg has no symptoms). I don’t have a full foot drop, but I do have a slight one that is noticeable enough when I walk. My right foot makes a big ‘plop’ depending on what shoes I wear.

It’s not that big of a deal, but I have become a bit self-conscious of it. Also, if I’m not paying attention, I’ve recently been known to trip myself when walking on uneven ground because I can’t pick up that right foot as quickly.

3. My scar area is still bruised.

Even a month later, the area where Dr. McGinley gave me the steroid injections is still bruised and sore to touch. I wasn’t sure that this would be a side effect, but it is something I’ll confirm with his team when they call me this week for my check-in.

One thing to keep a lookout for (I can’t remember if I mentioned this in a previous post), but some people do have reactions to the steroids. The reaction I was prepared for was losing pigment in the area of the injection site. It seems like what happened to me was the exact opposite! Oh well, it’s all temporary!

4. Swelling still occurs.

Depending on how long I stand or walk for, my anterior compartment will swell. Last weekend I was at a friend’s party and there were no convenient places to sit down. The pain was unbearable, but there was absolutely nothing I could do but suck it up and put on a happy face. Needless to say, when I arrived home, it looked like I had a small golf ball stuck under my skin. The compartment swelled a lot more than I expected it to, so I guess there are still some odd things going on in this leg.

It really is a bummer that I’m not able to report back any positive improvements since the treatments. I truly believed that this time around it would work, especially since Dr. McGinley mentioned there’s a 98% success rate for those patients that have a touch-up treatment within their first three months. He also felt that my case was pretty stratight forward. Either way, though, I’m planning to see this treatment through with Dr. McGinley and will be sure to update sometime this week when I’ve been informed of next steps.

Thanks again for all of the support! Hope this post has been helpful. Here’s to the 2%!