Photos - Testing

[cjsmith]

If I simply post a link to this LJ photo gallery I just made, does that allow you folks to see all the pictures? (Caution: if that link works you'll see thumbnail images, four of which are medical-icky.)

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Yes!!

And they're really cool! I love medical stuff.

I'm not surprised you hurt, with nasties like that in there.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I am fascinated by medical stuff! Even when it makes me queasy to think about it too much, it fascinates me.

I *swear* they didn't look that big on the MRI. I'm impressed.

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

Yep. I can see them all.

They removed THAT from your feet? Judging from the size of it... OWWWW!

I knew you were in pain, but this... just makes it so concrete somehow.

Good luck with the road to recovery!

*hugs*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm impressed by the size of it! Yeow! I hurt, yeah, but I didn't quite think I hurt THAT much!

Thanks for the luck-wishes!

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Also: I can get by without the scooter these days, if I don't do any big walking-around-type things -- which can wait awhile. When you're a little more mobile, would you like to borrow it? I can send it down with Joe, if need be.

And thanks for the stuff you sent with him last time.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'd probably use one if I had it, but I really think you have more use for it. Remember, they expect me to be walking normally in at most three weeks. Thank you, though! My goodness, Mary offering to be without that scooter. I have good friends.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Wow, those were larger than I was imagining. In consistency and color, at least the first one looks quite a bit like the cyst I had taken out of the inside of my right elbow a few years ago.

Fascinating.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

They're just weeeeeird. I've seen a bare nerve before -- only a teeny one, not a bundle like these, and certainly not with a fibrous tumor all over it -- and these just don't look anything like that one.

[ericsilverbear.livejournal.com]

Looks great!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! My first LJ photo stuff, woohoo!

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

For some reason I was thinking they would go in from the bottom, not the top. Of course, from the top makes more sense, since you don't walk on that side :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it would be a lot easier to reach them from the bottom. They're lying on the bottom, *below* a ligament. But you hit the nail on the head: they'll go in from the top if they can, so I can be weight-bearing after surgery. That's one of the things that will makes this recovery so (hopefully, if as predicted) quick.

WOW!

[nurvuslee.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that you had tumors in BOTH feet. I would think only one limb would be affected. Do you know what caused it? The size of them makes it so real so I can see why you were in so much pain!

Re: WOW!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's kind of odd, but some people get 'em in both feet. The third interstice is *the* most common spot for neuroma, and if a person's going to be so lucky as to have two, it's far more likely to have one in each foot at the third interstice than to have two in one foot.

I don't know specifically what caused mine. There are three things that make the chances of a neuroma high: 1) too-tight shoes (I qualify, as there isn't a shoe made that's wide enough for my feet), 2) high-heeled shoes putting pressure on the ball of the foot, and 3) a foot structure with not much room in between the heads of the metatarsal bones.

[ericainohio.livejournal.com]

OMG, CJ - they took an OBJECT out of your feet! Gah! No wonder your feet hurt, geez. Here's hoping that removing that crud will bring the desired result!

Hm, I kinda like the LJ photo gallery thingy. I tried to figure it out once and gave up. How'd you do that??

(and hey - anyone on the surgery staff cute? :-) )

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I'll be right as rain now that they took the aliens out! :-)

Let's see if I know what I did well enough to describe it. I went here -- I'll edit the link to put your user name instead of mine:

http://pics.livejournal.com/ericainohio/

Then I clicked Manage, and it gave me a form to fill out. I used the "Pictures" box and ignored the entire rest of that web page. At the top I chose New Gallery, I gave my gallery the name FootSurgery, and I entered a pic with title and description. Then I clicked Upload a Picture. Poof, I had a gallery with one picture in it. Then I went back to that same page to enter more, one by one; once the gallery existed it was a choice in that top drop-down menu. Ta-daaa! A gallery with eight pictures!

The OR nurse was quite good-looking, and very nice, too. Turns out she lives a block or two from me and we both grew up in the Boston area! That conversation was *wonderful* 'cause it took my mind off the neeeeeeedle.

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Coooooool! Thanx for sharing! Glad the LJ scrapbook worked for you. :)

Hey, somehow the pix were a bit less gory than I expected. But it was great to see the "icky bits" they removed. Awesome!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they're not that gory, but worth a warning for the easily queased. Thanks for the link to the scrapbook management page. That was indeed the easy way to get it done!

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

wow. Cool yet gross. How amazing to have *those things* out of your feet.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, isn't that weeeeeeird? And a couple weeks ago the doc asked me "It's up to you, can you live with it?" NO WAY THANKYOUVERYMUCH.

[layer.livejournal.com]

ewww... but cool. so tidy!

will be great to get those big loads off your feet.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Indeed. What the heck did they do with the blood? Don't I bleed? I didn't see a suction thingy!

[excessor.livejournal.com]

Way cool.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Medical stuff is very cool. It fascinates me.

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

Egads. I'm amazed these things don't bleed. I have a zombie wife.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

BRAINS... BRAINS...

Perhaps they cauterized it.

[sharya.livejournal.com]

Those lumps were huge! No wonder you were having pain! I bet this fixes things :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I was surprised by how big they were!

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

Hey baby, great hemostasis!

How many times in your life do you hear that compliment?

Happy healing!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That'sa first for me! :-) Thanks!

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

Wow!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I was surprised by how big they were!

[airporter.livejournal.com]

I wish I could say I wasn't both grossed out and pleased by your pictures. Weak stomach perhaps, but happy for you.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Simultaneously icky and kind of nifty, huh? I have the same reaction. :-)

Thanks!

[kimatha.livejournal.com]

Holy SHIT, Ceej! No wonder your feet hurt so bad! those things are monstrous!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I almost wonder what else came out with the neuromas, to make the lumps of ick that big. How did something that size even FIT in there?

[portia.livejournal.com]

Wow... that's kind of gross... the guck they pulled out of there looks kinda like chicken. :o)

I still have a blue X on my elbow where they made me draw it before my surgery.

Hope the pain isn't too bad for you.

Heal fast!

(And I think I'll beat you back to work since I'm headed back on Monday - doesn't look like you'll be getting off that couch before then.)

:o)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it? Mmmm, tasty-looking gunk!

I can get off the couch a *little*, but I was better at it this morning when I couldn't feel anything. Now I don't want to drink anything 'cause I don't want to pee.

So you're going in on Monday for sure? Somehow I got the idea it was delayed. Go you! Heal fast, yourself! :-)

[daltong.livejournal.com]

Holy crap!

Oh, that's just got to be satisfying to have that stuff out of you. It's vicariously satisfying all the way over here.

Thanks for the pix!!!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It is! I'm all impressed and giving myself tons of macho-points for how big those lumps were. As if giving myself macho-points makes ANY sense whatsoever. :-)

[ambar.livejournal.com]

You can just call me the giant bio-geek, because I liked the TMI shots the best. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I do too, and boy was I ever happy that the OR nurse was willing to take them. The surgery team clearly made an effort with those -- they're *posed*.

[firecat]

Bodies sure create interesting stuff sometimes.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

They sure do! I'm fascinated by the stuff the human body can do. There's so much internal complexity in a foot, a thing we don't usually spend much thought on unless it's hurting -- and that's peanuts next to all the REAL complexity, like the endocrine system or all the things that have to go just right in order to make a living healthy baby.

holy cow bells

[gev.livejournal.com]

just... wow.
I wish I had similar pics from all my ear surgeries.
alas.

Re: holy cow bells

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wish I had some from my tooth extractions, too. I wish I'd thought to take a photo a day as the wisdom tooth spots healed or something. I love trying to figure out what's going on inside my own body.

[irascignavojo.livejournal.com]

the link worked for me. And if the op worked for you, that's the real deal. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks -- I'm hoping so!

I suspect I have it easy with the pain. The surgery spot should hurt a lot more than this but what did they remove? A nerve! :-)

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

Oww - those were *huge*! I winced just looking at them - better out than in!!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I was really surprised by the size of 'em. I suspect they're both thicker than I had predicted -- much thicker! -- and also longer. They're kind of bunched up in the photos.