Esmeralda's Road

osteotomy /ˌɒstiˈɒtəmi/ noun

• the surgical cutting of a bone, especially to allow realignment.

“You have the knees of a septuagenarian“

I’ve always had knock knees. My feet are basically the flattest a foot could ever be. My weight has been.a roller coaster since high school. I have always gained weight from overeating and was forced to lose it only once my knees started to hurt.

The additional weight was caused by consistent emotional binge eating. I would usually get to 85kg (187lb) or so before the pain started setting in. But the last few years have been so emotionally draining that I didn’t manage to slow down and my weight ballooned to 95kg/209 and stayed there.

My knee pain was constant. Then in May, every single guest that had canceled a trip to Florence back in 2020 decided to finally visit every other week into mid-June. By the end of May I’d seriously hurt my knee from all the extra stress of [happily] running around my beautiful adopted city with dear friends. I couldn’t bend my right knee and the back of it was swollen. After a few days of hobbling around, I went to a public orthopedist who, dismissively, took some fluid out of my knee, administered cortisone, told me to lose weight and sent me on my way. 

From then on I began losing my cravings for junk food due to the shame of having caused this damage to my own body – again. I used to binge eat so. much. junk. Especially at night when my husband was asleep. He would find the evidence in the morning, but I was too ashamed to actually eat it in front of him. I hadn’t ever considered that I truly had an eating disorder LOL.

“…you’ll need a prothesis in a few years“

I lost 20kg (+/- 43lb) between June and September simply by cutting out all the excess fatty and sugary foods that had been a nightly companion for so long. 

By July, my knee pain still hadn’t fully subsided, so I sought out an orthopedic doctor who ordered an immediate MRI. One glimpse at the results had him stating “hai le ginocchia di una settantenne.” You have the knees of a septuagenarian. “And your meniscus is completely torn.”

Dr. Caruso referred me to a private orthopedic center in Cosenza, Casa di Cura Scarnati. My appointment was with a surgeon who said that if I didn’t have an osteotomy for valgus knee arthritis, I would need a prosthetic within a few years.

I immediately said yes. He kept reexplaining what it was. Carefully, cautiously, as though I’d agreed without understanding the gravity of the operation. What he didn’t understand is that I had no idea my crooked legs could possibly be saved. The thought of having straight legs and supported knees sounded like a literal dream.

Summer at the Tyrrhenian Sea… could be worse

Given it was summer in Italy, no surgeries were performed leading up to August. The reasoning being that follow ups would not be possible post-op, of course LOL. My procedure was scheduled for August 28th. But I was down in Calabria where my husband is from so spending the summer on the crystal clear waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea was not the worst thing.

The whole time leading up to the day I assumed I would be put fully under. Imagine my surprise when I arrived in the operating room and all I got was an epidural! So yes, I was awake the entire time. Yes, I heard them cutting the bone, it sounded like one of those round electric saws. Yes, I heard them fitting the plaque and hammering away at the (8!) titanium screws I got. At least I couldn’t feel anything. And I must say the nurse team (there had to have been 20) made me feel SO safe and comfortable. 

I get sh!t done

Ah! I forgot to mention! My husband had been back in Florence most of the summer and drove down to drive me there and back then take care of me. But guess whattt! He got a major flu one day before he was supposed to drive down. But given that I am a GET SH!T DONE type of person, I immediately jumped into action (lol, jumped. lol, action).

I figured the best route to take was to drive myself there (thank goodness we have an automatic car!), park in an overnight lot and take a taxi to the hospital. I prepaid two nights at the lot and pre-booked a taxi for a 6min ride at 6:30am. I planned to leave the car at the lot for my husband or sister in law (who was ALSO sick at the time!) to pick up later (two days to be exact). 

That still left the matter of getting back home (an hour away). A friend of mine told me that in Florence we have a service that picks you up from the hospital and not only drives you home but carries you directly into your apartment! Super cool. So I started researching a similar service in Cosenza. But the fact that I was an hour away from the hospital was quite hindering. 

Luckily I managed to find a private ambulance service. They picked me up directly from my hospital bed, loaded me onto the ambulance, drove me home and carried me up the long flight of stairs to the main floor of our house. For my American friends reading – how much do you reckon this service cost?*

I organized this all 36hrs before the surgery and I didn’t really think much of it until one of my besties who had thoughtfully come to visit during that time (but does not drive), pointed out that I am a total bad ass. So I had to share. 

Oopsies, something’s wrong

Anywho! I got the surgery, I went home and started my healing journey. Yay! 

Except not so yay cus something ended up going wrong… partly my fault for not actually staying off the leg and likely in part to some sort of medical error. Honestly, I didn’t do much digging on the latter. I know (now) I wasn’t nearly as restful as I should have been. And that setting my foot down “just for balance” doesn’t actually count as putting no weight on it. Also, the surgery was free. So there’s that.

I originally started this post a couple of months ago in order to share my healing journey. And to share what recuperation actually entails and how to prepare to make it more comfortable/manageable. Unfortunately, It was halloween by the time I found out I needed to have the surgery re-done. And it was December 9th by the time I actually got it done. Today is the 19th. Ten days post-op. 

I’ll have to write another article about the second surgery and merge both of my healing experiences there. Thanks for reading, and I hope you tune back in for part two.

*€100!!!!!! Yes, one hundred.