Health, happiness, love, & wellness.
A flower doesn’t think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.
— Zen Shin
Welcome! This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates. Thank you & have a wonderful day!
Bunions. You may think only old people get those, right? I wish that was the case. Anyone can have bunions. Even Oprah and Chan Luu. Unfortunately, I’ve been living with bunions for as long as I can remember. They hurt when I ran, they hurt when I wore fins on the swim team, and they killed when I had to wear heels in my friend’s wedding!
Last summer I had my first bunion surgery, or bunionectomy, on my left foot. Now, a year later, I am recovering from surgery on my other foot. It’s been a week of laying in bed, wishing I was outside, and watching way too much YouTube (I even watched a whole bunion surgery video!), and I thought I might as well write about my experience.
Now that I’ve had both feet done, I can say that every foot is different. (Having surgery on your right foot also means no driving for six weeks!) This time around, the pain and swelling is a lot less.
I credit that in part to keeping my foot elevated as soon as I was wheeled out of the hospital. You may not feel anything right after surgery, but you will feel it later if you have your foot down in the car the whole way home or stand in line for half an hour at the pharmacy. Keep your foot up and have someone else pick up your pain meds!
The first few days I slept most of the time. I didn’t even take half of the pain meds given to me. I had prepared my room ahead of time. I put everything I thought I might need right by my bed: changes of clothes, eye mask, phone charger, laptop, travel magazines, essential oils & diffuser, vitamins & supplements, CBD oil, and water. I even bought snacks like apples, popcorn, and protein cookies to have at arm’s length.
My room is upstairs so my husband had to bring me all of my meals. I had a lot of things in the freezer to make it easy on him. I also bought a few things on Amazon last year that I was able to use again. I definitely recommend: 1. a shower chair, 2. elevation pillow, and 3. a limb cover for the shower. I also had my doctor prescribe me a walking boot for week two or three. A walking boot makes life so much easier when the time comes to walk! (Last year, I was able to walk all over Charleston, and I wouldn’t have been able to/wanted to do that with the surgical shoe.)
A lot of people worry about taking so much time off work. Trust me, I was too! The thing is, it’s usually never a good time to take off work. Fortunately, for me I was on unemployment at the time of my first surgery. I actually went to two job interviews with my walking boot on (and was hired)! This time, I work part-time from home for VIPKID. (I think I will do a separate VIPKID post.) I am so happy because I can actually start working now. If you work from home, you can probably ease back into it within a week or two.
So right now I’m at the tail end of week one. I just started hobbling around without my crutches. I can make it up and down the stairs by myself. I don’t have to wait for my husband to get home from work to feed me. This time I’ve been able to make it into the shower and bathe myself from day two. Last time, I was in a bit more pain so I needed some help. I’m able to move my foot around in a circular motion, but moving my big toe is a bit harder (and kinda scary). The top of my foot is also turning into a blue/green/purple. I remember the bruising was pretty bad last time. I’m also prepared for the skin to start peeling, but once I’m able to shower I will just scrub it off and moisturize. It is annoying, but in the end you have baby pink skin and no calluses! Whenever I look at my other foot I remember it’s all worth it. I can’t wait to have two cute matching feet!
Shout-out to Dr. Cahill for making my feet dreams come true!!
If you’re wondering whether you should have bunion surgery, I would first ask yourself why you want it done. If it’s only cosmetic, then it might not be worth it. The recovery is long and can be uncomfortable. Have you had bunion surgery? Are you thinking about having it done? Comment below!
Hi, my name is Heidi. First, I want to say thank you for visiting my blog. I started this blog because I have connected with people from around the world via platforms like this one. I love learning about other people and their discoveries. It amazes me how different our lives can be yet some things bring us together. My hope is that someone will find this blog and learn from it, or relate to it, or feel a connection to my experience. A little about me: I grew up in California and moved to Hawaii while I was still in college. I lived in Honolulu for eleven years. I currently live in South Carolina (with my husband and son) and am trying to figure out what I want to do and where I want to be (not here). “Bloom where you are planted” is kind of my mantra, and I am trying my best to do so.
In high shool, I would wake up hours before I had to leave for school so I could wash my hair and diffuse it. Every. Single. Day. I never wanted straight hair, but man, did I envy those people that could just wake up, brush their hair, and be out the door. The other downside to having curly hair has always been that stylists didn’t really know what to do with it. They cut and colored it like straight hair expecting the same result. They tried to rake ten different products through it and scrunched it into a stiff, stringy, frizzy mess. I got into the habit of not getting my hair cut for that reason.
I think it was on Pinterest that I first learned about the Devacut – a hair cut especially for people with curly hair. “What is this!?” I thought. I was so intrigued! Shortly after, I found myself on the Deva Curl stylist locator website. I booked my first Devacut at Shine Hair Color & Design Studio in Columbia, SC. The day of my appointment I was so excited. When I walked into the salon I knew I was in the right place because all the customers had curly hair! All different types of curls! As cheesy as it sounds, it really felt like I was finally home. After 30 years I was finally getting the right hair cut.
Not only was the cut awesome, but I fell in love with the Deva products too. Until then I wasn’t really using anything on my hair except maybe aloe or coconut oil. (I’m not into spending a lot of time on my hair except when it comes to drying.) As for shampoo and conditioner, it was always changing. I never really found anything I LOVED. At my Devacut I learned that I didn’t really need to be shampooing my hair as much if at all. I did, however, need more moisture and more frequent trims. My favorite Deva Curl products are: the No-Poo Original and One Condition Original as seen here. I learned the importance of using a microfiber towel (I like this one from Amazon) and how to style my hair upside down. Now, I never rake product through my hair, and any products I do use in my hair I apply while I’m still in the shower and my hair is soaking wet.
My Devacut experience was SUCH a game changer for me. Although I don’t strictly use Deva Curl products, that initial appointment taught me so much. I really wish I could have known what I know now a LONG TIME AGO. If you have wavy or curly hair, and you’re thinking about getting a Devacut – book the appointment! You won’t regret it! Have you had a Devacut? What are your favorite curly girl products?
It was after my trip back to Hawaii last month that I noticed something above my upper lip. I was in the Dallas airport going back to South Carolina. I leaned over the sink in the bathroom to get a better look in the mirror. WHAT THE HELL was that!? Was it hair? It looked like a mustache, but it wasn’t hair. I tried to rub it off. I was horrified; it was actually my skin! Suddenly extrememly self-concious I wondered if the person chatting me up on the plane was staring at my sunstache the whole time. GREAT.
Once I got home, I spent the better part of the night on Google researching. I had melasma. The next day, in proper light, I examined my face and found that I also had it on my forehead. Melasma, also referred to as “the mask of pregnancy,” can occur at any time, pregnant or not. Birth-control pills, sun-exposure, stress, thyroid issues, and hormone-therapy can all cause it. After soaking up the sun in Hawaii for eleven years, taking birth-control pills, and going through my share of stress, I can only imagine mine had something to do with that.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like much can be done in the way of erasing melasma. Many fancy (expensive) laser treatments that promise to help can actually make it worse. It can fade over time, but it can also quickly come back. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to prevent it from getting worse that don’t cost much at all. 1. Wear a hat. 2. Wear sunscreen. I’m still searching for a cute every day hat as I don’t live on an island anymore, but how cute is this visor!? I did find a nice BB cream from Andalou Naturals with 30 SPF. (BTW I definitely recommend iHerb if you don’t already shop with them. Use my code AFN1304 at checkout for a discount.) I like to wear it under my bareMinerals original foundation powder which also has 15 SPF. I also found a great tutorial on how to cover melasma with makeup by Emily Noel. She works magic!
Let me say, if you’re someone who can embrace your melasma, and it doesn’t bother you, then more power to you! But if you’re like me, then I hope these tips help. Do you have melasma? What has worked for you?
Plumeria Dreams