Frustration! A number of things....

Foot care
1

Hi everyone, 

As the new year is here I have been pushing and pushing myself to get my life back so to speak. 

I have some frustrations that I have to vent off! LOL

Tomorrow: Jan 6th  8 weeks post op

Doing gas pumps constantly

Doing calf pumps/ heels up and down about 3 x's a day

resistant bands 3 x's a day

My frustrations is that I still can't push the gas peddle and the brake peddle on the car fast and deep enough just yet... makes me mad! I think I should be there by now.

Frustration #2: trying to bake cookies for my sister and can't stand for to long with out crying in some sort of pain/ surgery site/ heel (which has nothing to do with surgery!) and even my back ( I think from trying to ignore the pain in the foot so I'm tensing up the back)! 

Frustration # 3 : Feeling like my tendon /ligament is popping so to speak after certain things i'm doing..... 

took a nice walk down the road yesterday  in a nice pair of KEEN boots and it hurt like a bi***! 

So yea, I'm frustrated... I'm so ready to go and yet when I do go I can't go far. 

And because the other foot was done in August and not fulling healed as of my right foot surgery , now that is super painful... 

​And I have a high tolerance of pain.... ! 

​  What were people with surgery of tendon/ ligaments or any type of ankle surgery time lines looking like before you felt the relief of no pain or minimal? Driving? Walking? Exercising? I know its pretty normal up to 10 weeks but man, this is just a long recovery ... and how do you know if this surgery worked or not? Has anyone had a failed go of it?

Thanks in advance!

Rose

 

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Rose, it sounds like you're further along than you think mine happened August 20th I can walk now but not fast and I have to have surgery on Monday to remove the plate. This takes a long, long time. If you walked down the street, be proud of your self. You will come along faster than an older person like myself. Just a prediction, hope I'm right.

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What did u have done ?

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Hi Rose,

I agree with Carol you are getting there. I am almost 12 months post op ankle fusion, I completed 22 laps of the pool today back to where I was before the operation. There are still a lot of things I cannot do, one is walk for any length of time not because of my ankle, there is something wrong with my back. I have been having physio to help me walk straight however still have back pain which is something I have never had before. They say it is because I was in the Moon Boot for so long. I am going back to the doctors this week to have some xrays completed to see if that shows up what the problem is. It is really frustrating I still have ankle swelling and cannot wear decent shoes, which really erks me. However, I have come a long way still need to loose a few more kilos that I put on while I was immobile. 

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Hi Rose, I had PTTD repair surgery about 10 weeks ago and I still have alot of pain in my forefoot, toes, heel and outer ankle at various times. PT thinks it's my needing to learn how to distribute my weight properly when I walk. It's like my body forgot how to do it, and consequently various parts of my foot range from slightly sore to excruciating at any given time I walk.

I can stand still, drive and walk really slowly for short distances but that's about it. I'm working hard at PT and hoping for the best.

Keep me posted on how you're coming along. I never thought repair to 1 tendon would cause this much pain and disability this far down the road to recovery.

I wish you the best!

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Hi,

So sorry you are going through all of this. What was your initial surgery/injury if you don't mind me asking? I know tendons and ligaments take forever and are a complete pain with my own on going saga.

Take care,

Jen

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HI Jen, 

Thanks for the reply. My initial injury was a yr ago in 2016 on Dec 21rst. I had a fall ... believe it or not out of my slipper! My slipper went up from my foot and I went down twisting and turning all the way down injuring my right ankle badly. Grade 3 sprain so they told me. Left foot, I cracked my cartilage and developed post traumatic arthritis in my first joint. Took them *after 3 doctors* to find out what was wrong. I tore my ligaments and tendons on my right ankle. If they had put me in a boot or splint right away my doc now said I may have healed properly.. But sadly that didn't happen. 

 So on August 2nd I had the left foot done with a Cheilectomy  and on Nov 13th I had the tendons and ligaments reconstructed. 

  It is such a pain! No pun intended! LOL I am pushing myself quite hard but not sure if its the right thing to do. 

 Good luck with your recovery!! How long have you been going through this? 

Take care,

Rose

 

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Hi Kim,

  I wish I am able to go to PT. They no longer take my insurance and with out driving I can't get to far.  They may have some insights on how come I have the popping going on while exercising. That bothers me the most besides the pain because I want to make sure I'm healing properly.

​I do believe the theory of the back pain though.  Being in the cast and boot/ brace is not an easy thing either and tends to make us walk oddly.

Are you back to work if I may ask?

All the best to you,

Rose

 

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Hi Nicolette,

See my reply to Jen on this thread. I typed it all out.  smile 

Rose

 

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Hi Marian,

Its such a slow process.  I wish my pool was open to do laps but I'm in the -0 weather right now, so that isn't happening for a while! smile Its nice to hear of how others are coming along. It gives me a bit of strength to keep going. You can get mighty depressed through this. And my husband is lovely. He takes such good care of me but some days I want to cry and kick him so he hurts like me! LOL Kidding. It just gets old to keep answering the same question day in and day out.... "how is the pain?" Better?   And one day I'm going to answer him, yes, better! smile 

Take care,

Rose

 

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​OH Carol! Sounds like you've been through the pickle, too!  I agree, walking down the street is a good thing, I just wish it didn't come with that much pain.   Oh and I'm not a young women. I'm in my 50s and as my specialist says... " You older folks heal slower!" LOL  

 

  We'll get there, I have faith!

 Take care and thanks for the reply,

Rose 

 

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I had a tear in my peroneus brevis that was repaired on June 16, 2017 that never really got better. I still had crazy swelling, pain and limited function. After PT and two steroid injections without relief they decided to do another MRI. So, on December 8th I had a lateral ligament reconstruction along with a joint arthroscopy that I'm now starting to weight bear as tolerated. I'm thankful it's my left foot so driving isn't an issue. All I keep hearing is recovery is very long.

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Rose,

There are some really good exercises on youtube for ankles. Check it out I used them before I went to physio. Write the alphabet with your foot, try and pick up a towel with your toes. and others.

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Hi Rose,

I had surgery for an open fracture of my left ankle on 7/25/17. Two more procedures followed  due to infection three weeks later.  Wheelchair, walker, cane and finally I’m walking some with no extra support. I do have swelling and some pain. PT at home and with the therapist has helped so much. I am relearning to walk properly and regaining my balance.  Just this week I noticed I could actually walk better and didn’t have to ice an elevate so much.  Haven’t taken a Tylenol in over two weeks.  It was like I woke one day and did not feel the intense pain anymore and I could walk much better. 

This was a life altering event as I was a very busy person and self reliant. I have never been fearful but I am terrified of falling again.  This fall changed my whole world for a few months. 

My husband and son still have to help me with a few things and I can’t walk long distances. I can shower, cook, work and do light shopping thank goodness,   although at one point in late August I feared I would never regain my independence again. I did 😊 and am getting better each week. I’m 55 and the three bones I broke and tendons I tore were the first ever. 

I hope you get along  ok. There is light at the end of this long tunnel. Keep doing PT and get a physical therapist. Mine is expensive but I would not be walking today without him. 

Best of luck to you!

Karen 

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Hi Rose, yes I'm back to work as I have a desk job and alot of sick leave saved up so I can take time off for appointments as needed.

For my PT, they have me doing stretches like the towel stretch and foot alphabet. I use a band and do forward pumps, and to both sides (bracing the band with the opposite foot for tension), seated heel raises, some standing balance exercises. You can probably find them online.

PT said exercises might make you sore and will hurt a little, but there should be no sharp pains.

I think alot of my problem is fear of hurting it, and lack of muscle tone. I limped a fee months before my surgery so no surprise I'm still messed up.

Good luck and speedy recovery! This really does stink. My husband just left to do the grocery shopping I used to do and still can't. So depressing.

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Hi Marian,

The last sentence in the reply you gave caught my eye.

You're the only one, so far, that I have seen that talks abou weight gain!

I have gained about 18 kilos and I am so so so miserable.  None of my clothes fit, etc.

I'm determined to make the turn-around. I've never been this heavy in my life!

You said you walk the pool?  Do you swim laps, also?

Did you change your diet or were you eating healthy anyway?

Any advice will very much appreciated.  Thank You 🙏🏻

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I should have said this: 

I had ankle fusion April 16 2017.

I am getting a non union bone repair on January 24 2018.

It wil be beginning of summer until I can do anything (non-weight bearing until then)....

UNLESS you know something I don't!!!

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I use a kickboard and fins and do laps that way, I am not a very good swimmer, I can breaststroke but can't do freestyle.  I have a friend who is a swim coach and she said any sort of swimming is good. I have two different fins as my normal one still doesn't fit so I wear a larger one on my left foot. I thought I was eating ok, however, not exercising was my biggest problem. I spent 2014/15 getting fit and loosing weight so it is very frustrating putting it back on again. I am now on a low gi diet and completed 22 laps yesterday, I was up to 30 before my fusion. I try and go 3 times a week, I'm on school holidays at the moment so I have no excuse not to go. Hope this helps.

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Sorry to hear that Jen. You've been through it pretty bad!  Its interesting that you said your doc gave you steroid injections.  My doc wouldn't do that. Said its not good at all for anyone with tendon/ligament damage. Actually can damage more.  That is why I wouldn't go through with it. After every thing he said and I've read about them, no way was I going to have it done. 

​I'm glad you are on the road to a new recovery and hopefully it works for you this time! 

Keep your chin up!

Rose

 

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Thanks for your input MSK!  Seems everyone has the same recovery or near about the same. I'm glad to hear you have regained your independence again. This is my biggest fear! All I want is to get moving again! 

I wish I can have a PT!! I almost called them and begged a bit to reduce the amount but opted not to. 

what ever I'm doing seems to match every thing I've seen on YouTube and the docs paper work. 

Thanks and good luck!

Rose