2 weeks post op ankle surgery, could use advice, commiseration, anything.
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I'm 32 year old female and crying as I type this. I fell down the stairs on Dec 23 and broke my ankle on both sides. The ER put it in a splint and referred me to a good orthopedic surgeon. Because of the holidays and my insurance denying and being stupid to where I ultimately had to pay cash after my first surgery was cancelled, I finally got surgery on Jan 8th.
I was pretty miserable those 17 days before surgery, but only my foot hurt and I stayed on my pain meds and laid on the recliner with my foot propped up all day long. I was able to put myself into a wheelchair and take myself to the bathroom, using a walker to pivot onto the toilet. Wasn't fun, but It was doable.
2 days before surgery, I felt pretty good, could wheel myself around the house to get a snack or take a bath by sitting on a bathtub bench with my foot propped up and pouring water over myself.
Obviously surgery sucked and I was in extreme foot pain for a few days afterwards, but I still was able to sit in my wheelchair and go to the bathroom. My splint came off 4 days ago, and 2 days before that was probably my best day. I could go longer between the pain meds and I was feeling good, with only a little soreness under my calf where it met the end of the splint.
The day before getting my splint off, my leg started swelling and hurting. My calf, back of knee, thigh, and hip with especially pain in the inner hip joint area almost like a groin pain. I was in so much pain, it was horrible going to the bathroom. The next day, I got the splint off, got a nice comfortable boot, and I told my doctor about my concerns about the swelling and pain. He basically brushed it off, saying I'll be having swelling all the time for months to come and I should just elevate it. He did order an ultrasound to check for blood clots but I don't really have the symptoms of a red swollen painful area-- it's basically just extreme muscle type pain all down my leg, with most pain in my hip and behind my knee.
It's Sunday now so I'm guessing they'll call me to schedule the ultrasound tomorrow maybe but for now, it's been 4 days since this mysterious swelling (I should add, I didn't notice ANY swelling from the time i broke my leg until now, and I had NO leg pain at all). I keep my leg propped up all day and it doesn't relieve the swelling. I have basically spent the last 4 days laying here crying all day and night. It hurts so bad. And the ironic thing is that my foot doesn't really hurt at all. Sometimes I get firey nerve pain but that doesn't last long. They said I could take off the boot and take a bath but I haven't bathed yet out of pain from my leg and fear that I'm too weak and tired (from the pain) to take a bath, even though I want to.
I'm laying here now with the boot off and my leg resting on pillows. The worst pain is my hip. I try heating pads and a massager, which helps a little while I'm doing it, but it has no lasting affect. The only slight relief is laying back in the recliner and pulling my hurt leg up to my chest, holding onto my knee. It stretches my hip in a way that feels better but still hurts. I can try to straighten my knee and that's not happening, the back of it hurts too bad.
I am in so much pain I had my husband buy me diapers because I literally can't even stomach the idea of going to the bathroom again. The swelling on my thigh hurt insanely bad when I sat on the toilet seat. While my ankle is getting better, the rest of me is regressing.
the back of my knee is VERY sore, but if I keep it still it's fine, but if I lift and move my leg it hurts really bad and I can't straighten it at all. Are the muscles too weak now? Do I need strength exercises? Have I unintentionally messed up my leg by keeping it elevated all day long? Did I pull a muscle without realizing it?
I've spent these 4 days crying and googling trying to find someone with my problem and I haven't so please if anyone went through the same thing, I'd love some insight. I'm losing all hope at ever feeling okay again, walking, sitting up, or even just being alive without being in pain. I am terrified of my ultirasound appointment because it means I have to get up and be put in the car and sitting in the wheelchair hurts like hell because of my thigh and knee. I am completely lost and miserable,
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tricia09818 Chey12002
Posted
I'm curious how your ultrasound went. It sure sounds like a DVT (blood clot). I am 3 weeks postop now and I can relate to the leg and hip pain, but its not to where I cant get up to the bathroom and sponge bathe, or go let my dog out up on crutches.