6 weeks post ORIF surgery, how much pain is normal?
Posted , 10 users are following.
Hi everyone.
on January 14th i was in a car accident and it left me with a dislocated ankle, broken talus, and other multiple broken bones in my foot.
i had 3 surgeries in one month. first surgery was unsuccessful, second - external fixators were put in, then the third was removing external fixators and putting in plates and screws and a bit of bone cement to rebuild a bone in my foot. I'm now 6 weeks post op and my surgeon is surprised by the amount of pain i am in. he thinks i may have CRPS, which is terrifying to think of. I'm wondering if anyone had similar symptoms in the months after surgery and if my experience may be normal?
6 weeks post op did you experience:
- severe burning, especially around your incisions, and incredibly sensitive skin?
- very shiny skin around incisions?
- foot turning red and purple when upright, and very painful to be upright for more than a minute or two?
- difficulty sleeping for the pain and sensitivity of the foot
i am exhausted by all of this and i just want to know that i will heal..... what a journey.
0 likes, 19 replies
rose71920 Amelia-
Edited
So very sorry you've gone through this.
To anwser your questions:Yes, burning is normal. I stil have it after 2 yrs.
My incision is still shiny and I have 3 of them
incredibly sensitive to this day
Many sleepless nights.
It takes a very long time to heal an ankle that has been operated on. Itch, scaring , sensitivity and pain are all normal. I have been for second opinions because I'm so tired of having pain, and everyone says the same thing, you are normal.
I believe everyone heals differntly and everyone tolerates pain differently. Advocate for yourself. Where you may be taking much longer than others, to me six weeks is a very short time to be experiencing the things you are.
Give it some time. Its exhausting. Its hard to explain to people who haven't been through it. I wish you the best of luck in your recovery and hope you find some relief soon.
What do you take for pain?
Amelia- rose71920
Posted
i am so sorry you are still in pain after two years! that's horrible. have you found anything that helps your pain? I've tried all sorts of topical creams but nothing seems to help!
rose71920 Amelia-
Posted
I haven't found anything that helps the pain. I had all the topical creams, lotions specialty made and didn't touch it. I just live with it now. Not much I can do. I know my limits though. Its sad that I've gotten to that point but it is what it is for now.
Best of luck to you!! Like I said, everyones pain and operations are different, but I wanted to let you know that you aren't alone in this. 😃
tom92172 Amelia-
Posted
I'm at 5 weeks post ORIF and just got my cast off 5 days ago. The purple parts seems a lot better now that I'm out of the cast.
The burning is mostly in the evening and worse when my foot is out of the boot. Mainly on top of my foot, not near the incision site. My foot was actually warmer to the touch. But not like infection warm.
I think its all normal and nerves growing back and healing. Dr said ice wasn't really required but i think its helps so I do it 2-3x daily
Amelia- tom92172
Posted
thank you so much tom! that makes me feel better. i did have three surgeries in less than a month so my nerves im sure are extra sensitive. does your incision site feel sensitive and a bit painful when you touch it?
hope you are healing up well!! xx
tom92172 Amelia-
Posted
It is a little sore when i touch it but i think its normal. There's a lot of tissue in there to heal.
Tomorrow is 6 weeks so I start partial weight bearing. Fingers crosses
ayanna1208 Amelia-
Edited
Hello Amelia, I'm sorry to hear that. I had broke my ankle in Feb 2020 I broke 3 bones so I understand your pain I do experience severe burning around my incisions from where I was cut at during surgery it feels like a bee sting and I also have some purple dots around my incision also it do hurt when I try to put my feet up also. it's been 4 weeks for me and I'm still in pain. I was told from a friend who broke his ankle that at times, you will experience pain especially if it's cold outside because of the pins and screws. I really think the pain for us is normal because he said with a broken ankle it really don't heal all the way meaning the pain won't go away until after 5 months that's when his pain stopped. I'm going through the same pain so I think it's normal I take ibuprofen and this medication called Narco for the pain. I wish you the best and I hope you feel better God Bless you❤
Amelia- ayanna1208
Posted
hi, thank you so much! i'm so sorry to hear you're going through the same thing... i've also heard that its a long healing process. makes me feel better to know what im experiencing seems to be normal albeit painful. i hope you heal up well!!!
ayanna1208 Amelia-
Posted
Hey Amelia, you are not alone. We will get through this. I have my 8 week check up on April 8th hopefully i could weight bearing then. I will keep you updated until then be safe and I pray God protect you and your family during this Covid 19 stay blessed and remember this pain is only temporary ❤😘
Amelia- ayanna1208
Posted
hi ayanna, please keep me posted! i hope you can start weight bearing soon and i hope you stay safe during this crazy time.
❤❤❤
ashley03867 Amelia-
Edited
I broke and dislocated my ankle this past November. Two plates & twelve screws later, I experienced burning and itching and feeling like someone had put my foot in boiling water every time I stood up. At the end of November i was able to get my cast off and told to start moving the foot. I still couldn't weight bare for another few weeks. Physical therapy is a must. They helped me so much. My brain would freeze trying to learn to walk again. I went from two crutches to one and now i only try and use them if I'm outside. My foot does still bother me, especially since my nerves are starting to wake back up, but I make myself walk everyday. It feels so nice to be able to sleep comfortably again. 3 months on my back was just the worst. I would say the fact that you've had multiple surgeries will add to your sensitivity. My foot is still very sensitive and i only had one surgery. I hope you feel better and heal fast! Cannabis has been a huge pain and stress reliever throughout this whole process. It Kept me level
Amelia- ashley03867
Edited
ashley thank you so much! it's so comforting to hear about your healing process. makes me feel a lot less crazy.
im glad to hear that you're walking again! im supposed to start partial weight bearing around may 1st. i just starting seeing a physical therapist (over video chat because of lockdown which is hilarious) and she's already been so helpful - especially mentally. im young and generally pretty active so i was starting to feel really depressed after being in bed since january. i just got some edibles and they help me sleep so much! dont know if you are taking anything else but ive been on gabapentin for a week and its already really helping the nerve pain.
keep me posted on how you are feeling! wishing you the very best of luck!! xx
ashley03867 Amelia-
Posted
Hope you're safe and healthy during this crazy time. I stopped going to physical therapy March 18th due to the virus. I hope the virtual therapy sessions help. It definitely hurt when i started weight bearing but keep pushing yourself, the more you walk the less it will hurt. I am 5 months since my surgery and for the most part my foot doesn't bother me too bad. It can be hard to stand for long periods of time for me though. Even the two hours i did yesterday made my foot sore the following day. I take 1800 mg of gabapentin daily for nerve damage in my eyes. It helps my eyes but so far seems to do nothing for my ankle. 🤣 Ive got a decent pain tolerance, I will take my broken ankle any day over an eye injection.
HEKM Amelia-
Edited
Hello Everyone,
I am glad I finally found this chat after many sleepless nights. Amelia, I am sorry to hear about your foot and fractures. I can relate. I am three weeks s/p ORIF for talus fracture and tibial fracture with hardware placed. I had a traumatic fall from about 5 feet. After the two nerve blocks wore off 24 hours after surgery, my plantar foot remained numb, with pins/needles sensations. Several days later, the burning, electric, sharp shooting nerve pain set in. Initially, my surgeon suspected nerve injury to the lateral plantar nerve and reassured me the sensation would come back with time. Now, after explaining my symptoms again (difficulty plantar flexing/wiggling my toes and persistent numbness/pins/needles on my plantar foot), he thinks I have a post op tarsal tunnel syndrome, likely from swelling/inflammation. Again, he is telling me with time, my symptoms will improve. I am in my 30s, healthy, fit and have never broken a bone or had any injuries in my life, and now worry that this nerve pain and numbness will be permanent. Has anyone else experienced these symptoms initially? Are these "normal" symptoms? When will I be able to move my toes? When will the pins and needles resolve? When will I no longer require ibuprofen multiple times a day, augmented with gabapentin and sometimes even Norco? Will I ever be able to run again? Wear high heels? I have four weeks left in a hard cast, then to a boot and physical therapy. I am looking for some hope here. I don't think I will be able to stand pins and needle forever. I just want my life back.
ayanna1208 HEKM
Edited
Hello Hekm, Everything that you are feeling is normal it's been 5 weeks for me and I still have some pain but the numbness I'm constantly feeling. as the days go by trust me the pain will get better not all the way but some. you will one day be able to tolerate the pain. I am still taking the ibuprofen and the norco for pain and it's been 5 weeks the pain is not that bad now but I just take it because any little pain I don't want to feel. I went to take norco and ibuprofen every 6 hours to taking it once a day or sometimes not at all. yes, you will be able to wear heels again.Everything was new to me because I broke 3 bones in my ankle after a fall. I had surgery on Feb 28 and I was in a cast. on march 11, 2020 the cast and stitches was removed and I was put in a boot. I still cant wear weight (meaning walking on my ankle the last time I walked on my ankle was Feb 21, 2020 when I felled). the boot feels so much better to me than the cast I think you will like the boot also when they put your boot on in order to have comfort so your incisions won't rub the boot what I did was put on some socks and it helps so better. Those sharp burning electric pain I'm still feeling but not as bad as it was the first few week. the first few weeks for me was horrible I went through everything you are going through now and believe me it's normal. I have pins and a plate and my friend he had pins and needles before but he said we will feel that until like 5 months. you will also be able to run just not now maybe in a couple of months. when you get in your boot you will begin to feel a little better I think having that cast is a night mate because it was a night mate for me. Eventually the ankle will begin to get tight as if someone is pulling on it but don't worry that's normal and the itching is normal all these things are a sign of healing. I was just like you looking for answers and by being on here everyone has helped me as they all went through the same thing. I go back to the doctor on April 8th hopefully I could weigh near on my ankle I will keep you posted and if you have any more concerns you could write back, but trust me their will be alot of people commenting on your post giving you some advice and those advice will help you because I been on here for the whole 5 weeks and I'm not stress anymore or worried because people on here has helped me through. you will get through this we are all in this together you gonna wake up one day and you won't need the medication like that anymore. Good Luck to you and calm your nerves this is just a MINOR SETBACK FOR A MAJOR COMEBACK!!! God bless you and anymore concerns just reach out❤
HEKM ayanna1208
Posted
Ayanna,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and reassure me! What a relief to hear that you have experienced similar and that it DOES improve!!! This chat is a life saver!
ayanna1208 HEKM
Posted
you welcome Love.... Trust me it will get better I was just in your shoes 5 weeks ago. keep your head up❤
phyllis66720 ayanna1208
Posted
Hello,
This is May 24th, which is about 8 weeks after surgery.
1.On March 28, I fell and had an Ankle fracture and dislocation - trimalleolar fracture in the right ankle.
2.April 1: Surgery ORIF. Plate and 9 screws to fix ankle. Placed in Hard splint. Oxy pain meds every 6 hours. Next appt is 2 weeks.
3.April 14: Hard splint removed. In boot and NWB for 4 more weeks
a.Exercise: Move foot forward and back about 5 minutes twice a day
4.May 12: In boot for 5 more weeks. I can start to put a little weight on foot using the walker.
a.Exercise: Practice writing the alphabet with my toe.
b.Ankle swelling: May 16 -Ankle down for 2 hours and swelled. Took 36 hours for swelling to go down.
May 22 – Ankle down 30 minutes and ankle swelled.
c.Having pain in
Foot- Bottom of foot, Big toe numbness, other toes are numb & tingling, bottom of heel pain,
Back of lower leg feels rigid with rod-like feeling going through it.
5.June 16: next appointment with surgeon
Questions:
--I am wondering if I have to continue to keep my ankle elevated 24x7 in order to keep it from swelling?
--This week or next I can start physical therapy.
I do not know whether to contact surgeon about the pain that I am having or go ahead and contact physical therapy and discuss pain with them?
--I think the pain is from nerve damage from the ankle dislocation or surgery. I am wondering how the nerve pain will affect my ability to drive. I am having concerns about being able to drive in July which will be 3 months after surgery. Even if I could drive just a mile down the road to the nearest store, I wonder when I could expect to drive for a 2 and half hour’s car trip.
Anyone have thoughts on driving? It is my right ankle that is injured.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks.
darlene17917 ayanna1208
Posted
i just Found this forum and I am two weeks post with screws and titanium plate I missed two steps and broke my metatarsal bone in four places and cracked one and and I am two weeks post with 5 screws and titanium plate. I missed two steps and broke my metatarsal bone in four places and cracked in one Of course it’s the one that carries most of the blood supply to your foot. I just got out of a splint after two weeks and I was in a splint one week before surgery I now have a boot. I feel that the boot is heavy and rubs my ankke on both sides . even with a sock . I feel that the boot is heavy and bothers my heel I’m getting all those sensations like electric shocks through the top of my foot which goes up my leg. I’m finding this forum very informative, oh I am not allowed any weight-bearing until I go back and have an x-ray done in one month to see if there is healing and then we go from there. Any info or advice would be so helpful I am 63 years old and perfect health and never broke a bone in my life. I do have osteoporosis even though I take vitamin D and zinc all the time.im a little worried about the length of time to heal ! i am not one to just sit around. Its driving me nuts.