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Ankle fusion due to 17 years of having Torsal Coalition

Posted , 4 users are following.

tasha420
tasha420

Dec 8 2017 I went under the knife and I was able to go home the next day. But the pain and swelling was so intense. Doing research before the fusion was even an option was hard. Did I want to live on disability or keep getting fired for not being able to walk after an 8 hour shift. I needed to provided for my family. I had so many questions and few answers but "The Google" as always has come to the rescue lol just don't watch the surgery videos(seriously gross) lol I get my soft cast taken off Wednesday and I will get a nwb(nonweightbearing) boot. I will keep you posted on what comes next of this long crazy journey i chose.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • RichardKen
    RichardKen tasha420

    Posted

    Dear Tasha

    Very best wishes. Having had a TAR five years ago which has gone wrong I do have an understanding of what you are going through!

    All the best, Richard

  • Morrismanc007
    Morrismanc007 tasha420

    Posted

    Hi Tasha. I had my ankle fusion done in May after 6 ops and almost 15years of pain. After a few hiccups I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

    Need the metal work removing in May of next year and fingers cross it will be good.

    I really wish you all the best, remember Ankle fusions are a marathon not a sprint!

    Take it slowly and I’m sure you will do just fine. Let us all know how you get on.

    Claire. Xx

    • lindy12770
      lindy12770 Morrismanc007

      Posted

      Hi Morrisman , did you have back pain when you started mobilising? I'm 4 1/2 months post op.

    • Morrismanc007
      Morrismanc007 lindy12770

      Posted

      Oh gosh yep I did, at one point it was worse than the ankle pain! I went through stages with the back, hip  and the knee pain.

      And then the pain behind my ankle which was pretty awful, I ended up back on my crutches with that. I guess these are the effects of the operation that the Drs do not tell about as they haven’t been through it! 

      I’m doing pretty well, need the metal work taking out in May next year and should be back at work just after Christmas. I have a full on job on an orthopaedic unit hence why I’ve had so long off work. 

      Stick with it, remember the marathon thing...let us know how you get on.

      Claire. Xx

    • tasha420
      tasha420 Morrismanc007

      Posted

      Thanks for the encouragement 😁 i seriously took a year to think about the whole procedure and research every thing then the discussion with my family and my husband. Enough was enough i thought....no more pain for me....so i thought! but the days after were the worst ever. Ice and elevation help a little and i dont like taking anything for pain but tylenol. The pain has go down a lot with the 2 week healing but getting the cast off in a few days will be a relief to shower and dress unsupervised lol my poor husband suffers with caring for me lol I do love him for trying and doing his best to care for the most stubborn person in the world lol

  • lindy12770
    lindy12770 tasha420

    Posted

    You're not crazy, it was the right decision. Like you I'd had 10 years of increasingly debilitating arthritic pain.

    As you see from my post, I'm 4 1/2 months ahead of you, and really delighted with my pain free ankle.

    My only problem is back pain due to a squint limping gait. I'm sure this will improve, and I'm due to see the voucher sultana in a few weeks for rehab /physio advice.

    One word of advice which I wish I'd had on day 2, as soon as you can start some form of seated/ floor exercise; the weight gain is a killer!

    All the best!

    • Morrismanc007
      Morrismanc007 lindy12770

      Posted

      Oh my goodness you are right about the weight gain! I’ve put on about a stone since April but I’m thinking that as soon as I’m back in work and in a routine I’ll be able to loose it.

      That’s the plan anyway. ☺️

      Claire. Xx

    • tasha420
      tasha420 lindy12770

      Posted

      Thanks Lindy12770 I do have some weights to lift and a gym I can work out at if need be but home lifting could be better for me. I just lost weight so gaining isnt going to happen with healthy eating and exercise I will make a full recovery and back to normal for work in the summer 😍

  • tasha420
    tasha420

    Posted

    We'll my visit with the doctor after my ankle fusion was great he said it healed great and I have the non weight bearing boot and not a cast. It's still a long recovery but hearing him say that everything was great made the difference of how I feel now. No stress and I'm not worried anymore. I'm still young and I got this 😁

  • tasha420
    tasha420

    Posted

    So the non weight bearing boot that I have has to be worn all the time except when I shower and do my exercises. Sleeping is nearly impossible and the boot makes my ankle numb and hurry. Will this last long and is there something I can do to ease the pain of wearing this darn thing? It's so frustrating. Maybe it's to snug? Or more padding is needed around my ankle?

    • Morrismanc007
      Morrismanc007 tasha420

      Posted

      I have to admit I wore mine for sleeping for about a week, it was the middle of summer and way too hot. I made my husband sleep in the spare room, I had x2 pillows under my leg running parallel and x2 horizontal and one under my heel for extra elevation.

      It hurt a little when I woke up but at least I had my sanity back as I actually slept! I just made sure I was strict nwb if I needed the loo in the night.

      I’m all for following what Drs say, I work on an orthopaedic trauma unit! But when you haven’t slept for days and are exhausted and in pain what you are supposed to do and what you do actually are sometimes a little different.

      I’m not saying you should do the same as I did but I just made sure I was as safe as I could be in terms of weight bearing on my ankle. 

      I hope it gets better for you soon too. 

      Claire. Xx

    • tasha420
      tasha420 Morrismanc007

      Posted

      After 5 nights of not sleeping caused me to have a terrible melt down that scared my husband so bad...I was pretty much losing my mind so I loosened the straps on the boot and was able to sleep but I'm not sure if I should do that. What exactly does the nwb boot do? And will the numbness go away? I know this whole ordeal will benefit me but I'm seriously regretting it all 😢

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