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Ankle fusion w/tendon walking pain 16 weeks PO.

Posted , 6 users are following.

nichole.nls
nichole.nls

Im 16 weeks and 2 days post-op. Ive been walking with a cane for 1 week. I am in horrible pain on the entire back side of my ankle. I'm sure it's tendon pain. My concern is that this will be on going. Any input would be great.

I had severe nerve damage which has left my foot numb but is rarely painful these days. I just worry that doc my have been rough on my soft tissue during surgery.

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

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  • mammalu
    mammalu nichole.nls

    Posted

    Hi, I'm 15 wks, 2nd fusion, similar pain. I think it's the achilles tendon streching. It does go away eventually.

    • mammalu
      mammalu nichole.nls

      Posted

      I originally broke my ankle. then got arthritis. Tibia-talus fusion 9 years ago. Now sub-talar fusion. Hopefully thats it. Still lots of nerve pain. Back to physio next week. Saw Dr today. Very please with bone healing, so don't need to see him again.

    • nichole.nls
      nichole.nls mammalu

      Posted

      glad things are going well. Im starting to worry that i may have got some stress fracture from my foot slipping. Im just not sure, the pain is to complex for me to identify. I just know that yesterday I could walk and today I can't. Still no bruising and only swelling behind my ankle bones.

  • sandra81957
    sandra81957 nichole.nls

    Posted

    Hi nichole, I'm same ad you, and also have lost of pain, which has reduced me to tears at times. Physio had told me that she thinks most of mine is tissue pain and the nerves now. Knitting. My worst pain is at the back of my heel. So need to work on the muscles with the elastic foot band. We have a long painful haul in front of us I think. 😔 😔. Sx

    • nichole.nls
      nichole.nls sandra81957

      Posted

      Well I realized that i must have hurt it pretty bad when my foot kind of slipped on wet grass this morning. It hurt but i just ignored it. At noon I realized I was done for. Someone after my orig. post i realized iwould be relying on my crutches. Now its so bad that moving my toes hurts as well as any side movement. I believe its the posterior tibial ligament. I hope I didn't treat anything. I've had my leg up all day, ice, ibuprofen, and ace compression. Tonight I pot my boot on and pumped high pressure on it to immobilize it completely, that is helping. My next appt is on Monday so i think I'll just wait it out until then and cross my fingers. I was being non compliant in the first place because i have such a huge not that really makes it almost impossible to walk. I bought another ankle stabilizing brace but it was to painful on the ankle bones. I guess this is the price i pay. I just don't want anymore surgery. I don't see any bruising tho.

    • nichole.nls
      nichole.nls

      Posted

      that should have said I have a huge boot.
    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 nichole.nls

      Posted

      oh no, hope the slip hasnt done anything. I slipped while going up steps last week worrying about the washing getting wet in the rain. My crutch slipped and down went the foot heavily....so it was nuts to the washing and back in for a sit down to get over the fear!!!  I think because of this injury we tend to be too over protective with ourselves. But the thought of going through more surgery frightens the life out of me. My fingers and toes will be crossed for you, sogood luck Monday.  sx
    • sandra81957
      sandra81957

      Posted

      I've been in so much pain today, it's been just as it was when I first came out of the boot and started FWB. Burning g in my toes aching each side and over the top of my ankle and also pain on my shin. 😔 😔, I haven't done much at all today so don't know why this has been bad today more than others? Taking max medication just as in the beginning which makes me sleep, I've been so depressed and low today I don't know how much more I can take of this. Tears flowing for most of the day. 😢 😢 😢

    • nichole.nls
      nichole.nls sandra81957

      Posted

      Hi Sandra, not sure if you get notifications. I hope you are doing better. I'm still in the boot, it has been 19 weeks since surgery now. I did not bear weight for 2 weeks. Yesterday I was up a lot (boot of course) and all around my heel is killing me and I feel like ligaments are all inflammed, but nothing like a few weeks ago. I seems like this will never end.

    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 nichole.nls

      Posted

      Hi nichole. I'm doing much better. Thank you. Glad to hear your up and about. Sorry yr still in the boot at 19weeks. I'm just going into my 20weeks. Walking unaided now although white bad limp. The reason I had the fall in first place was because of my knee problem. Torn ligaments, the morning of my fall I had received my referral letter for knee surgery, so thus ankle surgery put an end to that.. Since the boot. And crutches my knee had hot more painful due to the way I held myself while walking, so now most of my pain is from the knee!! Physio has now told me that until I get the surgery on my knee done I will always have a limp and most probably end up in a knee brace. So now have to get referred back to knee surgeon for them to re-scedual the operation. I'm not a happy bunny about the thought of more surgery but looks like I have no choice if I'm ever going to walk without this bloody limp. 😔. Really the only problem I'm getting from the ankle is a bit of swelling around the outside of the ankle and it's still a bit stiff. But my epsom salt soaks help with that a little. You will get there. We are all healing at different rates. Do you have physio? Have you been told how long you need to carry on with the boot? Hope it's not for much longer, so you can then start to walk using just 1 crutch or even aids free. Sx

  • Pinkster
    Pinkster nichole.nls

    Posted

    Hi Nichole, Mammalu, and Sandra,

       I was wondering how you all are doing now? I'm about 20 weeks out,pain is horrible. Whenever I get up to walk after laying down or even sitting for just a few minutes, the pain is debilitating and I must use crutches. After about 5 minutes or so I can begin to walk, (with pain, but not as bad), usually unassisted by crutches, sometimes I must use my cane but not always. My gait is a fraction of what it was before surgery. My Physician at 16 weeks out said he did't know why I was in so much pain. I felt like saying, "Well either you are calling me a liar or you don't know what you're doing." I hope you all can give me an update so I will have some kind of idea what to expect. I'm thinking of getting a second opinion from my podiatrist. 

  • l82016
    l82016 nichole.nls

    Posted

    I’m 4 1/2 months post op, and am walking well. I began to get despondent about :-4 weeks ago, but then started progressing every day. The thing that stops me walking is my Achilles’ tendons, which start hurting after about a mile of walking. Ice seems to soothe them, and I had a Madge from the osteopath. I’m so much better walking than before the op, and am cycling and swimming regularly to try and make sure everything else is working .
  • mammalu
    mammalu nichole.nls

    Posted

    Hi all, I am now 3 weeks post op. Had stitches out 2 days ago. Did not put me in plaster, just into boot. No weight bearing for some weeks yet. To get ct scan in 3-4 weeks, not relying on x-ray. Have had nowhere near the pain that I had last time, and my foot is not swollen. Just some burning and stinging from when the stitches came out. Feeling really positive about this time round. Just having to keep fro getting bored.
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