swollen ankle

I had to know exactly what was done to my foot and that is the only way I found out for sure. My mother died the day I came home from hospital and had to make an international flight home. I had to present a 13 page document on what was done to cover the airlines insurance etc. I also had to have an independent doctor examine it and converse with the surgeon. Was only then I found out and now the impending I balance that has resulted should be discussed openly, so no one else has to hobble about in the best years of their life😁

Hi Bella

So sorry to hear about your Mum passing.

I totally agree with you in regards to openly discussing surgery prior to performing it although I also expect that most doctors would talk about options rather than one way of solving the problem as they often have to improvise once they go in and see exactly what needs to be done.  

I also agree that the age of the patient and their life style should be considered  in discussions prior to surgery.  

I have learned based on a number of surgeries I have had that only very well trained and very expereinced doctors can be trusted.   I also learned to ask about possible complications and I often ask them the following quesiton:  "If I was your wife/daughter/mother (depending how old their are) what would you do and why?"   This usually gives me a sense of what option is the best.

I do hope that your situation can be improved as it clearly is effecting your ability to return to more or less normal life.  All the best.

Hi Mishe, thank you for your kind thoughts. I was quite thorough with my questioning. But as you say, they often don't know how bad it is 

till they actually go in there. The problem with limping about is everyone's perception of your mentality. They think you are a bit daft as you waddle about, and have no idea what that the brain is functioning at Normal capacity, it's just the foot not coping!! Gives one a whole new respect of the disabled and how they get about. With the ankle kept in dorsidlexion for 2 months, I have been doing the opposite movement plantarflexion to stretch it out, so it's just a learning process and when success comes will post it to let others know!! Good luck in your wellness also.  

Yes i think ppl think u don't know what's c going on because your limping. But ib tell ub what i see disabled ppl in a different light now I've always had compassion but not I can say I know how they feel..when they have to have someones help v all the c time and that we can't see their pain .

I agree Mish and I am going to ask about this next week when I have my Xrays.

When I came back from the theatre, my shin and calf on the same leg as the op was very red and painful. I know that I have osteoarthritis and osteoporosis so if I waer a ribbed sock etc it will cause swelling and soreness but this on my shin on the day of the OP ( and for 2 weeks later) felt bruised under the flesh.

I asked nurses and the sister came in and said that I shouldn't worry because it was likely to be anesthetic cream on my leg ??  being drowsy and on very strong meds, I didn't think to question it further.

then when I came home I 'googled it' and I also watched a you tube vid of the surgery. After reading the blurb with it, it appears that some surgeons use a turnequay or another theatre person may hold that part of the leg VERY TIGHTLY to stop the blood flow !!!!   I had asked the nurses if my leg had been in clamp or some kind of equipment to hold the leg still and she said NO...... This is something else that I am going to question vecause my leg was so very sore for 2 weeks with out realising what had caused it..    It seems like there needs to be better communication between surgeons/ nurses and patients.  A couple of nurses came in to the room the night of my OP ( I stayed in overnight) and they hadn't read my notes they asked me what procedure I had, had and why!!  surely they should be briefed?

tourniquet is the word I was looking for lol

I know from working in a surgical ward myself, that nurses are very busy, but they usually have to report at the beginning of their shift and get alloted their patients  for that shift and what they had done. Let's hope your nurse was not running late and missed hers. My op involved injecting a solution to stop the blood loss  rather than a tourniquet, as the needle sites were taped up individually and the nurse explained this. But to this day, the area is fluid filled and has to be drained daily.  Takes one wonder if they need to look at a more invidual approach to the op.

It is amazing how different the techiniques are.  The surgery I had did not involve big cuts at all as they used the miniature tools which they use in facial procedures.  This means much less blood and in fact the bleeding is really internal so I had a big bruise like area around my ankle but that got absorbed within 2 or 3 weeks.  It does not cease to amaze me how on earth they do what they did which is getting rid of the bony growth,  cutting wedges out of the heads of the bones to straighten up the joint,  screwing it together and then few more bones and few more screws.  All this was done through 8 tiny cuts which required one stich each.  All this was done under constant X-ray so they see what they are doing but it is still more like magic to me - just joking   

Ty so much

No one ever mentions physiothrapy (excuse the spelling). Wouldn't a bit of physio iron out a few problems? I'mdue my op next Friday and intend to take every bit of pain relief and physio I can get my hands on.

 

Hi Bev...im going to see my surgeon tomorrow and im going to ask about physiotherapy if she doesnt mention it first..hopefully tomorrow will be my last visit to hospital for this foot anyway...good luck for fridayJannette

Hi Bev

some people need physio,  others don't.  A lot depends on your age,  life style,  level of fitness,  type of surgery and the technique which was used.  So my personal approach was to do some sitting yoga as soon as I was able to in order to help my back and neck (keep in mind I have done yoga at least twice a week for at least 10 years so it is familiar to me) and then as soon as I was able to move my toes (about 4 weeks post surgery) I started moving them,  moving my ankle and then trying to scranch the towel on the floor every day after my shower.  No one told me to do those exercises but my experience tells me that for as long as I am not weight bearing nothing will damage the work that has been done but my recovery will be sped up by being as mobial as safely possible.  As a result my foot is not swallen much.  the tendon pain and tightness are almost gone  and  the general  pain levels are low and I am hoping to walk normally within next few weeks but that is

a hope only at this point. as I have not been cleared for weight bearing yet - my app is on Wednesday so from then I shall hopefully be rid of the big boot.(I have been taking it off a lot but only when safe and not in the early stages of recovery)  I am not giving advise to anyone here but from my personal experience of many orthopeadic surgieries and arthritis in most of my body I know that being active in a sensible and gentle way only helps recovery. Having said all this I do expect some deterioration once I start weight bearing but that is normal too.

So in short,  I am all for physio,  especially if they can tell you what to do at home.