I just want to commiserate about discomfort - recognizing I am in a much better place than I was
Posted , 6 users are following.
I am lying on the couch with foot elevated and large bag of frozen peas on top of compression sock on top of Arnica I rubbed into ankle ..Achilles... top of foot, shin... heel- worrying I may struggle sleeping tonight.
I feel sick of this after 7 months but need to remind myself I am in a much better place than the first 4-5 months! Omg the constant intense physical pain I felt then-along with not being able to sleep ,shower myself- walk- get groceries..the difficulty of answering the phone because unable to manage two things at oncce...sit at a table for a meal without feet elevated-the struggle of getting ready to eat and realizing I forgot something and must get up, paying people to walk my walk dog 3xs a day. Losing my routine- having a new routine of X-rays doctors...Ugh.
Starting to walk once I was allowed to wb- the difficulty..the exhaustion. .the pain .
I hope i (and all of us!)continue to improve and can look back in another few months and another few- and a year or two- and feel hopeful. And I know it could be worse- thank god we are not a group of people who have brain injuries or are paralyzed-but I still do have days where I feel frustrated and sorry for myself and a little fearful of how If i will recover well enough I think that's okay.
I am grateful to have this group where we can give and get support.
2 likes, 7 replies
jenni_24876 marge53753
Posted
Last night I went to bed with a grateful mindset. Grateful I can walk grateful I'm out of wheelchair off crutches ,cane , moonboot commode ,shower chair, no house ramps,,I have a job to go back to, I have two legs. My living room is no longer a recovery room. I can sleep in my own bed( may kill the snoring hubby) have great support from snoring husband. Live in a country that no insurance does not mean no treatment. Yes marge. After 4 1/2 months Ive crawled out of the Woe is me " hole. And I am lucky.
jenni_24876 marge53753
Posted
And yes I've been in the same place you were. But we are the lucky ones. No doubt I'll moan about pain tomorrow but today I'm good.
shoshana13634 marge53753
Posted
Thanks for posting this. My one year "anniversary" of my tri-mal is tomorrow. I'm finally getting to a point where my memories of how bad this entire process has been are beginning to fade a little. My surgeon said it would take about a year before I "felt like myself." It's been a year (minus a day) and honestly I still don't feel like "myself." For the most part, I don't have pain, but I have discomfort and swelling and a nagging fear of stairs. I constantly remind myself of how much worse this could have been, and I think that I now have to stop waiting to "feel like myself" and accept my repaired, slightly larger, ankle for what it is rather than what it isn't. Thanks again for posting. I, too, am grateful for this group.
susan_1313 marge53753
Posted
Hi Marge- I broke my ankle 7-17 and had Surgery 7-27. I am just getting started. I find hope in your positive attitude. Thank God Not much pain after 3-4 days and does seem to swell as much when foot is down. The lack of independence is Maddening. I sponge bath , I have rescue cat's that over the years I have gotten spayed and nutered, that I am taking care the best I can. I have gotten hooked up with Amazon prime and can now order some of what I need and get it in 2 days. I am depending on my 70 year old spouse who has heath problems . I am staying at the house I inherited because I can get around here better than my house and she is staying at the other house, takin care of dogs and cats over there. I am here alone alot . I am trying to stay positive, focused on now but is hard. I am grateful for my job , that I have insurance, short term disability and was able to borrow money from my retirement. I look forward to 8-9 my first follow up since surgery to see what the Doctor says. I wish you well and Thank you for being here. I do not feel so alone.
Nonita marge53753
Posted
Hi to all.What a lovely group of people sending out a positive message to all who are struggling.I had a triple fusion a year ago and thought through the months that I was the only one that new what it was like for a reasonably independent person to have to be dependant on others.I never knew that being depressed and feeling hopeless would play a large part during my recovery.I do believe that we should be told about this prior to the surgery.These discussion groups are a wonderful support and it's a shame that other people are not aware of them.Thank you to all who contribute and have helped me to come through to this stage of recovery.Love to all,Nonita
jenni_24876 Nonita
Posted
Oh how I agree.we should be forewarned about so many things. A "What to expect during recovery " leaflet should be given at the time surgery is booked. Also a list of available mobility aides. I'm afraid surgeons fix the bone and that's it job done. No wonder there are so many secondary injuries.
kpower jenni_24876
Posted
Jenni,
I echo your comments on current deficiencies in medical treatment of ankle and foot injuries.
My orthopedic surgeon was kind and very competent in reading bone x-rays and determining time to weight-bearing (I dodged his suggested surgery for a displaced bimalleolor fracture-- and did well anyway). But that was essentially the assistance he provided (3 short office visits, 2 sets of x-rays, and a large medical bill).
Part of the problem with less-than-stellar doctor bedside manner may be the heavy patient loads these doctors take on (more patients = less time/patient), and partly the problem may be a jaded attitude-- they've seen their fill of ankle trauma and drama over the years.
Whatever the reason, many doctors seem to give a minimum amount of attention to each individual case, and yes, emphatically, they often do not dispense helpful and needed advice on: what to expect at each stage, why nutrition is important, bad habits that interfere with healing like nicotine and caffeine, using even-ups when walking with CAM boots, options for mobility like the iWalk and knee scooters, non-narco approachs to managing pain, what should be done when bone is long-healed but ankle is not, and so on.
These forums help fill in some of the blanks for folks, but not everyone who needs the info desperately will read them.