Posted , 34 users are following.
thought I would be in plaster for six weeks following op then in a walker boot. Feeling very down as I still can't walk very well and the end doesn't seem anywhere in sight!
1 like, 107 replies
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patricia92987 ann10164
Posted
sally65244 ann10164
Posted
Hi there! I am 4 weeks post op of a Subtalar and Talonavicular fusion as well as a FDL tendon transfer. Reading these comments is helping me so much! I was in a half cast for 2 weeks and since then a boot. I go back to the surgeon in 2 weeks to check the fusion and possibly be able to start WB. It has been really difficult getting around doing things. It's so hard depending on everyone's to do things for me. I was lucky enough to buy a mobility scooter from Ebày which has made life bearable as I can get out of the house and go to the supermarket etc which keeps me feeling a little bit human! I am not very good with the crutches! The pain has been ok although I hate the feeling I get from being in the boot. I get some shooting pains and my first 2 toes are really numb still with a lot of pins and needles. Thanks all for sharing your experiences, it's really helping me knowing all you guy should are out there!
i am 42 years old and I live in Melbourne, Australia 😉
pbspbs sally65244
Posted
Hang in there. I had the same surgery in late August. It takes a while, but it gets better and then wayyyy better. Isn't the scooter wonderful? So much better than the crutches or a walker. And folks look at you a little enviously instead of with pity - at least the kids do. Good luck.
Oh one thing I learned a little bit the hard way - after so much sedentary-ness, I ended up tearing the meniscus in the opposite knee. While walking. In procession. In Church. On Christmas night! It's healing with exercise and water therapy as my body does NOT want another surgery. All I'm saying is keep the rest of your body as active as you can - stretch, lefit some weights maybe, whatever you can do. I wish I had.
Paige
sally65244 pbspbs
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bern37122 pbspbs
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becky7624 bern37122
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cheryl96314 ann10164
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Soni61 ann10164
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sally65244 Soni61
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Hey there Sonia! I think at only a week in that is totally normal! Your leg is getting used to the plaster and being immobile so your calf loses a lot of muscle during this journey. But don't worry too much, it comes back once you are weight bearing fairly quickly! I'm now 16 weeks post op and I returned to work on light duties on Monday. I'm down to one crutch and when I walk around the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom I can do it without now. I still get pain but I'm sure eventually that will leave too! For future reference, I've been doing heaps of hydrotherapy with a physiotherapist which I truly believe is the best thing for recovery.
I know it's hard right now but you will get through this xx
Soni61 sally65244
Posted
Thanks Sally I am due to have cast off tommorow yippee and go in an air boot. I have been experiencing some numbness in my small 2 toes is this normal and had anyone else had this it's like it most of the time.
janet02692 Soni61
Posted
I had my talonavicular sugery 2 years ago. My experience has been different than most on here. First I had a huge hard cast that I wore for over 2 weeks, then in a hard boot. It was impossible to move around so the doctor had me in a rehab facility for 3 weeks. That was the most depressing 3 weeks of my lifetime. The facility was mostly filled with people whose mental facilities were not functioning. Plus it was two hours from my family. One of the staff at the care home insisted I could stand on my own, but I was too weak and fell. I am lucky I wasn't injured.
I had to use a wheelchair to get around as the scooter did not work for my knees that have knee replacements.
I had to be non-weight bearing for 3 months.
Luckily my husband was helpful and did more than his share of patient care when I got home.
When x-rays showed my fusion was complete the screws were removed as they gave me lots of pain.
When the boot finally came off I had physical therapy. I don't think it was very good as they kept saying it was for my ankle. I had to correct the PT asst. every time I went. She had me do stretches and pick marbles up off the floor and put them in a container with my toes. I would have loved to have that massage and manipulation.
So, now two years down the road and I still have so much pain that I can't walk without looking like I'm drunk. Yesterday I returned to the surgeon to try to find out why. He has no answer, but has ordered a CT scan to see if there is some other issue causing this discomfort.
I can't believe this has gone on so long. I would like to have a normal life back. I'm 75 and was quite active until the foot interfered. I know I'm whining, so hopefully someone else has had the prolonged pain and can give me hope.
becky7624 janet02692
Posted
I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience with your surgery. I was in a cast for 6 weeks then a boot for 4 weeks, but my talonavicular joint was completely fused at that point so I was able to start going without the boot. It could be that one of the other joints in your ankle has gone out, or at least is suffering from arthritis related problems. I hope that the CT scan will give you something to work on to get better.
I'm 59 and I know that the talonavicular joint in my other foot is going bad. I don't look forward to having surgery on that foot because that's the leg with the knee replacement. I was wondering if a scooter would work with a knee replacement.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
ann10164 janet02692
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I finally came out of casts, boots etc after about 18 weeks. Of course you don’t instantly return to normal. The swelling lasts for a long time...in my case over eighteen months... and I still experience some heel pain if I overdo it. But the pain is so much less than before the op that it is well worth doing.
So much so that I have just had a talonavicular fusion on my other foot!
I am 6 days post op. Back in the horrible heavy cast. Can’t decide yet whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing that I know what to expect.
To everyone out there...hang on in. It does get better. I’m a prime example I wouldn’t be going through it all again if it didn’t!
Sorry you’ve had such a bad experience Janet and I hope they sort it out for you.
Best wishes and good luck to everyone.
candice_88880 ann10164
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becky7624 candice_88880
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Candice,
Don't worry. If it's only been 3 months then what you are going through is perfectly normal. Continue to ice and elevate your foot when you can. I also found that wearing a compression sock helped. I'm now 10 months out from surgery and have very little pain, but it was a good 8 months before I could wear any shoes besides athletic shoes.