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My leg feels shorter after 8 weeks in boot

Posted , 6 users are following.

Grayson_Sha
Grayson_Sha

Doc gave me the all clear to ditch the boot and go fwb. So I tried to stand up barefooted. It was uncomfortable with the pins and needles but what was more uncomfortable was my knee. My injured leg feels ever so slightly shorter than the other so when I stood up my knee started to hurt. I have to put the injured ankle out in front in order to even stand up straight. Doc wants to see my progress over the next month before prescribing PT. I do stretching exercises, circles, toe lifts, heel lifts, and the alphabet with my big toe multiple times a day. Is this normal to feel like you have an alien leg and foot? Is it normal to feel like the injured leg is shorter than the other? My energy level isnt the greatest after 2 months but i set my alarm to get up every 30 mins to an hour to"walk". Other than that I have my leg elevated. Also I put on my regular walking shoes to move around with my walker.

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • danette90549
    danette90549 Grayson_Sha

    Posted

    I have the even up shoe that helps balance me out.  I start pt on Wednesday. My doctor gave me the ok to take my boot off to sleep and shower. It does feel funny on the barefoot I've gotten the pins and needles in my heel and calf. I just can't wait until it's all over.

    • Grayson_Sha
      Grayson_Sha danette90549

      Posted

      When the doc said I could ditch the boot, in my mind, that meant I would be walking like normal. Boy was I completely wrong. Just hope things start moving along now.
    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 Grayson_Sha

      Posted

      My thoughts too. I might now 5 mths in, been out of the boot now for about 8 weeks... Still got a lot of pain n swelling, walk with really bad limp because of the pain. It has also made my knee so painful. I have a torn ligament in the knee, and was waiting to go in for operation on it when I had my fall. Because of the way I have held myself when in casts and boot it has increased the pain. So now my PT has now referred me back to knee specialist ready for surgery!!! Just the thought of having to go through more surgery makes my anxiety level rise. Not a happy bunny.
    • Grayson_Sha
      Grayson_Sha sandra81957

      Posted

      I'm having knee pain too. Trying my best to walk heel ball toe to minimize risk of injury to my knee. I wish you the best on your impending knee surgery. I understand completely about the anxiety. Our thoughts are usually worse than what's actually going on.

    • jenni_24876
      jenni_24876 Grayson_Sha

      Posted

      Your leg will feel shorter far a few days because of the added length of the boot. Which is why it saddens me that our surgeons and doctors pysio don't recommend the Even Up Shoe or toll patients to where a higher shoe on uninjured foot. Level walking is vital to healthy recovery. When you get walking a few steps (it will take time) talk to yourself tell yourself not to limp. Out brain will tell us to limp to protect the injury but the limp damages the hip knee back same as uneven gait we had with the boot. I wish I'd been told to strap my wrists when using crutches. My wrist and hands are so sore. I'm 5 months and 1 1/2 weeks post break of fib and frac tib. Screws pins. The mental side of this injury is indescribable and totally not understood by anyone who has never had it. The medication side effects are disgusting and I think drs and some really need to rethink about how they treat vulnerable people. I wish you a healthy recovery and the support you will get on this site will certainly help the mental side of it.  And no question is a silly one. We've all been there. 

    • GreenOlive
      GreenOlive sandra81957

      Posted

      Sandra, knee surgery should be a walk compared to broken ankle repair. I had a coworker who had knee  repair surgery while I was recovering from ORIF and he was walking normally in a week... while I had to wait 8 weeks NWB. I just talked to me today and he is so happy that he had knee surgery. 
    • jenni_24876
      jenni_24876 sandra81957

      Posted

      Have yo have you been given surgery date yet.  You must be so stressed. I'm hopping all goes well. I've been back at work for 3weeks. And now neeeeeeed a month off. So tired and swell a bit by end of the day. Did 10 hrs contact and 1 1/2 he cleanup paperwork.  Omg slept like a baby. Hopefully you can prepare for your needs when you come home this time.  Jen xxxxxx

    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 jenni_24876

      Posted

      Thank you all. I'm still awaiting to hear from either my ankle or knee surgeon. Ohyywanted me to return to ankle surgeon because she told me he's the best person to talk to me about the pain I'm still getting. But told me as she wanted to contact both consultants it would be the 'first to Contact'!!! Three weeks dwn the line and NOTHING. it's getting really difficult to walk now as knee pain has got really bad. Back on full dose of pain killers and back to using one crutch. Gone backwards BIG TIME. 😔. I have been told that knee surgery is no where near as bad as what we have been through, but just the thought of going through it upsets me. Glad yr sleeping OK Jenni after full days work. That's one thing I'm glad of. I don't work anymore. That's not by choice either. But because of back problems... That's another story!!!! 😁. Glad we are getting there though. But 5 mths of hell so far. . Sx

    • jenni_24876
      jenni_24876 sandra81957

      Posted

      It's not been much fun has it. I'm lucky as Iv healed in the right time line 

    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 jenni_24876

      Posted

      great news. jenni.   Ive woken up today with a very painful ingrowing toe nail on my big toe now!!!!   anything else that needs to get thrown at me, do it now..come on let have it !!   rolleyes
    • jenni_24876
      jenni_24876 sandra81957

      Posted

      Can you get some help for it. I've only ever seen v cuts done so don't know any other way to relieve. Ask them to dr it while you go knee. 😘

    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 jenni_24876

      Posted

      I'll be cutting the toe off before I hear from them. Lol. I have my nxt physio 2 weeks and she was hoping that I had heard from either the knee or ankle consultant... Sx

  • penny04107
    penny04107 Grayson_Sha

    Posted

    So just coming to the end of my illegal bootless fortnight with no ill effects other than that my pelvis (sacroiliac joint) and glut muscle are still very stiff and sore inspite of the physiotherapist prescribed exercises.   This was triggered off by using the boot but maybe it is also because my leg is uneven anyway after not being used all those weeks.  But the triple fusion seems to be good, the foot is a bit swollen but feels better than the other one anyway.   Did a little bit of seed sowing in my garden and mucked out three stables gently and got someone else to push the wheelbarrow away!
    • jenni_24876
      jenni_24876 penny04107

      Posted

      I'm saddened to read that you have secondary injuries from walking uneven in the boot when advice chould have been given to use an Even Up Shoe. This would avoid the pain you have now. 

    • penny04107
      penny04107 jenni_24876

      Posted

      Yes, it was very annoying.   I did get the Evenup but too late to stop my pelvis etc being rubbished.  And, because my other ankle is also very affected by arthritis, the lift proved tricky as the joint tipped to  one side which made it even sorer.  The physiotherapist, when I finally got to see one, realised what the problem was and so I just ditched the boot and have been walking around in big flat sandals very carefully.   I am not sure whether she has confessed to the surgeon about this but we will see next week!
    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 penny04107

      Posted

      It's so annoying that we don't get the best way to do things. We are just SO OOOOOO happy when we are told we can ditch the boot and 🚶 walk. But damage has already been done with knees n hips by then. Thank goodness I already thought about evening up on good foot while in the boot, so just wore a sandles with little wedge. Worked great. My knee problem was already there hence my fall. Now waiting for amidst to get that done. And then it's back to crutches and physio. 😢 😢. Sx

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