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Need advice and reassurance how much exercise to do ?

Posted , 4 users are following.

tracy51603
tracy51603

hi all xx

i finally had my cast taken off 2days ago which was 6wks after my surgery where i had a plate one side and screws on the other .

i was told to partial weight bear at week 2 after having stiches out but i found this too painful with the swelling and my balance was really bad on the crutches so i did tend to use the wheel chair waiting to heal .

on having the cast removed at 6wks i was put in a boot , the physios were apparently busy so i was shown three stretch exercises by a helpful health care assistant who assured me he knew the advice i needed to follow.

i was told to use scales and press down a 2.5 stone with my bad ankle to feel how much pressure i would feel .

day 1 out of cast and my heel would not touch the floor very tight and still swollen but i did the stretching exercises toes up and toes and foot down side to side then a towel under foot pulling foot towards my body. it wasnt easy but i took my time and did everythig i was shown to do .

i found it really hard to get past the fear barrier of putting any weight on my foot in the boot but after feeling the amount of pressure needed on the scales i eventually broke past the fear and took the first step the boot has made such a difference in my balance and feeling better supported .

it was clear that the 2.5 stone in weight was all my ankle could endure .

fears and doubts flooded my mind just managing to do the length of the hall way to the kitchen in the boot and with crutches but i was so pleased with myself for doing it .

day 2 dressing off i am pleased its actually healing and looks better than the day before its just a small spot area on the scar .

putting the boot on my foot feels a little less swollen and the tiniest bit easier to get heel to stretch to lay flat on the floor before putting in the boot but its still seriously tight.

my confidence felt a bit improved but i still only managed a couple lengths of the hallway in the boot with crutches .

can anyone advise me how much should i be doing every day ? if what im experiencing is normal ? my consultant said i would be in the boot for a minimum 2mnths but the health care assistant when giving me the exercises said add more pressure over the next 2wks if its painful to do less pressure . but he would expect me to be full weight bearing at the end of 2wks !

im day 2 thinking im finding it just bearable to do the short distances and exercises hard to imagine ill be full weight bearing in the boot in 2wks time .

how much pain are we supposed to walk through ? if any ? what were the first stages after losing the cast and having a boot like for anyone else and was fear an issue as have found it to be ?

thankyou all xxxxxx

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • christine03049
    christine03049 tracy51603

    Posted

    Hi there

    i have been out of my cast for 2.5 weeks after Orif surgery, three plates ans thirteen screws. i too was with crutches and the boot. I have been doing the same exercises as well. i was very fearful at first and had quite a lot of pain and tightness. My physiotherapist has told me this is normal and it takes time for the tendons to heal and to get range of motion working better. my progress to date has been good and Ive noticed a significant improvement over the past couple of weeks. Hang in there, it takes time but you will feel better soon for sure!!

    • tracy51603
      tracy51603 christine03049

      Posted

      thank you so much for replying christine x i think i would have felt better had the physio therapist actually spoken to me .. and things like my wound still not fully healed and then putting the boot on pressing the inflate buttons i now find where it was drying nicely i now have a stained dressing where its been weeping again ... silly but any set back or negative sign makes me such a worrier xxx i have removed the dressing which i was told i could do and turned the fan on my foot to cool and dry it out it just seems a bit daft to be putting pressure on an area thats still not healed completely ? sighhhhh as i say i think it might have been better had i spoken to the physio before being sent home ! it woukd have given me a bit more confidence .

  • kathleen62887
    kathleen62887 tracy51603

    Posted

    Hi Tracy, I broke my right ankle and had a plate and screw on one side and a screw on the other (inside) on March 4, 2019. I am sorry for you to suffer through this too.

    It now has been 13 weeks. I am still using my crutches. Both of them. At 6 weeks they (physical therapy) also wanted me to see how much weight I can put on it every session. It felt as if I was forced almost to do it. I ended up hurting myself worse. For some dumb reason I thought it was normal to hurt myself to get more weight into it. STUPID. NEVER should have tried that EVER. It hurts a lot still and now just babying the heck out of my foot. My ankle x-rays say the bones are healed fine. I had an MRI done because I thought I hurt it so bad and damaged ligaments and tendons. My MRI reports of Bone Edema. Dr. says it will be another couple months. I see him tomorrow.

    PLEASE don't put weight on your ankle and foot if it hurts. I wish I wasn't trying to fight through the pain like somehow I thought I should. My physical therapist should have mentioned it to me that IF IT HURTS BADDDDDD, DON'T DO IT.

    THE BEST OF LUCK FOR YOU!!

    • tracy51603
      tracy51603 kathleen62887

      Posted

      hi there kathlene , thank you so much for replying with such good advice xx to be honest ever since my accident 8wks ago i have found the whole experience a case of almost having force different departments to listen particularly physio therapy which as i sit here actually saddens me a bit as i am a staff member at the hospital .

      the art of listening to a patient is lost and i came across a feeling that if you tried to highlight a problem or emphasize pain it was almost as if you were over dramatizing .

      so i can completely understand and picture your experience .

      considering how important physio is in regards to recovery you would think they would listen to the patient xx i am sorry to read that you had to push to be heard xx but i am glad they did investigate so you did get an answer and hopefully a sensible physio plan x

      i think ill give the fracture clinic a call tomorrow because if walking on it is forsing the wound to start weeping again sense tells me its not ready !!!

      thank you for your kind reply and i really hope your recovery improves at a less painful pace xxxxx

  • jim83464
    jim83464 tracy51603

    Posted

    To all:

    My ankle is very close to being fused but Dr's are suggesting surgical ankle fusion would solve the pain problem I have been having.

    My question is, if it is going to fuse naturally, why go through the surgery. Except that the surgery would solve the problem, I don't get a good answer.

    Any suggestions or direction would be appreciated.

    Thanks

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