Pain at 18wks post ankle fusion

Thank you for the information, this forum is really been a godsend for me! 

You mentioned the pain on the outer side of your ankle and the metal work...this is what I'm worrying about. I get full pay for 6mth but after that I have to go back to work and my job is physically and mentally demanding.

So therefore I can't imagine having to have more surgery...I think I would have a blumming good cry if I was told that. After 7 ops on my ankle in 14yrs enough is enough for now!

The Physio I'm seeing for my ankle has said the pain can be related to the lack of muscles in my left leg and ankle; so the plan is to build them up. But I'm struggling with nasty back and neck pain because of the way I've been walking though.

So it's lots of rest and broken sleep for me at the moment...I'm so determined to get there with all this though...it's certainly a very long road though. 🙂

Claire. Xx

Oh Lisa, this really does sound like the problems I have had with my ankle too! I’ve just had op number 8 to remove the mental work from my ankle and a plate that was put in a few yrs back. I certainly hope you are doing better with the pain now. Xx

Yep this has been me too! I can pretty much cope with the physical aspects of pain as I’m used to it...it’s the psychological aspects that I feel are totally draining. I wonder if my family, friends and colleagues think I’ve made all of it up; I certainly hope not! Hope you managing a bit better this week. Xx

Hi. Not sure why but I wasn’t getting any notifications from PI! Had my 8th op on Wednesday, had the hardware removed from the fusion. CT scan showed that the screws had gone too far into my subtalar joint. I have to say I was pretty terrified in the weeks leading up to the op but my consultant has been amazing! 

I have a full on job so there is no way I could have carried on as it was. I think I completely underestimated how major a fusion was/is and just how long it takes to recover too! 

Been told to rest until my 2wk check up on the 09/08 and then I’m going to start back at the gym; just some swimming and gentle walking with a Physio friend of mine. 

One bit of advice I’d give is to look at the fusion op as a marathon not a sprint, it’s a pretty long haul recovery but I’m pretty positive we shall all get there! Xx

Thank you so much for replying. I have a sneaky feeling that it's the screws that are causing my pain - it's very specifically located. I will find out more when I see my consultant again next week. From your description it sounds as if you should be far better off with the hardware removed.

The very best of luck with your recovery - and thank you for the advice re a marathon as opposed to a sprint. I think I have only covered the first few miles of the twenty-six!

Hope it went ok for you. I can certainly feel the difference with the screws out, it’s only been the past 2days out of 21days that I’ve had pain. 👍🏻

Hi Mark. Sorry to hear about your ops, ankle surgery is pretty awful isn’t it! I was in a cast and boot for 6mths which was pretty hard going as I couldn’t drive as I only had a manual car. I now have an automatic which has been a godsend! 

I would take each day as it comes, I found that the pain moved around my ankle as I used the muscles/tendons more. Add onto that chronic tendonitis in both ankles it was pretty horrid. Then I had a lot of pain in my hip on the opposite side to my fusion which, hopefully has settled  down now. 

My consultant did say to me the recovery can be up to 2yrs; he stressed the importance of an active lifestyle balanced with plenty of sensible resting too. Xx

Hi morrismanc007 

Did you get help  from pip to get an automatic  I had  wrist fusion  as well on my 

Left wrist   It’s hard isn’t  it. I hope it gets better   Five year now  with surgery  now  in and out of hospital  takes  a lot of  you doesn’t  it   Wish you all the luck  

It does seem as if this is far more than many of us anticipated. I'm 18 weeks in. My surgeon indicated (to me at least) that after I got the last cast removed  at 12 weeks that I'd get the airboot and after 4 weeks and start to slowly weight my ankle while on crutches. I have an iWalk that is so much better than crutches and has allowed me about 80% normalcy in being ambulatory, so much so that I am pretty dependent on it. I saw surgeon last week and was told to start walking in the airboot or even a shoe with a crutch or cane. I came home and actually walked in tennis shoes in the home. I even did some tasks that required hands free and I did them; for about 3 days and then the pain began. I had no pain at all until I started using the ankle, not much at first and then awful. I've had to keep my leg elevated and can only hobble a little even with a cane or crutch and the airboot. I have an iWalk and it saves me though it also allows me to not use the fused ankle at all and still be very functional. Now I'm really reluctant to try and use the ankle just to avoid pain though I know that I have to if I want to recuperate. I spoke with surgeon and he said to just "keep an eye on it and go slowly." I feel like some good PT and massage w/ manipulation would help but that's not scheduled for a month. So now I know that it will be a much longer recovery period than I thought but which I have learned to be the case on this forum. On the upside, I know pals who've had knee replacements or hips and some zip through and others have taken 1+ years to get reasonably normal. I'm fortunate in that I'm retired but I would have to be even if I weren't because of this recovery. I don't know how some of us can go back to standing and walking work! Also, Tylenol has helped a lot. I stopped the opiates after a month and had no pain at all. But then again I was in a cast and not stressing the joint. that is not the case now. So day to day and bit by bit is all we can do. And yes, do something creative to distract from the pain. Good luck all!

Oh, and I wanted to add that many folks complain of swelling and obviously elevating the affected ankle is critical but what I have done, as a result of edema from heart disease, is wear compression stockings. I need them on both legs but found that it really helps keep the swelling down to almost non-existent for my fused ankle. When I take the hose off at bedtime my foot and ankle swell again even elevated in bed but that is apparently a rush of blood and fluid because by morning there is no swelling at all and my ankle and foot look as normal as they ever will. I also neglected to state that I got the fusion because of re-injuring a 46 yr old shattered ankle. At the time the Mayo Clinic did the best they could but last fall I tipped over on my bicycle, very gently, and tried to prop myself with the bad ankle. I had the panniers fully loaded and so I took a twisted fall and something snapped and I ended up with loose chips. the ankle had zero function anyway and I had adapted to the pain and had a very active sports life and a lot of ibuprofen. This injury did not self improve and that was when my surgeon suggested the fusion. No decreased mobility for a non-mobile joint but I would be pain free...Hah! Next year perhaps as I just called him for an oxycodo0ne prescription!

I didn’t, I have been told to apply but I’ve filled the paperwork out before with my husband as he is partly sighted...it wasn’t a fun experience! I managed to sell my qashqai for a decent price, added together with my savings I did ok. Tbh it has made the world of difference! 

I’m one of those unlucky one that has a full on job...I’m an RGN on a trauma unit, for my sins! 

Fusion are very different than hip/knee replacements, I see them everyday at work and even though they are invasive they are replacing the joint. A fusion is breaking it, taking a piece of bone away and then pinning it together.

I would take it easy, walk and rest in equal measure...make sure you are using the boot when you walk. Make sure you RICE it; Rest; Ice; Compression if you can; Elevate...it makes all the difference!