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Post Op Pain!!

Posted , 3 users are following.

dion10576
dion10576

I had surgery on Monday for a Trimalleolar fracture/dislocation and was discharged Tuesday. I was given a nerve block which lasted about 24 hours and then the pain arrived!! Intense pain in my foot and on both sides of my ankle. I was given oxycodone 5mg and told to take 3 pills every 3 hours but it only dulls the pain slightly for about 2 hours and then the intense pain comes back.This is more painful then the actual injury when my foot was hanging from my leg!

On a side note I got a visit today from some of the players who were in the game that I got hurt. That lifted my spirits for awhile even with the pain I was in. One of the players actually had footage of my injury and asked if I wanted to see it. I actually did want to see it just to see what actually happened because I thought I landed on someone elses foot but it was a complete non contact injury. I tried to make a play at the net and when I landed came down with all my body weight (188 lbs) on the outside of my left foot and my ankle rolled out as my foot went vertical. I looked at it once and then had to turn away lol. Not a pretty sight.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Bridg
    Bridg dion10576

    Posted

    Hi Dion

    Sorry to hear about your surgery. You have to stay strong and try to keep yoursel occupied.

    I had surgery 12 weeks ago , plate and 6 screws and I walk unaided. Surgeoun cleared me yesterday as I've made full recovery. I haven't taken anything for pain, maybe some Panadol (Paracetamol) right after surgery. Keep your leg elevated and drink lots of water. It helps. Watch tele, read, relax. You will need energy when you start walking. Good luck and remember that you will be fine.

    Brigitte

    • dion10576
      dion10576 Bridg

      Posted

      Hey Brigitte thanks for the kind words! Congratulations on making a full recovery and I hope you continue to feel well. What type of fracture did you have? As you already know a broken ankle is not easy to deal with. I have my foot elevated all day and my girlfriend has put ice packs on both sides of my splint which has helped somewhat. Pain is at an 7 right now as opposed to 10 earlier. Best wishes to you and once again thanks for the reply.
    • dion10576
      dion10576 Bridg

      Posted

      Hey Brigitte thanks for the kind words! Congratulations on making a full recovery and I hope you continue to feel well. What type of fracture did you have? As you already know a broken ankle is not easy to deal with. I have my foot elevated all day and my girlfriend has put ice packs on both sides of my splint which has helped somewhat. Pain is at an 7 right now as opposed to 10 earlier. Best wishes to you and once again thanks for the reply.
    • Bridg
      Bridg dion10576

      Posted

      Hi Dion

      I just realised that my reply to you didn't go through. I had an oblique fibula break and dislocated ankle. It was serious. I injured myself right after I finished a fitness class. I am a PT. I really wanted to heal and be who I was before. I got a wheelchair and cooked the first week after the surgery by moving in my wheelchair from the oven to the fridge. I vacuumed the house in the wheelchair. 2 days before the injury, I sold my home and bought another one in another city 5 hours away, so I packed the whole house whilst sitting in my wheelchair. I moved town in week 7 and again I unpacked the whole house whilst recovering. I was decided to make it. I visualised my healing and held strong to my dreams! There was one thing I wasn't able to do: drumming. I am a drummer. I blogged my whole story, day by day and I hope I taught some readers, people with injuries like ours, how to do things while in crutches (how to get into the bath, shower, etc). Hang in there! Be strong because, if you are, you will recover 100%! 

      Brigitte

    • dion10576
      dion10576 Bridg

      Posted

      Hey Brigitte!

      You were quite active with the injury lol. Good to see you had a positive outlook on everything it's very motivating to read that. Still in a lot pain in particular at the top of my foot and both sides of my ankle but not as intense as yesterday. Did getting around in a wheelchair help with the pain because I was thinking about getting one. I feel like if I can keep my foot elevated while being mobile it will help with getting around the house.Right now I'm on crutches and sometimes using my girlfriends knee scooter that she had for her ankle surgery. I don't mind using crutches but as soon as I stand up on them all the blood rushes to my foot causing INTENSE pain.

      And on a sidenote. When you saw your ankle was dislocated was your first reaction to pop it back in yourself? Lol. That's what I tried to do and then I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen lol. Best wishes to you on your recovery and thanks for the kind words and encouragement.

    • Bridg
      Bridg dion10576

      Posted

      Get a wheelchair Dion. It helps whilst no weight bearing. Remember to elevate as long as you can, drink lots of water and move your toes to start circulation. Every day gets better. 

      You're so right. I tried to put the ankle back myself, but I realised that I heard the bone cracking, so I knew it was broken. The noise was horrible. Get well soon

    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 Bridg

      Posted

      Hi Bridge, I do all my cooking from the wheelchair too, swinging my chair around from cooker.fridge/sink  lol. My son is a drummer, so can understand how you would miss the drumming not being able to use the kick. But will be good exersice once the physio kicks in. (excuse the pun). But will have to do slow beats..lol Just the thought of him not being able to get his release by going to his studio and spending few hrs drumming would be the end of his world lol. good luck with your recovery,as reading your reply i dont think much will hold you back.  sx
  • sandra81957
    sandra81957 dion10576

    Posted

    hi dion. i had my fall 12 weeks ago and still in boot with LWB.The days after surgery i remember well with the pain!! oooch  i too had nerve block and when the pain came it came!!! so i think this is normal. I was given morphine for first few days after surgery, then codine based meds 4 times a day. I had to take them for around 5 weeks after i came out of hospital as the pain was so bad. The pain redused for around 3 hours but then kicked back in and was waiting for the 4 hours to go for me to take the nxt lot of painkillers. The meds are not the only thing that will help. you need to elevate and perhaps ice packs , rest and good TV ...wishing you luck with your recovery sx
    • dion10576
      dion10576 sandra81957

      Posted

      Hey Sandra thanks for the reply. The pain is definitely intense after the nerve block wears off!! Everyone had told me how it was going to be but nothing prepares you for the real thing. I'm having the same issues as you had as the pain meds only slightly dull the pain and then it comes back just as intense. How does your ankle feel 12 weeks after surgery? Did you also have a trimalleolar fracture? I wish you good luck with your recovery as well. And hopefully you can have full weight bearing sometime soon.

    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 dion10576

      Posted

      to be honest dion, when my surgen was explaining my injury and what needed doing, I asked him not to say and to just do what had to be done. I suffer really bad enxiety/panick attacks, and if get to know too much that i dont ike it send s me off. Ive had so many during these past weeks, most of them I dont really know why. My daughters say its the not knowing, but if i know it dont seem to change things. Mad woman..lol All i know which i found out once the cast n stiches came out, as I could see that all my thoughts of things going wrong were just thoughts, and all was healing well. I dislocated and compleatly made a right mess of the right side of my ankle and open opened up the consultant told me it was much worse than what was showing on xray, so had to put a bigger plate n screws in as lots of small broken bits, inside of ankle was bad but not as bad as the other side. My ankle feels rather stiff, but the exercises i do every day is helping a lot, can do more n more every day but does ache afterwards, but soon wears off. No pain so painkillers arenot needed, but do take 2 of my Zapain at night as they help me sleep. this has been the longest 12 weeks of my life. Cant wait to visit the sea for a paddle, as the sea and waves are the best sound ever...don think of it until you cant walk to get there. dont think walking on the sand with crutches would work really...lol We will get there and cant come fast enough.  sx
    • dion10576
      dion10576 sandra81957

      Posted

      Sorry to hear about all that and I unfortunately feel your pain lol. I'm just naturally curious so I wanted to know everything that was going on. I had one of those injuries where you could tell it was broken or dislocated but I didn't know it was both at the same time. Then when I found out it was fractured in 3 places I knew I was facing surgery and a long recovery.I'm an active person who likes to workout and play sports so all this laying down with my foot up is tough. And it's my left ankle which was supposed to be my good ankle lol. But you're right we will get there eventually. It just takes time.

      P.S. I don't think crutching on the sand would be a good idea either lol.

    • sandra81957
      sandra81957 dion10576

      Posted

      Im not that active as in sporty, but i do love DIY and Im missing it so much as I can see things that need doing.Oly last week I decieded to paint the top unright on the staires and move my way down, bt could onlt manage the upright, as I decieded to do it on one of the hottest days, so only managed the upright. Then found out I should never of done it as I used it to help myself up once getting up off my bum when getting to the top of the staires!!!!  Thank God I used quick dry so just had to be later going to bed that day, giving it time to dry. lol  So Ive had to tell myself it has to wait...frown  sx
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