Surgery 8/30 in constant pain please help

I just had an ankle fusion done 2 weeks ago. Im going thru the same exact thing u are. I had my post op done last Monday Dr said everything is healing well. I had a hard cast put in and that was horrible because my ankle and foot is still very swollen the cast was to tight and it was extremelly painful. I called the Dr yesterday because i could not take the pain anymore when i went into the office they opened up the cast and o got instent relieve. I only took a pain me lastnight at 7pm i have not taken one since because the pain is ok I can handle it.. hang in there I totally understand how you feel. But we have to take care of our self and rest up. I know its not easy but we dont want this recovery to go bad or get worse.. deep breath hooe you feel better soon.

Hi keith yeah we have all been there i totally aggree wen you independance is taken away from you it suckkks!! But sane as everyone else rest as much as you can.. I dudnt realise i wasnt resting enuff and iv undone all my hard work in 9 wks in a brace and pins from today i knly joined page yest too newby😜🤕😜

Keith- you vent all you need too.  I had a bimalleolar fx almost 8 weeks ago- was in a splint for 2, cast for 5 and now a boot for 7 more.  (though the outside incision is infected so am curretnly off my right foot again....for the weekend at least).

So- many of us have been there and know how hard it is- the cast was very difficult for me- and was so excited to get it off a few days ago.  I can tell you that it DOES GET EASIER.  It will - please just know that and hang in there.  I am not gonna sugarcoat this- it is a tough injury. My foot was very numb until about week 5- it is still numb, but not like it was.  I have a lot of nerve pain now and my inner ankle has a sharp burning pain that I am pretty sure is the 2 screws that are there.  And now- infection... so it is not easy but again, IT DOES GET EASIER.  I promise you that.  I have had a lot of dark days- weekends have been incredibly hard when everyone is home and going out to exercise, or have fun, or do even chores.... hard to not be able to get up.  Wow, I am making it sound so bad.  But please do hang in there.  It is a long road- and we all just go a day at a time.  Sometimes, it is an hour at a time....

But you can do this.  It is good to have things to look toward and getting the splint off is a good thing- means you are moving forward.  Please keep us posted and feel free to vent anytime.  It has helped me- btw, getting the boot is a huge thing too- and some docs do not use casts at all- maybe you will go straight to the boot.  Hope so.

Keith..Yes it totally sucks! I was 8 weeks in cast..it was the worst 8 weeks of my life. You loose all independance & reliant on people for virtually everything. All I can say is hang in there, the time will pass.

I'm now 2 weeks total weight bearing, no crutches. I'm now able to drive & can pretty much do everything..just slowly. I now appreciate the little things..like going out to the letter box & checking the mail.

All the best

Keith- I just wrote this reply to a post, but thought maybe you could still use it:

Just a note of encouragement for now ( I will share details of my injury/operations/recovery when I have time) for my fellow sufferers: I know excruciatingly well how lonely, confusing, bazarrely painful, consumingly worrisome a bad ankle/leg injury & post surgery "recovery" are.  To you- who is desperate and afraid and in pain - I was truly in your shoes(well, in your casts). It was some daaarrkkkk hours, nights, weeks. (My Harvard Medical School orthopedic trauma surgeon told me that my break was "one of the worst" he's seen.) But, I made it through those worst parts and have come such a long way, while still a way to go. So,until I can perhaps be more helpful by offering details, I will just say, KEEP ON KEEPIN ON. Hang the heck in there. Chin up. You can do it. It WILL get better. I feel your pain. You are not going to understand precisely what is going on down there in any given moment, hour, day, night. That's OK- it has to be. Keep a log. Note your pain on scale of 1-10 on an hourly basis. Note medications times and when you "feel" them take affect(or not take effect). Write down all the questions you have- even if you won't have the opportunity to ask them right away. And write down every day "I can do this." "I don't feel good, I am scared, I am in pain, I don't have answers to all my questions and concerns, but I can do this." You can. You will. Some day you will help others going through this. I'm rooting for ya.

We can all relate. I highly recommend a knee scooter for increased mobility. It's a long haul physically and emotionally.

Hi Keith- just read thru all of these wonderful posts and was glad to see that you are feeling better.  As for pain meds, I had a nerve block and was lucky it lasted for 4 days!  The most painful part of the early days was the 3 days between the break and surgery.  I was on 5 mgs oxycontin round the clock for just a few days after the block wore off - along w/ 2 tylenol (500 mgs)  q 8 hours.  I went down to 1 oxycontin (cont on tylenol) for the next 4 weeks- usually @ noon to take the edge off and help me to take a nap.  I have totally been off it for the past 4 weeks but cont to take 2 tylenol in the morning.  The oxycontiin does not affect me like some of the folks on here- no real grogginess, just more of a mellow feeling and would take the pain away for aoubt 2 hours.  Though... now I have nerve pain so am on 300 mgs gabapentin at night- that does help me to sleep for sure and works well.  I still have some numbness and now that the cast is off, i cannot stand for upper foot and toes to be touched- drives me crazy.  So- I got the boot this past tuesday- incisions (bimalleolar fx) were checked and looked 'ok'- but the outside one had some seeping so a bandage was put on it.

Well- took it off yesterday and YUCK.  so- now I have an infection and am out of the boot w/ leg elevated and my walking is on hold for a few days.  I am on an AB for the next 10 days and will f/u with MD on Monday.  It is odd as now that my foot is totally exposed- no boot- I feel so vulnerable.  I am paranoid it will get broken again.  Never thought I would want the boot on so badly!  It is all perspective I have learned.

This too shall pass i know but I feel like I have taken a step back.

I needed to vent today too. 

Please do keep us posted on Monday.  Every day is a day closer to walking again!