Hi. Had my surgery on the 2nd of Dec and am still in so much pain! The meds they gave me didn't touch the pain so hubby went and got me some different meds. Much better but make me sleepy. I had my Haglund "bump" removed from the back of my heel. I thought from the way the doctor was talking that it was a super easy procedure. He did say that he had to mess with the Achillies Tendion a bit to get it out of the way but from the pain that I am feeling, I'm not quiet so sure it was just a bit. I have three distinct pains and am scared of one of them. Of course within this cast I can feel the incision pain. It's kinda like a burning/stinging pain. Then there is the Achillies pain that seems to be the worst. The pain that scares me though is the dull/numby/pain on the heel itself. I'm scared because it almost feels like it's constantly asleep. Does this mean my nerves are messed up? From what I have read on the other boards, I need to be patient with the pain but should I still feel numbness after 3 days? And how long should I keep my foot elevated from your experiences? The soldier that answered the phone at the foot clinic passed a message from the doctor that it's okay for me to move around now instead of laying around in bed but my foot quickly fills with blood and starts throbbing and swelling inside the cast. That totally freakes me out so I hurry up and throw my leg up on something so it will stop throbbing. Since I can't get a hold of the doctor, I'm hoping someone will send some of their experience to me so I know how to deal with this better. I have 3 kids that I want to take to Santa, but don't want to leave out of the house if it's not a good idea. I'm still getting used to the crutches so at least I am somewhat mobile within the house here and my mom is a saint with helping out. Take care all and send any advise you may have with swelling and whatnot when you can.
Melissa

While I had different procedures, I found the first three days were the worst and it took a good week before I felt like venturing off of my bed. When is your next appointment? You are probably still dealing with a lot of swelling which may contribute to that numb feeling. You can put ice packs on your cast, the cold will penetrate and help with some of the pain.

Take care and I wish you the best!

Hi MissyKirk,

I am inclined to think that all of the pain and numbness you are having is normal. However, I am very surprised that your doc didn't give you some better pain killers--like Percoset. Was your procedure inpatient or out? If it was inpatient, you should have had some kind of pain management doc check in on you. It is inexcusable for them to let you be in unmanageable pain. If the pain isn't tolerable when the foot is elevated, they're not doing their job.

That being said, you ARE only 3 days post-op and should be keeping your foot elevated as much as possible in order to prevent infection and of course, lessen pain. In my case, they told me to keep my foot elevated 90% of the time for the first 2 weeks, then lessen that by 10% each week thereafter unless there was pain and swelling, which there was. The biggest risk in the first 2 or 3 weeks is infection which you want to prevent at any cost. Keeping swelling down lowers your risk of infection. There are two ways to do this--elevating and icing.

Seriously, I would wait at least 2 weeks before venturing out where you'll have to keep your foot down for any length of time. It is just not worth the risk to your health.

Ron

Thanks for the replys. I did keep my foot up all day today. Only took my meds around 6:00 am this morning and bit a pill in half around 11:00 pm tonight. I was taking Lortab before my hubby went through all the red tape to get me the Darvocet. Much better stuff because it does not make me feel sick to my stomach, and after about 10 min my pain subsides considerably! Of course the stuff knocks me out so I slept all day long today. Don't understand why since I only took it this morning. Now it's past midnight here and I'm wide awake. What a bummer. Hopefully tomorrow I can get a new ice bag. I love how the ice makes my foot feel better but these bags I have here keep leaking all over the place and wetting my cast.

My next appt. is on the 12th. The doctor will take the cast off and see if I can go back to work or not. I'm not concerned either way. Since it is the holiday season, we have so many of our soldiers going on leave, I won't have a lot to stress me or even keep me busy, so I think I'll be ready to go back to work.

The swelling was down a lot today and I managed to stick my finger between my cast and my foot to scratch an itch. It felt like a whole bunch of gauze is in there. I'm wondering if there is some type of tape or something in there holding a bandage over the incision. Maybe that is why it feels numb? You know, like if you have a piece of tape stuck to your bare foot, how that makes it to where you can't really "feel". Aah, I hope you can understand what I have just said...:) I'll continue to read through the boards to get good advice from others. Take care all. Melissa

Hi Melissa,

I'm glad the meds are working for your pain. Getting your cast wet isn't really a good idea. You might want to get one of those gel bags which are available at any drug store. You put it in the freezer and it stays soft even when frozen. It seems to condense less than a bag of ice. I don't know why this is but it seems to work.

Try to resist the urge to stick your finger or any objects under your cast and don't go anywhere near the incision since this is the area most prone to infection. As annoying as the itch may be, it will eventually pass.

The reason you are feeling numbness is almost certainly due to your swelling more than anything else. I am 11 weeks post-op and still have some numbness where swelling still exists. As your swelling subsides, so will your numbness.

The gauze in the cast is for soft cusioning to help prevent pressure points which can be a problem when a foot is immobile for extended periods of time. You'll be amazed how much "stuffing" they pull out of there when you get your cast taken off.

Ron

Ron,
Thanks for the good advise. I will go to a drug store today and see if I can't find one of the gel packs you told me about. I was just telling my mom that there has got to be some kind of pack like that. I have been very good to not stick anything down my cast. I'm scared of scratching myself. Every once in a while I will have a killer itch and I just try to go somewhere else in my thoughts and it goes away after awhile. The incision is starting to finally itch instead of sting/burn. I guess that is a good sign huh!

I banged my heel real good last night with my recliner. Thought it would kill me with the pain but it subsided rather quickly. I haven't had to take any meds for a couple days now. I even went to Walmart the other day and did some walking around. Not a lot of pain there, per say. Just some swelling sensations, so I propped my foot up on the cart every once in a while. I looked funny, but didn't care. The biggest problem I am having now is the chaffing where the crutches rub at the sides of my rib cage. I was thinking about padding that area, but can't figure out how. I guess once I get super mobile, the chaffing will go away once my skin builds up some callouses. Tee hee. Won't that be a gas!

I'm wondering once I get the cast off, if I'll get a soft cast or a "shoe". My foot has been casted in a downward angle and sort of to the inside. I know this was done because of the invasion to my achillies tendon. I'm also wondering if once the cast is off if I'll be able to walk lightly on my foot or if I'll have to keep it up. My knee is sore from the weight of the cast. This is the first time I have ever experienced something like this and it's been an eye opener for sure.

I thank you for your responses. Since I haven't been able to bug the doctor about all my questions, I've turned to this sight and it has been super helpful. What have you had done, and how is your recovery? After my right foot is healed, I will be going back in to have my left one done. Boy what an experience. Hopefully I will be one of the lucky people and my bones will not grow back.

Later!
Melissa

Hi MissyKirk,

I had a thought about the chaffing the crutches are causing under your arms. I've read that ordinary talcum powder helps because it reduces the friction, and that it doesn't pay to add any padding to the arm pieces of the crutches because that will increase friction. Not sure about padding yourself, though. My biggest problem with my crutches is how hard they are on my hands. I've added soft wool wrap-around pads that attach to the handles with velcro and they make it much easier the heels of my hands.

Hope this helps a little and that you're feeling better soon.

twobadfeet

Hi Melissa,

I suspect that when you get this cast taken off, they will put you in a walking cast or removable boot. The walking cast or removable boot will put your foot at a right angle rather than the downward angle of your non-weight bearing cast. I'm sure your doc will give you instructions as to when and how much weight to start bearing. Always follow your doctors orders to the letter! Don't do ANYTHING before he/she says!

What did I have done? I had a collapsed arch on my left foot. I had a torn posterior tibial tendon and ligament replaced as well as having a calcaneal osteotomy and metatarsal fusion to reconstruct the arch. Loooong recovery. At 6 weeks post op, doc said everything was going according to schedule. No complications thank goodness!! I am now 11 weeks post-op and just starting partial weight bearing (30-40 lbs.) while standing. Next week I have my 12 week post-op appointment. If all goes well, they will remove my cast, take X-rays, put me in a removable boot and I will start full weight bearing. The boot stays on at all times while weight bearing for 2 months after that. Then at 5 months post-op, I start PT.

Strangely enough, this problem only exists with my left foot and not my right. However, my right (good) foot is taking a beating doing all the work that both feet usually do. I'm hoping the right will stay healthy. I can drive the automatic transmission car that I borrowed from a friend. Can't drive my car because it's a stick-shift. The clutch pedal works your foot in ways you don't want. The Roll-A-Bout device has made a world of difference in helping me get around at home while non-weight bearing. Yes, it has certainly been an experience!

Glad I could help.

Ron

Hi. Lots of great advise....thank you so much. I went out and got some talc powder for the area that was being rubbed raw from my crutches and it worked! Thank you. I never would have thought something as simple as powder would help so much.

I get my cast taken off tomorrow. I was supposed to have it taken off last Thursday but the doc said he didn't want to yet. I thought that you had to have stiches taken out 10-14 days after they were put in but he said they wouldn't grow into the skin so I said okay. Of course that has given me plently of time to gimp around in the cast so I feel like a pro. Ha ha, it snowed something fierce here and in Oklahoma though. Nothing like slipping around on crutches! :)

I also have an awful good time chasing my kids around. Of course they tend to listen to me better when I remind them that I'm not as fast because of my extra legs. They have been wonderful these past weeks. My mom is gone back to Texas and plans on coming back up when I have my left foot done which will probably be in Feb/Mar timeframe. All depending on how long it takes to get my right foot back to normal.

I still have the occasional twinge of pain in the Achillies area. The doc said that in order to get to the bone growth, he had to peel back a portion of the Achilles and then shave off the bone. Then he had to drill a hole in my bone and tack it back down. Oh boy. I thought I heard a drill when I woke up in the operating room. I figure that is why the pain was so intense and why I was in so much pain with the Achillies. Makes sense now. I thank everyone that replyed and kept me sane with the excellent advise. I'll continue to log on keep you informed as to what is going on with the upcoming pt and my adventures with the Army doctors. Take care and God bless!

Melissa

Hi MissyKirk,

I'm glad the talcum powder worked and I'm so glad you're doing so well. I read your description of your procedure and YIKES! are you brave to have gone through all that. I had a right bunionectomy (with one planned for the left foot in 6-7 months from now when my right foot is sufficiently healed) and this is bad enough.

Anyway, it's nice to hear you're doing well. Keep us posted.

twobadfeet

I had Subtalar Fusion with a four inch screw in the heel Surgery October 1, 2003. It's now December 17, 2003 I walk like a turtle and it hurts to put pressure on the foot. Also my right heel has started to hurt. Please tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel. About how long does it take to get there. Walking with no crutches and gym shoes per doctors instructions December 13, 2003.
Thanks
Rebad

Well all. Got my cast removed today. Stitches too. Man o man did that hurt. Put me into a sweat it did. I layed there like a good girl though. They gave me a shoe to wear for awhile. Boy is that thing light. I already lost my balance three times and fell/tripped. Now my foot hurts again. Feels like I am back at day 4. I had to break down and take a pill. :( I banged my foot with my crutches and then when I was sitting down to eat, I banged it again on the table. Okay, obviously I will have to be more aware and cautious.

The incision site is nasty looking. Where they removed all that excess bone, a lot of skin was left over so I have a dried up flappy piece. I wonder if I'll be able to clip it after awhile. Right now, I don't even want to touch it. The tech said I can take a shower tomorrow night. Yee Haw! I'm so excited. No more baths with my leg hanging out over the edge. I have super long hair so it's hard to condition it without it dangling back into the dirty water. Sometimes I think, "what's the point?"

I tried to put my foot flat on the ground today and I couldn't. I think that my foot is stiff and so is my tendon. Course when I stumbled today it went flat but brought me close to tears. I think that I have to retrain myself on the crutches or something. I'm glad I have this last bit of the month off. I don't go back til the 29th so I will be able to get myself balanced again. We'll see huh. Thanks for the support you guys. I really do appreciate it! Until next time, Melissa.

Hi Melissa,

Well I had my 12 week post-op appointment this week. I was originally scheduled to get my cast off, get a removable boot and start full weight bearing. However, the doc wants me to keep the cast and crutches for another 2 weeks. Bleccchh!!! I am supposed to put abut 40lbs. on the foot while crutching around for the next 2 weeks, then I hopefully get the boot and start walking for real.

There is still considerable swelling in the foot. Lots of dead skin peeling off and it's really nasty looking (after 12 weeks it's no wonder). I'm going to have to wait 2 more weeks before I can wash it. I think the first thing I'm going to do when the cast comes off is get a bucket and fill it with warm soapy water. Then sit and soak the foot in it during an episode of Seinfeld, maybe longer, LOL. Hopefully, that will dissolve a lot. I am supposed to let the scabs from the incisions fall off when they want to.

Hang in there!

Ron

Ron,
Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry to hear that you have to wear that cast still. My foot feels so much lighter now that I've got mine off. My foot is just a bit swelled. I can tell by looking at my ankle bones. I was afraid of what type of dead skin monsters would appear once the cast was removed, but to my surprise, my leg and foot look just fine. I only had to wear the blasted thing for 3 weeks though. I guess not enough time to accumliate any nastys. My soldier said that he had a lot of dead skin when his cast was removed and when he was able to take his first shower he scrubbed and scratched to his hearts content. Only 2 weeks should be a walk in the park for a pro like you. Watch yourself though. I have lost my balance without the weight of the cast and have fallen over a couple of times today. Not that I have the best balance anyways but it sure was a surprise when I found myself on the floor. I don't think I have done anything like that since I was a child and learning how to walk. Tee hee. :p

I have a walking shoe that I have to get used to now. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks I will be okay. Only time will tell. Keep me informed as to what is going on. I wish you luck!

Melissa