Okay, I have been out of the cast for 4 days now and the pain is still pretty intense. I asked the doc on monday when I could get rid of the crutches, and he said probably later that day. :( That didn't happen because it hurts so bad. Is this normal? I thought I would ask here first. The pain is in my heel where they did the cutting and put a screw in. How long before the pain disapates? I have two large incisions and the scars are really tender. I've been putting Neosporin and lotion on it. It didn't seem like my scars last time were this sore. It's been six weeks since surgery and I guess my expectations were too high. The doc told me I would be in the boot for six more weeks and then begin PT. He has me doing foot exercises whenever I take my boot off. Any suggestions you can give me will be appreciated.

I think patience is the key. Everyone gets to their own level in their own time with this, but I'm seeing the average for recovery is about a year. I'm four months post-op with very little pain and swelling ... unsure how I got so lucky, but I'm working very hard on exercises and the optimism to get through them!

My scars are very tender but I massage them and/or ignore them to the best of my ability. I also get those scars in the jets of my hot tub -- not everyone can tolerate that, but it's the best thing in the world for me. The hot water feels fabulous, and then I find I'm able to move my foot around more afterwards... helps my range of motion for sure.

Hang in there!

Annie,
I'm 8 wks post-op and just started to bear weight 2 wks ago, in the boot. I started PT right away and will have to wear the boot for 2 more weeks. I had a fair amount of pain for the first 3-4 days, to the point that I had to take extra pain meds (had been weaning down) and use my scooter or crutches. I am now walking on my own, but if I go for any length of time, my heel is the first to cry out in pain. It feels like I don't have a fat pad there to protect it. The PT tendon/arch area also gets pretty sore. It really can vary from surgery to surgery, so as long as you are on track with healing, it should come together, eventually.

Patience is hard when it's been going on for as long as it has, but unfortunately, the body has it's own ways of healing and recovering. Just take it one day at a time and listen to what you need to do.

This time around, my incisions have been more tender/sore. I am "working" them (lightly massaging) with Palmer's Cocoa Butter & Vitamin E (good for scars), but had to wait until the incisions were completely closed (had a few spots that weren't quite closed and healed).

Hang in there!
Krista

Thanks so much for your words of wisdom. I visited with the nurse today and she really helped me feel better about where I am at in recovery. She told me that it usually takes 1-2 weeks before people can "lose the crutches". The way the doc talked I would "going good" by this weekend. I have only taken one pain pill a day usually after the pain hits, I think maybe tomorrow I will try to take it earlier in the day and see if that helps. This morning I felt like I hit a "wall" with my pain. I felt like I couldn't go it hurt so much.

Everyone moves along at different levels... I guess that's why it's so hard for our doctors/nurses/PAs to tell us when things will return to normal for us. For instance, I've shocked everyone with how well I've done well with surgery, but there's still something wrong with my foot... and that was just as much of a shock. My arch is still trying to flatten and I still look deformed. All this surgery and all this time over the last two years, and I'm still not right. Very surprising. Maybe for me it will take yet another surgery. I think when it comes to foot surgery/recovery that nothing is normal at the very same time that everything is normal. No prescribed time frame.

I totally agree with you to take the pain pill before the pain hits. As they say, "stay ahead of the pain." Some of us don't like to take pills.... who can blame us? But that's what those pills are there for.... to see you through a temporary situation.... and this is all temporary. We're lucky it isn't permanent like some people I see in wheelchairs. It is frustrating, though, isn't it? It's like being a kid in a candy store and being told you can't have any of the candy. After foot surgery, you want to walk so bad and get back to normal but you know you can't. Hang in there....

Thanks so much for your words of wisdom. I visited with the nurse today and she really helped me feel better about where I am at in recovery. She told me that it usually takes 1-2 weeks before people can "lose the crutches". The way the doc talked I would "going good" by this weekend. I have only taken one pain pill a day usually after the pain hits, I think maybe tomorrow I will try to take it earlier in the day and see if that helps. This morning I felt like I hit a "wall" with my pain. I felt like I couldn't go it hurt so much.

I know I've said this before...sometimes when the doctor says something won't hurts us they mean it won't hurt THEIR WORK - in other words it won't do any damage to the repair. That doesn't mean it won't hurt us in regards to pain. Two VERY different things! They will give the go ahead base on whether the repair is ready to take the strain. I made the mistake of listening to my doctor say "walk as tolerated" instead of the nurse who said "take it slow". After a couple of days of dying, I listened to the nurse as well as my therapist who brought me gradually to FWB by adding a little bit every few days.

Regarding pain, some people feel pain more than others. Doesn't mean some people are necessarily "weaker" just that everyone's inflammatory response in their bodies is different. I have always had a very high inflammatory response to any "trauma" resulting in excessive swelling, redness, etc. However, as a result of that my incisions, etc. all heal very fast. But inflammation causes pain. You will actually heal better and recover faster if you don't hurt. You push yourself farther and your body can focus on recovery rather than going into "protection mode" because you hurt. Don't be afraid of the pain meds through your rehab. As long as you are responsible you will be okay.

Hang in there. I'm sure you will do great in your rehab.