Fractured Calcaneous 10 [Archive] - HealthBoards Message Boards

triguy450

01-16-2009, 07:24 PM

When the mod shuts down the other one - we're up an running here.

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mydd

01-17-2009, 10:48 AM

ED

No sooner did you say when thread shuts down -it did !
I sit here and laugh everytime i see a dif name for my husband -think its to funny!
and my name is Terry,just so use to ending posts with mydd lol

I cant wait for him to start pt because his foot when he stands is not streight and is sort of pointed alittle outward ,am assuming will streigten out once he gets movement back into it -he really wants to get back on surfboard so that will be a big challenge.

sbrew is was you who said you put high heels on?that hurts without having an injury like this lol

mydd

joe41

01-17-2009, 01:02 PM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Hey Jason, maybe you could have a holder put on the peddel and or a cleat on the boot. Maybe drill from the inside out with flat head screws so they won't bother your foot. Just a thought. You remind me of when I was a young guy, enjoy life and don't change it keeps you young.

Hey Terry, nice to know your name. That's got to be lifting Hermans spirits to know he can very soon be biking to PT. I think it's wonderful.

Hank, I agree don't get hung up on the numbers, PT will get you there.

Ed, Alex, Sandra, Good posts, they make me feel good. Speaking of feeling good, I am walking better every day. Very little discomfort and little swelling.

Carole, is out running with shadow her dog in the woods, if I remember correctly.

Pat, I think the air travel did affect your foot. I know when I have flown I had to releave the presure in my aircast boot.

Lets see how the Eagles do this weekend, should be a good game.

Kieth, Don, Taysha, and anyone else I missed

Everybody stay strong, positive and of course

Keep Healing Heelies :jester:

Joe

The J

01-19-2009, 08:03 PM

Hello everyone:

Joe: I thought about bolting the cleat on through the top of the boot but I started to rethink the whole idea. The joint that I had fused restricts my movement, specifically the one that would let me twist my foot to release the cleat from the pedal. As much as I would like to do it I'm still wary of any twisting motion with my foot. Until the doctor lets me out of the boot anyway. :D
Ed: I hate to rub it in but you missed out on some really great weather here on the west coast. It's been in the 70's for the past week.

Keep Healing everyone.

Jason

KCguy

01-20-2009, 02:42 AM

Break 8/31, Surgery 9/9, WB as of 11/12

Evening everyone

Ed
I didn't think the Eagles would lose, but they did. I wouldn't pin the defense giving up 32 points and all the dropped passes on Donovan though. Well at least Pittsburgh won for me!

Jason
What about some time of strap or straps that you could slide the boot into like the old shoe straps for the pedals. Probably wouldn't be that hard to fabricate. Another alternative to drilling your boot or driving screws into it.

Mydd
Terry, or is it Susan, or Patty... I'm sure once Bob David gets to PT and starts getting some strength back into the ligaments and tendons things will start to straighten themselves out. He's been off it so long it will probably take some time. After having to wait so long though and going through so many procedures I'm sure he won't mind having to work it hard to get things on the path to recovery.

Sandra
Take a break from work, pour a glass of wine, pull up a chair and let us know how things are going. I'm still beating you!

Joe
Glad to know things are going well and you're getting stronger and better. I actually had some soreness over the weekend. I really worked it hard on Saturday so Saturday night it was telling me to get off it a while and leave it alone. So I had a couple glasses of wine and complied with my foot's request.

Keith, Hank, Carole, Pat, Phil, and anyone else I've forgotton hope everything is going well

As for me, nothing really new. We spent the weekend in Springfield and Branson MO on some business with a little relaxing wedged in-between. I did a lot of walking on Saturday and I pretty much treat my foot like nothing ever happened but Saturday night things were sore some so I stayed off it. When I got up Sunday morning I was a little stiff but I walked it off. My incision itches a lot nowadays as the scar continues to heal. I would probably put more stuff on the scar to help it heal better and not be as noticeable but it's not a big deal for me since it's not in a very visible area of the foot. Other than that I'm just trying to keep my life normal now and not do anything different just because of my foot. So far so good. Stay positive everyone, the only 2 things you can control are you attitude and your activity....

Alex

joe41

01-20-2009, 12:06 PM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Jason, good thinking, if your not comfortable don't do it till you are ready and the Doc. gives you the OK. Am sure you will come up with something. Maybe a velcro pad on the bottom of boot and on the pedal, that might give you the release when you want it but keep the boot on the pedal while your riding. Just a thought.

Alex, wine's good and resting the foot is good too. Hey, I took a few jogging steps, althou I was a little apprehencive, my leg isn't strong enough yet to support the activity but am working on it.

Am wondering if the Eagles will be looking for a new quarter back after McChokes perfomance. Now it's go Steelers.

Ed, Keith, Hank, Carole, Pat, Phil, and anyone else I've forgotton hope everything is going well.

Everybody stay strong, positive and of course

Keep Healing Heelies :jester:

Joe

electrician

01-20-2009, 02:41 PM

shattered heel 9-3-08 surg 9-9

hey every one, looks like everyone is comming along well.

anyone able to "feel" their hardware? if i rub my foot lightly around the plates and pins area i can feel a distinct bump with my finger that seems to outline the plate. this doesn't hurt at all. I was just wondering if any of you had this experience?

thanks keith

The J

01-20-2009, 10:15 PM

Hello everyone:
Keith: I can feel a couple of screws in my foot, one more than the others. If you look at your foot from the side, I have a screw that goes from the absolute back of the heel towards the top of my foot at about a 45 degree angle. I feel that one the most.

Alex: I like the idea but the toe clip pedals I've found aren't wide enough to fit the boot and I don't like the feeling of having my foot trapped on the pedal.

Joe: The velcro would work if I was staying on the road but most of my riding is in the dirt and the velcro would clog up pretty quick.

Thanks for all the ideas everyone but I think I am going to stick with what I have. I'm learning to ride with it pretty well.
We've all learned to adapt to the cards we were dealt and like somebody said it never is more than we can handle.
Adapt and overcome, that pretty much sums it up for all of us.

On a more humorous note, there is a yearly mountain bike race near where I live. My buddies convinced me to race in it in April. I'm going to wear the boot whether the doc says I don't have to or not. I think it would be hilarious to beat some people and be wearing a boot. :D

Keep healing everyone and keep your sense of humor.

Jason

patw27

01-21-2009, 04:02 AM

Hi Everyone,
Glad to hear everyone so positive,my foot is much better and i have ditched the cane for the last 2 days and walked a lot around Melbourne so it must have been the plane ride that made my foot so poorly last week.

That is the good part, you won't believe this!! as some of you know, my 87 yr. old Mother lives with us and goes into respite care while we are in Oz. She fell last Wednesday in the care home badly bruising herself but luckily no bones broken, she is in hospital where they are monitoring her because she is on Warfarin medication.Thankfully I have very good network of friends who are visiting her and updating me on her progress and the medics say she is not in any danger and no need for us to return home early, I have just about got over the guilt of not going home but know that she doesn't want me to ruin my trip this year again.Can you believe my bad luck 2 years running??

Keep healing heelies

Pat :(

mydd

01-21-2009, 09:25 AM

Hey Pat and all

Sorry to hear about your mom - and am sure if they needed you to come right home you would have been told by the drs and done so,as long as she was in good care and is doing ok.

lol Alex thanks for the extra names also

Second day of pt today- of course now i cant wait for when he can walk regularly -Have anyone of you that are done with Pt still have a dif way of walking on the bad foot -or is it normal movement like the good foot?
Hub is till using cam boot for protection -we have had snow and ice here , has been even more challenging with the crutches- so now cant wait for snow, ice ,crutches and cam to be done with lol-list is getting longer instead of shorter.

thanks
terry-mydd :)

triguy450

01-21-2009, 10:42 AM

Good Morning everyone,

Pat - I'm really sorry about Mum. I do hope she is OK and will recover quickly and go home soon. I know how the guilt must still weigh in, but it appears she is in good hands and she'll be home in no time. Enjoy your trip, you need holiday time too. You'll see her soon enough. We're all (well at least I am) very jealous of your visit to Oz. It's on my list of places to go someday.

Glad you are getting around OK and have ditched the cane. All great news.

Mydd - Good to finally learn of your name Barbara. I hope William is still doing well and looking forward to his PT sessions. Interesting about his foot pointing outward. A great question for the PT. I'd love to hear what they have to say about that. I do hope it straightens out for him, but if it doesn't he may have to lead that foot on the surfboard if that's not his natural forward foot. Obviously, be careful when walking on the ice. I don't want to read about you falling or slipping.

Terry, I am finally walking normally. My gate is normal, my speed has picked up and you wouldn't know it by watching me walk. My foot still gets tight when tired at the end of the day or on a workout day. My toes still have some discomfort from bending as I walk. There are times where I have to think about how I am stepping so as not to hurt or reinjure my progress. It will come, it takes time and as you know, patience. Remember I am now coming up on 7 months post op, and 7 since the injury.

triguy450

01-21-2009, 11:11 AM

Good Morning everyone,

It's been a few days, while I've been nursing my 3rd cold in 6 weeks. Don't know what's up with that. I became so lethargic and shut down for a few days, but following the posts.

Pat - I'm really sorry about Mum. I do hope she is OK and will recover quickly and go home soon. I know how the guilt must still weigh in, but it appears she is in good hands and she'll be home in no time. Enjoy your trip, you need holiday time too. You'll see her soon enough. We're all (well at least I am) very jealous of your visit to Oz. It's on my list of places to go someday.

Glad you are getting around OK and have ditched the cane. All great news.

Mydd - Good to finally learn of your name Barbara. I hope William is still doing well and looking forward to his PT sessions. Let us know how he does today. Interesting about his foot pointing outward. A great question for the PT. I'd love to hear what they have to say about that. I do hope his foot straightens out for him, but if it doesn't he may have to lead that foot on the surfboard if that's not his natural forward foot. Obviously, be careful when walking on the ice. I don't want to read about you falling or slipping.

Terry, I am finally walking normally. My gate is normal, my speed has picked up and you wouldn't know it by watching me walk. My foot still gets tight when tired at the end of the day or on a workout day. My toes still have some discomfort from bending as I walk. There are times where I have to think about how I am stepping so as not to hurt or reinjure my progress. It will come, it takes time and as you know, patience. Remember I am now coming up on 7 months post op, and 7 since the injury.

Joe - Looks like we are progressing the same and I'm glad to hear that of you. As for the Eagles? I'm not sure what to say....there is that saying, if you can't say anything nice..... Eagles defense couldn't match the Cards offense in the 1st half. Aikers missing 4 points after having an almost prefect season? Unheard of. Eagles come back in the 2nd half was huge and I give the defense credit for shutting down the Cards offense. (I'm sorry Alex) but McChoke did throw those last 3 passes in the final minutes a little too hard at his receivers. I didn't see any of them as being catchable, but it does take 2 to tango. I lost faith in him years ago and my opinion has not changed. Nuff said.

Great news on the jogging steps. I feel like I am almost there myself too. I am tempted, just not tempted enough. Maybe a few more weeks. I'll also start walking my Golden more often once the weather warms up again.

Jason - You are a mad man. LOL....I hope you kick butt in that race. I wished I was out there too, I could use some 70 degree weather....

Keith - I think your were asking if anyone can feel the hardware thru there skin? Not necessarily while it's deep inside bone or the foot? Yes, I can rub my skin and feel where my "bicycle chain is and some, but not all, of the screws. The long one that goes from top back to lower front, not at all.

I still think about what I have in there and that I don't feel any of it while walking or during my daily activities. Amazes me.

Alex - You are just cruising right along. I don't feel any itching but alot of tingling going on around the entire heel area. All good tingling, but it comes out of no where. Last night it was right around the incision area. It still gets stiff as you know, but some continued stretching helps work that out.

Funny that some of you feel the weather changes. I have felt nothing when it comes to that. My foot does not get colder or ache more as the temp drops or pressure drops.

Hank - How are you? Where are you? Hope you are OK. Sandra, Carole, Phil (where did Phil go?)

All good news from everyone. I'm so glad to hear it. Stay healthy and positive everyone.
Ed

patw27

01-21-2009, 09:37 PM

Hi Mydd and everyone,
Mam doing fine and will probably return to care home this weekend so I am feeling better now.

My foot still improving and not using cane, Mydd, I was injured 11 months ago and have been having PT for last 6 months but foot still not walking perfectly but nearly there so it takes about 12 months which is what PT and DR's told me. My foot also turned out a bit at first but soon straightens once stretching and exercise picks up.

Ed,you should visit Oz as it is brilliant, only drawback is long flight, but you can't have it all!!:) if my foot plays up after the flight home at least I will know what to expect so I won't worry about it.

Keep healing everyone

Pat :)

mydd

01-21-2009, 11:01 PM

Thanks for info Pat -hubs injury+plus infection will be a year this March so guess it will take some time in Pt. also, they said his rom is very good ,the up and down motion . Its the side to side that is hard to do and i think from the foot hanging in air while on crutches is the direction the foot is pointed as it healed.guess im hoping it can be pt-ed (new word lol) back to right direction.

Ed yeah that would be the lead foot for surfing - would actually be the way he would be pointing it while surfing -not telling him he may decide to leave it that way lol-
How about some vitamins to take plus extra c for those colds , sounds like to many to close together.:angel:

everyone else glad to hear of all the things everyone is accomplishing :)
still would like to hear from tashya_B4US if u see this let us know how you are.

MYDD-terry aka barbara etc lol :D

joe41

01-22-2009, 11:39 AM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Jason, what Ed said, and I think as long as you use the boot for protection you'll be fine. Go for it.

Ed, if you keep messing with everyones names I won't know who am replying to :D. I agree with the walking more. I have been laid off so I don't get as much walking as I would like. On top of that my wife is recorvering from cancer, but she coming along thank God.

Pat, I am sorry to hear about Mom, but am glad to hear she is doing well. Enjoy your vacation. Hoping your Mom makes a complete recovery.

Kieth, or Jason, no I can't feel any hardwear althou sometimes I think I can, but seeing the pictures of the foot and seeing how deep the plate and screws are I think it's more mental than pysical.

Terry, that's good news to want to get past the boot, crutches etc. Those things will come and PT will be very good for Ralph.

Alex, I get very little tingling. However when I massage the foot/scar I do get the tingles.

Everyone, remember stay strong, positive and of course

Keep Healing Heelies :jester:

Joe

mydd

01-22-2009, 01:32 PM

Hey ALL

joe- lol its mine and my hubs name that Ed "added on to" started off as he thought bob was my husbands name and then everyone caught on to Ed adding dif names for myself and my husband and now we are whatever anyone wants to name us(nicely of course)lol. iam Terry my husband is david.
i cant tell u all my alias lost track,. lol
Iam sorry to hear about your wife also joe didnt know that and i always wondered how someone with this kind of break would be able to deal with it if someone else in the home had an illness also-hope you both have the help you need to get through, am glad to hear she is doing ok and you are better also.

* I have a question about swelling in the foot while doing PT _when does the swelling start to do down -seems nothing is changing(larger or smaller) and david cant get a reg. sneaker on still -how long did it take for any of you to get a reg shoe on after injury and/or pt? I still associate swelling with infection and it bothers me to see his foot not a "normal" size yet -or maybe iam rushing things??

terry-mydd

KCguy

01-23-2009, 08:30 PM

Break 8/31, Surgery 9/9, WB as of 11/12

Evening everyone

MYDD
Terry, glad to know things are going well for you and Bob David. Yes, the swelling is normal and will begin to subside the more he uses it. At first it will blow up pretty good after a hard workout, but usually by the next morning it will be smaller than before you started. Icing it at night will help but I only did it my first week or so after beginning WB. His might take even longer considering how long he's been staying off the foot. I'm sure it will take a while for the ligaments and tendons to come back to life and at first they are going to seriously rebel which means swelling. Try to be patient and remember rewards will come with the hard work. When I started WB I immediately bought a pair of high top sneakers and bought them a half size bigger than I needed. Now I'm back to all my old shoes and the left one is still a little tighter but it takes time.

Joe
I'm so sorry about your wife, you two have been pulling double duty. I'm also very glad that she too is recovering. Sounds like 2009 will be a special year for the both of you. Keep working that foot and make it do what you want it to.

Pat
So sorry about your mom, I hope she makes a full recovery too just like the rest of us. Glad you're enjoying the land down under with the rest of the kiwis. Good to know your recovery is moving right along.

Ed
I'm sure the immune system is down a little and allowing those colds to set in. Our bodies are still using a lot of energy to heal and probably puts a strain on the immune systems. My sisters who are both nurses swear by high doses of vitamin C at the first signs of a cold and usually after a day or two you should feel better and cut down on the severity of the cold some.

Jason
I think it's awesome you're such an animal and you're resuming normal life activities in spite of recovery. Go for it dude!

By the way, I don't think I can detect any hardware and I have no idea if its possible to feel any plates by pressing around on your foot. I only have 3 screws installed and mine are all set into the bone so I'm pretty sure I'm not going to feel them. My heel doesn't seem to notice weather changes much either but now and then I can feel it a little. Anyhow, I'm at a plateau right now so if I want to complete strengthening things up sooner instead of later I need to get some serious workout regiment going. That's it for now, hope everyone has a great weekend!

Stay positive everyone, the only two things you can control are your attitude and your activity!!!

Alex

The J

01-24-2009, 01:00 AM

Hello Everyone:

Joe: Just when you think you have it pretty rough you find someone else that has it worse. I mean no disrespect Joe on the contrary I respect you a lot. For everything life throws your direction you always seem to have a positive attitude. Thanks for the good example.

Everyone: I'm not going to be able to do the bike race, it's the same week as my brothers bachelor party. Instead of the bike race, my brother and I are looking at riding in a desert quad race in October. :D
Yesterday I decided I have had enough of the boot and wore a PAIR of shoes all day! It felt great! It's been a little over 6 months since I've worn a pair of shoes so you can imagine how it felt. I made it through yesterday and today without the boot! I know if the doctor knew what I was doing he would probably put me back in a cast. hahahaha
Keep healing everyone and push tell your body tells you to stop

Jason

joe41

01-24-2009, 02:44 PM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Terry, Alex, Jason, thanks for the kind thoughts and words. My wife and I will get through this, althou I wish we didn't have this ordeal to handle. I said it before and I'll say it again, the Lord dosen't give anymore than you can handle and I take comfort in knowing that.

Terry, what Alex said, the swelling is part of the process. But it dose take time. The PT told me to ice down to keep the swelling under control and of course elevate. When I started PT I got a pair of high top sneaks a size bigger than my normal shoe size. It worked out pretty good and they give you good support. I only lace them up when I go out or do work around the house / yard. PT told me not to lace them up in the house so as to work the foot and ROM.

Jason, no offence taken. Congrats to your brother and you. You are making great progress just be careful and enjoy that quad ride in Oct.

Hey everyone, have a wonderfull weekend. Stay strong, positive and of course, Keep Healing Heelies. :jester:

Joe

triguy450

01-24-2009, 03:14 PM

Hi Everyone,

Joe, My best wishes coming from NJ too. Like we've all said in previous posts just when we think we have something to deal with, we meet someone or have someone close in our lives who have something else that might be worse than what we face.

Right now you have mountains to face but your attitude and persaverance you've shared with us will help you and your wife get thru these difficult times. I know all of our thoughts and prayers are with you. I am a firm believer....(I hope I can say this) "If God will bring you to it, God will bring you through it."

Between (Tchair) Tim, everyone here in this site, I was able to come thru this with a positive attitude. We're all here to help Joe... lean on us as needed.

Terry and David....I am so happy you found the humor in the names and that everyone jumped in too. Breaks things up a little bit. Like the others have stated, swelling is a part of this injury. You'll see it balloon some days and other days will be minor. If it bothers him that much, ice is the way to go. You can also ask for a prescription compression sock to help, but honestly, it didn't help me too much. My foot still swelled and the socks were over $70.00.

The swelling yo-yo will change daily with his PT and WBing. Be patient and it will settle down over time. I know you and David have patience...you've shown us all over the past 6 months of getting to know you.

Expect swelling for at least the next 6 months if not more. For my foot to look almost normal again it was at least 4 - 5 months post op. Don't forget I also went into PT much sooner than David has. I suspect, since his foot has had a chance to rest for almost a year and the last surgeries were more for hardware, antibiotics and filler, that his swelling won't be as intense or severe....he might have most of that behind him. However, the PT will cause it swell again.

Jason - I'm sorry about the bike race, but glad you are doing the other race. Just, please, be very careful. It's great you and bro are doing it together. Let us know how you make out with just the shoes, swelling, ROM etc....as you continue your outdoor adventures.

Pat - One day I will get to OZ. It's on my list of places to visit. I've seen most of the world, but NZ and OZ elude my schedule because it is so far away. I'm happy to hear your Mum is getting better. Good news.

Alex - Thanks for the V - C advice, but that never worked for me. Not sure why. Zicam doesn't either. I finally got over this one and have lots of post nasal....yuch...

I too seem to be at a plateau. I continue to stretch and push. 2 days ago, I forgot I had this injury and (get this) chased the dog around the house. I was RUNNING. No ill affects, no pain, nothing. This morning, tight, stiff and tired. I know it'll come with time....

I can feel a couple of the screws and certain parts of the plate thru my skin, mostly when I am doing my scar tissue massage.

I hope we get reports from Hank, B4US and Phil. Sandra, I hope you are well.
Ed

mydd

01-24-2009, 07:35 PM

Hi All

Just wanted to say thank you alex ,ed, joe ,pat and all for your advice and experiences ,i will try not to worry over the swelling -i do see today(no pt) that it isnt has bad as it was yesterday after PT,the people there ice it after his "workout" guess its just going slower then what i thought it would be but thats ok when i read the things you all write it helps to get through the parts im not to sure of,instead of sitting her trying to guess.

im sure the dog had alot of fun being chased Ed lol.:)

take care all!:angel:

terry - mydd

triguy450

01-25-2009, 09:52 AM

Hi Terry,

I know I've mentioned this before, but keep this in mind. MY PT told me, the idea is to work on the ROM, the ankle and the exercises to a point where the foot swells and gains benefit from the activity, yet, not too much where too much swelling takes over and creates a negative.

There is a very fine balance there. This isn't the 1st ankle injury the PT's have worked with, so they know that fine balance line and will work David's foot up to that point, then stop, stretch and then ice it for him.

ALL is well and he is progressing as he should. If you go back and read all our psots....the one thing we keep stressing is, not to push too hard, too fast or it WILL set you back a day, 2 or more.

Enjoy the weekend everyone,
Ed

joe41

01-25-2009, 12:11 PM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Ed, thank you for your support and understanding. Just being a part of this community is helpful and comforting. We will all get through this one way or another, we are all different but we have one thing in common the will to over come.

Hey everyone, have a wonderfull weekend. Stay strong, positive and of course, Keep Healing Heelies. :jester:

Joe

KCguy

01-27-2009, 01:31 AM

Break 8/31, Surgery 9/9, WB as of 11/12

Evening everyone

Sounds like everyone is enjoying some successes with their recoveries while dealing with normal life situations. I've noticed less posts by some here lately which I would assume is good since people are trying to get back to a normal routine. That's what I have tried to do but get those reminders daily that there's still a few more months until things get back to what I would consider 100 percent. However, I'm getting close enough now that I can look back just a little over 2 months and remember I was still on crutches. I'm so thankful to have recovered so well to this point. The next step is waiting for Spring to show up again and getting back outside more to yard work, landscaping and being able to put my foot back on a shovel. One thing I've been a real slacker at is getting involved with some type of yoga routine and working on my flexibility. Although I have noticed lately that I have gained back most of my flexibility pretty naturally from normal everday use.

Hope all of you are doing well, I didn't see any posts where anyone was needing particular help with anything. I know we threw just about every idea possible at Jason for his bike riding. It's good to know we can all come together like that to help our fellow heelies. If anyone needs anything that I can help with feel free to ask. Can't say I'll be able to help for sure, but I can guarantee I'll try!

Time to call it a night, have to fly to Chicago for a meeting tomorrow then right back home in the evening. We have some bad weather moving in here in Kansas City so I'm sure that's going to make things interesting in the morning.

Hope everyone is having a great week, chat with you all soon!!! Stay positive everyone, the only two things you can control are your attitude and activity...

Alex

mydd

01-27-2009, 12:07 PM

Hey all

Had an unexpected drs appt yesterday ,was worried about davids ankle, the skin started to get very red around the ankle bone ,thankfully is only a rash ,dr said to give it some air because we are still bandaging foot since his last operation on dec 23, and put lotramin on it so is superficial not having anything to do with operation,the incision is healing really nice and not alot of swelling but when i see it again will know its just from PT,thanks Ed.We have our reg, scheduled drs appt for the 2nd so am hoping to hear no more crutches!!
Alex it does seem we are missing alot of post from everyone,Would like to hear from taysha(b4us) and everyone just to see where they are on their healing.:angel:
well more snow and ice here tomorrow not alot of fun- had alot of suggestions from friends on how to rig up crutches for better traction lol

take care all
terry-mydd

electrician

01-27-2009, 03:51 PM

shattered heel 9-3-08 surgury 9-9-08 wb 11-21-08

Hello all,
MYDD sorry to hear about the rash. thankfully thats all it is.

Glad to hear everyone is doing well. i might get to go back to work on Feb
1st. happy to get back; i think it will be good therapy. not to mention a pay raise. lol

Kc guy, looks like u got hurt around the same time as me. I am having trouble with pushing off with toes. my big toe hurts when i try to push off. have been trying toe lifts, they hurt like well. :mad: any problems with walking for you?

I can balance on bad foot about 25 sec max, average time is about 10 to 15 sec.

anyone hear from wyo chesse lately?

hang in there everybody,
Keith

hank1412

01-27-2009, 08:21 PM

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

It has been a while since I posted. I hope there are no major issues with anyone and hope we have no new members (I would not wish this on anyone). As of my last post, I have began PT but I only go 2X per week due to insurance business. Today was my 4th appt and the progress has slowed. After appts. 1 and 2, I could see the improvements in ROM. Since then I don't see much other than we are now working the inversion. The hardest and most painful area of therapy is dorsi flexion (up).I have had no pain (except the agony of therapy) to speak of. I go back to Doc on Monday.

Ed: Did you see a slowing of progress in your therapy as I describe?? This is my first real injury and it has been since Nov 1. I can push down 60-80 lbs with boot on and can push fairly hard on bed without boot (20 lbs). If you were to take a guess, when would you expect to see me walking unassisted or at most with a cane? I still use walker and every step I put bad foot down with some weight.

Time for dinner
Talk tomorrow
Hank

triguy450

01-27-2009, 09:06 PM

Hi Hank,

Thanks for the update, you've been on my mind.

I remember the dorsi flexion taking some time to work itself out. I saw little movement at first, but the more I worked at it, the more it improved. I think it was about 3-4 weeks before I saw some real, consistant improvement.

Tell me, are you also stretching a home? I was stretching 3-4 times sometimes 5 x's a day with a robe belt (leather belt works too) to pull my toes towards my shin. I wore a shoe, because the shoe gave my foot a good solid base to pull on. When I tried it w/out the shoe, it was not as affective.

As tendons loosened, I would add a side pull to the stretch and pull one side harder than the other to twist the foot but keeping the belt tight. I would do this 4-5 times, then I'd pull towards the other side of the foot to get a good twist the other way. This gets tricky because the belt likes to slip...

Yes, these are going to hurt, but it takes time, patience and persistance. I'm serious 4-5 times a day. BTW, I was only doing PT twice a week too.

Does he have you riding the bike yet? Also....I wore the boot to PT for almost 5 weeks, then was able to walk without it. Be patient Hank. It will come.

When you start doing the wobble board, side to side, you will feel more pain...this one I really had to work thru. It was very uncomfortable, but doable. There were times I felt as tho I hit a Plateau in PT. I feel like that right now too, but keep pushing and work thru it. You'll get there.

Alex, Keith and others will attest to what I am saying. They all went thru the same issues.

Keith - good news going back to work. That will be a great feeling for you. Be warned, the 1st week will be tough and tiring. I like to prepare myself mentally for such things, thats why I mentioned that to you.

When you are balancing....either have someone stand next to you and use them to balance with your hands and arms, or balance near something you can help balance with. The idea being, balance for the full 60 seconds, if you lose your balance, don't use your bad leg to regain that balance, but your hand/ arm what ever. The importance is the endurance. Mt PT yelled at me for not grabbing her to maintain my balance.

And.....I have days where I have difficulty pushing off with my toes too. I'm 2 months ahead of you injury and still have these issues. Don't sweat it, I see this every few days myself. My toes are also still a lght B & B right at the joints where they join the foot.

Terry - I'm glad David's rash wasn't anything to worry about. I'm glad he is doing well. Let us know what happens at the Doc's office.

I look forward to some new and great news from some if not all tomorrow.

Sleep well,
Ed

jliversidge

01-28-2009, 10:40 AM

Hello,
I fractured my right heel and fibula after a fall down some friends stairs and landing flat on my foot on October 4th.I didnt need surgery,thank goodness,but oh my,its been a long slow job!!
I was completely non weight bearing for 8 weeks,just using crutches,and then partial weight bearing (just on the ball of my foot) for another six weeks.Saw the consultant who said to fully weight bear now and to get rid of crutches.That sounded great and I felt very positive utill I tried to fully weight bear,and oh dear, it didnt half hurt!!
Is this normal???Ive got pains all up my leg and the Foot is swelling a lot again.
Isnt it all great fun???
Jayne.

triguy450

01-28-2009, 01:43 PM

Hi Jayne,

I'm sorry. I'm also sorry we've all had to meet this way, but the group here and I will help provide you with good information to get you back on your feet and back to a normal list style?

Some of us are going thru what you are right now and some of us have already gone thru your timeline already, but stay here and support each other.

As you've already found out, this is a life changing injury, but one that can be over come. We've all discovered patience is the only way you will heal well and properly.

I am assuming the fibula has healed and doing well? Can I ask where along the bone did it break? Upper leg, lower leg? At the ankle? Just curious so I can visualize and offer suggestions.

As far as the pain you are feeling...this is normal and will subside as you become more WBing. Not to worry, it will get better.

About the crutches...My doc gave me the green light to full WBing and told me to lose the crutches within 5 days. Believe me, I tried but the pain was too much. It took me 2 weeks to lose them. The pain was unbearable the 1st 2-3 days. I spoke to my nurse, she told me, if it hurts, back off and give the foot a day or 2 to rest, then try to WB again.

This is important....do not rush this process. You can develop stress fractures in other parts of your foot which can lead to a longer recovery. Apply weight as you can and as you feel up to it. Try to push yourself just a little more but if it becomes too much, back off.

Did they send you for Physical Therapy? If so, when do you go? If not, ask them if they can send you and see if your insurance will pay for some of it.

When you apply weight and it hurts......does the pain subside when you take the weight back off? If it does, that's a good thing...this is telling you there are no other injuries inside the foot.

The key to WB ing is "as tolerated." So if it's too much back off. The reason it hurts so much is you've been on crutches for so long that the tendons and ligaments are tight. The muscles have atrophied and need to be built back up. This process takes a while. Slowly applying pressure again jars everything and reminds them that they are being called on to be used again. They need to be worked in slowly.

Please tell me more about your situation and we will help you thru this.

Above all, stay positive. You will get thru this. Stayed focused.
Ed

jliversidge

01-29-2009, 06:42 AM

Hi Triguy,
Thanks so much for your reply,its just so reassuring to know that what is happening is normal.This injury seems to be a real test of patience!!!
I am lucky enough not to have to worry about health insurance as I have got the good old NHS to look after me,I can't imagine how awful it must be to be worrying about paying for all this treatment.I have been having weekly physio since Christmas.
She just checks my movement and gives me excercises to build up the muscles ,but as you say,its just such a slow job.
I have managed to get rid of one crutch when i am at home and I have decided that today I am going to try a short walk outside with just the one and see how I get on!!
I broke the fibula just above the ankle, and to be honest,that doesn't seem to have been much trouble,its just sorted itself out!!
The most discomfort that I am getting is on the inside of my foot and my inner ankle,the only way to describe it is that it feels like a piece of elastic is pulling inside my foot when I flex it up,and it feels tight and painful.Could it be a tendon,? I dont know .The physio just says it could just be due to the swelling,
Oh has anybody got any tips on footwear?Thanks a lot.
Jayne

triguy450

01-29-2009, 08:54 AM

Hi Jayne,

Thank you for answering my questions. From Yorkshire, UK?

This injury is a test of patience. Any foot injury is from other friends who have broken ankle and foot bones. A lot of it is the atrophy our muscles goe into, then having to build them back up after the bones are fully healed.

I'd like to offer a suggestion. Do an internet G search (I can't say the G word on this site so be a litte creative) for foot tendons, ligaments and muscles. Once I saw how the foot was put together and interacted with itself and surrounding tissue, bones etc...things came into perpective pretty quickly.

I could feel a pain, then go to the pictures and see what it might be. Interesting spot where you have the majority of the pain...inside the ankle. Most of us are on the outside. Once you find and look at the pictures you will see the flexor renticulum and the tibial tendons. I believe it's the flexor renticulum giving you the troubles...Look at where they attach and compare that to your foot...does it hurt there? Does it hurt here. Please let me know what you find out so I can offer some suggestions.

Once I started walking I found the muscles were tightening which pulled on the tendons causing discomfort or pain. As the muscles get stronger, this goes away.

Can you tell me what exercises you are doing? I might be able to offer some others and are you stretching yourself? I'm sorry I need more info, but it will help me share what I've learned with you and help you find a good program to help you get stornger as fast as possible.

Enjoy your day.
Ed

joe41

01-29-2009, 02:30 PM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Hey Jayne, what Ed said. Also if you haven't done so look through all the post back to Calcaneous 1, lots of good info. On the shoes I think you will find high top sneakers are the way to go. They give pretty good support. Of course ice up and elevate to help with swelling which is pretty normal for this type of injury.

Hank, what Ed said ;). Well everyone stay strong, positive and of course

Keep Healing Heelies :jester:

Joe

movado

01-29-2009, 06:03 PM

Well it has been just over a year, fractured both 01/27/08, OP 02/07/08, WB ohh I can't remember about 2 1/2 months, but crutches for a long time afterwards, like 3 months.

Anyway, it has been a really long road and i'm not done yet. I have really wicked pain, arthredis from what My Dr. told. I can barely walk sometimes and not for long too. The pain starts out as nothing and then goes to a 10 on the pain scale, putting me to my knees.

I went to my other Dr. and he gave Gabapentine for pain but it makes me really dizzy and tired, he wants me to start out small and then end up taking 3000mg a day, that is alot to me I thought.

I get to have more Cortisone shots done here in a couple of weeks and that should take me to just before Vac, Cabo, then I am on my own until I want to have the sub-talar fusion done.

I figure I will get both done at the same time and just get it done and over with.

I'm going to ask the Dr. to put me on some Vicodin so I can do my job and not have to worry about falling asleep at my desk and get fired. I know I should not go with the Narcotic thing but I need my job, considering that there are people getting alid off every where these days.

well I hope all is well with everyone adn they are doing better than I am.

See ya,

Miles

hank1412

01-29-2009, 08:34 PM

Good evening folks,

I tripped this morning as I was getting out of bed prior to putting my boot on. I estimate that 80-100 lbs was placed on my left foot. This time, my leg didn't buckle and the foot made even contact on carpet. I guess my fracture is healing and PT is helping because other than being scared to death, I felt zero ill effects from it. I think my Doctor will be asking me to wean off boot when I see him Monday. I look forward to putting a shoe on both feet soon. It has been since Nov 1st when I broke it and had decompression surgery for compartment syndrome as well as the ORIF. Does anybody disagree with my prediction about Doc visit?
On a side note, my disability insurance kicks in at the 91 day mark. I was speaking with my benefit anylist and he/she said that according to their consulting specialist that "a heel fracture has an 8-12 week recovery time". I asked her/him nicely to double check that as I am past 12 weeks and still using walker (I was never comfortable with crutches).

Talk later
Hope all is going well with all
Hank

triguy450

01-29-2009, 08:43 PM

Hi Hank,

I'm glad you are OK...I know how that must have felt. Scared...what did I do?

Make sure you tell the doc about your spill and how the foot reacted to it. I would be willing to bet he will wean you off the boot too. My doc told me it was up to the PT to determine when that would be, so speak with your PT about that too.

You can also speak to your doc about the insurance. Sometimes the doc can force the hand of the insurance company and get additional benefits for an injury. My doc told them I needed 4 more weeks of PT and the insurance company said...OK. Don't be afraid to ask, they might surprise you.

Miles, I am really sorry you are having sucha rough time with this. A year and you still have a pain level of 10 at times. I'm really sorry.

Can you refresh my memory how you did this? If you fell? From how high?

I agree with trying to stay of meds as much as possible. I wish I could say or do something to make this better for you and help you more.

Ed

KCguy

01-30-2009, 12:12 PM

Break 8/31, Surgery 9/9, WB as of 11/12

Morning everyone. Business has been really busy and I missed a couple of days here, I can see I missed a lot!

Jayne
Welcome to the board. Unfortunately by welcoming you it means you've gone through the same injury we all have. I went back and read your posts so far and I can tell you the right guy is on the job for you. Ed is our resident expert. We all try to help everyone here but Ed has done the most research and has the most answers. The only thing I can add is that you just have to give the tendons and ligaments time to strengthen back up. They don't react well to having time off then being asked to perform again. You quickly find out during recovery what a well oiled machine the foot performs as when all is well. It's not until we have to recover from an injury like this that we find out how many different components in the foot have to work together for something as simple as walking. In the meantime I'll offer whatever advice I can to help.

Keith
Saw your post to me from earlier in the week. Earlier on in my recovery I'd get some discomfort behind my toes when pushing off. It's mostly just some aggravation of either the dorsal tarsometatarsel ligaments or the hallucis longus tendon. They're just mad at you for giving them rest for so long and now you're asking them to work again. Keep working hard but give them a couple days rest from toe presses then after about 3 days go back and do some toe presses again and see if they're a little less sore. Get some ice on them after working them hard and that should limit swelling and pain. Like I said I had it earlier in my recovery but just worked through it and it took care of itself.

Hank
I'm glad you didn't get re-injured. On the other hand, doesn't feel good to know our feet aren't made out of glass and we realize that once that bone is healed that we can trip, bump it and it actually winds up being ok. I checked the weather outside during some freezing rain before Christmas, walked outside my front door figuring it would be ok since it was under the roof but quickly found out there was some breeze blowing the freezing rain all the way to the front door. Anyhow, down I went, my wife and some company that was visiting all freaked out until I got back up and walked back in the house. A scare, but realized that we toughen back up pretty quick.

Ed
As usual, you're da man! Great posts for Jayne and you always offer so much comfort and hope for everyone here. Thanks!

Anyhow, hope everyone else is doing well. I just keep trying to do normal things as if I never injured myself. Some days the foot gets a little tired but it's all a matter of time now. I have to run, I'm posting from the office before I get into conducting interviews and taking care of other things waiting my attention. I'm so happy to be in a business that's growing and thriving when so much uncertainy faces others in a down economy. Just remember that the chinese symbol for chaos and disaster is the same symbol used for opportunity. It all comes back to the same thing I say about healing our heels. Stay positive everyone. The only two things you can control are your attitude and activity...

Alex

movado

01-30-2009, 02:49 PM

Hyper86

01-30-2009, 05:44 PM

Hello Heelies,
I found some really comfortable boots that have room for swollen feet, they let your foot and ankle move a lot, they are called UGGs made in Austrailia, sheepskin inside sheephide outside.
Dr. took an X-ray 1/29 & said it looked great.
I'm still working on stretching, strenthening & balance

P/S a guy at my work who broke his left foot 2 months ago just broke his right foot by stepping off a curb.

Keep on Healing!
Carole

triguy450

02-01-2009, 10:02 AM

Hi everyone,

Pat - I was watching weather last night and heard about the heat wave in OZ. I do hope you are doing OK in it and not affected.

Carole - So good to hear from you...The Uggs are working for you? My wife and daughter each have a a pair or 2. They love them too. Glad they are working out for you.

I pity your co-worker, not once but twice. The good news is he knows what he has to go thru again...WIsh him the best from all of us.

Hank - how are you feeling these days? Any affects from the fall?

Miles - I remember now. 40 feet...Ouch...We're all concerned, just wish there was a way to help you. I can't imagine going thru this and think how lucky I was.

Jayne - Joe brought up a good idea. If you can go back into this site and look at all the threads we've had, there is a lot of great information in there. The mods removed some of the info due to content or opinions we were not supposed to share or say. I would start back at Fractured Calcaneous and work your way forward numerically 1, 2 etc....I also believe heel fractures or broken calcaneous exists here too....It will take a while, each thread has 100 posts so it may take you a few days, weeks....However there is a ton of info from everyone. Take what you need and throw the rest away.

Alex - glad you are well. I love the quotes and statements you come up with. They are always appropriate and right on cue. What kind of business are you in again? Finance? I'm glad your end of business is doing well in this economy too.

Terry & David - hope you are both well and that he had a great week of PT. Fill us in when you can.

I was fortunate not to have to go into high tops for shoes. I am in a straight running shoe and have plenty of support...that's just me, I know not everyone was so lucky. I can also get my foot into my bike shoes with no discomfort. I'll be trying on my cowboy boots here soon.

I'll be scuba diving for the 1st time since the injury mid Feb...I hope I do well with that too.

Well, I'm rooting for the Cardinals today. My wife has family in Phoenix (ex-Eagles fans) so my loyalty rides with them today.

Stay positive and focused everyone. Enjoy your Sunday. It's beautiful here in NJ today.

Ed

mydd

02-01-2009, 12:54 PM

Hey All

Things are quiet here as far as recovery is going -guess thats a good thing:),Pt is going well and actually the swelling isnt even that bad anymore either- tomorrow is davids next dr appt and am hoping so much that dr lets him off the crutches now and that the bone filler took,also want to see what the next step is in pt if the dr will add some things to what he is doing now,david is still having problems with side to side movement but am sure will he will be able to get some of that back also in time.
We have the Polar Bear swim today but wont (and cant) be going for the first time in a long time _they are going for guiness(sp)book of world records for most people in the water for it,and is a beautiful day(40 degrees) here too Ed perfect for a swim lol.
Carole -my daughters and i have the uggs also they are very roomy and comfortable,had gotten my husband the mens ugg slippers before his fall, hoping he can get back into them eventually.
Miles think that is the highest fall that i have heard about since being on here -hope something can be done for your pain-have you looked into accupunture?
Alex glad to hear things are almost rountine for you and not to many bad days.
Ed enjoy the scuba diving when you go sound so nice,looking foward to the beach again myself-especially on days like today.:cool:
Joe hope things are well with you and your wife also.

Take care all:angel:
Terry -mydd

triguy450

02-01-2009, 01:18 PM

joe41

02-01-2009, 02:50 PM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Hey Carole, good to hear from you and that your recovery is coming along.

Terry, thank you for your thoughts. My wife is coming along now that the radiation treatments are over with. She has along way to go however, but I'll make sure she gets there.

PT will add exercises as he progresses, there are quite a few of them.

As for me, the out side of the ankle is acting up and swelling at the end of the day. Am not sure what the h*** is going on. Am thinking of going back to the Doc.

Ed, I'll light a candle for your Cardinals. Althou I like Warrner and Fitzgerald I think the Steelers are too strong.

Everybody have a great day and enjoy the game. Stay strong, positive and of course, Keep Healing Heelies :jester:

Joe

mydd

02-01-2009, 09:11 PM

Hi Terry,

Polar Bear Swim? Where? What time? We'll have to do that next year. What do you think?

Great idea for Miles. That might help. I know several people who have tried it and they say it works.

Ed

hey ed

It was in long beach, ny- today(sun.) at 130-started off as two guys doing it for fun before super bowl and got bigger each year then one of the guys lost their child to an illness and it is now done for make-a-wish foundation _think they made it into the record book today!you may see it on some news channels or in a newspaper.

Joe i have no doubt you will see her through! :angel: just how i felt with my husband with his injury and infection.

terry-mydd

jliversidge

02-02-2009, 08:58 AM

Hello eveyone,
Thanks so much for the replies,I have had a good look at all the past postings and there are some very good tips there.
I think I will have to ask my hubby to take me shopping for some Ugg boots or some Nike air so that sounds good.
Also I have been wondering about going swimming and have read that other folk say it works wonders,the only thing I'm nervous about is getting in and out of the pool. Any tips on that one.I suppose once you've done it it gets easier.
The main thing that is really frustrating me is how slowly I
seem to be making progress towards making the bad foot go without needing a crutch or furniture to lean on.I have been trying to progress to fully weight bearing for 4 weeks now and it still hurts,quite a lot up my instep and inner ankle,
i am hobbling around in the house with one crutch and it is definitely getting slowly better , but I couldn't tackle going any distance without both crutches.
We visited our daughter who is at Leicester University an Saturday and I walked all afternoon with both crutches,actually walked some distance,and wondered if this was a good idea to try to do this more often to build up the ankles mobility and strength.
My physio is lovely,and checks my range of movement and sets me excercises and she seems to think I'm making progress.
I've got a range of excercises but the one that hurts the most is for my weight bearing.i just have to stand on both feet and gently shift my weight from one foot to the other,ouch,although it is getting easier and I can bear to take my weight on my poorly foot for a few seconds,but I cant wait to be able to lift my good foot up and let the bad one take all my weight !!How long will that be??
Thankyou so much Ed and Joe,Hope you are well on the road to recovery,and can put all this lot behind you!!
Jayne.
Yes,I am in Yorkshire,England,and its snowing like mad here as I write so I dont think I'll be going out for a walk today!!!!

joe41

02-02-2009, 11:45 AM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Hey Jayne, there is a compatriot of yours on hear also. Pat is her name and she did not under go surgery either. However from what she has reported, and others, it takes some what longer to WB if you do not have the surgery. She can tell you better of what to expect. You may want to look into an aircast boot. I had one and I was very pleased with the mobility it afforded me. I was able to get off the crutches very quickly by using it. Sorry I don't have more positive information for you.

Thanks Terry.

Hey everyone stay strong, positive and of course

Keep Healing Heelies :jester:

Joe

nannie1234

02-02-2009, 12:24 PM

I too, am having a heck of a time with weight bearing. i have a boot, should i go back to that? i put myself into tennis shoes and still bearly able to walk with one crutch. I am so ready for tips from other Heelies that I will try anything to get back on both feet. Any other suggestions? its been 5 and a half long months of not walking so, yes I am desperate.
nannie

mydd

02-02-2009, 01:39 PM

Hey All

Just have one thing to say_David is off crutches!!!!!!:)
well maybe two things lol-Dr. said the bone cement looks great and when he rotated davids foot likes the way it moved -even though he cant move it on his own in the same way, dr. upped his pt routine but am so relieved he is off of crutches and can "walk" not have to worry about him falling , dont have to go back to the drs for another 2 months now instead of two weeks like we were.

NANNIE- i would not go back to wearing tennis shoes i dont think they give you any support and are you seeing a Pt for strenghtening the foot? -joes suggestion of the aircast boot could help or a brace for your foot and ankle if you want to stay in a sneaker.Are you seeing a ortho dr? How did you get injured?
JAYNE am watching the tv right now and they are showing the snow you are having and saying more is coming your way,know it is unusual for there.
My husband was born in England(middlesex) still have relatives there in somerset area- as far as your injury if you could get into a pool am sure it would help alot or whirlpool therapy where you could just put your foot in and not have to worry about getting in and out.

Take care all!:angel:
Terry-mydd

nannie1234

02-02-2009, 03:20 PM

Terry:
I eveidently have osteoporosis and never was treated. hard to believe at only 48 years old. right? anyway, yes, i do have an ortho. not too helpful when it comes to progress without cast. I was sent to PT and went for 2 weeks then I became swollen and stiff. All thought the boot was causing this and then the ct stated I had rsd. I believe the diagnosis is wrong. Manipulation has helped a bunch, however I know I need PT again. I am going to ortho. this week so, I will be asking him to order new PT.I feel better and know that this could be worse. Just wish I could get on with my life. This not walking for 6 months is for the birds. Most days I do good however, it does get trying. It is sad for me to say, but I am glad to see I am not alone. I have tried everything to get on my own two feet. Thought I would see what others are doing to improve.Thanks for all your help.
Nannie

hank1412

02-02-2009, 09:04 PM

Hi everybody,

I trust all is going well with recoveries. For me, I am making slow but steady progress. As I suspected, my surgeon told me to lose the boot as of today. He also told me to stop using the walker and get a cane. I went out and bought a mismatched pair of shoes with the left being 1/2 size larger to accomidate swelling. I have to say that today was one of the most important days in my recovery as I put a shoe on my left foot for the first time since Nov 1st.
That was the easier part. I got a cane and had a hard time with it. I could take a fairly normal step with bad leg but could only take 6 inch steps with right. Also I felt like the cane had my whole body leaning to the right. I have been practicing with a pair of crutches taking normal strides (using the crutches only for balance) with all weight bearing on feet. I think that the more important thing is losing the boot and weaning from using a walker to a cane. Did any of you have trouble with a cane?
Doc took x-rays and said he achieved a virtual anatomically perfect heel. He noted some osteo something (not osteoarthritis) which meant calcium was lacking.
Again, I wish to thank everyone on these boards for support and allowing me to vent (that goes double for Ed, Ed, and Joe) I think there are 2 Eds

Hank

hank1412

02-02-2009, 09:12 PM

I am sorry. Let me redo my last sentence. That goes double for Joe41, Triguy450, and KCguy.

Hank

triguy450

02-03-2009, 01:01 AM

Hi Everyone,

Joe - I wanted you to know you and your wife are in my prayers daily. Is the area that is swelling painful? If not, I would not worry too much. Put some ice, ibuprofen and truck on....I still swell for no reason, still black and blue, some days more than others. I hope in 5 months I can report this not happening... But...a call to the doc wouldn't hurt? Maybe an xray, double check.

Great advice to Jayne too...after conversing with Pat tho, the UK's medical system is different than ours. I don't know that they offer a boot/air cast like we had. Remember Pat was in a shoe and had to work thru the difficulty and pains. I believe Jayne is where Pat was 3-4 months ago.

Jayne - I was on one crutch for a day or two then dropped them. I found it better for me to use both and put as much weight on my leg as possible. Walking with one crutch also puts unnecessary strain on the knee, the hip and of course the foot because you aren't walking a normal gait. Do this too long, you could cause other problems in other parts.

I believe from what you say, that you are where you should be with your recovery and WBing. I know you don't want to hear this, but patience my dear....patience. It's difficult, I really know where your head is, if only if I were, if only I could.....to be blunt? Right now ya can't....I'm sorry. It will come tho. really honestly. I would say that to myself daily, when am I...? When will this tendon loosen? Give it a 3-4 more weeks and you will be pleased with you progress. Not 100% but you will be pleased. It may still hurt, but I believe you will be crutch free at that point too.

Good idea with the Uggs and/or the Nike Air's...As for swimming? Go for it. Every PT I've spoken to has told me....go for it, it's the best thing for your leg. It develops the muscles with no strain or further injury. Walk in the water, swim, you can do whatever and the discomfort will be oh so minimal.

Shifting from one leg to the other. Lie on your back. Bend your knees and bring your feet up to your bumm...Now lift your hips up so your thighs are in line with your stomach and chest. Hold for 10 seconds. While in this position, transfer your weight from the good foot to the bad foot. Lower your hips to the floor again. Rest 10 seconds, then repeat. when first starting this start with 5 reps. Your lower back will hurt the next couple of days. Over 2 weeks build up to 10, 15 then 20 seconds...soon you should be able to have all the weight on your bad foot or once your hips are off the floor, immediately place all the weight on your bad foot and hold that for 20.
This strengthens your back and foot also partial WBing on your bad foot, since you are not applying full body weight on the foot.

Terry - I didn't forget about you. David...great news. I am really happy for you. Your off the crutches.... I was tellng a friend of mine how the really little things mean so much to us....this one for you? OMG, this one is sooooo BIG not just physically but psychologically. And to up the PT? He's going to get stronger and better. Remember it's still a slow boat. Be patient and be careful...no falls and do not rush the next few weeks.

Good advice Terry to Nannie. Welcome to the board Nannie, but I'm sorry you are here under these circumstances. You will see how supportive everyone here is. Ask any question that comes to mind and one of us will find a way to answer it for you.

A word of caution Nannie, if your leg is not ready to support your foot in shoes, going back to the boot will help tremendously with this stability. Not every step has to be perfect or thought about except for your gait. You can also bump your foot and not wince in pain or discomfort. I wanted to go to shoes, but I also knew my leg and foot weren't ready just yet, so I stuck with the boot for another week or 2 until I and my PT were 100%.

Good idea to ask the ortho for more PT. It certainly won't hurt. The hardest part about this is how slow the foot and calf muscles respond to exercise. I've been reading a lot on this lately for my son and body building. The caves are the hardest muscle to train. The foot, the 2nd hardest. There is just enougn blood flowing in these areas, so they take extra long.

Continue with the manipulation and stretching even if you have to do it yourself. Also....do the exercises at home too...not just at PT. I know several of us have and have seen great progress by doing so. You too David.....(sorry, I'm getting preachy again).

Nannie, surgery? None? Plate? screws? Have you gone back thru this site and looked at all our previous threads starting with Fractured Calcaneous? There are 10....now, plus some others that have the word broken or broken heel Take the time and read them if you haven't already.

Hank - More great news. Hank's got new shoes. I remember that feeling of putting them on. Ahhhhhhh I did not use a cane except one day at PT. I was very timid about walking in shoes with out crutches to the treadmill. I used it once and put it away. It is tricky, so take your time and work on proper gait. Don't rush the walk or the cane. Take each step with purpose. As the leg and foot get stronger and ROM increases, speed will follow.

My surgeon told me I would have arthritis. I do and feel it worse than some days. This is normal, but unfortunate. Mine could be worse. Look at Miles and Jason. I am thankful for what I have regained.

Hank, did you know two Ed's are better than one? I know, almost a bad as my BoB joke. For the newbies, Bob spelled backwards, spells Bob. Also, please feel free to vent anytime here. We have an injury that others don't understand, so we need to bounce things off each other so we can check our progress against the norm, not what someone's co-worker thinks we should be doing next...vent, vent and vent.

Ok...I walked my dog Cocoa last night for a mile for the 1st time since July. Talk about strides. Cocoa was grinning ear to ear. LOL

As for me? My frin disappeared when the Steelers score that last touchdown...Oh well, it's only a game, this is real life to us.

Nuff stuff for tonight. Going to bed now. Keep healing heelies, stay focused and positive.
Ed

mydd

02-03-2009, 12:31 PM

Ed- thanks ,yes it is a great feeling and he wore sneakers today -its snowing here again and not worrying (to much) about him slipping _wanted to tell you i left you what info i could on polar bear think it is now on page 2 after all the posts we have had-wasnt sure how much info i could put down,glad your dog was happy back walking with you again -lol even my dog gained weight from sitting around with us-have to get back to walking her on the beach again.

take care all!
Terry-mydd

hank1412

02-03-2009, 02:50 PM

Hello again friends,

Mydd: I am glad your husband's progress is moving forward. You are his rock. It is obvious in reading your posts that his injury and recovery are equally important to you as him. My wife has been my rock but I can tell her patience is wearing thin. I am not speaking negatively about my wife; just positively about you.

Ed: It was a good day for me as I had a great visit with my therapist. He doesn't agree with my surgeon regarding the use of a cane. I was afraid that re-training my muscles to walk using a cane would be horrible. Using a cane had me leaning to the right as I walked. I think that would have become a permanent issue as I walk and would lead to foot problems down the road. He said start with 2 crutches then down to 1 and then to zero. Today brought new exercises that will increase ROM exponentially. When I arrived at the doc's office yesterday at 10 AM, I was using a walker and wearing an air cast. Today, with crutches, I am almost full weight bearing and almost walking like I used to.

I wish for all of the members of this forum that all days bring as much progress as I had in the past 24 hours!!

Hank

movado

02-03-2009, 03:32 PM

I have never thought of acupuncture, I will look into it. Yesterday I had to leave work early the pain was rolling so bad I fell over twice while out in the field.

This morning I took another Gabapentene (SP?), talk about being out of it a just being really spaced, man.

I get more cortisone shots next Thursday, so that should by some time til vacation.

Only one good thing has happened since my accident, I celebrated one year of being smoke free yesterday, with no cheating ever. No I can get my life insurance premium cut in half.

Anyone ever heard of someone becoming fully disabled from this type of injury?

Miles

triguy450

02-03-2009, 03:53 PM

Hi all,

Terry - I am serious about how excited I am for you and David and his new developments. And....in sneakers. Even better. Thank you for the Polar Bear info, I think we should do that event next year together, are you in?

I could see Cocoa getting a little puffy in the back end too from not being walked.

Miles - I really don't know about disability, but it might be worth looking into just for FYI and to cover your future. I'm sorry you are even thinking about that but you still need to live and somehow have money coming in.

Congratulations on your smoke free success. That had to be a tough one with this injury. The stress, the sitting around waiting for things to heal, but on the other hand, our bones heal faster when we are non smokers. I do know how tough it is to quit without being forced to.

I would seriously look into accupuncture. A very good friend of mine swears by it and has it done for a back injury from many years ago.

Hank - Good news again from the PT. I'm really glad they were helpful and are offering you other perspectives with recovery. My surgeon and my PT told me, 2 crutches, then one, then none. I had a very difficult time with just one so I cheated a little and when I could bear full weight, dropped them both. I went back 2 days later for the day, but then called my PT and asked if I should bring them. His said H &(*^ No.....I haven't used them since.

You are close Hank, very close and much closer than you think, but don't force the issue. Listen to your foot before you drop one or both. You will know when....

Keep on healing heelies.
Ed

nannie1234

02-03-2009, 07:48 PM

triguy450

02-03-2009, 07:54 PM

Hi Nannie,

All the feelings you've described. We've all had them. Muscle strength will come with PT and useage. I'm sorry I keep saying this, but is going to take time. It's the nature of this injury.

Read Hank's last few posts and Terry's last few. Her husband David just got off crutches. He broke his a year ago. Hank is so close to no crutches too.

Don't worry, you won't forget how to walk, it's like riding a bicycle or like, ummmmm, errrrrr, well you know....I don't think I am allowed to say that on here.

Anyway, You get the point. Great idea with your lsit of questions. That IS the way to do it. I always had my list when I went to the doc or to PT.

Ed

mydd

02-05-2009, 01:54 PM

Hey Hank

Glad to hear you are getting to wear you can walk without all the "equipment "that goes along with it, i know it is a great feeling.I honestly dont think if it was me in this position of having to use crutches especially to go up and down stairs that i would be able to do it ,id be scooting up and down on my behind for sure.thanks for the things you said ,has been along year and days where i didnt think there would be any end it site -the only one i got impatient with was the dr that messed this all up at the begining by ignoring the infection.
David went to work after beign allowed off crutches and stands on his feet alot -ankle was pretty swollen when he got home, so iced it and is still larger looking then normal but at least i know it is from use and nothing else.
ED- would be great to have a meeting of the heelies for a polar bear swim -would def. take the swelling out of everyones feet lol.

Take care all i hope everyone is continuing to get better:angel:

KCguy

02-05-2009, 03:29 PM

Break 8/31, Surgery 9/9, WB as of 11/12

Afternoon everyone. I'm extremely busy with business right now so I've been having a hard time keeping up in here. I'm in between appointments so I thought I'd try to get in a post...

Nannie
Welcome to the board, at the same time sorry for your injury. We're all here together. It's great that you didn't need surgery, it should make your recovery a little easier since nothing was displaced. Everyone is here to help, so I hope we can all reassure you it will heal just fine and you will recover 100%. If you haven't figured it out yet, Ed is our resident expert.

Hank
Sorry I missed several days of posts, but once again Ed has taken care of things. I'm so glad you got around the cane thing and things are getting better for you. Sounds like you're making great progress now!

Terry
Woo HOO! Way to go, we're so happy for you and David Bob. He's cooking right along now. I knew once that infection was gone he'd progress quickly. If nothing else, his calcaneous had that extra time to really harden back up again. You must be ecstatic at starting to enjoy the little things in life again. But it does sound like you need to put the dog on the treadmill! LOL!

Joe
Hope everything is going well, you and your wife are in my prayers. Keep working through that swelling and it should start improving dramatically.

To anyone else I've missed, my apologies but my best wishes for continued speedy recovery.

As for me, nothing new to report. I haven't been doing any exercising due to my work schedule so I just keep doing everything I did before my injury like it never happened. Most days I just walk and don't even think about the foot I injured and it seems to help. My wife says she hardly ever sees me limp anymore. That doesn't mean occasionally I don't feel it, but not as often. I'm just letting time take its course.

Back to the grind everyone. Please remember you have to stay positive during this time, the mental aspect of recovery is 90% with only about 10% being physical. The only two things you can control are your attitude and activity....

Alex

TDonoho123

02-06-2009, 02:55 PM

Hi everyone!:wave:
I've been reading everything the past few weeks, it's been wonderful information so I know what to expect. Thanks!
My husband fell (lost his balance and decided to jump instead of fall) about 6ft off a ladder on 1/21/09 (day after his bday). He thought is was just a spring, but decided to go to the ER. They admitted him, in case ortho wanted to do surgery the next morning. The ortho guy didn't want to touch it. He said he's seen 2 in his 9 years and neither were as bad as his. He sent us on to Dr. Yu at Baptist Hosptial (Tenn. Ortho Assoc) in Nashville. He said it's bad, but fixable. He didn't think the heel was in more than 3-4 pieces, but his subtular joint was fractured & displaced. He said it should be at a 20-40 degree angle and its sitting flat. So we decided surgery was the way to go.
Jason (my DH) didn't have any health ins at the time of the accident, he is qualified for TennCare, but I just found out it's going to be at least another 5 days before he will be "in the system". Next Wed (2/11) puts him at 3 weeks. The nurse is talking to the Dr. this afternoon and is supposed to let me know what he says.
Has anyone had the surgery past the 3 week mark?
DH wanted to surgery to maybe heal a little faster and back to work (and life). It's killin him to lay on the couch, he thought there was a beginning to an end coming next week (we were schedule for surgery today, then next Tues....but can't do it w/o the ins.) To top it off, he says it's been hurting more since last night than it had the past week.
Well, that feels better, just getting it out. It's soooo frustrating to sit and wait on other people (i'm sure it's much worse laying on the couch waiting:()
Do you think he'll be ok doing it after the 3 week mark?
Thanks,
Tina

triguy450

02-06-2009, 04:40 PM

Hi Tina,

As we tell everyone, we're sorry we have to meet you here and meet you at all, but we're happy you found us and happy to meet you, if that makes any sense? LOL

I'm sorry about your husband? Jason? You used the term DH in your post....can I ask what that means?

To answer your question...I fell off a ladder too (same thing, I jumped instead of landing on my back - 10 feet) I landed on my right heel breaking it into 6 or 7 pieces. I lost count. The 1st doc I went to for surgery told me the same thing you were told.....I won't do this....try so and so. The 2nd opinion I chose was my next choice anyway.

My surgeon told me it didn't matter if the surgery is done tomorrow or 3 weeks from now, he could do the surgery, repair the break and the heeling process would not affected except for a longer recovery time. The most important issue was to get rid of the swelling before he would touch it.. 9 days on my back with my foot up high, the swelling went down and the surgery was performed July 31. 11 screws and one plate. Injury happened July 19.

If I were in your shoes (sorry bad choice of words right now) Iwould wait until the insurance can cover the surgery. 3 weeks will not affect the repair at all. (over $30K) As I hope you have read in the previous posts from the heelies in this thread, this injury takes a long time to recover from. With surgery or w/out. I am 7 plus months and still have some minor issues, but I am fully functional. It will take 3-4 months before he can go back to work.....

I went back to work November 7. 13 weeks post op.

With that said, both you and hubby are going to learn patience whether you want to or not.

Good news is, you have a great sounding board amongst this group. The support from everyone is fantastic. If there is a situation that has occured with this injury, someone on this board has had it. Please feel free to vent....important due to possible depression occuring, or ask any questions you may have. Someone will have an answer or find you an answer.

See if you can a pain med for him otherwise give him Tylenol. Not advil, aspirin or Ibupfofen. Keep his foot elevated and iced. Some docs will give sleep aids. Mine did not.

If you haven't already, I would suggest digging into the previous threads that go back to the first Fractured Calcaneous thread (July/August time frame) and read 1-10. There are others called broken heel etc....read them all.

These are full of valuable information from the surgery thru the recovery.

Again, please feel free to ask any one of us ANY question. There is no such thing as a dumb question, especially here. It's the little things and knowing what comes next that helped all of us get thru this life changing injury.

Once more suggestion, do a "G" search on the internet (you can geuss what G stands for but we can't say it here. Type in Foot and ankle ligaments and tendons. sites with pictures will appear. If you can save them later reference so you can refer to them...also if you want type in calcaneal surgery, I found a site that showed a series of photos of the surgery itself.

I hope this helps. I check this board on regular basis and my phone tells me when new posts come up. Others here will also chip to help.

Ed

TDonoho123

02-06-2009, 05:16 PM

Thanks for the quick reply.
DH = Dear Husband (most days he is)

We were just really let down today, we were kinda led to believe the ins thing would be active by today. We are both ready to get this goin and get on to the next step in the process.
He's been on hydrocodone since it happened, so the pain stays pretty manageable. He had his foot down for a bit last night. I'll venture to guess that won't happen again.
I've done a bunch of searches, looked at tons of pics, trying to compare to his CT & XRays. I have to say though, I think I've picked up alot of my info from you guys. To me, knowledge & information is comforting. I like to know what to expect.
Thanks again!

triguy450

02-06-2009, 05:36 PM

Thanks Tina,

I'm glad we can be of help.

Putting you foot dwon will do exactly what happened to him last night. It hurts. I'm glad he's on some pain meds to ease the pain. I remember the exact spot mentally he is in now. It's not fun to lie there without being able to control your immediate future. Like I said, this is the most diffcult time until after the surgery.

I too picked up most of my info from this site too. Stirred questions for me to dig further and find more answers. The docs and surgeons are of little help except what they need to do and what minimal info they share. They know what we are going thru, BUT, they haven't gone thru it.

Ed

joe41

02-06-2009, 06:48 PM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Hey Ed, Alex,I had a problem with my login so it took me a while to get back to you. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. No my foot does not hurt when not using it. I am glad I can bounce things off of you guys. You seem to have a good handle on this injury. God bless you.

Tina, like Ed says, patience and perseverence are going to be your guides through this ordeal. However, elevate and ice to reduce the swelling is very important. My PT told me swelling will retard recovery.

To our newer Heelies, remember to stay strong, positive and of course

Keep Healing Heelies :jester:

Joe

mydd

02-06-2009, 09:32 PM

Hey Tina

Sorry to hear this injury happened to your husband ,we all do know what you are going through and i can understand the wanting to get some progress going -took my husband a year to get there.He fell of a ladder at about 10ft with his ankle caught under the rung and his body coming down on the ladder, had a plate and 11 pins put in and taken out, this happened march of 08 and he is just back on his feet since this week!(as you read past posts you will get the whole story)
As everyone before me has said you will learn patience ,sometimes the hard way but you will get there -i do feel bad that insurance problems are holding you up because at a time like this is not what you need. I hope by the time you read this that will all be streightned out for you.
Let us know how things are progressing.:)

take care
Terry-mydd

KCguy

02-06-2009, 09:53 PM

Break 8/31, 3 pieces, surgery 9/9, 3 screws. Weight Bearing(WB) as of 11/12

Evening everyone

Tina
Welcome to the board and at the same time sorry about Jason's injury. You've come to the right place for support and help. We've all gone through this injury and are all recovering at different paces. I also had to jump from a falling ladder except I was 25 feet high. Fortunately my heel was all I broke. I doubt waiting 3 weeks for surgery is going to be a problem, most of our surgeons didn't want to touch ours for 10 days to 2 weeks anyway because of waiting for swelling to go down. First of all, be prepared to learn patience. A LOT of patience! Then MORE PATIENCE! I am a super "A" personality who can't sit still and yet I made it through this injury. Secondly, ICE ICE ICE!!! Keep that foot elevated, ice it often and do not attempt to put any test weight on it. That will help a lot get rid of the swelling and ease any pain. I was on percocet and ibuprofen while waiting for surgery and had very little pain and discomfort. I have a high tolerance to pain and to pain meds so they had to give me some strong stuff. You're the patient, make the doctors listen! Lastly, whatever Jason has been wanting to do and hasn't had time for, now is the time. Certain books, videos, paperwork, or anything non-physical that he's been wanting to do and couldn't find time for.....now is the time. Keep his mind busy so it leaves less time for worry, negativity, etc. His attitude will be just as important in his recovery as his physical healing. I hope all the insurance issues work out for you, I know it will make it much easier. Make sure you do internet searches for the bones, tendons and ligaments of the foot to get a better understanding of what is going on in there. Because of his subtalar displacement the surgeon may want to do a subtalar fusion. Try to avoid that unless there isn't a choice. Although a sub-talar fusion will still result in a full recovery, it will limit flexibility of the foot long term. Anything else we can help with we will all try. Ed is our resident expert, he should take up a new career as a heel surgeon! There is a great group of people here Tina to help you and Jason get through this, we've all benefited so much from this site and group. We'll keep you both in our prayers along with everyone else.

Alex

KCguy

02-06-2009, 09:56 PM

OH YEAH.....

What I always say.... The only two things you can control are your attitude and activity... Remember that!

hank1412

02-08-2009, 08:13 PM

Hello my fellow recoverees,

I have continued to progress. It was 6 days ago that I went to Dr. appointment with a walker and the air cast boot. Now, I am walking with crutches and REGULAR SHOES. My physical therapist has me doing all kind of exercises ranging from 15 minutes on stair climber to standing on trampoline and walking in place (OUCH). When I walk, I can extend my left (bad) foot about 30 inches, and then with my right I can catch up to the left and usually a foot more. I gave the details of my gait so everybody knows what I mean when I say I am walking. I can get around the house with just 1 crutch. I have a dilemma: My private disability policy kicks in at day 91 which I passed a week ago. I recently began substitute teaching and the ins. pays more than I make after gas is accounted for. If, for instance I am cleared to return to work at next Dr appt, there will be 10 weeks of school left. The summer scares me for 2 reasons. The first is no school. The 2nd is that in order for me to bring in any money, I need to be in condition to install floor covering as that is my trade. Maybe the ins. company and I can come to a mutual agreement that gets me back to work ASAP and gives consideration for summer. After all I went 91 days with no income.

Mydd and Triguy450: May I ask what you do for work? In your case, Mydd, I mean your husband of course!

Tina: Welcome to the site. I am sorry to make your acquaintance in this way. I can attest to the true feeling of care and support you will receive here. I never had to wait more than a couple hours for answers to questions that I had.

mydd

02-08-2009, 10:20 PM

Hey Hank

wish i could help you with the ins. problem all i can say is try talking with your ins. company- if the dr gives you clearance to work then shouldnt be a problem to get back to carpet installing,hope you are up to it healing wise also.
My husband is a manager and almost part owner(this injury slowed that part down for now since he couldnt be there)of a glass and car repair business,his boss wants to scale back and give david a share of the business for him to run.He is on his feet alot with this and it does cause alot of swelling but he is happy to be back there for a good part of the day now.Iam also happy because his boss is still paying the health ins so we had to pay co-pays , which with david added up with all the problems he occured along the way.
good luck with everything !:angel:

Terry-mydd

sbrew7

02-08-2009, 10:37 PM

I just spent some time catching up with everyone and noticed a couple of newbies.
I just have a few minutes to say hello but wanted to drop a line. I am working horrible hours right now and am in the midst of a big federal audit on one of our programs. It all has to do with Katrina money. The FCC has auditors in 6 parishes right now. Most are doing ok. I am ready for this to be done....I am tired all the time.

Alex, you might win for awhile because I don't get to walk or exercise much :) I sit behind a desk in front of a computer. I am usually fine in the morning but still get stiff and sometimes limp a little in the evening when I am swollen. I stretch when I get up and before I go to bed. My toes also get stiff and the ligaments in the front of my leg on top of my foot stiffens up with the swelling. I don't have a lot of pain in my heel except when the weather changes.

I told my foot..."alright already...it has been since August 30...it is time to be well...I don't have time to deal with this. " When I am having one of those days I log on and read from you guys and realize I am normal...well, normal may be stretching it.

Terry, I am glad your husband is doing better

Take care ....I will check in soon.

KCguy

02-09-2009, 12:07 AM

Break 8/31, Surgery 9/9, WB as of 11/12

Evening everyone

Sandra
Great to hear from you. Sorry about the long hours at work, I hope the audit goes well. I am in the same boat as you though as far as doing office work. I spend almost all my time at my desk or with clients, plus I've been burning some of the midnight oil myself so I haven't had much time for exercise. But I had to say I'm still beating you!!:D:D Anyhow, sounds like you're doing well though, have a glass of wine for me next time you find some relaxation time. Hope you keep recovering at a fast pace!

Hank
Hope everything works out with your insurance. It sounds like your PT is going well, I'm sure by the end of school you'll be good to go with your other job, sounds like things are progressing well.

Terry
Good to know Bob David is doing well and enjoying getting back to work. Sounds like he has a lot to catch up on then take over! I'm happy for the both of you!

Nothing new here, just the same ole same ole. Working business and letting time run it's course. Once April rolls around and I try some hard core yard work I should get a good gauge for how well I've recovered so far.

Hope everyone else is doing well. Keep getting better everyone and keep up that positive mental attitude!

Alex

triguy450

02-09-2009, 11:06 AM

Good Morning Everyone,

No worries here Joe. Thanks for the update. I'm having trouble with my puter now. Seems my IP provider (begins with A ends in L) has been giving me trouble for weeks....freezing on me etc....So I uninstalled and reinstalled today. My favorites are gone and so is my address book...I have my laptop, so I might be able to pull it up from there.

Anyway. We're here anytime for you Joe.

Terry and David, he literally hit the ground running. He's back at work already? What fantastic news. It's good he's out of the house? LOL, my wife couldn't wait for me to go back. I really tried hard not to be a burden on her.

Sandra - Good to hear from you. I'm sorry you are working so hard. I can't believe the fall out from Katrina is still not done. My neighbor was down there for 4-5 months assessing commercial property damage.

I hope you can get back into some exercise program even if for 15 minutes a day, but glad to hear you are still stretching.

Hank - I'm sorry about your insurance issues. I do hope you can get them resolved so that it doesn't put a huge burden on you financial situation. On a positive note, great progress with your foot, leg and PT. That is excellent news. It seems liked you jumped not waddled into fast progress.

I am a corporate pilot for a NYC investment banker. I am thankful everyday that he continued to pay my salary and my health benefits didn't change even tho I was out of work for 4 months. They did give me computer work to do while I was laid up, but Nov. 9 I jumped back into the simulator for recurrent training, the flew a trip a few weeks later.

I know Terry can appreciate this too as David's boos continued to help David out with his health beni's.

Alex - Good to hear you are staying busy and working hard. Wish you could do some more exercising etc...but that will come when things slow slightly. What business are you in? Thanks again for your encouraging words for everyone and the newbies.

Tina - I remembered something over the weekend. Before DH goes for surgery, please......ask the doc for antibiotics a week before. Ask that they be started in his IV just before surgery and again after. Also, make sure they send him home with antibiotics too...this surgery does have a 15% infection rate. What I am sharing here is preventative in hopefully keeping that infection rate down.

Well, I have some work to do, but wanted to touch base with everyone.

Enjoy the week everyone and remember to stay positive.
Ed

triguy450

02-09-2009, 02:28 PM

Hi Everyone,

Ground breaking news. It appears that healthboards is allowing us to contact each other via private messages now.

If you look in the upper right hand corner under your name in bold print, it shows private messages. Click the link and it will allow you to send messages to whomever you want on these boards.

Ed

Hyper86

02-09-2009, 09:34 PM

Hello Heelies, Surgery 7/3/08.
They keep telling me to push my foot as hard as possible for the next five months so it will be it's strongest & have the least amount of arthritis pain in the future.
Pushing my foot has been painfull, but nothing compared to the pain of having to have our 16 year old dog Lonesome put down today, Vet said we had no other humane choice.
Lonesome a big Blue Heeler, family member, wonderfull friend/companion to my Mom for many years till she passed, he then attached himself to my older sister Dixie since 04.

Best Regards & Hope Things Are Going Well With You All!
Thanks for reading!
Carole

electrician

02-09-2009, 10:38 PM

hi everyone,
who ho!! back to work 1st day, feb 2nd.
Put in my 1st week of work which included 8 hrs OT. My foot felt fine. It hurt all the time, not any more at 8 am than at 5pm. More like an ache than pain. actuallly the movement seemed to help it out.
Spent all week up and down 6 foot step ladder. We are remodeling our break room at work, and all the electrical had to be torn out and relocated to the new kitchenette we have. Things are well.

Alex u are right push it and good things will happen.
thanks to all you guys for the support and insight to this injury. Anyone can feel free to contact me with questions, I know a lot of us are moving along with this recovery, but I did a lot of leaning on u guys and that helped me through some hard times. I am willing to be the ear to listen or experience to try explain why ur foot feels like this or that.

I am not a literary scholar, but am happy to answer any questions You may have.

take care and I will try to check this board 2xs a week, but work is crazy, I may start working 10 hours a day on the days I don't have pt and 10 on Saturday.

Keith

triguy450

02-10-2009, 12:22 AM

Hi Carole,

I am sooo sorry about Lonesome. I know how hard it is and what you went thru today. My condolences.

On the foot note....(sorry) it is true, I am pushing it and my leg as much as I possibly can. I work out 3 days a week and am pushing some heavy weights with my calves and feet. I pay for it the next day, but it keeps getting stonger all the time. I continue to stretch when ever possible.

Keith - I'm really happy for you. 48 hours of work. Must have felt great huh? Just think where you were 3 months ago emotionally and physically and loo where you are now.

Keep heelie healings...there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Ed

Hyper86

02-10-2009, 04:17 AM

Hello Ed,
My Chiropractor has been putting a laser light on my scar to help breakdown scartissue, he says as the scar tissue slowly disolves the pain decreases.

Thank you for understanding & condolences,
Carole

mydd

02-10-2009, 12:35 PM

Hey all,

ahhh keith the good old ladder lol -still going to take me alittle while to get over my ladder adversion lol.glad you are better and back to work also- david is putting in 8 to 3 now -only because i go down to his shop and get him at 3 so he can go to pt or just put the foot up and get some swelling down,am sure he would be back to his 8am to 8pm if he could.His ankle still swells pretty big -someone asked him if he still had his bandage on under his sock but he said nope all me,but no pain so thats why i know he could keep going,It is hard to believe that this group who first started here are about caught up to the same amount of healing and walking with two feet again:)

Carole-iam so sorry for lonesome and also know how it feels we had a lab we had to put down also after 16 years and i knew she was not able to enjoy life but you are never ready for it.

take care all:angel:

Terry-mydd

Ed foot note lol_ glad they decided to let people message - will help letting someone know a brand name or place to use.

joe41

02-10-2009, 06:57 PM

Hey Heelies, Fracture 7/7, op 7/15, wb 9/12

Hey Carole, very sorry to hear about Lonesome, I know exactly how you feel I have always had dogs and have had to put some down also, it is the toughest thing I have ever done. My prayers are with you. Glad to hear you are pushing it that is exactly what this injury calls for.

Keith, great news about your job and your foot responding accordingly.

Terry, good news having to pull David away from his work to go to PT. It's amazing when you look back and see how far we have all come.

Hey, did I see a post from Sandra :D ? Glad your keeping them honest. God knows they need to be looked after.

Hey Ed, people don't realize how much we still need to do on the coast to come back from Katrina. The amount of destruction will boggle the mind. Factor in the insurance companies playing games and we still have one heck of a mess.

Well am glad folks are progressing in their healing all I can say is stay strong, positive and Keep Healing Heelies :jester:

Joe

KCguy

02-11-2009, 01:10 AM

Break 8/31, Surgery 9/9, WB as of 11/12

Evening everyone

Carole
I'm so sorry to hear about Lonesome, I know how you feel. Last summer I had to put down our Yellow Lab Buck. He was 16 years old and I had him from the second he was born. He was a pup of one of my black labs.

Keith
Good to hear about getting back to work. I've been on step ladders several times since going back to weight bearing, I've yet to get up on an extension ladder, but I will. You must really be enjoying getting back to a normal life again. Like I said and as you have found out, pushing that thing and working it hard brings some aching, but it improves quickly and strength really starts regaining itself. I'm happy for you.

Ed
Well when I'm not running my farm back east, I'm kind of a financial planner. I say "kind of" because I don't charge a fee for consulting like most do, so I don't actually carry the title of CFP. Thanks for asking. I'm glad you're back doing what you love again, I've done some flying in my earlier life and have a plan of getting licensed once I can put enough cash back for a Cirrus SR-22. I'm workin on it!

Joe
Hope things are going well for both you and your wife. You know, my wife and I were just discussing Katrina the other day and how quickly people forget and once it leaves the media people just assume things are back to normal yet it will still be years before things recover. I hope things are ok for you two in that aspect too.

Terry
Wow! David is really making progress. From a few weeks ago getting his last procedure to back at work right on top of things. I'll tell you one thing, he might be swelling up a lot now, but by being so aggressive with his recovery and working his foot so hard, he's going to notice serious improvement very quickly. I'm very happy for the both of you after you've paid just a long hard price.

Nothing new with me. I put a 12 hour day in at the office today and was on my feet a lot doing a training session for our group for a couple hours then doing a financial seminar for another hour. My achilles tendon is a little sore and that's a first in a long time. I must have been doing something a little different standing. Overall, I'm running up and down stairs and doing things almost completely equally with both feet and it's only once in a while that I realize my injured foot still hasn't fully recovered. I swear one of these days I'll get around to picking up a bow flex and get down to some serious workouts.

Anyhow, sorry to anyone I may have forgotton and I hope all of you including our new people keep pressing forward. Maintain your positive mental attitude and understand that you WILL recover fully. We all are on our way to doing that and just four months ago many of us were really wondering ourselves. The only two things you can control are your attitude and activity!

Alex

Hyper86

02-11-2009, 07:22 PM

Hello Heelies!
Just want to thank you for your kind words about Lonesome passing.

Best Regards,
Carole

moderator2

02-13-2009, 06:34 PM

We need to limit thread length to about 80 posts or so. Please always feel free to start your own new threads. Thank you!