I'm not getting better,what now? - Foot Problems Message Board

lostmary · 05-09-2006, 06:28 PM

well, here I am at almost 2 weeks post-op. As you may know this is my 5th foot surgery in 2 years. Had problems with the last 2. This last time had a hole that wouldn't heal from the surgery. Doc went in thru the top of the foot, (abt 3 1/2 long) removed another neuroma, severed some of the nerves, cut between the little toe and the one next to it, and recut the last scar, (again abt 4 inches), closed the hole, worked on cuting some of the nerves, debrided the hole and stitched me up. The pain is almost unbearable. it's worse when my foot drops below my heart, then the pain just about takes my breath away. This past Sat. I notied that I had started bleeding some thru the bandgages. Called doc. told him I wasn't going tMad

o bleeed to death, but there was more that should be. Hesaid ice and elevate. and come in first thing Mon am. He removed bandgages(how ugly,) and the foot is looking ugly. Put me on antiboditics, and told me to remove wrapping every day andlet it try to dry. Just took it off, and the top of the foot is red/purple. Not brusied coloring, but very swollen and looks infected. I don'tknow how much more pain I can take. He put me on oxycotin(SP), totake with my percecet, but i doesn't seem to do anything for me. Any thoughts or wordsof advice?

jules3 · 05-09-2006, 07:00 PM

Yes it sounds infected...i had osteomyelitis from foot surgery..the pain was unbearable..if i had an ax i think i would have cut it off..no joke. no amount of any pain pills will take that pain away...Show up at your docs tomorrow..or go to ER

espda · 05-09-2006, 08:46 PM

lostmary,
I feel for you. I don't know what to say that would help you go through this! I guess try the antibiotics and the drying for a few days and see if you think it's improving. What else can you do? I do know that the Oxy is the narcotic in Percocet, your Dr. must be trying to give you more pain relief without more tylenol. That's probably a good thing, you don't want to take too much of that tylenol. I hope that you at least have family there to help you. Just curious, are you allowed to bear any weight? Keep it clean and dry and tell us how you are doing. I'm sure this must seem like a neverending story for you by now. The least we can do is listen and sympathize with you, most of us here seem to be going through some sort of surgical healing... Kim

lostmary · 05-12-2006, 05:15 PM

Went back this morning to see the doc. My doc was in surgery, so I saw one of his partners. He called my doc during surgery and the two possibilites was to admit me into the hospital right then, or to add two diferent antibodics and see if it would control the infection. He drew a line around the area infected, and said that if it went over that line, I would have to be admitted to the hospital for IV antibodics. He also took a culture of the stuff coming out of the top of my foot. about half the top of the foot is infected. i will unwrap the bandages tomorrow andsee how it looks. If there is no change, I will rewrap and check it sunday. let's hope this works. the pain is unbearable. even pecoete and oxicodone isn't helping. doc did say there is no way for the stitches to come out any time soon. I still am NWB, and will be this way for several more weeks. It is so hard to think with this pain. I wish it would go away..!!!.

jules3 · 05-12-2006, 05:35 PM

I feel for you..ive been there and know what that pain is like..Like no other pain imaganible.I had that red line going up my leg..i was in the hospital for 5 days and on intranenous antibiotics at home for 6 weeks. I pray that you will not have to go thru that. my original surgeon just kept trying me on all kinds of oral antibiotics that were not working and just making me sick..It took a visit to my primary care doctor before the ball got rolling with diagonising osteomyletis..he ordered a bone scan and we went from there..i would give the antibiotics 24 hrs to start working..if no relief , call him again.