Went to pt today. Really expected to get yelled at for riding my motorcycle 500 miles this past weekend. But I got wow your foot is better. by this she said there aren't as many nubs on the bottom of the foot. She used the tools on the bottom of my foot and applied more pressure than I ever had. She wants me to start standing on the surgery foot and hold for 10 sec no shoes and 20 sec with shoes. This is really hard the ankle is totally unstable and wobbles. It smarts but if I don't get it to hold I am never get total stability back, so I will work real hard on this one. Went grocery shopping after my appointment. Was in total pain before I got done. Guess I'm not ready to do it all quite yet. Good and sore tonight. Pain pill and then bed for me. Hope everyone is doing well.
My next doc appt is July 29th so I have 2 weeks to get this foot a moving.
My PT had me doing those standing on surgery foot for 10 sec for 20 times the last few times I went. Like you said, it was hard and painful. I had to hold on something b/c my ankle is not strong enough. So I assume that you are out of boot and in regular (tennis) shoes, right? One question, do you have pain just walking in tennis shoes? I do. Ever since I started wearing tennis shoes, I have pain (3 and half weeks now). The pain is not from the incisions, but from the top of my foot inching to the front and side of my ankle. I was told to ease into tennis shoes from boot, which I did. But I still have pain while walking. I almost have no swells now except slightly swollen in the evening. I iced and elevated while watching TV at night. Usually my foot looks perfect before I get out of the bed in the morning. However, as soon as I touch the floor and begin walking my ankle and top of the foot hurt. I really don't want to trade one pain (PTTD pain) for another pain. I want to have pain free. I don't know if the current pain is normal, or if it is going away later. Or, maybe I need another adjustment to my orthotics (I already had it adjusted once after the surgery). I can't get an appointment to see my OS until the end of August. I am puzzled as to what to do. Does any experience what I am experiencing?
Yaohua,
Yes I am in a tennis shoe. And yes the pain is on the top and by the ankle. PT has worked on a tendon in the front of the foot and it helps for awhile the wam its back to being painful to walk. I get alot of pain on the bottom of the heel if I'm on it too much. I find it really hard to do the balancing and I think thats where the pain is from. I can also feel a tendon or something move/snap when I am doing the balance on the foot thing and then oh boy pain. Is it normal? Who know's I don't. I still have to take pain meds as I can't take the pain. At work I have to walk a fair amount which I don't mind until the pain get unrelenting. I ice when its bad and get to put it up when I go home for an hour lunch. I thought it was alot of the plantar fascitiis but I was told I still have strengthening to do on the ankle and range. I still get alot of swelling so you are lucky there. This is a work in process is guess, man it's a slow one. But the really is light at the end of the tunnel.....
you will experience lots of new pains after going into a shoe and walking again. after going into shoe in october, i didn't feel great until january/february! my arch hurt, my heel hurt, the top of foot hurt. the only pain that wasn't normal aches and pains were that i had some screw pain (surface) and had those 2 taken out this past may. now feel awesome!!!!
so you will have lots of pains, your foot needs to get used to the new shape and walking again.
shelley
Thank you Walleye and Shelley for your information of your recovery and your encouragement. I have good days and bad days, and I get frustrated on my bad days. Like both of you, getting into tennis shoes was something to cheer about. But I never knew the pain associated with wearing tennis shoes could really bring me frustration and depression. Now that I know both of you experienced pain associated with wearing tennis shoes, I am willing to give myself more time. Since I could not get an appointment to see my OS until the end of August, I went to get my orthotics readjusted again. Since my pain is mostly in the area other than the incision areas, I figure it must have something to do with my walking; and the orthotics may help. Anyway, I had it adjusted today and I will see if it helps. I should be able to find out in a few days. I know that I have to be patient, my OS reminds me many times that the recovery takes 10 month to a year. It is only 3 and half months. I still have a way to go!
Shelley, OMG! I was so looking forward to going into a shoe - maybe I'll keep my freaking boot awhile longer! hahaha, not.
Walleye, You are such a rockstar! Riding a bike so soon after this surgery! Sorry you had pain, but I bet it felt great to be on your bike and doing something normal. Way to go!
I fully agree. I thought once in regular shoes it would be a breeze. Ya right!!! I think my heel is letting me know "HEY I've been worked on and haven't gotten over being moved!" By the end of most days the pain is pretty intense. I over do it all the time because I am up and moving too much. So the price gets to be paid. PAIN!!!! Theres just so much I want to get done. Its the same with others we just don't listen to our feet. I'm getting a little better at it but not much. I remind myself you are not normal yet but some day SOON Pamper those feet my friends.......
I'm so happy to hear that better days are ahead. I was told on Monday that I am totally fused in all areas and I that I should try moving back into shoe. On Wednesday I wore my KEEN sandals and experienced pain on the bottom of my heel from the dang screw. My foot swelled up and turned red. On Thursday, I wore my New Balance tennis shoes minus the shoestring because I couldn't get my foot into the shoe. I didn't has as much heel pain but I started to notice that my Achilles and posterior tibial tendons are very painful as my foot transitions from being flat on the ground then rotating to the ball of my foot. I have no pain in the flex position (moving heel to flat). I still had a large amount of swelling. Today I was back in the KEENS with a heel lift pad glued in. More of the same pain and probably the most swelling of the week. I am elevating and icing down while at home. My Dr. is planning on removing my screws the first week of August. At times I don't know which screws hurt more the one on the heel or the set of four with two plates on the top of my foot. My Dr. tells me that I should be walking right ofter the screw removal. I hope and pray that is true. I'm so depressed and tired of this pain.
I've had five PT sessions. I love my PT. She's is the best and is really trying hard to help my advance in my recovery, plus help in easing the pain and swelling. She told me to give my tendons a rest this weekend and to go back to my boot if I was going to out and about a bunch this weekend.
I appreciate any advice and encouragement. I don't feel like this has been a good week.
ggola, You had alot of stuff done to that foot. I had my screws out and what a difference. I still have pain mostly towards the end of my day or if I walk too much. I'm jealous of all of you that can take tyenol or advil. I'm still taking pain meds 4 months after surgery. I can't take over the counter stuff due to liver and kidney stuff. Its real hard to get meds for the pain. PT has told my to lay off the crocs and back off the exercises I tend to over due I just believed if you move it it will get better. Not so.
You have to listen to your foor and let the pain dictate what you do, thats what I was told. Ice when you can.
Walleye77, you said that the bottom of your heel hurts when you walk. Did you have PF before surgery? Did your surgery include getting the PF fixed? Or the PF was developed only after the surgery? Sorry for the questions b/c I am still trying to find out why my current pain came from the areas that had no pain before surgery.
I have been trying to walk correctly, heel-ball-toe. But it was not easy. It would be a little easier if we were not experiencing pain as we walk. Maybe that is why it takes a year to have a complete recovery.
I have pain in the bottom of my heel as well. It feels like I'm walking on a nail, or something sharp. I had PF before the surgery, so maybe that's it. I've also read on here that it could be the screws (I have to super huge ones in my heel).
I'm still in the boot, too so I know it's not the shoes I'm wearing. It is frustrating going through the surgery and then having this wicked pain.
I keep telling myself, this, too, shall pass. It better soon! I'm getting tired of it.
SoCalGal, If you are experiencing while walking in the boot, I'd say its your srews. I had so much pain with each step it was terrible. I got my screws out and it was like night and day. You only have to wait til the bones have fused to have the screws out. And it does depend on the type of surgery.
ggola,
I got PF after surgery. Its a bonus, HA HA, that I wish I never got. And yes my heel still hurts when I walk alot. After my screws came out the stabbing pain went away, but the PF got worse. And yes its pain in a different area then the surgery. I go to PT 2 times a week and she really works me over. Hard to do anything after my appts. Tomorrow I've got PT and have to grocery shop at cub. It will be a painful ordeal. Was thinking of trying my keens instead of the new balance tennis shoe. I have airwalks too. We'll see whcih one is better. Oh one thing my hubby taught me about feet, he had ankle fusion, get outside and walk on uneven ground. It does hurt when you first start but gets better each time out and you are using more tendons and muscles. Have you tried a heel cup? My doc gave me one and it did help.
Walleye, I have not tried heel cups. My Dr. did give me heel lifts to help ease the pain. I have worn my boot this weekend to help ease the swelling and tendon pain. I have PT 4 days this week. I'm also going to check with my Dr. to see about when he is going to schedule the removal of screws.
Does anyone use ACE raps to reduce swelling; what about massage therapy with Vitamin E
I use ACE wrap every night before going to bed. (I am about 4 months post-op). I think the ACE wrap helps reduce my foot swells. I like the looks of my foot in the morning b/c it has no swells.
I like the morning no swell look too. I'm having the hardware removed on July 29 with my pre-op consult on the 27th. I'm excited and yet nervous at the same time. My Dr. says I'll be able to walk right after...I would love anyone who has gone through this to share their experience.
ggola, having the screws out is pretty easy. It is surgery but you are out only a short time. I was taken into surgery at 2:30 and in the car going home at 3:30. I wasn't aloud to walk out like they are telling you. You will be on crutches for a couple days and walking as pain dicates which really isn't to bad. Mine was back because of the PF. Other than that its the best thing I have done. The ace bandage is ok to help with swelling. I have to wear the special sock for the PF and it helps keep the swelling down, I still have some swelling in the morning mostly if I walk too much the day before. Glad you have a date set to get those screws out.
Walleye
Walleye - thank you for sharing your experience with having the screws out. I can't stand the unknown. I don't think I'd mind using crutches again for a short time just as long as I don't have the pain in my heel on top of my foot where the screws are now. How big was the incisions to remove the screws? Where they large enough to require staples again? I have a PT appointment on that Friday. Do you think I'll have to cancel it?
Pamper those feet my friends.......
