I have my 8 week post op appointment Monday so called the OS office in Baltimore to get instructions for my local ortho to follow. Come to find out, I was supposed to start PWB 2 weeks ago and by now should be FWB! I can also take off the boot when not walking and at night. And I really don't need the 8 wk follow up as no X-rays are needed for a couple more months. All news to me!
So, I grabbed the crutches and started. I can walk around the house with about 30% of my weight, but I'm kind of lost and kind of scared. Should I just do what feels comfortable for the time being? I plan to wear my lace up brace tonight to bed and see how that goes. My foot is still pretty tender on the outside up to my pinky toe and the underside (where my new arch will be when the swelling goes down). Also, can go into a shoe with a brace once I'm FWB for 2 weeks.
I really, really don't want to mess up my foot. Any advice? Please?
Ginger
Ginger. My best advice is go slow. I overdo it every day and I pay for it. The more I am on it the more swelling and pain I have. I know this is temporary but it is upsetting. Start out slow and you will be fine. I just started sleeping without a sock. I couldnt stand anything touching my foot but it is getting better. It is just a very lengthy process and impatient people like me have a hard time with it. Your doing great!
Paula
The Following User Says Thank You to prico54 For This Useful Post: ginger62 (11-16-2012)
Thanks, friend. I'm just so excited! I've been trying to de-sensitize my foot for a while now. Sleeping in that boot is so hard every time you try to move a little. I'll probably be crying the blues come Sunday, but for now, YAY!!
I agree with Paula - it's hard not to, but don't overdo it. It feels so freeing somehow to be able and alowed to bear weight, but 30 percent is a lot all at once. I way overdid it and it hurt and swelled at night. Just trust your instincts, maybe do a little more every day, and see how you feel. Even now at nearly 3 months, I still elevate every night, at least for a bit. I. also slept with a sock on my foot initially because my foot was pretty sensitive, but I massaged my foot fairly vigorously everyday and soon the sensitivity decreased.
Congrats for graduating to wb! I had a lot of nerve discomfort and some swelling at first, but my PT said it was to be expected because the muscles and tendons need to stretch and build up again and the foot needs to desensitize. But things get better every day.
Hugs,
Ditsy
The Following User Says Thank You to Ditsy1 For This Useful Post: ginger62 (11-16-2012)
I'm pretty much full weight bearing now. I think. I can "walk" with out my walker. Not for long distances though, at least I haven't tried. (Though I did entertain the idea of walking a "mile" in my bedroom while I was laying in bed last night. I determined that it is probably 15 feet or so of open space. But then I realized that that is 328 laps in a tiny bedroom. My attention span can't handle that, it about the same as a goldfish's)
My 6 week air boot follow up appointment is on Wednesday.
In summation, my advice is just listen to your body. I got up the nerve to take steps, and when my body didn't go "WHOA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!???!?!" I took another one.
i feel in a different group too, because while I don't like my boot, I'm scared to lose it. If my doc says I can sleep without it, I'll be excited and terrified. It's like a baby blankie. I feel like I roll over in my sleep and break it again.
Everyone is right Ginger. Take your time. Start with crutches, then go to one crutch (use the one on the opposite side of your bad foot) then go to short distances and so on. Don't overdo it though. You'll definitely pay the price. You may need to put a little extra padding under your heel. At least I did. It's pretty sore. I am happy for you!! Keep up the progress!
~Kimberly
I agree with everyone else, go slow, do not over do it, because you will pay if you do. I get very swelled and then comes more pain if I over do it. Then the nerves get mad at me and act up too!
In PT they taught me to stand on good foot, ( I held on to my walker) then slowly bare weight on the reconstructed foot gradually. I practiced it little by little.
I still am working on desensitizing my foot, I think I hate that more than trying to walk on it. The top of my foot is extremely sensitive, and the doctor said it was because I had a skinny foot and that the top of my foot did not have alot of "meat" to it. I know that the screw is sticking out of the top just slightly and it sits right along the bone, I just know after 6-8 months I will need to have THAT one removed. Just what I did not want, another foot surgery in the same foot. It is bad enough I have to go through this again next year with the left foot.
Liz, I felt so scared at first to sleep without my boot, I was so careful with it when I slept, but after a week or two, it gets easier to sleep and not worry about the foot so much. My doctor told me that my foot is pretty strong now and I can not hurt it (after 13 weeks) unless I would jump off my deck feet first without a boot on.
Jodi
