Glad to hear u are off those meds. They are rough in that dept. When I had my external fixator, I was on morphine and delauded for a few weeks at least and i had to go the magnesium citrate route to help me out. The swelling and all is normal. I get my staples out on Thursday I hope. This cast business drives me nuts cuz I get some intense itches that I cant get to. :-) I get my knee walker tomorrow. Ive been using chairs to roll around in. One thing I highly suggest u dont do is hop on ur other leg, as it will strain ur knee and ankle. I have to crutch still up 14 stairs. The crutches are doing a number on my wrists, as I have arthritis in them already. Im used to the stair thing though I hate it. Hope it keeps getting better for u. See if u can get some ambien for sleep and/or muscle relaxer. It helps a lot!
Why are you using crutches to go upstairs? It is so much easier and safer to crawl. Try it. All you need is to have an extra pair of crutches upstairs or just crawl to you destinations
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Triple Arthrodesis and Achilles lengthening 9/28/12
Powerplay, my thought exactly about the crutches. I know you men are tough, but this is no time for false pride or modesty. You may fall and break something else. Go up and down on your bum. Much safer and faster.
Good luck with all the healing!
Ginger
The Following User Says Thank You to ginger62 For This Useful Post: PesCav (02-27-2013)
Going to the ER was a smart move. Happy healing, love your positive attitude!!
I dont blame anyone for going to the ER. At 14 weeks i tried to go from my rollabout to a walker and I thought all the bones came apart. They say let pain be your guide but i believe moderation is the answer. I will put some weight on my foot it doesnt hurt at the time but in 3-4 hours it may make me rethink that decision.
I hope everything went swimmingly with you (new) and getting your staples out. I got mine out on my appointment on the 5th. It really wasn't bad at all. The corpsman who did it was pretty skilled. They put me in ANOTHER cast as well, UGH! I feel you about having an itch you can't scratch. My wife is constantly catching me sticking bent up coat hangers in there to scratch and giving me the "busted" look. I also want to get it off so I can CLEAN IT!
I also crutch up the stairs. It doesn't have anything to do (in my case) with being stubborn or prideful. It's just easier. It's quick and easy and quite honestly when I crawl around on the floor to get around or play with my little boy I find that MUCH more painful.
I went back on the pain meds for a couple of days after getting the staples out and being re-cast. They cast me at 90 degrees and that blew my mind. It was a bit painful. I am back off the meds again.
I went out for the first time the other day to get some coffee with my wife and kid and then out to lunch today. It is getting easier.
They gave me some more time off work. Thank the Lord! I'm staying more than busy doing some college courses online, hanging out with the baby boy and my wife, reading Game of Thrones, and writing.
I'm also taking supplements. I'm taking 800mg of vitamin D and bone meal every day to help with the healing.
I hope you all are well! And good luck to you guys with your recovery!
I dont blame anyone for going to the ER. At 14 weeks i tried to go from my rollabout to a walker and I thought all the bones came apart. They say let pain be your guide but i believe moderation is the answer. I will put some weight on my foot it doesnt hurt at the time but in 3-4 hours it may make me rethink that decision.
Good Luck
It's good to hear about what to expect down the road. Now I know when I put my foot down for the first time I might feel like all my "bones came apart"! That sounds terrible my friend.
As the weeks pass take every improvement and add to it, i read the medical paper on what might help the healing process and It appears there is not a clear roadmap
on the healing process everyone is different. I had xrays again this week and slowly the fusion is taking place. It looks like 6 month mark is where i hopefully will be close to normal again. My surgeon reminds me this was major surgery. one thing i did find was a heated foot whirlpool after the incisions heal it has taken a lot of the soreness out my foot.
As the weeks pass take every improvement and add to it, i read the medical paper on what might help the healing process and It appears there is not a clear roadmap
on the healing process everyone is different. I had xrays again this week and slowly the fusion is taking place. It looks like 6 month mark is where i hopefully will be close to normal again. My surgeon reminds me this was major surgery. one thing i did find was a heated foot whirlpool after the incisions heal it has taken a lot of the soreness out my foot.
I agree - everyone heals differently. I am now 20 weeks out and been walking in sneakers for over a month and decided to put on regular slip on loafers yesterday with no problem. Yes, a sllght limp that if I concentrate I can walk without with minimal pain. For me I have one more visit with my surgeon next month and will get his final blessing. The 20 weeks have gone by fast and couldn't have picked a better time of year to do this. Headed for vacation in 2 weeks and expect to do alot of walking.
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Triple Arthrodesis and Achilles lengthening 9/28/12
Glad to hear u are finally doing better and doing things to pass the time with online classes and games etc. i do the same. that sucks that u got another cast. it was driving me nuts. hopefully u will get ur air cast at some point. yes, crutching up the stairs is easier for me too, as that is what i learned on during my first surgery. if u havent gotten a knee walker yet, please do. they are great.
getting the staples out was a bit painful for me. i take the air cast off usually twice a day and move my foot back and forth as suggested. i rest it on the floor a lot. after the staples came out, i got some swelling on the inner right of my foot and at the bottom of my foot. i felt some crunching sound when putting the air cast on the other day, and am starting to feel some pain on the outside joint that was fused, almost like it wants to pop. flexing the foot feels a bit numbing at times. i take calcium that has vit d with it, vit c, zinc, and magnesium as supplements. im starting to get a bit worried/paranoid that one of the joints could end up non-union. i got a really bad callous on my heal that is getting better. try not to scratch with a hanger. not gud! :-) my thing is picking at the scabs from the scar just cuz i want them off of there, and sometimes it itches around the area. what fun! :-)
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Triple Arthrodesis Achilles lengthening and tendon transfer 1/11/13.
External fixator and achilles lengthening around 12/14/10.
I hope everything went swimmingly with you (new) and getting your staples out. I got mine out on my appointment on the 5th. It really wasn't bad at all. The corpsman who did it was pretty skilled. They put me in ANOTHER cast as well, UGH! I feel you about having an itch you can't scratch. My wife is constantly catching me sticking bent up coat hangers in there to scratch and giving me the "busted" look. I also want to get it off so I can CLEAN IT!
Glad you got a corpsman who knew what he was doing; I had a cast replaced when I was underway and it was not pretty.
Not sure how your doctors would like it, but LT I worked for back then broke his arm when he was a young MM2. He &/ his machinist buddies put a stop on a drill bit and just drilled a hole in the cast where ever he itched. He still couldn't move his arm/hand so the structural integrity was maintained. Apparently the engineering justification didn't fly with the docs (but he healed fine)
Wilk, I think I am going to keep the drill away from the cast! Hahahahaha! Though one of the corpsman told me a Marine cut off his cast and put a zipper on it so he could take it on and off as he wanted.
New, I think we're kindred or at least very much in the same boat.
Everyone,
I had an appointment yesterday. I am almost 5 weeks out as of today. They actually did a DOUBLE ATHRODESIS! I feel like I've cheated everyone. I guess they got in there and decided they wanted to leave me a little more movement with all the same benefits. I looked at the x-rays and there are four screws entered in through two separate parts of my foot. My big toe is higher than the rest of my foot and she said ideally she would like to do another surgery but she thinks proper bracing and shoes will keep me off the operating table for a while. She said "you have a very complicated foot."
I head back to work in about two weeks. I'm in the infantry so work will be significantly different. I can't stay in the infantry, so I don't want to be in the Marine Corps anymore. I got back from Afghanistan in September. I don't need to go again as far as I'm concerned. For anyone who is interested I find out within a week whether they are going to separate me right away or put me on Limited Duty (a six month period to heal and try to return to full duty). As far as I am concerned they can separate me. I have less than a year on my contract and I am getting out anyway.
I get my knee roller today and they are going to give me a wheelchair too. I am glad I am getting the roller. My left foot (the good one) is certainly taking a beating.
They put me in a hard cast for three more weeks! The doctor, who I like very much, has got my "number" according to my wife! She knows I will not wear the cast and leave it out and let it breathe. She's right, realistically. I was out a couple of days ago on my crutches cutting down some palm throngs and doing some minor yard work. It was hard but I don't want my neighbors thinking we are pigs.
A bit of good news, the person who cast my leg this time did a WAAAAAAY better job than the last guy. It's a longer, more restrictive cast but is MUCH MUCH MUCH more comfortable.
Anyway, life is good. Ready to start running stat. I feel frumpy. I normally get a haircut every week, haven't got one in almost six weeks. I grew out a beard for a little while for fun, made me feel even more frumpy.
thanks for the update, and yes, we do seem to be kindreds. :-)
glad to hear u are doing better. i guess its ok that they did a double instead of a triple? mine was a triple and movement of the bones. im due for a haircut myself. im going to a black tie event for my fiances work next week and im just letting it go until that thursday so i can look great the next day haha.
that sucks that u still have a regular cast! ive been in an air one, and yesterday had my 6 week. i had to get a bigger sized air cast cuz they have me one that was too small. my dr gave me the go ahead to start crutch walking, as hes very pleased with how its fusing. by next month he wants to see me again, and be off the crutches. i can stand on it no problem, and the alignment of the foot is waaaaaaaaay better than before the surgery. im in the same boat i was in when i had my first surgery. im afraid of hurting it by walking on it, for it does feel weird when i put pressure on it and walk. he wants me to go the gym and do exercise bike to loosen up the ankle/foot area. im not going to push it too much, but by two weeks from now id like to try and be crutch free. im wearing a compression stocking now and they are a pain to put on. i know for me to get better im going to have to go for it and walk on it and not baby it, which im doing now, but will give it two weeks. im making sure i do walk with crutches to get the foot used to it. it stinks because the air cast is higher than my left foot now, so its just awkward.
glad to hear u are out doing things. ive been the same way-wheeling myself around the house in chairs to do things haha. glad u got ur knee walker. go to the store and cruise! they are a blast!
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Triple Arthrodesis Achilles lengthening and tendon transfer 1/11/13.
External fixator and achilles lengthening around 12/14/10.
I'm shocked that at six weeks you are standing on it. I don't have another appointment till my 8 week appointment. It bums me out. Your doctor is a bit more liberal than mine. What I wouldn't give to hop on a bike! How's it feel? Does it hurt at all?
I'm glad I got the double. She (my doctor) said it basically does the same thing but will give me a bit more movement in my ankle. Not much. But a bit.
Black tie event? That will be fun. I missed out on the Marine Corps Ball by two days when they moved my surgery up a week. That was the wife and my last opportunity to get dressed up for a little while. I was in Afghan during the normal ball so my battalion had one on January 25th. Oh well.
Have fun! Get a hair cut ya' bum!
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Double Athrodesis
FHL Tendon to Achilles
Heal shaved
Haha Dave! I feel like a bum! Yeah I'm shocked too. I needed a triple because of how messed up my foot was. And having mild cerebral palsy complicated it too. I never really had much side to side after the accident anyway. As far as how it feels....its weird man. Really weird. I get tingling on the bottom of my heal and the sides of my foot. Its swollen around there. Its fine to stand on but walking feels strange and unstable. I know from past experience that babying it does no gud 4 it but I'm trying to find a balance rt now. I walk fine w some pressure but no pressure hurts. I haven't dared to let go of the crutches yet. Well I have but I'll hold on to somethg else. I'm happy w the way its positioned though because 4 the first time in almost 3 yes I'm not walking or standing on the outside part of my foot. Haircut one week from 2day
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Triple Arthrodesis Achilles lengthening and tendon transfer 1/11/13.
External fixator and achilles lengthening around 12/14/10.
Dave, you are technically 2 weeks behind New, so his posts should give you some hope!! But I know how guys are, so dont start competing when you are not ready. Hope the separation orders come out however you want them to.
__________________ Jan 18, 2013: PTT transfer, peroneal longus to brevis tendon transfer, calcaneal osteotomy with medial slide, plantar fascia release
Haha never thought of competition w Dave. Could be fun! I got 2 walking on one crutch only up and down the drive way and the pain wasn't to bad once I told myself there was no pain. I sat down then and tried it again later and it was a no go. I'm in a lot of pain w swelling now. I sure hope it gets better!
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Triple Arthrodesis Achilles lengthening and tendon transfer 1/11/13.
External fixator and achilles lengthening around 12/14/10.
Wow! I'm at the six week point and probably four more until my doc let's me walk. Mine was a revision for my broken subtalar arthrodesis. Got a new cast today to wear for two more weeks. He made this one different and gave me some motion inside it by putting it on a tad looser. I'm in no pain for the most part. Occasionally it gets achy. He did a little test on it today that before surgery was painful and it didn't Hurt at all. You have a brave doc Trip.
Sounds like you two are both doing well! Take it easy!
~Kimberly
thanks! yeah getting there! went to the gym today and did the exercise bike. after it loosening up, i was able to walk without my crutches! first 10 steps, then 26. im calling it a day on that. i know generally ur supposed to wait longer to weight bare, but he was happy with the way it was fusing, so told me to start crutch walking, by next month, wants to see me walking without them. im not sure how all this will end up turning out, if im doing too much too, but it didnt feel that bad. i went from one crutch, then just went for it. let me tell u-DON'T BABY IT! i was doing that w my last surgery, and remembered that with this one. babying it for me hurts worse. just stand up straight, have confidence that it will work, and next thing u know, ull be walking. im gonna go put it up and take some pain pills now, but it felt great to be able to do this.
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Triple Arthrodesis Achilles lengthening and tendon transfer 1/11/13.
External fixator and achilles lengthening around 12/14/10.
thanks! yeah getting there! went to the gym today and did the exercise bike. after it loosening up, i was able to walk without my crutches! first 10 steps, then 26. im calling it a day on that. i know generally ur supposed to wait longer to weight bare, but he was happy with the way it was fusing, so told me to start crutch walking, by next month, wants to see me walking without them. im not sure how all this will end up turning out, if im doing too much too, but it didnt feel that bad. i went from one crutch, then just went for it. let me tell u-DON'T BABY IT! i was doing that w my last surgery, and remembered that with this one. babying it for me hurts worse. just stand up straight, have confidence that it will work, and next thing u know, ull be walking. im gonna go put it up and take some pain pills now, but it felt great to be able to do this.
Every doctor is different and some like mine are more conservative. I asked him why 10 weeks before weight bearing and he said " I tend to go more conservative" and he was right as far as I am concerned. What will happen is that you won't be in the walking boot for long so perhaps some doctors let you go into the walking boot earlier and then make you stay in it longer. I am now 22 weeks as of today and have been walking just fine in sneakers and shoes for 9 weeks. Still have a slight limp which is coming from a little soreness at the part where the foot and ankle bone meet ( I guess the instep) and still have some numbness on side of foot. Overall, I am pleased and much better off than before surgery. From what I have read it takes almost a year for full recovery.
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Triple Arthrodesis and Achilles lengthening 9/28/12
Re: Triple Athrodesis for a young athlete 
