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tenderfoot · 02-09-2013, 12:58 AM

So I hit one of those dang roadblocks to recovery....grr...I was feeling good at the gym on Thursday and pushed a bit too hard. I don't know if it was the 6 miles on the bike (I've been doing that for a week) or if I did too much on leg press or just too much weight bearing in my shoe. I was using the parallel bars....trying to get away without holding on some. My OS said I should be walking by the 21st....so I have been working really hard this week, devoting most of my time to rehab & rest because of my cold. My foot started swelling as soon as I took my shoe off.. I iced & elevated all night...still swollen all day friday...couldn't even do pt today.

I had to make desserts for fundraiser dinner tonight. I really struggled in the kitchen...I was shaking & sweating from the pain....I haven't felt like this in quite awhile. I am so mad because I had my swelling well under control until now.

I am frustrated because there are so many chores I usually do that I have told my husband & boys they would have to do this winter.....they are not getting done. I have told my husband for 3 weeks that the build up of snow on the roof will have to be pulled down or we will get ice dams which cause the roof to leak....but he wouldn't do it....well, guess what? It must be warming up because my son came to my room at 1am to say there is water leaking in his room! Grr...
The alarm will go off in 3 hours and I am wide awake....Saturday is a full day...basketball tornament & speech tournament with 2 boys then my husband volunteered me to help with this fundraiser dinner & auction.....grr....I don't think he gets how hard it is to do anything on crutches!! I am supposed to retire the scooter & work to fwb.

Well....I know it could be worse & it has been....so quit complaining, things are slowly getting better. Just seems like everyday I hear some piece of equipment at work breaks down or something is not getting done & there's nothing I can do about it. Almost 4 months of being out of commission....I did not need another setback....well pity party must come to an end!!!! I am just frustrated....it was starting to go so much better....then BOOM....

ddill · 02-09-2013, 03:30 AM

Go ahead and vent your frustrations. sounds like you deserve it. That is what we are here for--to help each other thru the ups and downs.

It does sound to me like your family is pushing you a little too hard, especially if you have a cold to deal with in addition to the surgery. Good luck and feel free to have a "pity party" any time.

PamS1970 · 02-09-2013, 03:33 AM

I totally understand the not being able to do stuff. So frustrating. I hate bugging my hubby for everything and I know it gets old for them too. Sometimes I think they are frustrated knowing how hard this is on us so they don't want to see the pain. They miss the productive us as much as we miss being able to take care of ourselves.

And I try so hard not to come across as a nag. One of the things my husband said to me before surgery (this is round 3 for me) is I need to let him do things the way he does them. But sometimes he misses stuff, more due to inexperience with it. So I understand your roof issue. Stinks it is leaking.

I too have a fundraiser and a huge event coming up. I am the director for Take Back the night Ann Arbor, a rally and march to raise awareness about sexual assault at the University of Michigan. Benefit is end of March and rally beginning of April. A ton rests on me. I am hoping to be sort of walking by then...plus I am supposed to go back to work 10 days before the benefit. Yikes.

I think the biggest thing we can do is learn to pick our battles. I have been letting a ton of stuff slide and only push on the big stuff. I know easier said than done.

Good luck today, and put you first.....don't push yourself into a set back. Been there and done that.

PesCav · 02-09-2013, 03:33 AM

Hope you are feeling better after getting some sleep. Remember that you need to get plenty of rest in order to heal, which is job #1 for you right now. I personally would ditch all of the volunteer work for a while, everyody will understand. Take care :-)

ohitscourtney · 02-09-2013, 06:34 AM

Oh wow. You go to the gym already? How far are you out? I miss the gym and I haven't even had surgery yet

If my mom couldn't do the things she normal does...well let's just say my dad would be the same way as your husband and nights when I couldn't cook..we would be eating out. I'm glad my mom has pretty healthy feet..or the house would be a mess. So Ifeel you on that one.

But you can throw a pity party whenever. Everyone here is going to listen to you vent. I hope you have a better Saturday. Good luck

Star6 · 02-09-2013, 06:38 AM

Wow sorry to hear you hurt your foot

Not good but yes feel free to throw a pity part whenever you want we are all here and we all understand

Hope you are better before Saturday and best of luck with your upcoming events. Goodluck

Animal1968 · 02-09-2013, 07:36 AM

Oh tenderfoot, these moments are so very hard... Recovery is so painful and frustrating and everything is so hard, being dependent on others being the hardest!
You have every right to give yourself some pity, and some well deserved attention, I only wish we were all so much closer so we could give actual hugs and be so understanding of each other in person when needed.
Sending you a virtual HUG and hoping today is a better day...

Missyluke · 02-09-2013, 08:02 AM

I am so sorry to hear of your setback. This is definitely the right place to vent. Every day is going to be different on how your foot feels. The important thing is to listen to your foot. When it starts to bother you, get off of is - I know easier said then done. It takes a full year for a full recovery. After I had flat foot reconstruction surgery (repair of ptt, fdl tendon transfer, modified kidner, achielles tendon lengthening and calcaniel osteotomy) my foot would bother me off and on (swelling and/or pain). It was not until I hit the 10th or 11th month that it actually felt normal (or a new normal!).

Pesher · 02-09-2013, 08:44 AM

Sounds like you're doing much too much. Please try and pay attention to cut back on your activities and get some rest. I can't remember how far along you are in post op. I am just entering 10 weeks and couldn't even imagine doing what you're doing. I know I'm a little bit older but still. Any setbacks will cause you problems so please try and remember that. And have a pity party and a crying jag whenever you want. We have 2 feet of snow here no electricity no cable. After hurricane Sandy I beg for a whole house generator. It was installed the day after I got back from the hospital in December. Truly the best money we ever spent. At least we have heat and electricity. The streets are dark and not plowed yet. I feel so badly for you having to get out so regularly. Get some ready-made food. Standing at the kitchen isn't good for you either. I hope that you heal quickly and take it easy now. All the best. And for all of us.

Snowrunner · 02-09-2013, 08:54 AM

Oh sweetie... Recovery is hard. I'm sorry you hit this stumbling block. I also wonder if you are pushing a bit too hard... It might be time to back off a bit and give yourself a break. Your body needs energy to heal...

Vent away...

tenderfoot · 02-10-2013, 11:55 PM

Thanks gals! Pesher, I wondered if you lost power....must have been quite the storm from what I saw on tv. People think we have it so bad in ND winters, but thankfully we have never lost power for more than a few minutes in town. Some rural places have that problem.

When I say gym....I am only usinga few things there. I sit on the bike while others are running on the treadmill...i use the recumbent stepper..leg curls & extensions & press....all sitting on the job....then practice w walking using the bars. It has been 3.5 months since my surgery and still not fwb.

Saturday was long.....Basketball games all morning then the fundraiser dinner,auction & dance....I got to sit & sell tickets for a few hours, then felt guilty not helping in the kitchen, so I said I would wash dishes if I could just stand in one place. It was not easy but I am used to helping there so I could not stand to watch others do it....thats why I am staying away from my own restaurant.
I am thankful for everyone here on this board. I can not imagine going through this with out you....
Everyone else has disappeared....they don't want to or have time to help so they feel guilty. So they do not even talk to us...sometimes all you need is someone to talk to who understands. Thanks for being here!!

wilkinak · 02-11-2013, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenderfoot

Saturday was long.....Basketball games all morning then the fundraiser dinner,auction & dance....I got to sit & sell tickets for a few hours, then felt guilty not helping in the kitchen, so I said I would wash dishes if I could just stand in one place. It was not easy but I am used to helping there so I could not stand to watch others do it....thats why I am staying away from my own restaurant.
I am thankful for everyone here on this board. I can not imagine going through this with out you....
Everyone else has disappeared....they don't want to or have time to help so they feel guilty. So they do not even talk to us...sometimes all you need is someone to talk to who understands. Thanks for being here!!

Besides the ankle crap, I've had chronic pain/fibro type stuff for years. The key to getting through that is not feeling guilty about what you can't do. When my body aches, the dishes don't always get done or the floor might not get vacuumed. Oh Well. I could push through it, but the only thing that does is make it worse. A sink full of dirty dishes overnight isn't going to kill me.

I love the BYOB! - I went on travel last week for work & took my boot with me. I knew I was going to be doing a lot of walking & climbing, & I was going to hurt at night, besides having to walk to dinner. Turned out to be a good thing I brought it. I found an ankle killing pot hole. Airline service is much better BYOB, too. LOL

suziequz · 02-11-2013, 06:53 AM

Hi,

I am wondering if you have a knee walker? I bake a lot and use the knee walker when I am in the kitchen. I am 3 1/2 months out of surgery and just can't stand for that long, but resting my knee on the walker helps a lot.
My doctor also has me wrap my foot in an ace bandage, do you do this? I was wearing a compression sock the PT gave me, but he prefers the ace bandage even when sleeping. I can see a difference.
Your schedule would make a healthy person tired!! Take it easy, and pity on..this is one group that understands!

Hope the swelling is better! Take Care!

Sue

suziequz · 02-11-2013, 06:55 AM

Hi,

I am wondering if you have a knee walker? I bake a lot and use the knee walker when I am in the kitchen. I am 3 1/2 months out of surgery and just can't stand for that long, but resting my knee on the walker helps a lot.
My doctor also has me wrap my foot in an ace bandage, do you do this? I was wearing a compression sock the PT gave me, but he prefers the ace bandage even when sleeping. I can see a difference.
Your schedule would make a healthy person tired!! Take it easy, and pity on..this is one group that understands!

Hope the swelling is better! Take Care!

Sue

Pesher · 02-11-2013, 08:56 AM

Hi Suzie, I am into my 10th week of post op and I'm a little depressed to think that at 3 1/2 months you still need the knee Walker. I was hoping to get rid of it since it is rented. At some point soon I could've bought two of them, for this rental price. I was wondering if any of you out there have kept the knee Walker or bought one and used it even after three , four, five months?
I am using the cam boot all day except when I am not standing or walking. And I'm using a compression sock. But the doctor told me to sleep with nothing on my foot. I'm wondering if the next time I go to him he will tell me to put an ace bandage on? I'm waiting for the doctor to call to talk to me about my little pinky toe... I don't see him for another couple of weeks.

Pesher · 02-11-2013, 08:57 AM

Hi Suzie, I am into my 10th week of post op and I'm a little depressed to think that at 3 1/2 months you still need the knee Walker. I was hoping to get rid of it since it is rented. At some point soon I could've bought two of them, for this rental price. I was wondering if any of you out there have kept the knee Walker or bought one and used it even after three , four, five months?
I am using the cam boot all day except when I am not standing or walking. And I'm using a compression sock. But the doctor told me to sleep with nothing on my foot. I'm wondering if the next time I go to him he will tell me to put an ace bandage on? I'm waiting for the doctor to call to talk to me about my little pinky toe... I don't see him for another couple of weeks.

Btrfli1 · 02-11-2013, 10:02 AM

Morning Everyone,
I'm 9 weeks tomorrow from ankle reconstruction and sent the knee scooter back the end of week 7. As soon as the dr said I could be FWB, I got rid of it. I was afraid it would be too easy to rely on it too much if it was still here. It's been painful and hard, but I've been pushing to get back to a healthy foot. Nowhere close yet, but I think I'm doing incredibly well to be only 9'weeks away from a total ankle reconstruction. I think we should all be very proud of ourselves for doing so well and for being so strong!! Think positive and don't dwell on what we can't do,,,concentrate on how much more you can do each day!!

Pesher · 02-11-2013, 10:43 AM

Hi butterfly, I'm so impressed that after nine weeks you are using the walker, And sent the knee walker. It seems so brave of you. But you're absolutely right I am relying on it a lot. I use it all day long. What about going out? Are you in the boot and the regular walker? I'm still afraid to let my knee walker go. I do get around with the regular walker and putting pressure in the boot probably three times a day. I am starting PT on Wednesday. So maybe they will force me to be a better patient. My incisions are beginning to heal and the scabs are dropping off. I do have some range of motion in my toes and my ankle. But getting rid of the knee walker makes me shudder to think about. Thanks for your information. It is definitely food for thought.

suziequz · 02-11-2013, 02:05 PM

Someone in my church had bought a knee walker and was no longer using it, and has loaned it to me. I don't use it very much anymore. I am a cake decorator and sometimes I am standing for a couple of hours straight, so it is then that I use the knee walker. I also take it to the big box stores like Sam's club, cause I can't walk that place in crutches! I understand the depression, I have told people I have never been through anything like this.
If I go with nothing on my foot at night, it just swells too much. They did an awful lot to my heel and it is still way bigger than the other.
Keep your chin up! I find it's better for me to think of how far I have come rather than how far I have to go!
Take Care

Btrfli1 · 02-11-2013, 04:31 PM

Hi Pesh! No, I don't have a walker, at all,,,nothing but a brace and my tennis shoes! I can use a crutch, if needed, for extra support, if needed, but so far, if we go out and foot starts to hurt too much, I just find somewhere to sit, take a break, then get up and go. Of course I'm really not going anywhere that requires a ton of walking!

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