I am two weeks post op. Staples are out, cast is on. My husband thinks I should not go up/down stairs. I'm willing to crawl on my butt but he thinks it is too dangerous and I might injure the foot. I would so love to go down to my sewing room in the basement.
Has anyone else after foot surgery gone up/down stairs and did you have any issues doing so? Please, I just want to see a different set of four walls!!!
The following user gives a hug of support to ddill: Hachee (02-14-2013)
I live in a second floor apartment, with my studio on the third floor up some very steep stairs. I have had no choice but to do the stairs, including to get to my post op appt 3 days after surgery! I have to do it every morning and every afternoon to and from work. I also have a front porch with stairs, and a front walk with stairs... too many stairs!!!
I will admit I am super intimidated to go down the big staircase to get downstairs- I tackle that on my butt. Last thing I need is to go head first down a flight. But as long as the exterior stairs are clear of snow and ice (which is never) I will have no problem with them. Just remember- going up: hop up to the step with your good foot, bring crutches up second; going down: crutches down first, hop down on your good foot! It seems logical, but executing seems awkward!
Hang in there and if your hubby wants to help- mine would go slowly in front of me or behind me to help stabilize me if I waivered!
Good Luck and heal well!
I am two weeks post op. Staples are out, cast is on. My husband thinks I should not go up/down stairs. I'm willing to crawl on my butt but he thinks it is too dangerous and I might injure the foot. I would so love to go down to my sewing room in the basement.
Has anyone else after foot surgery gone up/down stairs and did you have any issues doing so? Please, I just want to see a different set of four walls!!!
Hi, I have mentioned this to many others that using crutches to go up and down the steps is crazy - not only difficult because you are actually jumping- but dangerous as well. Crawl like a toddler going up using your good leg to push up and the casted leg to kneel on. Once up on the top step do not try to get up but just crawl to a place where you can push up like a couch or stool. If you have a knee walker you are going to have to have someone bring it up for you. Going down is a breeze cause you will sit on the step while using your arms to lower your bum to the next step. I did that for 10 weeks and yes I developed a calus on my knees - small price to pay.
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Triple Arthrodesis and Achilles lengthening 9/28/12
I only attempted the 4 stairs in and out of my house, and did those on crutches. Even though I have a 2nd floor in my house, I didn't have any need to go upstairs, so I didn't until I got the cast off. Even when I attempted them in the boot (while PWB), they were tough at first. If I had to do it when I still NWB I definitely would have done it on my butt. For me, it wasn't worth taking a chance hurting myself for something I didn't HAVE to do. I fell once just doing the 4 steps into my house and that was scary enough.
I don't even have crutches. I have been using the knee scooter. I am 10 weeks post op and my PT I just started. She wants to wean me off the scooter and onto the rolling walker. Getting down steps is not difficult. But who can hop up a step? Maybe I'll try the bum or the knee thing. Happy Valentine's Day. Too much snow here to go out. Friends have popped in and out but less so nowadays. They can't believe I'm not walking yet. I get too depressed. Probably in our posts, I would like to know when each of us has had the surgery. There are so many of us and I can't remember the exact dates of post op. Mine was December 7..... And it was the works!. Take care all. Have a piece of chocolate. And thanks for all the recommendations. Did I tell you about evenups? It's for the other foot... It evens your balance. And somebody did recommend a gel sole inside the boot and I love it.
Pesher
I don't even have crutches. I have been using the knee scooter. I am 10 weeks post op and my PT I just started. She wants to wean me off the scooter and onto the rolling walker. Getting down steps is not difficult. But who can hop up a step? Maybe I'll try the bum or the knee thing. Happy Valentine's Day. Too much snow here to go out. Friends have popped in and out but less so nowadays. They can't believe I'm not walking yet. I get too depressed. Probably in our posts, I would like to know when each of us has had the surgery. There are so many of us and I can't remember the exact dates of post op. Mine was December 7..... And it was the works!. Take care all. Have a piece of chocolate. And thanks for all the recommendations. Did I tell you about evenups? It's for the other foot... It evens your balance. And somebody did recommend a gel sole inside the boot and I love it.
Pesher
I don't even have crutches. I have been using the knee scooter. I am 10 weeks post op and my PT I just started. She wants to wean me off the scooter and onto the rolling walker. Getting down steps is not difficult. But who can hop up a step? Maybe I'll try the bum or the knee thing. Happy Valentine's Day. Too much snow here to go out. Friends have popped in and out but less so nowadays. They can't believe I'm not walking yet. I get too depressed. Probably in our posts, I would like to know when each of us has had the surgery. There are so many of us and I can't remember the exact dates of post op. Mine was December 7..... And it was the works!. Take care all. Have a piece of chocolate. And thanks for all the recommendations. Did I tell you about evenups? It's for the other foot... It evens your balance. And somebody did recommend a gel sole inside the boot and I love it.
Pesher
Hi Pescher
Tons of snow here in Ma. too. Not sure what surgery you had so I would suggest adding that to your profile so that people can read it as you post. It will show up at the btm - see mine. I was 10 week nwb and then in a walking boot. I will be 20 weeks this Fri and have been walking in sneakers for a month with a slight limp that if I concentrate can actually walk without a limp. Swelling is almost all gone. I have to say I enjoyed my knee walker and now that I can walk, when I go to the Mall or to Costco now without my knee walker, I can't get out and about so fast. I am very pleased with my progress but worry that my good ankle will deteriorate so I have to watch it. One more Dr visit and then the final blessing.
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Triple Arthrodesis and Achilles lengthening 9/28/12
Bought it. It's an add on to the good foot shoe or sneaker, that raises your good side to balance out the unusual height of the boot, so you can walk without a limp and in balance .
Hope that helps. Evenups.
Bought it. It's an add on to the good foot shoe or sneaker, that raises your good side to balance out the unusual height of the boot, so you can walk without a limp and in balance .
Hope that helps. Evenups.
I have 2 flights of steps in my (15' wide) house. I will go up steps. PERIOD. For the surgery last year, I was PWB, not NWB, within a week I figured out how to get up & down, other than on my butt. I do have to repaint the risers on my steps b/c of all of the scuff marks from the boot.
This trip I will be NWB for a while. I pulled out the crutches to practice the other night. I can get up and down the steps on crutches. I figure I'll go up on my butt for the first week; I don't think narcotics, steps and crutches are a good mix.
I had an even up last year. It helped, but I really didn't like how it felt. It didn't move much and not much traction. In an optimistic moment, I gave it to a neighbor with a broken ankle. I wasn't going to need it again. Right. The last time I ended up in the boot, I went out for dinner, and ended up shoe shopping & found a pair of shoes that are a) the same height as the boot and b)will accomdate the brace on the 'good' ankle. I still can't believe what I spent on them, (fairly ugly clogs/mules) but they are comfortable & it's nice to have something to wear besides sneakers.
The Following User Says Thank You to wilkinak For This Useful Post: Pesher (02-14-2013)
Are you kidding??? HOP UP a step??? I got the crutches and got as far as the first step and looked at it. It looked like it was about 10" high (of course it isn't). Even with handrail close by I decided that I would need to think about this.
So I went to a "safe" place--in the kitchen with counter on one side and island on other side and after a while I did get brave enough to pick my foot up high enough that it would have gotten on the step.
Until I have my husband for support I think I will stick to my butt on the stairs. It is scary and I don't want to fall.
Ddill, go for it!! I went upstairs the day of surgery!! I went upstairs on knee of good foot and using hands to scoot up the stairs and of course, held surgical foot up, Hubby had knee scooter waiting at top of stairs for me. When I wanted to come downstairs, I scooted down on my butt. I didn't go outdoors for a week, and then hubby helped me navigate steps, as I didn't want to crawl outdoors!! You can safely navigate indoors, just take your time and do it when your hubby can "spot" you.
Maybe you are younger than I (62) and more courageous. Although I do want to try it when my husband is spotting me. Right now he is out in the garage. When in kitchen he first broke the ice maker on frig and then the dishwasher. Hopefully he will stay in garage more often each day as I heal.
Hi all
I have one set of stairs of 15 steps. Front room and kitchen downstairs, bedroom upstairs, since the day I came home I have been up or down stairs at least once, I would go down and eat tea with my husband and daughter every day!
I go up on the bad foot knee and push up with good leg and arms, I have a stool at the top of the stairs to push myself up with, and coming down on my butt, and getting quite speedy at this lol Although I have come down a handful of times on the crutches, but the feeling I might fall normally puts me in my butt!
My surgery was dec 10th, cast due to be removed on 27th?!
Been back at work all this week and foot not been too bad but my hands from crutches are killing me, and my arms feel soooo tired! But school hols next week! So week off then back again for 2 days and then cast off! Woohoo :-)
__________________ PTT repair, Calcaneal osteotomy, Gastrocnemius recession, Achilles lengthening
Stairs and getting to the bathroom the first few days are the only things that have me nervous for this surgery. I have 6 stairs to get in/out of my house, luckily I have none that I need to use in my house. I pee alot, I mean like every hour, so getting to the bathroom is making me a little nervous.
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Surgery 3/5/13 - Modified Brostrom Repair with allograft and removal of scar tissue from peroneal tendon, L Ankle
Just an idea, but if getting to the bathroom in a rush or too often is a worry, you can buy a female urinal, I bought one off ebay for those moments when I knew I would not make it, in the early days, lol
__________________ PTT repair, Calcaneal osteotomy, Gastrocnemius recession, Achilles lengthening
Foot Surgery v. Stairs 
