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PF release surgery transition from bedrest to walking....days 16-19
I wanted to do a quick update. As most of you know, I've been updating my PF surgery update as it happens. I'm doing it this way, so that I can provide as much information to you about my experience.
Everyone's experience w/ PF is different, each doctor is different, so please keep that in mind.
After 16 days of complete bedrest, my doctor removed my cast and placed me in a walking boot. The days prior to that, I was feeling pretty good, didn't need as much pain medication, however transitioning to the walking boot has been harder than an anticipated. The pain is really no worse than anything I've experienced at this point.
Most of my discomfort right now comes from my ankle on the outside of my foot. Now that I am standing on my boot, actually putting pressure on the foot.....my ankles feel really weak. Initially I was using crutuches, but I can now walk where I need to with my boot w/o crutches. It is slow going, there is pain, and I completely favor the foot. I can stand putting equal pressure on both feet.
If I walk about ten feet, things feel sharp and there is alot of pain around my ankle. It's weird, but I'm sure it's all part of the process.
When I first started trying to walk, it really hurt. I started back with the pain pills. But I quickly realized how they affect my balance and make me light headed. When I was lying in the bed after taking pills, I was fine. But trying to standup and moe around changes things a bit. I started seeing spots and felt dizzy. I had two mornings of that and decided that I didn't want that any more.
I'm still taking the Ibuprofen 3x a day and I am icing frequently. This stage is difficult, because you have enough mobility to make you feel like you can do a little more, but when you do things, you have to stop and rest. I've been taking my boot off and massaging my calf muscle and rubbing the my foot. It provides relief to the crampy feeling around my ankle. I also place ice packs in my ice boot and put my foot in it, careful to keep it at 90 degrees and elevated to help with the pain.
The last few days have been hard for me emotionally. Some of it is the fear that this taking so long to heal......I'm really ready to get back to my life. It's hard to watch the world going on around you and not to be able to participate like I want. I've really been humbled through this process. Constantly having to watch my "self talk" is a challenge. I am fortunate that I have a very supportive husband who is encouraging me. I have a few little things creeping up on the calender that I want to attend....it would be nice to go as a "normal" person. But I'll go in on crutches and make the best of it, trusting that I will get better everyday.
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Permalink Reply by Kim on -
Ok, after writing this....I started to think that I might be freaking some of you out. Today is Sunday and I have spent the day in bed with my walking boot on, using ice......I wanted to rest up my foot as much as possible because I really wanted to take a shower. I have instructions from the doctor to take my boot off to shower. I was shocked at how well I could stand in the shower. I will add that without my super soft mat from Bed Bath and Beyond, this would have been very difficult. But I felt great! So great, that I had my daughter do a quick video of me walking barefoot....now the pain level on my foot when I stood in the shower was a three, that was with out medication. I walked a few steps in the video and the pain did increase. I'm in bed now icing my foot, with the ice packs in the boot and my foot on top of them with the boot not strapped but holding my foot. I would say my pain level is about a five. Honestly, I feel a little "throw uppy" from the sensations, but nothing that I haven't felt before.
Mind you this is with out medication. I hope you can see this video. If not, send me your email and I'll email it to you or post to u-tube :)
I feel, for the first time since I had my cast off that I am HEALING! Again, the majority of my pain is in my ankle. The bottom of my foot feels good, the area that was cut has some pain, but not much (only one stitch).Hopefully, day by day I will get back to normal.
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Permalink Reply by Laurie F on -
Can't seem to find the video but that's OK. I'm glad you are making progress. Keep it up! I'll be anxious to hear how soon you are "normal" again!!! I've been taking the anti-inflammatories morning and night instead of just in the morning, which seems to be helping. There are days that I actually feel like I'm healing some, and then some days not so much. I am trying acupuncture on Tuesday. Hope it works, without the black eye! I do have my doubts but I guess I still have to try. I just talked to someone who suffered with this a few years back and she said hers did finally heal but it took a full year. I'm still holding out hope! Keep us posted, Kim. I look forward to hearing about your progress.
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Permalink Reply by Kim on
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let me know if this works
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IMG_1527.MOV, 4.2 MB
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Permalink Reply by Kim on
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I did that about six hours ago....I probably shouldn't have done that actually, my foot started to hurt afterwards....I iced it and I"m feeling better. I think this is going to be a process of doing a little every day and resting...doing a little and resting.
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Permalink Reply by Laurie F on
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I can't download it because (according to my computer message) I need an upgrade on my software but when I try to download the software, my pc freezes up. I think I need to "clean out" my system as this happens frequently. So it's not on your end it's on mine. But thanks for trying.
Kim said:let me know if this works
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Permalink Reply by Kim on
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Hi,
I just wanted to give you a quick update. For the next three weeks, 3x per week I have to go to PT. The instructions from the doctor are NO strengthening or standing without the boot. Showering is ok but the PT is designed for massage and movement.
I went to my first Physical Therapy appointment yesterday. I was there for 45 minutes, she gently moved and massaged my foot, it felt great. I had very little pain. She took measurements of my foot's flexibiltiy and pressed the bottom of my foot and there was little or no pain. That was amazing to me!! I can't tell you how often I had been in PT before the surgery and she would press on the bottom of my foot and I would go through the roof. It was so nice to have her press on the arch, heel and all around my foot and to no feel any discomfort!!!!
About five our six hours after PT my foot started to ache. I could feel where she had been massaging. So I took two before bed because of the ache. I woke up today and feel great. I have no pain at all. My goal is to make it to PT tomorrow w/o taking any meds.
I am able to walk around with the boot and no crutches for about 15-20 minutes. To keep moving around for longer periods, I start using the crutches, but I can't really do that for very long. Sometimes I will use only one crutch. But about 30 minutes of upright movement is about my limit. If I am upright and moving w/wo crutches and stop and sit down frequently, I can extend it. But I get this sick feeling coming over me and it takes a while to recover. The doctor gave me Promethazine to help with the nausea. She said the nausea is that I've done too much.
The Physical Therapist said that I should do a little more each day very gradually. I think that last week when I went into the boot, I was way too active. I needed to slow things down......I think the excitement of being mobile again was driving me. So I learned a big lesson there.
I am going to try to have 3-4 periods of activity today each of about 15-20 minutes. Today I plan on stripping and washing the sheets on the bed. Greeting my friend when she brings dinner over and plating up food for the kids. Greeting my mother-in-law when she comes over with a few groceries and helping her put them away. All the in between time will be in bed, icing and elevating. PT said I should ice after each active period.
I only have PT one more time this week. She wanted to start slow. She was also impressed with the very gradual plan my doctor has for my activity. It made me feel good that she agreed with her approach to healing. She said over and over, not too much, gradually increasing activity, rest when you feel uncomfortable.
Following those orders is the hardest thing. It feels so good to get moving! But I learned the hardway this weekeend, so I just keep reminding myself that slow and steady wins this race.
It's a bit comical when I think of all the medications I have right now.....I want to get off of them.
800 mg x 3 times per day Ibuprofen for swelling and inflammation. I think I'm going to be on that a while...guessing another month? Because of the Ibuprofen being hard on my stomach, I have to take:
40 mg of Omerazole to protect my stomach.
Hydrocodon Acetaminaophen 5-500mg is the Vicodin. For pain. I take that as I need it. But taking a narcotic forces you to take:
stool softners......I also do a glass of Metamucial every few days to help with the constipation caused by the pain pills.
12.5 mg promethazine is for the nausea from moving around alot due to pain/and activity.
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Permalink Reply by Kim on
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Hi! I just wanted to give you an update. I've been reading alot of negative results from surgery lately. One thing I've noticed after doing alot of reading on this site, are a couple of things. 1) Everyone's foot problem is different. 2) Every podiotrist treats differently. 3) Everyone follows doctor's orders different as every doctor's orders are different.
I am on day 27 after having planter's release surgery. Ten days ago my doctor moved me from a cast to a walking boot. This has been a difficult transition. The pain has subsided, I haven't used pain pills in 48 hours. However this portion of the surgery takes a lot of self discipline. Mentally I am so sick of being in bed, not being able to do much. But, when I get up and I start moving around and doing things, it's like a fever....I want to stay active, I want to keep going. But if I do too much, I pay for it. I payfor it because my ankle gets swollen huge and my foot hurts, then I need the pain pills again.
I only take pills as needed. So that means, that I don't wake up and automatically take a pill. Now earlier, yes, I did take them, because my foot always hurt. But you definately have to give it a try with out the pills to be certain that you are in pain. If I kept taking pain pills to keep active, I would over do it....need more pain meds. Instead, I try to manage my activity, doing little bits each day. I stop frequently during the day to ice and elevate. If the pain continus, then I'll take the meds. But basically my activity level is based on how I feel. When I start getting that feeling I've been doing too much, I ice and elevate. If hours later, I don't feel well....tough, i dont' get up. There has been a little struggle with my other family members. They are all tired of waiting on me and me not being able to do everything for myself.
I would say that this stage of the procedure is psychological. Could I go to work right now....? sure, I could suck it up and go, pop the pills, but that is not doing what I need to do to heal. I am very anxious to get out and do things. It's making me nuts. But I am determined to not over do it.
I wear my big black boot every day and every night. The only time it is off is when I am in the shower or I am in Physical Therapy. Physical Therapy is doing no strengthening, only massage and rotation to my foot. It takes all of 20 minutes. Initially it was painful, after three sessions, there is no pain. I drove myself to PT yesterday for the first time!
Planter Fascia is a ligament. It takes a long time to heal. The older you are, the slower it heals. I am 44. Through the pain and lack of exercise, I've gained almost 30 pounds. The weight isn't the cause of my PF, but it certainly irritates it. I've been dieting and have lost six pounds. I"m going to continue dieting so I can loose weight and get back in the healthy zone. I'm also going to go really slow with this foot and give it time to heal. It is very hard mentally to keep yourself "reigned" in.....I feel like I am ready to take on the world, but I am forcing myself to elevate and ice. My ankle has been constantly swollen since I started walking with the walking boot. I try to keep it as small as possible. On Saturday, I was up and about too much, on Sunday my ankle was the size of a softball......So I was in bed. It was hard for my family to see me doing "nothing" by being in bed, off my foot....but it was that or start back on the pain pills.
Like I said, everyone's doctor is different, everyone's injury is different, doctor's orders are different. I know there are people with successful surgeries. I looked until I found a doctor who seemed to have a plan that made sense to me. That's all you can do.
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Permalink Reply by Laurie F on
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Good to hear you're up and about Kim. You are so right about everybody being different. I've gotten some feedback from people in my community who have tried different things. So far, I still haven't found anyone who has had the surgery to share their story with me, even though i know they are out there. But everyone has given aa different story about what worked for them so I'm not giving up hope yet. I'm not sure why but I have felt some healing in the last week to 10 days. I did do the accupuncture, but not sure if that helped or not. I have to be careful not to overdo it but I am hoping that with all I am doing to heal without surgery is working. It has been a year since this flaired up with constant pain and I am still considering the surgery route but haven't committed to it yet. Most of the people I've talked to said custom orthodics helped the most so I may try that next, even though every insole I've ever tried hurt. I'm taking all kinds of supplements, icing, stretching, and praying that something helps. Thanks for keeping everyone updated and hugs to you!!
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Permalink Reply by Kim on
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You haven't tried the custom orthodics yet? I would highly suggest those. Orthodics, nightsplints, stretching and physical therapy (with the ultrasound treatment w/ an anti inflam) were the best things I had. Do that for six weeks.......then continue with the orthodics, stretching and night splints for six weeks before you do surgery.
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