9 Months Post surgery. screw removal.

Ok Im back!

After repeated swelling of the Taylor dome part of my ankle.  1 cortisone shot and 2 courses of antiinflamitories.

And frankly my deciding that this whole ankle stabilization thing was a big mistake on my part.  Might be good for some folks but for me
it has removed any barefoot activity.  Where before surgery I was 90% barefoot (or wearing vibrum 5 fingers) now I can only do 2 or 3 hours per week of Tae Kwon Do.

Complete loss on my part.  9 months post surgery and including some aggressive PT. (1/2 hour to 1hour per day)

Next try when I told my fine Dr my tale of woe (he really is a great Doc, just does not look good for me).   He proposes removing the 3 screws added in my december surgery.   2 of which are showing some signs of irritation.  One just outside the Taylor dome (sp?).

1 to 2 week recovery.

Ok lets go for it, not much to lose now.

Registration person from the hospital calls.  Tells me all the stuff I have already read insists I need an appt at the hospital.  My Dr says I dont, registration lady is snippy and rude.  Also reg lady (not a nurse, always ask)  tells me not to take my synthroid the day of surgery.

Surgical nurse calls.  Obviously this lady is having a bad hair day.  I correct a few things she tells me (from memory of last surgery.  She leaves out a few things but does tell me to take my synthroid.  Seemed polite but Im glad it was my second time around.

11:40 surgery, arrive at 9:40am.    Used a local taxi service since my wife is going through a relapse from her traffic accident a year ago.   More vertigo.  (shuttle express, very nice, prompt and polite)

Turn in cash credit card insurance card and drivers liscence.  Filled out paper work  all that good stuff.

Ekg, poked and prodded.  Waited an hour, took a nap.  Bp very high.

Moved to preop.

2 residents come to speak with me (practicing how to handle patients and marking the leg).  One was really funny, I dont think he meant to be.  He acted all official and Dr ish while pretending to ask questions and write down the info on the back of a piece of medical packing material.  The pen was not clicked out,  hey if you want to fool an engineer you need to work harder!  I was polite and did not laugh at him or call him on it.  He while I was out he might give me a tatoo or something.   He also forgot to ask about a few bits of medical info, but I knew the nurse had it and the other resident covered it.

Same Anesthesiologist as before.  Great guy!  If I find where I wrote his name down Ill put it in later.

I discussed not being put out as I did not like the drunk feeling I had last time.  (nurse said I had an uneducated liver).  Hey Ive been drunk once when waking up from surgery, I can check that box off, I dont see why people like it, more for you guys!  Also recovery from the anesthesia was longer than the rest of the surgery!

Since locals dont work well on the bones he will be working on and a block would leave me without sensation I agreed to be put down again.  But the great anesthesiologist says he will change some things and it should not last as long.

They wheel me in, this time I get to see all the cool equipment.

Give me a mask turn on the drugs in the drip and away I go.

Wake up they are wheeling me out of surgery.

Post op I wake right up.   Moving big muscles to burn off any drugs I can.  Quickly moved to the holding area and given ice an crackers.  Use the bathroom drink water, repeat.

Ask about drugs (last time big problem, this time no trouble, the pharmacy did not mess up).  Drugs arrive and I took 1/2 a vicadan. 

Ask about after care, told "No Weight bearing",  This was not correct I ask the nurse she talks to the doc and they change it to "stop when it hurts"  They give me this wooden plank to put on my foot, nearly trips me twice then I move to one of my old walking casts.  They are the really cheap bits.

Wife is called and she lets them know she has to wait until the boys are done at piano before she can pick me up.  I could have left around 12:30pm!  No problem they let me lay around and even feed me a bit.  Wife calls to say she has arrived.  (really nice nurse by the way Mary I think)

Fellow asks if I want a wheel chair.  Remembering the long walk in I accept.  He takes me on a short cut (I could have walked this easy).  I point out my car (3 car lengths away).  He pulls up in the middle of the road and waves for my wife to roll up.  I ask to be taken to the car, repeat....   Finally I get up and head to my wife with my stuff.  He says "you cant do that!"  Grabs my shirt and nearly pulls me down to the concrete.  I tell him to back off and continue to the car.

We went to a quick dinner and head home.  During dinner I take 3 advil liquigels.  Last pain med I need.  Bit sore in a few places but not near where the screws were removed, Ill ask about that at follow up.  Not enough pain to keep me awake.  This Anesthesia also did not mess with bowel movements sorry if TMI.

Hope this solves the problem.  More later.

16 weeks post op

still doing PT. 

No sparring or jumping yet, last appt Dr said June.  

Getting frustrated,  Doing all of my pushups and sit ups together in order to get some cardio in.

Now is the real hard part, wanting to push at TKD but afraid of hurting the surgery.  Arrgg!

Keeping on.....

Week 8 post op

Have not been here for a while.  Ill try to do a few more entries before I leave this.

Currently polishing my cartledge moving my toe in a circle, not letting my ankle exceed 30deg flex.

Few aches nothing unusual.   Started Chiropractic.  Bit to soon I should have waited until I was off crutches.  Helped back some, I think it was a good choice overall.

Expect to see Dr friday and get a lace up brace!  Then I can go around and get rid of all the black marks on the floor from the brace, no sense in doing before I get rid of it.  Having extra liners is a big help.. I have them from when I sprained it before, it would be worth buying one or 2 so you can always wear a clean and dry one.

Found out my ankles are genetic.  My eldest twisted his ankle playing bball and gets to see my Dr after my appt.  Bummer.

Getting towards the end

Time to unwrap gift in a few weeks.

Up to 6 weeks.  Now without crutches, today was the first day. 

Started taking showers on my own this week.  Using a suction cup bar on the side for ballance really helps.

Started Chiropractic to soon.  Last week could not stand on injured leg yet so Xrays skewed.  They want to repeat.  I asked before and they ignored me.  I was stupidly patient so now I need to decide what to do.

My good leg is much stronger than my left leg, even shows up on Xrays.  Dr says lot of work to do.

Next Dr visit on Friday, hope to start PT soon.   Will start TKD next week.  Need to make a cover for my boot to protect the mats at the school.

29 days post

Moving right along.

Ankle a bit sore today starting to place 30 lbs on it when walking.  As directed by Dr I placed my foot on a scale pressed until I got to 30 lbs and remembered what it felt like.  When I walk with crutches I put about that force on my foot.  

In my old job I could have jury rigged up a sensor to tell me when I was exceeding 30 lbs.  Dr says its not that critical.  Next week (week 5) I get to add 20lbs a day until I am walking without crutches!  Yah!  Hey if I go on a diet Ill get there faster,  hmm maybe not. 

Need to start working on a cover for my boot so that I can start TKD as soon as I can walk on my foot, well maybe Ill wait a week.  Remember dont block the boot!  At 8 weeks I get to go to a lace up support.  I imagine PT starts not long after that.

Continuing to get scratches on my good leg from my cast.  Wrapping the boot with cloth and holding it on with velcro seems to work ok.  Im ready to be done with this!

Takes longer to walk and pay attention to the weight on the boot but easier on the arms.  Patches over my ribs really get raw after a while.

23 days post

Hmm over did a bit today felt a bit of burn where the moved tendon is.  Im sure it is ok I just polished my cartilage a bit to much

It has mostly subsided.

I am supposed to extend the ball of my foot 20 degrees back and forth for 15 min.   Repeat 4X a day.  Dr said it was polishing in the new cartilage layer.

Getting some neck pain,  I think I am holding my shoulders up to much when using my crutches.

keeping up on pushups and situps.

Still problem with sweat in cast and on cast pads.

Sad to see my calf getting so withered.  It was a lot of work to get it in shape!  Oh well.

Well early day tomorrow so off to bed.

20 days post

Dr said I am doing fine.

Pad is getting wet from sweat.  Drying each night is a good idea.

I now have exercises to do every day 4x per day for 15 minute each extend the ball of my foot to 20 deg and back.
  I should feel pain if it exceed 30 deg pressing through could snap the repaired tendon.

Week 4 to 5 30 lbs weight bearing when walking  suggested getting a scale and pressing down until I see 30 lbs.   Then use this
calibration as I walk.

Walking to much is what will hurt the cartilage.  The pulsing of my foot is to polish the cartilage repair.

Week 5 to 6 gradually advance to full weight on the ankle  add 20lbs each day.  So I am almost at week 3.  week from tomorrow
I can start putting weight on.

Call if I feel pain for more than 12 hours.  Keep swelling down.  Be good,

19 days post

Continue to have a problem with moisture in the bottom of my walking cast.

Its even in the plastic.

Will discuss with Dr tomorrow.  The spongy part gets full of water.  I have removed it twice and dryed it out in the dryer on no heat.

Replaced it with a towel for now, no weight bearing so no big deal.

Fortunately I have another walking cast from previous injuries.  That way the liner can be washed every time I wash my foot off.  (well when my lovely wife washes it off).  This occurs every other day.

butter fly bandages still on.  Ill take a photo next time the cover is off.  I also wash the stockinette every time we wash my foot.  Ill shift to socks after I can move my foot more.