@diana55 , thanks for the tip. Yes, I went from the hosp to a rehab for the ankle..... it was in a cast for 2 weeks and then they put it in the boot.... all bandaged tight but at least I could take the boot off to sleep. I was in the rehab for 2 1/2 weeks allowed with our medicare and did exercises and all to keep my legs/knees etc, all the muscles working. As soon as I got home they shut everything down, so had to wait an extra month before they got the stitches out, and started the actual rehab of the ankle. I tried to do everything they said, since I was a month "late" getting started. And I still do some with the continued PT as he is trying to help me keep what I can with the knees, and works the ankle a little too even though they have all said I have as much or more use than most people get. My PT said that his mom was doing very good within about 2 weeks, and you could barely ever tell she had had them done at 8 weeks. He said she is still doing PT, and I take it that she is not as "pushing" as she could be by his comments, but he is still impressed. He said that I will feel relief the next day because they hurt so much now. And he thinks I will have some more improvement with the ankle just from the knees not hurting and being able to walk. That is why I want to go to a rehab.... they will make me do stuff there, and it is everyday, and like with the ankle even though it was much more restricted, and it will help me to get a handle on the exercises, and by the time the 2-3 weeks are up, I should be better able to do it on my own at home and with continued PT. I will always be very thankful to my ankle dr.... it has been really a good experience....would have donje it sooner if I had found him sooner..... just soooooo glad I never gave in sooner to one that wanted to fuse it......
@Lee VanRoss ; take heart that if you get the hip done, and your PT is good, you will continue to get benefit in the knee especially since it fairly recent. My PT said I will get more with the ankle and it will be a year in Feb since the surgery.... One of the milk testers here got one hip done 10+ years ago in her 40's.... did the second one a couple years ago. She was back to work in less than 8 weeks. Everyone else has said that the hips are the easiest.....shoulders are supposed to be the hardest. And most people I ever talked to hadn't known that they replaced ankles......but it was absolutely the very best thing I ever did. I am praying that there will be a cancellation so I can get in to the dr sooner, and a cancellation so I can get the knees done sooner. Can't be laid up during hay season and I can manage on a tractor for raking and such so if they can't get me in right away, it will be late late fall before I do them probably.
@gcreekrch glad that you are getting along. Do all the rehab/exercises you can.... and don't discount the tractor work if you do it carefully. My PT has said that I should be able to go back to doing most everything I am doing now without the pain.... just have to be a little more careful so that I don't get in a bad situation with the animals. No jumping off equipment... carefully getting on and off and taking care of the joints.
