Left Ankle replacement

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farmerjan

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Just a note to let everyone that might be wondering that I finally had my ankle replacement on Feb 6th. My son fell coming off the back of the bale bed truck when his foot slipped and snapped his right femur and was non-weight bearing for over 2 months so we could not both be on crutches at the same time. He is back on his feet but still not back to work, but it allows me to be off mine.
Lucky thing is that they only did the replacement; the dr said he thinks most all my pain is from that joint and did not do the fusion of the lower joint. That means that if the incisions heal well, at the 2 week check up I will be into a walking boot which will be a godsend. I am non-weight on it right now, but the hopping with the walker is putting severe strain on my bad right knee. Hope to be on crutches to make it easier on the knee. Did not realize how much pressure and pain it would cause the knee, to have to do the hopping.
I am in a rehab and I can tell you that it might not have been the best choice I could have made. Guess that because I am 66, that they felt I needed an old age rehab. I have never slept in such an uncomfortable hard miserable bed. Don't know after they "assess" my need for rehab, if I will be able to stick it out here. Tried to do this to save my son several trips back and forth the 4+ hours to Duke from us in Va. But I have been here 24 hours and cannot see me lasting for another 10 days til the 20th. We'll see how today goes. Since I did not have the fusion, there is little that I need to "learn to do" since I will be able to take showers and get it wet, as soon as the 2 week checkup releases me to a walking boot, meaning the incisions are healed. I had anticipated having to learn the best ways to cope with being non-weight bearing for 2+ months.
Best thing is that the long acting "block" used in the surgery, is still effective. They said it would be 24 to 72 hours on average. Well, I had it at 7 a.m. on Thursday, 6th, and still have mostly the tingley, numbness, that you get when your foot goes to sleep. Dr said that is really good, that when I do get full feeling, that I will probably not have much pain since the worst pain is often in the first 48 hours after surgery/cutting. So , I am hoping that I will not feel too badly when I do finally get full feeling back.
Going to give it a little bit yet since I have not been to any PT or OT or anything. But I could sure use a bed that was a little bit comfortable.........
 
Sorry to hear that. Go to youtube and search 'orthocell' they have a few videos of some very interesting procedures about to hit the market. I know a guy who used them and hadn't lifted his arm above his head for ten years, has just taken up boxing again. They have just recieved approvals to enter the U.S. market and Johnson and Johnson have them doing a three year trial which is about to be finished. Once that happens they will enter a partnership and Johnson and Johnson will roll out the procedures across the U.S. It really is very exciting stuff and they have a number of products they will be able to utilise.
 
Glad to know you are finally in "rehab" :lol: :lol: :lol: :hide: .

Don't know much about the replacement but do know a couple people who had them done.Getting away from the pain is a big help.
 
I will do the research on the orthocell. I've done prolotherapy and then went to PRP which is like the next step.... platelet rich plasma..... injected back into the joints to add blood cells for regeneration. Very popular in Europe. Wanted to do stem cell, and that is one reason why I picked this particular dr at Duke in NC. But he said that he just didn't think that it would help, that there was too much wear. He said he could spend my money, since any of that is still not covered by insurance, and I have spent plenty over the 2 years of PRP and such..... but he just didn't feel like I would get any results. That is what I wanted, a straight forward opinion. Since he does stem cell, he would benefit either way. So, I got my ducks in a row, and made the plans, and just put it off a month because of my son's unexpected mishap. Now, I just have to do the rehab and since there was no fusion of the other joint, should be up and going alot sooner.

Have had 7 different ones in here today; PT, OT, case worker, admissions, you name it..... They are going to at least put an "egg crate" under for more support/comfort on the mattress but are looking to see if they can get a different bed that sits up higher too for when I am "resting" and sitting up to use the computer. So, things are looking up. Just hate the "elegant" old folks atmosphere.......I feel like I am in one of those old time movies from when the priviledged would go to a "resort" to take the "cures" with the soft big band and piano music, and they talk about "nothing". Definitely not in my social circles or my normal farmer groups. They are all old here too, I am the youngest and most active one they have here according to the CNA who is real nice.
 
Hope you heal up well, sure doesn't sound like fun
I remember breaking my femur just above the knee in about 96.. The worst part of my hospital stay wasn't the bed, it was the food, it was soooo bland, and the only thing it tasted of was hospital.. YUCK!
 
Thanks to all for the good wishes. Been some interesting changes/developements. Got an egg-crate mattress topper that helped the uncomfortably hard bed. Of course some of it is also that I am not a back sleeper.... got another bed that the back goes up higher so at least I can sit up better instead of trying to eat from a half sitting position. Since I cannot sit on the edge because of not wanting the ankle to "hang down" and get the additional blood flow and throbbing, getting the back of the bed higher helps. I my heart is up "higher" than the ankle, but it is still not as low being level out in front of me, with me sitting.
I put in for the private room as all the hub bub, noise and the sweet but very nosy, needy 95 yr old room mate was too much. Got moved into it on Wed aft. Had some problems with a "wandering" patient in another room, that would not stay out of my new room, she is fixated on me, to the point of obsessed, so they had to get a 24 hour "companion" to stay with her to keep her from walking in unannounced, and she kept trying to take the foam wedge holding my ankle up, out from under it......it was a real crazy 12 hours. Director of the place came by on Thurs to discuss the situation, apologize for Wed aft and eve..... it has been so bizarre.... you couldn't make this up. I opted to stay here and see what the next day brought. It has been fairly quiet since then. Cell service is terrible in the rooms, so I have to go to the lobby to get any kind of service to call out. It's a pain. But there is wi-fi so at the least the computer works. I don't have a smart phone so can't get on the wi-fi to use the phone. Guess it is time to upgrade.
OT and PT everyday, and even though it probably doesn't seem like alot, the OT guy helped wrap the cast so I could get a shower. Then I had an appt at the "salon" and got my hair washed. After a week, which the first few days didn't really matter, but then it did.... getting to feel clean was nice. The "girls" on here will appreciate the feeling of wanting to "itch" your head just from wanting to feel clean hair.

So, now PT and OT for the next few days, and then a post op appt on Thursday. Possibility of a walking boot if incisions are healed.... one nurse said they might put me back in a shorter cast though, still add the walking boot so I can get around, and send me for more PT. I could go home then if I can get around better, and be able to wrap it and take a shower. If it is just a walking boot, might need to use a cane, I really don't have any real good feel for it yet. PT as an outpatient once I do go home.

Food wasn't too great the first few days in rehab. Lukewarm so not very appetizing. But the cna's on this section said that they don't like cold food either, so the last 2-3 days are much better. Not seasoned, but salt and pepper have made it pretty palatable. Had to take the standard menu and ask for some changes, and they are actually very accommodating. I'm not big on alot of pasta so have been substituting some chef salads for the pasta meals. It's working out. I can go eat my meals in the dining room since this is both a short term and long term rehab, plus an extended care facility/nursing home.


The food at Duke Hosp. was very good. Course I wasn't really hungry those couple days after the surgery....but my son was there and said it was good also.

So, I am trying to "do my time" with the rehab and all, get to the post op appt on Thursday, then see where it goes from there.
Weather here in NC, has been so wet, they had some tornado damage last week right after my surgery, and water out the wazhoo... flooding conditions even worse further south. Went from 60's in Va to 13 this morning, son said that he got feeding done while the ground was hard. Been just crazy up and down. He has had to use the 4x4 tractor to feed because it was so wet the fields were getting torn up and the truck stuck and the gateways impassible. Have been reading where it is even worse in the states further south.

Thanks, @RedGully, for the link to Orthocell. I am going to do some more research as it sounds something like what I was pursuing with the prolotherapy and the PRP. I am going to look into it more. Maybe the way to get the knee cartilage to regenerate/rebuild.....
 
Go to Walgreens or maybe any Drug store and get one of these. My wife used one when she broke both bones just above the ankle joint. I teased her about it being a condom
https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-reusable-waterproof-cast-&-wound-protector-32-inch/ID=prod6112460-product?ext=msnKBM_PLA_-_Health_Care&kpid=prod6112460&sst=d904b0dc-393d-477f-af60-05cad08a8d3f&msclkid=e232760d5a8a172f405c28476cbd8355
 
Good luck! I had a block that took 6 months to wear off, and the toe still isn't right. It was a bit of a "drop toe" deal (like drop foot if you've ever seen that). Then I broke it taking off some pants (you can laugh, I do) this summer, and kept walking on it. I think it may get amputated at some point.

The thing Hurly suggested for showering is the best. I used them and they were fantastic.
 
Just an update. Had my 2 week post op appt and they took out a couple of stitches and 3 staples that were keeping the tendon stretched down my heel but did not want to take out the stitches on the 2 incisions. Said they were healing nice, but that it was still too new to trust the skin to stay together. Got to go back in 3 weeks, for those stitches to be taken out, for x-rays and all. They did put me in a walking boot, but with very limited weight bearing so on crutches, and a knee scooter which really is nice for somethings. I got out of rehab on Tuesday 2/25 and came home. I can take the boot off for sleeping and all so it isn't the end of the world./ Still have to keep it dry so am getting one of those things for showering. Thanks Hurley for suggesting it. Also going to get a boot cover for walking outside because I have nothing but mud and mess here. Not like living in a place where there is all concrete and walkways and all.
Being able to sleep in my own bed last night was soooooo nice. Getting around is still difficult due to the limited weight bearing. Plus it swells if "down" for very long. But could be alot worse. Still numb on the top of the foot, but after they rewrapped it with gauze around the 2 incisions, I can at least rub the exposed skin and have been using lotion on it to make the skin feel better. I won't be doing any "cattle stuff" for a bit, but nice to be back in the quiet in the country.

3 weeks I go back for the stitches to be taken out. Then I expect that I will be in the boot for awhile yet but should be on weight bearing. The boot is clumsy, and heavier than I expected. But taking if off for sleeping and just sitting with the ankle up is SOOO nice.
Very little pain, still the itchy tingling feeling like it is "asleep" which everyone says is really good.

Thanks for the good wishes. I am looking into the orthocell too. Looks like it is available on the west coast. I am hoping that this "fixing" of the ankle will buy some time and maybe that there will be more options for the knee and the shoulder.

Aside from all the "drama" of the first few days in the rehab, it hasn't been all that bad as far as pain and recovery. I was expecting some real "pain" that has never materialized. Maybe I just don't feel "pain" the same way normal people do? My pain tolerance has always been pretty high, so what some would call pain is just "uncomfortable " to me? It could be worse.
 
I had a total left ankle replacement almost four years ago. Best thing I ever did. Mine was an "Inbone" It took almost a year for it to simmer down, but I don't even know it's there now. No pain and great range of motion. Do your PT
 

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