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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / six weeks post op: on to the next phase of recovery

six weeks post op: on to the next phase of recovery

January 24, 2020      19 Comments

Monday marked six weeks post op, and I was an absolute wreck about my appointment. Of course I wasn’t scheduled until 2:00PM, which meant I had the whole morning to agonize and obsess. Yay!

6 WEEKS POST OP

My 10 day post-op visit was fairly textbook and uneventful, so there was no reason not to expect the same for six weeks post op. Me being me, however, meant that my stomach was in complete knots. I hadn’t been feeling badly, exactly, but I also hadn’t been feeling good, and that was frustrating. For the two weeks leading up to the appointment, I was sinking deeper into discouragement and it affected me very negatively.

The Morning Of

I spent the morning of my appointment alone. The boys went to my parents house for breakfast, but I didn’t feel comfortable making the drive and still having energy for the appointment. From our last conversation, I knew the surgeon planned to clear me from the boot and I needed all my strength if I was going to walk out of that office on two feet.

Of course, that also meant I was alone with my increasingly negative thoughts. By the time they got back, I had worked myself into quite the anxious state.

Checking In

Since it was a holiday, the office was pretty packed. The group has an affiliated rehab and my particular location hosts both on the same floor, so the waiting room can be busy. Mr PugRunner has quite the rapport with one of the front desk assistants, so they chatted it up, while I checked in. Every patient has to answer a four question survey each time they visit, regarding the body part for which you are there, as well as pain levels. I hate it: pain scales are so difficult for me and I don’t feel they cover the range of what I’m experiencing. Blah.

For the first time in my experience with this office, they ran late. It was only about 20 minutes but it was still enough time for work myself up a little further.

Isn’t anxiety fun?

Behind Closed Doors

The intake nurse finally called me back and off we went. She didn’t make much small talk and wasn’t quite as cheery as some of the other staff, which was a little disconcerting. We got into the exam room and situated and then she asked me how I was feeling.

Cue the waterworks.

I absolutely let it all out: the full range of emotions I’ve been holding in. I explained I didn’t know how to answer her question because I just didn’t know if I was getting better. That my ankle around the breaks and the surgery sites felt ok, but I was in so much discomfort everywhere else. I unleashed about how I couldn’t sleep or get comfortable, and that my skin felt like it was burning, freezing or peeling off all the time.

She sat there with me, trying to get a fair reading of my blood pressure (we started with 28/20 so you can see what we were dealing with) and shared about her own ankle surgery. Her empathy was very clear as she talked to me about the nerves and the recovery process, that everything I was feeling was absolutely normal but there were ways they could help. I was so grateful for her kindness in those moments and was able to get a small grip before Dr. S. came on the scene.

Conversations With My Ortho

So Dr. S. is a good surgeon and a good doctor. He’s never struck me as particularly friendly, chatty, or conversational, but he’s a busy man and as long as his work is quality I haven’t cared too much.

When he came in the room and shook my hand, I started tearing up all over again. He dug right into my notes as I began to tell him everything I shared with the nurse, and my heart about exploded when he put down his files, turned around, made eye contact and let me get it out. Very calmly, he looked at the areas of my foot and ankle where I was feeling the most sensations, felt around my incision sites and just listened.

I finished and Dr. S told me it was going to be ok. He explained that what I’m feeling is most definitely nerve pain and he would prescribe a medication to help and make a note to the PT team to start me on a Tens machine in therapy. Additionally, he said he would write a scrip for us to get one for the house. It would help with the desensitization. He warned that it could take six months to get back to normal, but the meds should start helping right away.

I cannot define the level of relief. To be honest, I really thought I was being a baby about the feelings I was having. I thought I wasn’t strong enough, and it’s been a contributing factor to my low moods over the past two weeks.

XRays and Clearances

The radiologist tech escorted me to the Xray room, and we got a variety of shots. It’s amazing how far technology has come: she sent the digital scans directly to his computer, and by the time I made it back to the office, they were ready to go!

Dr. S reviewed them and said everything looked perfect. The hardware is placed and the bones are healing. You can still see part of the fracture on the inside of my ankle, but apparently, that’s normal and the screw is doing its job.

six weeks post op

The verdict? I could switch out my boot for the lace up brace. Dr. S recommended using one crutch until I could tolerate walking without its support.

six week post op

From there, I can use the brace until I don’t feel I need it anymore. I can return to PT and will continue there until I feel they are no longer helping me. Dr. S also made me one more appointment for six weeks from now, just in case, but he said that A) call him if I feel anything at all is wrong and B) feel free to cancel the appointment if everything is going smoothly.

I am cleared for the bike, elliptical (when I feel up to it), and swimming in a heated pool. He said no walks for exercise quite yet, but that will come. I can do anything else upper body related to stay active.

And so, validated and comforted, I put on the new brace and TWO shoes and walked out of the office with one crutch.

six weeks post op

We stopped on the way home for fancy coffee and I even got a cake pop. It had been a long day.

six weeks post op

In Closing

I am so very grateful for a physician who took the time to listen to my concerns and to offer solutions to the problems. This has been a bit of a learning curve for me: obviously, I don’t break my leg every day so figuring out what’s normal versus what’s of concern has been challenging. I also tend to gut things out, and hate to admit defeat. In the future, I won’t be quite so stubborn and will reach out sooner, even if I think it’s something I should just deal with.

Since Monday, I’ve been feeling much better. I’m off the crutches except for when I get up in the night and first thing in the morning. The meds are taking the edge off my anxiety, as well as calming down the sensations in the rest of my foot. It’s not perfect, but it’s something. I restart PT on Monday, and we will check with them about the appropriate Tens unit to purchase and see how to properly use it.

With that, we move forward to this next phase of recovery. Running is still a ways off, but it’s closer than it was, and I still have my eye on that April 5K and December half marathon!

We are joining in with Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness, so check out that link up and share with the group!

Do you tend to try to manage things on your own or do you ask immediately for help?

What fun goals are your sights set on?

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Comments

  1. Stacie Seidman says

    January 24, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    I’m so glad you got some good news, and even more importantly some help with what you’ve been feeling. Hope you’re feeling better!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 26, 2020 at 1:48 am

      I’m getting there. I am still having good days and bad days. I would like more good days.

      Reply
  2. Deborah Brooks says

    January 24, 2020 at 10:04 pm

    This is fantastic news. You are really making lots of progress. You look much happier. Forward is a pace 🙂
    Deborah Brooks recently posted…What It’s Like To Take A Live Peloton Class in StudioMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 26, 2020 at 1:48 am

      You’re right. It is a pace. It’s not the pace I would like, but it’s a pace. <3

      Reply
  3. Darlene S. Cardillo says

    January 24, 2020 at 10:47 pm

    I had a very unsympathetic doctor. I kept it all in.

    As I’ve already mentioned I didn’t lose the boot for about 12 weeks.

    So I think you’re amazing.

    Chin up.

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 26, 2020 at 1:47 am

      I am so sorry to hear that. That had to have been so hard. The chin is up. Sometimes, it’s covered in tears, but it’s up.

      Reply
  4. Elaine says

    January 25, 2020 at 12:27 am

    Must be a relief to have the boot off and receiving comforting information from your doctor.

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 26, 2020 at 1:44 am

      The brace has its own negative points, but yes, so much better than the boot.

      Reply
  5. Wendy says

    January 25, 2020 at 12:56 am

    Wow. Sounds like you have a gem of an ortho. I’d stick with him! Glad you’re doing so well. PS if we meet, remind me to show you my son’s xrays of his tibial fracture. It’s always a good reminder of why these things hurt so much! You got this!
    Wendy recently posted…Book Review: Spirit Run: A 6,000 Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen LandMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 26, 2020 at 1:43 am

      He’s really quite wonderful. Interestingly, he’s not the surgeon I was supposed to have, but there was a scheduling glitch. I think it’s worked out.

      Oh, man. I am now super fascinated to see that X-ray!

      Reply
  6. Laurie says

    January 25, 2020 at 10:22 pm

    So glad to read the story of your compassionate doctor and nurse who took the time to make you feel like you matter (and, of course, you do!) You can’t see the progress, but your readers, who only read about it once a week can. You are doing great!
    Laurie recently posted…Phabulous, Phantastic, and Phun!My Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 26, 2020 at 1:26 am

      I appreciate that. I really do. It’s so hard to see improvement when you’re in the trenches of it. I hit the jackpot with my doctor and his staff. I really did.

      Reply
  7. Sandra Laflamme says

    January 27, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    Hooray for progress. Glad you are getting some relief for the nerve pain too. That sounds like no fun. You must be excited to be able to do a bit of exercise!
    Sandra Laflamme recently posted…I am joy, courage, love, and passion.My Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 28, 2020 at 2:05 pm

      It is nice to be a little more active. It’s still not where I would like to be (nowhere close LOL), but it’s encouraging.

      Reply
  8. Amy @ She Runs By Faith says

    January 27, 2020 at 10:46 pm

    I’m glad you have such a wonderful doctor that listens! Stay strong and patient with your return to running 🙂 You will be back in no time!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 28, 2020 at 1:56 pm

      I am so incredibly lucky.

      Reply
  9. Norman Andrew says

    February 1, 2020 at 11:19 am

    Wow, I am so glad you are recuperating well. I know how nagging foot/ankle injury can be and you are so lucky to have aa good physician. Please ensure you use your orthopedic brace until you fully recover. Stay perfect
    Norman Andrew recently posted…Best Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Ankle Brace: Top 10 ReviewsMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Cari says

    February 3, 2020 at 2:13 am

    So glad to read this, and glad you have a doctor and nurse who truly listened to the whole body of your concerns and not just the part they were treating.
    Cari recently posted…2020 PT Week 3/4: Return to RacingMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      February 3, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      It was really comforting. I don’t usually break down like that and it would have been so embarrassing if no one had listened.

      Reply

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Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have a grumble of pugs, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!

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