A Step Backwards…
Posted by bennet on June 2, 2009
Things were progressing so smoothly. This past Saturday I removed my last heel insert and my foot was 90 degrees. It was a bit difficult to stretch the tendon to get it to rest flat but it wasn’t too painful. I thought to myself that in a few days, my tendon should be good to go and I can ditch my crutches and move to FWB. I’ve had almost zero pain since Day 2 so everything was looking good…
I worked out Sunday doing my stationary heel biking and my leg lifts. I felt great after my workout but by Sunday night, both sides of my incision were swollen, red and painful. After doing some research, I concluded that it might be an infection. By bedtime Sunday night, I was not even able to walk in the boot with crutches. Very painful.
Monday morning I went in to see a doctor. He said no open cut on the incision so probably not an infection. He called my surgeon who asked him to do some blood work to check for an infection. Blood results came back negative so doctor told me that most likely was not an infection. Pain continued all Monday and I basically rested on the sofa all day.
Tuesday I went to see my physio who told me it may be an infection or it may be due to the removal of the last heel insert. We put the heel insert back into the boot and I told him that I was meeting with the surgeon later on in the afternoon. Met with the surgeon and he said that it was not an infection but still wanted me to take antibiotics. I took the prescription but don’t plan on taking them. He also put me on another week of painkillers. His explanation was that it is a normal sympton of surgery.
I can buy that the removal of the last insert created some swelling and pain and that is what I am going through now. We’ll see if in 2-3 days with the heel insert back in, whether the pain goes away.
But if it isn’t the heel insert, then I don’t think the surgeon’s explanation makes sense. I’ve been painfree since Day 2, and now all of the sudden I start having strong pain. I am 3 weeks Post Op.
If it’s not an infection and not the result of removing the last heel insert, what can it be?
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:13 am
Hi Bennett –
I really empathize with those who may be dealing with infections as I am going through the same ordeal on an intensified level. I recall that my swelling/burning/itching flared up after I changed anything in my routine, whether it be on the bike, PT or walking a bit more. Something was happening on the inside that wasn’t showing itself on the outside.
Long story short, I was eventually referred to an Infectious Disease specialist who put me on several rounds of antibiotics, each stronger than the other in response to my weekly bacteria cultures. I’m in my last days of a 2-month intravenous treatment and just had an achilles debridement surgery 11 days ago to clean up my tendon area. Apparently, I was allergic to the suture material that was holding my tendon together.
I am very aversive to taking any type of drugs, especially antibiotics and pain killers, but had no choice if I were to get my problems fixed.
I hope that your pain has subsided. It is very discouraging to have so much progress and then to have to face the very real risk of getting an infection from surgery.
I’m walking the infection route — let me know if I could be of any support.
~ booklady
http://achillesblog.com/booklady/
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 am
Dude I’m in the same boat. I was pretty much pain free for the first three weeks, but as soon as I started to put more and more weight on my leg (I’ve been at 90 deg. since day 1), the pain was pretty bad the next day, never really the day of. My surgeon told me that swelling should really be the guide as to how much activity my leg can handle, and that if there’s a lot of swelling, then I’ve done too much. I’ve found that just keeping off of it and ice and elevation for a day or two usually brings the pain back down.
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:19 am
Aloha Booklady. Wow, your blog is an amazing story. I cannot imagine what you’re going through and your positive attitude is so inspiring!
I just emailed my surgeon asking him if my pain could be related to being allergic to the suture material. I haven’t heard back from him but seem to remember that he had stitched me up in a dissolving suture material. If this is the case, I assume it dissolves over time and the allergic reaction should go away…??
This morning’s pain was very intense. I laid in bed and could not straighten my leg out without sharp pain. Don’t know what’s going on here…
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:22 am
Hi Ziffy. Thanks. I’ve been keeping my activities to a minimum for the past 3 days. Icing and elevating. But this morning the pain has been the worst since Day 1 of surgery. Only comfortable position is to have my leg bent and then lying on my side so there is no pressure on the incision. Will continue to ice and elevate today. But I somehow think it’s more than just swelling and pain from activity…