Day 15 Post OP- Need your help and advice with walking boot
As you may have read in my previous post I was put into a walking boot yesterday after my two week post op visit. I can take it off and shower but not bath for another week, I have heels in the boot which i need to strip off layers over the next six weeks. I have not tried yet to put any weight on it as i am scared. I have took the boot off today to clean up some dried blood around the scar and my leg felt lost without anything on it. I left it off for 3 hours with raised on the sofa and it felt great to have fresh air around it although the leg in general felt very weak. I have been given no other information and feel lost now as what to do for the best. I am going to ask a few questions below and hope some of you will take the time to answer some of them for me to help me out.
- In the boot are TWO heel inserts, i have been told to take one strip off each week to gradually lower the heel, each heel insert has 5 strips, making 10 strips in total. I have six weeks before i go back. Can anyone advise on this?
- What should i be aiming for say, week one, week two week three and so on?
- Should i be putting any form of weight on it yet, its only 2 weeks post op?
- When i have the boot off, can i massage the calf, rub moisturizing cream in my leg ( not scar area)
- Should i be icing or using heat now? I don’t really have much swelling.
- If i have the boot off, should i be moving my toes or moving the ankle from side to side?
- How soon did you take the boot off to sleep in, as i am not comfortable with this yet?
- On any of the above does anyone have any good time lines?
I am a little paranoid at the moment as i never expected to have the boot so soon. Any advise other than above will be really helpful as well.
Thanks in Advance.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Dasf–Totally different case..I was in a hard cast for 10 weeks , then walking boot for about 8 more..also I never used any inserts so I can’t help u there..but I would suggest icing it alot and keeping it elevated, also try to massage the calf area, etc as much as possible..just trust your body and wiggle the toes etc a little at a time….it takes a while to heal but you will get there….Kevin
Hi dazf,
Good to read your concerns as they’re similar to ones i can envisage me having.
Can I ask if you were given your boot via the NHS or did you have to go private?
Get the fealing that i will not recieve a boot at Northampton General, just another cast!
Thanks for your reply to my previous post as well
Jimbo
dazf: I think some of your questions should go back to your doctor (like the one about weight bearing). With that said, I can’t imagine that you were put in a removable boot if you were not suppose to pull your leg out and work with it a little. My first surgery, I did not see my foot for 9 weeks because I was in a hard cast. My second surgery (done by a foot and ankle specialist) I NEVER had a hard cast and was instructed to pull it out of the boot starting 2 days after surgery and carefully move my ankle around 3 times a day. Four weeks post-op I got to start really “light” resistance stuff with a thera-band. As far as night time, I slept in my boot (even though I didn’t have to) until I was cleared to put a little weight on my foot outside of the boot. I get up at least once every night and I am usually stepping over 4 pairs of greyhound legs as I go. I didn’t want to blow my Achilles again stepping on one of my dogs. I use ice any time I am up a lot and feel swelling and also I use it everytime I do any kind of movement or strengthening. I have always found ice to be a wonderful pain reliever. I would systematically take wedges out of your boot but I wouldn’t be afraid to slip one back in if it pushes you too far. I was told that a good gauge as to if I have pushed something too far is: if I am really sore longer than 24-36 hours after the action, I need to back off a little. I have found this to work quite well. I think we all need to expect new pain as we progress through our journey but we have to be careful not to cross the line. Good luck and enjoy working on that foot.
HI dazf,
I had the similar case that I was told that I can bear full weight on Day 15 after my foot was bent into 90 degrees and put in a cast. On that day, I tried to stand up, but it still hurts very much, but the next day, I can stand on both foots without crutches. The pain decreased gradually, few days later, most of the time it is no pain at all, if I don’t walk too much.
I was also very concerned (like how you are feeling now) at that time when I was told to “walk on it” on Day 15 after surgery, since most people I saw on this blog was slowly increase the weight bearing.
But once I tasted that “hand-free” working, I loved it, although my knee and hip sometimes suffered because that I walked not in a normal position, in the first few days, it still hurts sometimes when I tried to walk too much, (I even tried to walk about one hour in a day, that is a little crazy I know), but few days later, I am basically fine with the walking part. Then I decided to go back to work.
I know each person has a different case, so my strategy is just to try it, if I can take it, then I just do it. Of course, I have the fear about going too fast, but they told me the repaired tendon would be very “strong”, I tried to believe that.
I walked (about 1 hour in total every day), and bike to walk (10 minutes) since last week. The wound area still hurts (sting) if I tried too much, but overall, it is bearable.
Next week, I will get the cast off, I also quite scared of losing the protection totally, I am still quite doubtful if I am able to walk just that, probably I will need the crutches in the beginning again. But I just try to hope for the best!
I hope you are also gradually getting used to boot, and since your doctor think you can do it, you can just try, but start slow though. Hope soon you will find the way of handling with the boot, and also able to tell how much is too much!
All the best,
HT
Hi dazf, I think certain of your questions should be answered by your doctor, but some areas are safe for a laymans opinion.
I found that taking the boot off and elevating the leg was a big help in reducing swelling and feeling a bit normal again. I did a lot of toe wiggling and moving the foot from side to side right from the start of the injury. I used pain as a guide as when to stop. I think because of that I had a full range of movement from the day i came out the cast.
Be very cautious about taking the boot off for sleeping and showering. A lot of re-ruptures happen this way. Loosen the straps and deflate when sleeping, sure, but wait until around 8 weeks before sleeping without it. Hand in there, you’re on the fast track now!
Hi Dazf,
Thanks for your comments on my ‘first 3 months’ . I read your case with interest. It is interesting that different consultants have different approaches to this injury. In my case I was put in a half cast for 10 days, then full cast in neutral position (as near as possible) for further 4.5 weeks to give a total of 6 weeks in a cast before I could get a chance at walking. I like the look of the boot method as it gets everything moving sooner but sorry, I cannot offer any advice
My friend was given a boot which he has lent me but since my consultant does not use this approach I have no instructions so just use it for occasions when I feel like a bit of extra protection (working in the garden of going to the pub)
Hope you are getting on ok and I will be following your progress.
Chris