ems72’s AchillesBlog

So it was my third visit to Charlie at the Blackburn Orthotics Department today.  He has left my foot at the 15 degree angle but has put a much thinner wedge on the bottom of the boot - about an inch depth.

It’s nice to be closer to the floor, and so in line with my other foot but it’s definitely going to take some getting used to.  The other thicker wedge was curved at the front so that you could roll off it as you walked.  This one is just flat and comes out past my toes, so I can only step forward and then bring the good foot up to join it.

He also did the Thompson test again, and said there’s no movement yet but he expects to see something next week.

The wound is looking really good.  We’ve been using sudocrem on the actual wound site, as I was getting blisters as well and didn’t want to risk anything nasty.  I’m using E45 cream on the rest on my leg and foot to combat the dry skin - it’s just flaking off at the moment.

Apart from that I’m getting around much better - using just one crutch (as it helps to even out my hips somewhat) - so at least I feel a bit more self sufficient and can carry things.  I have another week off work and then I’m going to work from home.  Nice to have some time to myself though.

This week was quite difficult.  Changing the angle to 15 degrees made my ankle aches quite a bit, and I think I’m getting a water blister on the side of my heel where it’s rubbing inside the boot.  I have been exercising daily and making Rob rub cream into the wound site, which I know can’t be pleasant for him, but there’s no way I could reach down there.

By Tuesday though it was getting easier.  I’ve got the hang over sort of rolling on the boot wedge when I walk to put some weight on it, and although I’m generally slower now, I feel much more balanced.  I also resurrected some hobbies in the attempt to stop me from going out of my tiny little mind with boredom!  I’ve picked up crochet and knitting, which I can do semi-reclining in bed if I have to, and am working my way through a very complicated Fantasy series of books (Stephen Erikson if anyone’s interested - very, very good!).  It looks like we’re getting home made presents for Xmas.

Rob is still out of work and not always coping very well.  With me unable to chase our toddler around as well I think he’s starting to get a bit miffed, but to be honest it’s a good job he’s around at the moment.  When he does eventually find work, he may end up working and living in another part of the country during the week, and then things will get really interesting!

Had my second visit to Orthotics and Charlie is really happy with my progress.  Even I could see how much more movement there is in the ankle than there was last week.  I got to wash my leg again and when he wiped down the wound, some dead skin came away which frightened me but he said it was all good.  He’s left the boot angled at 15 degrees this week but now wants me to start putting as much weight as I can on it when I walk.  Next week he’s planning to maybe take away the wedge (which is actually a scary thought).

I asked when he thought I’d be walking and driving again - he reckons I’ll be walking for Xmas and driving in January as long as I do what I’m told and don’t do anything stupid.  I feel much more positive this week

I wasn’t sure what to do about work - Charlie reckons this week will be an easier week for me, but then if the angle changes again next week he thinks that could be quite difficult.  I’ve decided to take another two weeks off and play it by ear.

So back to Blackburn to see Charlie the Orthotics man.  He removed the boot, had a look at the ankle, which he said is healing really well, and then went off to collect a bucket of warm soapy water for me to dunk my foot into and wash.  That was so unexpected and an amazing thing to do!  I even got Rob to help cut my toe nails (this is what husbands are for after all lol) and then Charlie massaged cream into the foot and the wound site.

I tried moving my foot up and down, and he seemed pleased, but there’s not much movement there at all.  It’s not so much that it hurts, more that I feel like it’s not possible to move my foot where I want it to go.  He also changed the angle of the boot to 15 degrees and the difference was obvious as soon as he put the cage back on.

This week I’m allowed to remove the boot for 10-15 mins per day to practice pointing and stretching the foot and to apply cream to the wound to help stop the scar tissue from forming where it shouldn’t.  I also have to start putting some weight onto the foot - about 50% to start off with.

I’d decided to finally give in and get a sick note as I was really struggling with a laptop on one knee :)  I’m quite glad I did now.  I actually felt quite emotional today, and when Charlie was moving my foot I felt like crying - not from pain though.  I think this is just a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I’m starting to realise how long this could take and it’s really getting me down.

My first appointment at the fracture clinic after the operation was about 2 weeks after the op.  I had opened the letter, noted the date and saw the words "Fracture Clinic" and naturally assumed that it would be at Burnley hospital, where I saw the consultant before, and where I had the operation.  But no.

I arrived for my 4pm appt with 5 mins to spare, to be told that my appointment was at Blackburn hospital, which is a half an hour journey down the M65 motorway.  The receptionist rang the other hospital and they promised to wait for me, sop we got back into the car and set off.  It took us 45 mins to get there, through rush hour traffic :(  Rob dropped me at the door of Outpatients and went to park up while I went in to find the clinic.

After all that stress I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely the staff were.  Some had stayed longer than their shift to wait for me but they were all really understanding, and even apologised for making us come all the way from Burnley.  The cast was removed and I was pleased to see that actually the wound is about half the length I was told it might be.  My toes are still a bit numb and tingly, and my little toe hurts so some strange reason, but the ankle itself looks good.

The consultant popped in to see me and take a look and seemed pleased.  I am now handed over to a guy called Charlie from the Orthotics department.  He has fitted me with a Vacoped boot - it’s like an inner soft wrap which has air inside, and then a plastic cage around the outside.  It goes up to below my knee, and the angle of your foot is set by adjusting the cage.  Underneath the cage itself there’s what looks like a massive grey platform heel.

Charlie says that I now have to keep my foot elevated as much as possible.  I’ve been putting it up on the sofa next to me, but apparently it has to be even higher than that, which is going to make working on the laptop difficult.  I’m also not allowed to take this boot off, even in bed.  My initial impressions are that the angle is uncomfortable, as the cast must have been different, but also that it’s much heavier than the cast.  The wedge also makes things a bit more awkward - your foot’s now twice the size it was!  I have to invest in some more loose jogging pants as there’s no way my jeans will fit over this.

Also, in the previous boot, when standing I could rest the boot on the floor with my leg straight out in front of me.  It’s quite difficult to do that in this one.  Still I’ve been assured that using this boot provides a better treatment with better results than a normal cast would.  Charlie says there aren’t that many places using these boots yet, which is why while I’m in it I’ll have to visit him once per week at Blackburn hospital.  My physio can be done from Burnley though, so that’ll be easier.