gazr

Hi - sounds like you’re doing really well. I think I’d feel a bit scared about managing the vacoped on my own though.
I spent one week at 30 degrees non weight bearing, then two weeks at 15 degrees with the large wedge on. I did partial weight bearing for the first 15 degree week and FWB for the second, and have just gone down to the smaller wedge this week (still at 15 deg.).
I was also advised to remove the boot for 10-15 mins daily once I went to 15 degrees and practise just moving my foot up and down. I also rub cream in around either side of the wound site to keep it supple (we’ve actually been using sudocrem and the wound healed really well).
Anyway - good luck and I hope it continues to goes as well for you

Congrats on bending your protocol towards one that’s way more convenient AND maybe also better for you (and certainly not worse, according to the evidence). My fave benchmark for what works well is the protocol laid out at bit.ly/UWOProtocol . There are others here and elsewhere too. “Mine” includes timing of all the big transitions and the progression of exercise types, and it produced very good results (post-op and without-op both) in the associated study.

I usually spend much of my day at the computer when I’m fit, so there wasn’t that much “lifestyle shock” when I was ATR-immobilized! But hitching onto a fast schedule that gets you boot-walking etc. ASAP obviously minimizes that disruption.

Good luck and good healing!

I suspect he went off to Google the Vacoped! Congratulations on your persistence, glad it paid off.
Sudoku, online scrabble, daytime tv, books - all pall after a while. My husband was working very long hours as well as travelling to China and Norway- when he did appear I felt like screaming - TALK TO ME! Not to mention the fun of standing in the kitchen to eat because I couldn’t carry it through to the table. This stage doesn’t last , you will eventually rejoin the normal world

Hi Birdieboy, thanks for the interest sorry not been on. I’be been away on holiday, which I spent with my leg up in the air drinking the amber nectar, what a joy!!!! Well all seems to be going well I’ve got my next visit to the hospital on Monday 22nd at which time I hoping to get into my Vacacast which I bought £125.00 which hopefully is going to get me back on my feet sooner, well into the pool anyway, not sure what the doctors are going to make of it but will keep everyone informed. Hope all is going well with yourself let us know….

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Hi Gazroscoe
All has gone quiet? hope all is ok as I am following your progress with interest.
Best wishes

Birdieboy!!

I am really confused about how long you were in the hospital and even why, other than for the surgery. I went to the hospital about 90 minutes before my surgery was scheduled and was released a few hours later, after I was sufficiently recovered from the general anesthetic. My second surgery actually required I be in the hospital because I had a wound vac pump on but that was because of complications from the first surgery.

Elevation means getting your foot above the level of your heart, which is really not difficult at all if you just think about it a little. I was actually able to get mine to just about the level of my heart at work. It took a while to find the right height for my chair but it worked just fine. At home it is dead simple and you want to keep it elevated even when you’re asleep. Pillows work really well for that.

Going up stairs on crutches is relatively simple as long as you remember two things: lean very slightly forward and take one step at a time, not trying for the next step until you know you’re stable. With both crutches on the same step, lift your good foot to the next step and get the whole fo

Good luck, Gazr and birdieboy both! Nobody’s born knowing how to walk in crutches; it’s a set of new skills, and you’re going to pick up a lot of those before you’re through! (Minimizing the hazards of crutch-walking is one of the major benefits of a faster protocol that gets you to PWB and FWB sooner)

The key to elevation is controlling inflammation, period. Some people swear by the “above the heart” thing, while many of us get enough relief from sticking our leg up on a foot stool and/or a bolster , a table, whatever. A little elevation is a lot better than none, for sure, especially if you give it the needed time.

This is one spot where your leg will give you the answer quickly and reliably — especially when you’re out of the cast and can actually check the swelling visually. If it’s puffy, elevate some more (and rest and ice, and maybe compress).

Gazr, it sounds like your professionals are already boot-friendly (which is a Very Good Thing), just more familiar with the AirCast than the VacoPed. As long as you’ve got the Vaco set up to be rigid (not hinge-ing), it should be functionally identical to an AirCast — or a c

Hi Gazroscoe
Great to hear you are at home and trying to get some order back in your life.
Be very careful with the crutches going up / down the stairs. In anticipation of the problems I anticipate post op,( tues) I tried early this week using them up the stairs - and fell back down really hurting myself - fortunately I didnt rupture the bit of tendon still holding my foot together but it really shook me up.
I am interested to know how high above your body does the foot have to be? I have heard ir should be above the heart? but that is not easy.
Hope you make good progress.
Keep Blogging!

Birdieboy

Hi Gazroscoe
I am following with great interest your blog, to give me a foretaste of what I can expect.
I do hope all goes well with the plaster the crutches and “the movements”!!
Interested to know if the pain problems have subsided?

Best wishes and “keep blogging”

Birdieboy

Don’t worry about having a split cast. I wasn’t given a full cast until 2 weeks post op, instead I had a cast on the front , and the back was left heavily bandaged. This allowed for the inevitable postoperative swelling.
If you’re still on oromorph, make sure you drink lots and eat plenty of fibre as it ‘ll give you awful constipation

Hi Gazroscoe
Pleased that you eventually got your op, but disappointed you have had pain problems resulting in the caste being removed. Hope the pain killers work and that all settles down quickly. I will be interested to know if they keep you in a second night or let you go home.
Keep smiling and good luck

Birdieboy

I am 33 going on 63

know the feeling mate ,

welcome.

Hi Again

I havent quite got the hang of blogging so this might be the second one!
I am having my op in Barnett on the 9th Nov??, and I believe the consultant recommends 6 weeks in plaster followed by 6 weeks in a “boot”.
I did consider going private but was told they only covered for one overnight stay so it didnt sem worth it.
You seem to be having a tough time of it so far so I hope all goes well.
Best wishes from cloudy London

Hi all, I don’t believe keeping you in hospital is normal, but for some reason they had a concern about me having a clot in my calf, something about damaging my calf at the same time as snapping my achilles, not entirely sure…..but they mentioned that i would be in over the weekend but due to an unusual amount of incoming over the weekend I’m still waiting, have been told this morning that I’m on the list again today, but will have to wait and see. Bronny sounds very much like here with the waiting about, it did take them 10 days to actually get round to doing an ultrasound to confirm the amount of damage…hope all is well with everyone else on this dull but dry day in southampton..

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thankfully its not how socialised medicine works in NZ either. But then they don’t do surgery or even ultrasound the injury here (unless they suspect a DVT in which case they think about it for 4 hours while you wait, then put you in a 3 hour queue…)

FWIW, that’s NOT how Canada’s version of socialized medicine works (at least not here in Ontario)!

I’ll just bite my lip about everything else, unless somebody wants some help or advice.

Gerry, in the NHS possession is nine tenths of the law. While you’re in the hospital bed they can’t give it to anyone else, so your chances of getting onto the day’s list is that much greater. Strange but true.

Let me understand this. Are you saying you actually stay in the hospital until your surgery happens?

Cheers Birdie,
It does seem like it’s going to take a good while from all the others that I have read. Where are you having your op done? Are you staying NHS or are you going private? Are you planning on staying in plaster as the doctors will most probably want, or get into a “Vacoped” as soon as poss?

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Hi There
Interesting to read about your delays in NHS- hope all goes forward / well tomorrow.I am expecting to have my op on the 9th Nov so we will be going thro recovery together.It seems a long haul!!

Good luck

Hi
Like you I was bumped off the list, though I had to wait until the end of the day to be told by which time I was very wobbly from dehydration. It happens, particularly if they have an urgent trauma case or a previous op doesn’t go to plan.
Hang on in there, the op’s not so bad.
Hope it happens soon for you