I returned to the hospital this afternoon to try again with a air cast. I actually got a pretty good doctor and physio on this visit who actually felt my foot movement before choosing the wedges for the boot. He looked up the surgery notes and said the surgeon had been the best in Canberra and briefly explained the procedure (the most info I’ve received so far). He clarified that we will try and follow the protocol time line, rather than my discharge paper (6 wk NWB), as the surgeon wrote the protocol and had results with earlyish WB.
Getting into the air cast was easier this time and the physio agreed to 4 wedges which will put my recovery back 2 weeks. The air cast wasn’t too uncomfortable, but I wasn’t feeling well, so I bailed on going out with a friend and had an early night.
Unfortunately I woke up at 3am with sharp ongoing pain in the ball of my foot. I ignored it for an hour or so, but now I’ve taken the boot off it eventually subsided. I’m too scared to sleep without the boot on so I will have to put it back on to go back to sleep. I’m going to reassess the pain and the cause in the morning.
I’ve also started the pain medication again as I was in a bit of pain after the stretch of the angle in the air cast. Coincidentally, I had a chat in the waiting room with a guy who had recovered from a broken leg about his addiction to his pain meds. He couldn’t believe it when I said I couldn’t understand why they are addictive as they made me drowsy and nauseous.
I didn’t realise how relatively well I was sleeping in the smaller fibreglass cast!!
5 responses so far ↓
normofthenorth // Mar 20th 2013 at 2:43 pm
The boot has to be the right size, or nothing will work. If it is, the right number of wedges and the proper tension on the straps — snug enough to immobilize and protect, but no snugger — will usu make it comfy. If you’ve got an unusual foot shape, or extra lumps and bumps, you might need extra padding and tweaking — we skiers call it “boot fitting”!
Hope you figure it out and get some relief!
JoyA // Mar 20th 2013 at 2:48 pm
Hey Georgie, pleased to head you are in an aircast. I started on 4 wedges as I felt more comfortable and confident on 4 rather than 3.
I put some thin cotton wool on the bottom of my aircast. I had pain in my heel and sole of my foot where the cast rubbed. I took ibuprofen and this helped with the pain.
With a thin layer of cotton wool it feels snugger and comfier. I think this is what Norm means by ‘boot fitting’
georgiemac // Mar 20th 2013 at 3:02 pm
I think it is just the firmness of the wedges and boot when I’ve only had a front cast on for weeks! Cotton wool is a great idea, maybe an in-sole would work too.
I want to be fit enough to head to the snow this year, but so not keen to get back into a ski boot. Perhaps the aircast is good practice!
JoyA // Mar 20th 2013 at 3:15 pm
I use something like this: http://amzn.to/160Qa2P so its thin enough not to add any additional height but still offers some protection. (its also good if your boot gets sweaty!)
Xplora // Mar 20th 2013 at 4:49 pm
Georgie - the good snow usually comes in August so I think you may be right for that. Regular panadol is the best pain relief and is not addictive. I was advised to stay away from anti inflams at this stage of healing.
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