Aggressive!
So…went to the doc for the first time today, 10 days post-op. I have to say that after 10 days spent essentially on my backside indoors, getting outside and driving to the doctor’s office was a treat in and of itself. Fresh air does wonders for the spirits…wish I had crutched outside earlier than now.
Getting into the Dr’s office was a challenge, as I have only used my crutches around the house, niether visitng the basement, nor upstairs this whole time. Once in, the nurse cut off my splint, exposing the wound for the first time. Frankly, it looks NASTY (doc did a jagged cut on purpose instead of straight). Before the doc came in, I was able to indulge my urge to itch my leg everywhere down there, and it was heavenly.
The doc came in, looked at the wound and was very (in a smug way) pleased. He said he usually doesn’t take out stiches quite this early, but the wound looked so good (totally closed, no drainage, etc…) that he went ahead and yanked them out, replacing them with steri-strips. I was fearful that this would hurt, but it really didn’t - just a teenie bit of pinching sensation. I was more worried about my exposed foot getting hit somehow.
Once the stitches were out, it was time to discuss what to do going forward. He told me I could move my foot down as far as I could, and bring it slightly up - a kind of stretching exercise. No resistance. I was also told to press the top of my foot against my boot to tense the calf muscle - in an attempt to keep it from atrophying more. I said boot…he put my foot back into the boot that I had between rupture and surgery! And then he said something I didn’t expect. He said he didn’t care if I walked out of the office carrying my crutches! Now, of course, I didn’t…but the point was that he wanted me to be full weight bearing as tolerated. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I think that flustered me enough that I didn’t really ask all of the questions that I wanted to.
So to summarize, I have to wear the boot at almost all times (even during sleep), but can take it off to shower (no submerging for another week, not that I have taken a bath in 30 years anyhow) and work the foot a bit. And I can be FWB whenever I can take it (certainly not yet, but it is at least nice to know it won’t blow up if I use it to balance myself). The only thing I didn’t quite like is that I don’t see him for another 3 weeks now. So I guess it is on me now to make progress. Interested in everyone’s thoughts….
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Hi Pete,
Your earlier mention of not getting pain relief from oxycodone raises the possibility that you have something called CYP2D6 deficiency, which means your body handles certain drugs differently. You might want to ask your primary care doctor about it. It could have important effects down the road, (not bad ones, just changes that might be made in drug choices or doses).
Your mention of itching under the cast reminds me of a great movie to watch while recovering. In Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” Jimmy Stewart manages to keep his life very interesting with a leg in a cast. We would all, (well, us guys, anyway) recover better with Grace Kelly for company, too.
Best wishes,
Doug
I don’t know if I got NO relief from it, but it sure didn’t seem to address the pain directly…it more just spaced me out I think. My guess is that I didn’t take enough for my size. I felt like the Advil, perhaps because of comibining it with the Oxy, more directly addressed the pain in those first 36-48 hours.