My Bionic Ankle

Originally, the doctor told me that I could start to put weight on my foot as my comfort level allowed, and, in the last week, I washed some dishes, made a casserole, and fed the dog with two feet on the floor.  At my post-op appointment he told me that I could start walking in about three weeks.  As that time approaches, I started to worry about complications from the boot.  My dear friend Val is still suffering from plantar fasciitis and bone spurs from being in the boot for three months.  Another neighbor told me she had hip problems stemming from the unbalance of walking in a boot.  I decided to send a message to my doctor's office with two questions: Should I be worried that my big toe is still numb? and What can I do to prevent some of the negative effects of walking in the boot?  I received a curt answer.  1. No.  2. You can get a shoe that is the same height of the boot. Although many of my friends are leaving Facebook or limiting th...

At 9:45 Saturday morning my last caretaker left, leaving me alone again. Despite some concern from some friends and family, I was looking forward to having my place to myself. My friend Susan wasn't really a caretaker; she was great company, helped me get things, did laundry, and was here if I needed her.  One of the challenges of being on the scooter is thinking of everything I need to do before I sit down; inevitably, once I sat down I needed to ask for something -- glass of water, a scissor, a pen, a fork.  Like any good guest, Susan stripped the bed, loaded the washing machine, and there the bedding sits two days later. Susan and Zora became fast friends! Although my friends and neighbors continue to encourage me to ask for help, it is awkward to have them come over to pick up my mess or do my laundry.  Last night some friends came over to pick up my porch rug that I am not using anymore, and they sincerely asked if they could do anything for me.  Bob ...

It took a lot of planning for my first trip out of the community (with the exception of my post-op appointment).  As I begin recovery week number four, I feel good.  That actually makes me a little frustrated because I still cannot put any weight on the ankle.  Following my doctor's recommendation, I am trying to stand for short periods without too much weight bearing (I actually washed some dishes this way), but I still need to rely on the scooter.  Although it is not very heavy, it is cumbersome and bulky enough to make it difficult to handle.  My friend Susan, who is currently staying with me, has a bad back, and that certainly makes it difficult, if not impossible for her to handle by herself.  So the first step was making sure we had someone to help us with the scooter. Ironically, our person of choice was my dear friend and neighbor, Val, who at 78 suffers from foot problems and scoliosis.  It's like the blind leading the blind!  But we we...

I need more help than I ever imagined.  Today is day 17 since my surgery, and I am still very dependent upon other people, not only for the things we think about, but for all the times where I find myself in a position I cannot handle by myself.   I had a plan.  My friend Debra Wiley, who came to be with me for the surgery, would stay for the first 3 days, followed by my daughter Rachel for another 3 and then my son for a total of 9 days.  A friend who had an ankle surgery about two years ago told me I should need someone for about a week.  I think that people with a partner don't realize how much their spouse or roommate actually does for them!  I couldn't get my coffee from the Keurig to my chair and lots more!  As I said in earlier posts, the puppy certainly complicates things.   My plan also included my community's Pay It Forward Club.  They created a meal train for dinners, usually offering leftovers for lunch the followin...

I think I am going to bedazzle my boot! (found on "Blinged Out Boot Ideas" on Pinterest) Today was a great day!  I went for my post-op appointment, and they gave ne the boot: off came the cast, bandages for the two incisions, and a boot for day and a boot for night. It took both my aide, Jennifer, and my good friend Judy to get me to the doctor's office where they took me into the cast room.  I finally learned what the band-aid was covering: in order to keep the ankle replacement straight, they insert something to align the implant before closing up the wound.  The band-aid covered a single stitch which was unceremoniously removed. With the oscillating cast saw in hand, the tech cut down both sides and under the foot in order to remove the cast.  Judy was curious how the saw cuts the fiberglass without cutting through the fiberglass, let along the skin.   Since the sawblade only vibrates, and does not spin, skin can withstand contact without bei...

One of the primary reasons I started this blog was that I couldn't find much information on what to expect during and after a full ankle replacement.  My doctor's favorite answer to most questions was "We will see.  Everyone is different."  I understand that individuals recover at varied rates, but I still could have benefited from some additional information.  I hope that some people who are contemplating an ankle replacement or will be the caregiver to someone with such a procedure might find my experience helpful in preparing for their own. I came home with a small bandage right below my knee.  At first I had so many bandages and catheters I wasn't even aware of it.  As I became more mobile on the scooter, it started to bother me.  There is metal under the bandage, and when I put my calf on the scooter, the metal under the bandage caused discomfort.  I sent an email to my doctor's office to see if I could remove the bandage, and I...

I spent the entire day on this one week anniversary of my surgery trying to navigate the frustrating system of home health care and long-term care insurance.  I didn't plan on hiring an aide nor using my long-term care insurance, but it has become evident that I cannot yet take care of myself.  I cannot get into the shower.  I cannot get my meals from the kitchen to the recliner, the only place I can sit.  I still have a little trouble getting up out of the chair and on to the scooter.  I cannot get myself down the ramp from the living room to the porch.  Most of all, my good friends are afraid of my being alone, especially if I fall. My sister Renee is coming Thursday night, and my friend Susan arrives right after she leaves, so I am looking for four days of home care. My first call was to Genworth, my long-term care insurance.  I discovered that in order to qualify for coverage I needed to prove that my recovery will be longer than three months. ...

I was flying high for four days.  With almost a full day painless followed by four days of minor discomfort, we removed the catheters that administered the nerve block. My dear friends and retired nurses, Brenda and Connie, removed one of the nerve blocks Tuesday night.  Since the other still had some medication in the pouch, they returned Wednesday morning to remove it.  I was anxious about the anesthesiologists' warnings that the pain might be excruciating, but relieved when the pain seemed to be tolerable.  In fact, I decided to cut back on the Oxycodene because I know from someone very close to me how easy it is to become addicted.  That turned out to be a very bad idea. The pain is not quite excruciating, and most of the time it is almost tolerable.  Then there might be a twinge, a searing sting, and, every once in awhile something that feels like torture.  Consider two incisions, and a lot of metal and plastic, I shouldn't be surprised by the b...

One of my biggest concerns about the recovery period is taking care of Zora.  I have heard repeatedly that dogs sense when their owner is not well and become adjusted to the new circumstances, usually becoming a comfort to their person.  This has certainly been true of Zora, but, on the other hand, her scheduled is disrupted, and sometimes her confusion is reflected in some odd behavior. Zora and I have a routine.  We wake up around 7:15, followed by some time in bed to cuddle, but mostly me petting her and giving her belly rubs.  After a quick bathroom stop for me, she goes out in the back followed by a game of tug and fetch.  When she tires of play, usually within 10 or 15 minutes, I give her breakfast. I have tried to keep this routine as best I can, but I cannot take her out.  I can now maneuver the scooter enough to open the door to the porch, but I cannot get to the porch to open the door to the fenced-in backyard.  When she wakes in the m...

I knew I needed someone to be with me for the first week, but now I am wondering how I am going to get along once the week ends.  There are so many simple, everyday tasks that have become difficult, if not impossible.  At first people were surprised that I was posting on Facebook, answering emails, and writing a blog.  For the first 24 hours I was pain free!  The nerve block that was administered before the surgery was still fulfilling its objective. This picture, taken the afternoon of the surgery, shows how well the nerve block works! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I came home with two additional nerve blocks that are administered automatically through a catheter in my leg.  These two are also doing their job.  Except for a certain position when I extend my leg, I still feel almost no pain.  Day one through three were all about being comfortable and not moving.  Day four is starting to be about pain.  The nerve block balls ar...

This blog has focused on the ankle replacement, but I actually had two separate procedures.  Dr. Nunley explained that the ankle replacement would not alleviate all of the arthritic pain: I also needed a simultaneous subtalar arthrodesis.  Since I didn't know what either subtalar nor arthrodesis meant, I was satisfied with his brief explanation that by fusing some of the joints in the back of the foot, I would have less pain.  That was good enough for me. Now that I am home and recovering, I started to wonder a little more about this second surgery.  First of all, it is another incision.  Arthrodesis is the surgical immobilization of a joint by fusing adjacent bones.  In this case, the subtalar joint is fused just below the ankle joint between the talus and the heel (or calcaneus) bone. Dr. Nunley assured me that the fusion would not affect the movement of my ankle; with both the ankle replacement and the fusion I would maintain full and na...

With my dear friend, Debra Wiley, we arrived at Duke University Hospital at 5:15 for check in for surgery, which was scheduled for 7:30 am.   It was quite a walk from the parking garage to the third floor of the hospital, but I made it slowly, but surely.  After checking in, we were instructed to wait in the lounge until being called. They started calling names at around 5:30; this would be for the initial intake.  They asked Deb to wait outside; once I was in surgical prep should could join me. The intake nurse weighed me, took my height, and checked all of my vital signs.  I passed the first step.  The next encounter was with the intake for anesthesia.  She asked a lot of questions about my health and a few about my family's.  Have I ever had an adverse reaction to anesthesia?  heart problems?  She measured my neck, and after about 10 minutes she said I was good to go. The next step was surgical prep, with room after room of hospital be...