Since my major foot surgery, I have been trying a variety of devices to get around without putting my right foot on the ground. Let me tell you that it has been frustrating and humbling. I now have so much sympathy for anyone who has to be in a wheelchair all the time. At least, this is temporary for me.
Like many of you, I could not use crutches because of the arthritis in my hands and shoulders and my terrible balance. My ortho surgeon recommended a Roll A Bout and I found a used one on eBay. Health insurance would pay for crutches, but not this. I think that I am going to like it, but it will take some practice to use it well. First time I tried it, I fell sideways and my hubby caught me.
I also have used a rolling walker with brakes, which isn't bad, but puts a lot of pressure on my hands. It is stable and good for short walks. Much of the time, I have been in a wheelchair, but don't want my leg muscles to atrophy. I will slowly use ther Roll A Bout more and more and see what happens. It has a couple of drawbacks- it is hard to learn to turn it, and you cannot use it on stairs.
I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR 2 WEEKS AND CANNOT DRIVE NOW. If I go crazy, anyone else want to come.? I needs hugs and good clean jokes, or books. Friends were good about visiting the first week, but they are really busy. Help!
Lynne I still have had my bad foot elevated and iced for a large part of the day since it is still swelling. Best of luck to you isn't it amazing what insurance decides to pay for they will buy something you can't use but won't buy something you can. They should be smart enough to understand people in our situation cannot use crutches. If i hear of any good jokes i will be happy to pass them on. Good luck with pain and swelling. Hope you have a nice evening
Best wishes to you for a speedy recovery. It looks like a half sized rolling walker with brake. My surgery was that the ortho doc worked on everything but my heel. I had arthrodesis on the midfoot and have screws there. I have pins in the 3 middle toes. You can see where he put them in as I have little dots on the top of my toes. He also worked on ligaments in my middle toes. He removed a joint in my little toe, as he said that could not be repaired. There is a 1/2" space on x-ray there, which the doc said would fill in. He did bunion surgery on the big toe. In addition, he took pressure off of my nerves at my inside ankle and outside knee. I had diabetic neuropathy and this nerve release delays or prevents ulcers and potential amputation. (When he mentioned amputation in the pre-op visit, that made me feel nauseated and got me totally on board for that part of the surgery.) Janie, I will look at the air boot and could do that for my next surgery. However, I will have to pay for it myself, since in the US, that is how it works. Insurance will only pay for certain things. My foot swelling seems to be getting enough less so that I think I can be up around the house in my wheel chair or walker today. I may even try to get out on the porch, as it is a gorgeous day. Thanks to you all for your responses- it means a lot, Lynne (Zoe and Joy are my cocker spaniel puppies) In April, Maya
Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday.
I hope you are up and running around in no time!!! Love and hugs As long as I behave, the pain is not much more than my usual pain. If I am up too much, the foot swells and then it really throbs. I have a hard fiberglass cast on that ends 5" below my knee. One of my incisions is above the cast. My toes are sticking out beyond the cast and if anything hits them, like a puppy, or a wall, it is very painful. I have 4 more weeks non weight bearing on the foot, then will have a walking cast or boot for another month or so. After this is healed, I will go through it again on the other foot. That will be before the end of the year, because of health insurance. Something you Canadians don't have to think about. I was extremely weak for the first week. That was something that I didn't expect. I napped a lot. I am slowly gaining strength and doing more every day, but not rushing the recovery. I have fallen and almost fallen a few times, so I wait until my hubby is home from work to try my Roll A Bout. Lynne HI Lynn I was just browsing the boards as I am an RA-enbrel newuser and I have learned this week That I am to have ankle surgery on right ankle in about three months time. Here in the UK we have waiting lists but all surgery is free and medication is free for over 60's I am 61 on Monday!!! I had a complete knee replacement last November and the pain was unbearable for about a month and then it subsided quite quickly. The ankle surgery is to be done in two sessions first a fusion of the lower sideways moving joint and then six weeks later a complete replacement of upper joint. I will be incapicitated for about 16 weeks in total!!. I don't mind not being able to walk but not being able to drive will make me stir carzy so yes I will come with you!! Love the jokes and sayings from Micheleb especially the one about people not forgetting how you made them feel. How true is that.... Love and hugs and hang in there the pain willl go and you will forget it soon. Best to all Marcia HI FOLKS My previous message is meant for ZOEJOY as well not to up to date with how to use these boards yet!!
Best Regards to all Marcia Marcia, We can be sympathy pals while you are recovering. That sounds like a terribly long time to not drive. Ugh! I intend to drive if I can when I get the left foot done, since I only need my right one to drive. I have thought about trying to drive left footed. Trouble is, I cannot get in the car myself and my hubby won't be my partner in crime. MY HUSBAND AND YOUNGEST SON GOT ME THIS LAPTOP AND IT HAS KEPT ME SANE. I can lie in bed and type. You probably could pull up to your computer in a wheelchair, but it would be hard to elevate and ice. Aimee- Egads! I just thought that I had a bionic foot!! My surgeon is an orthopedic surgeon tied to a university teaching hospital. He does lots of research and is young (to me) and up with all the newest methods. I have orthotics, too. I got them in the spring and they helped a little, but even walking around the grocery store was still so painful that I did it as little as possible. I checked to see if Blue Cross (St Louis) would pay for the Roll A Bout and all they would spring for was the crutch rental. I am thinking about getting a note from my doctor to send to them, but I bought it used on eBay and that might be a problem.
Hammerstein- Yeah, I have other Canadian friends who tell me that they some times come south to get surgery because the wait is so long. In my case, I saw the surgeon in July and he ordered a bunch of tests, then returned in August. At the second visit, he scheduled me for the next week. That has been my enperience with all 8 of the ortho surgeries that I have had with 3 different doctors. Once they decide that you really need the surgery, it is done in a week or 2 at the most. One time, I got the surgery 2 days later. I am going to start another thread about taking a shower on one leg. I will look at Aimee's link, too. Hugs and thank you to all of you , Lynne- Zoe and Joy are my beautiful black cocker spaniel puppies, it is not my name.
this website is where I am getting mine from as I borrowed one from the hospital last time, but they are not lending them out anymore. Best of luck, this is the best price I could find, check out the other types as there are different sorts for post surgical etc, hugs Janie.
I received this in an email from a friend and thought it was very nice.
Oprah asked her what she
thought of growing older.
And,
there on television, she said it was "exciting." Regarding body changes, she
said there were many, occurring every day, like her breasts.
They seem to be in a race to
see which will reach her waist, first.
The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a
simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words!
Maya Angelou said
this:
"I've learned that no
matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be
better tomorrow."
"I've
learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these
three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."
"I've learned that regardless
of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from
your life"
"I've learned that
making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a
life'."
"I've learned that
life sometimes gives you a second chance."
"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a
catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things
back."
"I've learned that
whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right
decision."
"I've learned that
even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."
"I've
learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.
People love a warm hug, or just
a friendly pat on the back."
"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
"I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel."
Zoe thanks for the link.
Wow your surgery sounds quite involved. Are you in a cast and how long is your recuperation time going to be? I hope that you're not in too much pain.
sure do know what a roll a bout is.....i have had subtaalor fusions, both feet, and triple arthodesis, so i haven't had the toe work as you....but did have minor foot surgeries as well, prior to fusions..
My insurance paid for rental of rollabout,, and rental of wheelchairs...
i came down the steps on my butt, the first few weeks, after a couple days, i didn't want to sleep on the couch....carried my toiletries, or clothes for the day in a bag...
I couldn't manage the roll a bout, in the powder room off the kitchen...but the wheelchair is what saved me, the big one, with the leg attachments to elevate...
i had my achiiles tendon lengthened, graft from pelvic, into triple arthodesis, and heal moved...they were done in 2000, started the milennium right, i thought......the left is holding up, very succesfull, but i have some broken screws in the right, but am managing painwise, with the collapsed foot, because of fantastic orthotics, i have an old pair waiting by the shower, in some clogs, so i am doing ok, as long as i have orthotics.........i have the arizona boot, it's too hot to wear..
reason my right triple fusion failed, is because it needs to rebuilt with an arch, wedgem and artificial ankle....but, like i said, i manage ok, with some heavy duty orthotics on that right side....
I have seen people posting on yahoo ankle fusion mesage board, if you want i can copy the link for you..tons of people posting on fusions...
there are posters who have said it would be better to have foot amputated, than some failed fusions!! they are having better success rates these days now with these surgeries, than the past...the teaching hospitals, all have asst professors, ankle ortho guys, and probably all know each other, and travel the world, learning new techniques about ankle surgeries from their colleaques
all i can say, is elevate, elevate, elevate..
i think i also, knelt on kitchen chair with bad leg, and hurried to wash my hair in kitchen sink, we have to be real creative with ankle/foot surgeries, non weight bearing
good luck!.they really discuss the roll about on yahoo ankle fusion board a lot! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anklefusion/
here is the link, for ankle fusion discussion, you ahve to join, and they will send you an email after a couple days, with daily emails about discussions.....
plenty of talk their about roll a bouts, casts, doctors, etcZoe glad to hear that the pain isn't too bad. That sucks that you have to have the other one done so soon
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