Complications! | Arthritis Information

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HI Guys, just thought I would update you on the fractured foot.

 I have been in plaster now for 3 weeks, (fractured foot on Easter Sat walking too much, apparently due to overuse of steroids as per the orthopaedic surgeon.)  Anyway, yesterday I took myself down to the ER as my foot was really painful when putting weight on it, (the ortho told me the plaster I had on was a walking plaster, so I should walk on it,) however my walking has only been around home, very minimal as I couldn't work out how it would get better if I walked on it!

I spent 3 and a half hours waiting at the hospital, my GP was away or I would have gone to her.  Anyhow the Dr had the plaster removed to look at my foot which was quite sore and swollen.  The Dr said he thought the fracture wasn't healing and this was probably due to the pred as well, and that I have to go back to Ortho clinic next week.  He feels I will have to have surgery and have a screw put in?  I hope not, any ideas guys, will it heal if I take the weight completely off of it as I have been told to do now.  It has a back slab on it and they gave me crutches which are impossible, so I am using my walker and putting weight on my heel only, I can't manage to take weight fully off of it.  Thanks Janie.

Take care

Lisa

Ohhh Janie ((((hugs)))).  I'm so sorry that you are having complications with that foot.  Crutches can be so hard for us to manage.  I spent a few months on them and barely managed them and hated them.  Did you get your scooter yet?  Can you manuever it around the house? 

Lisa has some great suggestions.  I would imagine that putting as little weight as possible on it would help heal it faster.  I know that you would not want a pin put in there, but I am wondering if that would make everything a little more stable for the future. 

Are you a candidate at all for joint replacement in your feet?  Or because of the past pred usage they won't do it?  There just has to be something more they can do to help you out with your feet. 

Hi Gramma and lisa, thanks for your replies, I really do appreciate your time and effort.  Lisa, I have been doing just gentle walking mainly on the heel for the past 5 weeks since I hurt it, but then my hips and back started to hurt from not walking properly, so I would put the whole foot down with pain (using a cane too).  Anyway now they are saying absolutely no weight bearing, which I find impossible as I said before. 

Gramma, thanks for the hugs, they sure do help!  I did get my scooter and that has really cheered me up, but it is too big to manouver around the house, I really laughed today as my hubby said I would end up like Austin Powers in that movie where he is stuck in a hallway doing three point turns, ha ha.  So at present, I am using the crutches sometimes and the walker others but cannot take the weight off completely.  I had an air boot the last time to assist healing, do you know if they would be considered as total non weight bearing as you pump them up around your leg and its almost like walking on air.  Money of course is the problem as they are near to 0. but if I knew that it would help, I would find the money.  I won't know if I am a candidate for joint replacement until I see the ortho (next week they promised me an appt).  Thanks again guys, keep well, love Janie.
 

Jane;

Remind me again how much predisone you've been on and for how long.

I'm real sorry to hear things aren't further along than they are. I'd hoped by now you were well on your way to recovery.

 

Lovie39225.4368634259Oh sweetie, big hugs.  I had a nasty ankle sprain which turned into reflex sympathetic dystrophy and was in a cast for 6 weeks and crutches for 3 months.  Luckily, it was before the ra hit bad and my hands were ok so I could manage the crutches ok.

At work, I would sit in my cheap office chair, which is on wheels and roll myself all over!!

I have no real advice I guess but wanted to offer support.
I can't manage crutches either and even a regular wheelchair won't fit into my bathroom. So I took to scooting around the house on computer chair! It worked out great because of the height adjustment Thanks guys, he computer chair is a fantastic idea, well done, that is exactly what I shall do!!!!  Lovie, I have been on 10mg of pred for quite a while now, but this has varied from 50mg to 10mg for 7 years, I can never get lower than 10mg.  Love Janie
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