After 2 Weeks Weight-Bearing, 8 Weeks Post-Op

April 2018

Activity

I started walking without crutches or a cane just under two weeks after I started weight-bearing. I sometimes still used the cane first thing in the morning, and later in the day. I had pretty much resumed all of my usual inside activities: housework, walking up and down the stairs, showers (standing on one leg with my other knee supporting my surgical side), carrying things, etc. I had been scrubbing my floors before this; however, week eight was the first time I actually moved the chairs and such to the other room to clean the floor, and then back again.

Outside, I have been mostly walking on only flat surfaces to go shopping, and such. I walked to our pole barn one day, which is down a cement hill about 100+' from the house. In a few days, I am planning to walk outside farther than I have, so far. I will let you know how far I make it!

7 weeks post-op

7 weeks post-op

Pain and swelling

The photos above show the ankle swelling I experienced the first week I started walking. My ankle was extremely sore and tender. The swelling after walking for two weeks stayed about the same, although the ankle pain and tenderness had lessened. 

Five to Seven Weeks Post-Op [second foot] and 4th Checkup

March and April 2018

It has been almost a week already since my 6-week post-op checkup. I have not been enthusiastic about finishing this post since I started walking, because I had been feeling discouraged, and a bit depressed, which is not normal for me! After some in-depth praying and placing more trust in God, I feel like things are getting back to normal for me.

5 weeks post-op

Pain and swelling

The top of my right foot was quite painful during week five. I was exercising my foot more, and I was moving around on the crutches more, which probably aggravated things. The swelling remained minimal until after my 6-week checkup when my doctor said I could start to put weight on my foot. After I started walking, my foot swelled quite a bit on top and around the ankle. There is more information about the pain and swelling after I started walking under that heading near the end of this post.

X-ray at 6 week post-op checkup

Six week post-op checkup

I had more x-rays taken of my right foot, and the doctor said everything looked good. I asked if I could have a copy of my x-rays, and they gave me a disc with all of them. The red area on top of that foot in the photo below is where the two screws are located. When I asked about the incision bump on my left foot (inside circle), he said that is a suture that had not dissolved yet. He told me it would eventually go away.

6 weeks post-op