Calcaneus Surgery ORIF Success Stories?

Jeff Lower wrote:

Boy you lucked out there.  I often wonder how much nerve and tendon damage I have from the incision alone!!!! Grrrrr.

Hi Jeff that’s a huge incision. I have a rather large one on the Back of my calf however I have a cat can I guess fracture surgery and then six week postop the day they put me in a boot I feel lost my balance and we broke it therefore they had to do Achilles tendon lengthening surgery where they cut my calories a tendon so mine is very complicated.  I was wondering does anyone still have pain & swelling. I have an enormous amt of swelling pain as you can see in the pics. Car wreck happened 8-3-2018  Ty

Kandy Cummins wrote: Hi Jeff that’s a huge incision. I have a rather large one on the Back of my calf however I have a cat can I guess fracture surgery and then six week postop the day they put me in a boot I feel lost my balance and we broke it therefore they had to do Achilles tendon lengthening surgery where they cut my calories a tendon so mine is very complicated.  I was wondering does anyone still have pain that’s willing I have an enormous amt of swelling pain as you can see in the pics. Ty 

Kandy, I am 10 months post op and still have swelling and also a totally numb heel. It's not great, but carry on. It's the only way!

Another day in paradise....hope everyone is doing better on their recovery ( including Jeff since his having his hardware removed)
Hey Steve ,unlike you i feel my heel big time specialy the long screws and still gettind the shocks thru it......

Two more weeks looking to get outta this hard cast and go boot and start rehab.....hope to get to drive car and so on....

God bless you all,

Day by day type thing.

Getting the hardware out on mine was no thing compared to Doc cleaning up the tendon scars is what got me and 6 weeks of healing.  One more day and that is a week of back at the office though wearing socks and my croks.    You can tell even being at a desk sitting all day you get home and it is more sore than the previous but eventually that will stop.  Beat the initial surgery and the 7 screws and plate they put in me a few years ago.  

So you will get past your stuff just day by day.

Well I'm back in the laid up crew. My Hospital experience was horrific today there was some complications but nothing to do with the surgery on my foot. I don't feel like getting into it but I have a funny feeling my nerve blocker is going to wear off here soon and I'm going to be in for some trouble. I hope you guys are all doing well and Pete, thank you for thinking of me.

Wish me a speedy recovery,  be blessed boys and girls. 

Hey Jeff wb man,so u did have hardware removed now recovery road again,yeah nerve blocker is something else once gone..
when mine went away doc told me to up the dossage like taking Advil (600 mg) on top on the reg meds like every 4 hrs for like a day...
well hope u recover again faster then normal surgery.. .

God bless you all,

Jeff Lower wrote:

Removed your heel bone???

Is This some kind of joke account?

No joke. I fell Six weeks postop after my initial surgery where  they put the hardware in. At the 6 week mark I lost my balance and jump over onto my injured foot when I did it re-broke my Calcanous in several pieces.  therefore they had to remove the heel bone by doing Achilles lengthening surgery therefore they cut my Achilles’ tendon. If anyone case is familiar or similar with this I’ve had this happen to them please respond this happened on September 3, 2018 and I’m still having increased amount of swelling and pain. Ty 

Steve sleo@global.co.za wrote: Kandy, I am 10 months post op and still have swelling and also a totally numb heel. It's not great, but carry on. It's the only way!

Thank you Steve for responding.  this is been such a life changing an event for me emotionally,  mentally, Physically and spiritually. I was hoping by now the swelling would be gone however I still have an enormous amount of swelling especially if I stay on my foot over an hour at a time. I would love to post pics but I cannot get my pics to post.  if anyone has any advice please help. thank you

Jeff, sorry to hear about the hospital incident. At least now you have the hardware out. Keep the pain killers very handy!! Good luck bud and let us know the progress as and when.

Kandy, i'm assuming you are very unique in having your heel bone removed. I'm gonna ask my surgeon about this on the next visit in July. This must be an awful injury for you.Are you currenly putting weight on the injured foot?
Now here's something for you all to consider. I'm in Holland now visiting my wife's family. My cousin had a bad car accident a few years ago and since then she has been in pain. She takes a lot of medication and recently decided to take Cannabis oil (including THC) which has helped her to sleep at night. I got thinking and decided to buy a bottle of the stuff and have been rubbing it on my ankle (mixed with Arnica oil) 3 times per day. I have to say that i'm sure it has worked to reduce the swelling and also helped with the flexibility. Am I imagining it? Not sure, but it definitely feels better. Interestingly, the oil has not affected me as I thought I might get a bit high from the oil entering my blood stream.
Anyway, just something for you guys to consider. I guess smoking it would also help . . . . . . . .

Hope everyone is doing well on their recovery,
11  days more to remove hard cast ,leg gets itch now,,in hard cast for 4 weeks, wonder how much dead skin will be on it and best way tho fix it ,,,
also when they give u the boot is it more better than the hard cast right?

God bless you all,

Pete, the only advice I can say, except list to Doc, is to NOT use anything to remove scab.  It will do so on it's own.  As far as dead skin and mine was very dry even with a hot cloth, is the PA used a soft cleanser and did not touch the scar.  Got it clean, no pain ASAP, but for a few days way very tender.  

When my wife & I left we felt bad so much dead skin this guy had to do it...........but again...........my 1st surgery Doc went wild that we used anything on it.

Personal call; I would use or have someone do my toes/under foot and stay away from cuts to clean and NO creams thing.  Doc's team did give me a scar ointment to use but both our thought and Doc (he goes by us say to say).......it is a foot.  Who cares about a scar or ugly cut on a foot.

Another FYI and being a guy LOL.............what works is no scent powder.  The back of knees, bottom of foot or wherever does feel nice and the best is you feel better............

Thanks Bryan for the quick response,yeah I'll fallow u advise,will ask doc to of course....also I get to move /curl  my toes allot more  now about 95% like before..how ever I feel the dead skin building up inside cast  ...and still feel the heel shock some times and the spots where the long screws are.
Btw how is Texas , maybe next year I'll visit tx, az,nv.
That's all for now.

God bless you all,

Well I am 6 days post-surgery. I've stayed medicated but tomorrow will no longer have pain pills. Hopefully I don't mind too much. On the bright side all of this is out..... I'm too apprehensive to move my ankle around too much due the incision but I will follow up with before and after regarding my consensus on Hardware..

Hey Jeff  wb man, where u been for a week heh,,,,wow those are the real hardware and screws? wow..
Hope u pain going down,im about 1 week away  more into hard cast then boot hopefully..

God bless you all,

Great going Jeff! I hope the pain subsides by tomorrow. It's such a big mind thing to get off the pain meds. I'm envious, but don't have the guts to have my hardware removed. Unlike you, my hardware isn't bothering me. The bottom part of my leg is tight, but walking is OK.
I played 18 holes of golf yesterday and walked the whole way. Even shot 3 under my handicap!! It'll never be the same, but  I'm pleased with the progress after 10 month. Positive thoughts and small victories....... 
Are those all screws?