Recent content by AussieRodney

  1. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    @ Jaycey, you are a godsend! I have an appointment coming up soon. And thank you for your dedicated service to the cause. On that note, today's potentially useful information. Julie is a veteran of 10 years in Army & then AirForce. We were chatting to a veteran one day and she gave him the...
  2. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    While the ability to walk is exiting, the situation now centers around the zingers. Looking back, I have described them already. My description these days is, "It like 3,000 volts sitting inside your foot with a pain generator, with nowhere to go. When it gets too much, it then releases a burst...
  3. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    Point of order: I found it myself and then showed them. Further progress. It's a combination of: - The Orthotic keeping the left foot straight. - Me doing lots of walking, mostly at work (when I can get some work). - Using one of those EMS foot massagers to stimulate the nerves. The result is...
  4. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    And yet more progress and pictures. The AFO (Ankle Foot Orthosis) arrived on time and was immediately adjusted and worn with pride and shown to anyone who would listen. But first, I had to rig the cables. There are 2 sets of thread (quite a bit stronger than ordinary) which start from the top...
  5. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    Hi, everyone. I wish to report a series of breakthroughs. 1. I stumbled across a company called Flint Rehab, who specialize in "neurological recovery". Their main push is for Strokes, but since Foot Drop is in that same general area, they have lots of valuable data for me. The first step was to...
  6. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    Not sure about mentioning product names in here, but here goes anyway (because I think it's useful). These are bamboo socks from Cariloha that I have had for several years. With all the trauma over the foot drop, I hadn't thought of wearing them, and was pleasantly surprised when I did. They...
  7. AussieRodney

    Fractured Neck of Femur/Pinning Triathlete with Broken Hip Needs Advice!

    I was also going to suggest walking in deep water. You might also consider "doing nothing" for some of the time. By that, I mean rest with the hip elevated if possible (even just a little) and icing the area, enough to cool the area.
  8. AussieRodney

    Knee Scars - Post Your Badges of Honor Here! NO CHIT-CHAT please

  9. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    Yep. Get me on a good day with my trusty cane and I can move rather well. I had a breakthrough! No, I'm still wearing the brace, but I am back to sessions with my wonderful PT lady, on the basis that she can cover the neuro aspects as well as the Physical Therapy. Side note - she was appalled...
  10. AussieRodney

    TKR When does the pain get better?

    For elevation, I found that the easiest way was to lie on the couch and put my legs, or at least the sore one, up onto the back of the couch. Or take a look at the setup at the top of this page and build yourself something similar using blankets and/or pillows. And if there is someone else in...
  11. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    Yes, the design hasn't changed over the years. BOTH legs, ouch!
  12. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    I have been continuously improving, as much as possible, the way that my foot and leg interact with the brace, because that brace can be pretty abrasive. I finally stumbled (yes, pun intended) across a significant improvement. When I recently showed it off to the person who did the final...
  13. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    Me again. Thank you all for the encouragement. My boss negotiated a spot for me at the Marysville store, with a "possible" for training for the TSA. Travel is OK for me, because I will be going against the traffic going into Seattle. Julie has a definite slot with TSA in Mill Creek, which is...
  14. AussieRodney

    TKR How long out of work realistically?

    Here's an optimistic timeline: Week 1: Stay in bed, rigged up so that both legs can be elevated and the knees iced. Have someone to help you get to the toilet. Get an extended chair that spans from floor to bathtub, so that you will (eventually) be able to transfer into and out of the tub. Week...
  15. AussieRodney

    Spine First TKR and now Spinal Fusion

    I have some good news! The pain in my lower back has come down to about a 2 out of 10. And I can walk without assistance (very slowly) for short distances (20 feet-ish), with the orthotic brace in place and much shorter distances without it (the length of our kitchen).
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