Ankle Dingo dad in recovery from TAR

[Lindylee]

I’m glad things are progressing even though it’s slow. Good advice from your friend re PT. I’m 3 months on from fusion and the PT I saw reckoned another 4/5 months rehab from here and the surgeon said it would be another 8 weeks before I felt the benefit. Keep going and any progression even slow is a bonus, you’ve been through a lot.

 

[Iski]

@dingo dad . Sorry your journey has been so challenging. I can just imaging adding the other procedures you went through to a TAR. Not fun. I'm 6.5 months into my TAR. Have the nerve tingling issues, tight ligaments/tendons and pain off and on. Way better than when I started but it's going to be a long road.

Regarding PT, that's an adventure too. I keep getting different information and it doesn't help that I winter hours away from my original PT who had experience working TARs. I'm not doing too much - some band work for ankle and a lot of balance work other than tons of hips/leg/core work to keep the rest of me going.

Hang in there - good luck!

 

[dingo dad]

@Iski @Lindylee @hackberry I had forgotten how helpful it is to hear about yalls activities and recovery. Kind of like having a friend along on a looong road trip. Nope, I can't imagine being able to ski or a 3 mile hike (quail season). I'm glad yall are getting out and having fun. I am looking forward to the times when we don't have to talk or think so much about our ankle... haha. But I get it too, that's why we did our surgeries in the first place, so we COULD do stuff and enjoy ourselves. I can get around work without elevating or icing, occasionally all day. But it hurts like heck afterwards. I think I may have a slight case of CRPS (don't research that... it's scary) so that adds to the recovery/discomfort. I'm still have to use a strong compression sock and a cane to get around. Occasionally get to take my dog on a hike through the fields, afterwards I'm done for the next day. That's just where I'm at for now. No PT or drs for about a month or so. I go back to a new doc soon. will update then. Yall take care... jery

 

[dingo dad]

update?? Saw my 2nd opinion doc in March. Both he and the attending nurse said that I do have CRPS along with nueropathy. I am currently 9 months post TAR. Stopped gabapentin 1.5 months ago. it was so helpful 1 month in from surgery, that nerve pain was excruciating until January or so. But it made me quite feel quite disassociate. memory fuzz, just felt "not bright" at all. The mental/psychological effect of my recovery has kicked my butt. hard!! This is, as many have said, can be a crucial part of recovery. Especially when having a very difficult recovery. I cannot stress that enough. I wasn't prepared for this. I'm not saying it's all behind me now, cuz I reckon I'm still another 6-months or a year out in where my fuction might be. Anyway, I'm working 8 hrs per day, dealing with general fatigue, but manging. I get around ok with a cane, that takes some of the load off my ankle and offers stability. Some feeling has returned to my toes and hopefully that improves my functioning. I stepped on my vacuum cord the other night and that was crazy painful. Even a speck of something on the floor will shoot big pain up through the bare foot. I wear a compression sock still every day. helps with swelling. it's difficult to figure where my recovery would be if I didn't have the nerve problems. I can walk a good bit 1mile or so, with the right shoes. The wrong shoes make my toes scream. I am able to do chores, lit heavy stuff and manage physical "straight-line" things. Motivation to push through the pain and do things that are good for me is improving. Coping with my recovery is like coping with a disability... just doesn't get easier quickly. So... if I am doing anything "better" it is trying to chill out the expectations and being kinder to self.
jery

 

[Iski]

@dingo dad Awful to have those complications. Hard enough to go through a TAR, but the neuropathy and CRPS ain't fair! Did he recommend any revision surgery or other strategies to help ease pain and improve the situation?

 

[dingo dad]

@Iski How are you? I am seeing a Podiatrist tomorrow. I hope this dr can provide knowledge and care for my condition. I "think" I'm dealing with more CRPS issues than general joint replacement. But, I just don't know. My hope is that a different type of Dr will be more helpful than my ortho surgeons. the last advice I got from them was more "wait and see". The joint replacement recovery may be just fine. The main difficulty I'm dealing with now may not be in their skill set. I should have done different sooner.

 

[Iski]

@dingo dad Hey, all's good here. Slow, steady improvement. One PT exercise that makes me hurt, so I back off of that, duh! Learn anything from the Podiatrist? I'd seen mine for I think 12 years prior to TAR for orthotics, injections, and general ankle management. He recommended microfracture surgery prior to TAR which didn't thrill me. Also, he said he wouldn't redo my orthotics until 1 year mark because of swelling and allowing enough time to get to a new normal. He had an interesting explanation for ongoing pains: TAR fixed the gate, but the brambles around the gate are still an issue. That's been my experience.......

 

[Iski]

@dingo dad Hey, how're you doing? Been a while since we've heard from you. I'm hoping you're improving (I was going to say "steady improvement", but I don't think TARs lead to steady very often!!)