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jaz

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Hi all, today I am five weeks post op and this is my second week back at work (working about 3/4 of a day). The problem I'm having is that my ankles have really swollen up. They come down a bit overnight but puff up again during the day. Is anyone else experiencing this?

This began last Friday when I had to take my son to the hospital and didn't get home until 8pm. I was incredibly sore and swollen (ankles and incision) from sitting on hard chairs but five days on I still haven't been able to get the swelling down.
 
I was told by my PT that sitting too long can actually cause swelling in the operation area. If you have swelling in your ankles, maybe you should wear the TED stockings as a precaution temporarily. I hate them but I know they are important to prevent blood clots.
 
Jaz, I hope your son is all right.

I had a swollen ankle on my operated leg starting a few days after surgery. My OS's office & my PT both said to elevate my ankles, & apply ice. However, I'm not a parent, & I had time to do that without taking care of anyone but myself.

Maybe Jo will have a suggestion for you, too. I'm guessing her response will also include something along the lines of, "What on earth were doing doing back at work so soon after major surgery?!" Just a hunch! ;)

Joyce
 
Nah! Given up on that one, Joyce! People will do what they want to do.

But this question of swollen ankles is a toughy. My only suggestion is elevation and I mean for at least an hour or two. Legs right up in the air!

Admittedly I haven't had surgery but I do get swollen feet, specially when I sit at this computer too long. It also runs in the family. Horrid! When if gets too bad, my counter attack is to stack cushions up one end of the settee and onto the wall and lay on my back with my legs up the wall! It actually turns out to be around a 45 degree angle but more if I can get it. Then I lay there until I nod off for a bit. It's wonderfully therapeutic as well!
 
Jaz,
I had terrible swelling my leg and ankle a week after my surgery. I had to keep it elevated as much as possible. If you are sitting longer than 20 minutes at a time the blood is pooling in your ankles. Try putting something under your feet at your desk (an empty paper box turned upside down works for me). It may not get your feet above your heart where they should be when swollen but it will help. You also want to make sure there are no blood clots which can cause your ankle to swell.

At just 3.5 weeks out there is still a lot of fluid under your incision site and that fluid has to go somewhere. Please try elevation.

Good luck, and if all else fails, have your doctor take you back out of work for a few weeks so you can take it easy.

Debra
 
OOPs sorry, you are 5 weeks out. Still maybe you should wait a few more weeks before going back to sitting all day, even if you do get up often. My OS was adamant about not returning to work until 8-12 weeks, even if (and especially if) you have a desk job. Good luck.

Debra
 
Thanks for the advise and suggestions. I tried putting my feet up this afternoon but each burst lasted about ten minutes (difficult with two children). I have a foot rest at work so will use that and be make sure I walk around the office every hour. I was going to work full time from next week (5.5 weeks post op) but I think I'll keep going with the shortened hours so I can go home and attempt to put my feet up.

The incision tends to swell after about five or six hours at work which is why I only work that many hours. The ankles haven't come right since my trip to hospital. I guess five hours sitting at a desk followed by five hours in a chair in the hospital is not good four weeks post op.

Joyce - my son is fine now thank you and it is probably just a bad flu virus he had. We have a very nasty fast-acting fatal strand of meningitis in NZ that starts out looking like a flu virus but can take your life in about 48 hours. Children have died in Doctors waiting rooms of it waiting to be seen, thats just how fast it acts. Our local doctor probably overeacted by sending us to hospital to have him monitored but better safe than sorry.
 
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