Ankle Total Ankle Replacement Journey

[Haboo]

Just joined and read your posts. Am seeing the Dr on Tuesday 07/09/2019 to start the process for a TAR. Found your posts informative and helpful. Thanks. Best wishes for a continued and speedy recovery.

 

[marieltha]

You sound like you are making great progress.

Do you wear something on it when sleeping?

Is a walking boot easy to remove?

 

[Larryr]

Hi KCDewie,
Thanks for posting your journey. I have followed your journey with great interest especially since I am having a TAR in SEP. My device is called the INFINITY developed at Wright Medical Group. Can you share the name of your device?
Nice to see the lack of great pain during your recovery. I will continue to follow your progress.
Thanks again, Larry

 

[Larryr]

Hi kc,
How are things going? I haven’t seen an update unless I missed it. I have enjoyed your posts/pictures and your progress. I am counting down the days until my surgery on September 19.

 

[Jamie]

@KCDewie ... great photo documentation of your recovering ankle. I'm so glad this has gone well for you. Best of luck going forward. We're getting quite a team of ankle replacement patients going here on BoneSmart!

 

[KCDewie]

Just joined and read your posts. Am seeing the Dr on Tuesday 07/09/2019 to start the process for a TAR. Found your posts informative and helpful. Thanks. Best wishes for a continued and speedy recovery.

Sorry for the delay. I was busy living my life. . Here is the ankle I have. https://www.exac.com/foot-and-ankle/vantage-total-ankle-system/

 

[KCDewie]

Thanks for sharing your recovery and the pictures.
What antibiotic did they prescribe as a precaution?
Good luck with your continued improvement!

Sorry I don't remember.

 

[KCDewie]

You sound like you are making great progress.

Do you wear something on it when sleeping?

Is a walking boot easy to remove?

I didn't wear anything when sleeping and the boot is easy to get in and out of. I probably wore it for a week off and on. Kept going between using a cane and using the boot.

 

[KCDewie]

Ok, so it's been a while since I posted. I have quite a bit to share. After the cast was removed I used the boot for maybe a week and a half. I went between the boot and just shoes, with a cane. But I was soon past needing either. At my first physical therapy session the PT said he had to call my Dr. I asked him why, and he said, "Something has to be wrong, I've never seen a replacement ankle this flexible!"

For PT we start with a TENS unit or something similar with heat for 10 minutes. Then they usually did the low level laser followed by Graston. That really helps break down the scaring. We joked that they were stainless steel torture tools.

I had a fair amount of what felt like pinching on the outside of the ankle around and beneath the ankle bone. So we did a lot of Graston on that area as well as on my calf.

For a couple weeks we tried riding a bike and doing some agility drills with a cloth ladder on the floor, but that seemed to set me back. So we started to concentrate more on the Graston. Then we introduced the wobble board. When I stepped off that I felt like I had a whole new ankle. By forcing all the small muscles and tendons to work must have increased the blood flow and I felt like a million dollars. The attached picture shows the wobble board in the middle. Yes, I went and bought my own so I could do it when I was walking by a random times.

About this time I went back to the Dr. for a check up. He encouraged me to have the PT really manipulate my angle. So he started twisting my ankle in and out. We would put a strap on my toes and I would pullback while he pulled the bottom of my ankle toward him. He used one of those rubber, stretchy things that you would normally pull on for exercise. He used it for the grip.

The next challenge was the Bosu ball. The blue thing on the left. First started with the ball side down and standing on one foot. Make sure you're near something to hold on to, you'll need it. Then you can advance to the ball side up which is harder, oddly. Yes, I bought one of them too.

But at PT this past week we upped it to standing on one foot and playing catch. I was also told that standing on one foot and closing your eyes is another challenge. Again the ankle felt tremendous.

The other "triangle" in the picture is something I made from a 4X4 I hanging around. It's for stretching your calves. I traced the one they had at PT onto a piece of paper.

At the send of PT we iced down the leg with a leg compression thing that pumped ice water through it. A great way to end the day!

Then all of a sudden I woke up one morning and there was no more pinching! I was starting to get a little down because I was thinking I would feel it the rest of my life!

The last picture is my foot today after being up an about on it today. So it's a little swollen but that will be gone by morning. It might take a year for it to stop swelling they say.

I'll try to log in more often to answer any questions you might have.

 

[KCDewie]

Thanks for sharing your recovery and the pictures.
What antibiotic did they prescribe as a precaution?
Good luck with your continued improvement!

Sorry my bad on the antibiotic. I just went back through my meds online and they prescribed Sulfamethoxazole-TMP DS Tablets. 2 tablets a day for 9 days.

They also prescribed Cephalexin 500 MG capsule. I am to take 2 capsules 1 hour before and 1 hour after dental work. Not sure if that's forever or just for a while. I will ask when I go back in November.

 

[KCDewie]

As promised, swelling is way down in the morning. No meds.

 

[KCDewie]

Thought I'd add a few pics on how I use the wobble board. Probably shouldn't do it with socks on. Actually better with shoes or barefoot, but it's cold in New England this morning. So basically you stand across the board and tilt forward and back. Stand at an angle and rock side to side and then stand at the other angle towards the same end of the board and rock side to side again. Just go as far as you can while keeping your whole foot on the board. At first the corrected ankle won't be able to go the full span but you'll make great progress if you keep it up!

 

[KCDewie]

Thought I'd share an hour of therapy starting with the TENS unit and heat. Then the low intensity laser. Don't worry usually it's covered with a towel but I wanted to get a pic. After that we went to massage and the Graston tools using both the broad side and the narrow end to get into the tight spaces.

Next we went to manipulation. In the pics I took, I was pulling back on my toes and he was pulling on my heel. At one point he started pulling on my heel and pushing my toes.

What I didn't get pictures of were him twisting the ankle side to side (gently) with both a pull down and a push up with the twist...both sides. After all I was on a business conference call.

Lastly, it was time for my ice down. I do all my exercises at home on the Bosu ball, wobble board and incline blocks so I definitely get the most out of my PT sessions with things I can't do at home.

 

[KCDewie]

And this is what it looks like after playing 18 holes, walking and carrying my bag on a course that has some tough hills to climb. Not bad considering!

 

[Jamie]

Wow, Dewie....that's some pretty aggressive therapy. I'm glad it's working for you, but I'm not sure that would be a good fit for every ankle replacement patient. Thank you for all the photos. It's helpful to see exactly what you're doing.

 

[KCDewie]

@Jamie...Dr. said, whatever I can handle. And honestly, it's not painful. There was one tender spot going up the outside of my calf where they had to back off some pressure but that just pointed to where we needed more work. That is subsiding rapidly now too.

 

[marieltha]

Thanks for the pictures!

Glad to see you sitting while using the Bosu. Do you sit while using the wobble board?

 

[KCDewie]

I just heard back on the Cephalexin. It's only for the first 6 months.

 

[KCDewie]

@marieltha Actually I don't sit when using the Bosu ball or the wobble board. But I do have something to hold on to if/when I lose my balance on the Bosu ball and can't save it without some help. On the wobble board, I don't need anything really.

 

[marieltha]

Combination of frightening and inspiring!
Glad you are doing well!

PS Just scrolled back and saw your previous ball and board pics. I was okay until the “playing catch” part. Haha. Seriously, It made me recall a Harvard study reminding people to always assess “Who’s at risk?” before an action. Very useful life tool for me.

I have an antibiotic for a year for dental, pedicure, manicure, skin biopsies. Taking it for one day doesn’t bother me/my stomach, and it seems a reasonable precaution.

Thanks again!