Slightly Set Back

I would say my TPF was a great success on the whole. I have been dealing with a slight setback lately. And it's a long story....

In March 2012 I developed a case of plantar fasciitis. This is where you have sharp pain in the heel of your foot. Of course, mine is in the left foot, which is the side of my broken leg. There are plenty of self-help tips and videos on the internet so I did my homework and did everything to try to facilitate my recovery from this painful injury.

Things didn't seem to be improving, or more accurately, I was having good days and not so good days. The pain in the foot became so bad that I gave up almost all physical activity. Especially walking, which is my favorite thing to do.

Towards the end of May (near my 2 year anniversary) I really panicked because I was now getting knee pain. The knee would swell and hurt. This was definitely not good. I could deal with heel pain, but new knee pain was something I had to get checked out.

I went to my GP and he sent me for xrays. The xrays said that I had arthritis in my knee. Holy smoke, this was devastating news. I knew that "knee" and "arthritis" in the same sentence is so NOT good for the active lifestyle I want. I think every person that has a TPF has extreme anxiety about this. My GP then sent me to the podiatrist who gave me a pep talk about everything I already knew about plantar faciitis. I asked him if my knee problems were related to my heel pain and he answered, "it's possible". Not very helpful. But he was a nice man.

I was in denial about "knee" and "arthritis" for a few weeks and then made the call to my orthopedic surgeon for an appointment. If I had arthritis I wanted to know how bad it was and what I could expect. It took me 3 weeks to get an open appointment.

My OS has always been a very personable woman and she and I have good rapport. She didn't see my xrays ahead of the appointment was was prepared for the worse when I told her what had happened to me. So she pulls the xray up on the computer and stared for a good few minutes. She said she couldn't find arthritis on my knee. She showed me the holes where my screws were, where my break was, where the plateau was smooth but no arthritis. I immediately felt like a giant weight went off my shoulders. I trust her 100% since she has been my doctor throughout my whole ordeal.

Now the only problem was, what was causing my knee pain? She seemed pretty puzzled until she had me flex both legs and she told me immediately that the right leg was way stronger than the left and that was probably the cause of my problem. She have me a referral for physical therapy and wished me well.

We stopped by the PT area on our way out to get an appointment. The nice lady at the desk said she had a cancellation and I could be seen in 45 minutes. I didn't want to wait and she told me that the soonest she could get me in would be 2 weeks. Okay, I'll take today's appointment.

After doing a series of exercises to show the strength of my legs, my PT gave me a set of exercises to go at home. He said that yes, my left leg was significantly weaker than my right. Sigh.

Two weeks later the knee is feeling better. The swelling is pretty much done. I still have some pain with my foot and I'll be going to the podiatrist tomorrow for some help with that issue.

Bottom line: Keep your muscles strong around the knee, especially the quads! I'm glad that my problem wasn't with arthritis, thank goodness!

Hardware Removal 101, or Taking It All Out!

On October 18th, 2011 I had my plate and 5 screws taken out.

Here are some thoughts on that.

October 21, 2011

Thought I would tell you all about my hardware removal (3 days ago) in case you are interested!

I checked into the hospital at 7 am. It was deja vu! At least this time I ~walked~ down the hallway into pre-op! I was scheduled to go off at 9 a.m. but I was delayed until 9:20 a.m. The procedure was supposed to be 65 minutes, but Al said the doc was done with my after 45 minutes! Guess that is good in the fact that the metal came out easy.

I was in recovery for about an hour. When I woke up from the anesthesia I had no idea where I was or why I was there. What a weird feeling! So I was on my way home around noon. They didn't give me any crutches but I was wheeled out in a wheelchair. They put a lot of bandages around my leg and told me to leave them on until my post op visit (next week). So, I don't even know what my leg looks like. I do know that I can't have a shower for a week, but at least I can give myself a sponge bath this time while standing on my own two feet!

My pain level was a little high when I was first home. I was more concerned that I couldn't hardly bend my leg. My OS told me to try to bend it as much as possible without going overboard. It felt really tight when I tried to bend it the first day. It was awful to walk peg-legged again!

After 24 hours my leg hurt more than the first day. It felt like it was bruised and sore. Nothing that the Vicodin couldn't handle, though. I was getting by one crutch, but found by mid-day that it was much easier to get around without it.

My OS told me I could do some light pedaling on the stationary bike. I couldn't hardly make it around the first time because my leg was so tight, but after the first round it came much easier and really made my leg feel better. I am no hero about forgoing pain meds, but really after yesterday I wasn't in much pain at all so I quit taking them.

I am wobbly with my walking and haven't ventured outside the house. It is easy to stand and put weight on it, though. I can't tell how much swelling I have because of the big wrappings on the leg.

My biggest issue is that I have caught a cold and have spells of coughing and a runny nose. I haven't had a cold for years, and couldn't have picked a worse time to get one! All and all this procedure was nothing like the original one. It really makes me appreciate how much we all go through with our original surgeries.

I'll send you all an update after I see my OS next Wednesday and I'm able to see how bad my "new" scar looks!


October 27, 2011
Today (October 26, 2011) I went for my follow up and to have my stitches taken out. I should say "to get my ~stitch~ out. They finally removed my mummy wrap of bandages and I was very surprised to see no staples, like I had on the first go around. Instead, my OS told me she did a "cosmetic" stitch, which is one long stitch (sort of like a corkscrew) where they tuck the old scar down into the fresh scar. I don't think I'm doing a good job of explaining this, but she said it will make a really better looking scar once it's healed.

I noticed my scar is now bigger than the first time. She said because the bottom anchor screw (the one that holds the bottom of the plate flush) was difficult to get out. The top 4 screws (the big ones) came out very easily, she said.

Well, on the whole it looks pretty good. I can now feel the metal being gone. I do have some swelling near the incision, but when that subsides I won't see the bulky bulge where I had the plate. I did have some bruising along the medial side of the shin (I don't want to know how that happened).

After one week, my leg feels pretty darn good. I don't have complete ROM as before, but think that will come when the swelling subsides. I'm really happy that the pain of this was much less that I anticipated. Maybe after having it put in, nothing can compare, pain wise! I can walk almost normal, although I haven't tried walking any long distance yet. I can stand on it pretty much as before. Best yet, that "rubber band" feeling in the knee is gone. My knee feels "free" if that can be a word to describe it.

I'm really happy with my HRW removal and if your doctor says, "yes", hey I say, "go for it".

November 2, 2011

Here's my two week update for my HWR on October 18, 2011

It's been two weeks since the surgery and one week since I got the stitches out. The leg feels really good overall. I have a lot of bruising around the incision site. It doesn't look very pretty, but it is getting better. I still have quite a bit of bruising on the medial shin, although it is already yellow and fading. I still have a fair amount of swelling at the incision site, which I suppose would be normal. So, between the bruising and swelling it's not very pretty.

I am pretty much doing everything as before, with the exception of long walks. I think when the swelling and bruising goes down walking longer distances will be easier. I also walk a little bit slower than before. The ROM is almost 80+% of what it was before. I'm sure if I wanted to push it I could get more ROM, but I am not eager to test the stitches to the limit. I'm sure when the swelling goes down the ROM will come back.

As far as pain, I get some minor throbbing at night, but nothing too bad. Like I said, I am a big baby with pain and this procedure was much less than painful that I expected.

Another odd thing, my original scar was on the side of my left leg, and the removal scar is more about halfway between the old scar and the kneecap. And it is bigger than the original scar, but my OS told me that ahead of time.

It's a great feeling not to have that bulky plate in. It feels like taking off shoes in the evening and letting your toes wiggle around! Free!

November 17, 2011

I hit the 4 week mark yesterday and the leg is feeling really good. The bruises are still there, but the swelling has gone down a lot. I was surprised how much I bruised--maybe my OS didn't have a light touch!

I had to wear my bandages (size of King Kong, too) for a week. I was a bit disturbing to have it taken off, since there was a lot of dried blood on the wrapping. And the scar was (and still is) rather ugly to see, especially since the original scar was just a thin white line when I went in to the HWR removed!

Take it easy for a few weeks. Although you feel good your body has had another major trauma and needs to time to heal.

December 25, 2011

I had this exact same question after my removal and my OS told me to bend and stretch it but do so within reason. So no deep knee bends for awhile (hahaha). Actually just doing some light pedaling around my little exercise bike really, really felt good. I had a LOT of swelling so I knew from last time that I wouldn't get too distressed if my ROM wasn't up to the old standard. Sure enough, when the swelling went down, the ROM returned. My advice to you is not to worry too much about the ROM; it will come back. Concentrate on your healing.

BTW, my husband keloids really bad and I don't think there is much you can do about that. He is very self conscious about past scars and in time they will fade. I don't keloid and my scar still looks kinda bad, and it's been 3 months. The scar from the HWR, is much bigger than the original surgery but I'm hoping with time it will improve.

January 14, 2012

If I had any advice for you it is for you to take it easy and expect some pain. Some of the posts suggest it is a "walk in the park" but that wasn't my experience. Yes, you will walk out. Yes, you will notice rapid improvement. Keep up on the pain meds as you need them and don't overdo for a few weeks. It still is a major deal opening you up and taking out the metal.

January 28, 2012

yes, my original scar was used as the starting point for my removal work. Unfortunately for me, they had trouble getting the bottom screw out (the anchor for the bottom of the plate) and had to cut me longer than the original scar. So, my original TPF scar was maybe 4 inches, and the HWR scar is about 6. My OS did what she called a "cosmetic cut", which I believe was where the original scar was tucked inside the new scar. Also, my TPF scar was very much on the lateral (left) side, while the HWR scar is more right, or towards the knee cap. Not to worry, though when you see how wonderful it is to have the metal gone!

Three Month Hardware Removal Update

It's been 3 months already since my hardware removal. Things have really gone very well. The leg feels really good. I feel confident that I can push the leg harder now. Walking is easy, as is going up and down the stairs. My scar is still ugly, but is looking better. When I stand up on the leg for long periods the leg feels like it is still swelling, especially on the laterial side where the hardware was. The brusing is now gone, although it took a good six weeks to go away.

I have to recommend removal, if that is a option for you. I was thankful that my doctor was very willing to remove it. She told me it was my decision. She said the hardware served it's purpose and wasn't necessary for the intregity of the leg.

The whole broken leg road isn't an easy one to travel, but having the hardware out feels like the end of the journey is at hand.

Hardware Removal Two Week Update

Here's my two week update for my HWR on October 18, 2011

It's been two weeks since the surgery and one week since I got the stitches out. The leg feels really good overall. I have a lot of bruising around the incision site. It doesn't look very pretty, but it is getting better. I still have quite a bit of bruising on the medial shin, although it is already yellow and fading. I still have a fair amount of swelling at the incision site, which I suppose would be normal. So, between the bruising and swelling it's not very pretty.

I am pretty much doing everything as before, with the exception of long walks. I think when the swelling and bruising goes down walking longer distances will be easier. I also walk a little bit slower than before. The ROM is almost 80+% of what it was before. I'm sure if I wanted to push it I could get more ROM, but I am not eager to test the stitches to the limit. I'm sure when the swelling goes down the ROM will come back.

As far as pain, I get some minor throbbing at night, but nothing too bad. Like I said, I am a big baby with pain and this procedure was much less than painful that I expected.

Another odd thing, my original scar was on the side of my left leg, and the removal scar is more about halfway between the old scar and the kneecap. And it is bigger than the original scar, but my OS told me that ahead of time.

It's a great feeling not to have that bulky plate in. It feels like taking off shoes in the evening and letting your toes wiggle around! Free!

Hardware Removal, October 20, 2011

It's been 48 hours since my surgery. I had a lot of pain yesterday, but the Vicodin kept it under control. I was so tired I went to bed at 7:30 p.m. and slept for almost 12 hours. It must have done me a lot of good because my leg pain was noticeable better today.

Dr. R told me to try to do a little light exercises on the stationary bike so I did a little yesterday. It was tough just to make one rotation. It felt like the stitching would pull and tear, but after the first rotation, all was well. I went very easy and very slow.

Today, I've not used any painkillers, that how well the pain is. And I'm a big baby with pain and a gal with a whole bottle of Vicodin so I am very please how well this is coming along.

My biggest complaint is that my throat is really, really sore. I'm not sure if I am coming down with a cold or if it is from the tube going down my throat. My stomach also doesn't feel well either. As typical of Vicodin users, I have constipation and have been diligent about using Plum Smart with no luck. Guess that is the price you pay for pain relief.

I finally got to see and touch one of my screws that Dr. R. saved for me. They are thinner than I expected, but boy are they long! I can't imagine how big that plate must have been.

I am walking without the crutches now, although very slowly. It doesn't hurt to walk, only the range of motion is low because of the bandages, and of course, the stitches.

If I didn't have these cold symptoms, I would be feeling pretty darn good.

Hardware Removal--Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Seventeen months ago I knew that I wanted my hardware out, if possible. Just having it, knowing it is there, was something I wanted to fix.

My big date was October 18th. I was to report to Kaiser at 7 a.m. I was scheduled to go off at 9 a.m. Well, nothing ever goes on time, but they wheeled me in at 9:20 p.m. The surgery was supposed to go on 65 minutes, which to me seemed pretty fast. But I digress.

Al tells me that Dr. R came out to talk to him about 50 minutes after I went off, which means it must have been an easy time of it. My first memory after the surgery was the time, since they have clocks everwhere. It was 10:50 a.m. and I sure was feeling groggy. So tired and so disoriented. I had no clue where I was when I woke. I thought maybe I was on the airplane, or maybe still in Argentina. I was hoping they would let me go back to sleep but they told me I would be going home in less than an hour. Are you kidding? Where was I again?

Alfred came by to see me early in the recovery and then came back maybe 40 minutes later. I'm happy to report that Al said I looked way, way better in just that short time.

I got home fine and pulled out my crutches from the garage. I tried using two of them, but found that one crutch worked better for me. My pain level wasn't bad at all, but of course, I was on the Vicodin. They bandaged my leg up pretty well so I am not able to see how bad the incision is. Dr. R was able to give me one piece of my hardware as a souvenir. At Kaiser they normally don't do that, and I was very curious to see how it looks. I'll post a photo soon.

Now it is almost 24 hours after and my leg is much more sore today. With the bandages, I can't tell if it is swollen, but my guess is that it is. I've been using ice to keep it down, as well as keeping my leg elevated. I decided to try without the Vicodin this a.m. just to get an accurate assessment of my pain. It hurt indeed! Time for the Vicodin again. The leg feels sort of battered and I can feel tugging of the incision. I can bear weight on it, but can't really bend it with any weight on it.

We're really early in the game, so far so good!