Re: Ankle fusion (or replacement) anyone?

JD13 · ‎03-10-2010

@Justice4all Thanks for the website, I will check it out. I'm fairly comfortable with my ortho (was not happy with the ER orthos I orginally had) but I plan on getting another opinion anyway, just to be sure.

JD13 · ‎03-10-2010

@shoekitty I worry about the replacement because there's really no going back. If it fails it has to be replaced. And while everyone says "they're getting better all the time" I worry that with advancing age, other deterioration, etc. that I might not be a candidate for a 2nd one in the future.

I had a nerve block after my 2nd surgery. Not the machine thing though. Sounds pretty interesting. I don't like taking meds at all so I'll have to check that out.

JD13 · ‎03-10-2010

@151949 It's weird about the heels because I used to wear them 24/7 back when I was younger and kind of gave them up when I got pregnant and started chasing kids around. But now that I've basicaly heard I can never wear them again I want to wear them ALL THE TIME!

Your friend sounds like a jerk about the shoes for the wedding. I knew someone who told her bridesmaids they had to have the exact same haircut and color. She probably ended up divorced within 5 years if she was that controlling.

JD13 · ‎03-10-2010

@gumboluver Since your fracture had been so long before your replacement, how were you during those years? Did you have pain all the time? I'm not sure why mine seems to have advanced so quickly. I've done tons of rehab, have lost weight, don't have any other health issues, but there's pain pretty much all the time. And I limp. Some days it isn't too bad but it's always there.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@JD13 wrote:
@151949 It's weird about the heels because I used to wear them 24/7 back when I was younger and kind of gave them up when I got pregnant and started chasing kids around. But now that I've basicaly heard I can never wear them again I want to wear them ALL THE TIME!

Your friend sounds like a jerk about the shoes for the wedding. I knew someone who told her bridesmaids they had to have the exact same haircut and color. She probably ended up divorced within 5 years if she was that controlling.

Trust me I wouldn't choose her for a friend - she was my cousin.My Dad is one of 16 children and I have had 52 first cousins. Some have passed away though and we're down to 38 of us.My Mom sorta trapped me into agreeing to be in this wedding.

kitty60 · ‎03-13-2010

No problem at all walking. In fact we try to walk a couple of miles a day. We live in the middle of the woods and he enjoys going out in the woods walking. Even walking on the beach is no problem for him. In fact, about two years after the surgery he went on an intensive Elk Hunt on horseback for a week near Yellowstone with friends.

gumboluver · ‎10-26-2016

The arthritis got worse and worse as the years went by after the fracture. As best as I can remember I probbaly had really bad pain for at least 20 years. It would be worse after standing and my foot would swell a lot. Ankle fusion was recommended years before the ankle replacenent was available- but thought I would tough it out as long as I could as the ankle fusion did not sound desirable. I have always had to have a sit down job since the fracture- no way could I work on my feet. Before the ankle replacement I had many times had to crawl to get to the bathroom because my foot hurt too bad to walk on it (if I had spent time on my foot that day.) Before the replacement my foot would have to "warm up" before I could walk-- what I mean is, I would have to hold on to something for my first few steps before I could walk- esp when getting out of the bed in the morning. Going grocery shopping was a big painful deal and I had considered using those motorized shopping carts. I started using a cane about a year before surgery and that did help me walk. The cane really helped a lot. But yeah, I had years and years of pain.

gumboluver · ‎10-26-2016

one more thing I want to mention....wearing a 2 inch- 2 1/2 in heel made my foot feel better before my surgery. Flat shoes would kill me! I wore Clarks mules with the 2 1/2 in heels for years. The open back and heel height really helped the arthritis.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@gumboluver wrote:
one more thing I want to mention....wearing a 2 inch- 2 1/2 in heel made my foot feel better before my surgery. Flat shoes would kill me! I wore Clarks mules with the 2 1/2 in heels for years. The open back and heel height really helped the arthritis.

I was wearing an ankle brace for at least a few years before my ankle fusion. If I'd have tried to walk in the shoes you describe I'd have been on my keester immediately.