Last Tuesday I had my third outpatient visit to the local general hospital. After waiting for 45 minutes in the corridor (a swine-flu avoidance measure, since the waiting room is always packed with people) I was called in. The fibreglass cast I had been wearing for the previous two weeks was cut away to reveal my leg, which looked pretty much as it has always looked, except for some slight puffiness around the foot and some minor bruising on the side of the arch of the foot.
I was then given an aircast boot, fitted with 5 wedges in the heel to ensure the foot is positioned at 45 degrees. The boot comes in two parts, held together with velcros straps, and includes four inflatable cushions to provide compression and a snug fit.
The benefit of the boot over the cast is that I am able to walk (clump!) slowly around the house without crutches, and can thus carry stuff for the first time in several weeks. I can also remove the boot in bed and in the shower - although I still have to sit down on a chair in the shower with my foot sticking out, resting on a small camping stool.
Walking with the boot and crutches is now much less tiring, since my weight is now not exclusively supported on my good leg. Indeed earlier today I have just walked down to the local shops and bought a cake, something I couldn't have done a week ago.
The registrar (for some reason I have still yet to see the named consultant I have had appointments with) said that I need to come back after two weeks and have a couple of wedges removed and to start physiotherapy. When I asked how he knew whether the tendon was healing or not, he gently felt it and thought he could feel a 'gap' where he said it had joined, but I'm not sure I found that concincing. Maybe I'll ask for a scan next time. He also said that within 4-5 weeks I'll be walking without crutches and boot. I hope that's the case.
Hi I'm going through the same thing, how long did you have the cast on for before you were given the boot.
ReplyDeleteI wore an 'equine' cast for 2 weeks immediately following the accident, then a below-the-knee cast for another 2 weeks before being given the aircast boot, which I used for a further 7 or so weeks. After that I was wearing shoes, doing regular physio exercises at home and walking fairly normally again. Within three months of the accident my foot was pretty much back to normal. It's still fine now, 7 years on. I still run a dance group, though I'm careful not to leap up and down too much :-)
ReplyDeleteHi thanks for the reply and the Celedrin, do you think that helped?
ReplyDeleteregards