Monthly Progress Report for Julie G K

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This record is for Julie G K treated by a Podiatrist. The surgery was on 8-22-2001.
Email: wadejulie@erols.com

First Entry: Date: 09/19/2001 . . . Pain Level: . . . Activity Level: 1 . . . Satisfaction with surgery:
I am 4 weeks post-surgery today. I can bear some weight on my foot but cannot walk without crutches or roll-a-bout walker. My dr. told me I would be walking one week after the surgery and he is now perplexed as to why I am not healing faster, however from what I am reading on this web site, healing times take a lot longer for many people. Wish my dr. would have told me that. I was not prepared for this at all. Today, he also diagnosed me with Tarsel Tunnel Syndrome, prescribed physical therapy and steroid medication. I am still wearing the cam walker with padded socks and inserts. I am looking for another doctor in northern Virginia to consult with and get a post-op 2nd opinion.

Date: 10/09/2001 . . . Pain Level: 10 . . . Activity Level: 2 . . . Satisfaction with surgery: 1
Seven weeks post surgery. Still not walking. Swelling is down and no longer showing symptoms of Tarsel Tunnel Syndrome, but lots of tenderness at incision site (bottom of heel) and further up on the heel, towards the arch. Got cam walker off after 6 weeks. Can wear a shoe but walking is too painful. Perhaps this will turn out ok in the end, but everyone who is considering this surgery should know that recovery time can be extensive. I found another dr. to consult with but postponed the appointment, waiting to see if the physical therapy improves the situation.

Date: 10/31/2001 . . . Pain Level: 5 . . . Activity Level: 5 . . . Satisfaction with surgery: 2
Ten weeks post surgery. I can finally walk!!!! Was able to stop using crutches about 5 days ago. My ankle is sore but I am told that is due to being in a cast for so many weeks and not walking for even longer. It is getting better, though. Still have pain in my foot but not so much that I can't walk and getting better rapidly every day over the past week. It is a different pain than I had pre-surgery so is perhaps due to healing and will hopefully go away. Too soon to tell if the surgery was a success but I am so glad to be walking again, Physical therapy has been so helpful. I was going to PT for several weeks, then one day I went and had a new physical therapist who did some different stretching exercises and I walked that same day for the first time in over 9 weeks! She gave me some different exercises to do at home too. I consulted with another podiatrist at 7 weeks post op. This was not tremendously helpful, although he did wrap my foot and gave me a surgical shoe to wear, which enabled me to use wrap plus orthotics and begin putting a little more weight on the foot but it was very painful. But now I feel like I am definitely on the road to recovery. Perhaps I will be able to go Christmas shopping after all this year (I was giving up hope). Now I am trying to nurse my other non-surgery foot, as I have PF in that also and it is sore from being favored.

Date: 12/19/2001 . . . Pain Level: 4 . . . Activity Level: 8 . . . Satisfaction with surgery: 2
I am nearly 4 months post-surgery and am still not even back to where I was before the surgery. But I do not feel that the healing process is done, it has been very slow but continues to progress bit by bit. So it is really too soon to say that the surgery was not effective. But it was more than I bargained for in terms of healing time. I still must wear shoes at all times, even in the shower, and must wear orthotics as much as possible, and only certain shoes. I can go shopping again, which I am so happy about, but I have to rest frequently as my foot starts to hurt and will get sharp, shooting pains if I stay on it too long. This week I wore shoes with a heel for the first time since before my surgery! They are Easy Spirit brand boots with a 1 1/2 inch heel. My orthotics fit nicely in them. They are the most comfortable pair of dress boots I have ever owned. I am still taking Vioxx everyday. My doctor said I could continue with physical therapy if I wnat to but I prefer to do the exercises the Physical Therapist taught me at home.