Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Recovery: Weeks/Months After Surgery


https://physiqz.com/sports-hernia-surgery-recovery-time/

Hi everybody. I'm sorry it's been more than two months since my last post. I've been pretty busy between going on vacation, switching jobs, and moving. In this post, I will discuss how my recovery was in the weeks and months following my surgery.

I wore the boot for at least a month after surgery, per my doctor's instructions. About a week or so after the procedure, my doctor removed one stitch from my foot (the only one I'd had.) If you've never gotten stitches removed before, don't worry! :) That was the first time I've ever had a stitch removed, and was pretty grossed out by the thought of it. It's so fast and doesn't hurt at all. It actually tickled for a second.

I developed a pretty big bruise on the underside of my foot that first week, which my doctor said was completely normal and to be expected. Until he told me that, I was nervous that I'd done something wrong, or was putting too much pressure on it, but that wasn't the case.

My doctor wanted me to use heat, not ice, while I recovered. Like most people, I prefer ice over heat when it comes to treating pain, but I was told that heat is better for healing after surgery. I got one of those packs that can be heated or frozen. 30 seconds in the microwave and it was hot - and stayed hot for a while. I found it easiest to sit on the couch with my feet on the floor, and rest my foot (gently, not with too much pressure) on top of the pack. Do whatever is easiest or most comfortable for you.

I did not do any clinical physical therapy after surgery. My doctor asked if I would like to (not recommended it, necessarily, but asked how I felt about it) and I declined. If you read my post about the PT I had months before this procedure, you already know that I had a fairly negative experience with it. This is why I decided to not go through with it post-op. Some doctors highly recommend it after surgery; others, like mine, are neutral. Do whatever feels right to you, whatever you can handle.

This is not to say, however, that I didn't do any physical therapy on my own. At home, I did some of the things I learned from my physical therapist, when my doctor gave me the OK to begin these exercises. Mostly I did lots of stretching - lots and lots of stretching, followed by heating.

I continued to wear New Balance sneakers after my surgery, along with my custom orthotic insets. If you haven't, I recommend that you read my post about inserts and how they can help relieve PF pain before and after surgery.

There was very little scarring after surgery. Today, eight months later, I have a tiny mark (probably about 1 cm in size) on the side of my foot, which is only visible under a lot of light. As with any post-op mark, this was a bit larger (maybe 2-3 cm) immediately after the surgery, and raised. If you notice anything unusual about the way your wound is healing, be sure to contact your doctor right away.



Your doctor will likely tell you not to take certain pain medications for a while after surgery, as mine told me. I was only allowed to use Tylenol for at least a few weeks. (I think this is standard for a lot of procedures, but I'm not sure.) When enough time had passed, I was able to take naproxen (prescription strength Aleve, basically) for pain as needed.

I want to thank those of you that have reached out to me via Facebook and email with questions. I'm happy to help and offer advice in any way I can, so keep in touch and let me know how you're doing! :) For anyone who hasn't, please visit my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/plantarwhat/

If you're not into social media (and I totally get that), send me an email: wsmalls12194@gmail.com.

In my next post, I will discuss the overall outcome of my surgery and how I am doing almost a year later.

Thanks for reading,
Becky

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