With my ankle fusion just a week ago, I have a 6 to 8 week period of "no weight bearing " to go through, on crutches, or using a handicapped walker.
My Orthopedic Surgeon said “4 to 6 weeks before returning to work”, BS.
I am not going to sit in bed or in front of the tube for boobs for 4 weeks or more, so I tried to refit my shop to allow me to continue at the bench, at least on a reduced scale.
I added locking wheels to an office chair, so I can get on and off crutches, plus added a tall stool at the polishing machine.
It is slow, but these changes allow me to work, at a reduced capacity.
I also added a new 3 month old Plott Hound puppy to the farmhouse and family, and Pepper has decided that I am HERS.
Pepper decided today that her place is in my lap, at the jewelry bench, not in the bed I provided near me in a quiet corner of the shop.
And I thought being on crutches with just 1 leg that my productivity could be reduced no further.
![20220419_144327|225x500] upload://jP6HrVozaZstr9IB8hRyrNOZkJd.jpeg)
WRONG, add a puppy who wants to sleep in your lap and arms, and productivity drops to roughly Zero. But, so much love and devotion is hard to resist!
Oh well, I was told to slow down and rest, and Pepper is probably the only one who could make that a reality!
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Foot surgery really slows you down. My wife had bunion surgery about 10 years ago and was off her feet for 6 weeks. I developed a new appreciation for what she does on a daily basis. Good luck…Rob
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I was originally told I should have this full ankle fusion @55 years ago, after the first oreration was botched in my teens.
Much like the full reverse shoulder replacement which I am currently postponing, I was in no rush for any more surgery.
Age and arthritis recently, and finally, convinced me that I no longer had any choice with the ankle.
The shoulder thing is also going to be on hold until I no longer have any other option.
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Darn adorable and worthless shop assistant! He had two looks: what and WHY!?!
good luck healing!
Eileen
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LOL, you asked for help! Didn’t specify what kind so I guess she’s just what you needed! She is a beauty.
Sure does look like she’ll be a capable assistant, too - and as frustrating as it might be for you right now, your welfare is her first priority.
I really hope you’ll be able to arrange to get that ankle elevated while you’re working with her.
Wishing you good luck with all of it!
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I had my ankle reconstructed Nov. 2020. I was warned it was going to hurt like hell after. The surgeon did one thing he found worked well for his patients. He injected stem cells into the joint to help with the healing. After I wondered what happened to the dire warnings of pain. I took a total of three pain pills post hospital. I was kept for 3 days since I had other issues with other joints and they needed to watch me.
OK I would say get the shoulder done soon, and I would say have a grasp on the surgeons dangles as he does your shoulder. My shoulder surgery was Feb. 2020. It didn’t go well. Had to open me up and do it old school, and only did half of what he was supposed to do. Had to have a revision Feb. 2021 due to the need to take the screw (phillips head) out of the soft tissue were it was causing major damage. When the dr opened me up old school he forgot that the screws he used orginaly were no longer needed or secure. No one counted. Hubby said it confirmed I had a screw loose. I said I was royally screwed. The second dr tried to tell me that the screw after the Dec. 2020 MRI had broken into small pieces and had disintigrated in the 6 weeks it took to get the surgery scheduled. All of you will know titanium if it is visible after more than 10 months is not going to dissolve in 6 weeks. So Keep a good grasp on your doctor. I doubt you will be as good as me at being the bit** I was after.
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I hear you on the shoulder, but I am in no rush to go through rotator cuff repair again. Been there, done that.
At my age, as long as I can function, I am unwilling to go through that again, and be unable to work in my 1 man shop for all those months.
The previous repair from @20 years ago has failed, and the damage is severe enough this time that the only solution offered is a “full, reverse shoulder replacement”. The surgeon explain that there is no area he can screw the new shoulder into that is solid enough now to hold, unless he reverses the joint.
Physical therapy though, intended to teach my body how to use the different set of muscles that would be required to operate that reversed joint, have also taught me how to mostly avoid the pain and continue to function adequately enough.
Good enough. I may not throw a base ball, or work overhead, but I can do my craft without pain.
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Pepper is your messenger sent from the Universe telling you to slow down and heal up! Don’t forget to look into using some topical arnica gel and tablet form to help the tissues heal up. Good luck!
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