Lisfranc injury, NO surgery

Yes it is super crazy. I didn't get my compression sleeve until probably 5 or 6 weeks. Before that I was in a Una boot which is that wrap I was saying was wet going on and then harden. My doctor never called back but it didn't do it yesterday so hopefully I'm just passed it. I was always worried about it not being secure enough but I guess it was fine. Something they forgot to tell me that may help you is you can rotate your ankle to help with the stiffness.i thought my whole foot had to be as still as possible. Do you have anything under your boot?

Ok Iooked it up I use to have an unna boot under my Velcro boot and I had to get it changed once a week. It's this wet gauze stuff with zinc paste infused into it . They put and ace bandage on top of that . It didn't feel like much . I would roatae my ankle move my foot up and down . It didn't feel very protective but I guess it was cuz the first time I had nothing on my foot and tried the same things my ankle was floppy and shakey. I think I was in my sixth week when he switched me to a compression sleeve and said I could take a bath and go to bed with nothing on. I did buy my from the dr office for $17 but I'm sure you could get it from a pharmacy store or even Walmart . You might not need as much support as mine did since your displacement was a little less. Do you have nothing under your boot now? This is a weird injury and it seems no matter how many stories you read the treatment and outcome are so different it is hard to even say what is normal. I know I think I've been very blessed so far with my progress I was expecting a lot of pain. I haven't even been using the crutches and I've been working and out and about with almost no pain or swelling. I'm sore by the end of the night but nothing major . Actually my hip is bothering me the most this week from the way I waddle walking in the boot. I'm hoping my limp is mostly from still wearing the boot. I guess ill see how it goes next week I go back Tuesday . They never called back about my toe turning purple but it didn't do it today so hopefully I'm pasted that. I hope you have a great outcome too and hopefully you will be able to put some weight on your foot by the sixth week.

No, just a regular sock. Thanks for telling me about the ankle because I was doing that at first then thought maybe that was wrong. I was kinda thinking that movements that didn't cause pain would be o.k. but then I thought maybe I should wait at least 4 wk . I've applied Una boots to patients but not really for fractures, interesting. You are so helpful. Thank you. Have a great day!! I don't see the Dr. til the 24th.

Wow I was going every week but there is alot more specialist around here . I'm sure you could use a compression sleeve under it if you want. I read other people traced alphabet with foot in the air to help with the stiffness so I did that. Sorry about the two similar posts before I didn't realize the first one went through.

I'm having a little problem navigating this blog sometimes too. Although overall I think I'm progressing I'm having alittle more problem positioning my foot in bed even though I started pulling the soft boot out of the plastic and wearing it. I may have to just wear my boot but my cats like to sleep at my feet, they'll just have to watch out! I didn't get the TENS because I'm paranoid about EMF fields but last night I ordered an infrared light. I found out there's a laser therapy about 80 miles from here but since my other surgery is next week don't think I'll be going in public a while so I ordered the infrared light since I've been curious about those. Just a $35 investment.

You will have to let me know how the light works. I have never heard of that before. Good luck with your other surgery. It stinks you have to go through all this but I guess it's better than getting over this surgery and going back to work and then breaking your foot.So i guess its better to get it all done at once. As far as sleeping . You may want to just to do a compressions sleeve at night . It's light weight and probably more supportive than the soft part of the boot. Good luck with everything .widhing you a fast recovery.

Well I guess I was miss informed. I did not get my insoles at that appt. I only got scanned and they take three weeks to come in . I wish I understood and went in earlier. But I have been off my boot all day . I have this Velcro foot brace. It goes around my ankle and a strap goes under my foot. I have been walking all day and no pain . I'm still slow and limping . I hope that eventually just gets better. I wasn't told I needed PT. ill see how I'm doing next week and call and ask if I don't seem to be improving. I won't see the dr again until a few weeks after I start wearing insoles . I'm still very glad I didn't do the surgery . Happy to almost been done with all this . It has been 9 weeks and 3 days since my injury accorded . So even though I'm still hobbling along I'm happy to not be in pain. Over all I'm doing much better than I would of thought based what I've heard people going through after their surgery.

Hmmm, I kinda feel like my Dr. is missing in action! I wonder if I'm gonna get all these instructions. I just had my surgery today on my face, Thank God for Norco! Of course it's traumatic but in the long run I should just have a thin scar down the side of my nose. So I haven't been focusing on my foot too much. Let me tell you! These people I've been reading about are talking about 6mos to start walking normally, a lot different than 9wks! I got my light but I only did it for 10 mins last night, it was soothing but I don't want to over do it because my foot still has swelling. (ordered some compression socks because the store was all out). I'll let you know how that goes, I wanted to do it now but my cats pinned me on the couch. It's suppose to increase blood flow and stimulate healing. Really it's just a red heat lamp I guess. yeah, you would still be NWB if you had surgery!

Well I wouldn't go as far as I'm walking normally. I have an ovious limp. I was happy to be walking without that heavy boot yesterday I do think I over did it some. The back of knee and hip was a little sore today but nothing to awful. I'm still doing to much at work today so it's not like I learned my lesson or anything. Working with kids doesn't make it easy to stay off your feet. I do wish I had a desk job at times during this process. Over all feeling pretty good and thankful knowing it could be much worse. I'm still praying I will eventually walk normal. Now I walk like an 80 year old. Hope all heals quickly for you and you can get back to life as normal. I know all these changing can get depressing.

Hi, yeah, I guess I worded that wrong. I knew you weren't walking normally AND unfortunately can't believe how many people say they are not walking normally): ! I have a question for you. I was saying my displacement was 1.8mm based on the fact that my good foot is 1.4 and the bad foot is 3.2mm, but I just read a post where a girl said her Dr. said that surgery is based on the actual displacement 3.2mm. So when you said your displacement was 2mm is that the total actual displacement or compared to your good foot? I'm definitely gonna check out that prolotherapy before I consent to surgery if things don't do well. There's a surgeon around here that does it. This girl was ready to throw in the towel at 8mos, I think she even had surgery but after 4wks of prolotherapy (I think it was plasma injection) one day she just woke up and she could do everything she did before. Of course, I won't be looking into that until about the 3 month point probably. I can't imagine running around after children! I'm 53 but if this happened when I was 33 my life would have been totally different. Although I guess I could have kept working as a keyboard player and just sit down to play, I started my nursing career when I was about 32 and you have to be able to bust your butt, haha.

Honestly I don't really know my dr. Didn't explain to much about my injury just how to treat with and without surgery . When I asked he went over the pros and cons of both. I did see my scan since we had to pick it up and bring it to the dr appt . So to me most of it was a foreign language my husband and me where googling phrases trying to figure out what things meant. I got the results the night before I went to dr so it was driving me crazy trying to figure out if I was going to need surgery. I don't think the ever even looked at my good foot to compare anything though. The dr did confirm it was displaced . It was 2mm the scan did mention something about 13mm also but I don't think that was a displacement maybe just a crack. I know it seems like everyone online knows exactly where there displacement is and all that. Sorry but my dr pretty much only tells me what I ask. That's why I wish I remember to ask if physical therapy would be beneficial since I won't see him for so long and calling is pretty much useless. What is prolotherepy ? I never heard of that ? It is weird if my foot doesn't hurt then why am I limping. I know it's still so early and maybe it's my leg still being weak since I didn't use it for so long. I hope I'm not just crazy and my mind is causing me to limp and I will have to retrain myself to walk normally. I do walk better the longer I walk which sounds opposite of most people it's like I have to warm up to walking . After sitting awhile my first few steps are hardest . This is certainly a weird injury.

Yeah Jeannette, (my name is Janet), If he didn't do your good foot then maybe your total space is 2mm which would be very small! So that's good. Really, I was also wondering why you would limp if you didn't have pain but then a lot of people think that physical therapy is really important. You weren't off your feet for that long. Yes I did have to call my Dr before surgery to find out about my displacement, that's when he told me my good foot was 1.4 and said the displacement was 1.8 compared to my good foot, otherwise he could have said 3.2mm and that's what I would be thinking. I really need to read more about the prolotherapy, it's been around along time, it started with just injections of sugar water to promote inflammation to bring healing to the area, used by sports Doctors but it's progressed. That girl said her treatments cost her $650, I don't think her insurance covered it at all but what an outcome she had!. She said her foot was different than the other but almost like it was stronger. I've only come across like 3 people who used it but they recommended it in their posts, that and stuff like laser therapy. If I find any good links I'll pass them on. I started this stuff called Baxyl yesterday, it's for soft tissue injuries and joints, some people with knee tears said it saved them from surgery. It's expensive $39 for like 6 oz. I'm a lactovegetarian so I'm always thrilled when a good supplement is vegan. That might help your hip and other joints. I also have to be careful not to stress my other joints protecting my foot. I was out of it yesterday and I felt good after taking the first dose but could have been a coincidence. I look like I was punched in the face from my MOH's. I might not need pain medicine today, yey! Well, as you can tell I have time to google haha. Between us we'll figure this thing out, I hope I can pass some helpful stuff on to you. Carpe Diem!

http://www.getprolo.com/
This website is very thorough about prolotherapy!

Based on what I read it seems like 2 mm is when they want to do surgery . Alot of the sites says they want to fix with surgery if its 2 or more and it may not need surgery if it is less than 2 . That's why I figured it was close enough to try without the surgery. One of the techs at the dr office would always make comments about me not doing the surgery and I would leave worried all the day but the dr never seemed as concered. I wasn't sure if it wasn't a big deal no doing the surgery or if he just didn't care what happend either way. I'm definitely feeling much more confident now. I know 7 weeks doesn't seem long but I didn't not cheat at all so I didn't apply pressure on my foot at all. My calf muscle did get jiggley and the injured leg is even skinnier than the good look. My good look got much stronger and is very tone now. So a few months definitely makes a big difference. It is crazy how fast it can change. I'm hoping my recovery to go just as quick. So it hasn't been long but it has felt like an eternity . As for me the only thing I bought on line to help with my recovery was Chinese oil . Someone on a blog recommended it . It was suppose to help with pain and stimulate blood flow. It's liquid but almost feels like an icy hot or Bengay after you apply it. I think it helps . Nothing dramatic but I was even using it on my good foot when it was sore from the way I was walking with the boot. Well anyway I'm hoping all I need is some time and patience but It great to hear some of these other cool options incase my limp doesn't go away soon. I'm so scared of the surgery I would prob walk like this the rest of my life rather than doing that surgery. It sounds like you are doing everything right and will be recovering in no time. How long have you been dealing with this injury now? My dr said you could be weight bearing 5-7 wks after surgery and 6-8 without and I waited just over 7 since he wanted to be safe. So you maybe you will be able to start trying to walk after just 6 wks. Good luck and keep me posted and informed on how some of this other stuff works for you.

I'm 4 weeks as of yesterday, so still early. That was really stressful trying to decide about the surgery and I felt like they were rushing me into it! It's weird for me to think that I'm gonna be living with these restrictions so long but taking it day to day isn't too bad. I guess you're probably right, another 4 wks of non weightbearing is gonna make a big difference on my muscle tone. If I could try to figure out the big lesson I'm suppose to be learning from all this except "sh-- happens' that would be good also! haha, take care