re: OT - Advice on Ankle Surgery

Best of luck to you.

It more of a mental struggle than physical towards the end, but I have no lingering issues.

That's awful

I can't imagine how fun it's going to be for you drunk stumbling around key west on a hobbled ankle.

Sounds like a recipe for more surgeries.

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Get ready for fun shite like putting your foot in a bucket of ice water and then into a bucket of hot water and back and forth.

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Sounds like somebody had nerve damage.

OP please be careful of nerve damage, or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. It will F you up worse than the break. Keep an eye on your toes and don't let any burning sensation get out of hand. Wiggle your toes a lot!! The damage supposedly results from lack of blood flow due to immobilization.
I got my ankle caught between the the side of a cattle gate and the forehead of Angus cow. Crushed it. Several surgeries to repair but the worse part was the RSD. The pain was indescrible and pain meds don't begin to touch nerve pain. Took 2 years of spinal injections to get it under control. I'm 4 years out and I still get phantom pains and sensations.

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burning sensation get out of hand. Wiggle your toes a lot!

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Thanks good advice where does it burn Toes?

Mine started on the top of my foot - that is where I still have the phantom pains, itching, burning and stinging.

I would complain to my ortho and he would say it's just my nerves regenerating. Ended up seeing his partner in the ER when It felt like my whole lower leg was literally on fire (and I am using the term literally correctly). I learned what the expression "writhing in pain" actually meant. He took one look at my leg and knew it was RSD. Google it.
Some orthos are more familiar with it than others.
When you go for your cast changes ask them to hook at Tens meter to your leg as a precaution.

For some reason, with RSD, cuticles will pull way back - making it look as if the toenails have grown dramatically. The affected area will turn purple. And here's the weird part: it causes exaggerated hair growth. I am a female, blonde, with very little body hair. RSD made the hair on my leg look like Lamont Sanford's moustache - I kid you not. Freaky. Basically your leg and foot will look like something out of a B horror movie

Sorry! It probably is in your head - power of suggestion! LOL. If it keeps up - ask for the tens meter when they do a cast change. I am assuming they left your toes open in your cast- do they look normal??