Personal journey with bilateral plantar fasciitis surgery
1 Month Post Plantar Fasciotomy – Left Foot
13Sep2008 Filed under: Immediate Post-Surgery Author: Christina
I am pleased to report that I am able to walk without the use of crutches! I am very happy about that!! It’s not a normal walk to be sure, but at least I can walk and even put all of my weight on one foot. This is really good progress. Today was another milestone in my recovery in that I was able to take a normal shower. THAT was awesome! I didn’t have to put a stool in the shower so that I could sit. I was able to stand the entire time. Whew!
My new physical therapist says that I am progressing well. She said I have really good range of motion. One thing that I believe helped me with that I would wiggle my toes and spread them apart even when I had the boot on after surgery. As soon as I was able to I would then flex my foot up and down. I didn’t want it to stiffen up. Guess it paid off.
One thing I notice about walking… I do not have a normal gait and it’s obvious that something is wrong with me. It reminds me of how I walked when my plantar fasciitis was really bad. I can tell it’s just part of the recovery and it’s not that I’m back to where I started. In two days I went from not being able to put full weight on my foot while taking two steps to being able to take several steps.
Now my low back is starting to bother me like it did when I was put on desk duty for the second time (I was a police officer). It gets messed up from not walking normally. But I’m sure it will get better as my foot continues to heal and my gait improves.
I have 10 days until surgery on my right foot. It sure is a good thing that I’m walking without assistance now. With the progress I’m making and with the improvements I see from day to day I’m confident that I’ll be ready for the second surgery. At least I know what to expect the second time around which will make it easier.
Now that I’ve reached the one month mark for plantar fasciotomy recovery in my left foot, future posts related to my left foot will be under “Recovery”. Recovery will be the long-term surgery result portion of this online journal.
I can’t wait to just get it over with, heal up and go hiking in the spring! A BIG thank you to my family, friends, clients and associates who have sent encouraging emails, cards, phone calls, prayers and posted on this blog. Your support, care, concern and love has truly been a blessing and encouragement to me throughout this entire process. Thank You!!
6 Responses to “1 Month Post Plantar Fasciotomy – Left Foot”
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About this blog
When I started thinking about having surgery for my plantar fasciitis I spent hours researching online. I could only find one personal experience with plantar fasciotomy and it hadn't been updated in a long time.
So I thought I'd chronicle my journey from beginning to end and post updates as time goes on as to how well the surgeries worked for me. I'll be having two - one surgery for each foot. I have bilateral plantar fasciitis.
I also created this blog so that my family, friends, associates and clients could easily check my progress and chat with me during recovery.
So if you're visiting this blog way after I've had surgery, I hope the information you find here helps. If you're one of my family members, friends, associates or clients, I hope you'll post lots of comments because your support will keep me going strong through post-op recovery.
Regardless of when you stop by, I'm glad you're here!
Disclaimer...
I am not a doctor or licensed professional. Information presented on this website is for educational purposes only and should not be used to replace the advice of your doctor, physical therapist or other medical or licensed professional. Information presented on this site is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure plantar fasciitis, foot pain or any other condition or illness. No statements have been evaluated by the FDA or other government or medical entity.
This is just me sharing my experiences with you. What works for me may not work for you or anyone else. If you have or suspect you have a medical condition such as plantar fasciitis or other foot pain, please see your physician immediately for proper care.
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To see my current progress and recent posts click here or on the "Home" link at the top of this page.
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Sharon Miller
September 14th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Wahoo! I’m so excited for you. Glad to hear you have one week of semi-normal before the next surgery.
MamaC
September 16th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Your blog has been so helpful in documenting one girl’s journey though this surgery and recovery. Keep on writing!
I have had PF since January 2007, but did home treatments (ice, stretching, etc.) until mid-2008 and unfortunately, even with the addition now of PT, corticosteroid injection and shoe inserts, the pain is worsening to the point where I’m (obviously) checking out surgical options. Thanks for your great blog. I’ll check-in on your progress and am sending healing thoughts your way!
MamaC
September 17th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Christina,
I was wondering if you were given a ‘walking cast’ to try as part of your pre-surgical treatment options, and if so, how did this work for you? Thanks!
DAB
September 17th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Thanks so much for sharing your journey. I too have been dealing with this terrible disorder and am considering surgery. I had a steroid injection just 4 days ago and it has not helped at all. If anything, it is worse. My physician said that very few people end up having surgery but I can hardly walk and am getting very tired of the pain. Do you think the surgery is worth it and how long did you have this before consenting to surgery? Thanks again for all your help and my prayers are with you. Sincerely, DAB
Christina
September 20th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Hi MamaC! I’m sorry that you’ve been suffering from PF, but am glad you found my blog. Thank you very much for sending healing thoughts. I was not given a walking cast prior to surgery. I’m not really sure how that would have helped, but I’m not a doctor either. I could see if your doctor suggesting wearing a night splint prior to surgery, but I’m confused about the purpose of a walking cast.
After surgery I wore an Equalizer Air Walker, but sure didn’t do any walking in it. I used crutches. In my opinion it served a few purposes post-op: protect the surgical site, kept my foot at a 90 degree angle to my leg (this is very important) day and night (had to wear it 24 hours a day except when I removed it to apply ice) and my foot felt safe and secure while I was moving about.
Christina
September 20th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Hi DAB! You are most welcome. Thank you very much for your prayers. I am sorry that you have plantar fasciitis as well. The decision to have surgery is never an easy one. I’ve had PF since 2000 and here it is 2008 and I’m finally having surgery. In early 2003 is when my PF pain was at its peak. I could hardly walk and certainly couldn’t run – which is very important to a law enforcement officer. I believe awareness of what PF is and how to take care of it at the onset is so important. I had it for three years before I even knew it was a medical condition. I thought I was just on my feet a lot so they hurt.
I initially ruled out surgery because I had heard that runners who had the surgery would take off running and the plantar fascia would just “snap”. That really didn’t appeal to me. Another doctor told me that he didn’t see anyone the surgery helped – but this came from a doctor who didn’t really examine me and he was a bit negative. I can’t stress enough the importance of having a good doctor.
My lifestyle completely changed, DAB, to being inactive. Earlier this year as I approached my 36th birthday it hit me that I did not want to live the rest of my life like this. I used to like to go out, now I like to stay home. I used to like going to the beach, but now I can hardly walk on it. I used to like going to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, now I can hardly walk around. I used to love going for long walks and hiking, now those are just great memories.
I decided that I didn’t want the rest of my life to be like the last few years and that’s when I began to consider surgery again. I made an appointment with my doctor so I could discuss it with him. During that appointment I decided to move forward and schedule the surgery. When I left his office and was driving down the freeway I felt such a relief. Actually, what I felt was hope and tears welled up in my eyes. I had hope that the years to come would be full of activity and memories I’d cherish forever.
Recovery from the left foot surgery (I have PF in both feet) wasn’t easy even though I had a lot of help, but I would say so far that it was worth it for me. I’m not yet fully recovered even at 6 weeks, but knowing that my range of motion is excellent and that the plantar fascia did not reattach makes me believe that this was a successful surgery. Recovery takes about three months so I’ll be able to better tell you with certainty at that point.
I hope that helps.