Personal journey with bilateral plantar fasciitis surgery
I do have some good news. I made an appointment with my surgeon because I had some real concerns about having surgery on my right foot while I still can’t fully walk on my left foot. The second surgery has been rescheduled for November 18th. This gives me two months to build the strength back up in my left foot post-op. I’m very happy about that.
More good news… My doctor is very pleased with the range of motion I have in my left foot. So is my physical therapist. Well, so am I of course! Now that my range of motion is at a very good point I can switch my focus to strengthening exercises. This is very important to overall recovery and true success.
On more bit of good news… For three weeks after surgery my doctor had me wear a walking boot (like a soft cast that could be removed for icing my foot) to keep my foot at a 90 degree angle to my leg. This keeps the plantar fascia stretched so that it does not reattach. You see, the purpose of the surgery was to partially release or cut the plantar fascia to relieve the pressure that causes the pain associated with plantar fasciitis.
Apparently not all doctors will tell patients this and keeping the foot in a stable position such as this is very important to the success of the surgery. At my appointment my doctor was pressing on different areas of my foot and GOOD NEWS! The plantar fascia did not reattach.
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!
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.
To see my current progress and recent posts click here or on the "Home" link at the top of this page.
Sharon Miller
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
So glad to hear all the good news! I am very glad you get extra time to heal before the next surgery. I think that was a good decision. Hope all continues to go well for you!
Christina
September 27th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Hey Sharon, I think it is too. Thanks for celebrating the good news with me!
Karen
October 14th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Hi Christina I had my surgery on my foot and it is 4 days today. It feels good I go and get the bandages changed to day. I have a brace on my foot so I can’t move my foot but I can move my toes. In 3 weeks he is going to give me a walking boot. Glad you are doing good I can feel for you on having second one done I just want to get through this one. will keep you posted Karen
Christina
October 17th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Hey Karen!
I’m glad you’re doing well. I remember what helped me quite a bit was moving my toes back and forth. It helped stretch them and not be so stiff when it came time to move my foot around. I can honestly say that I’m not looking forward to the second surgery, but at the same time I just want to get it over with.
Definitely stay in touch, Karen. In the coming months we can share our successes!! Have an awesome weekend.