Charcot Foot Support

non weight-bearing

Foot Surgery Recovery Tips

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When you have Charcot Foot it is likely you will undergo at least one foot surgery and possibly more. While the effectiveness of surgery in treating Charcot Foot is regularly debated there are times it just cannot be avoided. When surgery is performed on an individual with Charcot Foot it is especially important to do everything possible to ensure the recovery process goes well. We talked with several people who have undergone Charcot Foot surgery to get their best foot surgery recovery tips to share with you.

Before Foot Surgery Care

Some of the most important steps you can take to ensure your foot surgery recovery is successful will take place before you ever have surgery. Planning ahead can save you foot surgery recovery time and improve the outcomes of foot reconstruction surgery.

Lindsay is a wonderful example of how to plan for foot surgery. She interviewed several surgeons before setting a surgery date, ensuring she was working with a competent surgeon. She also changed her diet prior to surgery and added vitamins and minerals to her diet to help encourage bone growth. She ate to her meter and maintained a stable A1C which also encourages healing.

The steps she took ahead of time helped achieve a very successful outcome of her foot reconstruction surgery.

Prior to her foot surgery, Jessie made extensive plans for her recovery period, including moving out of a third floor apartment and into a one story residence. As a single mom of two small children she knew she would need help to ensure she could stay compliant with being non-weight bearing. She made arrangements for family and friends to come help care for her children, made meals in advance which were frozen and could be thawed later and arranged for transportation to and from her medical appointments.

Here is a checklist of things to do prior to surgery to make your recovery period easier:

  • Fill any prescriptions your doctor gives you
  • Make physical therapy appointments and follow up appointments as recommended by your doctor
  • Prepare meals in advance and freeze them
  • Arrange for transportation as needed
  • Order any specialized equipment you will need at home. This includes crutches, knee scooter, shower chair or stool, cast cover for use in the shower, ice packs and grabbers.
  • Maintain a healthy diet and follow any pre-op instructions from your doctor

After Foot Surgery Care

Foot surgery recovery time varies for everyone but your physician should be able to give you a good idea of how long of a recovery period you are looking at. One of the most important ways to ensure your foot surgery recovery time is as short as possible is to make sure you are compliant with your doctor’s orders. If you are instructed to be non-weight bearing, then you need to be non-weight bearing. Not following doctor’s orders can set your recovery back and can lead to complications.

Pain can delay healing so make sure you talk with your doctor about how to maintain your pain after foot surgery. While some people experience little to no pain others have significant pain. Ice and meditation can also help with pain. Don’t rely solely on pain medication rather a variety of pain management techniques will be most beneficial.

When blood sugar levels are high it is hard for the body to heal. During Jessie’e foot reconstruction surgery recovery she made sure to keep close tabs on her blood sugar, using a continuous glucose monitor and maintaining a healthy diet.

Attend all foot surgery follow up appointments as recommended by your doctor. These appointments may be a challenge to get to but they allow your doctor to assess your recovery, identify any issues and treat and prevent infections.

If you feel like you are having post foot surgery complications of any type, contact your doctor right away. Significant redness, oozing from the surgery site, a temperature over 98.6 degrees are all indicators of infection. It’s important to address any complications as soon as they arise as it can save you in the long run.

Keep an eye on your mental health during the foot surgery recovery time. Being non-weight bearing and home bound can lead to feelings of isolation and depression. If you begin feeling depressed, let your family, support people and doctor know. It can help to have friends or family members come to visit during your foot surgery recovery to help keep your spirits up.

No matter how much you plan and prepare in advance of foot surgery the foot surgery recovery time is challenging. It’s not easy to recover from foot surgery but it is possible. Maintain an open relationship with your doctor and address all your concerns as they arise. Keep in mind, you are not alone! There are many of us with Charcot Foot who have been through the same thing. Reach out to others for support as well.

How To Complete Daily Tasks When Non-Weight Bearing

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Most of us with Charcot Foot panicked the first time we were told we had to be non-weight bearing. It’s overwhelming to try and comprehend how to complete daily tasks when non-weight bearing. The idea of showering, cooking, driving, working, taking care of our children, or even going to the bathroom when we aren’t able to walk normally is almost to much to fathom in those early days.

There is that old saying, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Individuals with Charcot Foot show time and again how true the statement is. We figure it out, we are resourceful and we get ideas from others. Here are some of the ways we have managed to complete daily tasks even when we are non-weight bearing.

Knee Scooters

Knee scooters quickly become the best friend of individuals with Charcot Foot. At first it may be a dreaded friend but it quickly becomes a life saver. Not only can it help you stay somewhat mobile must knee scooters come with a handy dandy basket! That basket has been a lifesaver to many with Charcot Foot.

We recommend buying a knee scooter rather than renting one. In the beginning, it is easy to think you will just need the scooter for a few weeks following diagnosis or surgery and then you can return it. The truth is the knee scooter will be helpful even after your doctor releases you to begin walking again.

There is always a chance you will need to be non-weight bearing again and if you own the scooter you already have it on hand. But even once you get walking again there are always those bad days where your feet may hurt more than others. Those are the days the scooter is just good to have. You can hide it away somewhere but when a rough day hits it is still readily available.

Assistive Devices

Assistive devices also know as daily living aids are so incredibly helpful! Daily living aids include items like grabbers, shoe horns, adjustable trays to place beside your bed or chair and elastic shoe laces. They may seem like small items but they can help you accomplish tasks while you are non-weight bearing and save you a lot of energy and frustration.

Bath and Shower Safety Aids

One of the big concerns for most of us when we have to go non-weight bearing is how in the world we will shower. The good news is there are tons of Bath and shower safety aids out there designed to help us. Even though tools like shower chairs and adjustable shower heads can help us tremendously we still recommend showering when someone else is in the home just in case you fall and need assistance.

Delivery, delivery, delivery

When you are non-weight bearing it is nearly impossible to do your own shopping. Not only is this an inconvenience but the isolation and loss of independence can be a huge blow to your emotional health. While delivery services don’t alleviate the isolation they do provide an answer to the question of how in the world you are going to get groceries.

If you weren’t an Amazon Prime member before Charcot Foot you most definitely need to be one now! With Amazon Prime you can get just about everything you need delivered to your door in two days. It’s a little bit of heaven. Amazon Prime also gives you access to a number of movies and shows to help keep you occupied while non-weight bearing.

There are many grocery stores that have delivery services. Delivery services do vary based on your location so you will have to check with individual stores. We have had success with Aldi and Dillon’s for grocery delivery. Wal-Mart offers curbside pick up which is another great option. You can place your order online and have a friend pick it up for you. Amazon Fresh is also being rolled out in some locations. Courtney is using it and says it’s a great program as well. It is likely to expand quickly to include more locations throughout the country.

Being non-weight bearing is tough. We will never claim it is an easy experience. But there are tools and resources out there to help. And remember, we are always here! If you need to vent, have questions or need some extra support, contact us!

How to keep your mind occupied while home bound

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Most people with Charcot Foot have experienced at least one period of time when they have been non weight-bearing. Unfortunately, the most common Charcot Foot treatment includes being non weight-bearing so it is likely those with the condition will have numerous times when they are non weight-bearing.

Being non weight-bearing can greatly impact your quality of life. It’s often boring, lonely and isolating. Prior to Charcot Foot, it is likely you wished for a day to sit around the house and do nothing. Now that you are stuck at home and off your feet you may be bored out of your mind. We reached out to a number of individuals with Charcot Foot to find out their tips for handling the non weight-bearing periods. Here are a few suggestions from people who have been there on what to do when bored at home.

Crossword puzzles and games

One suggestion we heard over and over from people with Charcot Foot is how they managed to keep their minds active by doing crossword puzzles and playing other mind stimulating games. Several people suggested online crossword puzzles they could complete on their phone or computer. One individual said each day they set a goal to complete a daily crossword puzzle without searching the internet for the answers. There are a wide assortment of crossword puzzle books, fill-it ins and suduko books out there to help you stay busy.

Beth tells us she found sticker mosaics to be very helpful when she was non weight-bearing. She isn’t a fan of puzzles but said the mosaics helped her to feel creative and stimulated her mind.

Catch up on your favorite shows

While we know binge watching television shows may not be the best use of our time we also know how boring it can be when stuck at home. When you are non weight-bearing it is a perfect time to catch up on your favorite shows and movies. We asked readers for suggestions on their favorite shows to watch. Maybe you can find a new favorite from one of the shows on the list.

  1. Last Man Standing
  2. Mindhunter
  3. Game of Thrones
  4. Pretty Little Liars
  5. The Handmaid’s Tale
  6. Lost
  7. Parks and Rec
  8. The Office
  9. Seinfeld
  10. This is Us

Join Postcrossing

We had never heard of Postcrossing.com until Jessie told us about it. Postcrossing is a project that allows you to send postcards and receive postcards back from random people around the world. That’s real postcards, not electronic! Here’s how it works.

  1. Register for a free postcrossing account at postcrossing.com
  2. Request an address and a postcard ID
  3. Mail a postcard to that address
  4. Receive a postcard from another postcrosser
  5. Register the Postcard ID you have received
  6. Go to number 1 to receive more postcards!

For each postcard you send you will get one in return. You can receive postcards from around the world and build quite a collection. We thought this was a fun way to stay connected to the outside world and enjoy a special delivery in your mailbox each day.

“During my period of being non weight-bearing I started postcrossing,” Jessie said. “I absolutely love it! I have received postcards from 17 different countries and 38 states. It was nice to get happy mail when I was stuck at home. Now it’s fun to continue doing it and learning more about different countries.”

Learn a new skill

Now is the perfect time to learn a new skill. Have you wanted to learn to crochet, memorize the names of all the countries in the world or learn to speak Spanish. Now is the time! You can learn all kinds of things on YouTube.

“I learned how to communicate using American Sign Language when I was non weight-bearing for six months,” Beth said. “I also taught myself how to crochet. I learned both by watching videos on YouTube.”

Charlie made it a goal to learn how to make his own fishing lures when he was recovering from his below the knee amputation. He loves to fish and says it helped him stay focused on the future.

“It was a depressing time for me,” Charlie said. “By making the fishing lures it reminded me I would get back out there and fish again. My life wasn’t over. Each time I finished a lure I knew I was planning for a future.”

Make a gratitude list

Several readers tell us making a gratitude list each day or even once a week helped them. When we are non weight-bearing and stuck at home it is very easy to become depressed and feel sorry for ourselves. With Charcot Foot it often feels like we are losing so much of our lives and independence. Making a list of the things we are grateful for can remind us we still have many positive aspects of our lives.

Set yourself a goal to write down five things you are grateful for each day!

Connect with others living with Charcot Foot

You may not be able to get out of the house but you can log onto the internet. There are several online groups for people living with Charcot Foot. Almost everyone we spoke with is a member of an online group and finds it helpful.

Here are three of our favorite online groups.

Charcot Foot Support

Charcot Foot Worldwide Support

Charcot Foot Research and Support Group

“The groups have helped me learn about Charcot Foot and help me feel connected to others who really get it,” Jessie said.

Being non weight-bearing and stuck at home can be boring. But there are so many ways to keep your mind active and relieve some of the boredom. What helps you when you are non weight-bearing?