If you are going for surgery, please ask the doctor what you can expect in the rehabilitation period, and what limitations will be placed on you. Carolyn recently underwent foot surgery and shares her experience.
Although I was informed about 2 weeks of bed rest and 6 weeks off work, I did not realise the impact of this on my body and mental health. When one has your foot higher than your heart, it is difficult to read and work on a laptop, and one gets a sore neck. Your body also becomes weaker with a lack of activity. It is very isolating being at home for weeks on end, not being able to contribute to the running of the household. Unless one has fantastic support at home, meals and refreshments can be a problem. Once the doctor allows you to be mobile again, please remember the joints are stiff, the foot swells and is painful. One can’t expect to be back to normal before a number of weeks of physiotherapy rehabilitation. If you are struggling mentally, please tell someone you trust, and if you are feeling depressed we can suggest a therapist to help with your mental health. Patience is required for a very long time!
