Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The Truth About Lisfranc Surgery Pain

I have had countless people ask me "are you in pain", or "how is your foot is doing?"  Most of the time I assume it is kind of like saying to someone you haven't talked to in a while "how are you?" and their response is usually "I am doing well." Yeah, it's kind of like having that conversation.

Last night we had a few friends stop by to have pizza with my husband and me.  When they arrived, my girlfriend went upstairs to help my husband in the kitchen.  As her husband leaned down to give me a hug, he said "how are you really, and I don't want the "I'm doing great" answer."  So I told him the truth.  Today I was with another person whom I knew wanted the truth and not the "I'm doing great" stock answer.  So I also told him the truth.  In both situations, neither man tried to "fix" my pain, or tell me they know how it feels, or try to tell me about a time they were in pain.   Instead they both just sat with my information and listened to me.  Both times, it was a very rewarding experience.  I felt understood and somewhat relieved to be able to share my pain with someone else.

Until yesterday,  I have not wanted to bore people with my details of my painful journey and certainly have never want to be labeled a complainer, so I have kept the bulk of my pain to myself.  But now, after 2 positive experiences of sharing my pain I have decided to be honest  with anyone who really wants to know.  *But I have to sense they are really interested.  So if you don't want to know, you should skip the next couple of paragraphs.

Any surgeon will tell you that lisfranc surgery is one of the most painful surgeries there is.  There are a multitude of bones, ligaments and nerves that all congregate in the mid foot area. Slicing that area open, drilling in a plate and screws will surely result in pain.  I was mentally prepared for this.  What I wasn't prepared for is how long I would be in some sort of pain.

Because my lisfranc diagnosis took so long, I had already endured a lot of pain while walking. I had a couple of months with a steady level 4 pain (and ate Advil like candy.)  After waking up from surgery, the nurse asked me if I was in any pain and I said I was.  This surprised her since I had a nerve block that was supposed to take care of my pain for up to 24 hours. (not a good sign.) My heel felt like it was on fire and she said that was from the cast.  I then told her the top of my foot hurt at a level 5-6.  She immediately got me some crackers and gave me 2 different kind of pain meds.  It took a while, but my pain level did go down enough so that I could get into our car and go home.

The nurse told me in order to stay ahead of the pain, I needed to take the pain meds on time, so when I got home, I set my iPhone alarm and took the meds right on time.  This worked through the first night.  The second night home, some friends were over bringing food and flowers and while I was trying to visit (although it is all very hazy) my pain level suddenly started ramping up like a train going down the tracks.  I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the nerve block had worn off (my foot felt like a dozen needles were being stuck in it) and that I was going to be in trouble pain-wise soon.  My girlfriend is an RN and immediately noticed something was wrong.  She got me up and literally put me to bed with pain meds, elevated my foot and put fresh ice on it as well.  It hurt so bad at that point I couldn't speak and felt like I was going to throw up.  (level 9) I am lucky that was the only time my pain reached that high of a level.  Within 5 days of surgery I was completely off narcotics and OTC (Extra Strength Tylenol.)

Each week as been a new kind of pain.  One week it was the top of my foot that throbbed.  Another week it was my ankle and 2 of my toes.  Last week it was my big toe which still aches like a toothache.   At all times the incision hurts and burns and I hate having anything (including my boot) touching it as this makes the pain worse.  I get shooting pains in all areas of my foot and at different times during the day and night.  I believe this is caused by my nerves trying to heal.   So now you know the truth.  Lisfranc surgery is painful and will cause various parts of your foot to hurt off and on and at different levels all throughout recovery.  I am looking forward to the day when I can honestly say my pain level is zero today! 

142 comments:

  1. Hi - I underwent lisfranc surgery 2 weeks ago ( a month after the injury) and my surgeon said everything went well - no pain til the 2nd day after surgery. Had 2 screws placed between 1st and 2nd metatarsal bones and everything 'cleaned up'. I get pains on and off throughout the day but thankfully can sleep the whole night no problem. My pains vary from toe pain (big toe feels like someone elses toe and throbs now and then) to incision pain - sort of stabbing pains and pins and needles - I don't mind the pains, what I do mind most of all is the numbness from my big toe down past my incision and an inch on either side of incision. When this area is touched even lightly I almost go thru the roof. I am hoping it will resolve itself in time. I have found the pain is better when I don't do much heel walking in my aircast and instead lay down with my foot elevated. Good luck to all.

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    1. Thanks for responding to my post. I find the big toe numbness annoying as well! I am now 22 weeks post op and the numbness has not gone away completely, but it is definitely much better. My PT told me it could take a full year to get complete sensation back. Hang in there. Each day the top of your foot will become less sensitive!

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    2. I'm 2 weeks into this. 9 screws, 2 plates and bone marrow retrieved from pelvis my foot, I was happy to find this blog. No one tells you just how painful this really is. I thought something was going wrong or I was just plain crazy. Thank you for sharing. You brought peace to me and my pain.

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    3. I'm just over 2 weeks post surgery and am so happy to have found this blog...between burning pain,stabbing pain throbbing(like a toothache) pain I was thinking something was seriously wrong.I get my first check and stitch removal tomorrow and have imagined all sorts of horrors under my bandages... I guess I'm sort of lucky tho cause I find if I sit really still and don't move it's not painful.To clarify the pain I spoke of earlier comes and goes all of a sudden,I nearly jump out of my chair.

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    4. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I had lisfranc surgery with a bunion repair a week and a half ago. The pain is so much worse than I expected. I had a total reverse shoulder replacement in April, and was off pain meds in 3 days. This is a different road to hoe. People just can't understand the burning (it feels like your feet are on fire), the throbbing pain. I actually appreciate when I get some numbness. I went to the doctor a week after surgery and after the bloody, gross bandages were removed, he took x-rays. He said the alignment is excellent, and the incisions were all very clean. I had two plugs between my 2nd and 3rd metatarsals, and the 4th and 5th, were the fractures were most severe. Other than that, the hardware looked good, and my foot didn't look "too bad" other than pretty severe swelling and bruising. Prior to surgery, I had a fracture blister, which delayed the surgery. Anyway, I'm doing pretty well with ibuprofen, elevation, and a lot of icing. Thank heavens the first week is over. Praying and wishing the best to all of you -
      Jan

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    5. I have had tightrope surgery on July 6 2015,and the pain I have now is unbelievable, I have showing pain up and down my left let,leg spasums,my foot tingles,burns,and the doctors that I go to just tell me.......we just don't know what's the problem is.just recently I was walking and my left ankle gave out.causing me to fall to the floor,now on top of the unbearable pain in my ankle.now my left knee is having the continuous pain as well.I wear a brace to keep my knee stable,but it doesn't seem to help.
      I am at a loss on how to control the pain .
      The doctor gave me tarmadol for pain but it doesn't do any good.i also take aleve to try to get some relief from the psin.to no avail.

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    6. I had lisfranc surgery on November 3rd 2016. Wow.....I can't describe the Pain I'm still having. Sometimes it feels as if I'm getting stung by a million bees at one time. My incision on top of my foot and on the side are still very sore. Has anyone experienced any pain from the bone right beneath their big toe? I still have not been released to return to work yet and honestly I know in my heart I'm not ready.

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    7. I had surgery in June 2014. So, 2 and a half years ago. I still have pain every single day. I cannot stand for long periods of time and the incision on the top is still so sore to touch. I cannot wear regular shoes. I'm desperately trying to find a pair of wellies I can get my foot into. I'm having no luck at the moment. There is nothing wrong with my operation. That was fine. It's just what you have to live with afterwards.

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    8. I had linzfranc surgery 5 days ago. I had 4 screws placed. My pain after the nerve block wore off was the worst pain I have ever felt, and ever want to feel again. Now 5 days into the recovery and I'm having all of the same pains as everyone else, but my toes are still really swollen. Did anyone ever have this issue? How long does the swelling in the toes last?. Not looking forward to the future with this foot problem.

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    9. I had surgery on 8/18/17. I have 3 plates, multiple screws and a pin. It's almost a month post op and my foot is extremely swollen and my toes look like little sausage's.

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    10. maybe Im lucky as far a s pain goes but I got injured on August 4th and has to wait a week till surgery as the swelling was so severe. August 11th was surgery. My pain steadily decreased every day since surgery. Rubbing my toes and trying to desensitize the fired up nerves. The cast came off 6 weeks after surgery into a boot still non-weight bearing though. Swelling is still there even after a week of ice and heat, rubbing and messaging my foot. Blood clot in calf did not help after the 5th week post op. Cast was a little too tight and a clot formed. I do have some tingling numbness from time to time but I have been diligent in trying to desensitize it. Again rub it like you love it! Still my foot looks like a sausage along with toes... 2 plates and 2 screws. Screws coming out scheduled 9 weeks after surgery... Wish me luck

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    11. I know this blog is old, but I'm almost 3 months into this sad injury that's literally thrown me into depression, as I have 4 kids to take care of.
      The hospital orthopaedic took me into surgery the next day after it happened. I have 6 screws and 2 plates. Its probably the worst pain I've ever felt. They told me swelling would last 24 months if not longer, but why the numbness in my foot! Why can't I get comfortable. Does anyone have any idea how to get the skin not so dry ? I'm ready to walk on my own :( but I cant even get my ankle to sit straight down. Take care all!!!

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    12. I am going to have the surgery tomorrow and am really concerned about the amount of pain I will have. I hurt it 2 days ago and I have to say that was the worst pain I have ever experienced. I think my family and friends don't know how severe and debilitating this injury/surgery is. My doctor even told me how badly she felt that I have this injury. So wish me luck tomorrow and in the days to come. At least after reading these things I know what to expect and hopefully will be somewhat prepared.

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    13. Maybe I am lucky but I have had absolutely no pain - I'm 7 weeks post surgery. Never had to take any pain killers at all.

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    14. I had to take pain killers straight after surgery but nothing since. I am in more pain now than after the surgery. My injury happened Feb 2016. I hope the pain doesn't get worse because it's starting to ruin my life.

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    15. Has anyone tried rx strength litocaine ointment. Does it help with the foot pain. I was prescribed it and it worked great but my insurance will not cover it anymore. What over the counter will work as good? I'm a carpenter and running around with this pain ever since my foot surgery. Oh wow it is some fun let me tell you. Lol.

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    16. For those of you that had no pain at all, do you mind sharing who your surgeons were and where they're located? I had this injury 1 1/2 years ago, completely misdiagnosed for a year, but now time to get it corrected once and for all, but these posts are completely scaring me!!

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    17. Hi I am so glad that I found this blog.. I am 8 weeks post the surgery. Doctor has asked to put partial weight . I don't know what that means. I have 2 screws and the external fixations were removed last week. Can anyone help me?

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    18. I am 6.5 weeks post lis franc surgery and though the first few days were rough, the pain has been manageable. I have not taken any pain meds since 4 days post surgery. So take heart - not everyone has such terrible terrible pain. I am now weight bearing in a boot for 2 weeks, and into comfortable shoes at 8 weeks post surgery. As per the request above, my surgery was done at trillium hospital in Mississauga, Canada.

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  2. I had surgery to place a mini tight rope in my lisfrac fracture Jan 29 2014. Pain meds for a few days and nothing g really after. My cast was removed about 3 weeks ago and it didn't hurt until 3 days ago. My toes feel as if they need to be popped! The injury site is fine (a little tight) and no real pan. However the outside of my foot is not doing so well.. The pain is sharp and I feel as if I am moving backwards in the recovery process and not forward. I can not get ahead of the swelling. I stick my foot in the cold pool (like icing) and I take some ibprophine. I am not able to sit with my foot elevated all day though. I tried tried some capsicum cream for pain, but this cause so much burning that it was unbearable. Kind of like soaking my foot in jalapeno juice. Haha. I hear everyday man you'll get better just give it time, give it time to heal, and I know how you feel cause I blew out my knee. No injury is the same and some are too much to come back from. I'm feeling especially crappy because I am a runner and competitor and athlete at a high level sport . its all very frustrating.

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    1. Be sure no clots formed.. I was getting better steadily and then something was not right. Started to get swelling and lo and behold a clot had formed. Tell your doctor

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  3. I had the tightrope procedure August 24th, 2014. They placed two sets of tightropes with a total of 4 buttons. My cast comes off tomorrow.
    I can relate to both posts about all the tingling and randomness of shooting pains in various places in my foot. My big toe is ridiculously sensitive. Thanks for posting your experiences. It makes me realize that what I am experiencing is sort of "normal" if you can call it that. I have been very lucky to have a ice pad that is integrated into my cast. BEST THING EVER!!! My swelling is getting worse as I get near the cast coming off.
    I went 5 weeks before surgery, I was having difficulty walking. A new doctor finally did weight bearing X-rays.
    I am a nurse and ready to be walking and back to work but it seems that I am in for the long hall. I won't be back at work in 2 weeks post the cast like I want to be.

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    1. I just had this tightrope procedure on Monday what was your recovery like. Right now my foot is on fire and keep getting nerve pains in that foot.

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    2. I just had a tight rope put in my left foot 4 days ago. Still pins and needles, big toe is sensitive and it feels like there's a knot in the bottom of my foot

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  4. Hi Robert
    My heart went out to you after I got your post and I can't stop thinking about what you are going through. I found lisfranc surgery to be extremely painful as well and my thought is maybe you should contact your surgeon and see if he/she can prescribe a different pain medication? The medication you were using before surgery may not be strong enough to combat the pain after surgery. Also, different people react differently to different pain meds, so maybe a switch in medication is all you need. Call NOW!!!!

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  5. Robert, I feel for you. I had screws put in 12 weeks ago and just had them out a week ago. I walked on my injury for 4months which sounds ridiculous. But iwas told I had ligament damage so had a camboot on and was having physio. This is the most mentally and physically challenging thing I've ever been through. I have two small boys and could walk for 10 weeks and being told to stay of it for another two weeks. I've had babies and the post op pain is far far worse. Go and get better pain relief and stay on top of the pain. I was on endone OxyContin and tramadol. Withdrawing was dealt with later. As my surgeon said take everything to deal with the pain that's the primary issue, once that pain gets on top of you it's very hard to control. Call your surgeon ASAP please. I'm 8 days post op screw removal and toes are screaming in pain. Stitches out tomo and back on meds till it gets better. THERE ARE some good news stories so don't google cause all you'll find are the bad ones. You're not alone, it's bloody awful but you pain will subside in a week or so. In the meantime try to catch up on emails and phone calls and books but pls pls get your meds sorted. Thinking of you from Sydney.

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  6. I had my lisfranc surgery yesterday. 2 nerve blocks and lots of pain meds, I left the hospital feeling no pain at all.

    I left the hospital with a prescription for oxycontin which I have been taking every 4 hours.. Sine 4am I have been in the most intense pain I could ever imagine, I feel like I can barely even catch my breath! Burning, aching, throbbing, it's so horrible. The oxy doesn't seem to be working at all.

    How long is this excruciating pain going to last for? Should I ask for a different pain medication? Oxycontin isn't even making me sleepy or subsiding the pain whatsoever.

    Thank you for all sharing!

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    1. Hi Lauren
      I am so sorry you are in such great agony!! It is obvious that your nerve block wore off and your body is reacting to the sudden onslaught of pain. You might want to consider calling your surgeon's office and describe your pain level to see if a different combination of drugs might work better for you. The other thing you can do is make sure your foot is elevated above your heart at all times and ice, ice, ice. Right now, you are in the worst part of recovery where every hour is excruciating, but I promise, it does get more tolerable.

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    2. Thanks for the reply Puma, yesterday was so horrible. About 8 hours after I wrote this post I started getting really nauseous, probably from the meds. I called my surgeon and described what was going on - she suggested a new prescription, Tramadol, which is not as strong as the oxy, but not as hard on my system.. It seems to be working better. Yesterday was hell, but you're right, every day will get easier. I actually managed to sleep for a few hours last night/today which has been fantastic :) I'm keeping my foot elevated around the clock and icing as often as possible. It's wrapped in tensor bandages and a "walking boot", which I've been instructed not to touch until my follow up appointment in 2 weeks.

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    3. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for exercises that can be done while NWB to improve recovery and healing?

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    4. Hi l had surgery for lisfranc injury 4 weeks ago, l was off meds in 5 days, tolerated the pain well, l have been partially weight bearing after 2 weeks l think doing this if you can bear it is best, doc said l could l have had no cast or boot scince then walking with a limp still but so much better, don't lie down to this injury

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  7. Hi All,,

    I had my lisfranc surgery two weeks ago and am getting a NWB cast tomorrow. I've been in very little pain but I know it will come soon. Did any of you do any exercises while you were NWB? Toe raises? Hamstring raises? Any recommendations for how to deal with the surgery?

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  8. HI EVERYONE I HAD MY LIS FRANC SURGERY AND MIDFUSION SURGERY DONE AT THE SAME TIME 5 MONTHS AGO, 10 SCREWS AND 2 PLATES, PAIN WASN'T THE WORD FOR IT, GAVE ME A NERVE BLOCK THAT WAS USELESS, NOW THE HARDWARE IN MY FOOT IS CAUSING MORE PAIN THEN MY INJURY, AND WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO COME OUT, DREADING THAT. EVERYONE KEEP YOUR HEAD UP,AND STAY ENCOURAGED.
    AUDREY.

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  9. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for exercises that can be done while NWB to improve recovery and healing?

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  10. I read this blog about 3 weeks ago, before undergoing lisfranc surgery. I'm feeling very grateful-my injury seems far less severe than some of the others' that have posted here. I only have one screw, on the inside of my right foot, from the main part of the lisfranc joint, up into my 2nd metatarsal bone. I was extremely worried about this surgery, as I am pregnant, and was terrified that the pain would be unbearable, and I wouldn't be able to take anything but Tylenol for it (narcotics and I do not mix). However, after having surgery on April 10th, 3 weeks ago today, I am feeling good. Some numbness and tingling, but I think that's more to the fact that I'm starting to gain some pregnancy water weight, and my hard cast is getting tight due to that. This has definitely been a roller coaster ride, and not a fun one-the kind where you feel like you're on the verge of throwing up from the first drop. I'm certainly grateful for the courage this blog gave me. The pain after surgery was horrific, but I will suggest this-if you have the opportunity to use/rent a polar ice machine, before going into a hard cast, DO IT! Even though I couldn't physically feel the cold on my foot, I swear the pressure from the compression pad and the cold must have helped, even if only subconsciously. I only took Tylenol, every 6 hours for the pain, which really did nothing, but this was definitely a mind over matter situation, in my case. This isn't over yet. I will have the first hard cast and stitches removed from my incisions next week, and then have another hard cast put on for an additional three weeks. At least I'll be weight-bearing in time for my baby to get here in July. :) He's done well through all of this craziness, for which I am so grateful. I wanted to offer some words of comfort, as I have received some from previous posts. HANG IN THERE!! This is tough, and painful. But each day it will get better, and if it's not, call your doc! That's what they're there for. Ask your doctor about NWB exercises too-they'll know what you can/can't do. I'm limited in what I can do, but am going to start using my pregnancy exercise sheet, and modifying things where I have to. Good luck to each of you lisfranc surgery pain survivors! I'm glad I'm not the only one who's been through this. That gives me a great deal of comfort.

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    1. Hi - I came across your story. I need Linsafranc surgery and I am 5 weeks pregnant. I am so scared because of the baby - the risk - and the pain - with just Tylenol. How long did you take you to fully recover?

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    2. HI Alicia,

      how r u feeling now after your lisfranc surgery?

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  11. Thanx for sharing such useful post keep it up :) 

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  12. Thank you, thank you for all the posts and for writing this wonderful blog. It's so nice to hear other people's story and journey. I had a lisfranc surgery 2 days ago. I'm starting to get very nervous about the pain that is to come. My foot is still a little numb from the nerve block and I'm keeping up with my pain med schedule. Being a mother of a 3 year old and a 1 year old, has been so difficult. This was supposed to be our fun filled summer and now mommy is stuck on the couch. Staying positive and praying for manageable pain!!

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  13. I agree-this blogspot has been useful. This injury is very obscure so it is nice to have a place to share "war stories" and useful info! My injury was due to a car accident. Luckily my ER doc rapidly determined the nature of my injury and one week later after some swelling decreased I was in for surgery. I am now 2 weeks post-op with 10 screws, 2 plates, 2 pins and 1 bone graft on my cuboid (?). My surgeon gloriously told me It was far worse than he originally thought it would be going in and that it is the worst Lisfranc case he has seen thus far-not a #1 slot I hoped to make. Pain was excrutiating as I did not receive a nerve block due to past medical issues. I called my doc and received better pain meds to relieve most of pain after the lack of sleep for first night home. Once on top of the pain it wasn't as bad albeit still quite painful. Had stitches removed 5 days ago and swapped to hard cast for addt'l 2 more weeks. Preferred position is still with leg elevated as swelling occurs when out and about for too long but very thankful for the rented knee scooter I get around on vice the crutches! Still getting random aches and throbs that seem to occur mostly on the top of my foot and the inside of my foot closest to my big toe. Windering when this ends? Finding a comfortable position seems near impossible always. Doc says I may be moving to partial weight bearing boot after this next cast is done in 2 wks and pins are removed. And says only the longest screw may be considered for removal percutaneously after at least 6 mos. Curious how all of this hardware will affect a person's gait/overall foot movement?

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  14. My doctor let me take meds every 4 hours instead of 6 and i added in ibprofen at night so i could sleep. I had a compassionate dr. Also lots of ice compresses behind the knee. I found i would just leave a small one on under my knee so i could sleep... otherwise the pain was too excruciating.

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  15. Hi, I had my lis franc surgery 6 months ago. It was misdiagnosed in Emergency (A+E) as a fracture and I was recommended light exercise..! I was weightbearing for 8 days til I saw the orthopaedic specialist who diagnosed lis franc. Needless to say the injury was very severe when the doctor compared the original A + E x-ray and the one they did at the specialist. I had surgery right away and 10 weeks non weight bearing cast, about 10 weeks moonboot and crutches. I had surgery 2 and a half weeks ago to get the screw taken out. I went in today to see the specialist and he said he's concerned about the x-ray-I have to go in for an emergency MRI scan and I may have to get another operation to get the screw put back in. I am in the UK and am dealing with the nightmare of the NHS system (I'm originally from Australia). Any fellow lis franc people-ever heard of having to get the screw/hardware taken out-then put back in....I'm concerned about the quality of care I'm getting over here, let's say it has been very worrying. All the best and hope that you all have full recovery

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  16. Hi my name is laurin, I was also mis diagnosed and so was forcing myself to walk on my injured fott for five weeks. I had surgery 3months ago and am still in intense pain.My heel mostly but my toes and instep too. I get the hardware removed in about two weeks. I need to know I'm not the only one...please is there anyone out there I can talk to about pain management.

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    2. Hi, I just had lisfranc surgery on friday, Saturday and Sunday I took my meds as prescribed, and didn't feel much pain, but today it intensified, there is burning almost a raw feeling at the heel of my foot, at first i thought it was just reacting to the splint being there, and maybe not enough cushion, but it's getting worse and worse. I cried so hard I can't breath, it tends to relax after about 5 minutes of massage, very gently of course, I'm wondering if I might have some nerve damage, otherwise I don't think it would come and go like it does,

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  17. Hi I'm 43 yr old female. I am 3 weeks 3 days post surgery. I don't want to scare anyone about to have this surgery but this was the most pain I've ever experienced. If you can survive a week then you will be ok. My splint is off. Dr put me right to a boot. Stitches out at 3 weeks since my swelling wouldn't go away. I am one week off oxy and am doing ok. I have no desire to put weight on it or even touch it. I shower with it now which is good for me. I'm overweight but have mastered crutches. Best advice I can give is invest in NOT A KNEELING SCOOTER but Google on Amazon a sitting non weight bearing scooter. Looks same but has bike seat. With it I can go to the kitchen, bathroom, etc.i submitted to insurance and they covered it! I think reading these posts helped immensely to know I wasn't the only person experiencing this lisfranc surgery. My pins and plates stay for good so I really hope my healing continues. Letmeghanhandleit@gmail.com is my email if anyone has questions or needs encouragement. We all have our down days.

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  18. Hi, I am 67 and had surgery on February 8th. My GP did x-rays and immediately had surgery a week later by a foot/ankle specialist. The CT scan did not look bad, but when she got in there it was much worse. 6 screws and a metal plate. Block and pain meds made me too nauseated after surgery, they kept me in the hospital over night. I took the Oxycodone every 4 hours, but was in pain and pretty much out of it for 3-4 days. Then broke out in hives from the Oxycodone. So have been going through the pain cold turkey. About 2pm I have a glass of wine. Do not do this if you are on pain meds. This is sort of my reward for not killing anyone around me because of the pain. I bought a knee scooter and it was been a godsend. I am in a boot, I have been taking it off at night, because it has thrown my hip out. I get my stitches Monday. My worst pain today is cramping in my arch, which will take your breath away. Thank you so much for this wonder post. I thought I was going crazy.

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  19. Hi Vicky. You are almost to the no pain mark. When I hit week three no more pain. At almost 8 now and still none. Still have the nerve shock thing once in a while. All of my toes are still completely numb. You are lucky. I couldn't take boot off other then shower til week 6. Now that I can and sleep with no boot it's heavenly. They kept telling me non weight bearing til week 12 but now they say at week 8 (this week) I can (with boot on) start w 25% of my weight. Then by week 12 be at 50% body weight. At 12 weeks then they are getting me back in a shoe. If you have bad days you can message me at letmeghanhandleit@gmail.com. This surgery is not fun to go thru at all. Stay strong! You got this!!!!

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  20. Hi Meghan, Had my stitches out last week and was reprimanded about not wearing the boot at night. So I am wearing the boot 24 hours now. I am allowed to undo the straps when sitting/lying on the sofa, to keep it from sweating. No pain now, but do have this burning sensation on the ball of my foot when drives me crazy, it feels like it is on fire. Still no shower on my right leg, but told I can finally shave that leg, which is not a pretty sight. I have been out of the house two times now. Yahoo. Back to the doctor March 14th to see progress and whats next.

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  21. Hi! I am so thankful for finding this site! I fell down my stairs from the top..9 steps on Nov, 22 2015. went to the local emergency room and was told that the Orthopedic doctor on staff had never seen a break this bad and I had to be sent to their sister hospital to be taken care of ( I won't lie this scarred the hell out of me!) When I got to the next hospital thank God they knew what they were doing! They manipulated my foot back into place and "hung" my toes for 2 hours to try to straighten everything back into place. I was sent home with a soft cast and told to come back to their office on Monday, as I had my accident on a Sunday morning. I will tell you the pain was ungodly! When I went to the appointment I was given a surgery date on Dec. 7th. They put me in a hard cast and off I went. 2 weeks later I had my surgery and I now have 1 plate and 6 screws in my foot. they once again told me to come back in 4 weeks for my 1st checkup, I have since been to the doctor every six weeks and each time I had my cast removed, exrays taken and then re casted, finally after 1 soft cast and 3 hard cast I was given a NO weight bearing boot, let me tell you that was horrible, bulky and very heavy! I am finally cast and boot free as of the 16th of March, who knew this would be a almost 4 month journey! I know have 6 weeks of 3 days a week physical therapy and can walk again...sort of very slowly with a noticeable limp. If I am on my feet for more than 30 min. at a time my foot swells up like a oompa loompa! The pain I am still having 4 months later is insane, my feet feel like water balloons, and my two middle toes still will not work by themselves its almost like they are glued together! My big toe doesn't even feel like it belongs to me, I get such electric shocks that run up my foot and into my big to that I just sit and cry from the pain. Now I'm being told that they can no longer give me anymore pain medication because by the law I have reached my max limit of what they can legally prescribe too me. Tylenol, ibuprofen do not help at all its like taking candy. I now have an appointment for tomorrow with a Pain Management doctor and I will have to wait and see what they decide to do about this pain, on a scale of 1-10 I'm about a constant 7 and this stinks, I have finally reached the point that when my family asks me how my foot is I just say 'it is what it is" cause I know they are tired of hearing me complain. So to all of you out there that has had to deal with a LisFranc break my heart goes out to you! My surgeon has informed me that this severe of a break is going to take up to 18 months to heal, whoo hoo!

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  22. I had a liz franc fracture and dislocation of the first two metatarsels. In all I broke 8 bones, including the major ones in the arch. Every tendon and ligament was shredded. I didnt have insurance, so I had to go with the cast for a year instead of getting pins ect. I have been seeing a pain doctor for 7 years and I am tired of taking all this medicene. My pain is not better There is a spot of arthritis on the top of my foot the size of a quarter and I use a cane on rainy days. I just don't know how to deal with this anymore. I dropped my pain meds last month and I am currently doing prolotherapy hoping for some relief. I was told that a possible fusion would help...has anyone here had this done? Did it help? thanks~

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    1. I did have the fusion as no other choice would work as didnt diagnoise soon enough...It still has its down points as a lot of numbness as the nerves around the fusion can get entrapped...some goes away and some may never...however, I am much better off then before when I would cry in pain all the time when alone...now i rarely have that kind of pain just uncomfortable and steps harder no pain meds...Wish you luck I know it is difficult.

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    2. I had surgery for my lisfranc injury following a car wreck almost 2 years ago. It was, and still remains the most painful thing I have ever endured in my entire life—I’m 50 years old and at times feel 90 because I walk with a limp and require assistance on uneven terrain. The swelling has never really improved and the nerve pain is ungodly. Toes look like sausages. About 6 weeks ago i had another surgery to relieve some of the symptoms that were identified as culprits for the prolonged pain. I now have permanent hardware and a fusion of the second metatarsal. Now my foot looks completely deformed and when I thought the pain couldn’t possibly get any worse, it did. This has been a difficult two years not only dealing with pain, missing months of work, spending months non-weight bearing, and trying to balance pain meds against the fear of becoming dependent on them. The only pain medicine that even moderately helped me Post-op was dilaudid and gabapentin. I had to take both in order to sleep or even make it through the day without writhing in pain. Sorry to paint such a bleak picture, but anyone who knows me knows I can tolerate a lot. I went from running half marathons and 5Ks several times a year to barely being able to walk from the kitchen to the living room in my own house. It’s discouraging as someone who has always been so active. Good luck to you, but I guess the take away from my experience is don’t have subsequent surgeries after the lisfranc surgery. It seems that every time the foot is cut open, it becomes very compromised.

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  23. I had a liz franc fracture and dislocation of the first two metatarsels. In all I broke 8 bones, including the major ones in the arch. Every tendon and ligament was shredded. I didnt have insurance, so I had to go with the cast for a year instead of getting pins ect. I have been seeing a pain doctor for 7 years and I am tired of taking all this medicene. My pain is not better There is a spot of arthritis on the top of my foot the size of a quarter and I use a cane on rainy days. I just don't know how to deal with this anymore. I dropped my pain meds last month and I am currently doing prolotherapy hoping for some relief. I was told that a possible fusion would help...has anyone here had this done? Did it help? thanks~

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  24. Good afternoon everyone! I'm Chassity, a 29yo female that was physically active and in good health until I had my injury (right foot) in the wee hours of Feb. 28th while bowling with friends. Like some of the others on here, I went to the ER and they didn't see any breaks, that it was just a midfoot sprain, and told me to use crutches and that I'd be back to normal in about a week. after that week, I was able to get my shoe back on and walking on it with tolerable pain (about a 2). Fast forward 3 weeks and the pain is not subsiding. So here I was 4 weeks out from the incident; I decided to make an appt. with a podiatrist and it's a good thing I did. He took WB xrays and didn't see any bone fragments, but noticed a gap between the first 2 metatarsals and cuneiforms. He then took comparisons with my left foot and there it was. Good foot= 1mm gap; bad foot= 5mm gap. He suspected a Lisfranc Injury so he took me off of work and put me in a boot and back on the crutches for 2 weeks and in that time, sent me for an MRI. When I came back in after the 2 week, it was the worst news I wanted. Completely torn Lisfranc Ligament and fracture/dislocation--- ORIF it is. I was devastated. Because I had been walking on it, I thought for sure I could get lucky and just have some therapy to pull through this. So here I am right now, 7 weeks post-injury, and I now have a surgery date: April 29th. I had already been made aware of the long recovery process this would be, but reading all of these personal stories has really helped me know what I may be facing. I'm the planning/ list-making type so I like knowing what to expect, no matter how bad it sounds like it may be lol. I have a list of things that I need to get/do before the surgery, but any suggestions from personal accounts would be helpful. I'm already getting a power recliner since I'll be living in it (bedroom is upstairs), and I plan to get a knee scooter to ditch the crutches, but what were some other things you found useful for showering, meal prep (and recipes!) passing the time? Looking forward to suggestions/tips and I'll also try to remember to post after I have surgery in a couple of weeks! :)

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  25. """""PLEASE READ!"""""""""" I am here to warn EVERYONE that if your doctor prescribes ANY form of a narcotic IE Oxy's you should be aware that when you stop taking this form of medication you WILL go thru a detox period! My doctor did not explain this to me and as I am not one to "pop" pills I had no idea that this would happen. I ran out of my oxycodone last wed and my doctor told me that I was at the "maximum amount allowed" by law and she could no longer prescribe me this as my pain medication, I believed that maybe the pain was not so bad and I could just use Tylenol to manage my pain....boy was I ever wrong! If you have never detoxed off of oxycodone before, let me tell you the HELL you will be in for the next week: 1st night was ok...pain but not completely unbearable, 2nd day (now here is where the real fun began) I could not sit still, very moody and edgy, 3rd and 4th days were a living nightmare, not only the above symptoms but now all my nerve endings felt on fire I would just stand and bounce up and down shaking my hands and feet crying from the sensations in all my nerve endings. Now the real pain in my foot comes back full force as I no longer have any pain medication in my system, nothing and I mean nothing helps! If I am up and moving it is a bit more bearable yet the moment I try to sit and relax or heaven forbid get some sleep my body starts shaking from the detox. I was on oxycodone for 5 months 5mg at a time 4 times a day (20mg) a day. I now know what it means to be "dope sick" it is living hell. If your doctor prescribes Oxycodone beg them for anything! else. I am now on my 6th day of detox and while I no longer have this medication in my system and I feel like the end is in site my foot pain is back to a 10 and nothing works to take the edge off of it. I go back to the doctor on Thursday for my final checkup and to see what else I can do about the pain, but in NO way will I accept another prescription for Oxycodone!!!!

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  26. I too was miss diagnosed for two months as regular xrays did not show the fracture so I walked in pain for months. I was told that at that point no rush for surgery and could try wearing rocker sneakers as they comfort the foot so it can heal and some people do not need surgery at that point..Did that and it got rid of most of the pain while it healed but then the swelling started and it was just to painful not to have the surgery. That was over a year ago - never would have survived without the knee scooter was great. Also once you go to the boot keep foot in boot while sleeping keeps the pressure off...Also made a lot of meals and froze before going in made it easy for my bf to make dinner..I was up on scooter after 2 days on scooter making easy meals. However..now 15 months post surgery - still painful...bad cramps in legs, a bout of plantar facilitis as tendons are so tight since surgery.It helps to roll them like runners do with a item called "the Stick" can find on amazon..still plenty of numbness in big toe and two little toes...it gets a lil better every month but slow...steps still painful at end of day...I never used the narcotics after the 2nd day and rarely use other anti-inflammatory agents as they make the bones heal slower unless I have been on all day and throbbing...The doctor recently stated to give it more time and if still bothered can get a second surgery to get rid of plate and screws...but then another month not getting around so think waitign a lil longer is best bet... PT was a big help so the more you do the better.Hot tub helps now when sore.

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  27. Hi all,
    I injured my foot on Feb 9th by falling over - have always been clumsy - I ended up having surgery on 4th March due to a lisfranc injury, and I have a plate and 2 screws. I was in a cast until about 3 weeks ago when they took out the stitches and placed me in a boot ... which was great as it meant I could take it off for bath and bedtimes! I have been quite lucky pain wise, as there was hardly any after the surgery. My 3 middle toes are still quite numb, and they don't hardly move either, which I am pretty sure is nerve damage.
    The surgeon said that I could very slowly, start weight bearing on my foot but only in the boot, and he meant, really slowly. I think I am doing quite well, and I do put my foot on the floor whilst using my crutches.
    However, I am aware that at some point I will need to put weight on the foot in order to start walking again ... I have an issue with this ... I am really frightened about doing this ... has anyone else felt like that? I know I will need to get over the fear, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I have a few times managed to do it but I get a sharp shooting pain along the bottom of my foot.
    Any advice would be greatly welcomed!

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  28. Hi everyone, I am preparing for surgery due to a lisfranc injury on my right foot. I have been NWB for two weeks, since the injury occurred. My doctor is putting me under anesthesia for a stress test before cutting. Has anyone gone through this? Still hoping for some good news. I currently feel some stabbing and numbness but nothing major. Trying to prepare mentally for this long road ahead.

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  29. I am in so much pain. Norco is not working. I can't sleep and all I can do is cry from the pain. My first night after surgery is unbearable. I want it to be daylight so I can call the doctor for stronger meds!!!

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  30. I found that icing my foot to death was the only help after my surgery. The night after my nerve block wore off was the worst and it got better after that! I only had one screw put in my foot though so you may have more pain than I had.

    My next surgery to take the screw out is June 24th. I was told as soon as that screw is out I can walk on it in my boot. I was in a cast for four weeks and for three weeks in still on a knee scooter in a boot. I sometimes feel like I can feel the screw in my foot but maybe that is just nerves reconnecting like y'all say. It's an annoying pain but it's not constant. The worst part for me is that I broke my right foot so I'm not allowed to drive which means I can't go to work unless someone else takes me. It's really depressing and frustrating to not be able to walk for seven plus weeks.

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  31. I would like to give everyone a positive story about my lisfrinc fracture/ dislocation. I am a firefighter and injured my foot on a fire. I knew immediately that something was injured and followed all advice from ER Doctor as wel as health center doc- until I was able to get into an ortho doc the following week. During this time I used no pain meds and was ambulatory w walking boot. I was fortunate to have the best foot doc in my state perform the surgery. The first 48 hours I followed pain protocol and then stopped taking the 5/325 Percocet. I started exercising 4 days post surgery and that really made me feel good and reduced any pain I was having. I elevate my foot frequently throughout the day and am in a cast at the moment. I have 3 weeks and 3 days till I can walk in a boot!! Don't let the pain get you down. Reduce sodium intake to zero, eat healthy food, drink a lot of water, and make yourself get up and do some form of exercise. BTW I had 3 biodegradable screws placed. Keep your head up everyone...

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    1. Hi,
      What state has biodegradable svrews. Thanks so much for your service. God bless.

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  32. I had my lisfranc surgery this past Monday which was a month after my original injury. Long story short the fracture wasn't seen on the original X-rays or MRI. MRI just showed partial ligament tears and bone bruising so I was put in a walking cast. Well 2 1/2 weeks later the new X-ray showed the fractures. Had 2 screws put in during surgery. The ice machine has been a god send and I haven't really needed the oxy. I have started getting heel pain which neither the ice machine or oxy help and which wakes me up at night. I had assumed that maybe the cast doesn't have enough padding in the heel but after finding this site I no longer think that. What can I do to relieve this pain?

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  33. Hi everyone,
    My name is Bruce, I had my Lisfranc injury in September of last year. Luckily I wasn't misdiagnosed like a lot of people here. The first doctor I saw immediately recognized it as a Lisfranc and sent me to an orthopedic surgeon. My surgery took place only two weeks after my fall, I had two screws one plate and five pins up until this May. That road was long and very painful, but I was able to get back to work where I sometimes am required to walk up to 20 miles a day. The amount of walking I was doing eventually detached the pins from the plate resulting in the removal of most of my hardware, as of today I only have one screw left at the base of my ankle. I wish I could say that two months later I'm feeling better, but the truth is my foot is still killing me every day. I have to work to support my family and my work involves an insane amount of walking, and unfortunately I'm uncapable of doing anything else. I have tried all kinds of painkillers, but none of them really work, and PT helps get me stronger but doesn't do much in terms of relieving pain. It's relieving to see that others are going through similar situations and that it's not me who's simply crazy. If anyone has any advice on how to relieve pain from this that would be awesome, let me know if there is any light at the end of this tunnel... Thank you!

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  34. Hello, PLEASE READ IM IN SO MUCH PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    My name is Jamie I am 19 years old. in october 2015 i shattered my heal and got a plate a 6 screws put in my foot. I was non weight bearing for 3 months so I was pretty used to a recovery process.

    Now i have fractured my 3rd metatarsal and have a lisfranc injury. I got surgery 4 weeks ago for my lisfranc, I only got 3 screws put in. The first two weeks was not bad, bad pain after the nerve block was gone but then it seemed to get better pretty quick. But after two weeks the pain became worse. I am now in the most pain i have ever been in, 10 times worse than my heal, (and with my heal i was in the hospital for three days post surgery) The doctors told me i should of been off pain meds after only TWO WEEKS. I have gone back twice in the past week and a half because i swear something doesnt feel right but they keep saying it looks fine.

    I feel like I can feel each screw in my bone. Im still in a cast, in my X-ray you can see that the head of the nails are sticking out quite a bit out of my bone so i believe the pain is coming from being in a cast thats so tight on the screw heads. But also when i move my foot certain ways i get very sharp pains where the screws are and it just doesnt feel right!!! The doctor prescribed me 5 mg oxycodone and ive been taking two at a time and that doesnt help the sharp pains i have at all. I havent been able to get more than a hour of sleep at a time because of how uncomfortable my foot is 24/7. Has anyone else experienced this kind of pain?

    Im really worried and freaking out because im supposed to go back to college in 3 weeks and i was hoping to be walking in a boot and not in this much pain but at the rate im going i dont even know if i will be able to go back to school.

    SOMEONE HELP!!!!
    thank you.

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  35. I fractured my foot on the 9th July on a trampoline. I was unable to walk on it and after 12 days in and out of hospital I eventually had surgery, where I had a plate and two screws. I had no pain after surgery and was waiting for it to come, the first week home I was pain free but kept up with the pain killers as I didn't want it to start hurting. The second week my big toe began to have a sharp pain and I couldn't find a comfortable position but at least in the plaster cast I was able to sleep. I had my stitches removed on the 4th August and have been given an air cast/ boot which I need to wear at all times. This is even worse to sleep in and is squashing my big toe which doesn't help with the pain. I am now only on over the counter pain killers but they don't seem to be helping so I am now stuck in constant pain. I am expecting this to get worse before it gets better, hopefully the next 4 weeks fly by until I need to go back to the hospital for a check up. Good luck to all of you preparing or recovering from surgery :)

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  36. I fell off my front porch hanging a hummingbird feeder on June 14th, 11 days before my son's wedding! Went to a walk in clinic the next day and they quickly diagnosed a lisfranc fracture, sent me to a local ortho who ordered a CT scan. The CT showed significant injuries and I was referred to a ortho foot specialist an hour away. Surgery on July 1st to repair lisfranc fracture dislocation, midfoot intercuneiform fracture dislocation, cuboid displaced intraarticular fracture and third metatarsal fracture. I had a spinal along with nerve block and discharged the same day. Woke up the next morning at 4 AM in some pretty awful pain and pretty much took my Oxy until 3 PM and slept the day away. After that, only needed one Vicodin at night for about 10 days and other than little twinges here and there, no real pain since. Follow up July 19th, XRays showing good healing, casted and sent home with follow up on August 10th. Repeat XRays on 8/10 with continued good healing and found out then (by the PA counting from XRay) that there are 11-13 screws!!! Put in a boot and sent home with weight bearing program, no PT?, and next appointment October 12th to schedule removal of pins and told I have to wear the boot until the screws are removed. I've started on the weight bearing program and it was GREAT to finally soak and wash my foot & leg!!!! I'm doing pretty good and the pain is not bad during the day but when I go to bed the pain is significant and keeping me awake. Anyone else experience this just at night? I realize this is part of the process and am willing to do whatever I have to in able to get to the other side but also don't want to make things worse. Never had even heard of this injury prior to my diagnosis and now have a new found respect for all my fellow "lisfrancer's"!!!!

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  37. This blog has been so helpful in trying to imagine what to expect. My lisfranc injury was misdiagnosed in ER as sprain and only 8 days later found by my GP, with surgery 3+ weeks after initial injury (during a baseball game...okay, I'm 54). My surgery sounds similar to Heidi's and I'm only 4 days post surgery. I did want to say though - yes, everyone's pain experience is different and I know it will change - but I was able to get off the oxycodone fully by day 2 and am now using half of full dose of extra strength Tylenol. I am doing "arm cardio" with leg elevated which is giving me a bit of sanity. I definitely notice that virtually total elevation this early is required to keep pain minimal. Stitches out late next week and I am eager to see if it will be casted or booted. Like someone else said, prepare for a huge foot-to almost knee bandage as big as an elephant.

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  38. Not sure many are still reading this as the blog is old, but thought I'd give an update about a question I had going into this. I am now 9 days post surgery and feel like the first bit of all this has gone well, even with a significant lisfranc injury and "major" surgery. My elephant size bandage came off today, incision looked good, and I was informed that my stitches will dissolve and no cast but I just get to wear the boot when active (including sleep for a few weeks). Part of my foot is for sure numbish which hopefully will fade over time as others have said. So awesome to have skin bare, especially as we head into 100 degrees. Other thing I didn't mention was my surgeon's comment that the hardware stays in unless it creates a problem. No pain meds (other than aspirin because of clot concerns) except a Tylenol at night. Now 5 weeks NWB until next X-ray.

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    1. Dede, I wanted you to know that people are still reading this blog and your posts. My wife is now 3 weeks post surgery (on 8/30/17) for a severe Lisfranc fracture and dislocation. I'm very worried about her being able to get back to work because she hasn't been able to to much to help her pain except elevate her foot. Her job is with a bank and she'll have to sit for 8-9 hours per day with no elevation. I don't care how long she stays out of work, I just want her to do what it takes to let her foot heal as completely as possible. Anyway, I wanted you to know that people are still benefiting from this blog and, specifically, your posts. It's so bizarre how you can never know about an injury like this until it happens and then you find that so many people have had it! Also, it's scary how this injury is risky for life-long pain & difficulties. I hope and pray that my wife, and everyone else here, will have good long-term results. Thanks for your posts! I hope you and others will continue to post so I can be prepared for what she may face in the future.

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  39. Had my lisfranc surgery on 9/2...been following doctors orders and staying off of it as much as possible. Pain after the nerve block wore off was insane. My question to all is, did anyone ever notice your leg being a slightly different color and "cooler" than the other?? I'm not sure if I was just up and around too much tonight (my daughter had a soccer game) or if something is wrong??

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  40. Looks like this blog isn't active much these days. I'm 4 weeks post surgery and notice my foot is sometimes slightly dis colored and it particularly seems to happen when it is down or not elevated for awhile. You might want to check out the Facebook group "Lisfranc fracture club" which has a lot of active discussions including one on your question. Good luck...to all of us!

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    1. I'll check that FB club out Dede, thanks.

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  41. Hi guys. Puma this blog is great, thanks so much, its very encouraging to know there is a lot of support for us unlucky few who have gone through this surgery.
    My surgery is on September 29th, and I'm nervous. The incident occurred at a trampoline park, I was walking back to my wife across the trampsolines when the padding along the rods supporting the trampoline gave way, my right leg sunk below the trampolines while my left foot was still atop the padded rail and the weight of the drop simply crushed my left foot. Went to the ER and nothing, sent me home with a foot sprain but I knew something wasn't right. I made an appt with our ortho surgeon and had a CT scan the same day with results the next day. Sure enough Lisfranc. Pre-Op appt is on Monday and I want to know exactly what they'll be doing. I know the procedure is the ORIF 1-5, TMT, but I want to know where the plate will go, how many screws, he also mentioned K-wires when I first saw him. Sadly there might be more damage once he gets in there and starts the procedure. Pain is fine now with hydrocodone, I'm in a NWB with knee scooter. Monday I will get my prescriptions and I know I'll have a nerve block. After reading all these posts I'm so worried about the pain, but I'm a fighter and I know I'll get through it. I plan on writing in this blog to share my days with you all.
    Question: how long is the pain going to last? Not the intense pain, but the healing pain. Weeks? Months? That's what I'm most concerned with.
    Wish me well everyone, and I'll write again on Monday.

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    2. I just asked my Dr. today the same question you asked about the healing pain. He told me unfortunately after an ORIF it could take several months and up to a year for the swelling and throbbing to subside.

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    3. Hi my name is Bill and I'm two days post op the nerve block wore off and the pain is uncontrollable had to wait for swelling to go down 10 days before surgery everything I read sounds like what I'm going through. I had three titanium plates fusion and three screws. Hopefully

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    4. Hi Bill, my surgery was April 15,2019. My foot is still red and swollen. I didn’t have a plate but the rest, yes. I can walk some with a boot. I got the boot the 4th of June and it took a long time before I could handle the pain of standing. I have the boot off more than on as it hurts the top and inside of my foot. Ice and elevation. I’m sick of sitting and the knee scooter. It’s got to get better. I say patience something I’m tuning out of. I hope you heal faster.

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    5. Hello. I am 2 weeks post surgery. . I had a first emergency surgery. Then 2 weeks later went back for a more extensive final surgery. I fell at work. It was awful. This has been the single most painful thing I have ever dealt with and I have four children and had kidney stones! What gets me is the pain now at 2 weeks is getting worse in some areas. I go in two days got suture removal I had 2 plates and 4 screws out in. I swear One of the plates has to be in the side of my left foot. It burns and just hurts. My four is so heavy between the metal and the cast!!

      Good luck everyone. I look forward to a if ya being pain free ��

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    1. Sorry to hear about the pain. I got through mine pretty well, though now (7 weeks later) I developed an infection, had hardware removed and feel like I'm starting all over again (posted on the FB fracture club). I would say I did feel claustrophobic and anxious on pain meds which is really why I got right off any of the opiodes. It made me feel worse when my foot was heavily bandaged (and it was hot out). I find that going outside - even just on my deck and getting fresh air - is hugely helpful. I also agree about the knee Walker and went down to a beautiful park after my infection diagnosis just to be out. I also have started religiously being more mindful/meditate and have enjoyed the free "calm" phone or iPad app. Being grateful given all else bad that does happen to people is helping me. Good luck!

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  44. I also acquired my lisfranc injury at an indoor trampoline park on August 27. I went with my husband and 4 children ages 19, 12, 9 and 7. I LOVE to play whatever my kiddos are playing. I was a spectator for about 20 minutes...you usually pay by the hour. All I could do was watch and giggle and feel like a kid so my oldest says mom go get a ticket...no I say. He says when is the next time we will all be together doing something this fun...all I needed to hear so off I go to buy a ticket. I tried the ninja course...rather unsuccessfully..then the basketball court...evidentally not coordinated enough so how about the FLAT trampolines designated for the younger children, I am 44. I bounce three times headed for the platform thinking I am not going to make it up on it, I eject my jumping and land right on curve of the half pipe....POP...sounds just like a chicken joint being popped even over the loud music. I am taken by my family to the local walk in health care facility. They do x-rays..nothing just a sprain I am told and given crutches. I am unwilling to walk on it. After a week I make a follow up with my doctor's office. I had looked up foot injuries and found what looked like my bruising and it was the lisfranc...hoped to God it wasn't after reading up on it and the recovery process. The doctor saw me and sent me for more x-rays...still nothing. Then off to MRI and a visit to a highly respected foot specialist that I requested 3 hours away from home on September 21. They put me in a splint cast for a week lying flat on my back to bring the swelling down; I was only allowed bed to couch and bathroom. Then surgery day September 28. They filled between my metatarsals with a "sillypuddy" substance and put screws in to fuse together. I had a nerve block which was amazing with helping the pain the first couple days, make sure you leave it in for the full time they say it helps immensely. I was only on any type of pain med for the first 4 days...hated how I felt so stopped immediately. Pain was bearable but what I found to be most irritating is the cast...ugh! You have to be laying down and this cast ways about 10 pounds, you can't get comfy so you're constantly twisting. It is giving me such feelings of anxiety because I can't move anything and everything feels so tight, I just want to move. I go back in another week for x-rays and removal of my staples. I will go in a hard cast for a 3 week period and still have to lye on my back...Lord help me and my poor family. I go back again in another 3 weeks for a cast change and am able to be up for a total of 2 hours over the course of the day. After this last cast he is going to let me work with crutches for only a week and then he is pretty strict about starting to walk...I am extremely nervous yet anxious for this to happen. He says it is going to be excruciatingly painful but you have to have that pain and then it gets easier he said. We will see. I will follow orders but this cast and laying around watching beautiful fall pass me by and not out playing with my kids really is the hard part. The numbness, tightness and shooting sharp sudden pains are at times unbearable but unlike many people out there, I have a light at the end of my tunnel. I just wish the darn tunnel wasn't so long but every day is one day closer to the end of this painfully learned lesson....if you're not a kid, STAY off the trampolines. I only lasted about 5 minutes, it was not worth it!

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  45. Thank you to everyone who posted above. It's too soon to tell, but I may be joining the Lisfranc fracture club.

    My husband and I went to hike Chaco Canyon with friends in August. I was so pleased that we made the seven mile trek without a hitch. My winter hiking boots and wool hiking socks were not the best for keeping cool, but kept my feet protected. Before we got in the car to drive to Farmington for the hotel stay, I switched to flip flops. We arrived at the hotel in the dark, and my first steps out of the car to help unload to gear is met with a whack right into a fixed parking curb. The toe split open, the nail started to discolor. I went straight to the room and ran cold water over the foot, got a bandaid to cover the wound, and kept the foot elevated while we ate dinner.

    The next day we did a short day hike around Aztec Ruins, and we walked a few miles to get coffee and snacks in town. The foot really hurt when I tried to squat down to get into some of the short doorways at the ruins, but I could walk without too much pain. I figured walking it off would help the body heal the foot more quickly.

    Four days later I still can not put any weight on the foot. The PcP sends me off for an x-ray which came back negative. So I use a cane to get around, but I am still in weight bearing pain five weeks later. I am researching all of the possibilities on Dr. Google while I keep my foot up. I figured the injury was either bruised bone or lisfranc fracture based on my symptoms.

    I scheduled myself in with a DPM who ordered more x-rays and a CT. He put a cast on the foot and scheduled me to see a surgeon (with local priveleges). The surgeon reviewed x-rays and CT diagnosed lisfranc fracture and recommended surgery.
    The following day, I take the films to the nearest VA Hospital to seek approval for local surgery. The Doc orders more 'weight bearing' films. I am directed to radiology where they ask me to stand on my injured foot, still in a cast, as new films are taken. I am thinking, this makes no sense, I can not be flat footed or weight bearing in this cast. The Doc reviews the films, tells me I have CRPS (chronic regional pain syndrome) and that I do not need surgery. Well YAY. No Surgery is great, and exactly what I want to hear. He directs that I wear a boot and walk on the foot as much as possible. He injects my foot with Marcaine and Epinephrine to block the pain. This is one of the worst experiences I've had in awhile. The next six hours were agonizing, the back of my leg felt kicked by a horse (yes, I have experienced that too) and the arch of my foot still hurt like crazy. Any weight bearing pressure still hurts hurts hurts. I would rather have a pain block than surgery, I thought at the time. Now, I think I would rather have spoken up and insisted that the x-rays be done without the cast, because I am not able to walk without experiencing pain in the arch, on top of my foot, and up the back of my leg. At rest, the pain in my foot isn't so bad, just a lot of throbbing, so I keep the foot elevated. The doc sent me home with Prednisone 14 days, a consult for physical therapy, a referral for a bone scan, and a return visit in three days. I still don't believe that walking on the foot in this much pain is going to help. I really do not want surgery. Maybe it is an injury that will simply take a long time to heal. I have decided that IF surgery is required to repair the tendon to bone blow out that the DPM states he viewed on the CT, that I will not endure the three hour drive each way and do what it takes financially to get the surgery scheduled locally. To be continued.

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  46. Broke my foot 2 years ago foot has recovered very well I can run hard I speed skate I currently have 13 screws a plate and a cadaver in my foot my only comeplaint at this point is the nerves in the top of my foot and toes are still burning have u in a mild manner . AT first the pain was horrible I have a very hi pain threshold and it was still bad real bad blockers demral this has been a tough recovery I'm sorry to u all who have endured this pain .I went on to be a regional speed skating champ so don't let Anny one tell u . YOU can't do it . Because u can if u can endure the pain it will and can happen . GOOD luck to u all on ur recovery

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  47. Thank you everyone for your insights. I had surgery almost 2 weeks ago. I have noticed that when I place my foot in a dependent position even for a short time, my toes turn purple and the pain flares. I read a blog before my surgery that stated "keep your toes above your nose". I have found this along with judicious use of 20 min ice pack rotation has really helped with my pain and swelling. Good luck to everyone!

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  48. Hi, I am so pleased I've found this blog - but it has terrified me! Has anyone had any positive outcomes? I am 50 yr old female from the UK and suffer from bilateral Lisfranc arthritis - I started with it in my thirties but up until recently have been mostly ignored. Thankfully I had a MRI scan which has shown significant arthritis in both feet, I was advised to try orthotics and put on Tramadol - which doesn't help my pain,I even take codeine as well but I have been taking them for so long nothing helps. I've tried to cope and get on with the daily pain which has now affected both of my knees and none of my family understands - I still have to look after a rambling house and my family - I feel like an very old invalid the way I attempt to walk and to go up and down steps/stairs. I was told that if the orthotics don't work then the only option is surgery - I'm terrified, so much so that I darent go back to my consultant. How on earth will I cope with surgery on both feet? I know it will be one at a time but I won't be able to use my other foot as a support as that is too painful, and on reading everyone's blogs I'm wondering if I'm better just trying to cope without surgery - but I still feel young! My parents are 30 years my senior and are fitter than me! Please can I have your advice. X

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  49. Hi all...this blog doesn't seem to be very active anymore, but there's lots of discussion on Facebook Group: Lisfranc Fracture Club if you are interested.

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  50. Hi. I had surgery four years ago and agree, it was painful beyond belief. I had a knee replacement last year and that was a walk in the park in comparison. I have a question. Has anyone had complications in later years? I started experiencing extreme pain in the area of the 4 screws. It is unbearable and keeping me awake and unable to walk normally. Is this leading to needing hardware removal??? I'm 2 months out from gastric sleeve surgery and really do NOT want another surgery any time soon. Any suggestions or advice?

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  51. I'm a 63 year old active woman--well, I used to be active; now I'm definitely living a passive existence. Glad to read about all the others out there who had a misdiagnosis and went weeks (some of you months!) before getting Lisfranc surgery. I'm two and a half weeks out of surgery and only have one screw in my foot--I'm sorry for all of you who have had numerous screws and plates--ouch! I got off the narcotics in about three days--phew--and rarely take any painkillers at all cause I hate them and am okay without them. I use ice all the time and elevation and wear an ace bandage. (My biggest problem was constipation after surgery and yet no one has mentioned this at all--ha ha!) Anyway, the boot "killed" my foot (the weight of it makes it throb) and I asked the doc if it was okay to go without it. He said to me, "It's really only for protection." So, I took that as an okay and now only wear the boot if I go outside my home. Two nights ago I was involved in two services at my church which I had to be at. I couldn't very well lie down on the floor at church so I sat in a soft chair with my foot up on my seated walker; ever since then the foot has been throbbing and I've been trying to elevate it all the time and use ice. But the pain had been gone before that. I think this is pretty normal, but has anyone else ever had the pain come back like this? Oh, and my foot is always an ugly reddish purple compared to the other foot. I figure this is normal and will pass. The two wounds look good.

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  52. Hello Everyone, it's so helpful to read about people going through this journey as well.

    I received my injury on 5/14/16, I slipped on Tupperware in the kitchen, of course like so many I went to the ER and the injury was missed. several weeks later I went to my doctor who also missed the injury I was told.i had tarsal tunnel and a bad sprain. So on 6/29/16 I went to a podiatrist because I was still limping and having pain. He did WB X-rays which showed a separation between my 1st and 2nd metatarsals. At that point he sent me to a foot and ankle surgeon who I saw on 7/1/16, after having an MRI it was confirmed that I had a full rupture of the lisfranc ligament with displacement of the first 2 metatarsals, I had ORIF on 7/13/16 at which time 2 plates and 8 screws were place.

    Recovery from this point on was painful but progressed as planned, after 7 weeks in a cast I went to a walking boot and stayed in the walking boot for 8 weeks. On 11/10/16 I had hardware removal surgery which was a breeze compared with the first surgery. I felt like I was doing really well and the 2 weeks in the boot I really had very minimal pain. At 2 weeks post op I had my sutures out and was told that I could start walking in a shoe, my surgeon told me to try walking without Physical Therapy, but if I felt I needed it to call and he would order it. 1 1/2 weeks in a shoe I was having a hard time walking and when I did walk it was with a severe limp, the pain was aweful so I was given an order for PT.

    At PT the therapist immediately felt that my foot wasn't right, I had a lot of popping and was having the same pain I had prior to surgery, he told me he would do what he could but he felt there was a strong possibility that my surgery had failed and that I had diastasis in the joints again. I completed 4 weeks of PT without improvement. I saw my surgeon for follow-up on 1/10/17, I told him everything I had been feeling and he immediately was worried that I had reccurent instability, he examined my foot and could manually separate the bones (hurt like heck!) He said that the surgery had failed and now my only option is a fusion with bone graft of the first 2 metatarsals. I am awaiting a surgery date for this procedure and to say the least I am disappointed and really worried about how this surgery will go, I am so frustrated that this last year was for nothing and now I get to start all over again! Has anyone else had a failed ORIF and went on to have a fusion, if so I would love to hear your experience and if the ORIF and fusion were similar pain wise. Please any insite would be amazing!

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  55. I had lisfranc surgery 6 years ago. It took me over a year to walk again. I started running a year ago. 5 years post surgery. I wish I could say the pain is gone some days are good and other days I limp. Refuse to take meds and refuse to stop running.

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  59. Hello everyone.

    WOW I have a lisfrank injury, that was sort of diagnosed 2 months ago but then all other doctors said no... It is now confirmed that I have not only a lisfrank fracture, but also 2 others fractures of the 2nd and 5th metatarsal. I am due to have surgery in the next 2 weeks, I am now really worried as with my job I fly on a weekly basis and was assuming after 2 weeks I could resume normal( well limited duties) this sounds worse than when I had a knee reconstruction.................................................

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  62. Ok, so back in January of this year i took my dog out onto our frozen lawn. I slipped and my foot twisted as I went down. Made the mistake of going to work that day on what i thought was a sprained foot/ankle. The next day it was so swollen and black and blue all over including the bottom of my foot which should have been an indication of the liz frank injury. Xray said sprain put in a boot for2 months. Back to the dr cuz it still hurt told to give it time. Went to an orthopedic surgeon in May who put me back in a boot. So now it's June and I will finally have surgery in July. (3 Doctors later) It's going to be the fusion type and I'll be off my foot and work for at least 4 weeks. My younger sister had this same surgery a couple of years ago when she fell down some stairs. Wonder if bone structure or imperfections are hereditary? Will keep looking here for more info, just couple of Dr visits before the surgery. Wish me happy healing!

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  63. Does anyone know if a lisfranc injury (dislocation and fractures) disqualifies one from pursuing a career as an officer in the military?

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  64. I had LisFranc surgery yesterday so I'm less than 24 hours post Op. I have 10-325 Hydrocone Acetaminophen for pain management only. My pain was terrible last night. I couldn't catch my breath, couldn't sleep, I could feel my heart pounding in my foot and it felt like my post op splint and wrap were too tight. The pills did nothing but what has made a HUGE difference is putting ice bags on top of my foot and then wrapping my knee in ice. I think the cold blood circling through my lower leg has helped tremendously. I can finally sleep!

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  65. I am a 59 year old woman. I am a retired school teacher and am now an Educational Coach privately contracted by parents. I work out of my office at an Athletic Club near my home. I took a week off and resumed my schedule, although I see students in the early morning at my home. My SO has been wonderful! He is my driver, caretaker, and has taken on all household responsibilities. I am working on this but since I am seeing students he says,"I need to focus on leg up, ice, and rest since I am not sleeping well.

    My injury occurred July 31st, 2017. I was fortunate that the on-call doc had done his fellowship on feet and ankles and that is is his area of specialty. He is also my doc. Dr. Whitlow.

    He let me know at the get- go this was going to be an arduous process, but I would walk again and be okay. We had a trip planned to Italy Sept. 28th following my diagnosis of breast cancer in November 2015. I had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgeries that followed. We of course had to cancel it. 🙃

    I had surgery August 8th. Block was used in surgery and Ocycodone was prescribed prior and after the procedure. I have 11 screws and two plates. I got off the oxycodone within 2 weeks of surgery. I used Tylenol every six hours. Always at a level 3 pain... Also knowing, that pain meds inhibit our bodies ability to heal. Now it will be five weeks out from surgery on Tuesday. No pain meds for two weeks now. Always a level 3 pain.

    I was put into a nonbearing walking boot yesterday, August 8th. The pain last night was so annoying. The stabbing burning and 🔥 feeling really messed with sleep.

    I see the acupuncturist today and am hoping for some relief. I just tried CBD oil because I read it can help bones heal, along with sleep. Does not help sleep for me.

    I also made bone-broth and drink two ounces morning and night as well as Ester C 1,500 units.

    I have heard comfrey leaves are good for compresses. I thought I would write to you to see where you are in your process since it has been a year plus. I hope you can share, and thank you again for your posts everyone!

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  66. I had lisfranc surgery on August 15, 2017. I have one plate and 6 screws. I also had tightrope ankle surgery at the same time. 1 plate, 4 screws, and 2 “ropes” through my tib/fib. I have for total incisions. I am 7 weeks out and to tell you the truth my pain up until now has not been too bad. I went 6 weeks non weight bearing. I of course had the tingling and numbness but not as bad as I thought. I am now almost 1 week into weight bearing and the pain at times is terrible. The numbness is still there but the tingling is almost gone completely. My pain is from walking and putting weight on my foot and my ankle. My ankle and foot are so swollen by the end of the day. I also stated PT and to be honest the pain is not bad while my foot and ankle is getting stretched, but as soon as I stand to walk the pain is almost unbearable. I am sure this is all part of the healing process. My accident was on May 20th and I am so ready to feel somewhat normal! Good luck to you all!!

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  67. I had a horrible lisfranc injury (car wreck) in 2011. 4 plates, 2 pins, countless screws. Hardware backed out 2 years later. On a scale from 1-10, my injury was a 10. I shouldve lost my foot.
    Pain:Well its 6 years later and I have arthritis. Do NOT live on NSAIDS, they will give you ulcers like they did me and hurt the kidneys/liver. This is a lifelong thing, so you must have a lifestyle that reflects that. Life savers I've learned over the years:
    Get professional insole orthotics
    Take Turmeric (proven better than NSAIDS for inflammation)
    Get a home foot massager(foot will swell after a days work/life)
    Quit the booze (makes arthritis progess and irritates it)
    Capsaicin cream (if you have the guts)
    No opiates (they actually make ling term pain worse, again, a lot of this injury is emotional, it can change your life, you must accept it)
    Exercise, non impact: biking, swimming,rock climbing, barre class, yoga, pilates

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  68. Also, for healing bones: NO NSAIDS, they stop bone growth. Get concentrated curcumin (Turmeric) tablets from walmart. Bone broth!! Eat lots of protein.
    I found all of this out the hard way. I felt very alone after my accident. I was a college runner though, so I lost more than the average person. These things though will slow done arthritis and make your life soooo much better. Beyobd these things, surgeons will offer bone fusion. Last resort only!

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  69. While I'm not a Lisfranc sufferer, my wife is. Her injury happened on the night of 8/20/17 and her surgery was on 8/30/17 (fusion and ORIF). I can tell you that there will be people who just won't get how serious this injury and recovery is. Most won't Google it or do any other kind of research. They'll see a foot in a soft or plaster cast and assume it's a simple broken bone, similar to a break they experienced at some point during their lifetime. This has been especially true with my wife's supervisor and coworkers. She's still working part-time as she progresses with her PWB (Partial Weight Bearing). Her injury is to her right foot, but they can't seem to understand why I have to drive her to work and pick her up. For us, they seem callous and stupid, to be frank. But we've realized that unless someone is familiar with it, most people just don't take the time to try to understand the issues involved. So now we try to laugh at the ignorance displayed, even though it's sometimes hard for her. I wish you many low pain days and a ton of patience as you recover from the surgery. And NEVER stop using this site for guidance and advice. Only those who've experienced it can you trust for honesty. Even then, know that everyone has different experiences, so what you deal with is probably "normal", just make sure your doctor confirms it. Good luck!

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  70. Having a midfoot fusion in a month, a year after my undiagnosed LisFranc. I am 72 years old and in good health.I am still able to walk 3 miles several times a week and am having PT to prepare me for surgery. What is the best advice you can give me about the best way to get through this? I especially love nifty little hints you might have picked up!
    Jan in AZ

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  71. Here it is 2018 and this post is still going strong. I too had a lisfranc fracture dislocation, never even heard of it before but I can say it is one of the most painful things ever. I had 3 wrong diagnosis and 1 right diagnosis but wrong treatment. Then finally 10 weeks after injury I just had surgery using the tightrope technique. Let me tell you my foot is on fire. If it even leans off the bed and isn't propped up its like all my blood is rushing to it and the pain is unbearable. I have had 9 surgeries prior to this and I can say this is by far the worse. I am currently taking perocet, a sleep aide and hydrocodone but they only help so long and the long wait between is killing me. I don't know how long this injury takes to heal but I will he so glad to be passed this pain stage.

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  72. In May of 2017 I was in a severe head on collision and suffered amoung serious internal abdominal injuries a horrific lisfranc fracture. I was in a coma for about a week and in the hospital thereafter for 47 days. I live in Maine and fortunately had the best ortho in the state do my surgery and even he said it was a horrendous fracture and dislocation. I had 5 screws inserted during the first surgery and because of my other injuries my post op pain wasn't bad (I had a dilaudid drip straight into my spine). After I was released from the hospital I was 12 weeks non-weight bearing in different casts and boots. Once I started walking again the pain was unbearable and in December of 2017 had all the hardware removed. This revovery was so incredibly painful I didn't sleep more than an hour or two for about two weeks and pain meds didn't help much. Its now the end of April 2018 almost a year from my initial surgery and the pain is still so intense its sometimes hard to walk. The motion of heel to toe is unbearable so I compensate by placing it flat on the ground. I still have a noticeable limp. Over the last month the pain has gotten much worse and I plan on calling the surgeon tomorrow. Next step is to permanently fuse the bones and im not looking forward to it. Ive consistently heard that this injury can take years to heal based on your severity but being about a year post injury I was hoping that id be able to walk and run, stand for long periods of time and do other things as I live a active lifestyle. This injury has definitely changed my life and although I have other issues as a result of the accident this one seems to consistently hinder my day to day activities and job the most. Everyday i wake up I pray for no pain, hopefully the future is brighter.

    On a seperate note I'm thankful for everyone whose posted on here. As a lot of people have pointed out this isnt a very common injury so its nice to hear people's stories and their journeys even though alot of then have a similar tone.

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  73. I just noticed this is a pretty old blog. Every blog I read about lisfranc injuries describes pain the same exact way I experienced. The difference is most went through a process of being diagnosed. At 24 weeks pregnant I suffered a catastrophic collapse when my blood pressure bottomed out. I fell over my right foot and when I woke up, I immediately felt pain that made my previously level 9 pain pale in comparison. My husband rolled me to the car in a stroller. I saw a surgeon two days later and he actually told me he didn't know how I was going to deal with the pain. His exact words were you're going to be f'ing miserable. I was. The pain I had from swelling when I dropped my foot below my waist just to go to the bathroom felt like my entire leg was being sawed off slowly with a dull hand saw. This was all before surgery for two days while we waiting on the swelling to subside some. Surgery itself was terrifying. I was given a spinal block and operated on while I was awake because I couldn't go under general anesthesia while pregnant. I was given meds to calm me and strapped down on the table. I vaguely remember my surgeon and nurses checking for fetal tones throughout surgery and in recovery. After surgery I was at a level 10000 in pain and unable to take any pain meds beyond a 5mg Norco every 4 hours. To make this long story a little less long, two and a half years later I am still dealing with high level pain and arthritis throughout the whole foot. I had all but half of one screw removed after that screw broke. I have almost full mobility; but, it is limited. I wouldn't wish this injury on Satan himself. I hope to one day have no pain and be able to at least bend my big toe all the way again. At this moment I'm thankful I can walk. Best of luck to everyone dealing with recovery. Even in pain and stiff movement, life goes on and it becomes part of it. Don't let it get you down!!!

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  74. I just wanted to give a little hope to those fearing their upcoming Lisfranc repair surgery.

    I had my foot crushed by my motorcycle and rode the motorcycle back to my place only to jump into my truck to drive myself to the ER as I knew something was wrong immediately. It felt like a rubber band was wrapped around all of the bones inside my foot every time I put weight on it. Needless to say, by the time I arrived at the ER, the pain was so excruciating that I thought I was going to pass out as I walked from the parking lot to the entrance.
    The x-rays showed no fractures or breaks, but since the swelling was so great, they referred me to an orthopedist. A week of walking around in a boot didn’t help. The orthopedist immediately identified the Lisfranc injury. I was scheduled for surgery four weeks later. He wrapped my foot in a temporary cast, handed me some crutches, and advised me to stay off it. My pain was very manageable leading up to my surgery. I followed the doctor’s orders to the letter.
    My surgery went well. The nerve blockers worked as they were supposed to. The transition from the nerve blockers to the extra strength ibuprofen was seamless. I never experienced the burning heel or any other pain above level 4/5.
    Once again, I followed the doctor’s orders to the letter. I also upgraded my diet with foods that I read would help with recovery. Lots of raw vegetables, nuts, and lean meat. I also started taking a quality daily vitamin.
    After the eight-week, non-weight bearing period was over, I went straight into a walking boot. My pain was still relatively low. More of a lingering ache. Also, my opposite side hip started feeling uncomfortable from my altered gait.
    After eight more weeks in the walking boot, the doctor cleared me to strap on my regular shoes and take it easy. I gradually returned to my normal exercise routines being hyper aware of anything that didn’t feel right.
    Four weeks later, the doctor cleared me to resume all exercising including lateral movement.
    Less than a year and a half after my surgery, I ran my first half marathon. I am very active. I’ve bagged multiple 10,000’ peaks and have spent my fair share of time in the rock climbing gym. I do HIIT workouts three days a week. This is all with the two plates and six screws in my left foot.
    I do have some discomfort when I overdo it, but nothing unbearable. If I walk down stairs without any kind of warmup, I look like a 100-year-old man. I have no real flexibility in my toes, but it hasn’t hindered me. Stepping on uneven ground (a rock or the like) gives me a quick little pain squirt, but goes away immediately. Lift-off from my left foot is still fairly week, but I can get off the ground when I jump. Lateral movement isn’t what it used to be which basically moved me to a 2-guard from a point guard.
    All-in-all, my life has changed as a result of my injury, but hasn’t stopped me from charging ahead with an active lifestyle. I highly recommend a well-thought, balanced diet, stretching, light jogging, light weight training, following the doctor’s orders TO THE LETTER, and physical therapy. I realize everybody’s injuries have varying levels of severity, but regardless, life needs to be lived, so give yourself the best opportunity to take advantage of that.
    Best wishes!

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    1. Thank you for your positive post! I had LisFranc surgery 9 days ago and get out of my splint tomorrow. Meanwhile I’m in a CAM boot on my other leg waiting to have surgery on that ankle. Up to this point I have had 4 left ankle surgeries—one was complete reconstruction, now this foot surgery, and 4 shoulder surgeries. 3 on the same one. While any surgery is painful and has it discomforts I will gladly take foot/ankle surgery over shoulder surgery ANY day! It is the most painful and most difficult to rehab. Think of all the ways your shoulder moves! I’m looking forward to tomorrow to getting my boot on and my ortho said we can schedule my other surgery four weeks from now to take care of my other ankle. LOTS of physical therapy ahead but like you said life has to be lived. It might have to be modified for a while but life doesn’t stop. I’m a big CrossFit person and have been knocked down on my butt for about 4 months. What a blow! So I can do upper body and core and go back with atrophied calves, and my personal trainer is going to have me doing so many squats to get my glutes and hamstrings as strong as they were two weeks ago. Don’t use it you lose it! DONT DO ANY EXERCISE UNTIL YOU GET YOUR DRS APPROVAL AND/OR CLEARANCE!!!

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    2. Thank you! This is the post I've been looking for. I get to start walking FWB in boot tomorrow- I've been doing chair cardio and light weights. I was active before this crazy injury ,and non stop worrying if I will ever get to do all the cardio things that make my body and most importantly my mind much happier. Like you I followed every order TO THE LETTER. So I'm hoping when I become fully weight bearing with NO boot.I can slowly begin to work up to my old lifestyle. Thank you for all the tips and the stories of what causes you pain these days. I feel so much better

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  75. Morning .. my 17 year old son had Lisfranc Surgery 3 days ago .. GET THE NERVE BLOCK FOR FIRST NIGHT!!! .. really only needed Oxy for 2 days after nerve block wore off. Back to school tomorrow on his scooter but elevation has worked ALOT for him; almost 24 hours a day. He also got immediate help and had surgery as soon as swelling went down. So fingers crossed but so far does not have nearly pain indicated above .. my research does say a big factor is diagnosis and time between injury and surgery. Good luck to all!!!

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  76. I had lisfranc surgery 3rd week of May 2018 (4 months ago.) I don’t have complete mobility back; my foot still feels very stiff. It’s almost as if my toes are afraid to move around so i cannot wall normally on that foot. I have numbness still below my
    first two toes as well as pain on the incision site on top of my foot. It is so irritating that i can’t even let the water from the shower head make direct contact to my foot. barely even tapping the incision site is sore too. I was not prepared for this pain to linger for so long considering i had gotten a tattoo covering the top of my foot and the pain wasn’t nearly as bad. Reading through these comments, I am afraid the pain will not fade away any time soon. the worst part about this is I’m only 22 and I cannot imagine having this issue for the rest of my life.

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  77. Stepped off the dock on July 6th 2018 rolling my left ankle and fell forward onto my right foot breaking the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th metatarsals along with fractures of the 1st and 2nd cuniform joints. Lisfranc surgery on July 18th to fuse the bones and joints. Plated with 7 screws. The 3rd and 4th metatarsals were just left to heal on their own. Soft cast for 2 weeks, hard cast for 2 more, booted-non weight bearing for 2 more. I am now 9 weeks post op with only 1 week of full weight bearing. I've begun physical therapy. The worst pain is the nerve pain. I call it sparking. My doctor gave me gabapentin (generic Neurotonin) to help with that. It does work! After reading everyone else's experience, I am quite lucky as I still have pain, but I take Tylenol and Ibuprofen and it helps. I cannot walk long distances and I am very slow, but it is steadily getting better every day. I went into this knowing what to expect. I am not sure if I want to leave the hardware in or take it out after 12 months. I know I don't like the feeling of the hardware being there right now, but it could get better between now and then. The scar is still very sensitive. I use kinesio tape to help lift the scar and keep the circulation flowing and I think it is helping. I also have been using mederma as my scar has discolored quite a bit from the friction of the boot/sock. Good luck to everyone having to go through such a traumatic injury as this. I hope my posting has helped you in some way. This blog is old, but so full of useful information everyone else has posted with their experiences.

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  78. I had a Lisfranc break without being aware I had it! I went to my regular ortho for pain and stability in my left ankle—Id already had reconstructive surgery in 2007. Asked if he would look at my right foot because of some pain in the morning and then it goes away. I figured it was just arthritis. He took an X-ray and when I looked at it I said are there supposed to be spaces between those bones and if so how do you fix it? So the focus turned to the Lisfranc break and said it had to be fixed before he was going to fix my left. What a shock! I had no pain, was doing CrossFit 3 times a week and had personal training the other two and never once had any pain. And for you cross fitters who know about the MURPH that is done every memorial day I took part and completed the entire thing! My trainer was not happy when I told her about the broken foot. So 12 weeks ago I had surgery for that and had 2 screws put in. Four weeks later I had a piece of bone removed from my other foot and reconstructive surgery but this time he used a cadaver tendon and some sort of metal rope drilled directly through the “ankle bone”. Was flat on my back for 11 weeks. Many of which I couldn’t walk. Right now the foot that had reconstructive surgery is great. Solid as a rock says my dr. However I’m 12 weeks out from my Lisfranc surgery and have so much I struggle to walk. X-rays look good. I have no nerve issues. I saw him on Wednesday and He said I should be doing great by now. He sent me for a CT Scan and I see him again this Thursday to get the results. I still have the screw and will until November. Has anyone else had this problem? I have no pain where the screws are or on the top of my foot. It’s mainly in the arch of my foot, the balls of my feet and my big toe. I can’t use that foot when I stand up. I have to use the one in the ankle brace to push up off the sofa. Getting out of bed is a 10 on the scale. Please tell me I’m
    Not alone!

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    Replies
    1. You are not alone! This week I began experiencing the severe arch pain. It had been getting better, but now it feels worse. I just keep icing and rolling with a ball in the arch of my foot. My therapist reminded me of the change of mechanics in my foot and how my ligaments and tendons all have to relearn how to support the new mechanics. It helped put it all into perspective. Week 10 post op. I am hopeful it will continue to get better. Freeze a bottle of water and roll Your foot on that. It will help.

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  79. Thanks to all for sharing your situations. I am day 8 post surgery (three screws) and week 1 was bearable pain with Norco and elevation. Yesterday, I went to the doctor and things looked good. However, last night was terrible shooting nerve pain in my heel. I could not sleep. Now I am trying to figure out if it was (1) lack of elevation yesterday as I was out to the doctor and lunch, (2) transitioning from Norco to Tylenol plus codeine or (3) compression bandage too tight of a re-wrap at the doctor appt.?

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  80. I hope someone will read this and "talk" with me....58 year old female. "Sprained" left foot at the end of February 2018. Was seen at Urgent Care - sprain. Went to ortho specialist - sprain - boot for 8 weeks, brace for 2 weeks. Physical Therepy for a month. Pain, swelling, misery. FINALLY went to a podiatrist last month. Bone Scan - shows the 2 Lisfranc fractures/dislocations. See surgeon next week. So frustrated and scared. 5 months for someone to find out what was wrong??? ortho doc told me he didn't know why it still hurt/swelled - told me do to PT and not come back to see him. During the past 5 months I have not taken anything except OTC as rarely as possible. What the heck people?!?!?! Anyway - what is the general amount of time needed to take off work? desk job, 5 concrete steps to get in to office 5 years ago I was in pain management for 2 years before life changing surgery (nerve stimulator implant). During the 2 years of hell I became physically dependent on Tramadol, then suffered Seratonin Syndrome because the doc combined 2 meds that shouldn't have been combined. I despise medication and am truthfully not trustful of doctors at this point in my life. Sorry to ramble on. I am frustrated, scared, sad, weepy, scared and oh yea frustrated. My name is Patty and I would love to have someone chat with me from time to time as I go through the surgery and recovery. Thank you :-)

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  81. My Lisfranc injury is 6 years old, (mis diagnosed for sure!). I have finally found a doc that says there is relief from the constant pain I’m in. I’ve been offered the tightrope. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

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  82. My Lisfranc is only 7 weeks old, 6 weeks since surgery. My vehicle accident was on June 18, 2019. To add insult to injury, it was on the noon and 6pm news because a city public transportation bus was involved. Fortunately my daughter ( no injuries ) and I were out of sight in the ambulance. Only people that knew it was me was the smirking smiley plate with a raised eyebrow on the front of my truck. My surgery was July 2nd and the block wore off that night. OMG! It was just about worse than the pain from my colon removal surgery 3 months earlier this year. Yeah, I'm having a banner year. It took quite a bit of a cocktail of 2 Vicodin for the bone pain, 2 Tizanidine for the pain from muscle spasms and 3 Neurotin for the nerve pain. It worked. That was the only time I had 10++on the pain scale. Like you, for a week I took 2 Vicodins like clockwork even if I was not in any pain. Then from then on it was if I really needed something with more umpf than Tylenol and Advil. Usually I break a Vicodin in half and just take half. The only pain in my foot is the nerves regenerating or irritated. I have more pain in my knee than the foot. I had also fractured my tibial plateau and my pinky toe. DO NOT WEAR FLIP FLOPS OR BE BAREFOOT DRIVING. That is what I had on my feet in the accident. I was even walking around like normal with all those fractures fir about 20 minutes. It wasn't until I sat down on the curb with my daughter that I noticed areas of my right leg and foot blowing up with purple lumps. Reading your blog has been enjoyable. I just want to be able to wear all of my cute sandals again.

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  83. reading some of these comments has really given me peace of mind that I’m not going insane. I had surgery on July 12 and had two screws put in. On August 15 put into a walking boot as everything looked great to the doctor. I’m currently walking short periods at home without the walking boot then resting it. The burning is what gets me. It’s makes it so hard to sleep! My husband rubbed some CBD cream on my ankle and that helped a lot. Oh I can’t wait for the burning to go away!!

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  85. I had my Lisfrancs surgery on November 12. I’m still in pain DAILY! If my foot isn’t elevated, for even an hour, it’s very painful!
    Does anyone else have this issue?
    It’s like my foot only feels a little better if it’s elevated CONSTANTLY
    I’m getting so frustrated

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  88. I'm not sure if this blog is still going on, but I have had three surgeries for this same injury. I feel everyone's pain. I've been dealing with this for six years now. I'm almost in tears because I thought I was the only one. Thank you so much for all your stories, now I know that I am not alone. I've also had neck surgery. This was all caused from a car accident. Now I know that it's not just in my head. And hopefully I will be listen to by my doctor more. I'm praying for you all.

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  89. After reading almost all of the posts above, I almost don't want to post, because my experience has been so different. I'm a 60 year old male, and broke my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd metatarsals in my right foot, with dislocation. After consultation with the surgeon, and hours of research, I opted for bone fusion over a plate. I had surgery 12 days after my injury, after the welling had reduced. The doc fused MTs 1-3 and installed 5 screws.

    My pain was a moderate for a couple of days after surgery. By day 3 I was only taking Tylenol 2-3 times a day. By day 4 I had no pain whatsoever. I'm now at 4 weeks post surgery, and other than a little nerve tingling, and some swelling, I still have no pain at all and am not taking any pain meds at all. I elevate and ice twice a day, ~ 30 minutes at a time.

    Fortunately, my doc put me in a boot post surgery, rather than a cast. I remove my boot while sitting and work on range of motion exercises and toe flexing. I've broken both of my legs and my left wrist multiple times, and I can't tell you how much I wanted to avoid being in a cast. It's been a game changer for my comfort, return to a quasi-normal lifestyle, and overall recovery to date.

    I know, have been incredibly lucky, but I believe a lot of my mostly painless recovery has been due to 2 factors; 1) fusion versus fixation, and 2) a boot post-surgery as opposed to a cast.

    Following my recovery protocol religiously, and doing my best to be able to snow ski this season.

    I hope and pray others can have the same result that I'm experiencing...

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  90. Hello, thank you all for sharing your experiences. I missed my step on my stairs on 18 October. Missed diagnosis at first but was put in to a boot. 5 weeks in to injury diagnosed with 2nd metatarsal fracture and lisfranc injury. Was told to go down non operative route. In January I was told to come out of boot and in to shoe with insole and they would see me again in 3 months for xray and check up. I sought a second opinion and sent report to surgeon who met with me two days later and said he would do surgery 5 days later . I'm now 4 days post op. Pain was bad first two days but Pain not been too bad, now just on paracetamol. I'm really struggling non weight bearing with crutches. My toes go dark purple if my foot not elevated for more than 5 minutes. I've accidentally put my foot down a few times and that hurts, also find it feels painful and sore like I can feel pulling or the plate I don't know but not sure If the tightness and pulling Pain is normal.

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    ReplyDelete
  92. Hi All
    Had surgery at the beginning of December 23, two incisions two plates and copious amounts of screws. post surgery had no pain but now always have burning sensations across my toes plus the swelling, so like all my fellow suffers trying to put on shoes forget it just makes the burning pain worse .
    But they tell me it should get better, so one and all keep positive

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