Recovering from Knee and Ankle surgery

After this semesters final examinations ended, I had myself scheduled for an ankle reconstruction and meniscus reshaping surgery. This is my journey of recovery in the first 4 weeks.

A few years ago, I tore my left ankle ligaments while playing basketball🏀, but left them untreated up till now as I was advised by my doctor not to go for surgery if I am not an active person. Not long after that accident, my left knee also began acting up, and I later found out that it was due to a growth defect in my meniscus. After a few years of deliberating, I decided that I would be better off going through with this surgery.

The first few days after the surgery were the scariest: I experienced a lot of blunt pain and stiffness 😖😖immediately after the surgery, and I cannot deny that it definitely made me worry that my legs would never work like they used to before🥲🥲 I was thankfully given some affirmation by my physiotherapist who provided me with some exercises to improve my flexibility and also assured me that my current pains are nothing out of the ordinary. She emphasised that I should focus on mitigating pain and taking things slowly.

After 4 days I made a trip down to the hospital to shift my ankle into a smaller cast. This would allow me to move around more easily as the previous cast was much heavier and thicker, limiting my movement greatly. My wound was also cleaned up and I got to see my bare skin for the first time since the operation. The plaster looked pretty gnarly from the outside🩸, but the nurse told me that the wound underneath was actually healing up pretty well.

After 2 weeks I was shifted out of the fibreglass cast into a more portable walking boot. The boot had air bags installed within them to allow me to inflate them and add more support to my ankle. I was also finally allowed to take my boot out for showering and sleeping, which was a luxury I had no access to up till now. I was also given an improved list of physio exercises🦿, such as ankle rotations and calf stretches with a towel.

4 weeks in and I’ve been told by the doctor that I can finally start putting weight on my foot. Before this I have been walking around with crutches, and was not allowed to exert any weight on my left foot at all. Because of this, my left calf has actually shrank in size pretty substantially, and I would need some time to slowly build back the strength in my leg to get back to walking normally. The doctor advised me that I can finally begin to try walking with the boot on, and then slowly get rid of the boot once I’m feeling less pain. 💥

Currently, I’m on my 5th day of walking, which is also the first time I’ve walked since I’ve had my surgery 4 weeks ago. I’m still working on building up the strength to walk for longer distances, while also ensuring stability in my knee and ankle. In times like this, it’s important to remind yourself not to push too hard, but to make sure that you’re strengthening yourself in a safe and sustainable manner, so you don’t run the risk of re-injury. This episode has taught me to appreciate simple things such as going for a walk in the park, or even going outside to meet your friends for a meal. It has definitely been a humbling experience and I’m glad that things will soon be back to normal. 🤞🏻🤞🏻