Re: Advice regarding surgery

[Guest guest]

, I'm suffering from confusion in all of this.

Once fusions,etc., are done what happens as the CMT

progresses. My big toe on the right foot has been

fused for three years now. It really pains if the

weather is damp. Does progression of CMT alter past

procedures?

--- juliexbi2002 <juliexbi2002@...> wrote:

> Hello Rob and :

>

> My experience has been that you want to avoid

> surgery unless there

> is absolutely no other means of adaptation. I had

> no choice but to

> have my ankle fused due to a really bad fall that

> just tore up all

> the tendons and ligaments that couldn't heal on

> their own due to the

> CMT. Long story short - I had to go thru this

> surgery twice which

> took over 2 years of trying to heal, being immobile,

> using a

> wheelchair and going thru alot of mental stress. It

> even took going

> to several doctors before one was willing to stick

> his neck out

> there and attempt the surgery. They all would agree

> that I

> definitely needed it, but because of the neuro

> complications, they

> weren't willing to try it. The good news is that I

> am now walking

> better than I ever have in my life. I did lose an

> extreme amount of

> mobility which I had to work really hard to regain,

> but it is not

> impossible. I personally don't believe that we

> should not use our

> mucsles because of the belief that they can't heal

> like a healthy

> person who strength trains. Of course they can't

> heal in that

> regard, therefore, you don't want to overdue any

> strength training.

> I believe that it takes alot more time and you have

> to modify the

> types of exercise you can perform, but it is very

> important to try

> to restrenghen the muscles and work on mobility as

> soon as the

> doctor will allow after your surgery. The doctor

> who finally was

> able to be successful with my fusion believed in the

> same concepts

> as I do and set me up with a physical therapist who

> understood CMT -

> we never touched a heavy weight or in anyway

> overtaxed my body.

> There was alot of light weights with more reps, pool

> workouts and

> balance exercises. But, my point here is that I

> wouldn't take a

> risk of surgery to " correct " my feet. I would only

> consider surgery

> when there has been injury that will otherwise not

> allow you to

> continue with a degree of quality of your life

> standards. Have you

> considered any type orthotic? Good Luck!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

:

My ankle has been fused for almost 18 months now and so far everything is still

going well. I do have some pain when the weather changes. My dr. says that is

because there is alot of arthritis in that ankle. My son has a plate and 7

screws in his leg due to an injury and he says that it took about 3 - 4 years

before it really stopped bothering him. Sorry I can't answer any better, my

surgery hasn't been that long ago I guess.

[Guest guest]

,

Do you have any mobility in your ankle?

: