As an active person, you enjoy keeping yourself healthy, strong, and independent. But after experiencing an ankle fusion surgery, you may feel frustrated at your limited mobility. While an ankle fusion procedure can lead to pain-free activity in the long run, the thought of going for a jog months from now isn’t exactly making you leap for joy (besides, it’d be too painful). What’s more, you’re anxious about returning back to work after an ankle fusion.
You may have good reason to be nervous about going back to work after an ankle fusion. An ankle fusion surgery is designed to reduce the surface area of your ankle joint so that your back foot and tibia (or the lower portion of your leg) can be fused together. While it might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, ankle fusions are actually relatively common and can lead to less pain while performing physical activity.
However, the knowledge of that isn’t exactly helping you out when you’re hobbling around the office. If you’re nervous about how you’ll get back into the swing of things when you get back to business, not to worry: here are some helpful tips on returning back to work after an ankle fusion.
Don’t Push Yourself
If you work within an office setting, you may be tempted to go back to business as normal, but ankle fusion recovery necessitates that you take things easy. Don’t go strolling down the hall to your boss’s office or walking across the building to visit Bob in Human Resources just yet. Give yourself the leeway you need to take it easy. Ease back into work by letting your boss know you might need to tackle a little less work at first. By reducing your work stress and the number of times you might need to get up and move, you can help make your ankle fusion recovery easier within the office.
Alert Your Boss
Your higher-ups deserve to know that you’re going to need a little time to adjust to work after an ankle fusion surgery. With this in mind, don’t expect everything to go back to normal. After your ankle fusion surgery, send an email to your boss letting him know that you’ll be experiencing limited mobility at the office for some time. This way, your boss and other higher ups can prepare for you by lowering your work load or adjusting your work space so that it can accommodate your limited mobility.
Increase Your Mobility with a Knee Walker
A knee walker – otherwise known as a knee scooter – represents an excellent way for you to increase your mobility at work after an ankle fusion. A knee walker is a unique device that frees you up from the heft of crutches. A knee scooter is exactly what it sounds like – you simply position your injured leg so that you’re “kneeling” on a soft pad, while the other leg is used to propel you forward. In short, it looks a lot like a walker with wheels – except it’s tons more fun to use. Just make sure that your office or cubicle is adjusted to accommodate your knee walker, as you don’t want to be accidentally bumping into things while you work.
Returning to work after an ankle fusion doesn’t have to be a hassle. Just use the tips in this article, and you’ll discover that you’ll be able to punch back into the 9 to 5 world faster than originally thought.