About Me
Hey there. I'm Heather, I'm 27, and on May 21, 2006 I broke my ankle in a freak hugging-related accident. Yes, seriously. To read my post on breaking my leg, click here.
Being bedridden for two weeks afforded a tech-savvy girl like myself a fair amount of time to research her injury on-line. Usually these forays return exotic fruits of internet deliciousness, but not this time. In between exaggerated accounts of extreme sports injuries and eBay auctions for lightly-used memory foam pillows, I couldn't seem to find what I really wanted: an honest account from an actual person of what to expect when you break your leg.
So, here's my story. I plan to update this blog for at least the next six to eight weeks well, apparently it'll be more like the end of August or beginning of September or until I can wear high heels again. Hopefully you'll find it entertaining, and if you're lucky enough to have a similar injury, you'll find some information and resources that'll help.
One of these days (when I'm back at a computer with web design software) I'm going to update my personal website. If you've got questions or suggestions, feel free to email me at heather at heatherlibby dot com.
Ouch, my leg! (the broken ankle blog) 
Hi Heather,
I broke my ankle in 3 places about 2 weeks ago – and your website is really a great find. I made the mistake of wearing flip-flops out in the rain and they attacked me and pushed me down a hill. I’ve been at my parents house since surgery and cannot wait to get home and do something for myself! Just wanted to thank you for all the info. on your site and I hope that you heal soon!
Hello Heather,
As usual, you made me laugh out loud when I was reading this. Thanks!
You are teh awesome, and kind of my hero. Watch out for those air casts. I hear that 60% of the time, they work….every time.
Stuck in bed today, 1st cast coming off tomorrow, bored out of my mind, and I stumbled on you er…your site. Broke my ankle on July 1st less than 48 hours after returning from a 3-week vacation in Finland. I was wrangling with my lawn mower on a hill when my “trick” knee gave out, leg folded up behind me, I fell on said leg, and with an audible snap, felt my ankle break. At least today as I wait and hope that everything is fine when tomorrow comes, I can have a good laugh. THANK YOU!
well this makes for some good reading although personally, I find it a little self-indulgent. broke my ankle (tibia, fibula and the third place you can break it, forgot the name…) 6/24/06, had surgery 6/30/06 and am returning for my second post-op 8/16/06. i’m hoping like mad that they will say i can walk on this damn post-op boot at that point. i was originally told 2 months of no weight-bearing, best case scenario. well it’s a real bitch, specially in the summer when you live 2 blocks from the beach. broke the thing playing soccer on the beach while, get this, wearing flip-flops. yeah. my fault. too old for that shit, anyway. best of luck to you.
Thank you for this! I broke my ankle about two weeks ago and this is just what I needed. A good laugh.
Oh yes, and I live in Victoria too!
Thank you, Heather, for the great laughs! I broke my ankle in three places with dislocation when I slipped on the fiberglass part of our boat deck on 6/19/06. Installed two pins and a plate on 6/27/06. Nearly everything you have written I have experienced. You are just about 1 month ahead of me and it’s comforting to read what is happening and know that, when I experience it, it is probably a normal thing. This blog will be added to my favorites so I can return again and again. Keep it up and best to you! (PS: My closet of stilettos are calling….)
I had the exact same injury on 12/31/2009 and have been in therapy ever since for swollen joint, arthritis, stiffness. How has your long term healing been?
Heather, What a great relief to read something fun! I broke my left ankle in 3 places and dislocated it as well as severly sprained my right ankle. I was walking down a hill on 6-10-06 and stepped in a hole and snap, pop my world was changed. I have started water therapy this week and it is awesome. I’m hoping to be able to take my 2 year old trick or treating for Halloween. I’ve added your blog to my favorites and will keep checking back!!Thanks!!!
Heather, ditto to everyone else’s comments. I broke my ankle 6 days ago (Bass Ale and Flip Flops don’t mix) and I just found your blog and read it “cover to cover.” My boyfriend just came running in to ask if I was okay because I was laughing out loud, which I haven’t done since I’ve broken my foot. Thanks for your humor and your candidness.
P.S. If you every get a helpful response to how to carry a glass on crutches, please let me know!
Hi Heather!
I broke my ankle in 3 spots back in 1998 (12 screws, 2 pins and a bone plate) by slipping on ice at college. Like you, my foot was turned around 90 degrees as well. Too bad I didn’t have Internet access to help pass the time back then! But I read your blog with interest, “reliving” those days! Best of luck for your future recovery!
Yay,others like me. Broken ankle in 2 spots, my first broken bones ever! I am bored out of my mind, theres only so much XBox I can handle in a day.My thoughts are with everyone in the same position.This has been a good learning experience and a way to help me appreciate others who are in this situation premanently.So, hobble along happily my people. Take care.
Thanks for you posts; they make me laugh! Broke my R ankle on Aug 4/06 3 places, 7 screws and one plate. Not fun. Oh well. Any recommendations for footwear for the scared to walk? Any chain-stores that have cute, flat ankle boots (I’m in Calgary). I need something with a little style.
One more thing, I got a bonus when I broke my right ankle; I sprained my left ankle and the same time–badly. For all of you who have gone through this experience, I say, “Yes, it COULD be worse!” I was wearing flat sandals at the time and fell off of some uneven pavement in a parking lot. Humour seems to be the key in dealing with this–anyone seen my sense of humour? It fled during week 9…
I wish I had found your site when I fell and broke my leg and ankle a year ago. Two surgeries, twelve screws, bone graft and a plate later I am still not able to get into my heels. Funny enough I was wearing flats when I fell. Go figure. I have been through all the stuff you are going through plus a few more. My first broken bone and boy do I break it. You site is a great, it reminds me that its okay to laugh at the situation.
I fell at my Mom’s house on 28 Oct. My ankle was fractured in four places with a dislocation on top of that. I, too have some screws and a plate (should be fun going through airport security!) Right now my worst problem is finding a way to go up and down stairs. No weight bearing on my right ankle of course. The walker mystifies me when it comes to stairs. Besides that, I’m afraid to try it. SO, I “scooch” down on my bottom. It’s not a pretty sight. Also, I “scooch” coming up stairs and have to figure a way to stand up again. This is really a big problem. Any suggestions?
I was at a friend’s on October 9th 06 going outside in the dark to take water to the dog. One step down later, I fell to the side, landed face down after hearing a “popping”sound and knew I broke my ankle. Luckily, I was right outside their kitchen window, so they heard my cry of “I think I”ve broken my ankle””. I told them to call 911, (knew they couldn’t move me as my foot was facing sideways from my leg). Had to stay calm as there were 4 small kids at the house. 2 ambulances and 1 firetruck later, 8 EMT’s are standing around me, trying to cut off my sock , turn me face up, splint me and get me onto stretcher. In the meantime, my dog gets loose and everyone is trying to catch him while I’m lying face down shivering under a blanket.
They finally get me into the ambulance and spend the next 15 minutes trying to get an IV to give me painkillers. No luck after 6 or 8 pokes. I finally said, just get me to the hospital. A 20 minute bumpy ride later, they wheel me in and transfer me to an ER bed. UGH>>> finally a shot of morphine. The ER doctor lies and tells me she just wants to take a look, cuts off my pants, and proceeds to set my foot back. More pain……
Luckily ORTho surgeon on duty knows my friend, and agrees to wait till1am.. (it’s 8pm now) till an OR opens up. (otherwise he says I’d have to wait a week for surgery due to swelling). 4 hours later, after a wonderful spinal I”m done with surgery… I’ve broken fibia, tibia and bone in back. I know have 10 screws and a plate.
Flash forward to 10/13… I’ve been in the hospital 4 days, morphine and percocet… They get me up on crutches… No WB. and I have a splint on up to my knee.
I manage to drag myself up to 2 sets of stairs at home on my bottom, and get up to a standing position to get to bed. Meantime, my soon to be ex-husband is still in the house, so my parents move into a hotel nearby to help care for me… Yes… the story is pathetic.
Flash forward to 8 weeks later.. By week 5 I’m weight bearing as much as I can stand and starting PT. Constant pain and swelling, but I’m only taking plain tylenol now.
Into week 8, I’m trying to hobble around house in sneakers and one crutch to get joints moving again. Had to go before the divorce judge in a wheelchair. (week 7- – still couldn’t take hopping around on crutches for a full day with leg down.)
Can’t believe how slowly I’m moving, and still not back at work. Can’t keep my leg down for more than 30 minutes at a time without pain and swelling.
But trying to keep a positive outlook. Everyday it does get a little better. Really important to do the exercises and massage scar area to get fluid out. Am also considering acupuncture to help with fluid retention in scar areas. (I have small ankles normally, and now have a 3 in scar on inside/top of foot and 5 inch scar on outside o foot.) The hardware is definately taking getting used to. Dec 2nd 06
Heather,
Check out my story
http://www.benkruger.com/my-broken-ankle/
Thanks for your blog! You really made me laugh. I broke my ankle and fibula recently (Nov 11) while ice skating… my first broken bone ever. I thought I sprained it and stayed in bed for a couple of days before going to the doctor. I have HMO insurance (in California) where I have to go to my primary physician, then he refers me to the correct doctor. I went to three doctor’s that day… the final doctor’s response from the XRAY was “Holy cow, I’ve never seen a break like this! This is going to require surgery, but I can’t do it because I am going to New York tomorrow…” I went from feeling pretty mellow about my injury to wondering if I would ever walk again. The doctor referred me to another physician but he couldn’t take me until the next day, so I nervously hobbled home (still without a splint). My new doctor was very calm and calming; apparently he had seen injuries like this. *phew* I will walk again. I had the surgery on Nov 16 where they put in three screws in the ankle to keep everything in its correct location (and to prevent arthritis). I just got the cast taken off today and now have a removable cast boot. I was looking online for information about removable ankle casts when I ran into your great blog. I hope everybody is healing well!
Hey all,
I too busted my left ankle Sept 23, 2006, playing paintball. Exciting story. Ran from one hiding spot (behind 3 trees) to hide behind a bunker (made of logs stacked in a pile). I contemplated the move times before darting full speed ahead. I should have listened to myself, because I slipped on a patch of mud, my feet came out from underneath me and I ran into the bunker left foot first. I felt the jolt of pain shoot up my leg, but with soo much excitement happening around me due to the intense game, I had no choice but to finish the game on my stomach. It’s the only way I could get help, but eliminating the other team.
“Hey we won” …..”Um yah! I can’t get up”. Initially I thought it was just a sprain (I’ll just sit out a couple of games). 2 friends too me to the Urgent Care Clinic where they took x-rays and told me I’d have to go to a hospital for surgery. 9 pins and a metal plate later, here I am Dec 18, 2006, week 2 of physiotherapy, still on crutches.
I’m bored out of my skull, I work for myself, and that’s been difficult. My life changed completely in a matter of seconds. I won’t be walking down any runways in NY, Paris or Milano anytime soon.
HELP!!!!!!!! I too like all of you have broke my ankle on December 15th, I attended a Christmas Party for my work and went and bought these suede heels, from Payless(probably my 1st mistake) to try and match what I thought was to be a hot outfit. I successful partied with the best of them, came home, managed to get home without getting pulled over, came in walked my two dogs came back in the house and slipped and fell on my tile floor, in the NEW SHOES…..as I went down I heard CRAACCCCCCKKKK.. now luckly for me I had about 4 glasses of wine in me, so it masked the pain quite a bit. That night I showed my husband he said “its just a sprain, put ice on it….. next morning he went to work, I hopped on one leg to my TV area, called in sick, called my dad to come bring me an ice pack and get me crutches, he came over and he said…ITS A SPRAIN….put ice on it, then my brother came over and said ITS A SPRAIN, put ice on it…the general concensus was if I could move my toes, nothing was broken, two days went by then two of my girlfriends came over, and IMMEDIATELY took me to the ER and sure enough I broke my ankle in two places. I have had the surgery on Dec 27, I was given a plate and 6 screws have been told no weight bearing for 14 wks!!! What am I going to do, I have a wheelchair, for I am 47 and have no upper body strength for the crutches, I HATE THE CRUTCHES, THEY SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME…the walker is really no better, requires alot of strength, the wheelchair is the best for me. BUT HELP BECAUSE I AM ALREADY GOING OUT OF MY MIND. Of course this is my right ankle, can’t drive, can’t do anything, I am on percoset, but is there anything else out there stronger than percoset????? They gave me Oxycotin for three days, three days only what I am looking for from any of you is what can I do to make my life easier??? My shower is a step down, I have to kneel down, then get on my butt, scoot in the shower and sit on the floor and shower, then scoot back out. This is just horrible. Can anyone tell me does it get easier??? Does it get better? And any suggestions to make my life easier and keep in mind…..I’M OLD!!!!
DIANA
Hi Diana and all, I broke my ankle on December 14th ice skating. I also live in California and Im going stir crazy. I had surgery a week later. A splint for 2 weeks now Im in a cast for at least 4 more. Thats 7 total I guess. I am hearing from these blogs that it not as quick of a recovery as I imagined. Not wearing pretty shoes and havng to wear a brace depresses me. On top of everything I had been dating a man for 6 months who I thought I would marry some day and he wasnt there for me when I needed him. He pushed me a way over the holidays which really hurt me. I think the injury made me much more emotional and needy (hello!) and Im stuck at home trying to deal with it all.
Hi to everyone, I was on my first day back to work after being off for over a year on maternity leave. I work at Toyota and I was starting in day shift so I thought I would start my day off with a coffee. On my way back walking to my car I slipped on the ice and fell, when I fell I heard my ankle break. I laid in the icy parking lot screaming in pain, people soon came to my aid and called an ambulance. At the hospital I found out I broke both bones in my ankle and needed surgery. I broke it January 9/ 07 and had surgery that Saturday. So here I sit over 2 weeks later, uncomfortable and unable to look after my 1 year old daughter, and limited with what I can do for my 7 year old son. My husband works from 7:30-5 Mon-Fri, so my daughters at the babysitters all day while I sit here at home unable to clean my house, do laundry etc. I am able to put my son on the bus to school, but he needs to help me in the morning in order for me to do so. I miss my children sooooo much. Thank the Lord for my husband, who has been doing everything including getting up throughout the night with our daughter. To put more light on the subject my mom comes home tomorrow, so she can help me out a bit too. This whole experience taught me how to appreciate being able to walk with 2 feet.
Hi Everyone — this is the 4th day I’ve walked without crutches or boot in 7 1/2 weeks, but only the 2nd day back at work. I was very encouraged this weekend as I was able to hobble around without much pain at all. Yesterday at work I used a cane a little, but still felt pretty good. Last night when I took my shoes and socks off, my ankle was as big as a softball and this morning it was very painful to walk on. I am using an ankle brace today which helps, but I am still worried that perhaps it is too soon. It wasn’t a very bad break — nice, and clean and seamless, so I was just supposed to wear a walking boot for a month (putting no weight on it). But at the end of the 4th week, xrays showed that the break had not calloused at all — the doc said maybe because of the severe psoriasis I have. Still he recommended walking on the boot without the crutches to see if that would stimulate the calousing. I did not like the feel of putting all my weight on my foot, even with the boot on it, so I continued to use the crutches, but gradually increased the weight I was putting on my foot until I was ALMOST putting full weight. Anyway, at 7 weeks I got a 2nd set of xrays which still didn’t show any calousing, but did show that the break line had nearly disappeared. Doc said there was no calousing because the bones were so tightly and neatly knitting that there was no room for the calous. I’m not so sure today. Still not sure what is normal.
Adjusting to this injury has been an adventure. Fortunately, my husband did a lot for me — washed and ironed my clothes, cooked meals, fed all the animals and fetched my clothes for me in the morning so I could get ready for work. I was able to walk down the deck stairs with boot and crutches, but had to scoot up on my butt. (I learned to keep a rain coat in my car in case it rained so my butt wouldn’t get soaked.) At the top of the stairs, my husband would be sure to leave a lawn chair, so instead of having to pull myself up at the top stair with no rail, I pulled myself up by the rail on the second to the top step, sat down in the chair and scooted myself and the chair over to the front door. We bought a very inexpensive wheelchair for me to get around at work. I used a backpack instead of trying to carry my purse. I went through drive throughs for my lunch and asked them to pack everything so it would not spill into my backpack. I constantly wore a sweater with big pockets so I could carry things in them, like a bottle of water, snacks, etc. I found that I could carry a big plastic cup that had a handle in the crook of my fingers and still hold on to the crutch, so I would fill it up halfway to keep from spilling and so I could go pour and carry my own beverage. When I was able to put some weight on my boot, I found I could carry some things in one hand while I grasped the crutch in my arm pit and sort of swung it ahead of me. It was slow, but it got me there. I just forgot about bathing or showering in the but. I just filled up the sink or a plastic tub with warm water, soaped up a washcloth and bathed sitting on the toilet. Sometimes you just have to do what is easiest. I didn’t wash my hair — I would go to an inexpensive haircut salon and let them wash and trim it.
Often it seemed that just before my shoulder or knee gave out, I would find a new way of balancing, making it easier to get up or down. When this is over, I’m going to start doing Tai Ch’i again every day. I don’t ever want to be as out of shape as I found myself when I broke my ankle. It is bad enough that you have broken a bone, but if the rest of your body is not in shape, it starts wearing out too. (And I’m old too!) Anyway, I hope maybe someone sees something that they can use in all this. Good luck!
Hello Everyone. I stumbled upon this website and I think it’s great. I broke both of my ankles on Jan 27 while snowboarding. I caught an edge on my snowboard and fell face forward down the mountain. At first I did not think the injury was that extensive, I thought I bruised my ankles. I got back on my snowboard for about 200 ft and I could not stand anymore. Gratefully I was with a friend and told her that I sprained one ankle and she needed to get help. They brought me into first aid at the ski mountain, I took off my boots and both ankles were swollen and badly bruised. I knew something was wrong because I was in a lot of pain and could not even stand on either of my ankles so I went to the hospital to get X-rays.
What do you know, I broke both ankles! What are the chances? The next day I followed up with an orthopedic surgeon and thay took more X-rays and sent me in for a Catscan of the ankle. Thankfully I had a catscan because the break in my right leg was much worse than they had expected. The X-Ray showed it to be a hairline fracture, but the catscan showed that I broke the talus and needed surgery ASAP. Two days later I had surgery on my right ankle and got two titanium screws put in. Unfortunately, I also lost cartilage and that can never be replaced so I need to get injections to help keep the cartilage that I have left strong. On my left leg I broke my fibula and have a hard cast for about 4-5 weeks.
It has been two weeks since my surgery and I cannot bear any weight on either ankle. The docter had given me a recovery time of 6 weeks and then physical therapy. I just got my stiches taken out of my right ankle and it looks great. I can move my right ankle a little bit, my docter wants me to do ankle exercises in that ankle every day so scar tissue does not build up.
Anyway, I am starting to go stir crazy. I am stuck at home in a wheelchair and cannot do much by myself. Fortunately, I am surrounded by my family and friends. I am trying to keep up a positive attitude because there is someone out there who has it much worse than me. This experience that I am going through is making me appreciate the the little things in life, like being able to walk, go to the bathroom and being able to take a shower. I cannot wait for the day that I can take a shower again. Good luck to everyone.
This message is for Anna, my name is Jenn. I wrote on this site Jan.24/07, 2 messages above yours. I hope you are doing alright. I thought I had it bad, mostly because of my children. 2 broken ankles! You poor girl. I know how frustrating it is with just one broken ankle. I broke the tibia and fubula in my left ankle and had surgery ending up with 7 screws, a plate on the outside and a pin on the inside of my ankle. I hope everything goes alright for you, I still cannot weight bear and go back to the surgeon Feb.26. Along with my ankle hurting my hips are killing me too from always being on my right leg and having to sleep on my back at night. You said you are a snow boarder, well I’m a skier, and winter is my favorite time of year. I have missed out on the whole season and it sucks! Anyways it’s true how we take the things we do daily for granted like walking, bathing etc., goodluck to you and keep your chin up!
Thanks for the message Jenn. Hoping you have a speedy recovery as well!
I broke my ankle falling down the dark steps of a castle at my school, and have needed some comic relief. I missed a trip to visit my best friend in Boston (I’m in NYC) and I have to miss a trip to Venice, Italy with the Art History department at my school. I am in no way built for crutches (I have no upper body strength and a shoulder I dislocated five years ago that has begun to hurt again). Basically, my life is a joke lately and I want to thank you for giving me something to help me feel a little better! And I hope you get well soon, if you haven’t already.
Very nice site! Good work.
Hi Heather,
Thank for for the information. I too broke my ankle and when I went searching the web for information there was little to be found. And then I found your site. It is nice to hear that I am not alone in the world of broken ankles. I borken my ankle on Feb 24, 2007, 9 days ago but who is counting…lol This is my first broken bone(s). I too dislocated my ankle and broke my fibula, thankfully my tibia was not broken and during my enitre ordeal I never lost my pulse ot my feeling in my foot. I had however did quite a number on it that I too required surgery and a hos[ital stay. My doctor has put me off work for 8-12 weeks and like you said this is no easy accomplishment for a girl who is always on the go. I am just counting the days until the cast is off so that I can get to the business of physio to get back into hells once again….lol thanks for you inspiration……
Boy, lotta broken bones. I broke my leg on February 20th, the morning after a thaw, icicles dripping around the house and then froze overnight. My husband usually goes out every morning around 7:00 and salts and shovels the steps and drive, and takes out the trash. He was out of town and it was trash day, so I went out. Took the step down off the doorway onto black ice and down I went. I landed with all my weight on top of the leg. It didn’t hurt, but I knew something was badly wrong because my foot was just kind of dangling at the end of my leg, so I pulled myself back in the house and up the stairs and called my hubby to see if he could leave his convention early as I felt I was going to need some help 🙂
My neighbor took me into the emergency room and to make a long story short, the tibia was broken and they scheduled surgery for the next day. I went home thinking I’d pulled ligaments and broken my ankle. I didn’t realize how bad it was until after the surgery when they showed me the plate and 8 pins in my leg. After an hour in recovery, I went home and really haven’t had any pain.
I returned for a new plastic cast a week later and have to keep this one for three weeks when I’m supposed to get a walking boot. I’m hoping to be able to put weight on it then. It still feels pretty sloppy in there and that’s kind of disconcerting, but I suppose it’s only been 2 1/2 weeks and I shouldn’t get anxious. I want to be able to jog again and that’s my biggest concern I guess.
I’m using a walker rather than crutches as I have to navigate stair to go anywhere in my house. Scooting up and down on my butt is not a problem, but getting up off my butt to a standing position is! I’ve gotten pretty good at it with the talker, but don’t think I could do it with crutches.
I’m self-employed and work mostly from home. But, the one day a week I go in, I’ve done fine getting there and back. It’s just slow. Today, I took my daughter to the ranch where our horse project meets for 4H. I was able to rubber band a trash bag around my cast and use the owners walk-in shower. OH MAN!!!!!!!!! That was awesome.
Someone tell me, this is going to end 🙂
Get well SOON to everyone here!
Randi
Well i’m in a bit of a diferent situation but along the same lines, 6 years ago i broke my ankle in dramatic style jumping off a 5 foot high stage at a dance event. On wednesday i go into hospital for my fouth operation on said ankl eand will be in a cast upto my knee for another 5 or 6 weeks.
James.
I have good news to share about my broken ankle. My injury did not include surgery but I did require a cast for 3 weeks, I now have a soft cast on for 3 more weeks. I broke my ankle when I walked outside to my backyard, which was a sheet of ice, in order to smoke a cigarette. I slipped on the ice, crawled back in the house, and called upstairs to my family for help. I did not tell my family (husband and 2 young girls) the truth about how i fell because I was too ashamed. I have been confined to my house for the past 31/2 weeks, unable to drive- the good news- i have not smoked and do not intend to smoke anymore. Perhaps something good can come out of this and maybe i fell for a reason.
Hello, here goes another broken ankle story 5 weeks ago I was getting out of my husbands truck and as I was getting out I slipped on black ice. I couldnt beleive it happen so fast, right there I knew it was broken and not sprained I felt it on the 45. As I was getting uup I could’nt even lift my leg it hurt so bad , I wasnt able to hop up it was a scary feeling. Thank god my husband was there N E way lomng story short went to the hospital took x-rays and found out it was broken needed to do surgery.Now I’m Going on 1 more week of waiting to get this cast off and my ankle feels better but feeling the blood rush when I walk on crutches drives me nutz the swelling I just want it to stop….I appreciate things so much more I cant wait to get off this coach for good …..my butt kills and I hate bum walking up the stairs. I still feel a little pain in the ankle and it feels wet sometimes. This is my second cast next week I go for the sexy boot….lol NE way hope everyone fels and gets better soon best of luck to all.
Robin – April 14, 2007
Hello, yet another broken bone story. I broke my leg on March 10, 2007 after jumping off my husband’s horse. She stumbled, I was leaning – never a good thing – and rather than fall and not know how I was going to land, I jumped because I knew I would land on my feet. Well, I did land on my feet, but ended up breaking my right tibia. Now, I have done this many times in the past with no ill effects. Unfortunately, that was about 20 years ago. I did not realize that 41 year old bones broke so much easier. Duh. Luckily my husband was working in the field, saw Blaze run by without me and saw me laying in the field. I knew as soon as I hit the ground that it was broken. First thought – OW $%^%%^^ – then, Dangit, that is my right leg, now I can’t drive. He came over with the truck, scooped me up and put me in the seat. My son drove the truck to the barn, husband caught the horse and put her up and we went to the ER. I must say the ER tech had no sense of humor. He asked me what had happened, I said “I fell off my horse”, he said “How far did you fall”, I said “All the way.” He did not even smile. They took x-rays, yes very broken. The ER tech called in a janitor’s fracture. We all said “What?” He explained, “A janitor could walk by and see the x-ray and tell it was broken” They called in the orthopaedic surgeon on call. He said I would need surgery after the swelling went down. So, I had surgery on March 28th and went back to work April 2nd on crutches which really sucks… I do scoot around in my chair though so that isn’t so bad. I use the scooters at the Wal-Mart Supercenter so that is kinda fun. What is really depressing is the amount of time between the injury and the surgery. I keep thinking that if I had had surgery the Monday after the fall, I would be 5 weeks into healing. But no, I had surgery 19 days later so technically am only 2 weeks in. 6 more weeks for weight bearing. I have a scar up the front of my shin with 4 screws in the ankle and a plate and 10 screws up my tibia.
I have the “boot” which makes it easier to shower and bathe. I couldn’t wait to be able to shave my leg. Very scary all that hair… I have an appointment on the 19th and hope the Doc has good news. I was also supposed to have a hysterectomey on April 10th, but that has been postponed until I am walking again. I had plans for this summer. I was going to break my new horse, work the kinks out of my son’s horse, we had several horse camping trips planned. Argh.. I need to keep everything in perspective. I could always be worse.
Several questions though – has anyone had problems with their big toes? I can move my toes down, but can’t pull them up.. I can barely move my ankle at all. So much for wearing nice summer shoes.. I have a cankle and a Frankenleg…. 23 staples to close me up… I have had a discussion with a co-worker about what weight bearing means. My doc told me no weight bearing which I assumed meant “Don’t stand on it”. I have been resting my foot on the ground and putting my leg behind me and putting my toes on the ground for balance. She said “Ah, don’t do that. My doc said not to put the foot on the groung at all.” Okay, she had a wheelchair and I am on crutches. What is your interpertation of “no weight bearing”? And really, do you know how hard it is to stand in the bathroom stall on one leg and pull your pants down and then back up again? I use the little stall so I can lean against the wall….
Okay, off to see the horses. I can’t wait until I can get back on. I told my doc and my husband I thought I could ride the pony with the boot on and got some really BAD looks. Ha….. Rodeo guys ride with broken bones all the time…..
Hi, I broke my right ankle Fibula bone last November. Had surgery and a metal plate with 6 screws inserted. I went through a lot of pool therapy which got me walking again. I have problems with the hardware in my ankle. This causes tightness and swelling all around my ankle. I have consider getting the hardware removed. My Doctor told me he cannot guarantee my ankle will feel different. With this statement I am undecedied on the surgery. If there is anyone out there who had the surgery done and had good results let me know your story.
hi there,i broke my ankle in 3 places at kickboxing,which happened at the start of april 2007,was in two casts,and now iam in the aircast boot,been attending physio for the past 6 weeks now and doing exercises at home too,slow but steady progess.ive been told i should be walking by august time,fingers crossed,still abit of swelling and discolouration,but it doesnt seem to be as bad as it was.i get my girlfriend to rub baby oil on my foot and massage it to get rid of the fluid and maintain a healthy colour in the foot.fingers crossed folks iam walking next month.will keep an update on the progess.bye for now
Hi, I just found your blog and love it. And wanted to thank you too. I was hit by a motorcycle while innocently jaywalking across the street, and broke my ankle in three places. This was 7 and a 1/2 weeks ago, and I’ve just had a second operation on it. Finally my cast is gone…but I still can’t walk, and it won’t be for another three weeks.
Indeed, how ARE you supposed to carry a cup?? The other day, I spilled tea all over the floor (by hopping on one leg while carrying a full mug) and made the sugar made everything sticky. Yesterday, I spilled water everywhere in the same fashion, only to return to the place where I’d spiled it, slip and fall. Oh my.
Your thoughts on life with a broken ankle…..oh my the days we go threw! For me, on my walker now for eight weeks, ahhhhhhh. I still have no cast because of the damage that was done!!! I was run over by a segway…..yes you all can laugh….i have for weeks now. Learning fast on how to carry my drinks, food to the table and so on. But just wanted to say your story was awesome……..
Hi ! My name is Lynn. I broke my ankle & foot in 3 places on 5/21/07. My summer has left me. I wear an AirCast 75% of the time. My Dr. says that PT will not help ( I have heard of others that swear by it). It swells bad & I can not get rid of that limp!! I am desperate! I go to the beach in 3 weeks! I am thinking about acupuncture. Any feed back out there?! Please tell me something, anything positive!
hi there lynn B,i also broke my ankle in 3 places as i posted previously in the forum,iam not in an aircast boot anymore and the swelling has gone down alot.iam walking with one crutch,still abit of a limp there.just keep your chin up and try giving yourself some good determination and confidence.i did that and its working.iam a 27 year old guy.iam glad this happened to me now rather than 10 years later.iam still young so they kinda heeled quicker.dont let abit of pain put you off.take care
Hello fellow ankle breakers,
I broke my ankle June 16, 2007 in three places. I was at a baseball tournament with my son and it was a really hot day. I found out from the tournament director that the boys would play their second game of the day on the same field. So…I had the bright idea to put a pop up canopy over the dugout to keep them shaded. Myself and 3 other Mom’s assembled the tent and began to carry it as we were walking on a steep incline…STUPID RIGHT??? I know! The dumbest thing was that I was doing this while wearing flip flops. So walking along my foot goes in a little hole, role the ankle, it pops, I roll down the hill landing on my stomach to find myself face down on with dried grass stuck all over me. So being embarassed that the entire game stopped and everyone was looking at me I tried to hurry and get up…not working! It was killing me, that’s when I realized the bones were sticking out and I wasn’t going anywhere. So here comes the ambulance and a trip to the ER, x-rays were done 3 hrs there and low and behold 3 breaks, dislocated and no Orthopedic on staff. Now I had to drive back home 2 hrs and go to my emergency room where they were waiting for me there. Greeted by an extremely good looking doctor who tells me he can’t do surgery that night because it swelled to much already, but he was in fact going to put it in place that night. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got my surgery 10 days later 6 screws and a plate….they were the 10 most miserable days of my life! I got better each day with pain and moving around on crutches but everyday was a new adventure trying to get to the bathroom, shower, get in bed, carry food to the table, get up and down stairs….ouch rug burn! After 3 weeks in the splint I went back and got the sexy boot and was told to take it off for showers and 3 times per day to move foot up and down for range of motion. I was relieved just to take it off for a normal shower with the waterproof cover that cut my damn circulation!!! I was still not weight bearing though. Now I am 7 weeks post op and I received the pretty air boot and I am walking with a crutch, I still swell, have a funny sensation when I run my finger along wear the plate and screws are…kinda like a numb tingle??? OH and I am worried I will limp forever! I wish I found this site weeks ago, because I laughed as I read what everyone was feeling and found out what I am going through is normal. Thank God for Mother in law who has done everything around my house since that horrible June day. I was really excited though the other day I ran my vaccumm and everything all by myself. I will keep you posted on my recovery.
Hello,
I broke my right fibula as a result of tripping on a cobblestone outside a restaurant after celebrating my husbands birthday – no I wasn’t drunk!! (Jul 8). Had surgery (6 screws and a plate) in the same week and just over two weeks ago had the cast removed and another op to remove one of the screws which was holding some ’tissue’ together. This bit was horrendous as they did it under a local anaesthetic because my blood pressure was a bit low. Also it took ages to get at the screw in question as it had embedded into the bone – nice!
Tomorrow I am having the stitches removed but I am very concerned that the swelling from the last op hasn’t gone down and the only shoes I can wear are Jesus sandals, which I suppose if they were good enough for Jesus – then who am I to complain.
I used to have a nice pair of ankles now I only have one – the other looks like a pigs trotter. Any advice? Also I have not had any physio as yet – is there anything anyone can recommend?
Why is i keep seeing so many fabulous shoes?
Debbie,
Southport UK
Hello,
I broke my right ankle on 1 June in three places and a dislocation. I had surgery the following day and the doctor placed a plate with 6 screws on one side and 2 screws on the other side.
I went through 3 different casts, learnt with difficulty to move with crutches, but eventually managed to move fine (after loosing some weight). Yes the stairs were a nightmare – went on the bum and placed a stool at the top of the stairs so I could pull myself on to it and then hold on to the bannister to pull myself upright.
I never managed to carry a cup of tea with crutches, however I did place a bag on the crutch and carried small none liquid items.
I thought everything would be fine after the plaster came off (six weeks later)- well that was all in the imagination. In fact the shock hit me then when I saw my foot (as someone said ‘pigs trotter’) after the plaster was off and foot was life-less/swollen/stiff/painful/ugly 😦
It was then that I realised that I’m not going to be walking properly for a while. I started physio twice a week and still attend now.
I did all the exercises that the physiotherapist recommended. Sometimes I did more and it resulted in the ankle/foot being inflamed – therefore had to rest it for a few days before trying more exercises.
The swelling took the longest to overcome. I found ice packs were the best and especially the ice boot at the hospital. I also found elevating the foot above the heart to be best method to help with the swellings.
I am now working to stretch the ligaments to achieve full movement of the ankle and working on the small bones in the foot to reduce the swellings and where the surgery was done. Hopefully, I will soon be able to drive and climb stairs and come down them properly.
My family and friends have been my best support.
Good luck everyone.
Hina
hey robin..
i got thrown off my daughters little pony! he was bucking and spinning and i boomeranged off! I’m old too…45. i saw the bottom of my tennis shoe and the hit my head. oops. well half the horses in the field came to say hi to me while i lay there and my friend tried to get little joe cool to stop running in circles and bucking. he got bit by something big and bad right on his belly. well…a shattered ankle later…a surgery…two bad casts a nightmare dr. and i’m sitting here glad my friend brought me laptop to borrow.
it happened august 27. i miss my horses so bad it stinks. luckily my left leg is strong enough i can stand up and down soo i sit on a folded towel on my shower floor with my right leg out the door propped up on my safe..yes safe…covered with a towel.
i’m in my fourth cast since surgery….sept 7th. i cant wait to get back on my feet. my new dr. says it will be at least another two months before weight bearing.
i just found these sites and i have enjoyed all your stories. i feel better now.
who knew how helpless a person can be with only one foot?
warm regards,
karen
ps…i breed chihuahuas for a hobby and its so hard to take care of puppies in a wheelchair!
Hi
I broke my ancle on August 5. Its been 3 monts and it still heards and its not 100% good. I started going to a acupancture and it helped a lot!!! I would highly recomended. It works the best if you belive in alternative medicine! Good luck to every body!
karen can you email me? willsyn@yahoo.com
Hey Heather!
I’m so glad I found your website and wish I would have come across it sooner than now. On 8/31/07 I slipped and fell coming down my stairs. I shattered my ankle, broke both the tibia and fibia where it connects to the ankle and fractured my tibia platea in 7 pieces. I literally broke my leg in 10 places. I have had 3 surgeries so far and currently have 8 pins in my leg, all of which have to stay in my leg for 6 months. I just wanted to say that it does get better, but it is truly slow going…especially given how bad of shape I’m in. The best part of all of this is I have been able to spend a LOT more time with my son, age 4, who has become Mommy’s little helper. 🙂
Hi Heather,
My name is tim, I am a Fireman in Ohio and I just broke that very same bone on 12/4/2007 by slipping on some ice. I am stubborn and pig headed, so I hopped to my care, drove to the hospital, and hopped into the ER. I’ve been a paramedic for about 9 years now, and this was a real eye opening experience for me. I have no idea what to expect, it took them almost 6 hours to get me in the splint and they told me I’d have to wait three days for a cast. That didn’t sit well with me, so I went to my own othopedic doctor the next day and had it cast. My wife is driving me nuts cause I keep doing stuff around the house… she doesn’t want me driving… I think she would be happy if I sat 23 hours of the day with the darn thing elevated. In any case, I know where you are coming from, and it was nice to see your story. So is what they say true??? can you feel the weather in it?
Hello Everyone –
Like so many others, I’ve got to say that I’m relieved to have found this site. I’d never broken a bone in my life (had a hip replacement about 18 months ago) and this ankle thing has been the hardest, most frustrating physical challenge I’ve ever faced.
Readers’ Digest Condensed Version: Broke my ankle (both sides) on Nov 20th – the first day of my vacation in California (I live in Maine and needed that vacation like I need air to breathe). Was having dinner with friends and my foot went out from under me. Spent 3 days in the hospital – pain like I never would have believed – surgery (screws and plate).
Got out on Thanksgiving Day in time for dinner but was exhausted early. Stayed in CA long enough for a follow up ortho consult (David Chang is the ortho I had at Alta Bates in Berkeley – the best patient communications I’ve ever experienced from a doctor, bar none), then home to Maine with a boot cast.
(Will leave off details about what it was like to travel on three different planes from Oakland to Portland, then drive 6 hours up the coast to home.)
Now I’m back in my own house. And while that’s a comfort because I know where everything is, I’m constantly faced with the many things I can no longer do for myself. I live alone.
Friends and family have been a help in dealing with the 18″ of heavy, wet snow we got during the blizzard that arrived the weekend I got back as well as food shopping and laundry.
But work is a major hassle. They tacitly expect me to continue to work which includes some work I can do at home as well as teaching a class. When they found out I was coming back early from vacation they asked me to teach my class the day after I got back. I taught this week and was wiped out by it. Essentially, I have no support at work – it’s like my condition is the elephant in the room. It’s really frustrating – the biggest and most constant pressure I have to deal with. I notice that many of you/us have taken time off work.
How much time off work did you feel like you needed?
So I’ll stop now and go back and read more of your posts – and prepare mentally for the snow we’re expected to get today. Lordy…great timing, this ankle break. My spirits are a little low today and I could really use a lift.
Hey
I broke my wrist in three spots and my ankle in my ankle in two spots. The day after Christmas and got surgery the next day. I got 12 screw and two plates in all. I am in a full leg cast and a full arm for at least the next 12-16 weeks. I will get half leg and arm casts in 6 weeks. I was jogging a marathon when the runner behind me accidentally hit my leg and tripped me and i went tumbling down a 9 foot deep ditch, and now i am stuck in a wheel chair for the next 12 to 16 weeks.
Hello everyone, Last june I was in a head on collision and my brake pedal went through my ankle and over 50% of my ankle was gone once I got to the hospital, I had a ankle fusion in november and since I was bed ridden for 6 months my bones were softer than a woman with full blown osteoporosis at 85 years old. Now that I realize i will be in a cast or walking boot for quite some time I went looking for a replacement boot liner that had some fashion or class, I could not find anything so being a seamstress I decided to develop a line of my own, I have a website that is under construction at orthoboot.goshopper.net I have created a cast cover that laces up and have others that I need to get put on the website, if your interested please so see it I can produce in any color the one online now is suede with sheepskin but am working on more variations I also have the walking boot liner and straps in the same material if interested. I hope this finds everyone healthy.
I do have a question for others has anyone had an ankle fusion? I am experiencing periods of sharp pain that actually make my foot and ankle shake it is excruciation has anyone else experience this?
it’s too bad it seems like the owner of this site isn’t really updating it anymore, but it’s still a really good resource for those who have broken bones. I could have really used this site when I was bedridden but for some reason I had no desire to do anything but sleep. I think I had some mild depression. Well, I’m pretty sure I did. I just couldn’t imagine that I would heal right and ever walk again. I was scared to death of falling down and didn’t trust my own legs and feet. Plus, I was just downright pissed off at the whole situation.
On top of being incredibly frustrated by becoming instantly (yet temporarily) handicapped, I felt guilty for being so dependant on others and such a grouch at the same time. It was humiliating to have to slide my butt across my living room to get to the stairs and hoist myself up one at a time in front of people. Everything was difficult to do and I found myself being sucked into the swirling vortex of self-pity and general anger. I was mad at myself, mad at my dogs, mad at my friends and family, just plain mad. I did not deal with a having a broken ankle very well – it was the first time I had ever broken anything and my first major surgery.
I took 3 months off work with no pay which is standard and I’m pretty sure required by law – Family Medical Leave Act or something like that. My firm was sympathetic, and I was happy to go back, even though I was in a wheelchair. I felt very unhealthy not being able to move around and exercise. I also got other minor medical maladies like skin infections that wouldn’t go away and chaffing in places I’ve never had it before…
I will have to try the arnica remedy – haven’t heard about it until now. I am almost a year from my ankle break and my ankle still gets quite swollen and stiff. It sometimes pops when I walk, too. I don’t get the sharp shooting pains much anymore but sometimes I get a painful ache. Oh, and the scar itches like a s.o.b. I don’t hardly limp anymore although going down steps is still scary and difficult for me. I am extra careful. I will never wear anything with a heel again. I call shoes that have heels ankle-breakers. I was wearing burkenstock style shoes when I broke my ankle and I will never wear those again either. I wear flats, tennis shoes, or boots. I don’t miss heels at all.
I feel bad about the way I behaved when I was bedridden and wheelchair bound. I think it’s definitely a test of one’s character. I failed. But despite last year, I am a better, more informed, more resolved person. I don’t want to break anymore bones but I have learned valuable lessons.
Last but not least, breaking my ankle changed my mind about having kids. I was horrified and scared to death of giving birth but when my orthopedic surgeon had to re-set my leg in his office he told me afterwards that “childbirth will be a breeze”. Hearing (not to mention feeling) a bunch of your bones snapping and crunching like that is kind of life-changing. for me it was, anyways.
Im an ankel breaker too (Webber B fracture of the Fibia).I have had 2 weeks of work so far (I have a Desk Job), I broke It on NYE. I think ill go another week it starts to hurt if I have it down for more than 3 Min.
hey! i found this website beacause i fractured two bones in my right leg and have a dislocated knee. i desperetely need to go back to school as this year is my important examination year.. … i’m onli 16 but just a fall over the carpark crub cause mt to crack my bones!!! SIghs!
Hey Heather!
I am 54 years old, and my name is Rhonda. I am an administrative assistant and very active. On January 3rd I fell and broke both the tibia and fibia, two inches above the ankle. I knew immediately I had broken them. The pain was horrible, and my leg looked deformed. I had started my car, gone around it to feed my kitty, and caught my foot in some boards we had stacked up. The next thing I knew I was on the ground. I felt like I was gonna pass out, and broke out in a cold sweat. No one was around, so I scooted over to the car and held on to a post under the carport, and got into my car. I drove to my brother-in-laws house and blew the horn. He took me to the ER. They sent me to an orthopedic surgeon who operated the next morning. I ended up with 2 steel plates and 15 screws. I have a six inch incision on the outside of the leg, and two – two inch incisions on the inside. A piece of the bone broke off and went into the ankle joint, so I also have an incision of about and inch and half where they went in to get the piece.
I had surgery three weeks ago today (on my birthday of all days). I had a plaster cast, and now a fiberglass one. I am praying he will take it off and put one of the velcro ones on. He said no weight bearing for 6 weeks. I plan on trying to go back to work as soon as I can. It swells terribly right now when I hang it down. I cannot use a walker because I had a rotator cuff repaired in my left shoulder a little over a year ago. Using the walker made my arm hurt worse than my leg. I am now using a small computer chair on wheels that I go throughout the house on.
I have been so depressed. I suppose the only good thing is it is winter, and I don’t have to go out in the snow, and cold weather. I watch television, read, work on my computer, and talk occasionally on the phone. Still I get so bored. I sure don’t wish this on anyone that is for sure. I am taking some college courses online, and had to drop out of my most recent classes. I start back on Monday, so that will keep me busy.
My Sister In Law broke her leg the very same way about two years ago. She was laid up for a while as well. He leg doesn’t give her any problems now. How long was it before they let you put weight on your leg? Did you have to use a walker then? I will be so hesitant to put weight on it once they say I can.
Now about the childbirth. Of course all women endure pain differently, and today there is no need for pain with an epidural. I had natural childbirth, and it was horrible. The only thing I can tell you is, the broken leg was terrible pain, and the after effects last much longer than childbirth. But for me, the actual pain at the time was 100 times worse than breaking my leg. Like I said, all women are different though. I too heard my bones break. It is not something I ever wish to hear again.
I most certainly know what you went through. It is a terrible experience. I am counting down to the day when I am up and walking around again.
I am glad I found your website Heather. It is good to correspond with someone who has faced the same thing. This way I feel I am not going through it alone.
I would love to hear from you, either here or at my email address. I check my emails several times a day.
Thanks,
Rhonda
The email addy is girlie.07@hotmail.com.
lita 8th feb 2008
on jan 28th at the end of our evening out I slipped hurt my knee badley, grazing my eye and forehead. And pulling my husband down he cut his head & had it superglued. I broke my patella (knee) it was very painfull .I hate sitting about as im a very active person so i am clonking about with my full leg cast.
Has anyone attempted exercise with full cast eg. sit ups dont want to put weight on .
full leg cast
having broken my patella a couple of weeks ago i walk with crutches sometimes & sometimes hobble about but i have terrible back ache does anyone have this problem???
YAY, I just got my cast taken off!
But what?
I cant walk yet!!!
I need physio to losen my tendons and the joint! Dam you! Yet another 6 week delay!!!
Having broken my foot badly in a car accident that also caused a super ankle sprain and then falling on the stairs while in a cast and breaking my wrist and getting my wrist in a cast I can empathize so much with these posts. Just remember one thing, once you injure your foot/ankle/wrist/ect it is so easy to reinjure those joints. This Christmas I was putting up decoration at the entry to our neighborhood and stepped into an uncovered underground sprinkler control box and wound up with another super sprain. Aye yi yi. I know that ankle will never be “tight” again and that it will always be prone to injury. So fellow cast wearers beware and be careful.
But now for a question: My mother, 85.,broke her ankle for the 2nd time in early October. By mid January she was finally done with casts, boots, braces and physical therapy and not complaining of pain unless she walked too much. Then in early Feb she began to complain of a sensation of cold in her ankle. Soon she said the cold was traveling up her knee and soon after that she said it was to her mid thigh and that the sensation was beginning to be almost as bad as the pain she’d had with the broken ankle. Now she can’t sleep unless she takes a pain pill and she hates meds. Today I took her to her ortho surgeon who treated her broken ankle and he told her that it wasn’t due to the broken ankle and is referring her to someone to treat her for arthritis in her spine. He said it is sciatic pain even tho it starts at the ankle and moves upward as the day goes on and it doesn’t raditate from the back or hip downward. Mom thinks the doc is wrong and says she KNOWS it’s due to the broken ankle. I’m taking her in for MRI anyway to have a closer look at the spine since the ortho took xrays that show arthritic changes in her spine. He also said her hip is in good shape so it’s not the hip joint causing pain altho she has a “sore” area he discovered upon examination. Ne said that was further indication of sciatica. Mom awakens without the pain and it never starts until she gets out of bed. So have any of you experienced this extremely uncomfortable icy cold sensation in your ankle that moves up ward as the day goes on? Would appreciate anything you can tell me. Thanks, ash in Texas.
I broke my ankle skiing in Bulgaria on February 8th. On xraying it, I was told I had to have an operation. I got a plate in and 4 screws. I was given a half cast and bandage which I had for 2 weeks with painkillers.
On visiting my Doctor in Ireland, I was told the plate and screws were permanent, the xray showed that my operation was a success.
My second week was the most painful but after that, the soreness had eased and I stopped taking painkillers.
I am now 4 and a half weeks on and am looking forward to getting the cast off. However I think I also damaged my knee with the fall. It has been xrayed and while nothing is broken, I am still not able to bend it normally. The Doctor said it might go away and he will not be able to check it properly until the cast comes off.
Heres hoping my cast comes off on March 20th and my knee will be okay.
Lita
just had my cast off my leg today YIPPEE cant believe it, but i cant bend my knee yet , but im working on it.
Hi
I broke my ankle and had to have a plate placed on the inside of my right leg, and also had an infection from the operation. I had a cast on my leg for 5 weeks, then I had to return to A&E due to my knee and thigh badly swollen badly as well as my foot and was given antibiotics as I had a second infection from the operation. At the end of 7 weeks the cast was removed and the consultant told me I had to exersize my ankle 20 times every hour and pointed to my husband and told me he was my physio therapist. I could not beleive this and left the hospital. A week later my instep is still badley swollen when pointing it to the floor and have to elevate it still. As I work for myself I am anxious to return to work however due to the swollen foot can not bear weight yet. And when I question the swelling all I am told is that it will be like this.
hey fellow idiots,its not so cool to be in bed all day,its already been almost 3 months for me,im going in for an operation at the end of april,to see if my left leg con bee saved.i have had an external fixator and a plate on my fibula,the problem is the tibia was compressed to distruction just above the ancle joint,their is no longer an ancle joint.i also snapped my right foot,list frank style.its hard and i see no end in sight.as a father of three young kids its not easy watching the days fall away.any advice out there?
bazhulk@msn.com.
I broke my ankle jumping for joy out of a kebab shop having finally find some food I could eat. (I have a medium-difficult diet due to severe allergies). I had been drinking what turned out to be far more than I thought I had. I face planted the pavement after slipping on the two steps unexpectedly placed outside the shop, in the rain. I broke only my fibula however, so I feel very lucky indeed! I did it AGES ago (seemslike) and I’m still in plaster, albeit purple. I can’t wait for it to come off and I found your blog by searching for physiotherapy- I’m quite scared that the cast will come off and it will still be all swollen and black n blue and stuff. Not good. I too miss my heels and your blog has given a fabulous lift! I’m longing to read more.. shall find you elsewhere if you are a tecchie 🙂
being on this site really cheered me up! I am not alone. Broke my left ankle 4 weeks ago. Was out walking dog with my 5 year old daughter when i slipped, heard a sickening snap and realised i had done something quite bad!!! My ankle was broken in a few places and i had surgery the following day with plate and screws inserted. i have 4 children and being unable to do everyday things for and with them is cracking me up!! my husbank is fantastic and i have 2 brilliant sisters who have done housework etc but my loss (albeit temp) of independence has been unbearable!!! However also realise it could have been a whole lot worse.
Just discovered your web site. Enjoyed reading it and wish you each of you a speedy recovery. I shattered the smaller of the two bones in my ankle on March 9, 2008. Am still in a non walking fiberglass cast. I am 64 years old, first broken bone, and I would not wish this on anyone. It is awful. First the pain when I did it was so bad I did black out for a second or two, then I had to drag myself down two steps and through my basement to get to a telephone as I was home alone. That pain was horrible, and I think I was in shock. How I did it was simply walking downstairs with a container of water to put two 10 pound shiz tsu puppies out in the yard. One, who we refer to as the ADHD puppy came down the stairs behind me so fast, rammed into my leg like a 10 pound bowling ball, and sent me and the water flying. When I hit the landing tile I further went flying across the now wet tile with all the weight on that ankle. I keep telling myself that I am lucky I did not break my back or fracture my skull… but non the less it is almost impossible to comprehend so much damage and pain from a fall of only four steps. I had surgery and have pins a plate and I believe a rod in my leg. He said they were pulling bone fragments out all over the place. In reading your e mails, I can see other peoples accidents have happened in just such quick and silly ways. Not that I am counting, but it is four more sleeps till my next orthopedic surgeon appointment and boy am I hoping that this non walking cast comes off. After the original pain and trauma the worst has been the loss of independence. I have now spent almost two months living in two rooms of our ground floor suite, not being able to drive, walk or basically do anything. I cannot get up the stairs to live in our main house upstairs as there are too many stairs to negotiate, and cant cope with the puppies and the stairs. I have felt like someone has put a ball and chain on my leg and locked me in a cave. This is my first ever broken bone,,,, and I never never never want to break anything else again. Good luck to everyone.
shattered tib fib with compound. fell off of 130 foot escarpment and made the news.
hi everone broke my ankle on the 27,march i broke it in two places just above the ankle joint . Although not as bad as most of you !! It has been a nightmare .I slipped on something at work and had a piece of the oven in my hands so i ended up slap on my ankle the pain was awfull my husband came for me and drove my car back home , then took me too the hosptial where after xrays i was told my ankle was broken twice .Put in a tempory cast for 10 days then put in a lighter one for five and a half weeks .Well in the morning it comes of and i dont no what happens then wish me luck jan x
Wow,
Finally a site for all of us who are broken!
I broke my patella in several pieces on March 31st – common theme in most of these entries – I was wearing flip flops too! The horrible foamy flip flops they give you post – pedicure. Six weeks later I’m still sitting around waiting to heal.
What I realize after reading all the entries – it could be much much worse!!!
Any advice on how to NOT gain weight while laid up???
All the best to everyone!
wow may 08 and you’re still getting stories
mine is particularly stupid and uninteresting as i was only walking to college and slipped down a 2 foot hill, broke my fibula from slipping over. sent a friend to reception who sent the first aider and she said it was just a twist and made me walk back over the hill and up the steps so if it wasn’t broken in the first place it was by the end. it was my mum that took me to A&E where i got myself a yummy doc but then didn’t seem so lovely when he manipulated my foot back the way it should be.
waiting untill thursday in a non wieght bearing cast to see if i need surgery. its only been a week and i’m already bored but your blog has made things easier. i know what you mean about asking for help … I CAN DO IT! is the famous phrase screamed in my house at the moment haha
Hello All,
Broken ankle +++ 17 screws, 2 plates. 16 months ago. Post traumatic arthritis has set in. Very painful at times. Is there anyone else that has had some time pass & what are the results?
Heels are never going to be an option for me. I am grateful my leg is attached & working.
Thanks in advance.
Now May 26 and things are looking up. Cast is off,,, as of about three weeks ago,,, and gradually things are getting better. I took the borrowed wheel chair, one walker and the bath seat back to the red cross today, but kept one walker just in case. The crutches are propped against the wall. Mostly now, I am simply using a cane to assist in walking. Going to physio of course and doing physio excercises at home. Have started to drive again, although am avoiding main highways.. (it is my right driving leg) and actually went grocery shopping yesterday on my own for a few items…. and the grocery cart kept me upright…. Yesterday was a good day, but today my leg and foot are aching and do not want to bear as much weight as yesterday. I guess it is just going to be like this for a while. However, just wanted to pass on that things do seem to be getting better (up and down) but a positive progression over all. So there is light at the end of the tunnel I think. Keep up the work and your spirits good people.
just stumbled across the site, but it’s nice to know others are out there with broke bodies too. i had a bad care wreck about 7 weeks ago broke my right fibula and my left tibia and fibula in multiple places. oh let’s not forget about the acetabular fx (hip) that’s non-operatable. i work in surgery and very well use fixing everybody else’s legs, but it sucks that i’m on this end know. frustration sets in pretty regularly. But 4 plates and 52 screws later my legs are starting to feel better…..but let’s not jump the gun….i still have 1 more surgery in 1 month….good luck me.
just stumbled across the site, but it’s nice to know others are out there with broke bodies too. i had a bad car wreck about 7 weeks ago broke my right fibula and my left tibia and fibula in multiple places. oh let’s not forget about the acetabular fx (hip) that’s non-operatable. i work in surgery and very well use to fixing everybody else’s legs, but it sucks that i’m on this end know. frustration sets in pretty regularly. But 4 plates and 52 screws later my legs are starting to feel better…..but let’s not jump the gun….i still have 1 more surgery in a month….good luck me.
hi everyone i have been back at work 2 weeks cast of 4 weeks lot better but still limping .Am told it could take weeks to get right !! good luck to you all x
Hi Fell about 20ft from a ladder, landed on my left foot and shattered my heel and broke my ankle. My accident happened on 05/13/08 surgery on 5/30/08. Two incisions were required a small one on the inside of my ankle and a very large one aprox 6 inches and about 1/4 wide on the outside of the heel. The pain has been unbearable. The worst of this ordeal is being a prisoner not able to do much of anything. Tired of sitting on my butt waiting for this to heal. I was to be xrayed on 5/13, but the stitches on the large incision are not ready to come out yet. one more week before xrays The doctor say at least 4 to 6 weeks before it can take weight.
Hey all you broke legs and anklets! April 15 2008, i broke (compound) right ankle and shattered left ankle, tib and fib, just by walking down 2 satirs.Of course when i came down on left foot to “balance” it shattered. Took me 2 hours to crawl between pass-outs to get to phone. Last week, after a couple different casts, both were removed, and heavy walk boot put on let. Had been using knee walker to strengthen right ankle. Pain is getting worse, almost unbearable at times. Hope to find someone to communicate with… that’s been thru this…no one seems to understand my whining! Let’s all heal together, haha!
I fell when I was climbing about 4m but I was traversing so swung and slammed into a rock wall breaking and dislocating my right ankle on impact, I screamed and cursed alot!!!! Then my ankle popped back in. I climbed out and spent 3 hrs climbing down the mountain on my bum. 5 hrs later I got to A & E.
When I popped (dislocated my ankle) it overstretched my ligaments so tore them and I broke the bone off the bottom of my tibia due to over extension. I also hairline fractured my right foot. I’m in a walking cast because the bruising and swelling is so mega. 6 weeks non weight baring then physio and learning to walk again/exercising. I work as an outdoor ed instructor. I have no insurance for my own injuries as I can’t afford them. I get free care on the NHS but need to pay for my own physio at £30 ($75) for half an hour and I’ll need several a week. I get sickie pay for one month, then nothing. Living with no savings is gonna be soo much fun.
Hello all,
I think i feel rather relieved only to have broken a bone in my ankle, compared to most of you. This is the miost pain i have ever been in and i have been on crutches 5 times now. I think im accident prone!
Well my story is that me and my partner are doing up our house we are having the central heating done and was living at his parents whilst we did it up. So at the weekend we decided to go and get the house looking something like so we could move back in. I went upstars and took the bedding off whilst he was in the garden cutting the lawn, i went into the spare room to get the clean bedding tripped over a floorboard that was up and ended up falling straight through the ceiling. I tried to hold myself up with my arms and was screaming for help the more i trie to hold on the more i was falling the underneath of the floorboards could take no weight at all. So i screamed and shouted some more – next thing i know ive landed downstairs in the living room. I screamed like crazy for what seemed like forever. My partner came rushing in and called for an ambulance. After gas and air some tablets and morphine i was feeling a little out of it – im so glad i was the pain was terrible.
I am so lucky to only have broken a bone in my ankle! I could have been a lot worse!! So here i am 3rd week off work bored out my brain and still in a lot of pain. Get my cast off on the 18th July so not to long now. I was in a back slab for nearly 2 weeks because of the swelling. It is starting to feel a little easier but i only feel comfortable when i have it up. The doctor signed me off for 8 weeks but im hoping to go back on Monday. Not sure how i will get on a little rusty on the crutches and still in pain in other parts of my body.
Havent been upstairs since im living downstairs at my mums. So if anyone fancies a chat email me claire_louise_johnson@hotmail.co.uk
Hope everyone gets better soon x
In response to Amy (post 72) I know what you mean with the I CAN DO IT! When I got back from the hozy I went to watch telli in the lounge. My mum was constantly pertering me asking if i wanted stuff and I was like I can do it, leave me alone.
Then I hopped from the lounge to the kitchen and poured my self a drink next thing i’m yelling is: Muuuummmm could you carry my drink through to the lounge please….?”
It’s annoying what you can’t do but so gratifying when you realise what you can do. I carry a bag with me everywhere with a bottle of drink in, and also so I can put things I want in it.
First, I’d like to thank everyone for contributing helpful info regarding ankle/leg injury. This site was very valuable in letting me know what to expect when I severely twisted my ankle. What I actually did was widening of the ankle mortise, blew both ligaments in the ankle, and broke the fibular. Which required surgery to fix the ankle. Oddly enough, the surgeon wasn’t concerned about the fibular break as it was far enough from the ankle to heal on it’s own.
I like to add more info to this site for others.
SWELLING
What I didn’t know and no one told me what that maximum swelling occurs 12-72 hours after the injury. So it’s imperative that you get off your feed and elevate your leg to minimize swelling. The emergency room didn’t diagnose my ankle injury and just said that I’d broken my leg. Dummy me, I felt so good the day ofter that I sat at the kitchen table and worked from home the next day. And only started elevating it on day 2. It wasn’t until I saw an orthopedic trauma surgeon 5 days later that I learned this important fact. By then, my foot was very very swollen and we had to wait another 5 days for the surgery. There’s a greater risk of infection after surgery if they operate while you’re still swollen, which is why they wait.
PINKLY/PURPLEY/BLUE FOOT
Normal. My surgeon said that the heart pumps oxygen, nutrient rich blood to the legs. The heart performs to the pumping action to the leg. When you’re laying down with your leg elevated, gravity assists the body in moving the blood back to the heart. If you put your feet down on the ground either sitting or standing, the act of walking or moving your feet help move the blood back to the heart. This is type of edema, but caused by the injury. As you become more weight baring and start walking or moving the foot, this gradually decreases in severity. Also, if you sit down and don’t have good support, you can pinch the blood vessels in the upper legs, which also cause the pinkly/purpley/blue foot as well as swelling. Again the blood isn’t being pumped back to the heart very well. To correct, just elevate the foot.
HOW LONG FOR THE SWELLING:
That’s going to depend upon your own body’s ability to heal itself. Swelling will continue as long as the body heals itself. If you go non-weight baring after the injury, the ankle ligaments will begin the healing process. But they heal without the ability to bare weight. As you begin walking, you stress the ligaments, which causes small re-injuries, which causes more inflammation and healing. This goes on until full recovery. I’m told that takes 4-6 months for my type of injury.
I may think of other items later, but for now hope this helps.
what a relief to find this website. i broke my ankle (two spots; tibia & fibula) on friday (6/27/08) and underwent surgery (ORIF) to be released (haha) this tuesday (7/1/08). i am non-weightbearing and on crutches… in a house full of stairs! i’ve sectioned myself off to my room upstairs, next to the washroom until the surgery and incision pains subside a bit.
i’m going to be exploring the site so my answer might be in a post somehwere, but the nurses had warned me about TINGLING and NUMBNESS.
i have what i describe as ‘reduced sensitivity’… i can feel touch and move my toes, but i feel like i can’t get in a comfy position that provides long-term relief from a tingly my-foot-is-falling-asleep sensation. is this ok? i mentioned it to the nurse and she said it was fine, all prior to my release… she said it is only a concern when it is of the most ‘extreme’… how do you know?! haha… any advice appreciated.
Hi, and thanks for putting up this site. I broke my ankle (fibula) only on June 30th 2008. Felt the snap snap (distinctly remember 2) of the bone as I fell (yes, i was wearing flip flops!) and the whole 911 scene enfolded. I was smart enough not to have moved, and so when I got to the hospital, the leg looked pretty normal, no bruising, no swelling, not even very much pain unless I moved it. I was casted right away and left the ER, with only very vague instructions. No weight bearing, and keep it elevated. Great. See the doc in 10 days. (Why?) Take vicodin if you need it. (ok…) So…I get home and have ABSOLUTELY no idea how I am going to get in the house. I ALSO had carpal tunnel surgery 11 days before this and cant use a regular crutch. UGH.
Well. 2 days later and I have figured out the mobility issues, gotten a wheelchair from a friend and a platform crutch,which scares the heck out of me. I’m 46 and don’t have the upper body strength to feel steady at all. But anyway, I am getting along…
My QUESTION is,…every so often when I move the leg even a little, I feel snaps and cracks and crunches. I have more pain, it kind of stings like there is something cutting my skin (although there was nothing there before the cast went on) and I feel all of this a few inches higher than the break was on x ray. Am I just feeling something that is to be expected and is no big deal, or do i take myself directly back to the ER to have it checked out. No heat, no fever, bearable most of the time. Anyone got any feedback?
Well summer, fall, and winter gone!!!! Yep Like the rest of you broke the old ankle (Tib, Fib ) Four screws, two on each side, Broke it in my back yard riding my motocross bike. I have 5 motorcycles, and had been riding my street bike all day 7/6/08. well had not rode any onf the motocross bikes in a week so i was taking them for a spin around the yard. first my brand new one then, then another one. Well the second one i was riding; i had done some work on a week before. I had to take the back wheel off, and by doing that the preasure in the rear barake had gone away. I had forgot to pump the back brakes back up so they would work the next time i rode the bike.
The front brake on the bike worked really really good, Well long story short i went to use the rear brake (none there) grabbed the front and grabbed it tight like i was the street bike all day. The front wheel locked up and here i go. Up and over, I bet i rolled for 30 feet or more. I remember thinking “am i ever going to stop” I was only wearing shorts, t shirt and shoes. I mean what kind of motocross racer wrecks in his back yard just taking a engine spin right.. ( ME I GUESS) Doc said 10 weeks before weight bearing. Just got the boot yesterday 7/11/08. I can move my foot up and down already, and can pinch my toes really good. But the scares where the cut me open are killing me unless my foot is proped up. Iam lucky that i don’t have to miss work. I have a office job sitting at a desk. There are only two of us that do my job, with no back up and we work on rotating shifts 4 on 4 off, so work letting me keep my foot elevated in another chair with a pillow. and it my left ankle so i can still drive a automatic car. ( had to swap with my mother). I didnt have much discoloration when he gave me the velcro boot. So all i can do is wait. Good luck to all of us… It is by far a life changing event.. and it only took one second to get this way…
wow there’s alot of breakin’ going on
Hi Sally here,broke my left ankle on may 20th 2008,fell off my bicycle while trying to keep fit,ha!ha!Had surgery after having my foot put back into position and now have plate and 5 pins.Got rid of the air boot a week ago after 7 weeks no weight bearing and am struggling to get around without crutches.Have fat foot syndrome and my doc does not believe I need physio.Any ideas on walking made easier or is it that I must just make it happen and grit my teeth!
I think I am wondering if I will ever walk normally again without looking at my leg all the time.Ijust found this website today and just loved reading everyones experiences and am amazed at how many people like me have had such simple accidents creating so many questions and problems.Luv this site,thinking of you all out there!
Slow Moving Sally.
Hi Everyone,
I shared my story (no 43) last year with you.
Now my hospital doctor recommends that I have all the 8 pins and the plate removed.
Part of me wants to remove them as they are protuding but part of me just wants to leave them as they are.
Has anyone had their metal work in the ankle removed and what has been your experience?
Hina
Update on story from May 3 2008. Re: badly shattered right fibula. Coming along well. Walking again for some time now, although it had felt as if I would never walk again. I get around the house and property just fine… but still have some problems when I try walking to/in places where I use a longer stride. I also cannot stand up onto the toes of that foot. I do still limp, but that gradually seems to be getting better, but again it feels like a small price to pay, to someone who at times thought she would never walk. So, it does happen…but it takes perseverance and patience. Good luck to you all.
Hi Everyone Broke my ankle whilst visiting my sister in TN. Got held hostage for 3 1/2 weeks. I finally am home with my husband.
I broke both sides and dislocated it after falling down two small steps in the middle of the night while trying to take my two chihuahua’s out.
Surgery a plate on the outer left side and two pins on the inner. Thanks for this blog. It has helped reading about your experience and others who have posted.
To Hina Message 89. I have been wondering if they will remove mine. Even with my foot still swollen I can tell they are there as the protrude a bit. I have been lucky the Dr. allowed me to wear a boot the whole time so I can see my foot.
I did see a surgery on youtube where they removed a screw. It did not look to bad.
Hi Cherise,
Thanks – I had a search round youtube and found some interesting sites (even more ankle blogs), however there is very little about individual experiences after removing hardware. Anyway I will keep searching.
I hope you feel better – keep the ankle elevated and ice it (even whilst the the ankle is in a cast).
Hina
On August 6th 2008, I left my house fierce and fabulous in my black dress and pumps. I returned to the house in fierce pain. Yowsers!! Why I waited this long to break something is anyone’s guess.
Have you guys heard of the rollabout? It’s the best thing since sliced bread! No more crutches. You can rent them in the states and insurance will pay!
8 weeks got rid of the crutches. i’am supposed to walk in the boot for three more weeks, but thats a no go. i t feels like it is going to make my heal explode. so at work and in the house i wear just regular tennis shoes. If i’am going to be on crazy terrian i wear the boot. My ankle is fine, it’s my foot strangly enough that hurts. can take a full stride yet, but hey it’s on been five days of weight bearing, and walking. Still have a long way to go in therapy, those stretches hurt like you know what.
Has anyone else ever had the sore foot when you started walking agin? Mine hurts right where you foot bends just behind your toes..
good luck to everyone, be patient it gets better..
Hello fellow ankle breakers,I slipped and broke my ankle at an Arboretum on holiday 28 Aug,Embarasingly a helicopter was sent out for me,but could’nt land close enough,so a mini tractor took me to the Ambulance,I have a weber b fractue 7 screws and a plate,am now at home and finding the plastic cotton wool padded cast has loosened and bumps against my stiches,A plaster cast goes on 15th,so am trying not to move around and aggrivate the wound till then.
I am 58 and self employed and run my own business and live above the business,I need hand rails x 3 as there are numerous stairs here,does anyone know where I may get disabled stair rail fittments,?Homebase and Wickes did’nt have anything.
Best wishes to you all,lovely to find this website,as life can feel a little like being in a timeless vacuum at present,although spirits are good.
Hi
It all happened on October 4th 2008.The day of my SAT’s, Thursday I had gotten a call from a girl who does my job on the weekend asking me if I could cover her shift Saturday Night.I usually don’t work weekends.So being a Team Player and that I can’t say no to anyone I agreed to work her shift.Which call this Sabrina the tennage witch esque but I had a creepy feeling and I didn’t know why.If only I knew.Bwaha.
So Saturday morning I took my Sat’s which went surprisingly well.So I started getting ready for work and I still felt weird.I was creeped out when I was folding the towels and at the end of my shift when I stepped into my destiny.At the end of our shift we check the pools for dirty towels in the golf cart.So the boy that I WORKED with gets into the golf cart to drive I get into the passenger seat and we go and check the pools and on the way to park the cart the boy who is driving fast turns left and…I fly out of the cart onto the pavement I scrapped my knee, elbow, my ankle was swollen 5 times it’s size.
After two trips to concentra and 2 orthopedic doctors later.I was told I had an Unusual fracture and had a broken ankle and fractures in 5 places.Monday I had 4 screws put in.Yeah.It’s weird saying it out loud.
it was fractured in 5 different places.
hi sympathie with you all my son has aspergers syndrome and hs dyspraxia he slipped while in college on a stairwell on a ” none slip area ” they insisted that he move his…ass at once and never called a paramedic or ambulance in stead they called a taxie and put a disabled young man in it with out even a representtive or a first aider and told him at get on with it basically… we beat the taxie to the hospital they sent him to the wrong hospital as they couldn’t deal with the break he had as he had a displace fracture that needed three pind and a metal plate they then told us to go another ten miles to the next hospital as they couldn’t deal with it and to go straight away as they were expecting us so we had to take another taxie as they said that it would take four hours for an ambulance to transfer him… when we got there we had to wait anothet three hours as the other hospital had lied and had not radio through …so we were last in line…sprains went first,, they then sent him home and told him to come back four days later… we waited an hour over our appointment time…when they finaly got round to exraying him …they met me half way back to the out patients ..after ringing my other half….12 miles away…asking if i was home???? i’d only been in xray 5 minutes….superman eat your heart out….they then met me half way back to out patiebts to say he needed an emergency opp as it was displaced and needed pinning ….lol… five hours later they finaly found him a bed…. even the aneathitist was quicker…he met us in the waiting room while we settle in for the night…before they had found us a bed… our appointment was at 11am and it was 5pm before they admitted him..now we have to wait for twp weeks for the stitches to come out…and the perminent cast on….one week later we still haven’t got an appointment??????? so i truly sympathies with all of you good folks out there and I hope that you all recoer…recoverd well god bless all
Hi there, my names chris an australian who dislocated my ankle and broke my leg skydiving i found your blog site ‘googling’ while i lay here incarcerated like everyone else after a dislocated left ankle. My question is, for anyone who has had a similar injury.. aswell as the dislocated ankle i broke my fibular and had 9 screws and a plate that will stay in, i also have a screw that goes through the tib and fib to hold my ankle in place (that comes out in 10 weeks from the surgery).. anyways, one surgeon is saying NO weight bearing once im in the boot (at the six weeks mark) and the other surgeon is saying YES weight bear after 6 weeks.. one thinks there a chance the screw could break the other thinks not very likely in the 4 weeks from boot on to screw out! What is evryone elses experience?? did they weight bear with the screw in.. obviously thats what id like to do?
Hi, My name is Jeff. I broke both my ankles and both wrist in a fall from the ceiling. I was doing a side job for a company. I was on a 24′ extension ladder and due to many mistakes the ladder fell. I held onto the truss while help on the way but couldn’t hold on long enough. I fell twenty feet onto the concrete floor and shattered both my heels and broke the radius bone in both arms. I’ve been in bed since the accident (10/18/08) and still have at least 5 more weeks to go before I can bear weight. They had me in a nursing home for a week (that sucked) before I begged them to let me come home.
Hello to all my fellow-breakies, its nice to know that it’s happened to other people. I fell off a roof fell twenty feet and broke and dislocated both my ankles. I could not bear any weight for 8 weeks which means I was either in bed, on my knees or in a wheelchair. I have definitely come to appreciate the simpler things in life that we tend to take for granted like walking, and showering. It’s just about been 4 months and I am finally walking without crutches. I am very lucky to even be alive let alone walking. My doctor said I would be on crutches at least until Christmas most likely longer, and I ditched the crutches in the middle of November. My doctor and physiotherapist are very impressed with my recovery and I believe I did so well by staying positive, which is really hard when your in that position but I think staying positive is the most important part of healing. My doctor also said something to me in the beginning that really helped which was that bones are natural healers and they’re very good at it. It kind of became my motto for a while. Anyway to everyone out there who’s been in my shoes or who are in my shoes remember to stay positive, its very important! Oh and one more thing, when your working on a roof, make sure you are harnessed in, I cannot stress that enough people!
Hi every one I know how you feel to be like this I had really bad experience on November 18, 2008. After fighting with my soon to be ex-husband police arrive because my husband told them I wanted to kill my self. Stupid me when the officer ask me if it was true I say yes twice to his questions. I did not knew that they can take you to a mental hospital, He wanted to arrest me, I refuse, because I got scared another police came and broke my ankle when he was putting me down. I had surgery and I am in bed all bored.
Can anyone tell me about their experience when the doctor ok’s weight bearing? I have about three weeks to go before my doctor hopefully ok’s a little walking. I broke both ankles (post # 99).
Hi,
I’m filled with sympathy for you double-breakies. Both ankles, OUCH, OUCH!
I broke my fibula and tibia on October 28 getting bucked off a horse. The same horse bucked me off in April and I broke my elbow (radius and ulna). How moronic to have gotten back on, clearly I need to stay away from this horse! I’ve got pins on one side, and a plate and pins on the other.
I was given an air boot last week, but my huge puffy ankle really hurts and the boot feels too tight. I pulled out the liner and put on a fuzzy slipper and velcroed the thing back on. Anyone have advice for fat ankle/boot fitting? When I lower my foot to crutch around the thing swells fast and I get immediate pain-in-the-boot. I can’t bear weight on it for another 3 months (shattered fibula). I do not want to give up the boot (after calling the doc, they said perhaps back to a cast), but I’m so loving to have a real bath and air on my skin. Anyone out there have this happen and hopefully a remedy for this?
Please keep posting Hina, so we can know how the decision goes for removal or retention of your hardware. Lots of us are facing that decision I imagine. It would be great to hear from folks who have done both.
I hope you guys are feeling better. Take care, Joanne
I have broken my ankle, Fibia and Tibia, playing soccer. I had an operation on Nov 6, two days after accident. I have plate,six screws around my ankle and one in Tibia. i had cast for 10 days and fro 3 weeks i have a boot on. my main concern is am i going to keep screws and plate or have to take them out, i guess this has to be decided by doctor and results of healing, but it will not hurt any advice from you guys.
I’m in lots of pain and i’m taking painkiller every 12h, soon as i stand my leg gets swollen and turn blue, followed with pain.
This website is great i hope sharing experiences will help to someone.
Hi gang,
I received the ok from my doc to start weight bearing on 12/16/08. (Broke both heals in October) He said to walk as much as pain allows. Wow. I found that wasn’t much walking. He issued a bi lateral walker which I hate. He doesn’t want me to put weight on my wrist as they were broke as well. I dumped the walker and switched to crutches and now I can walk as fast as my grandmother! After eight weeks in bed it is nice to have some independence back.
Going back to work 12/21/08. Not sure if I’m ready but I don’t seem to have much choice. Can’t pay the bills if you don’t have any income.
Take care and Merry Christmas!
This is a response to Joanne (entry 103). If you are in the US, you can choose any boot on the market, and they all cost the same to you, the patient. There are lots of cheap, bad boots, and docs tend to give you bad ones because they can make more money with the cheap ones. You may have a bad one which tends to be flimsy and uncomfortable. Do some research and insist on getting the best one you find. I would recommend VACOCast (www.vacocast.com) from Germany. it has a beanbag inside that molds to your foot…very comfortable. It is the one that costs docs the most but costs you the same.
107. Shelli- December 29, 2008
Thanks to everybody for their interesting posts. On December 15, 2008 at 5 am, I was carrying our overweight dog down the stairs to do her business. I was on the last step when my heel slipped and all I remember was hearing 2 snaps and then excruciating pain as I lay on the tile in the foyer. Thirteen days before my 42nd birthday and I had managed to remain unbroken! Luckily my husband had heard me fall and drove me to the E.R. I had managed to break my ankle in 3 places. I had, like many of you, broken my tibia, fibula, and had another break somewhere in the middle. They set me up at the hospital and on the 22nd had an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. He said I would have surgery the following day with 2 screws and a plate on one side and 2 screws on the other side. I had surgery on the 23rd and when I came out I found that they had put in a plate and 9 screws on one side and 2 screws on the other. So, here I sit in this lousy bed for 23 hours a day. I tried showering once and realized that was more trouble than it was worth. A bath is a little easier but still a pain in the ass. So, here I sit, bored out of my mind. I decided to look up stuff on the internet to see if anyone had any stories and I came across this site. I am relieved to see that the feelings that I am experiencing are not uncommon among us broken folk. I wish you all a speedy and painless recovery.
Hey i broke my ankle on the first of december. i got myelf ran over like a idiot. iam lucky that i only broke my ankle, dont remember any of it which is lucky too, could have been worse. i had to get a operation to pin it back together. the bad thing is am only 18 and missed out on clubbin with my friends over christmas and new year. i get my cast off on the 27 of january and i cant wait !
I’ve managed not to braeak a bone in my life…hockey, football, baseball, SCUBA driving, bike riding, motorcycling, golfing…..did it all and broke no bones !!!
On December 22nd 2008, I returned home from my Florida home about 7:00pm. The nxt morning at about 7:00 am I FELL DOWN THE STAIRS and broke my ankle. I broke the bones beside my ankle and then the ankle dislocated. Called 911.
That night at about 7:00 pm the doctor operated on my ankle and put on a cast. I managed to escape from the hospital at about 10:00 am on the 24th 2008.
So here I am, 60 years 6 months old, nursing this leg. “no pressure on your leg” was the battle cry !!!
How does one get around in a three floor home? Here I am crawling on my bum, up and down stairs and hopping to the bathroom with my walker. Taking a shower is an event!!!
I get this cast off on February 2nd 2009 (two weeks) some X rays, and another cast. Back to Florida on the 3rd.
LOVE TO HEAR FROM OTHERS.
Tony “The Retired Tiger”, ask your doc to put you in a VACOcast instead of another cast. You can shower in it, and it will allow you to bear weight earlier (with your doc’s permission) than a normal cast.
Thanx Matt.
Well everyone is posting their stories, so I will share mine, I broke my ankle in 3 places on Jan. 8, 2009. I missed the last stair coming down the stairs. I was 23 weeks pregnant when it happened. I had surgery on the 13th an (ORIF) with a plate and 10 screws, and now I am recovering. My Mom has come to stay with me and help out with my 2 year old. Getting around is becoming more and more difficult the bigger my belly gets! I am now 27 weeks pregnant, and the baby is doing great. Just hope I can walk by the time she comes. I spend most of my time in my chair with my leg up, and when I do move about the house, I use a rolling office chair.
Hello all my fellow fracture friends!
I broke my fibula on January 8, 2009. I was leaving work and slipped on a patch of black ice in the parking lot- 7:30 at night. My ankle turned completely inwards like Gumby. Didn’t hear the snap- but went down like a ton of bricks. Could not stand up. Thought of crawling back to the building, but luckily my screams for help were heard by my boss and was physically hauled back to the office. Went to the ER- got x-rays showing distal fib spiral fracture and got a heavy plaster cast for three days until I could see the Ortho surgeon. No surgery Thank God. Got a fiberglass cast now for six weeks minimum, NO weight bearing. Trying to hop around on a walker and crutches. Very difficult due to the fact I am 57 and the oldness factor.I am lucky to have a husband who is a good helper, and I have been sleeping on the main floor of the house on a sofa bed. I have two computer chairs with wheels that are height adjustable. Lifesavers. I sew, so I fashioned a tie-on carry bag to the crutch. This way I can put in water bottles and automobile coffee cups with screw on lids and make it to the computer chair with little spillage. Going up and downstairs is the hardest. Have to skid on butt. Hints: get one of those grabbers that the seniors use when they have arthritis. Helps when reaching for stuff. Wear pj bottoms for sleeping- so the cast wont tear up your good leg. Get a shower chair and a cast protector so you can go into the shower… Get a long handled brush to wash with- wrap the washcloth around the brush and you’re all set. Wash your hair over the kitchen sink. Gals- paint your toenails some wild color so when you look at your busted up foot at least you can smile. Best advice: Elevate, elevate, elevate. Swelling does nothing to help you heal. Try not to do too much. Use your healing time to catch up on all of the chores you wanted to do when you ” had some spare time” such as—going thru old boxes of photos, cleaning out the kitchen drawers at your chair height..counting and rolling up your spare change. write a daily diary–practice how to sing–.reading all those books and magazines you never had time to get to–mending all the little rips and loose buttons ( if you know how to sew)…and count your blessing that your injury was not worse..many people who are now permanently disabled as a result of their accidents would gladly trade places with you just being laid up for three or four months, instead of a lifetime-I would bet that Christoper Reeve would — Good luck to all of you- I hope to get my cast off in two weeks and get into a removeable walking one–any hints on adjusting to that phase will be appreciated! 🙂
Did you have a lot of other body aches and pains during recovery? I am now having lower back pain, hip pain, shoulder pain from the over use of the rest of my body.
This is such a great website. Thanks Heather! Just what I needed. I guess this is God’s way of slowing me down. I can’t stand not being able to do anything for myself and I’m so bored – and it’s only the first week! I broke my right ankle (tibia and fibula) last Friday night, yes after a few cocktails, and slip off my last step of stairs. What a dumbass I feel like! I never get to go out (I have a 6 month old baby home) and the one time I do go out this happens! Ugh! I didn’t go to ER until Saturday because I didn’t think it was a big deal – iced it took advil and went to sleep. But when I woke up I was in the worst pain ever. So off to the ER I went – no surgery for me yet – I think I need it but dr. was too tired (he had 5 ankle surgeries before me)so he justed put a cast on it and said to come back in 1 week. So now I guess I am stuck in the house for at least 6 weeks, but worst of all I have a 6 month old baby girl who I can’t play with for the next 2 months. Thankfully I have my family to help me out taking care of her. Any Hoo – hope you all are getting better soon.
Oh and to all those new breakages – I use the walker much easier for me because I cannot coordinate crutches – I’m clumpsy as it is! However if you go with the walker… be prepared to be made fun of. I’m 30 walking around with a walker. (I got one of those deluxe ones with the wheels and a seat with storage underneath) lol . I never thought I would be so excited about something like that! But it is so convenient 🙂
My family gets such a kick out of this. I went out with my walker for a cigarette and my dad says “now all you need is a slot machine in front of you”. They are sooo supportive! lol
Hello, I’ve just found your ankle story. Please keep this up on the internet. I’m tech savy, but no where close to your level. The reason I’m saying all this is that 5 weeks ago I broke my ankle and desperately need to find out what others have been through. It already has been a long road (that I didn’t walk) and I can now tell it is going to be a lot longer than expected. The swelling and pain are still a huge problem. I’ve got 4 more weeks before the cast comes off and then weeks of physical therapy before going back to work. I’m not as young as you were (I’m 46), so the walker has been my transportation device. Even though I’m pretty slim and not terribly out of shape, I found out that crutches are too risky for me.
Anyway, thank you so much for posting your story. I’ve only started to read your postings and look forwared to reading them all. (And reading the many comments by others who have gone through this.)
Best regards – hope you are now completely healed.
Hi! Shelli again. Previously from Post #107. Well, a little refresher. I broke my ankle in 3 places on December 15th, 2008. Had surgery on December 22nd and came out with mucho metal on both sides of the ankle. I am reposting because there have been some complications with my healing. I had my cast removed probably mid February and aside from being nice and flaky, my ankle looked ok. Well, after I had surgery, the Dr. said that when I got out of the cast that he would be putting me in a boot and that I could return to work shortly thereafter. Well, I got the cast off and I inquired about the boot and he says no boot. Then my instructions were to use both crutches for 1 day and then 1 crutch for a few days and then go ahead and walk with no crutches. Did that. He had given me a few more weeks off of work until my next visit. Well, not only my ankle, but my leg started to look more swollen than before and at the urging of friends and relatives I called the Dr.’s office and spoke to the nurse only to be told that swelling is to be expected. Everything I read online also said to expect swelling. Well, a few more weeks and more comments from many people about the size of my leg prompted me to call the Dr. back. I explained that it was pretty swollen, twice the size of my other leg. The nurse once again said that it was normal. Which brings me to yesterday, Monday, March 23rd. The Dr. takes one look at my leg and asks how long has it been swollen like that? I said pretty much since after I got the cast off. I told him that I had called his office twice and was told that it was normal. I then ask him, is it not normal? He says, no it is not. So, now he is concerned about clotting and has me taking one baby aspirin a day to prevent clotting. I also have to wear this tight as hell support stocking from the time I get up. And I think the worst part is he wants me to take 2 hours out of my day to lay flat on my back with my leg elevated. I have done everything by the book in as far as taking it easy and keeping my leg up. When I went in to the Dr. yesterday I was fully expecting to be released to go back to work. Now, another 6 weeks of NOTHING. I got a letter from my employer stating that I am only allowed 100+ days off, whether I am under a doctors care or not and then I will be terminated. So now, I am also in jeopardy of losing my job. So, the moral of my long and drawn out story is, if you suspect that something isn’t right, don’t let some nurse that had 30 some years experience and you fully trust blow you off twice. I should have been more pushy but I trusted that they were the specialists and they knew more than I did.
Thanks Shelli. Good to know this. While swelling (from everything I’ve read) seems to be a very big part of this whole healing thing and I’m experiencing a lot (and it’s very unpredictable), I’m never to sure what is too much and what is normal. That’s why I started reading these personal blogs, because I was trying to find out what seemed to be happening to others or at least have something to use as a gauge. Boy, your situation is really not good. I certainly hope I don’t (none of us) have anything close to what you’ve had to experience. I hope you are healing better now. I know about the scary job question – you never feel good being out. All the best – Melissa
I broke my ankle in 3 places, missed the bottom step, and crack. Pain like you would not beleive. It happened on Feb 25th. Went to emergency room, and was operated on next day. I had a heavy plaster cast on for 2 weeks, and a fiberglass one on after that. I have two more weeks to go, I don’t know what to expect after that. I use a walker, and my arms killed me when I had to hop to the bathroom many times a day. My arms do not hurt anymore, but it is so hard getting around. I am so tired of hopping. I was told it would take 3 months to walk normally. The pain is still there, and my toes swell up if I hang my legs down to long. I am going to be 69 years young in April, and I very much want to go to church on Easter Sunday. I know that I am going to be afraid to put all of my weight on my right foot, with God’s help, we all will be on the road to recovery. Take care all.
hi, i am a mom of 6. i broke my ankle in 3 places on april fools day. i had surgery the next day, 6 screws, 2 pins, 1 plate. i live 5 minutes from the hospital, and had great care. i am thankful to God for all the good care. well, now it is a week and a half later, – sunday. and i did go to church with crutches and a stinky wheelchair. now i know what its like to be handicapped. (somewhat). well anyways, i am considering finishing my 2 classes at the college. i can either blow all my work so far, or get over there once a week. one class is anatomy and physiology, which is real hard, and i have a b so far in it. anyone have any reasons why i shouldnt do this? is it just an energy/uncomfortable thing, or can i do something bad to the healing process? thanks for any input. from, stopped dead in my tracks, and wondering why.
Hello everyone. I never knew a broken ankle caused so many problems. I slipped in front of our cities Public Safety Buidling and the guy who was supposed to sand the walk- saw me laying on the ground- abulance pulling up and he turned around! Don’t worry- can’t sue city hall. I feel ripped as I am going financially behind quickly not being able to work.My foot went 90 degrees backward- it was weird and I knew right away I couldn’t walk on it. I will say the medical part went quickly. I was lucky that the doctor was in and put in 8 screws and 2 plates within four hours. I did meet a very odd PT person the next day when we looked at how to move. I got a walker. She showed me how to use it and then proceded to want me to walk 75′.Sorry hopping over 50 when you are 6’4 and 300 pounds is not something I am going to do. Especially when there wasn’t a place to sit if I got tired. Then the wheelchair guy ripped us off a bit- welcome to the medical system. I went home and was lucky my wife could help me for the first 9 days under family medical leave with pay. Thank a democrat for that opporunity, I would have liked more time but did appreciate what was given. I got the splint off and cast on. I hate the cast. I can’t repeat that enough. The cast is horrible. I can’t sleep well. It hurts. I tried to call the doctor to have my cut off date moved from Monday at 8 am to Friday- anytime- sorry- Good Friday- he isn’t working. Thursday- he is in surgey all day. Wednesday- well that is almost a week now- sorry. In my job my mind is going 100 mph on a slow day. Lots and lots of decisions and interactions. I am extremely busy. I also have a second job that is online. so yes- I would say I am really really busy all the time. Well folks- here is our common denominator. Bored. I have seen everything on tv. I have two dvr’s and record for the entire week so I have things saved. The internet has somewhat saved my mind. I am hopefull that after I get my boot I can start to walk, and sleep. I have a feeling there will be some pains of the screws and plates. I have no idea of what will happen with the boot- I was hoping to find more info on the net but it is all over the place. The common denominator- boring. Also I think a lot depends on how bad yours is broken. Mine – both sides-all tendons. Well here we go- I will check back to see all of us one legs. Thanks for listening- it’s not like I have anything to do.
Hello
I was having a lovely walk through the gardens of a nearby stately home with my husband when coming to a narrow stream, he crossed effortlessly and I had to choose the stone with a winter’s worth of slime and fall sideways awkwardly. I could hear the break and so could everyone else nearby. I was lifted out of the stream by husband and kind passer by and awaited the ambulance which came after 20 minutes. Being in a dip, it was awkward even for a 4×4 ambulance to get close enough so a helicopter was called. The paramedic crew were amazing and I was so embarrassed to be needing them for a non life threatening injury but there was no other option. To my amazement, a crowd formed and pics were being taken! I can quite honestly say that I couldn’t do that but at the time it didn’t bother me -I just wanted to get to hospital and get it sorted. Turns out the ankle is broken in three places with torn ligament so my running days are on hold for a long time. I have a good laugh about it when friends and family come round but for the first time in my life, I am experiencing waves of sadness/depression. I feel so guilty as I know there are far worse things in life. At 47, I have a busy job at a golf club, two daughters and a grandson of 18 months. I love walking and run nearly every day so it feels that life is on hold at the moment.Sorry this isn’t very humourous but you are all a tonic on this website so I hope I can be the same eventually.
Wish I had found your blog weeks ago!! I broke the inside of my right ankle and sprained the outside while trying to wear 6 inch stripper heels drunk at a party. NOT SMART at all. Worst pain ever, and I’ve had a baby! LOL
Saw the doctor 2 days after I fell and he put me in a splint until I could see the surgeon. Saw the Orthopedic surgeon a week later, and had surgery 4 days later to put in two screws. Had my 1st post-op appointment 2 weeks later and he put me in a walking cast but still was NOT allowed to walk on it for another 4 weeks! I have 11 days left until I see my surgeon again, and I’m worried I will still have to be in this damn walking boot.
I’ve cheated a few times and have walked a couple of steps with my boot on it seemed to be ok until last night. I’m not sure if it was the few steps I took putting my daughter to bed or the foot stretches I did before bed but my ankle hurts when I move it. grrr is there hope I won’t need to walking boot in 11 days?
What type of PT do you do for a broken ankle?
Thanks!!
Forgot to mention about the most wonderful device ever!! It’s call a Turning Leg Caddy and is like a scooter that you rest your injured led on and push off with your good leg. I was given crutches but fell twice within the first 4 hours of having them. Then I was given a walker wich was much better but still difficult to walk more than a few feet… A week later my huband was at the grocery store and saw an older man with a cast using this caddy. He asked where he found it and went to rent me one. It’s been a lifesaver!! Best part is most insurance companies will cover the rental with a doctors note. : )
I was debating shortly if I should save this post for tomorrow(since i have nothing else to do ofcourse) but I enjoy telling my story way too much. First i want to thank everyone for sharing, this page has been a lot of fun to read.
It was a hot rainy night in Phuket Town Thailand and I was at The Blue Marina Bar where me and some strangers had just popped the top off a bottle of black label “johnnie walker”whiskey. I speak fairly good Thai and was the only white guy there so everyone was eager to get me walkin sideways. Let me tell you it was the shit, I never had so much fun in my life.
At about 4am one of my new buddies dropped me off at my hotel,so there I was all alone now. I remember Walking into glass doors ,trippin all over, talkin half thai and half english to myself…WTF. It was time for bed but somehow I lost my room key…F%^&..what do I do now?THere was no front desk at this hotel(15.00/night). Well I remembered that the roof line went just below my room window(on the second floor). I stumbled down the hallway to a window that was un-luckily open. I looked out and jumped,falling thru the roof so fast I didn’t have time swear about it. Next thing I know I’m waking up on the floor of the BMW dealership crawling around. I fell twenty feet and luckily only broke my fibula in half 3 inches above the joint but my tibula is a mess. It broke into many many pieces at the base. It was so bad they had to use an external fixator.I’m 5 weeks post op and the healing is slow but thank whomever for the internet.
BTW-two surgeries,x-rays.hardware,12 days inpatient , personal nurse24/7,morphine,food and cruthches will set you back 4,000US in Thailand.
CHEERS-I hope you enjoyed my story and wish you all a speedy recovery.
i broken my ankle in 3 places. the tib,fib and the growth plate while the other bones where shattered to pieces.went straight to hospital from school by my mums car though and am still disgusted :P.had to have urgent surgery with 3 metal plates and 12 screws in 3 sides to keep it in place. after 8 weeks gone by in a cast/pot the doctor examined it and said that i could go without any support around my ankle except my crutches.thankfully because am at a young age this should help the recovery i heard.
and now am 2 days from my cast/pot off and am trying to walk again.
thanks for reading
Hi everyone. My right ankle was smashed on Jan 2, 2009 in a bad motorcycle accident.
I had many other injuries but the ankle is the one that limits me now. I have two plates and a bunch of pins and screws in there. I remained bed ridden for three months largely due to the combination of broken pelvis and the ankle.
Now its late May and I sometimes still use a booty as it gives more support for walking. The amount of swelling seems to remain at the same level. Pain levels are quite high though and I am trying to spread the Vicodan out as far as possible. I am told that due to the severity of the injury that it may take as long as a year from date of accident before I become largely pain free and sweelling subsides completely.
For those of you who had traumatic breaks with dual plates and pins et al……how long did it take you to become more or less pain free ?
Hello again folks. I couldn’t remember the site so I had to google it. I am still here- not walking. Old males heal the slowest. I can put 60 pounds on it now, but it is tough. My toe is still still numb and hurts. Now my good foot is saying hey- you havn’t walked on me in a while- I can shut down too. It is like when I was a kid and in spring walking barefoot on rocks. Ouch ooo ouch. March 2 was so long ago. Not a lot is changed- still bored silly. I do all the excercises as directed- this seems to never end. At least now with PT I can get some good bending in. The foot feels like there is a sock in a boot all bunched up and pushing in odd places. Still swollen – despite elevation and ice. Can’t wait until walk date. Small things like bathroom, shower, and just standing – it can’t come too soon.
hello all
well my name is klarissa and i broke my left ankle. I dislocated it and then broke it in 3 spots. I sprained my right ankle and Its horrible. I am from out of town visiting my family when this all happened 3 days ago. My husband had to go back to work. So its me and my kids here at my family’s house. I have the best family ever to take me in and help me and i’m so appreciative but Im so depressed i miss my honey and so do my kids. I have to be in bed and off of my feet for weeks and I don’t know how to do this. I want to shower and walk to the kitchen for my own cup of water. I won’t ever take my feet for granted again. This has been a whole out of body experience for me. So I love this site and will keep updating. If anyone has any advice or help words that would be awesome.
Hi everyone 🙂
I broke my left ankle, on both sides and dislocated it. The worse feeling ever as I know you all know that. I was playing baseball,was in the outfield and was running for a ball when another player called it. So of course I backed off, my foot stopped but the rest of my body continued and then SNAP….fell to the ground with some choice words. At the ER I was told my ankle looked the the letter S as it was dislocated pretty bad. Thankfully with drugs I dont remember the doctor putting the bones in place, although my husband told my later that he heard me screaming while he was in the waiting room. I had surgery the next day. Being stuck on the couch with my foot elevated is so very hard for me as I’m I’m sure you are all aware of. I am the sole worker in our family so I an used to being busy and independant. My accident happed May 11/09 , 2 days before my birthday. Not exactly what I wanted for my birthday. May 26th, I got the 30 staples taken out and did more xrays. Its funny how the xray tech wanted me to flex my foot as there was no way in hell i could. Man, was I ever sweating bullets. The only good thing about that trip was I got to choose my own color for the next cast. Pretty green….keep you updated with the prgress
Hi! I broke my left ankle May, 28 2009. What a nightmare it has been. I’m 47 and feel down the stairs off of my deck. I had a bad disloacation and bad break. I had surgery the same day and had screws put in. The next day I was able to come home. I have been taking Oxycodone for pain. I have been weaning myself off of it. I now just take half a pill at nighttime.
My first week was spent crying, sleeping and in pain. I go from the Lazyboy, bathroom and bed. This has been the worst, painful, controlling, isolating thing that has ever happened to me. I will get my cast off Friday and will be put in a boot. I still will not be able to bear weight for another 8 wks. I know if will be a long haul. Can anybody tell me how long it took for the pain and swelling to go down. I just want to be able to put my leg down. The elevation is what bothers me. If it is not elevated the pain and swelling is awful. My leg is elevated 95% of the time and it still hurts to walk to the bathroom and back. I’m using a walker. Crutches going down stairs, but I can not go far I have to have my leg elevated. This is my main problem @ this point of recovery. I wish everyone the best of luck. I know how you all feel. I never want to go through this again and can not wait to be a least 50% better.
Hmm broke my ankle just over 6 weeks ago practising a football ‘trick’, you roll your foot over the ball one way and when your foot hits the ground you transfer all your weight the other way and drag the ball back the other way thus sending the ‘defender’ the other way. However at the critical moment I found I was standing to the edge of a hole so there was nothing to press on to send me the other way. Anyway it all went horribly wrong with me off balance and my foot on the edge of this hole and everything got horribly mangled as I fell, I could feel my leg bending where it should not, then I heard the fatal ‘click’ and I had that “oh shit” moment knowing I would hve to have my foot in plaster.
Anyways it was doulbe fracture the minor ankle bone (fibular?) a minor injury compared to a lot of the injuries listed here but a pain in the ankle (and ass) nonetheless. I was only in the cast 5 weeks 2 day
I could have done with a bit longer because it was starting to feel ‘good’, it was back to feeling like a cripple when they took it off!!
A problem I have is I have a sleep disorder where amongst other things I would kick my foot very violently unwillingly, which I don’t think helped much, thats not good for broken bones and rather painful. Anyways after a few days I was confident enough to hopple across the kitchen to ‘save time’, unfortunately I over estimated my abbility and kind of lost balance and paiinfully ‘ripped’ my ankle a bit so it is back to ‘spassland’. A day or two on and I think it is improving again, I will have to wait and see what it is like tomorrow, but I have to take more care, I am only doing mild physio exercises as it is pretty painful for some of them and I don’t want to do more damage than good. I am just worried that it wil heal up OK, I am sure you all have that worry. The medical staff seem pretty blaise aout it, when I express concern to the doctor in the few seconds I got to see him he reassured me by telling me that he had broken his ankle a while back! I felt like saying “but this is my ****ing ankle not yours!”. Then a brief visit to the physio nurse who showed me a few ankle exercises, who would say reassuringly ,when I tried to do what she said, “Yes, that’s it!”, despite me barely being able to move my ankle a millimetre!! Also “you are walking now” when I had managed to hobble about 6 feet very slowly and precariously. “That’s not my fooking idea of walking I though!!”
Anyway I will try and post how I get on cos I was trying to find out how long these thing take to get back to normal, but I guess everyone is different. I am sick of being virtually house bound. I did manage to hobble to the neaest shops on my crutches in my cast a few times, but the third time I did it, using one crutch I got a load of pain when I got back, which seemed to set me back a long way, so I gave up on that idea for the time being.
However the swelling seems to have gone down a lot now and it seems more flexible, albeit painful if I make a wrong move, so I will see how it goes. I know a lot of people are a lot worse off than me, looking up at Carol Ann’s post mine seems like a minor injury, hope you get well soon Ann. Take care going down stair on crutches I went down on my ass the first week or two, you don’t want to fall down again! Best wishes.
Ankle feels better today, the bit I ‘ripped’ seem to have healed up again so I can hobble a little without a stick, but I won’t be untill it is a lot stronger incase I ‘rip’ it again nd set me back.
I never bothered with pain killers my self as I have had problems with them before but then I didn’t get much pain really, not if my footed was rested anyway, sometimes a bit of an ache but that got a lot better if I got my foot rested up. I found atfer about 10 days I saw an improvement
I felt well enough to go 1/3 of a mile to the loal shop, over a railway bridge at that time although I don’t know iif that was a sensible thinig to do or not, there is the chance you stress the ankle more etc I think rest is best for broken bones, if you are getting anything more than mildishpain I think you should not do whatever you are doing.
So I don’t like the idea of pain killers much, they may take away a bit of pain but the damage is still being done anyway so better to be aware of the pain and do something about it (if you can), obviously I am not a doctor but you may find you doctor is pretty crap anyway ;O)
Hi All, I dislocated my ankle and broke tib and fib on May 10th, I had an op to pin my fib on May 15th and was in an open cast for 2 1/2 weeks, I then had a fibreglass cast put on that was removed on 17th June. My doctor has advised that I need to have a screw removed that goes through my fibula into my tibia at a diagonal angle in 4 to 6 weeks but in the mean time I can start trying to move my ankle up and down and round and round but I can only weight bear between 10 and 50 percent of my body weight through my foot. Has anyone else had this sort of advice fron their doctor as this all seems a bit early to begin weight bearing when it is not yet 5 weeks since my op and after reading all the other comments on this site it appears that evreyone else has been told that they must wait at least 8 weeks before trying to put any kind of weight on the ankle. Also I have a lot of numbness in the top of my foot and some burning sensation in the skin has anyone else experienced this as when I mentioned to my doctor he just looked confused and avoided giving me answers.
Can’t believe all the people on this site who have broken their ankle or worse! I broke my ankle on June 4 — fell on the stairs. I had surgery a week later, getting a plate with 6 screws. I am in a splint; no weight-bearing for 4-6 weeks. This has been hell. I am in my mid-40s and in terrible physical shape (overweight and no upper body strength), so this has been very hard. The pain is manageable with drugs and ice, but the immobility is unreal. I struggle with even simple things like going to the bathroom or moving from the bed to a chair. I am worried about how long this ordeal will be, if I will ever fully recover again, and what kind of complications I’ll experience. Reading about others’ experiences is helpful in that it answers some questions, but it also gives me more to worry about. One day at a time… I get the stitches removed in 10 days, at which time I am supposed to get a cast.
hi has anyone skated or jogged after this ankle break. my accident was in 2003. i want to rollerskate but i am scared.
It is very helpful to read the experiences of other people. I too feel lucky that it wasn’t worse. I was into the 3rd day of a 3 month sailing cruise from Brisbane to The Whitsunday Islands. We had gone from Brisbane to Mooloolaba where the boat was anchored awaiting the best conditions to continue on. On the 3rd night, June 3rd, 6 dinner guests were having a bon voyage dinner nearby at my brother’s home. At 9.30pm we were all gathering outside to say our goodnights. It had been raining and was still drizzly. The driveway has a slight gradient before it flattens out at the top and is covered with small shiny aggregate pebbles. The car was parked up the side. As I walked around to go to the passenger side my left foot slid across to my right side and ended up under my right leg like some extreme yoga pose.It was like slipping on ice or wet marble. I heard the snap first, then the pain began and I started screaming. My brother was trying to straighten my foot. “Where’s that blood coming from?” I could hear someone saying! The ambulance was called and it took me to Nambour Hospital sucking on a morphine stick. In emergency I was given ketamine while staff straighened my foot which was turned around. The ketamine gave me hallucinations. I had an operation within 12 hours as it was a compund fracture and the wound needed to be closed. The tibia and fibula were broken and a bit of bone at the back was snapped. I stayed in hospital a full week and have a plate and eleven screws. There were also staples which were taken out a fortnight later. It was my first broken bone. I am 64 years old but had been going to the gym with a personal trainer to get ready for the sailing trip. I am very grateful that I had been doing this as I am sure it has made using crutches easier although I am still frightened of steps.
Last night I watched the science show ‘Catalyst’ and they were talking about a girl who had broken bones in a car accident when she was young but had a sudden spontaneous break of an apparently healed bone several years later. She entered a trial program of stem cell injections and is fully recovered now. I hope this kind of treatment becomes universally available for people who have problems healing. There were people in her trial for whom doctors had even considerd amputaions as they were just not healing. Apparently, two thirds of the trial participants had positive results.
At first because of swelling and concerns re the open wound I had a back cast. It is now June 26th and I have had a the proper cast on for a week. I have people who are being very good to me but of course there is a lot of spare time to get bored and worry. I’m reading ‘Message in a Bottle.’ Someone lent it to me.I am hoping to resume the boat trip at the beginning of August. Am I being overly optimisitc?
Oh yes, and I was wearing joggers at the time. I really don’t know what to wear to be safe on wet surfaces in the future.
It seems like a club of comrades in arms out there. It’s such a good use of the internet. Happy hoppalong and scoot along to us all.
Howdy, all! As everyone on here, I too have had a bit of some bad luck and broken my heel bone, ankle, and tibia. I was visiting my friend in San Antonio and we decided to “go float the river”; basically, you rent an inner tube and float down the Guadalupe/Comal River for 4-6 hrs. As we were floating we approached a dock on the side of the river and many of the tubers were climbing out of the river onto the dock and either swinging from a rope or jumping right from the dock into the river. Let me just say the river was deep enough and I assumed if about 50 people ahead of us made the jump/swing with no injuries or accidents then it was probably safe. Umm…yeah, not the case when I jumped. I didn’t get the running start i needed and landed a little too close to the side of the river and hit a pretty big river rock with my left leg. To make matter worse there’s no way out except to finish floating the river. So an hour and half later i was out and taken to an urgent care clinic. The Dr. confirmed the break(s) and said I would have to consult with ortho surgeon. My friend wheeled me on to my flight and after two hours of pain and swelling I landed back home in El Paso. After all is said and I had surgery on June 17 and had my stitches and splint removed on June 29. I was put in a airboot and will have my second follow up appointment on July 18. I too am going crazy, staying home and “crutching” myself from recliner to bed is getting easier but having mom and family look after your every need is nice but it makes me feel so helpless. Additionally, I am a huge Boston RedSox fan and had finally found time to get to Fenway to catch a game on July 4. To me it was almost a life time dream to catch a game and to visit Boston. Now that trip has been cancelled and I am super bummed about not being able to go to Boston.
Moral of my story: stay in your tube! ;o)
Hope y’all are feeling and getting better; chin up, buddy.
What a great site. Broke muy rt ankle (fib) on June 26, & had sugery on June 27. A plate w/screws & pulled legiment. I am bored & want to do things for myself. I also want to desperately want to go back to work. Thx to all for these posts.
I hope everybody is doing better since their injuries. I broke my ankle on June 7th playing football when someone landed on my ankle. I knew something was wrong when my right foot pointed west,when I was facing northeast! Accidents happen,but the worst thing is not having insurance! So now I have to deal with that apart from my recovery. Now I’m just looking at these blogs to try and determine a timeframe based on everyone elses recovery time so I can get back to work and start chipping away at this medical debt. I’ve learned to maneuver well in a wheelchair and also in crutches,but I miss the simple things,like taking a shower without having to hold onto dear life! Now I can only look forward to going to class twice a week at the community college which gets me out of the house. Times like these make you realize who your REAL friends are and how family is still and always important. Their is a brighter side I can look at though,due to my fathers diabetic complications last year,he unfortunately had both of his legs amputated below the knees. He will never walk again,but for the most of us,walking will eventually become a daily activity again. So I have my next appoinment Aug 11th,and I am anxious to how much more I have to wait before I’m active again. For now,I wish everyone the best of luck,keep your heads above water,and we should realize how lucky we are that it could have been worse. God bless.
Hi,
My story, I’ll keep it simple, hope it helps those of you behind me.
Broke my ankle on a dodgy step in a newly rented house. Dislocation, 3 breaks, operation next day, plate & 5 screws and pin. I was in a temp cast for a week which was removed, stitches taken out, and recast in fibreglass. The removal of stitches was fine, just stings, but the pulling of the foot from pointed into a right angle for the second cast was teeth clenching as the achilles had shortened in a week. Foot was evil looking, colours of rainbow, made me nauseus.
Next was 6 weeks of basic bedrest as I was hopeless on crutches. I was lucky to have a family to help me but there were moments where I became bitter and twisted, I had to learn patience, loss of control and there were bad days and good. No pain killers (i was on morphine tablets) after first 2 weeks.
Cast off. Bones healed, told by doc now up to me – should be throwing away crutches in a week. I went home full of determination and self belief.
Crap! Doc had referred me to physio who agreed that throwing away crutches wasn’t going to happen in a week!! It’s been two, I am partial weighbearing, had physio 3x and can walk with one crutch short distances but need 2 for balance outside. My foot still turns blue/grey as muscles too weak to pump blood out of foot. It aches and looks like a pigs trotter sometimes just minutes from using it. Mornings are the best, it’s the only time I look normal.
I’m still determined, I constantly bend,stretch, hobble. I’m getting a skateboard to roll my foot back and forth on while sitting and it won’t bend upwards and I can’t lunge forwards yet. But I am improving so have faith. I think realistically I may be walking in a month, maybe healed in 6 as its a slow process but we’ll get there. My scars are angry at the moment, been advise to rub area around them but it’s still pretty bruised even after 8 weeks and still looks like a Frankenfoot.
Keep positive, you will get there – Ali
Compared to most of you, my break is a piece of cake. I’m sorry for everyone who has a more difficult experience. Mine has been bad enough. I broke my right ankle on June 28th when my foot twisted off a step. It was not dislocated, and my ‘saddle’ was not damaged, thank the Lord! I was in a cast for three weeks, which you all know was no fun and very difficult. I never understood what people on crutches were going through. I guess experience really is a great teacher! Now I am rejoicing and walking in a walking cast, thanking Him fervently and continuously for freedom and mobility. I still can’t drive, but we will see what they say in three weeks. I am thankful God meets the needs of those who have put their faith and trust in Him through the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ. In the Bible, please read Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, and Romans 10:9, 10, 13. He does answer prayer!!
29 M Soldier Currently in Afghanistan, looking to chat with a lady whose had a ankle injury.. Would be awesome if someone had pics in their cast or boot. Hope to hear from someone soon:)
my email is michiganinfantry1@yahoo.com oops sorry
crap crap crap and double crap broke my ankle last wed acting like a 18 year old (i,m 31 with three kids and a house that is falling down around me now)i jumped over a pallet to look at my brothers new puppies,lay there for ten mins before i eventually hoveled to the house white as a sheet where i was met by my mother and sister in law stuffing their faces with my nice fish supper and wondering what kept me so long. so i have learnt three lessons never jump over a pallet and if you do don,t wear flip flops and never trust any one with your fish supper ha ha!!.
Well, here’s my story. I am 49 years old, and my husband and dog Baxter (german shepherd) decided to do the six mile loop trail in the high Sierra’s that looped from Woods Lake to Round top Lake to Winnamucka Lake and back. We got a late start, around 3:30 p.m. Had a great hike up to Round Top Lake, the portion with the most elevation gain to about 9,000 foot elevation. Almost to Lake Winnamucka, looking down at it from the highest point made it look so close! My husband decided to take some pictures of wildflowers a few feet off trail. I was holding Baxter’s leash, when I heard a woman scream behind me when she fell on the trail. I was putting my foot down at the same time on ground that was softer than I expected and turned to see if she was ok, at the same time Baxter decided to go see Dad down the hill. I heard the crack, then my ankle went floppy underneath me. It was 5:00 p.m. at least two miles from the car, and pure downhill hiking to go and beginning to get cool as the sun started going down. We asked the couple behind us (she was fine) to get help as there was no cell coverage up there, but had no idea how that would turn out. Meanwhile, my husband found a guy who was skiing on the ridge, last person on the mountain, and they decided I had to get to Lake Winnamucka (looking very far away now) where it was more protected in case I had to spend the night. I was not happy with this decision. I was happy to just sit there in the dirt and wait for the rescue crew that I hoped would come eventually. At least there were very few insects or critters at that high elevation to give me fits. We were in shorts, no first aid gear, no flashlight and totally unprepared for an injury such as this.
So, limping me down the mountain with the aid of ski poles, I traveled about a quarter mile which took about 2.5 hours on some very scary terrain, they laid me on the trail at Lake Winnamucka at about 8:30 p.m. There happened to be a Pediatrician camping at the lake with a bag full of first aid supplies, (my angel at that point, Chris you were wonderful!), who at least stabilized it with an ace bandage and gave me some Motrin. He was going to give up his sleeping bag for the night because at that point it was getting ice cold, and my teeth were chattering from both cold and shock, and went back for it when we heard radios and saw flashlights coming up the mountain. Oh, what a welcome site, 8 strapping young men came to my rescue with a fancy stretcher with a big wheel and morphine! They triaged the situation, and decided to call in a helicopter because they figured it would take about four hours hiking at night on the stretcher to get me out of there. So, they hiked me down about a quarter mile to a meadow where a helicopter landed and took me to the hospital in South Lake Tahoe. At that point I was thinking it better be broken after going through all that! Well, sure enough, fractured fibula. Thought I got off easy, but after seeing the ortho a week later, he had me in surgery the next day to stabilize with a plate and screws because there was apparently some hefty ligament damage as well.
So here I am two weeks later in a splint, waiting for the cast next week. It was my right ankle, so I can’t drive. I wanted to throw the crutches out the window as I feel they are the most limiting primitive devices, not even allowing a person to get a cup of coffee by themselves. But, I have been liberated now. We stopped by the medical supply store on the way from the hospital and rented a kneeling scooter. For those of you dealing with long periods of non-weight bearing from an ankle or foot injury, you need to get one of these! I kneel with my bad leg on the scooter, and push with my good leg. It has brakes that lock so that you are stable. I literally zip around with this thing, and when you have the brake on, it makes you stable so you can do things with your hands while standing. Well worth the $95 per month rental it costs. Don’t mess around with those torturous crutches any more than you have to, go try one of these things, you will love it!
I broke my ankle just on sunday. what do I do i am having a halloween party and we are going trick or treating please help because i cant just cancel on my friends
yea got my cast off 3 weeks ago! the last 6 weeks were to say the least awful!!! my eldest son(who has autism) kept asking when it was coming off cause he wanted his old mummy back! ok so i was slightly moody anyway it felt like i had no foot when they removed the cast (what a site) I absolutely appreciate being able to walk now even though i am slow and limping a little. can any one tell me how long it will take for the swelling to go down and for my ankle to feel strong again i,m still really nervous when i,m walking or if any one goes with in an inch of it.
BROKEN TIBIA, 23 YR OLD GIRL, PLEASE HELP!!!
Hi,
I recently had an accident while visiting friends away from home and fell down a flight of stairs. This happened exactly 24 days ago, since I was visiting friends away from home I had to go to the ER they were unable to cast me and I was left untreated for days.
When I finally went to the surgeon he could not even cast my leg ( I was put in a a split until about 2 weeks ago) until the swelling went down. I have been in an uncontrolable amount of pain up until about 6 days ago. My DR metioned compartment sydrome when the pain was still extremeley severe but has now said there is only about a 5 percent chance I have it.
I am only 23 years old, I live in Manhattan and am usually extremely active. I used to practice Bikram yoga all the time. WHEN WILL I BE OKAY AGAIN? I am used to wearing high shoes and have never had a break in my life. This has been one of the most depressing things I have faced and am insure of how to deal with this as most research I have done about broken tibias involves surgey…
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
THANKS
I broke my ankle in 3 places May 28th tore ligaments bone cihps what have u. I am still nervous only wear flats,which I hate cuz I am only 5″ 3″ but it does get better. Still have pain and swelling but getting better all the time. It was the worst thing I have ever been through and I have broken 2 ribs before ,this was worse. But keep in mind it DOES get better.
Hi Heather,
I broke my right ankle clear across and have been bedridden since Sept. 21st. Per my doctors I will be out for 6 weeks.
I started home therapy this week and will start 4 weeks of 3 times a week of clinic therapy this coming Monday.
My doctors told me after a week of clinic therapy, I will be able to drive myself back to work. I’m a little concerned about that. Can one week of therapy really get me off the crutches and out of the boot? I’m thinking not but hope I am wrong.
Hey all
My names Adam im 20 years old and i broke my ankle September 24th and had surgery the 29th
-I have a plate and 6 screws due to a double break/dislocation/ligament tear. I am wondering if the ligament damage is long term. I am an avid snowboarder and am getting more mad about the situation the more it snows. I was living in Bend Oregon at the time, attending college and living an awesome life, unfortunatley i had to move back home until i can walk again. I hate not knowing when ill be back to normal. I am enrolled in PT twice a week, but cant seem to get past a certain point. Why wont my ankle stretch, it seems stuck in the same spot each week, is this normal? Im trying to do as much as possible to get this ankle stonger so i can ride, any tips on how to speed up the process?
Adam, I’m in a similar situation. I work security at a casino in Vegas. On Oct. 10th at work we had to go hands on with a guy. My foot was against a railing for leverage, and when I took him down, my foot stayed on the railing. I broke my fibula and tore ligaments. I had the post op cast for only a week, and then I had a wrap, waiting for my boot. The boot never came. I was in a wrap for 3 weeks, but started trying to walk after 2. The end of the 3rd week the doctor told me I was allowed to walk, and I got started on physical therapy 3 days ago. I walk fine with no limp, and my stride is pretty much exactly as it was, but I still don’t have full range of motion, and jogging or running is completely out of the question. I feel like the stretches and strength training in PT aren’t gonna cut it, but again it’s only been 3 days, so I’ll keep ya posted. Good luck with everything.
Hi, I broken my ankle in a freak Football accident on 25th October. The actual injury was a fractured Fibea and dislocated ankle, which needed 8 pins and 7 plates to rectify. I was in plaster for 6 weeks, then had a pin removed which joined by Fibea and Tibea together. This meant I was non-weight bearing for the full six weeks,but since having the larger pin removed and I am now gradually putting more weight on my leg. I am 2 days short of 2 weeks since that op and really am amazed at how far I’ve come in the last 12 days. The initial pain and uncertainty soon eases. Dont get me wrong, I’m not pain free or anywhere near back to normal, but after two months of nothing, I really have recovered quickly. For anybody reading this for re-assurance, one thing I was never warned about was just how much your leg/ankle changes. After 6 weeks in plaster and the second op, i have to removed my bandages at home. This was a shocker and my made my wife feel quite ill. The leg was very mis-shaped, and the muscle waistage massive. Again, this very quickly corrects itself. Still a long was from normal, I can now start to see my ankle bones showing where previously it was only swelling.
Eventually, getting to my question, I’ve been wearing a platform rigid boot on my leg (just below knee high) now for almost two weeks. I have to wear this when weight bearing and still cannot weight bear without it. Can anybody tell me how long you have to wear these boots for??
I have been away from work for 8 weeks now, and although working from home, really desperate to get back to work and normality.
broke my fibula last week, have a plate and screws, is there any chance of a full recovery? will i be able to ski next winter? ever run or bike again?i have been told i will be non weight bearing for 6 weeks, after that is time to weight bearing the doctors call or based on my pain tolerance? i am very bummed and afraid of getting fat and out of shape, trying not to eat, and using a rowing machine and weights. will this ever be over?
My name is Ariel and I am 17 years old. I broke both ankles last week in gymnastics. I have two pink casts from toes to knees. I am in a wheelchair…is it ok to walk short distances on the casts?
*SIGH* I feel for every person here who has suffered any sort of broken foot/ankle/leg. I too sustained an injury and like Shelli posted in #117, I also had some complications due to not trusting my instinct sooner. I broke my ankle July 30th on my 116th skydive. I came in for landing too fast (you can slow a parachute down) and my right foot caught the ground while my body still had significant forward momentum. This resulted in a broken fibula and syndesmosis due to extensive ligament damage. The foot was completely dislocated and based on how disfigured it looked facing the wrong direction everyone was positive that I had also broken the tibia clear through. I’m very lucky- the injury could have been a lot worse but the complications that happened later were very scary in their own respect.
I went to the ER the same day where they relocated my foot and splinted me. I saw an orthopedist 4 days later who told me to wait 2 more weeks before surgery for the swelling to go down. I finally had the surgery in the middle of August. I came in one week after surgery to have the splint taken off and have a cast put on. The surgeon was not there so I was tended to by the physician assistant. When they took the splint off I was horrified to see how my ankle looked. It didn’t look like any post surgical pictures I had seen. There was a clear demarcated area of redness surrounding the incison site. The incision itself was puffy and oozing orange fluids. The whole thing looked so messed up I began to cry. She assured me it was fine and so she swabbed it with some pink iodine like substance and told the tech to put me in a cast and to come back in 2 weeks.
Within one week, I was in a LOT of pain. It felt like the staples were rubbing against the cast when I made even the smallest movement and the cast already smelled funky. I called the office to ask them to give me a new cast. They told me if I came in in the next 30 minutes they could see me. I rushed to the office and as they were cutting off the cast, the vibrating “blade” was hitting the staples and I kept saying “OW! OW!” and they said “It shouldn’t hurt.” When the cast came off we saw that the wound had completely dehisced. Skin was sloughing off my entire ankle, the whole incision had deteriorated to the point that the staples didn’t have anything to hold the wound closed so my plate was completely exposed. This is when they called my surgeon in from another building and he hospitalized me immediately.
When I showed him the pictures from the week before and asked him if he would have put a cast on my ankle he said no. Turns out I contracted two types of Staphylcoccus and some other funny sounding infection. I have been told by numerous medical professionals including my own surgeon that had I waited until my appointment the following week I probably would have lost my foot. In the hospital they had to remove all the hardware and cut a 5″x2″ area of my skin out of my ankle all the way down to the bone. I had a wound vac on my ankle for the next 8 weeks and I had a PICC line put in my arm so that I could continue daily IV antibiotics for 10 more weeks at home. I had a reconstructive surgery in October where they took a muscle from my thigh and a skin graft from my thigh to rebuild the ankle. I was bedridden in the hospital for 20 days while people getting heart surgery were in and out in 5! I’m still on oral antibiotics. I finally started PT a month ago and next week will be a follow up with the ortho to see when I can become fully weight bearing.
Sorry for the long winded post. The point of sharing my story is that you HAVE to trust your instincts. If something doesn’t look or seem right to you, then you MUST insist that they take another look at it. I got laid up way longer than I was expecting and the surgeries were tough, but I can’t imagine what I would be dealing with now had I lost my whole foot. And don’t think that this kind of stuff can’t happen to you, because it can.
Thank you Heather for making this blog available to all of us! I’ve really appreciated reading each and every story that has been shared here.
OH and ARIEL, WHATEVER YOU DO, PLEASE DO NOT WALK ON YOUR CASTS FOR ANY DISTANCE! You have a real bummer of a situation with two broken ankles but you could really cause much more extensive damage by hobbling on them even just a few steps. Please don’t even try to walk right now!
thanks guys…oh and the casts make my feet stink…what can I do about that?
All I know is try your darndest to not let the casts get wet. To shower, I was kinda ghetto and took clear trash bags and tied them real tight just below my knee. Stuffing a towel around the top of the cast helps to absorb moisture that might leak through also. I wouldn’t recommend putting anything in the cast like powders and whatnot since that could contribute to irritations which can lead to infections. If you are having a tough time showering or can’t shower as often as you used to (I was bedridden for 3 weeks in a hospital and couldn’t shower) I highly recommend “No-Rinse” shampoo for your hair. It’s not the best thing in the world but your hair will feel clean and soft. Some people have tried spraying perfumes on the cast but the result is really just a flowery-garbage-like scent. If you have to be in them for a while maybe you can call the office and ask if they can change your casts because the odor is driving you crazy. My dr’s office saw me earlier than my scheduled appointment when I made that request one time. If they do see you to change your casts, make sure they help you clean your legs and feet as best as possible since the smell is most likely the buildup of dead skin cells, etc. I hope you’re finding ways to keep your spirits up! Stay busy, read, watch comedy shows on hulu.com, chat on the phone, invite friends over for a pizza/movie party, take up a new craft. Just know that you are not alone 🙂 It’s a slow and sometimes long road, but the important thing is that you are on your way to recovery.
MY boyfriend says my toes coming out of the casts is so sexy and he licks to suck and kiss them….is that ok? or does it wetten the casts?
What your boyfriend thinks and does to your toes is your prerogative. Although I’d say if he drools like a bloodhound then maybe you guys should hold off on that for a little while, lol.
I cant stop my exploding diareah..
hi / i broke a bone in my ankle Jan.14 /2010 in a snow machine accident it rolled on to its side and laid on my ankle .. I have had 2 sets of x rays to compare and have been in a air splint also air boot cast , No surgery as yet . the boot cast made it swell more and burn . i have gone to just using the air splint . I am really discouraged as i have no idea what is going to be done if any thing . i go back to ortho dr. in 4 more days . i have no idea what will be done ..I can not put any weight on the foot , i do massage it a few times a day .. i have never had broken bones .. i would like to hear from some one who understands , patty
Hi Patty, I’m sorry you had to join the club! I broke my ankle at the end of July last year and I had never had a broken bone before that. It takes A LOT of patience, and your whole way of life changes. You will have to ask people for help with things you used to be able to do on your own. Just go easy on yourself and make sure you keep that foot elevated at all times! If they decide nothing needs to be done except keeping weight off it, that will be a good thing. If you have to have surgery that is okay too, but it might slow down your recovery time. You should get a shower stool. If it turns out you have to be off your feet for some weeks then I would advise getting a knee scooter in addition to the crutches your doctor gives you. Usually you can get a prescription from your ortho, and then you can rent the scooters online. I think you would just submit the paperwork to your insurance company, but I wouldn’t know since I ended up buying mine because I was off my foot for months. I would advise watching lots of your favorite tv shows online. You can do hulu.com but they have commercials. If you don’t already have netflix, you could get a subscription but make sure it is one of the unlimited ones (starting at 8.99 a month) because then you can watch unlimited amounts of movies and tv shows online and there are no commercials 🙂 It’s okay to entertain yourself when you are at home and off your feet. I started my own blog, and worked on a bunch of little craft projects. Let us know what your ortho says.
Christine
thanks christine / i have been getting discouraged it has been going on 3 weeks / the ortho dr. said he does not want to do surgery if at all possible , i will know more next wed. feb.3 / more x rays then / but i can not so much . No weight so i am hoping it will heal .. but how will i ever step on it again ? PT ? have you had that and did it work ?? I am new to this blog. thing so i hope i do not make mistakes if so forgive me , Patty
Hey Patty! I know it is discouraging… I think that’s totally normal when you break something. Everything is all of a sudden out of your control. Getting back to bearing weight on your broken foot just takes time. I eventually got the okay to start putting weight back on my foot at first by just standing when I was doing something stationary. Then I got the okay to walk with the walking boot/air cast thing. I started PT by just doing non weight bearing activities with my therapist, and now I’m doing weight bearing activities. I can ride a stationary bike, but the elliptical trainer is still too much stress on my ankle. I can walk a few blocks if I have good sneakers, but if I do more walking I use the boot. I have found that the PT has helped tremendously! Down the road if they tell you that you would benefit from PT (which they probably will) then definitely do it, and make sure you stick with it. I’m expected to get my full range of motion back eventually.
i am off to the ortho appointment today / this will tell if i am healing correctly or if i need surgery .. I am so hoping no surgery . will post more later today . patty
home from dr. 3 more weeks to heal , bone is coming together well but the healing has not started as yet , ortho dr. is putting off surgery . 3 more weeks tells the story if surgery or not . i am discouraged . i can move it some but not alot . got to find things to do !
i have benn in a cast for a orif right fibula for 6 weeks, get it off monday, will i be able to put weight on it and limp?how painful will it be? i have no pain now, except where i think the hardware is rubbing on my cast. when should i be allowed to drive? i want to be able to bike, run, ski again, is this a feasability? i am very scared.
mhl i can not help you as i have no idea i am in limbo myself with a broken ankle . I am very depressed today . I to want to be able to be active again .
I sustained a clean break of my right fibula on Jan. 1. (Everyone assumed I’d done it falling off one of my horses or in some other horse-related activity, but I had to tell them that that was only the case if they wanted to count slipping on an icy parking lot at a horse show, heh.) I’ve been in a fiberglass cast since Jan. 4 — had a cast change on the 18th and was supposed to have another on Feb. 1, but I had such bad food poisoning that I couldn’t keep the appointment. I’m now scheduled to return on Feb. 11. The physician assistant had said that I’d get a walking cast on Feb. 1 — is he talking about a boot? Is it possible to drive in a boot, or remove the boot to drive? I work from home, but the not-driving thing is beginning to be seriously problematic.
I guess I should clarify — it was an ankle fracture, classed as Weber B.
I’m fortunate compared to some of your stories! I broke my Fibula and Metatarsal 12/28 while running around a cone in aerobics class. My ego took a hit because I pride myself on being in shape and was trying to keep up with the 20 somethings (I’m 40ish) in class when I went down. Anyway, aircast for 6 weeks and we’ll see from there.
Agree- carrying items on crutches is a bitch, but I did become good at carrying a glass of wine into the living rm. My cats still run from me, however, because one of my crutches slipped once and clocked him on the head.
Note: ask your doctor about the knee walker. I got mine a wk ago and it’s wonderful! Now I can wheel around the house w/freedom from crutches. Listed below are positives/negatives about this experience:
NEGATIVES:
– Carrying things from room 2 room (I bring a little bag)
– Can’t drive (although I started driving w/my left foot on short trips- don’t tell my doctor)
– Hard to look sexy for your boyfriend in a large gray cast/boot
– Social life takes a hit because you can’t get out or stand in crowded rooms
– Hard to stay motivated when you are “holed up” at home.
POSITIVES:
– It’s teaching me patience
– You learn who your real friends are and learn to accept help from others (hard for an independant soul like myself!)
– I have greater empathy for those w/permenant disabilities
– I’m very grateful for what I do have & will appreciate walking afterwards
– You get to slow down, rest & relax more than ever before
Good luck everyone and hang in there!
Lola from Atlanta
hi every one / i went to a basket ball game today in the wheel chair , it was interesting people sure do not like to move . i will always move for wheel chairs from now on.. I believe i did anyways. >> i wore my air boot but took it off as soon as i got home so my foot would not swell . it is very hard getting a ankle to heal with no cast only a splint and air boot when i go out . sure hope it works . hope every one is coping i am trying . Patty
hi / wondering where every one is ? don’t seem like people post much , would be nice to hear how every one is doing ? Patty
hey I broke my ankle at work last night and I don’t know what to do now! Can somebody tell me what are my options, because my boss doesn’t want to pay my medical bill and my workman’s compensations!
hi / all i can say if you broke your ankle You should not be walking on it / and you are going to have to have medical attention for weeks ! most likely months . i broke mine Jan.14 and still can not put any weight on it at all !! can not drive or work . sorry . let me know what you decide to do , but take care of your self . patty
I got my cast off monday and am walking pretty well, still feel it and rsnge of motion is limited but a big improvement to life, and i can drive and step into the shower, not get on my knees. best thing for me on crutches was someone gave me canadian style ones.
Hi MHL awesome your walking / i am still in the air splint , been 4 weeks , i will know more feb 24 i am sure hoping it is healing .are you in PT ?? i can not wait until i am on both feet again . keep us posted as to how your doing . Did you ever have surgery ??
I broke it dec28 had surgery the next day, was in a cast non weight bearing for six weeks,monday the 8th, cheated some the last few days.have plate 7 screws and a lag screw in my fibula that are visible and tender, am doing pt have gone 3 times so far. am also riding a stationary bike, which i did probably 3 weeks in the cast, and some elliptical stuff, walked at least a half hour tonight, was told to wean off crutches on monday am and did it that afternoon. good luck to you!!!
hi / mhi / wow you had a lot going on it must of been a bad break .. their all bad breaks really . So far i have been in air splint / air boot when i go out . I can not put any weight on it , they are trying to allow it to heal with out surgery and pins etc. I am hoping i do not have to have surgery after all this . It is stiff other wise not much pain. very wearing on the body for sure. hard to sleep . but evey one says this to shall pass . sure hope their right !! patty
i broke my ankle whilst out walking the dog on Dec 30th 09 . I slipped on ice and had to crawl on hands and knees until a man passing by helped me onto my remaining good leg and managed to get my children for me . he thought at forst that i was crawling as a technique for reducing the risk of injury . I was in my pyjamas with a fleeece over the top so i expect he thought i had also been drinking. I am now waiting to get back to work – have the plaster off and have managed to drive short distances . Having only just discovered this blog , all i can add is that i too have learnt a lot about myself , true friends and the complete mindlessness of daytime Television .
i broke my ankle Jan 14 / the dr’s never put it in a cast , i wore a splint and some time’s a air boot . now i wear a splint when i go out as the air boot makes it swell . i can not put any weight on the ankle . i go for more x rays feb.24 and learn what happens next .. my ankle is becoming very stiff ,feels like a rock . is this normal ?? what should i do maybe heat ?? any help is great . thanks Patty
Hello all. I broke my ankle in December…thought it was sprained for 3 weeks, then went to the doc to discover it was broken…it has been 5 weeks now since surgery (they put those darn screws and a plate in there) and I go back to the doctors next week. Around week 3 after healing I accidentally put some weight on the ankle as I was trying to walk up the steps. I fell forward and put my bad ankle out, put a little weight on it, then positioned myself to sit on the next step. I had my aircast on and I do not think it did any damage to the healing bone, did anyone else ever put weight on their bone before it was completely healed?
hi Krissy / sorry to hear about your ankle . i try not to put any weight on mine , i am concerned when i go down steps i always have some one on my side holding on to me . Seems you had the boot on it should of protected it and it had been healing 3 weeks i hope it will be alright . when do you go back for a check up ? the air boot throws me off balance makes me top heavy so i wear a splint most all of the time .
My ankle is getting really stiff and feels awful at times . Keep me posted on how your doing , i go for check up the 24 hope no surgery after all this , Patty
My sympathies to all of you hobblers out there. I broke my right foot twice, both in car accidents back in the early 80’s. The second time, I didn’t go to the doctor right away. I hobbled around for several days, then someone forced me to go. Both my feet hurt, but only one was broken. They put a plaster cast on it, which took a while. But when I stood up, I collapsed as I tried to put my weight on the non-casted foot.
Come to find out, they had mistakenly put the cast on the wrong foot. So, had to cut it off, and redo it. Then I had to have THAT one redone about a week later, again because of the inept casters. Anyway, I was young and frisky then and could manage getting around on crutches pretty good.
Now I’m older, and sadly, fatter. I was taking my students outside last Tuesday, February 17 for a fire drill (I teach), when I rolled my ankle and fell flat, my face even scraped the dirt. All I could think of was I had to get up…fast. So I put every ounce of strength I could muster into pulling myself back up into a standing position ( Please understand that getting up from a prone position is not easy for me WITHOUT a broken ankle).
I did manage it, there were lots of students and teachers around but they all just stood and watched the whole episode take place like I was performing a stunt for their entertainment. Most of them were laughing. I’m sure that brings a smile to most student’s faces, an overweight teacher falling flat in front of the entire fifth and sixth grade classes.
Anyway, it did hurt, enough to bring tears to my eyes, but I was very embarrassed and reassured all that I was okay. I made it home after school, woke up after an hour of sleep, tried to walk, and the pain was excruciating. So I kept hobbling, doing the best I could. Went to school again the next day because it was staff and class pictures day. Noticed my ankle was quite swollen, and walking was a slow, laborious, painful process, but I managed. Decided to call for a sub, went to he doctor, and she knew it was broken before they took the X-rays.
It was so swollen, she couldn’t cast it so now I have this huge ugly splint on it and I’m supposed to just lay around with my foot elevated above my heart for four days,surviving on pain pills, then go back to get the cast this Monday.
Everything is more difficult, but I’m managing. We had an old wheelchair I dragged out and I put my knee in it and zip around the house backwards (I’m not backwards, the wheelchair is) which is way better than trying to use those torture devices they told me were crutches.
I hope I can go back to school Tuesday, the doctor wouldn’t tell me, she just said we’d talk about it Monday. Anyway, life goes on, another experience to add to my life stories.
Hi Pinkmoon, I’m sorry to hear that you broke your ankle again. Seeing that you are a teacher and have to be able to get around I highly recommend the knee scooter or roll about. You can rent them online and return them when you are done. Once you are ready to go back to school it will be a godsend. Even if you were in tip top physical condition, it would be impossible to go back to teaching using crutches. It’s just not possible. You will have a relatively normal life if you get the knee scooter, trust me!
pinkmoon , so sorry to hear you have to go through the broken ankle ordeal again , i agree with Christine you sure can not teach on crutches . I have been on them for over 5 weeks and you are sure limited to what you can do . my house is small so i am able to get around but it is very discouraging . I go the 24 and have x rays and see where i go from here . Very stiff in the ankle foot area now . It helps a lot learning how others cope .. keep us posted , best Patty
I’ve been reading the posts, but held off until now to post my experience, guess I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I broke my left ankle on Dec 16, 09, after my husband and I were finishing our 2 mile walk with the dog. I slipped on the ice in the drive way and wound up with a broken left ankle, 2 places, so had surgery for a plate and 8 screws. Had to use a walker at first to get around, which for being non weight bearing, I thought using a walker was a oxy-morron (spelling?)…After a week, moved onto crutches. The biggest obstical was balance…and strength on the right leg, as well as upper body. But for being 51, I survived for 9 weeks non-weight bearing. At 6 weeks, the cast came off and a boot introduced, but was able to move the ankle around, still not perfect, but much better. I’m on crutches still with “weight bearing for as much as I can handle”…Doc wants me down to 1 crutch by next week, balance issues again as I’m trying to do that…. one screw going horizontal across the ankle should be removed by next appt, then onto PT……I do see the light at the end, and thank God I was able to work from home during all of this. Stairs, what a story, better on crutches now, but still going up to bed crawling up the stairs…I’ll be glad when that’s over too… SO it’s a long process, more than I ever thought, thx Deb
went to doctor today, 8 weeks from injury and 2 weeks out of cast. said i was doing well, non commital about when i can run or ski, walked three miles today, and do not have to wear the brace that irritates my screws all the time anymore. does anyone have input on running and skiing after this with a plate and screws on the outside of my leg,when, how was it etc. Thanks
hi / every one one day closer to my next appointment on wednesday to have x rays and see if the ankle is healing correctly . the whole ankle area is really tight and stiff . i have no idea how much longer i have to totally stay off the foot . it has been almost 6 weeks . does any one know why it is so stiff and tight ?? i have not had surgery hope it heals with out surgery . this is a long ordeal and very discouraging . all the post have been helpful getting me through this , thanks Patty
Hi
I’m 46 and broke my ankle in 3 places on 11 January cycling to work in the snow. Waited a week for surgery (doctor’s advice) and have a plate and 8 screws in various places. Luckily I got a light weight removable plastic splint and was allowed to bear 15kg weight on the leg from the day after surgery. Am still using crutches but hope to be allowed to fully weight bear at my appointment next week if the x.ray looks good. Not having a plaster cast means the joint is already quite flexible so hopefully the rehab won’t be too bad, although the leg has lost a lot of muscle.
Good luck to you all. Good to know I’ve not been alone through this.
hi every one i go for my appointment today 6 weeks off the ankle / this tell what is going to be done next , so hope it is healing . i am 63 i will be be 64 feb.28 i am very anxious this morning . i am very active so this is really hard on me . i am thinking of all of you that are having a hard time and i to am glad i am not alone in this . i will post later as to what the dr. says today . Patty
Good luck Patty…..and everyone else too of course
thanks a lot Cathy , it is a bit scary but i have to try and stay positive . i sure hope No surgery after 6 weeks of splint and crutchs i am so hoping he says PT now . it had started to heal 3 weeks ago but not enough , the dr did not want to do surgery at that time so today tells the story . it is a long day waiting as the appointment is at 3 pm .. patty
hi every one , i went for my 6 week x ray / check up yesterday and the ankle is healing on its own !! also get rid of the air boot / splint . get back in my own shoes . I have to get into PT ASAP i hope today . over 2 weeks wean off crutch’s . next appointment Mar.23 should be in good shape by then .. i know PT is going to be painful as so much tightness and stiff but i have to do it to get walking and baring weight . Pretty soon i will be able to drive again .. I will keep you posted as to how it goes in PT . it is going to swell it already is with what little i am doing at home but i will deal with it .. thanks every one for caring . my best to all of you . Patty
That’s really good news, thank you for sharing it. Good luck with the physio.
hi / today has not gone so good i called the PT where i have my referral and they can NOT see me for a week . March 5 , oh my my dr. wanted me in PT Now . so i am in limbo . i have to figure some thing else out .. always some thing . but it will work out . I am going to get a massage that will help . my best to every one , Patty
What a great site – I broke my ankle on the 6th Feb in a rather nasty fall on a blue run in Saalbach, Austria. We weren’t going fast but the conditions were bad – snowing, ski-ing in heavy cloud, fresh lumps of powder that couldnt be seen. Been ski-ing for 20 years and first accident I’ve had. Had to walk 150 metres down the piste to a restaurant to get help and was then snowmobiled down to the cable car. Luckily I was with a friend who helped me. Shared an ambulance with two other people with ankle and knee injuries – it was clearly a bad day to be ski-ing. X-rays at the medical centre showed a fractured lateral malleolus (lowest part of the fibula). Drove back to London the following day to see a specialist on the 9th who took more x-rays and said that I’d probably damaged ligaments and also needed syndesmosis repair. Operation (Open Reduction Internal Fixation and Syndesmosis repair) on the 11th was a success though the pain through that night and following day was unbearable – Countless shots of morphine by IV and mouth, coupled with IV paracetemol and codeine didnt help,). I now have a 6 hole plate in the bottom of my fibula held in place by 4 screws and a tightrope around my fibula and tibia to realign the leg with the ankle joint. In an aircast which is great as I can take it off for bed (was in a backslab at first which was heavy and uncomfortable at night). Had the stitches out two days ago without incident and the scar is healing nicely. I took the dressing off today for the first time so I can finally wash it and will be using bio-oil twice a day to try and reduce the effects of the scar. Not in any pain at all normally – sometimes the ligaments still feel sore if I move my foot in certain ways. I did slip and fall in the kitchen last week that caught me by surprise and I naturally put the bad foot out to stop me falling – that did hurt! Started physio two weeks ago and the movement in the foot already is amazing – he cant work me too hard yet as the muscles, ligaments and bone are still healing but I feel so much better after he’s manipulated the foot for a half hour I’m more confident about using it again properly. I’m still non weight bearing, and will be for another week and a half, but I cant wait to get moving on it again and put this behind me. I love ski-ing, walking, scuba diving, mountain biking and they all somehow involve my ankle! I cant describe how frustrating it is – everything takes 3 times as long to do, I’m reliant on other people to do almost everything, I dont leave the house much, daytime tv is awful!!
Good luck to everyone on this site! Essjay.
Hello all,
It is wonderful to have found this blog as there is a lack of this information on the WWW.
I’ve joined the “BLC” (Broken Leg Club), I’ve been very lucky to never have broken anything in my 34yrs.
I did it by stepping off a train, I caught my left leg in the gap between the platform and the train 8 days ago, and broke both bones in 3 places total and the ankle joint dislocated. They did trauma surgery the next day and 5 hours later I’m plated and pinned together.
Why on earth do they pump you full of fluids when you can’t move out of a bed at all.
I was suffering illusions that the first time I walked I would be able to use the crutches and get to the door I had been staring at in the hospital with the ladies sign on! I was obviously imagining I was half the age and half the weight with at least one good ankle to use, as I the one I am trying to weight bear on is bruised and swollen. But I have nothing but time to try and get the motion fixed in it, I just don’t have the patience that I must learn to have now.
Roll forward a week and today is the first day of being back home, I feel very blessed that my husband is wonderful with the patience of a saint, as the blog mentioned, this isn’t something I could do on my own. I have a wheelchair as I am not allowed to weight bear at all on the cast. I am so desperate for the sprain to heal to be able to make it at least to the downstairs loo independently, and of course would love to make it upstairs to the comfort of a bed and husband 🙂
The insult to injury is I was hoping to run away from the injections in the stomach to thin blood, but I have had to learn to give them to myself for the next 10 days, which is just yuck for someone who can’t even look at needles.
Thanks to all for creating this blog an sharing, as it’s very easy to feel very insular at the mo.
hi to every one>>> yes this is a wonderful site i have enjoyed it very much and plan on staying with it . >> I am using my crutch’s now but bearing weight . i can not get into PT until March 2 . but i am doing what the dr. tells me to for now , it is very stiff and tight . i am hoping to get a massage today .
every one on this site is awesome , thanks for sharing .and caring !! Patty
Hey Patty! I just went to the doctor on Wednesday 24 for my 6 week checkup. He says its healing great and now I can put weight on the ankle with the help; of the crutches. So now I walk with the crutches but use my foot too. I go to PT on March 2 as well! And from there we will see how long it takes me to heal. Until then I will just practice moving it up and down, left right, circling, etc to strengthen it. Good luck!
hi Krissy / that is neat we are going the same day to PT / my ankle wants to swell some today i am a bit nervous about that i hope it is normal. The dr. did say i would need to use ice also take aleve 2x a day . i just do not like how looks so i have been laying down with it up trying to rest it some . Maybe i have been doing to much walking with the crutch’s etc. ..seems like i am always worried about what i should and should not do . hope all is well with you , Patty
haha Patty. My ankle looks swollen today too, more than usual…I think it is only because I am finally putting weight on my ankle..should be normal though…I am keeping it elevated when I am laying down and should probably ice it as well. I feel like I am always worried about what I should and shouldnt do as well, but I think for now just walk w/ crutches and do stretches whenever i am sitting…should be good work for therapy.
Krissy / Saturday morning my ankle is looking normal size wise but the color is different than the other one is yours ?? weird . i decided to put a sneaker right on the first thing this morning and stay out of the slippers , maybe the ankle needs more support while hobbling around .
I can not believe it has been over 6 weeks since i was normal . and i have all of a month to go until the next appointment . I have not drove my car for so long i sure miss that . keep me posted on how your doing we can share . best , Patty
out of cast 21/2 weeks, just hiked up a god size hill in the snow and it felt OK. my pt says not to worry about swelling, so i am doing things, range of motion is coming back, want to ski, may try XC
hi / mhl Awesome your on the road to recovery !! i am so happy to hear this , I have been getting around inside doing my laundry made the bed etc. I can not wait until i can get out and XC and other things . So i guess swelling is not a bad thing !! i go to PT tuesday i am hoping it goes well .
Keep us posted , patty
Patty, my doctor said the color of the foot should be normal while it is up and elevated. However, when it is down and you are moving around the color will look all funky, mine looks purplish, weird colored when I am moving around. My Doc said that is normal but will be like that for a while…
what about scarring? I use vitamin e capsules, bust them open, and rub on the scars….is there any other scar therapy that is better?
Krissy / i did not have surgery mine healed on its own so i do not have scarring , but i would think vit. e would help . of course they have all the expensive creams on line . if i discover any thing i will let you know . >> my ankle and leg are like a dark rose color i am concerned about this, and so stiff and tight , I will be so glad when i get to PT and they go over all this with me and i know what i should do . It seems like all i do is wait . It is really tight in the morning when i first get up , it is mainly in the area where the ankle connects to the leg . I do not know how much pressure i should put on it .
yesterday it wanted to swell so i iced it and put it up for a while and it went down. I have never broken a bone before so i do not know what is right or wrong , I sure hope i never break one again .
Have a nice day and stay in touch , Patty
Hi glad you are coming along, mine is still tightest onthe front of my leg where my leg joins my foot, do not know if that is from being in the cast or from the twisting i did when i broke it, my right ski boot was stuck on snow and i twisted left. after i was hurt my foot felt disconnected from my leg, could feel it sliding around side to side, actually did not hurt just felt very weird. i also have a piece pulled off the bone, tibia, on the inside that my doctor does not seem worried about. but when i flex forward it doesn’t seem to be my achilles that stops me but the front of my leg stops me, but overall it seems that it is working to push it, i can kneel and sit on my heels this morning. try walking farther, i think it helped mine, even though it would swell and ache some that day, when i get up in the morning now i can lookdown at my ankle and see the screws in profile, good luck, martha
hi every i am going to try walking a bit more this stiffness can not last forever . i will feel a lot better after seeing PT . always concerned i am going to do some thing to cause a issue. I can not wear a lot of my shoes as yet i can not get my foot inside the shoe. i am down to 1 pair . I am going to go to church this morning , i am not driving . I do not think i am going to use the wheel chair just use my crutch’s hope i can do this . Getting up and down my steps is a big deal i have some one support one side of me and hold the rail on the other . coming up is another story !! Today is my birthday and all i ask for is to be able to walk normal again and be active !! my best to every one on this site you are All awesome . Patty
Hi Patty,
I’m unfortunately new to this, a week after surgery for me, and very frustrated I feel like a slow snail and useless.
Just wanted to say Happy Birthday.
were you given a brace to wear, i got one when i got my cast of that made me feel a little more protected, after 2 weeks doctor said i only need to wear for riskier things, which is good cause it really rubbed on my screws
to new person get out and go to the gym, i rowed with one leg then biked with one leg then gently with two, and did core and upper body stuff, helped my mind and body, get a cast you can swim with if you can it slowed me down slightly but i could swim with my whole body
hi every one i got out today , i just used the crutch’s with putting my foot on the ground just use the crutch for support . it is swelling some but not to bad . My hubby thinks i am putting to much weight on it . i am waiting for PT . I hear it is very painful so i am not sure i am looking forward to it but i do have to go . Every one on this site is really great and so supportive .
thank you for all your help , i just had a big surprise birthday party from my family , best Patty
thank you for birthday wish’s . i have had a busy day sure makes a body tired not being able to get around normal .
and i have felt useless for over 6 weeks i have had some melt downs , breaking down crying . When you are active and then your down it is really hard . I have spent a lot of time alone as all my family work . I am so sick of day time TV it is horrible . i have not driven my car for over 6 weeks . I sure hope i can go motorcycle riding with my hubby this spring . best to every one , Patty
hi every one i went to my first PT today and it went well , no pain . i can not bare full weight yet and have to keep using the crutch’s for a while longer , i will get to use 1 crutch next . I have to go to PT 2 times a week for the month of March . I can not drive or go up and down stairs alone as yet maybe in another week. But with PT i will be on the road to recovery . I am so hoping by the end of March or first of April . I have things i have to do at home through out the day . to get the stiffness and tightness out of my leg and foot , a lot of massage . I hope every one else is doing well . Patty
Just a quick update from my last entry –
Went for a 4 week check up post op yesterday morning and was relieved to be told I could now start bearing weight on my ankle. 50% weight bearing for the next 2 weeks. The x-rays looked good and the Consultant said the fractured fibula was 70% healed. I still cant drive for another 2 weeks but fingers crossed that when I see him again I’ll be 100% weight bearing and I can get rid of my aircast! I have to say to all those people that are going or have gone through this that its just the strangest thing to start to ‘walk’ on the foot again, having spent over a month doing everything possible not to put weight on it!
Best wishes again
Hi Every one another PT treatment yesterday , i can walk some around the house with out the crutch , but if painful i have to use crutch. I have to do heel toe it is so strange to be walking , have to learn all over after weeks off the foot . In the morning the swelling is all gone but as the day goes on it swells some so not totally healed as yet . this all takes time for sure !! hope every one else is doing well , best Patty
Hey Gang!!
Im Carmen i broke my ankle on the 12th of Febuary in 3 diffrent places all the bones around the ankle im only 22 years old but i work at a hotel front desk full time i had a cast on for 2weeks my doc said i am healing great so i guess thats good news he put a new one on and said he will take this one off March,25th 2010 i guess the closer it gets the more im super EXCITED AND SCARED i know my ankle will be a little weak but how weak? ahhh its been a hard 4weeks so far im glad to be able to share my story i guess when ur so used to doing it all to not even being able to carry a drink of water to ur room is a bit depressing i guess we will all get better just need to vint any advice on staying positive???
Hey Carmen! It is completely normal to feel frustrated and sad because you are used to being self sufficient and now you have to ask for help with what seem to be “small” things. Your ankle will be weak but it sounds like you are young and healthy so you will probably bounce back quicker than most. Just follow the doctor’s advice, and if they recommend PT then you should definitely do that. I’d suggest buying a great pair of gym shoes and wearing them as much as you can and just go easy on the ankle. Good luck! Let us know how it goes!
hi / every one it takes time to recover , i am going into week 9 since my accident . i am still very stiff and tight in my ankle and leg . I am discouraged as i feel i should be better than this by now . I am in PT and will be for 2 more weeks than return to ortho. for X rays . i am going with 1 crutch outside and some times none in the house . Still swells more than i would like on both sides of the ankle , i hope this is normal ? Yesterday i moved quick and put way to much weight on the bad ankle it hurt so bad i hope i did not do any damage .
Best to every one it looks like we are all in the same boat together a whole lot better than being alone !! lol Patty
Hey, Christine thank you so much that meant alot im glad i came across this website cause sometimes everyone around you dont understand if they havnt been their just thank you so much for the words of encouragement and i hope you pull through as well not sure of ur situation…..:) felling a little better
Hey, just wanted to say how much I like this blog. I’ve broken my ankle twice in the past year or so (once last February, and then again in September) and reading about your experiences was really helpful and cheering! 🙂
Quick update – was at the doctors yesterday and he doesn’t want to see me for 3 months!
Said I could start doing anything I wanted to do in the way of sports- then heard about my ballet classes and said “except ballet” 😉
Hang in there everyone – this has taken 9 weeks from the break and 8 weeks from the surgery – a lot of you are younger (and fitter!) than me – You can get through it too
Cathy / glad to hear your great news !! ! i went to PT today and have 2 more PT visits then x rays to see how the healing is going . i am bearing quite a lot of weight and can walk up and down steps now . It has been almost 9 weeks since i broke my ankle . it seems like it takes forever but i to am older than most of the others but i am keeping my chin up !! sounds like you are well on your way to recovery .. Best . Patty
Hey Patty. How long do you think you will have to be in therapy? I asked my pt today and they said another month or two! That seems like a very long time as I can already walk with my cane. I go back to my docs next thursday so I will ask him what he thinks…..have u asked your pt how long you will be there?
hi Krissy i have the 2 up coming PT appointments , then dr. X Ray appointment March 23 . Then i find out what is next .
Do you have a knot feeling in your ankle ? i do PT said it is a pocket where it swells . it feels awful and hinders my walking correctly . some times i roll my foot and i do not like that. It feels so tight . I wonder what others have had for PT . what did PT do while your there ?? i wonder if mine are doing enough .. my best to every one , Patty
I broke my fib December 23rd 2009….Merry Christmas. I had surgery Jan 2nd plate and 8 screws. I am two weeks out of my cast and walking with a cast but not very long or far. I still have alot of foot pain when I walk and ALOT of flexion stiffness. WOW! I was in a splint for two weeks before surgery and 6 in a fiberglass cast. Anyone have ideas for the flexion stiffness? I feel like I have a 2 by 4 for a foot! I start PT next Friday.
Murphy
Sorry I am walking with a cane not a cast…..haha
sounds like i did pretty much same as you, but on dec 28, had surgery the 29th.cast for six weeks then started pt the next day. gave up crutches the day i got cast off.i biked a bunch, did ellipticals and walked alot, for a while i think i walked better than it felt, i stretched alot and did alot of calf raises all the time i can see and feel my screws with my fingers, but do not hurt unless rubbing things
Thanks mhl..Patty I have the same feeling in my ankle like I need to pop it! I found moist heat in the morning and advil followed by stretches help. Flexing my foot seems to be my biggest problem right now and really causes me problems when walking. Hang in there.
hi every one / I went to PT yesterday and they put a light on my ankle this seemed to help for a while . But when i walk it is so stiff and when i am on hard or uneven area’s it is still painful . it is the best in the house. PT told me to start using it more but not to over do also to ditch the crutch !! i go tues. for x rays i sure hope it is healing correctly .. it seems like it takes forever i am told to go slow it takes time !! my best to every one , patty
Sounds like you,re doing better Patty. Glad to hear. I am 2 1/2 weeks since my cast came off and still have a lot of stiffness and foot pain when I walk. Using a cane now and am looking forward to start PT this Friday to help with ROM and walking. How long does it take for the limp to go away??? RRRRR!
hi / i am limping big time and stiff , i am walking some . PT said to ditch the crutch so i did but i think i need a cane some of the time . i go for x rays tuesday and will find out about the healing . it seems very slow . stay in touch it is uplifting to read how every one is doing . best to every one , Patty
Hi, been a month since I wrote, I do see progress daily, but ….still a long time. I’ve been crutching (walking) with boot and 1 crutch, swells, but I move it around afterwards anyway… I haven’t started pt yet, need to get that 1 screw out, scheduled for Fri Apr 2. I have a convention the week afterwards, so I am pushing hard to regain endurance and strength. I was hoping to only be using the boot at that time, but realistically, will take a crutch with me… it is good to hear how well everyone is doing, I check every couple of days or so…I never thought it would take this long, and I live in Colorado, so the “spring” snow storms coming in from the mountains are a killer, I should really try out for the weather jobs. We’re expecting another one tomorrow nite, today I’m ok, so let’s see how tomorrow goes…
Good luck to everyone..hang in there…
Stay strong Deb. Today is week three since my cast came off and still am having trouble walking without a cane or my crutch. I have a lot of pain and stiffness in the morning and swelling at night. I am looking forward to start PT on Friday in hopes for new ideas and for some questions to be answered. Take care everyone.
Hi everyone, I’ve been walking without a boot or crutches for about three months now. I’m still in PT and I go twice a week. I do have stiffness and pain in my foot, but I find that stretching, icing throughout the day, and a homeopathic pain cream all seem to be helping tremendously. The cream that I use is called Arnica Montana. I highly recommend it. I also purchased a cold wrap that can be put in the freezer and easily wraps around my ankle with velcro. It is a godsend, and I don’t even have to take ibuprofen or anything! Don’t forget that you still need to baby your foot and ankle all the time! Be extra nice to it 🙂 Hang in there gang!
hi every one i go today for x rays please be thinking of me i am nervous . it is so stiff and wants to swell in the evening . i wore a pair of sneakers last evening and it swelled up but good . so i will not wear them again . yesterday during the day i wore a higher top shoe and it did Not swell . so go figure !! i wonder what i should be wearing ?? guess i will ask today . Christine if you read this where did you get your cream from ?? On line ?? please let me know , thanks . i will let you all know how my appointment goes today . have a safe day , Patty
Hi Patty,
I found my cream at a local health food store but I bet you can order it online. The one I use is called “Arnicare” by a company called BOIRON. I like the cream best but it also comes in a gel and ointment.
Good luck with you appointment today! Let us know how it goes 🙂
Christine i looked that up on line it appears to be reasonable priced . I am going to stop in to the healt food store in my area and see if they carry it they should . it is worth a try , i will let you know , hugs patty
hi everyone , I had a really good PT appointment today and after that i went to my ortho. doctor appointment and had X rays they came back fine . My ankle is healing very well and the dr. wants me to do more to get range of motion back . I am not ready to work fro a while , but i can do a lot more . I do not have to go back for 6 weeks I do have to stay with PT for a while longer . I am tired from this busy day but i am really happy .. thanks for caring . Patty
Christine i bought a tube of the Arnicare cream today . and used it tonight we will see how it works . Thanks for telling me about it . it feels pretty good tonight i will use more before i go to bed . Patty
I had a hot stone message last night, and I highly recommend everyone to do so too. It felt so good, I told her that I just hurt all over, between building upper body strength due to non weight bearing for so long, and now the boot causing the hips and back to be cock-eyed, and just the ankle itself…..it is incredible…..I’m sore today, but not achey soreness, massage soreness which is much different. If you do so, let me know your experience…take care
hi / Debbie i have had regular massage in the past but never hot stone massage . what is the difference ?? i am interested . i did get in the hot tub and kept my foot up on the side out of the heat as i was told the heat will cause swelling so it was odd but the heat felt good on the rest of my body !!
I did a lot of walking and standing yesterday and today i am really tired and ankle is swelling also knee ache’s so i guess i over did it !! so rest today . glad your getting some relief , best , Patty
Hi Patty, it was my first one, cost alittle bit more, they use the hot stones (slow cooker warmed them) in the palm of their hands and rub over your body just like a regular massage. I had some tense spots, who figured, on my back so as she worked my legs she had about 6 stones sitting on my back, relaxing it… around the ankle she took it slow, but it made a big difference, allowing me to stretch it a little easier today. I haven’t had a massage since early Dec, in fact the day I broke my ankle, Dec 16th, I had an appt for a massage that I had to cancel, something about surgery messing me up that day.. ps.. the weirdest thing is that when I’m stretching / moving my ankle around, I can’t get my big toe to bend like the other one,,,, weird. anyway, I hope you try the hot stones and enjoy it like I did…
deb
hi / Debbie, i was wondering what are you wearing for foot wear ? i asked at PT if i should have low tops or high tops ?? they said it did not matter but that the ankle needed to learn how to support its self . Okay what does that tell me ?? i know high tops feel better but !!! wondering what you and others are wearing .
I am walking on my own but i do limp some and i am slow when i am out side as it pulls but inside i walk fine and don’t limp . weird .. stay in touch , patty
Hi Patty!
From what I understand, a high-top shoe probably won’t interfere with the ankle’s ability to stabilize. My PT helped identify the arch of my foot and whether or not I pronate. Then I found an excellent pair of sneakers (I went to multiple stores, ordered from Zappos and finally found the right pair after 3 weeks).
Patty, I’m still in the boot,with 1 crutch. When at home, I can take the boot off, use 2 crutches and place some weight on it. The doc wants me “rolling the foot from heel to toe” and that is loosening or moving the ankle. I go back on Monday to see the doc, but have Friday already set for surgery to take one of the screws out, it goes completely across both bones, holding them in place. Doc said I can start PT after that. Probably get another update on Monday. So I’ve been practicing walking with the boot, got up to about 1 mile or so outside in between snow storms. It does swell, so I take the advil, take the boot off, and stretch, move the ankle around. I’ll keep in touch especially with next week. take care, deb
hi / i have got to search out a good pair of sneakers / i will just start looking for some i think i will go with high tops . I know i can not walk far as i limp and it is painful PT said to take it slow . i do the heel toe it is limbering it up some and roll my foot . just wants to be stiff and swell . i am taking advil . it has been 10 long weeks .
keep me posted i like hearing from every one , hugs patty
Hi all, well I had the 2 1/2 inch screw removed from my ankle last Friday. So now I only have the plate and 7 screws still in there. Everything went well. Moving around the house, without boot and crutches.. I do wear the boot and take the crutch when I go out and use the crutch if I have too.. Have a few stitches, but looking good. I’m headed out of town to a conference, so wish me luck getting around, and actually I’m hoping to be able to keep the endurance up during all the meetings and activities. take care, deb
hi / every one up date on me i am getting around better each day i do not use the crutch at all but when i went shopping the other day the ankle really swelled up. I was told i should use a cane when i walk a lot like i did that day. ? will that help ?? I still get a lot of swelling in the after noon and my knee has a lot of pain .(same leg) as broken ankle . I asked PT about it but did not get a straight ans. I hope every one is healing well . Patty
hi guys! Well as everyone here, I’m another person who has had a broken ankle. =( This is a lot more difficult than what I thought!! Reading some of the experiences on this blog had made me feel that I’m not alone. Even though, I have such a supportive family they don’t really understand what this is like. I broke my ankle on 2/27 had surgery on 3/2. I have a plate and some screws, I’m not sure how many. After 2 weeks I got my cast and staples taken off. The doc suggested not to put another cast so it can heal faster. Although, I had to be very careful. On 4/2 I had to get check again, it was already a month since the surgery. I was kinda excited thinking that I was going to start PT, but the doc said I had to wait 2 more weeks. =( But he did said that after those 2 weeks, I would be using only 1 crutch. However,I wonder if is too soon for me to put weight on it? and does that mean I’m heal too? and would i be walking soon? ahh this is so frustrating, I’m hoping those are good sings that i would be walking soon. Since I work as a waitress and I’m walking all the time. I’m hoping you guys can help me answer my questions, or suggest me what I should do. Thank you guys so much, and I’m praying for everyone so we can heal faster and get back to normal life!!!
hi Selene , okay i broke my ankle Jan 14 / i am just getting to where i can walk pretty good . But Not normal , i am having a lot of pain in my knee area . All caused from ankle and crutchs for 6 to 7 weeks . I am rolling my foot and ankle along with my leg and knee . Horrible pain . The PT will not look at the knee as they do not have orders . so i went to chiropractor and he found my hips totally out and worked on my knee , then today i went for a massage on my knee and hips and it all has really helped . I have to ice it often .
My advice to you is DO NOT put weight on that ankle !!when i was finally able to it was very carefully . and it has taken a long time almost like learning to walk all over again . I have tried working a little but caused so much pain and makes the ankle swell so more ice .. Be really careful and keep me posted i will pray you heal swiftly .. Patty
i broke my ankle (fibula) 12/28, have a plate and 8 screws, was in cast and not able to put weight on it for 6 weeks. then got cast off and was told i could weight bear as tolerated, my ankle was stiff but putting weight on it was not painful, so i ditched the crutches, and was able to start pt the next day, and pretty much started doing normal stuff except running and skiing. for at least a couple weeks waitressing may have made it tired and achy but i was not doing that kind of thing, i pushed it fairly hard and if it was tired at night it never felt bad the next morning
HI patty! thanks for replying =)!!! Thank you for the advice too! but i really doubt i will put any weight on it, either way I’m kinda scare to do so… I think i got a little traumatized! Every time i think of putting any kind of weight on my foot, i get flashbacks from my incident.. so scary! but i will be really….. really careful, I’ll treat my foot as if it was a baby lol..but im glad you can walk better now, hopefully you can walk like if nothing ever happen soon…. u should also keep getting massages for your knee and hips so the pain can completely go away… and i know icing is a pain in the as@….. but i guess is for the better so just be patient, well lets be patient… I’ll keep praying for us and everyone … be careful too and i will keep you posted =).. thanks again!!
hi Selene , i am having so much muscle issue now . Horrible pulling and pain in the back of my knee and on the side of my knee . the chiro. and massage helped me the most . i am going again this week . I did not dare put weight on mine either but then the dr. said to put weight using the crutch’s and that worked . it is scary . It is a nightmare for sure i keep praying tomorrow will be a better day . take care and stay in touch .. hugs Patty
hi patty!! im sorry your having so much issues with your muscles, you should maybe try an get someone to massage it for you so it can help you out and not wait till you go see the chiro.. hopefully you feel better!! =)
hi Selene , i tried working a couple hours today was okay while i was moving but when i stopped pain full in the muscle in back of my knee and the side of my knee . i drove home and was really stiff when i got out of my car hard to walk . i have the ice pack on the back of my knee now . it is very stressful . it has been almost 12 weeks since i broke my ankle . a long time and still not normal . I hope your doing better today keep me posted . Patty
Well, what was supposed to be a celebration day (getting off my cast) turned out to be anything but. The doctor cut my cast off, then sent me to xray. I had to drive to xray at the hospital, then walk barefooted (yes, in my excitement I forgot to bring another shoe) across the parking lot, to xray, back to main admissions, back to xray, and back through the hospital, through the parking lot to my car. Well, soon after arriving home basking in the comfort of a bare leg, the doctor called. Not good news. My bone apparently didn’t heal. She said there’s nothing more she can do for me (I broke my ankle on February 16th). She said she was referring me to an orthopedic surgeon, who would be calling me soon for an appointment, but in the mean time, she made me promise I’d get my wheelchair back out, and keep all weight off of it. Yeah right. That’s almost impossible. I’m trying, but it’s not easy. Has this happened to any of you? I’m so bummed out. What do you suppose the next procedure in my recovery might be? Happy hobbling all.
GoOd NEwS!! yay i had my appointment yesterday and got an xray so apparently my ankle has healed already. In one week im gonna start walking but using one crutch.. that sounds scary!! but im excited! sorry i took so long to reply but how u been patty? i hope you doing better.. let me know.. tk care! xoxo =)
hi Selene / Awesome you are on your way to recovery / i used 1 crutch for a short time then i walked on my own with a slight limp . i am doing a lot better and have started working some , the ankle swells some but i am okay . doing PT once a week . I am walking close to normal now , i do have to have support . I got a nice pair of easy spirit sneakers and they are helping me walk better . they have good support . so we are getting better for the summer months thank God . keep me posted . Blessing , Patty
Hello everyone! I am so glad to have found this site! I broke my tibia and fibula on March 8th, our 13th wedding anniversary. I have no good story, I just slipped in the rain and fell and my husband and I both heard it break. (I was wearing Crocs and wonder if anyone else on here was too? – I am throwing out all of our Crocs.) Anyway, I had to have surgery and they put in a steel plate and 8 screws. I am counting down the days till the fiberglass cast comes off – 9 to go!!! I will have been in a cast for 7 1/2 weeks and 2 days. My doctor told me to start putting weight on it the last time we went in. It scared me so much to do that but I have very slowly been putting weight on it and can now walk a very short distance with just a cane (in my house). Is anyone else doing this?
Another great site I’ve devoured is my brokenleg.com. I think it was that site that I read to sleep with your leg elevated on a beanbag. That really has helped me alot as when I turn in my sleep, the beanbag adjusts.
I can totally relate to so many of your stories. I wonder how long I’ll have to use crutches after the cast is cut off? My doc has said nothing about PT. Is it true that we need to wait 3 days until shaving so as not to damage the new skin underneath?
Since my accident, I have met 2 people that were hit by drunk drivers and had MUCH more severe problems than I do and yet they were so kind to ask about me and my ankle! I am trying to keep a positive attitude and not complain because so many people out there are much worse.
Praying for a safe recovery for you all.
hi / everyone , i to can say this is a wonderful site and it has helped me so much in the past few months . (thank You every one). I am going into 13 weeks since i broke my ankle i am doing pretty good i still have trouble going down stairs and walking fast on hard surface like parking lots. i do best in the house. I sure wish i had known about the beanbag when i was having my ankle up on pillows . My ankle still swells at the end of the day and if i wear low shoes , and the clogs due cause it to swell , i am wearing easy sprint sneakers they feel really good .
It will be so good when we can all look back at this ordeal and call it experience . My best to every one , patty
Patty, do you have a Facebook? I would love to be friends on there if you do.
I get the cast off next Monday!!! 7 days!!!! I hope this week goes fast, I cannot wait!!!!
Oh, I forgot to ask…I have some of those Shape-up shoes that are made by Sketchers. They roll from heel to toe. I wonder if those will be good to wear after I get this off. They are a little wider than my other shoes, I am thinking my foot still looks so swollen compared to my other one and I’m not sure it will fit into my shoes! I don’t think flip flops will be enough support.
hi Tee / i sure hope every thing goes well when they take your cast off / i will be praying all works out fine . you will have to do as the dr. says , and i am sure they will want you in PT i had to go 2 times a week for a while now 1 time a week .it helped some .
i tried on the shoes your speaking of i did not feel safe in them but you might , i felt off balance.
I see where you said it was your 13 wedding anniversary / my husband and i have been married 31 years . We were riding snow machine when i got hurt . I hope i am brave enough to ride next winter .. keep in touch . patty
Whooo uhhhh Patty!! im so happy your feeling a little better…. and your so right, reading other stories and been aware of this blogs like this are so helpful.. Hope you get even better each day!!! and for me, im a little scare to use 1 crutch… im scare to even put weight on my ankle.. how did you overcome that fear? Did you use a boot or an ankle brace for support and how long did it took you to walk without a crutch??
hi Selene i went with 1 crutch for about a week . i started going with out it in the house . go from the bed to the bath room with out it short distance then i just got going a little further .. But out side i would use 1 crutch when i went to the store etc. then i used the motorized chair in the store . Are you going to PT ?? they helped me for a while but now i do not feel they are making any difference . I am better but it still feels tight and after i am on it a while the ankle aches and my knee bothers me . I am told it will swell for a long long time ! Wonderful . I still do not dare walk long distance and it really bothers me in parking lots and when i try to walk fast . it is a long time healing i am afraid .. All my best to you keep me posted as to how your doing . patty
hi patty! the doc also told me that it will swell for a long time too.. wonderful rightt??? =/ i guess we will have to load up our ankle w/ ice all the time sucks.. but i been using the motorized chair too when i go somewhere theyr kinda fun lol!! but I am a little afraid walking w one crutch but i guess i have to overcome my fear.. i will keep you posted and wish me luck.. hopefully i’ll be walking soon.. take care! xoxo =)
hi / Tee or any one i am on face book would be nice to keep in touch .
how do we go about inviting friends ? i am a bit stupid on how it works .. I worked today a couple hours . was hard going up and down stairs when i was carrying some thing .. hope every one is having a good week , patty
Hi everybody! I`m so glad I`ve found this blog 🙂 I`ve already desribed my falling experience (dare-to-keep-your-kids-off-hugs) which resulted in a broken fibula. My somewhat close encouter with the other side (yes, a helmet IS an absolute MUST while skiing) forced me to sit and “enjoy” spending time on my couch. Though I bought it, kinda hate it now 🙂
Anyway, it`s been seven weeks in a cast so far, still have a week to go, I hope. Seems to me that the doctors have this wonderful habit of prolonging my time in a cast every time they see me. Is it because they just like me so much or are they plain clueless?
I`ve been searching the net in order to find some sort of information regarding broken ankles, but this blog is BY FAR the best one. Love it that people can still find a sense of humor in this mess.
After the pain subsided another little moster creeped itself into my cast, it`s the ITCHING monster. OMG!!!
And so my question to all my new fractured friends is this: What helps with the ichiness? Cause the suggestions I get from my boyfriend are making me nuts; Oh, come on, can`t be that bad! Or even better; Oh, just ignore it! REALLY?!? And the absolute winner: Scratch your other leg and pretend it`s the broken one.
So…input needed. Help! 🙂
Hello everyone,
My story will take you to what can happen a few years down the road…
My problems started 6 years ago with a broken ankle from a head on collision in an auto accident…along with many other bones. I was 7 months in a wheelchair but I also had a broken pelvis. Ater months of PT and healing I did pretty well..Mornings, sitting too long, walking too much, etc., I limped some, but usually came out of it, high heels hurt but I could still wear them for awhile. My ankle would hurt but I had three jobs so I am pretty busy and I was 40 when it all happened. These issues got worse, about 3 years into it thought maybe getting the plates and screws out would help so I went to an ortho in town, he quickly told me he didn’t want anything to do with me and referred me to a Specialist in a bigger town 2 hours away…I was so full of arthritis, I would need an Anklle fusion. An Ankle replacement is an option but they do not like to do them with Pt’s my age…I’m actually too young! So, Fusing my ankle/Talus to Tibia didn’t seem like something I wanted to do then,so I tried all kinds of braces…custom made…and lots of Tylenol…finally 2 years later I can’t take it any more so I go back to this Specialist. I am now walking bone on bone so a Fusion I had on March 25,2010.
I am writing this …still in bed, ankle above the heart for another 4 weeks…Yes, thats 8 weeks of non weight bearing, BUT also laying in bed with only getting up to use the bathroom, no bopping around the house in a wheelchair or trying to function with crutches. I’m praying my May 21 appt will allow me into a walking boot and starting to figure out how to walk again hopfully without a limp, but I’ll never run again. Sorry this turned into a novel but I wanted all of you to know and pay attention and not brush off pain at an early stage after you should be healed. They told me early on I’d have arthritis “someday” and if I had the x-rays sooner my Specialist said that he may have been able to clean it up some to by me some time. My arthritis bascially started day one and in 4 yrs it was half way through my bone and by the 5th I was walking bone on bone, so you never know. I do realize it could be worse and I am staying positive..Good luck to all of you and Thanks for listening
P.S.
I asked about those Sketcher Rockers also, he believes they would be good for me to learn to walk again, due to I will not have that ability of the rocking motion. My foot will only bend upwards about 20% when healed, But I should not have any more pain.
Hello Shirley / what a story you have a lot of courage . Thank God you can use the computer . I am older and am concerned about arthritis too , i know i have it but not to bad as yet the ankle break did not help matters. I do have fibro. and that is bad enough . I am so thankful i did not break my ankle as bad as a lot of the other people on this blog. I am quite active but the ankle issue has slowed me down a lot .
Please keep us up on how you are doing , take care the best you can.lv,patty
Shirley, this blog has given me a more positive outlook on life, because it`s a wonderful feeling to have someone who understands what you`re going through. My break was not nearly as serious as yours, but I do believe that a positive way of thinking (and of course some serious compaining every once in a while:) ) is what can help us in these bed-bound times.
Life will get better, I firmly believe that. Keep in touch!
so I finally had the courage to walk using 1 crutch… it feels weird.. my ankle doesn’t seem to hurt at all but it feels really stiff but for some reason it hurts in the middle of my foot.. wonder why? maybe is the muscles or i don’t know.. Did anyone had this feeling? My next appointment is this Friday.. wonder whats next! Doctors just say ”see you in 2 weeks” but for us it seems such a long time.. is simple for them to say it… but i guess they’re used to it..
hi Selene , yes that feeling is normal i had it too/ are you going to PT they will work on that area and it will get much better . their are so many tendons in our feet . it took a while for mine to start feeling better in the bottom of my foot but now that part is great . my issue now is i want to limp . and i have tightness and stiff . some times worse than others . really bad when walking on pavement . let me know if your In PT and what they are doing .. i have a follow up appointment with my dr. May 5th i have my last PT this week . we shall see what happens. stay in touch , patty
Hello skiing talent! Omg i read your story and i feel like im reading my own.. my bf says the exact things.. “its a mentally pain,don’t think about it”, “pretend like it doesn’t itch” blah blah.. is so frustrating lol since they’re not the ones going thro that right!! and about the itchiness… my doc suggested to use a blow dryer and whenever it feels itchy the pressure of the air will make it go away, that way you dont hurt yourself trying to use a stick or anything you can grab and trying to put it in the cast and scratch yourself all over your leg which can be dangerous too.. but it did work.. i used it all the time! my parents thought i was crazy bcz i would carry my blow dryer everywhere…well i hope it helps!
Hello pinkmoon!! im really sorry about the news you had that day… i know this whole breaking bone situation is so difficult to deal with but stay positive.. hopefully you get surgery fast.. it will be for the best!!!.. When i broke my ankle the doc said i had 2 choices.. they could try putting my bones together ( crazy i dont know how that happens) or they can do surgery in which they would put a plate and some screws.. well in the end i didn’t had a choice, i end up getting surgery.. after getting my cast taken out and everything the doc has told me that having surgery could be a faster recovery. first, because you know your bones would heal since now you have the support from the screws. Second, you can recover sooner because if you dont have any support letting your bone heal on its own cannot always turn out good… and third the plates/screws can support your ankle and another injury would be least likely to happen again.. So good luck on your surgery!! Stay positive, eat healthy and find ways to stay active and have lots of support from your love ones.. thats whats been helping me a lot, because sometimes i would want to break out crying!! I’m glad too there are blogs like this so everyone who has had injuries like this can help us go through this.. well keep me posted, take care!!!
Hi patty! im not schedule for PT yet, im thinking the doc would tell me about it this friday but i dont know.. but Thank Goodness that feeling is normal.. i was freaking out, i though there was something wrong but thank you… i kind of was thinking its normal since we have tendons, muscles etc… and well why dont u try using those really comfortable shoes so you can feel better walkin on pavement.. or maybe an ankle brace to give you support!!
hi
hi Selene / i have a ankle brace it might help if i can get into my shoe with it on i will try it tomorrow . I know this blog. is the all over best i look forward to reading it often . we so help each other it is like a big family . keep us posted . Patty
Thanks Patti and A skiing talent,
I have to say your mind is a powerful tool. I know it’s frustrating when people give you suggestions and they have never been through what you have. I broke a lot of bones all at the same time…Radius, Ulna, Tib, Fib,Pelvis and Ribs and totally trashed the ACl in my knee. I realize everyone is diferent but, I was off pain meds after I finally was aware enough in the hospital to realize how much I itched and how sick I felt. Unfortunately most meds make me very sick, so I would rather deal with pain then all the rest that goes with the meds. The itching was torture…it is now, and you’re right you really shouldn’t stick anything in your cast. I really do try to ignore it, I visualize myself on the beach, walking…without a limp or pain and with the deep breathing and telling yourself you are in control, you’d be surprised with how quick the discomfort goes away. I was off meds the next day after Ankle fusion surgery this time. I think your body finds a way to make this happen and this has gotten me through quite a few surgeries.
Keep up with your PT, do what they say, the Rocker shoes may help you all as well, ask the Dr first….
I’m not trying to preach and I know some people will roll their eyes…I’m just a Payroll person and a volunteer EMT. I know what helped me..family support, determination and positive thinking…gotta love it!
Ah, the joys of spring. Yesterday a friend of mine decided to take me out for some ice-cream. And so we ended up eating huge amounts of ice-cream, talking and enjoying the sunshine. I have to say it was my favorite day in a long long time. It`s funny how something like a broken ankle can put your life into perspective. Life truly is in the little things, like being with your friends and eating abnormal amounts of sugar 🙂
My next advanture is hopefully due on Thursday, the day I take the ugliest shoe of them all off, the cast of course. If the doctor says another two weeks, I`ll go a little mad and give myself a nice good cry and get over it. Not wasting too much time on that. But if I am freed, I am going to take the LOOOOOOONGEST bubble bath IN HISTORY! And then I`m going to sunbathe on my balkony to get some color on my leg. It`s going to be amazing. 🙂
P.S.: Selene, I tried the blow drier but it doesn`t work, probably because it itchies in places like my foot, so the air can`t get to it. Or maybe my blow drier is to weak. I know it`s now wise, but I still occasionally scratch my leg with my mum`s knitting needle. In my defense, it`s not very sharp. But after almost 8 weeks in a cast I am a professional. So, kids: Don`t try that at home! 🙂 Thanks for the advice!
Yesterday I had a cast change, five minutes before a new one was put back on…5 amazing minutes! Yeah, the little things add up and the sun on my face for the ride home…Good stuff!
My incisions are healing well…26 staples removed on one side and 12 on the other, he went through the scars that were already there from my orginal surgery 6 yrs ago. All in all it was a good day, I got out and I’m working a new purple cast. Hey, If I can’t wear high heels anymore I may as well go for color!!!! 🙂
hi / every one , i have a question the bottom of my foot is real painful / and my knee is that normal . i am hurting to night big time , thanks for any help . patty
Hi Patty, I’m sorry that you are in a lot of pain. I think you (and all of us) have gone through enough pain already. I’m 28 and I find that I am stiff and sore every morning. I sometimes hobble like I’m much older than I really am! I do leg, ankle and foot stretches on the mornings when it is particularly painful.
I didn’t walk for almost 5 months because of the infection/complications. When I finally did start to walk and do PT, I began to have bad foot pains on the sole of my foot, especially on the heel. As it turns out, I developed plantar fasciitis. It’s painful, but treatable however it takes a long time. I have to regularly stretch the sole of my foot, my ankle and my calves.
I also noticed that for 2 weeks I had hip pain whenever I walked, and the main reason was because I was leaning to one side to compensate for the pain in my foot. Maybe you are walking off kilter because your foot hurts, which would in turn make other parts of the leg/body hurt too?
Do you have any more appts with your PT or are you done?
All the best, Christine
hi / Christine thanks for ans. and advice / i am walking off kilter for sure , i think this is planter fasciitis it acts like it . I go to PT this thursday then next week i go back to the dr. I know the bottom of my foot is red tonight . i limp and that in turn throws every thing off. I hope i feel better in the morning i have to work . I will ice it may help . best, Patty
Hi Patty,
I hope it begins to feel better and that everything is okay. Be sure to bring up all of your questions with the PT and Dr. and let us know how it goes.
Christine
Yes, all the limping or altered walking really throws everything out. Rice bags may help you tonight if you have any. Its a nice moist heat and really helps my knee and foot when it aches. Its about the only thing that helps me, along with the Tylenol PM.
Sorry Patty.
hi / every one you are all so awesome .. i have done both heat and ice still painful this morning and i have to go to work , took advil ..so i put on my ankle brace and a thinner sock so i could get it in my sneaker . and it is feeling better and more stable so i am going to try this while i work . if it causes discomfort i will take it off . I will let you know how it works . it is a wrap around brace that you buy at the pharmacy . I hope every one is doing the best they can today , all my best to each of you .. hugs patty
Hello, everybody!
I have been in a walking cast for the past 5 weeks, but actually walking in one for about 4 weeks. It`s funny how your whole body stars hurting the moment you change your way of walking. And since I don`t have a big problem with swelling I have been able to stand for about a half an hour, or take a 5 minute walk, which I found to be absolutely necessary despite some pain and discomfort. But the stairs are still the number one obstacle. Every stair I take, my hip joint makes a cracling sound and don`t get me started on my knees. The whole walking fiasco in a cast is a nightmare, with or without the crtutces.
Anyway, tomorrow morning the doctor will decide whether or not to take of my cast. I have no idea what to expect when I get rid of the cast. Will I be able to walk or will I have to go back to the crutches? Getting a little nervous, I have to admitt. I can`t believe it, all this time I was hardly waiting to take it off, now I`m freaking out how I`ll be able to walk. The doctor told me to expect some serious muscle deteriation. I don`t really understand that, I mean how is this possible, if I have been walking with a cast all this time.
My boyfriend of course has some new advice for me. One of my favorite is: Don`t worry so much! They either take it off or they don`t. (Gotta love `em) 🙂
Best wishes to all!
P.S.: Work the purple cast Shirley, work it 🙂
hi everyone / i made it to work and did well the brace i used sure made a difference . My whole foot felt better also my knee . so it must of made me more stable on my feet so i was not so tilted and limping . the limp was better too . i am so excited as the pain is pretty much gone for now. It is one of those black braces it is called Mueller and it worked !! it does not go up my leg just 1/2 of my foot and my ankle . so this is where i need support so the rest of me works more normal . I am going to speak to my PT about it tomorrow . I am also going to my chiropractor tomorrow and he will adjust my hips as when you limp you put your hips and every thing else out of kilter . so i will let you all know how the appointments go , i have to work in the morning for 3 hours. Best to every one . Patty
Goodbye my faithful friend, how I will miss you….NOT 🙂 I am talking about my knitting needle which helped me in these troubled times. Yes, I am cast free and my leg is clean! 🙂 Life is grand!
Of course all my plans for today didn`t go so well. Sunbathing on my balcony? Not gonna happen. Taking a hot bubble bath? Also not gonna happen. My physical therapist told me to avoid any type of heat. Bummer.
And so I`m back on the couch, putting frozen beans on my ankle to avoid swelling, which apparently just became a problem. There is no muscle whatsoever, and the layor of skin on my leg was so thick it`s beyond belief. My other friend has came back into play, the crtuches of course. Everytime I put some weight on my leg, it feels like there are little pins going through my foot. Uncomfortable.
But I shall not dwell on the negatives, there is no cast on my leg, the bone has healed and I start physical therapy next week.
Good healing to all! 🙂
Awesome News !!! skiing talent / wonderful news now be careful with all that new found energy . Just having the cast off is so helpful i am sure. The PT will help a lot . it is a shock for the leg and foot to be cast free . all the tendons are what is feeling like pins and all the muscle’s are really on a rampage .. take it easy and think positive !! all my best , Patty
Great news! Glad the brace helped, Patty! Congrats on your new freedom without the cast Skiing talent!…Yeah, different pain and discomfort now but you both are on the mend. So glad you’re staying positive,it’s amazing my outlook on life after all this. Whenever I get down I look and my scars and remember… It could be much worse.
Be safe and keep smiling.
hi / every one i went to PT today and they gave me a bunch of things to do with the strap . i do not know how i am going to do them as when i pull on my arms and shoulders it effects my neck and puts it out of place . so i have a problem . i am going to have to attach the strap to some thing a leg of the couch or some thing that does not move easy .
also i told the girl about using the brace while i was working and she was not happy about that , she would rather i did not use it at all . i told her i take it off as soon as i get home and i only have it on for 3 hours . she said it stops the muscles from working !! i am sorry but it gets me through 3 hours of work and if i take it right off i have got to be able to work and the dr. has released me to be able to work . So now what ?? anyways i go to the dr. on the 5th we will see what he says .
I have a appointment for PT next week but not sure if the dr. will have me still in PT . depends i guess . I am a bit flustered this after noon .. thanks for listening
add me on facebook michiganinfantry1@yahoo.com or matt labo
Hi, fellow ankle breakers!
Yes, I think it`s really important to keep in mind that things could be much worse. After my skiing accident I came home and looked at my skiing helmet (which a friend of mine basically MADE me wear, because I was convinced that it was unnecessary) I saw some serious dents on it. A brand new helmet looked like a twenty year old helmet. I wouldn`t have been wearing it if it weren`t for my nagging friend. I was also wearing ridicilously expensive skiboots, which were coincidently the only boots that fit me (I have “strong” calfs) and so I had to buy them. The doctor told me that it was thanks to those skiboots that I didn`t need surgery. And god only knows what would have become of me, had I not been wearing my friend`s helmet. So, yes, it could be MUCH worse.
My first PT is on Tuesday. I got ultrasound therapies and exercises. I have no idea what the ultrasound is for. Something to do with relieving the pain? And what kind of things do you do there? Are you barefoot? Because I realized that if I try walking barefoot it hurt`s quite a lot. But yesterday I borrowed orthopedic slippers from my mother-in-law, and I can walk! Well, I walk extremy slowly, but I`m walking! 🙂 I got PT three times a week, for six weeks. That seems a lot but I guess it can`t hurt. I can`t wait to get on the bicycle again and go mountain hiking but so far I`m going to have to settle with walking on my balcony and enjoying every minute of it.
P.S.: Patty, I think it`s hard for the PT workers to know exactly what you should and shouldn`t do. It`s your body and I think you know best. If it helps to keep the brace on for three hours, go for it. As long as you exercise appropriately afterwords. Listen to what your body tells you!
skiing talent / i am barefoot when i am in PT and they do the ultra sound on my ankle . they put gel on my ankle and go over the area with this small device it does not hurt at all . then they do stimulation where they put pads on my ankle and it is hooked up to a machine . that does not hurt either . they also massage my whole foot and ankle work the muscle’s that helps a lot .they also work the tendons and see how far i can move my ankle in different directions .. But i do not know what they will have you doing . let me know . stay in touch , Patty
hi! i’m sorry it’s been so long since i’ve been on here. i had a conference to go to at work. i got my cast off on monday so tomorrow it will be a week! i am so happy to be cast free! i didn’t realize all of the skin that would be hanging off! YUCK! little by little i am getting better each day. i went to the store yesterday with no crutches, just a cane. i am still hobbling around and very stiff and sore. i think i over did it yesterday to tell the truth and mostly stayed in bed today. 😦 i have NO pt that you all speak of. my doc just told me 3 exercises to do. i’m going to try to wear my sketchers to work tomorrow. i’m a teacher so i’m on my feet alot. the students understand my injury though and i sit more now than i ususally do. i would like to drive soon if my husband will let me. it’s been 8 weeks since i’ve driven!
i’m not sure how to add as a friend on facebook patty. is it safe to put it on here? our email maybe? i don’t know.
i wish there was someone to massage my foot, that sounds like it would really help the sore and stiffness.
take care and have a great week! i hope i can get through it!
Hi,
It’s nice to hear about cast removal! 18 more days for me, then I hope mine will be off as well. PT does help and certainly make you sore. The electric stimulation machine that you have Patty, I recommend completely, it helped mine heal after weeks of no change before having it. Not sure why some of you are not getting PT unless for Insurance reasons. As for facebook, you can copy your URL address and post, that should get you to their facebook page then request as friend button is at the top of the profile.
I would add a personal message to let people know who you are..because I (most) do not add unless I know you.
hi / hope every one is doing okay / i went to the race track yesterday and climbed up to where you set and watch up and down did really well on my own . my ankle did not swell hardly at all . i walked a lot back and fourth from bleachers to the pit area . it was awesome ! i limped some and i can not walk as fast as other people but i did fine! I was so excited , thank the Lord the broken ankle ordeal happened in the winter in my case !!
i go to dr. wednesday . stay in touch , Patty
Hi Patty! I’m so happy to hear that you are able to go up and down bleachers and can walk 🙂
Best,
Christine
thank you ! i am sure happy about being able to get around with my family / we are into dirt track racing and i need to be able to run video . so i am able . it is the little things that make you happy that you do not realize until you can not do them !! best to every one , patty
congradulations patty!!!!!! =) i started to walk too, but it feels stiff and it hurts right in the middle of my ankle… not by my injuries is that normal? did you had the feeling when u started walking? or what kind of things are to be expected because i dont want to push myself to walk dealing w pain and end up injuring myself again … i called the doc but he’s not in the office today so i have to wait till tomorrow im just kinda worry..
and he didnt mention Pt either.. he just told me that i was ready to walk thats it..
hi /Selene i have a tugging feeling in the front of my ankle . that main muscle that goes down the front , and yes it is still stiff but the more i use it the better it feels . I can not walk fast pace and i have a sight limp. I do not see why the dr. is not having you do PT at least for a month . i do not think PT is making any difference now with me but the first month they did . PT helped me know what my limits were . i think time is what heals as each day i am better . i am standing on my tip toes so to limber things up. back and fourth heel toe heel toe . it helps but you be careful i wish you were in PT for a while .. keep me posted , hugs patty
hi patty thats exactly where i feel pain/ or stiffness i dont know.. some kind of feeling but what were the limits to that, or what other kind of limits should i be aware of? =/ sucks im not in pt.. im trying to check on youtube for videos for that so i can do them on my own i guess …
i agree >>are you in a mess as far as ins. will not pay if you do not have a doctors order ?? i would try as hard as i could to get the dr. to send you to PT for at least a month . you need some one to explain to you what is safe for you to do and what you should NOT do . this is nuts . google and look for PT for broken ankle see what you come up with for advice . Let me know , and if i find any thing i will let you know . I can see where it would be scary until you get your bearings .. Patty
Selene / i just google PT for broken ankle their is a bunch of places i would go into them and try to get idea’s . I also do the Alphabet . you take your foot and form the letters of the alphabet . it limb ers up your muscles and tendons . this is what PT would have you doing .. I hope i have helped in some small way , Patty
i am in a big mess w my insurance!!! but i did goggled it as soon as you told me because i would only search on youtube, but everyone has different injuries an i didn’t want to do things that can hurt me… i saw the alphabet movement.. thank you so much.. i appreciate the help! if you find out of other things i can do plz let me know.. thanks again patty!!! i hope i can walk just as good as how your doing, im so happy for u!
You are going to be very stiff for quite awhile..it was months later, even with PT. Patty is right the Alphbet exercise is good, hold onto a counter and raise up and down or your toes, try to strech and hold. I think I had to work up to 3 sets of 10…All your ligaments and tendons are tight from months without movement and it will take time, and more discomfort. PT would tell you how close to normal your range of motion is coming. It’s a hard to tell you other exercises, We would hate to hurt you, none of us prob had the same breaks. Range of motion will be important to work on, and I’ve limped off and on from day one, but at least it was sonstant. Maybe even one visit to a PT for the exercises, talk to the Dr again because you will have to be referred.
Good luck.
hi again /the ins issue can be a big problem . i know you can not do a thing with out being referred . I feel so bad you are having a hard time but like Shirley said all of our breaks are different and we do NOT want to encourage you to do any thing that might hurt you . we can only suggest things that might help . I do not understand why your dr. did not give you things to do if he or she was not going to send you to PT. i did my break in January so it has been almost 4 months . i am still stiff , be careful you don’t over do you do not want to damage your self .. just do a little at a time and easy .. hugs patty
Hi, people 🙂
Yes, it`s been five days since my cast removal and my ankle still hurts. I`m trying to walk without the crutches, like the doctor recommended. It`s a slow process, I get that now. I`m going to have to find some more patience to get through this. Here are some things that help me:
-soak your feet a couple of times a day in a bath for feet, make sure the water isn`t too hot and pour some salt in it to get the illusion of the sea. Move your feet as much as you can in the water.
-orthopedic shoes or slippers do wonders when you walk. It makes it much much easier to walk in them in comparison to walking barefoot
-if you find somebody, have them massage your foot with some cooling moisterizer, if not, do it yourself, it`s just as useful but maybe a little less fun 🙂
-lose the socks, braces and shoes when your`re at home. I realized that the less stuff there`s on my leg, the better it feels.
Anyway, I`m going an my first PT appointment in a couple of hours, if I get some useful information, I`ll share!
Take care everybody!
hi / every one , i just got home from my dr. appointment and i am doing excellent . my range of motion is great and she said No more PT and to keep doing what i am now , staying active and doing the exercise’s and it will take time to get rid of the stiffness also said it is normal for leg discomfort . and will be for a long time .But no more appointments !!! i am so happy i am doing the happy dance !! it has been almost 4 months since i broke my ankle what a long ordeal . I will keep checking this blog and please keep me posted on how your all doing !! hugs to every one , Patty
Hi Patty,
I’m so happy that your ankle is improving! You’ve been so positive throughout the challenges. People like you make this experience a lot easier to handle. Keep us updated if there are any changes/ improvements, etc.
Love,
Christine
hi patty and shirley!! thank you guys for the advice.. im trying to find a way so i can pay PT myself.. my insurance is just not helping!! and well i been trying to walk in my house little by little.. it dosent hurt it just feels really stiff.. specially in the front area of my ankle.. i been searching a lot of webs about PT exercises that i can do on my own, which said that the front area of the ankle is one of the most important muscles that move the ankle that’s why is so difficult for anyone who has injure the ankle or whatever that would feel stiff .. but im doing as much as exercises i can and taking it easy.. i dont want to put too much stress in my ankle and injure it again.. hopefully i can afford Pt if not i’ll probably just pay for 1 class so they can tell me what i can do… … i been swimming a lot and doing a lot of exercises in the jacuzzi which is so HELpFUl! i have also been using the water & salt thing and that has been helping a lot too.. i also massage my foot every single night before i go to sleep and when i wake up my foot is not swell or anything… AND i got to say CONGRADULATIONS AGAIN PATTY!!! omg your almost done w this journey which is not easy at all………… im so glad your doing perfect and there is no more PT and doctor visits cant wait till i get to that point…
thank you to every one one on this site you are all so awesome you have helped me more than i can say . and i will keep checking on all of you And keep you posted on how i am doing .
Selene Heat will make it swell ice is the best , i do not like ice but learned to deal with it . I hope you can get to PT a couple times just to get a idea what you can do . that PT can get costly . i had to pay co payments every time i went . I hope you can figure some thing out , another one that can help a lot is massage . But they to cost a lot . they are like 50 to 60 dollars a hour that is a lot !! the dr. told me the stiffness will last a long time in that main muscle ,just keep doing light work outs . do that alphabet with your toe . it will limber the ankle up . Did the dr. say your ankle was healed ?? i am so upset your not getting help . keep me posted , hugs patty
Hi, everybody!
I`m so glad some of you are getting better, and for others, patience is a virtue (always hated this proverb, now I get the point).
I went to my first PT appointment the other day and it was incredibly useful. The therapist gave me some excellent advise how to exercise my leg. The most important thing is NOT to limp. Go figure! The way to avoid this is is to do really really small steps, using the crutches if necessary. This way you stop walking in a wrong way which stops you from healing faster. I have to say that this helped me immensely. Just by walking as I should my leg became stronger. I even lost the crutches. Woohoooo 😀
The other piece of advise I was given is to NOT use any accessories to exercise my leg. A couple of days ago I got on my indoor bycicle, cycled for 5 minutes, it didn`t hurt at all but my ankle swelled up to a size of a tennis ball. This is because you shouldn`t apply any force, however little, to your ankle, but you should exercise it by simply doing easy movements of your ankle in every direction.
And the last thing I thought was useful was that “A little pain is allowed.” But, like I wrote: a LITTLE. Don`t over do it.
For me, the biggest problem is the achilles tendon, which is at the back of the ankle, where most of my swelling is, I can`t seem to get rid of it. I have also been experiencing some muscle contractions during the night, which can be quite painful. But there`s progress.
Hope my advise helped, it has made my healing procces quicker.
hi / Skiing talent , your advice is excellent . Even tho i am doing a lot better i have to be careful , last night i put on a pair of shoes with no support and i paid the price when i went to bed the pain was bad in my ankle and leg . and i believe like you said it was muscle contractions . took hours and trying all sorts of things to make it go away so i could sleep. also right about not using equipment just light work outs . Mine is the muscle in the front wants to feel horrible at times . i know this sounds weird but i notice when it rains and is damp i have more pain ! stay in touch , Patty
Nice to hear some positive stories! And it is still a long path but we will get through it! I do have to ask, Has anyone had an ankle fusion or know anyone who has? I have a few questions and I have 3 more weeks before next Dr.visit. Can they walk normal?…What type of shoes? How long before driving if it was the right foot? Everyone here has been great and I’m glad I found this site. Maybe I should develope a site for Fusions…Not many out there that aren’t from hospitals. Sometimes you just need a 360 degree point of view.
Thank!
what kind of shoes are there for support???
hi / Slene i am having a hard time finding them , i bought easy spirits they are working pretty good . I can not afford really high priced shoes those were about 60 dollars . did you check on line . ?? i am told the rockers are good but i tryed them on and did not like them . PAtty
i found the easy spirit shoes.. they are really affordable! cant afford expensive ones either.. thanks patty!!!
so to make this whole experience even worse.. i found out my bf was trying to hook up w an ex friend .. sucks uh!! lol wow… oh well my health is more important.. there’s more man out there..
hi Selene / sorry about the BF gerrrrrrrrr . and their is more out there so focus on getting well and being able to be your self again . I like my easy spirits i am going to get another pair so to be able to change them . i can not afford big dollar stuff . If i get a few months out of them i will be happy . keep me posted , patty
Hi! Sorry, I can`t help you with the shoes, because I figure all of you are American, or at least from an English speaking country. I`m from Slovenia, middle of Europe. If you want comfortable shoes, find a store specialized for orthopedic footwear or just orthopedic equipment. There you can find shoes like nurses wear, at least where I`m from. The only downside of these shoes is that they are but ugly! 🙂
At home I wear orthopedic slippers, but I don`t have the shoes. All the shoes I have are very uncomfortable to wear. So yesterday I went shopping! I found very nice and comfortable shoes, affordable as well, but what good does it do, when not a single left shoe would fit me 🙂 I returned home with the biggest ankle swelling I have ever witnesed.So, I guess no shopping for me just yet. I`m going to have to go to work with a briefcase and sneakers on my feet. Ah, so pretty!
Happy and painfree walking everybody!
so today im walking a lot better.. w no pain!!
hi / today i went to my chiropractor and he looked and my ankle he wants to wait another 2 weeks for it to get stronger then he is going to do a bit of adjustment . thank Goodness .. I do well in the morning but as the day wears on it gets stiff . i have to get my balance better . Stand on 1 foot and balance try to lift my heel . so i will work on that off and on for a couple weeks to strengthen the ankle . Hope every one is doing better , Great news Selene !! keep us posted . Patty
So, I`ve been having PT appointments every other day and it helps, it really helps. Every time I go there, I`m given extra exercises to do at home. Yesterday my therapist showed me an excellent work out for balance. Put some blankets on the floor, just enough to make your footing slightly unstable. Stand on it and move from side to side, back to forth and all around. (sounds like a bad song:) ) Make small and slow movements, don`t wear any shoes. It`s also important to keep your posture straight, not moving your hips. I do this every day, a couple of times and it does wonders to your balance, even if you`re barefoot. This is of course for those that already have enough mobility and strength to stand on both feet. It took me a while to get to this exercise. For a week I only exercised my foot sitting down with absolutely no pressure on my ankle. Then I slowly started walking, and only now (two weeks after my cast removal) I am able to so exercises while standing.
I am wondering how long it will take to get down the stairs “the normal” way? Oh yeah, and high heeled shoes? Can I expect that happening in the next few weeks, months, years, ever? 🙂 I`m looking forward to pretty shoes again, I really am!
yes pretty shoes again.. when can that happen??
Yes, the shoes are what is killing me the most. 😦 No more high heels for me ever, but it’s because of my fusion. I think after I broke my ankle it was in late August and I was in semi pretty shoes by that next summer but not high heels until early fall…but I had a messed up knee as well. Baby steps, you don’t want to twist your ankle and have to start over, plus I learned to bring an extra pair or lower heeled shoes to work, because you probably won’t get through a whole day with high heels for awhile. Plus, Gladiator sandals are in! 🙂
hi / no high heel shoes for me for a long time as do not have enough strength in the bad ankle . will take a long time .
well my latest news is i was walking in my house in the dark barefooted a few days ago and yep i stubbed my toe and broke the little toe on the same foot as bad ankle . so i said what di i do now it hurt really bad . Next morning all swelled up and black and blue could hardly put weight on it . I taped it to my next toe and hobbled for a few days . some times i even taped all the toes , it is much better i think it has been 5 days now . So i learned a lesson . it still hurts but is better each day i stopped the tape deal this morning . I wonder what is next ?? hope your all doing okay . hugs patty
Hi Patty, I’m so sorry that you broke your toe 😦 That totally sucks! Promise you will go to the doctor if your toes get worse? I’ve been walking better these days but I had my own mis-hap about 2 weeks ago. I was making spaghetti and used potholders to lift the boiling pot of water and pasta off the stove. The pot slipped out of my hands and spilled on the floor… and my foot… obviously the one I broke, lol! 4 toes blistered and I’m still bandaging them now. Jeez Louise we both have bad luck right now I guess!
Oh No, So sorry you two! I get my cast off Friday after two months, but maybe I shouldn’t! 🙂
Just remember to wear shoes Shirley 🙂 Congrats- I bet you can’t wait!
hi / another day , my toe is feeling some better but a lot larger than the other one still and is very uncomfortable . i think it will heal just take time like every thing else . I wore slip on shoes yesterday and my ankle swelled bad.
oh no that is awful abou the hot water and pot falling on your foot oh Lord it must of hurt just awful i am so sorry to hear that news.
i worked this morning but i get tired sooner now . sure hope i regain my strength . hugs to every one . patty
OMG, I can`t believe you two have injured your toe, that sucks. I hope the process of healing your toes will be A LOT quicker then your ankles!
I`ve been slowly getting better, PT is three times a week for me and it helps a lot. Getting down the stairs is still imposssible but this too will pass.
Shirley, I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow when they take off your cast. Like you said: gladiator shoes ar in this season! Enjoy being cast free!
Thanks! It feels ggod to have that thing off. Two months done!
I have to admit, it is so weird. It doesn’t feel seem like it is my leg at all. The pins and needle feeling is so strange and my mind wants the foot to move up and down more like my left foot, but my right ankle is saying” Seriously, I’m fused with 4 huge screws in here!”
I guess it is going to take a while for my ankle and mind to come to some sort of a compromise!
My knee is going to give me a problem with learning to walk. It is full of arthritis also and the ACL is trashed. I am NOT going to have that surgery yet, but it certainly makes trying to walk, with limited motion difficult. Oh well one day at a time! Back to my regular job in one more week but the Ambulance service will have to wait awhile longer!
Hope everyone is healing quick and stay positive!
Hello – I just thought to share as I was reading about everyone…on May 8th 2010 – I was on a ladder getting ready to install a ceiling fan on an elevated ceiling. (I am the handy one in the house.) The power was off- but the red wire did not turn off apparently.(Need to buy an electricity tester) I got blown off the ladder. I ended up with a very bad break of the tibia at the ankle…my doctor described it as Kibbles n Bits. On the 19th I had surgery- I got 2 plates and 10 screws. And it is my right leg..no driving..walking or anything for at least 3 months I am told.
I am 40. I have a 6 year old son and recently laid off husband who is learning to take care of the house.(I think that is another blog…LOL) I work online- so I am working through all this to keep the money coming in. We are 2 weeks into this…and the spouse is beginning to get “tired” at the edges. I think we are lucky I have been able to actually make money through all this. And we are okay. We are going to make it. And at least he is here to pick up the slack with me in bed 24/7. But I admit that I somehow feel guilty…
I am now home with percocet and trying to figure this all out.
How long do I keep it elevated? I have no clear answer on this. I guess until I feel like putting it down? Up is the only time it is comfortable.
Is there better food to eat to promote healthy bone growth? I have added calcium. How many calories can one reasonably eat and not gain weight. (I have heard stories of 50 lb weight gains.)
My other foot now is tired from the crutches. I have numb-butt from sitting.
When do you feel normal again? I just need a goal in mind to keep my sanity.
Should I start doing anything to get in better shape so I can walk easier?
I get the stiches out on June 3rd.
How long will I end up taking pain pills? It makes me foggy. It works. And I have another pill for stomach upset which sometimes happens…but I want to be back to my normal brain.
The doctor says I can start weight bearing at 3 months…but when will I actually walk again? And based on what other people have written on this site – I guess it hurts and you get swollen when you start.
Anyway..looking to commiserate. Feel free to email me….
Hello J,
I understand, I was 40 and my rt foot with my original break and divorced. I had a lot of other breaks but I started pt on ankle pretty quickly from a wheelchair because my Pelvis was broke also. Everyone’s breaks are different..Ask Dr for Pt. but, you could start with writing the alphbet with your foot. Also I was to to hold onto a counter and rise up on toes and down, 10 times a set then increase. I stopped pain pills because I had the same problem as you, plus the Perocet made me itch. I stopped that after 4 days in the hospital, once I was became aware. I can deal with pain, hate the nausea. I took the top dose of Advil daily though. You’ll have to put it up when it’s uncomfortable for about the 3 months. That does get better. PT gave me the long bands to use as resistance to keep the muscle from getting too weak, which will make walking harder.
Keep to a high protein diet, you can’t burn the calories from too many carbs and you are already doing your calcium. Use the crutches, try not to limp when walking, even if it slows you down.
I just had to have a fusion because Arthritis had gotten so bad in the break from only 5 years ago. Good luck and pay attention to any pain you have down the road and get x-rays when you do, I ignored it too long so fusion or replacement was my only option. I have a great specialist and I’m doing pretty well today, (3rd day learning to walk).
Take care and ask the Dr about PT, so you don’t do any damage.
OHG – within 5 years you had arthritis? I thought when they said arthritis – they meant in 20 years or so.
Does Fusion mean that you cannot rotate the foot?
I am glad you are doing better today.
LOL, Yes, I thought that’s what they meant too! I guess I have some genetics to blame and the type of break, but it still sucks. I only have the up and down motion of about 20 %. I can go side to side..different bones. They fuse the Talus and the tibia together by removing all arthritic cartilage and put in 4 screws. But at our age the replacements don’t have enough data for them to want to do them on younger people. Apparently replacing a replacement isn’t so easy. But High heels are gone, and I should have a natural gait, and the odds aren’t good to be able to run again, but he the pain is already less than what I was dealing with before the surgery. I live in Maine so winters suck, I hope this will make that season more tolerable!
Best of luck to you!
Hi. I also have a dead spot on the top of my foot. Which sometimes burns. I was told that is a sensory nerve. Does normal sensation come back? I don’t want the weird burning feeling for the rest of my life. I have to check it as I know it is nothing – but the phantom pain is sometimes as great as the actual broken area.
I appreciate you writing.
OK, if what has happened to me, has happened to somebody else I will eat the stuff they make casts from! I have been cast free for three weeks now and in the past week I have noticed that I can`t seem to get rid of really dry patches of skin just below my elbows. In the past couple of weeks it actually got very itchy and red.
And so I went to the doctor and she told me that I have got a freakin` yeast infection on my skin due to unsterilized hospital crutches!!! I mean, seriously!!! I am speechless.
So, please ladies…buy some alcohol and sterilize the crutches because this is kinda hard to believe. Regardless of the kind of crutches you have, if they are borrowed from the hospital or just from an aunt next door or even if you are fully dressed all the time…you never know who had them last.
Hope everybody`s doing well.
Wow,That is something! I got mine new from the hospital and saw them take the plastic off thank goodness! Great tip though! I’m going to clean them anyways!
I have itchy patches off and on around my scars, they told me traumatic dermatitis. Just don’t sratch and use the anti itch creams and just pray it doesn’t turn into full blown psoriasis. Like we don’t have enough to deal with.
good morning every one / really interesting about the crutch’s infection it does not surprised . good to know this iinfo.
i am still dealing with the broken toe , it just will not heal it pains me most all of the time . I need to ice it more than i am but have been very busy moving .. How does any one deal with a broken toe ?? what next i wonder ?? hope every one is doing well , hugs patty
Hi all….just saw my doctor today and he released me and siad I could doing anything I wanted in reason. I broke my ankle in two places (FIB) Dec 23rd and had surgery on Jan 5th and came home with a plate snd 8 screws. I still limp a bit from what he said was scar tissue that will get better with time. He is a young doc (31) but very very good. He told me not th baby it and walk as much a I can. At first I thought he was crazy but the more I do the better it gets. He told me its very important to keep my foot straight an walk heel to toe. He also said it may take up to a year to feel back to normal and thats made me feel better because I felt like I was behind a bit. I stay postive by thinking about were I was a few months back. For the people who have new fractures try try to stay postive (not easy) it WILL get better. Good luck to all.
Murphy
Hi. I just thought to ask. I am one week out from my surgery (2 plates & screws)/ the break occured on may 8th). I stopped the percocet. It has been about 36 hours now. I have been feeling so ill. Will I stop being so foggy now? I am so restless and yet when I try to get up and move I am tired. I am sore from sitting…
Does being off painkillers help? I am also now trying to watch the eating. I am worried that 3 months of this besides evaporating muscle could lead to gains… Just so off feeling. I accept pain the leg…but why does my whole body feel so tired and yucky?
Is this normal?
Congrats Miurphy and ou are right positive thinking gets you through anything, My doctor told me to walk until I couldn’t stand it then walk 10 minutes more.
J. I understand..it will take some time for the meds to leave your system…head clears first but my stomach took a few weeks to feel good again..it was better each day, but that took the longest.
I actually didn’t eat as much so I only gained a few…HIGH protein diet because you won’t be able to burn off the carbs. Also, the general tired feeing is normal, your body has been through trauma and using a lot of energy to heal itself. So don’t get too down, you will have your days. Hopefully PT will should you some exercises to help with not losing too much muscle..they gave me those rubber band exercises for resistance. I go back to work next week…this learning to walk again is too slow for me, but I need patience now more than ever..I just came out of bed after two months so things have to be better!
Good luck!
Hi J. Marie, I imagine that your body is sore because it needs to adjust to being off the percoset. Hang in there, I hope you start to feel better. Breaking ankles sucks. I hate complaining but it’s really not an easy ordeal. Let us know how things progress 🙂
Christine
J Marie the percocet will cause body aches and make you feel restless bucause that is just how I felt for a week when I stoped them but it will pass. I was told to go off them slowley. Thanks Shirley. My doc said the same thing, walk until it hurts and then walk for five more minutes. Say no to kankles!
🙂 I guess I didn’t go slow really. I cut back one day and quit the next. I just hated the feeling. But getting to sleep at night is hard. I admit I used Tylenol PM to help last night. I was tired and didn’t let myself nap as I seem to want to…but could not get to sleep. Everything gets twitchy. (Prior to this accident I was a pretty good “get to sleep” person.)
How long does the foot / ankle area swell up when you put it down. I try to go around a bit and within 2 minutes I feel as though the entire foot is filled with blood and going to explode. If I could keep the foot down a bit – I could at least get out of bed.
Thanks!
I wish I had better news about the swelling, but it takes a loooong time for the swelling to subside. I have broken my ankle three months ago, didn`t have surgury and my ankle is STILL swollen. Especially in this heat. I feel for you ankle breakers living through this nightmare in the summer. The only word of optimism I can give you is that it DOES get getter, sooner for some people and later for other, but it gets better.
My PT therapist gave me some advice regarding the swelling but I don`t know if you should already do it. Anyway, to get the blood flowing properly again you should put your leg down for 15 seconds, then put your leg up for 15 seconds and lastly put your leg in a horizontal position. If this makes your ankle hurt even more, dont`t do it, but it can`t hurt if you try it.
Hang in there!
hi / broke my ankle Jan 14 no surgery and to date still have a swellon ankle on both sides and hard ankle. it takes a long long time to recover , but it is not to painful . ice will help and putting it up . i just get to busy and forget to do it . i sure pray i never break it again . hugs patty
Patty – 5 months – and still swollen!! My goodness that is really long time! It seems to be unending.
J. Marie
HI
I am having issues with sleeping. I am trying Tylenol PM. But it is not working. I twitch and turn for at least 3 hours before I can sleep. But I am exhausted and tired. I am going to call my regular doctor tomorrow to ask for some advice. I just thought to ask if anyone on this board has had this issue and what worked for them.
Thanks!
Hi J. Marie, I know how it feels to toss and turn like that. I tried different homeopathic supplements with some success, but it’s hard to say what will work for you. Sleep aids that include these things *might* help.
Valerian Root
Melatonin
L-Trytophan
The other OTC brand I have had the best luck with is Unisom. I fall asleep the quickest with that and if I’m not in pain it’s a good option because it doesn’t have acetaminophen in it.
Since the pain killers made me feel so awful when I stopped taking them, I don’t want to take prescription sleeping pills that may be hard to stop taking. I actually met a poor woman who became so addicted to Ambien she had to go to rehab. Also I would avoid any benzodiazepines… I’m more of the cup of chamomile tea and sit and read a really boring book and take 2 unisom. That usually does it for me. Let us know what your doctor recommends.
Christine
hi / J Marie i know what it is like to toss and turn and can not get comfortable / what helps me is all natural at the health food store it is called calm’s forte sleep aid .it does not cost a lot and it works well . it calms you down so you are not so restless. it has helped me , and you do not have to take it every night . but it does not have side effects. Just a idea . let me know if you try it and how it works. Just go to a health food store and ask them . i hope you get some relief . Patty
i am 5 months from fib fx and plate and 8 screws, i am back to doing stuff, am worried about effect of running on the hardware, will my hardware break or will my bone break above plate from running on it, running on it does not make it sore and is not uncomfortable, i am just afraid of what i am doing to it
Hi,
I actually had to stop taking pain killers because I was sick all the time and couldn`t sleep because I felt like I was drunk all the time. Once I realized that sleeping comfortably in a cast and with such an injury is an impossible activity I started sleeping on the couch instead of the bed. The thing with the bed is that you want to move, change sleeping positions, and that makes you leg hurt. I prefered the couch because there was no room for moving and thus it hurt less.The TV was also right there, so I could watch it all night when I couldn`t sleep.
Once the worst pain subsides it is also really good to meditate. I have been taking yoga classes since forever and that helped me sleep during my cast imprisonment. It`s much better and healthier to find a substitute for pills.
Hope my advice helped.
Hi – I have another question. :0
I was told to move my toes as I feel comfortable doing so. So I am trying. I can move my toes upward. But I can’t really curl them but a bit-should I force it? I had my surgery on the 19th. I see the doctor again on the 6th to get my stitches out. I assume moving the toes is useful when I get to put my foot down again in 2 months.
Thanks!
Don`t force any movement! You`ll eventually be able to move your toes in all directions, but you have to be patient. Moving the toes is good for blood flow and to help with the muscle deterioration in the calf. Listen to the doctor and move your toes as much as you can, but never forcefully.
Move your toes without too much force and put leg up above your heart as much as you can to help reduce swelling.
I went back to work today, Exhausted. I can’t believe how much it swelled! Still need crutches but..need to practice heel toe…heel toe!
Not as easy as you would think…In bed two months, no muscle tone left, a trashed ACL in the knee and only 20% up and down motion in the foot…ever.
But, One day at a time and I know it could be worse. I am going to walk with a normal gait agan!
Hi – Shirley – it is terrific you made it back to work! I can’t believe the amount of work you have had to go through for your foot. I honestly hope and pray that I heal and not have to go through anymore.
A Skiing Talent – I will not force it. 🙂 I guess I am impatient to get it going – as I sit here all day. Last night I started to have shooting pain through the numb area on the top of my foot. I was told it might happen and that may mean that the nerve that is pinched is coming back. Which would be great. I am numb from the middle of my big toe down to the middle of foot..and in a circle out. I really hope it comes back.
🙂
Hi
Stitches out. It hurt at the time but pretty much fine now. I go back in a month for an Xray. We got to see a picture of the plates in the leg. The front plate looks like the eiffel tower. And I have one on the inside of the leg. Only the Tibia broke. ..into several pieces. The joint looked okay. There was a little chip that was removed. Too small to recover. And screws through the whole bone – freaky!
He said 2 months – no therapy – no walking. Interesting that he said to wait on therapy – he says they push to hard and reinjure patients. Apparently he has had patients who he had to fix after therapy. I am allowed to rotate the foot as I feel fit. I need to be sure to keep the foot at a 90 angle most of the time for the achilles. No pool. No water emersion.
The skin looks good. Not too much swelling. Though there is a yellow bruise up the front and the ankles on either side are a bit black and blue. But the skin wrinkles.
I just took a shower. The area that was stitched and poofy has already dropped down.
He said I could sleep sans boot. I am scared. I just wanted a lighter boot. He said I could ace wrap it. I don’t know if I am brave enough yet. I barely feel okay to have it out of the boot. And he made comment that if I was a child- he would put a cast on it to protect it – but he trusts me to take care. LOL!
Hi all!
Came across this site while looking for information and support for broken ankles. My experience is a bit different and I’ve yet to come across someone who I can share a similar situation with.
About 2 weeks ago I broke my ankle, what makes my situation different is that I am 7 months pregnant. I’m so anxious about the next couple of weeks, I still have about 10 weeks until my due date, but I’m afraid of going into labor while wearing a cast and bringing the baby home and not being able to walk with her and carry her.
I had surgery a week ago and have a follow up tomorrow to remove the stitches and to put me in a permanent cast. Does anyone know someone who’s had a similar experience? I would love to hear….
Hi Abby, I haven’t been pregnant and therefor was not pregnant with my broken ankle. Will this be your first child? I can imagine that being pregnant with the broken ankle would be super stressful.
I hope you stay relaxed and keep the faith. The best thing for baby is for mommy to be well. who knows? In ten weeks you might be semi mobile/ in a walking cast or very close to that. Ask friends and family to rally forward and help you when you need them.
Good luck, God bless and keep us updated.
Best,
Christine
hi all
about 4 years ago i broke my tib and fib just above my right ankle. they put a metal plate and 9 pins in, they felt more like bowling pins and had to have the plate out 12 months later. every since i did it i’ve had pain but over the last year its been getting worse. back to hospital for a mri scan and then who knows more surgery i’ll have to wait and see. after reading what people have gone through it helps. thanks.
best wishes
peter
Hi all! Just wanted to ask if what I’m feeling is normal/common. I had surgery on my ankle 3 weeks ago (1plate,8screws) and am in a fiberglass cast until the 22nd. For the past two days I’ve been feeling this hot sensation and almost pinching around my ankle I know the cast isn’t too tight, my toes don’t look purple/blue. Just wondering if anyone else experienced the same sensation while in a cast.
Ps. Christine- thank you for the well wishes, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Hey Abby!
I had a bad experience following my surgery. I had roughly the same amount of hardware put in the ankle. A fiberglass cast was put on my foot about 10 days after the surgery. That first week with the fiberglass cast didn’t feel right. It felt as if the staples in my leg were rubbing against the cast. The first two days were really painful but it subsided quickly. My toes looked fine and I didn’t have a fever. A couple of days passed and after having the cast on for one week it started to smelled funky. (I had been vigilant about keeping the cast dry for my showers). I spent a lot of time online trying to determine if the smell was normal and by most people’s accounts it was. I decided that I didn’t want to wait the one week for my scheduled appointment so I called the doctor’s office and said that the smell was “unbearable”. They saw me that same day and when they removed the cast it was very bad. I was hospitalized that afternoon because of the infection that had developed. If I had waited until my scheduled appointment they would very likely have amputated my foot. I spent a total of 5 weeks in the hospital this past fall from the complications and reconstructive surgeries.
It’s weird because I thought I was being overly sensitive to the smell and I was being prissy for asking to have my cast changed. Thank goodness I decided to call the doc anyway.
I would suggest that since you are not scheduled to be seen for a couple of weeks, just call and ask them to change the cast because it is uncomfortable… That way they can take it off and check to see that the surgical site is ok and put a new cast on. It’s not worth risking it. If nothing is wrong at least they can look at it and help you rest assured. If something is wrong then you have taken swift action before anything gets too bad.
Keep us updated! I hope your ankle starts to feel better soon 🙂
OMG! How scary Christine! I think I’ll call them tomorrow, just to be sure. Thanks for sharing.
Love this site … looking for “personal” info and tips I stumbled across all of your great entries. I broke my left ankle 7/4 – simply walking down a sidewalk – weird. I had surgery the very next morning and now have 2 plates and 8 screws as it was broke in 3 places. I feel quite good and am being very positive about this whole adventure. I am scheduled to be in California to see my son on 8/6 and my doctor assures me that is not something she is concerned with. She is very positive that I will make the trip from coast to coast. I get the cast off on 7/14 and then she will evaluate her talents. A removeable boot will be put on then with no weight bearing until end of month. Then weight bearing – with boot I presume. I will know more on 7/14. I am trying to be so positive through this as I am looking forward to seeing my son on 8/6. I know my CA vacation will not be as I had planned with hiking, biking and kayaking but none the less I will be in sunny CA with my son, my sister and her family. Any body have any experience with removeable boot and the type of break I have??
Hi everyone, I found this site while looking for info about swelling in broken ankle. Broke mine on june 30th also stepping off a curb, right fibula no surgery thankfully. I also broke the 5th metatarsal on right and small fracture of the left big toe. I have a removable boot brace that pumps up with air. My Dr said I could put weight on it but it is still very sore and swollen also discolored. I hope in 2 weeks I’ll be able to tolerate weightbearing better. Crutches are a pain as you can’t hold anything, I scoot up steps on my butt, very graceful.
Today I could really see the atrophy of my right calf muscle after only 4 weeks. The boot brace is dspretty cool as you can take it off to shower and bear weight on it. Good luck to all.
Hi Everyone, I found this site yesterday and have been reading every post since! Patty you have been amazing and I am pleased you are making a good recovery at long last. I broke my ankle on July 16th in the Isle of Man whilst walking across a mountain (silly idea), I would never have attempted this normally but it was my Dads final wishes of having his ashes scattered over a certain point. Unfortunately I never made it, which I am obviously sad about. The rest of the family made it and at least my Dads wishes were carried out. I slipped when walking and my foot went into a hole. Everyone thought I have badly sprained it, so myself and husband sat surrounded by thistles and ferns until they all came back. After 2 hours of not being able to move, it sunk in that maybe it was more than a sprain. To cut a long story short, it ended getting coast guards out and then a helicopter ride to the hospital. I had surgery the following day, plate and screws. They said I had an unstable fracture with talar shift. I was put in a cast day after surgery and told no weight bearing for 6 weeks.
I had my first appointment last Friday 3 weeks after surgery, cast off, staples removed and a walking cast on. The consultant said I can begin to put some weight on the foot but just to toe touch. I am using crutches so am taking most of the weight through them. It is so hard knowing how much you should be doing and I am scared stiff I will do more damage.
This last 3 weeks have certainly been a challange. I hate sitting all day and watching daytime TV. It frustrates me that I can not do any housework and have to rely on my husband to do everything for me. I sit on my bum to go upstairs but having a shower is just impossible. Sitting on a stool to wash just does not make you feel clean at all. I am really having a time of feeling sorry for myself.
It is so good to read others experiences and realise your not alone with your frustrations, thank you all for sharing.
My next appointment is end of August where the cast will be removed, who knows what will happen then. I am now worrying how long it will be before I can walk properly and get back to driving and work, any ideas?? I know each person is different and we all heal differently. I am trying not to worry about things too far ahead but you cant help but wonder.
Good luck to you all out there with your recovery x
hi / every one just a up date on my summer , i am doing okay i walk about 2 miles now and the ankle does still swell some but not bad . i have been doing every thing i always have except i do Not jump down and hit the ground . i am careful not to land hard on the bad ankle .
People are asking if i plan to ride snow machine this winter seems that is how i broke my ankle in the first place , and i say sure thing.
My ankle is larger than the good one but i was told it always will be so learn to live with it .
i am glad i am not wearing a brace or cast in the humid weather we have been having now.
Lynda thanks for sharing your experience . stay positive !! Patty
Wow!! I did not realize there were so many folks in the same boat as me. I broke my Talus bone in my ankle on 4/1/10. yep, April Fools Day…… Hospital Xrays did not show the break. I went 8 weeks before seeing my primary doctor (dummy me). He knew something was not right when the Xray did not show anything so he ordered a Cat-Scan. Bingo!!! That is when they seen the fracture. I was referred to an Ortho Doc. He put a boot air cast on. It is now over 4mos. later and I’m still using crutches. Been in the air cast for 2mos. The Ortho Doc wants me to join the YMCA and walk in the pool. He wants me to begin walking without the air cast – but I can not even walk with the air cast without crutches!!! I go back to Ortho in 3 weeks. If not able to walk without crutches/aircast then I will be starting PT. Such a LONG recovery!!! I’m 56 yrs. old and this is my first bone break. Do not know what to expect – but know that my age is against me. I’ve been using a Bone Stimulator for 21 days. It really helps with the swelling. It does seem to be helping overall. Swelling still gets bad when I put much weight on the foot – using the crutches. Can’t believe how long this has been going on. My husband thinks its all in my head – but he is wrong!! I have read that the Talus Bone is one of the hardest to heal because it does not get the blood supply that other bones get. Anyone else fighting with a Talus bone Fracture?
I actually broke the tib fib along with a bunch of other bones in an auto accident about 6 years ago…I was 40…Arthritis set in so bad already I needed a ankle fusion. That was in March…12 weeks in bed because they clean out everything and screw the Talus to the Tibia to fuse together….and that has to start healing or you have to go through it all again(or worse)… 8 weeks of straight leg up and only out of bed to go to the bathroom…so I understand your discomfort Kim. Over all I am amazed, I walk pretty well already…not flat footed yet and can never wear heels again.(makes me very sad!)..but very impressed and wished I did it years sooner, pain is gone just a little weird because I only have 20% up and down motion. It is still pretty swollen but better every day!
Good luck to everyone and remember all of you…don’t ignore pain there too long thinking its your hardware…It could be arthritis so pay attention because they could have shaved some of it out to bide me some time if I cought it before it got half way through my bone. Within 2 years of the break it had gotten bad then just took off from there..of course it won’t move so quick in everyone, but a simple xray can give you some answers and solutions other than a fusion or replacement which they wont do until you’re older.
Glad you’re going to get back in the saddle Patty!!! 🙂
Hi Everyone, can I ask what a air boot is? sorry if I sound dumb but not heard of that before.
Pleased to hear things are going good for you at long last Patty, are you able to wear heels at all?
Kim and Shirley you both sound like you have been through a terrible time, makes me realise I shouldnt moan about my own problems as much :-).
The most difficult thing I find is knowing how much weight to put through your foot when they say you can begin to weight bear. I put most of the weight through my crutch because I am scared stiff of doing anything else. As much as I cant wait to have this damn cast off I think I will be a nervous wreck at the thought of walking again.
Kim as regards to a talus fracture, they said I have a taler shift so not really sure what the difference is?
Thanks Shirley for your feedback. This forum has helped me to understand that I’m not the only person experiencing these issues. I was beginning to think that I was just a big baby. My doctor told me yesterday, viewing the xray, that I have osteoporosis forming in my foot. Said I need to try walking without the aircast and without the crutches, and to join the YMCA so I can walk in the pool. I tried walking on the bare foot using my crutches this a.m. and OMG!! I could not even bend my toes better yet my foot! And the pain is still very much there. I only tried to weigh bear, using the crutches, for a few steps and I had to put the cast back on. While I was trying to walk it shot sharp lightening bolt pains, hot as fire, through my foot. It has only been 2 hrs. since I tried walking and it still hurts. I can already tell that this recovery is going to be one of the worse recoveries that I have ever had to experience. I wish my Ortho Doc had more time to explain things to me. I feel very rushed when I go see him.
I recently discovered that only 3-5% of all ankle breaks are to the Talus Bone. One of the longest to heal and the hardest to detect by Xray alone. I really messed up by not getting into see my primary doc sooner. I lost 8-9 weeks of recovery by not immobalizing it. Just thought I was being a Big Baby for just a sprain – so kept giving it more time to heal and kept trying to walk on it.. Stupid Me….
I feel for all the folks on this forum. Being laid up like we are is awful!! I drive myself around (with my aircast on my right foot) but I have to use two feet to operate the pedals. And I go to work (I have a desk job) But my house is suffering. I can’t even mop my darn floor. Or other simple things that I took for granted before. I’m so ready to get back to normal!! I’m going to join the YMCA on Wednesday. I will let you know how my recovery goes after walking in the pool. Wish me luck!! Think I’m going to need it with this rehibilitation. Can’t believe the Ortho Doc did not send me to PT… Said he would in 3 weeks if the swimming pool and trying to walk does not get me back up and going. Patty, what kind of exercise did the PT have you do? Did the exercise hurt? You broke your talus bone too, right?
hi / All i wear heels for a short time and when i know i am going to be setting most of the time . if i try walking any distance my ankle is screaming NO way . so not a lot of high heels .
Also you need support on that ankle and foot when you start weight bearing . NOT bare foot . put on a shoe or sneaker with support ! that will help .
Exercise did not hurt much , i did a lot of side to side and bringing your toes towards you also ABC’s etc. Heel / toe that kind of thing to limber it up and get range of motion .
when i first started weight bearing i was scared too . but put the weight on your crutch’s and set your foot on the floor and just go that way for a bit before you start putting all the weight down , then after a bit you will find your self using the crutch’s less and less .
I hope i have helped in some small way , i know it is a horrible ordeal . i look back and i do not see how i did it all winter shut in the house . will power i guess ! good luck every one and keep me posted . hugs Patty
Hi Lynda,
An Airboot is a cast (or at least mine is) that can be removed at night. It is better than the traditional cast that we grow up with. It has small airbags around the ankle of the boot that you blow up with a small tool so to make it snug around your ankle. This boot keeps your foot immobolized.
I’ve been wearing mine for almost 9wks. now – and see NO WAY that I’m going to be walking without it before my next appt. in 3wks. I’m getting really discouraged. I’m hoping that when I join the YMCA and begin walking in the pool that it will make the difference that I need to encourage me to start walking again.
I wish the Doc would have ordered PT for me now. It seems that most folks on this forum started PT much earlier than the stage that I’m in.
I’m not sure the difference between a broken talus and one that has shifted. Hopefully yours will heal quicker than mine has.
Patty, thanks for the helpful info. Need all the coaching I can get.
Hi Kim, thanks for your reply. You seemed to have been going through a lot, poor you, you must be well and truly fed up. I am from the UK so I am not sure they do things differently. I am into my 4th week now in a cast (non removable). I am beginning to put my foot to the floor but taking weight through the crutches. No idea if I am doing right or wrong, surgeons dont seem to give you a definate plan on what they expect from you. I have an appointment end of August to have cast removed, no idea what to expect from there. I guess I will have some physio but whether they will give me a removable cast or something I have no idea. Will keep you posted on that one.
It is such a frustrating time and I know I have been feeling very sorry for myself with no motivation to do anything. This is mainly due to everything taking so much time and effort to do something that I would normally do in 5 mins now takes about half hour!! I have decided I need to stop feeling so sorry for myself and try and motivate myself to concentrate on what I can do rather than what I cant.
I have to admit I just cant imagine what it will be like to walk unaided again, but reading everyones experiences on here you know it will happen, it just feels so far ahead *sigh*. Try and keep positive and I will too 🙂 x
Hi Lynda, thanks for your response. I certainly understand your frustrations. I too have to allow an extra 15-30 min. to my plans of getting anything done. I have always been so active and went 90 mph all the time. Boy has this slowed me up!!! Hope and pray that I get my speed and energy back one day. I hear so many stories of how something like this can change your life forever. But, I stay positive – as I know that negative thinking only brings negative results.
I walked on my foot for the very first time in 4-months!!! I joined the YMCA per my Ortho Doc’s direction. On Wednesday evening I put my foot down without a crutch and began trying to walk in the water. It was sooooooo wierd… I had to learn how to walk again. I could not bend my entire foot normally. But starting out it was a good walk. Hurt like H_ _ _ _ later that night. Had to take a pain pill to get any sleep (which I try not to do as I don’t want to get hooked on them darn things). The next two days I went to the Y again. The first day I only walked 15min. and next two days I forced myself to do 30 min. I took a break yesterday. But plan to try it again today. I has helped a great deal in loosening up the tightness in my toes. I can roll my foot on the floor now with some pain shooting from my big toe traveling up my foot. But I keep practicing putting as much weight as I can stand onto it.
I’m sure that this is going to be a slow recovery process. But each time I make a little more progress I get a little more braver and determined.
Hang in there everyone. To the most part, it does get better but will just take more time than we would like for it to take. Don’t rush it. But don’t delay it either. The osteoperosis that I now have forming in my foot is from not using it for so long. Partly due to my stubborness by not going to the doctor for 8 weeks when I broke it (thinking it was just a bad sprain). Live and learn…..sometimes the hard way…
Keep us posted on your progress. I will do the same.
Hi Kim,
Well done you for taking your first steps with your foot down, I am sure it was really nerve wracking for you. Do you wear a protective boot when you are out of the water? and do you walk with crutches?
I agree with you that we have to take each day as it comes, but boy it is hard when your not use to sitting around. Today I can actually say “next week I have my cast off” although it is on the Friday (11 days away) its sooo good to say next week. I have no idea what happens from then. I cant wait to get the cast off and start exercises to strengthen the foot again. Least then you feel like you are making progress. I miss not being able to drive and just being able to walk and carry things!
Keep up the good work Kim and let me know how it is going. I will update you when I have news once my cast comes off.
Take Care x
Hello all – I just wanted to share that I go to the doctor on Thursday. (It is 3 months since surgery). I have had the black boot since then…but have not been wearing it much except to make sure the foot is stretched to the L position. I was told a month ago I would be able to start walking after this visit! I am so excited. I am also anxious about the potential pain.
And I think he is going to want me to walk in the &^%$ boot. It is a million degrees here in FLorida..with 100% humidity. Is there another option?
My son started the second grade today at a new school and I just wanted to walk him to class…..but I didn’t. The crutches make everything take so long.
Does time of day make a difference when walking? For example – I am less swollen in the morning. Does it hurt the foot to walk on it when it is at max swollenness?
And I have to drive. It has been since May 8th. I will drive. I can push with the darn foot and I have some movement.
🙂
Thanks!
Hi Joyceln and Lynda,
Congrads on the news to walk next week.. Hope it goes well. Everyone is different, and depending on which bone in the foot/ankle was broken it is going to be different expectations.
I broke the talus bone in my ankle. No surgery as of yet. Broke it on April Fools Day (4/1/10). Xray did not show the break. Doc at the hosp. thought it was a bad sprain. I went to Cancun on a week vacation with my hubby only 2-wks after being told it was sprained. Walked on crutches the first 2-days and then finally got a wheel chair for the rest of my stay there. I treated it as a sprain for 2-mos. before going to my primary doc. He took an xray and again it did not show the break. That is when he knew it must be the talus bone and had a cat-scan done to confirm it. I’ve been in the air cast since then. I have been able to do some weight bearing while wearing the boot and using crutches since I got the aircast boot. Problem is; I can not shake the crutches. No matter how hard I try I can not walk without two crutches. I tried a cane and still did not do much better. Hurt too bad.
Doc ordered me to begin water walking last week. I walked for 3-days in the water without crutches, using a noodle for support, starting with 15 min. then 30 min. I can’t get back to the “Y” until this Wednesday but I have been trying to walk without the aircast using the crutches. Can’t put much weight on it though. Just trying to get it use to the walking motion. It does ache after much walking. I know that eventually it will feel better though.
My swelling was definately better in the a.m. by noon it was already swollen. For the first 3-mos. it was so swollen it did not look like a foot. The bone stimulator helped the swelling the very first treatment. I wear the bone stimulator for 10hrs./day during bedtime. Forcing myself to stay in bed or laying down on the couch for that 10hrs. I’m on my 24th day of using the bone stimulator and I swear by the bone stimulator. But I think it depends which bone is broken. The talus bone does not get as much blood supply as other bones. the bone stimulator forces more blood supply to the bone – helping it to heal faster.
Patty suggested on this forum to wear supportive shoes when you begin walking without the boot. I have not tried that yet, but as soon as I get a good pair of shoes I intend to take her advise.
I have been driving since I broke my foot. Had no choice!! I work 1-hr. from my home and drive that hour each Sunday staying in the town where I work until my last day of work and then drive back home that hour drive. Been rough, to say the least, especially with it being my right ankle that is broken. But I have gotten pretty good at driving with two feet. I don’t suggest driving with the boot, as it is dangerous to do it. But I had no choice. If you have a choice then don’t drive!!
I too will be very glad to get off these darn crutches!! After over 4-months with these darn things under my arm pits I’ve about had enough of these things!!I Very limited on what you can do with them, but I have certainly become a pro at carrying things on my body like no other can……..heheehehe..
I feel for each and every one of you!! I believe that breaking a leg/foot/ankle has got to be the worse thing a person can break. hang in there. It gets better slowly but surely.
In just 2 short weeks I go to Galveston with all my grown kids on a week vacation. I may not be able to do much swimming in the ocean, and will have to use my butt to get up/down the stairs, but I’m going to enjoy myself even if my activities will be limited. Wish me luck that I can begin walking without crutches by then. Even if I have to use a cane – that will be acceptable to me.
Keep us informed on your progress.
I am going to ask about alternative shoes. I have a boot..but only rest a bit in it. I was told I could sleep without it (I had a compound fracture of the tibia at the base. 2 plates/10 screws). And I don’t use it. It is too hot.
I am going to ask about an ankle brace if I have to have something.
Are there better shoes to wear? I will get them.
Here’s to Thursday!
🙂
hi every one i am still reading the post even tho i am a lot better as i am interested in how every one is doing , did the doctor tell you girls to always use the cane or crutch on the opposite side from the broken ankle ?? i just thought of that so wanted to tell you .
I was laid up from Jan until May it was horrible . I look back and i have no idea how i did it . so hard to do anything i had to stay in the house most of the time as i could Not get down the steps with out help as it was winter and snow and ice where i live . I pray i never have to do it again . But i made it through and you will to then look back on it . support is important it is hard to find good shoes i am still working on that . and your feet get hot , i wear keens for sandals . always trying some thing different . take care , hugs Patty
Hi Everyone, Jocelyn how did you break your leg? I tried to look if you had posted before but couldnt find any posts? The swelling will be less in the morning because you have been in bed with your foot elevated. Have you been unable to weightbear for the last 3 months? I am so sorry you were unable to walk your son to school, that must have been tough for you 😦 I hope everything goes well for you on Thursday,please let us know how it goes. 3 months is a long time so I hope you will be well on the road to recovery soon.
Kim, Not heard of a bone stimulator before what is that like? I guess in America things are so much different compared to us in the UK. I hope you feel much better in 2 weeks time and hopefully be able to walk better. Have a fantastic vacation you deserve it after all what you have been through. Just one question, where did you stay in Cancun? we are going next May and cant wait.
Hows things going with you Patty? are you walking with no support now? can you go up and down stairs ok?
Only 9 days to go before I hopefully get this cast off, I cant wait because these last couple of days it has been itching like crazy!!!
Keep smiling everyone and take care x
hi / i do almost every thing i used to but i am more careful / my ankle is always going to be weak i am afraid but at least i am able to go about life .
the crutch’s sure did not do me a lot of good as it put a lot of pressure on my right leg/ hip whole right side as i broke the left ankle so my right side was really taking the weight all winter even with those horrible crutch’s . i go to to chriop. every 2 weeks as my hip and back need adjustment . i am walking more now but no more that 2 miles at a time .stairs are okay now i just do not hurry .
the worst thing is heels can not walk far in heels . I feel for each of you as i know how it is ! please do not get to discouraged their is light at the end of the tunnel , hugs Patty
Hi Patty, glad to hear that you are getting around pretty good. I understand your hip pain. Both of my hips ache terribly every night. I toss and turn back and forth from hip to hip because of the pain. I’m most sure that once I’m able to get around good that I too will start seeing a chiropractor. I positive that my hips are out of adjustment due to the crutches.
I had my first day experience of wearing a shoe on my broken foot. I tried to get my fat foot into various pairs of shoes until I finally found a pair that would fit. It did make walking a little easier, however, I still have not been able to put much weight on that foot. The entire foot swelled pretty good after just walking around the house for about 20 min. It was a bit hard to remove the shoe from my swollen foot. I’m sure over time I will be able to put more and more weight on it. Right now though, it is hurting pretty good.
I don’t think I will ever wear heels. I’d be afraid of twisting my ankle. Please be careful…….seems very soon to be trying heels.
Hi Lynda, the bone stimulator is a very simple design. Its hard to explain how it looks but it straps onto your foot or leg using a velcro strap. There is an opening that you place over the top of where the break is at. When you turn it on you can hear it running (battery operated) but you can’t feel anything. It somehow brings the blood supply to the area that is being worked. I think it is by some electrical force or something. I have to charge the battery each day in the provided charger. I was not convinced that it was going to do anything until I seen how much swelling went down just wearing it the first night. I believe that it has helped heal the break quicker than if I had not gotten it.
As for Cancun. We have stay at various different resorts. We have been going there every year for over 5yrs. We have stayed at the Rivera Myan more than Cancun or Cozemel. The resorts there are newer. Alittle further drive from the airport though. But the resorts are all lovely there. What is the name of the resort you are going to? We have stayed at Blue Bay Club a couple of times in Cancun. We have also stayed at the Solymer – but was not near as nice as all the other places we have stayed at. All of the “palaces” are very nice too. The all inclusive meals are a bit higher than most places – but they put on some really nice meals and most all of their resorts (they have various there) are lovely. Is this your first time going??? We were planning to go again in Oct. for our wedding anniversary. But I don’t think I will be in good enough shape for all the walking. Think we will give it until around March before scheduling our next visit. But I LOVE it there. I’d move there if it were in the US.
Take care………..
Hello!
Tomorrow is the doctor!
I broke my leg on May 8th putting up a ceiling fan. I actually got shocked (no I had not turned off the electricity…I was just prepping and not yet installing). I landed on my feet. I broke my tibia (right leg) into pieces at the bottom (The fibula is fine..explain that!). I had surgery on the 19th – 2 plates and 10 screws. (I had to wait for swelling to go down.)
SO I have not walked since the 8th. I am tired of not being able to carry anything!
I read about how long and how much it hurts when you start to walk and I am worried..but I really want to be mobile. I hate the rubbing of the crutch under the arm.
Here’s to tomorrow!
Jocelyn
Good Luck Jocelyn!!! Keep us posted.
All the best for the doctors Jocelyn, think it was today? how did you get on?
Hi Kim, Did it feel weird having a shoe on? I guess I will need to buy some flat shoes as all my shoes have heels. The bone simulator sounds great, did the hospital provide that for you?
I went to Riveria Maya at the time when swine flu broke out, we stayed at the Excellence Riviera which was fantastic. Next year we are going to Secrets Maroma which looks lovely, I cant wait.
I understand what your all saying about the problems with hips, I am finding that I really ache in the mornings, but more so I think I will have problems with my knee as it hurts so much, especially going upstairs on my bum and lifting that heavy cast along with all my weight!!
The last couple of days I have felt stabbing pains around my ankle, not sure if its the screws or what but its a weird feeling, anyone else experienced anything like that?
Oh well back to the daytime TV *yawn*
Takecare everyone xxx
Hello all –
Well I got an Xray and “it looks great”. The doctor looked me in the eye and said it is fine. You can put your full body weight on it. You don’t have to wear a boot and don’t have to have therapy (but will give me a script if I want one).
So I left feeling elated and joyous at coming home and trying to walk.
Well – First of all I broke out in a sweat and couldn’t do it for 5 minutes due to fear. LOL. I tried standing from a sitting position. I am “okay” with that. I tried to walk. I cannot walk without one crutch (and I can’t use two or I won’t put the foot down). I shuffle (slower than crutches…more jerky) and it hurts.
So I guess I just have to “keep shuffling” until I can take it.
I don’t know what I was expecting – but I guess I wanted to be able to walk better or actually put full weight on it. I am going to try to do this on my own for a month and if it doesn’t work – try therapy.
If anyone has suggested exercises – PLEASE let me know. I have a pool and will try to walk there.
Thanks
Hi Jocelyn,
What fab news to know everything is fine. I would be like you, elated and expecting to just go “on my merry way”, but I guess in reality you are going to feel nervous and it will hurt.
It is working those muscles again and getting them stronger. You look forward so much to the doctor saying everything is fine and off you go, then you get the fear factor of putting your weight through the foot again. I am sure we will all be the same.
I am sure day by day it will get a little easier, dont be disheartened. I bet Patty was the same, no doubt she will reply to your message.
I cant help you as far as the exercise bit goes because I havent got there yet, but hopefully next Friday I will know more. If I get any tips I will definately let you know.
Keep positive, your on the final stretch now…shuffle away and before you know it you will be walking properly.
Have a good weekend 🙂 and takecare x
HI
Yeah..it hurts. I feel silly as I wanted to be given the thumbs up..but I walk slower now than with crutches. I actually put the boot on this morning. Just to see if it helps. It does seem to allow a bit more roll of the foot than just with regular foot.
I found a website with therapy excercises. And I am going to use the pool to force it.
I am only allowing myself one crutch so I have to have some weight on the foot.
We will see…..
🙂
Jocelyn, congrads on your progress. I fully understand the issues you are having with walking though. Its been 1-1/2 weeks since my doc said I could start walking. He encouraged starting in the pool though. And, it is much easier that way. You can build your muscle and at the same time loosen the foot. You are doing better than me. I can not even walk using one crutch. I have not tried shuffling though. After 4-1/2 months of non use I don’t think I have the strength to go full weight yet. As you have mentioned……………….it will take time. I’m keeping my boot off as much as possible and using two crutches keeping my foot flat on floor going through the walking motion, again using the crutch to take off much of my weight – but getting use to the motion. My big toe is sooooooooooo tight, and still hurts to bend. My ankle does hurt too when putting much weight on it.. It gets your attention for sure.
I still use my boot anytime I drive or go places. I don’t want to take any chances – and I can move faster with the boot, and crutches.
Lynda, my bone stimulator was subscribed by my ortho doc. The doctor office had to check with my insurance to see if it was covered. I still do not know for sure how much I will owe – the invoice to the insurance co. was $3,000…. WOW!!! The darn thing could not have more than $50.00 cost in it… What a write up!!!
Sounds like nice places you stayed at in Cancun. I have not heard of those names but will keep my eye out for them should they come up.
I go to the “Y” again today to walk in the pool. I’m kinda looking forward to it. But wish I had a pool at home. I do have lake frontage. But I’m concerned about walking on the lake bottom. Last thing I need is to twist it on something in the water that is unexpected. But, I can at least swim, which is good exercise.
Keep up the good work everyone. We are on our way to recovery. I’m SOOOOOOOO ready………as I know all of you are too!! Good that we have each other. We need to have a “Ouch, My Leg” gathering someday. That would be cool.
Lynda, I forgot to mention that we too went to Rivery Maya during the swine flu. We were concerned that they would disallow our travel. But all was well……………….just lots of folks with masks on.
Also, it did feel wierd wearing my show. I could not put high tops on. Could not get my foot down into the foot all the way. I could only wear a lace up low top tennis shoe. Not the best for support. But all that I had that would fit.
I need to try again with the shoe today. I don’t practice near enough. Gotta push harder……………….
Hello again
🙂 I find the boot easier to walk. The rolling motion allows me to sort of walk. I only quickly shuffle the left leg and catch up.
I am forcing the one crutch because I want to keep it up.
I did walking in the pool today and toe stretches in the pool. When using toes it has a weird tingly feeling. I assume that is normal. Walking in the pool actually made it easier to walk in the boot – I don’t know why…perhaps reminding my foot of the motion?
🙂
Jocelyn
Jocelyn… good progress. The tingling is normal. My toes actually hurt, especially the big toe. But I too had the tingling. Felt wierd… My big toe still hurts to bend very far.
I wore a tennis shoe almost all day yesterday. By the time I got to the “Y” to walk the pool (in the afternoon) it had swollen BIG TIME. The pool actually helped bring the swelling down.
This morning, after using the bone stimulator all night, I woke up with the foot almost back to normal size. I put my tennis shoe on as soon as I got up. I’m going to try to wear it daily, putting more and more weight on it. But I still have NOT been able to drop even one crutch. It still hurts too bad to put 100% weight, or even 80% weight. I figure if I put at least 50% weight on it that I will eventually build the muscle and work out the soreness so that I can drop the crutch.
I have a hard time getting my leg/foot to bend like my other one. I still walk a little stiff legged. But, I do roll my foot better when I wear a shoe, rather than when I go barefoot
I’m only wearing the airboot when I drive.
Try getting a pair of shoes that are alittle big. Wear a sock. I bought a pair of tennis shoes (not very pretty) that has (2) velcro straps instead of laces. It is very easy to get on and off the bad foot. I usually wear 7-1/2 but bought size 8. Not too lose on my good foot, but just right on my bad foot with it being swollen.
Keep walking that pool. Wish I had one in my back yard. I’d use it more than the “Y”. But I have to admit that walking in the pool has helped me more than anything. Just wish I could walk on ground as good as I can in the pool. Uggggg…. all in good time.
Take care………
hell Every one / it sounds like your all helping each other with support this site is what got me through the long winter when i was so down in in the dumps.
when i started walking i had the roll to the side issue my foot wanted to roll over , i asked my dr. and he said it is because your foot is trying to protect itself . it took a while for it to forget to do that and to get your foot to set on the floor flat . I found Easy Spirit Sneakers got me to walking . i went to the shoe store and tried on like 10 different brands and the easy spirits gave me the best support and and got the side of my foot to stop rolling over .
it all takes time and we are all in a hurry and want things to happen right away i was the same i kept getting told Do NOT over do it .
I do not hear any thing about Ice , are you girls using ice !!! ice packs ?? i was always told ICE and more ICE and this takes down the swollen feeling etc.
take care and keep looking ahead all my best , Patty
HI
Well – got the ok to start walking on Thursday. I was horrible on Friday. Saturday suddenly felt sort of able to shuffle (I can only move my foot about 2 inches up and down) with a crutch on the bad side. BUT today ..Sunday. OMG- it just hurts!
Even the pool hurt today. I guess I keep just walking through it…the doctor said as long as I am gentle…do as much as I can.
Well I am so tired of not being able to do a &^%* thing. Today I was struggling to just get from point a to b. My son is asking what is wrong with me – “why does your face look like that” . Well because every step hurts.
I can stand okay. But the walking is horrible. I find I plan my entire movement…..(I consider any and everything that I need to do and try to only walk to one location if possible.) I was like this when I first broke my leg and then got “used to” crutches. Now I am back to ground zero again.
Now it is the end of day…I read to my 7 yr old..stood up to take him to his bed and my foot felt like 20 pints of blood was flushing into it.
*sigh*. I just wanted to vent. My family (husband and son) are tired of dealing with me. I am tired of dealing with me. Everyone says “this too shall pass”.
Hopefully tomorrow is more flexible. I try to move flex the foot as much as I can. I did some pulls with a towel too. I am thinking to get some of my son’s marbles and try to pick them up with my toes. I think that would focus flexibility too. I assume once I get more flexible the pain is less.
Thank you for reading this self-pity post. 🙂
Hi Jocelyn, I have only seen your last few posts since the 19th. Your doctor doesn’t think you need PT but offered to give you an Rx for it? I would suggest taking the doctor up on that script. If you can go to the physical trainer 2-3 times a week for a little bit, they can help you work on exercises that help you. Every broken ankle and every person is different, so I can’t suggest specific exercises.
I broke my ankle landing after a skydive, the foot dislocated and turned all the way around. I had extensive ligament damage and a broken fib. I was supposed to be off the foot for 6-8 weeks, but I got a staph infection and bone infection from the orthopedic surgery. They took out all the hardware and I wasn’t allowed to put weight on that foot for 5 months. When I was allowed to go back to full weight bearing in January, I did PT for 2-3 months. It was very helpful. My physical therapist was able to modify the exercises based on my specific issues.
Please don’t get down on yourself. You are allowed to pity yourself. All of us have! It’s so frustrating to go from being completely independent to basing every decision on the limitations of your injured foot/ankle/leg.
I hope you at least try the PT to see if it helps.
Be well and stay strong Jocelyn!
Best,
Christine
Hello Fellow Leg breakers! I’ve been stuck in bed due to broken bones, and came across this site during one of my many internet surfing hours. It’s great to read all the stories, and look at all the progress people have made, but also to see that I’m not alone in my frustration.
I’m rounding out the end of week 3 of a dislocated right ankle w/ a broken tib / fib, and a sprained left foot. I managed to do all this during a freak accident involving my 3 year old’s tricycle and one step.. that’s right, not a flight of stairs… one step and a pair of flip flops… I have a plate with 8 screws in my fib, and 2 screws in my tib, and it’s about the most unpleasant experience I’ve ever had. I just got my staples out last Friday, and go back to the doctor on Sept. 1 to see if I can start putting weight on my right foot.
Unfortunately, I’m pretty confined to the second floor of my house because I can’t get to the bathroom on the first floor. It’s hard to get around when you can’t put weight on one foot, and the other is sprained. My husband has turned into mother and father to our 3 year old and 3 dogs (who must think that mommy is just a lazy bum who doesn’t want to get out of bed at this point!)! He’s also now become my caretaker, which I’m sure is no picnic. My bed has turned into the family picnic table, and the only up-side is that weight that I’ve lost due to my inability to access the kitchen..
Best of luck to everyone in recovering. Although i wouldn’t wish this on anyone, as I mentioned it’s nice to hear others’ stories, and to know that there are people out there in similar situations!
Sarah
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry that you have to deal with two injured ankles. Please go easy on yourself. Cut yourself some slack.
Call friends, family, whatever… talk people’s ears off! Ask for help, and express gratitude to those who are there for you.
Best,
C
Sarah, I thought I had it bad. At least I have one good foot – not that we can get around very good with one foot, but at least I can balance myself some. My heart goes out to you!! I know how you must feel being in a position of helplessness. I am a VERY independent women and I can tell you that I absolutely HATE having to ask for ANYONE’s help. I do all that I can on my own, but have had to rely on my husband way too much. Fortunately, all my kids are grown, but I do care for my elderly Mother. Her doctors ask us “who” is taking care of “who” here???
But, we all know that this is just a temporary set-back. Won’t last forever, and those around us just have to put up with us for a while longer. Once we get back to our normal selves we will no doubt be much more careful in our every move – for fear of ever being in this position again. Uggggg………. God watch over me…………hehehehe
Hang in there Sarah, it does get better. But you do have some great challenges to overcome. But hey, we are women!!! If we can bear a child we can bear this one……… Smile……….it gets better.
Jocelyn, I’m sorry to hear that your walking experience has been so rough. You are doing better than me…………I must be a baby cause I still can’t get myself to drop even one crutch. My ankle hurts pretty darn good when I try. I guess its suppose to……….but its certainly not what I enjoy experiencing……… My heart goes out to you. Keep walking that pool. I am walking 45 min. in the pool now, 3days/week. I’d do it more if I had a pool. But, some is better than none.
I’m now conviced that my biggest problem with walking is that I can not bend my ankle. That is where the stiffness is at. I walk very stiff legged in the pool. I roll my foot but can’t do that unless I reach my foot out away from my body more than normal. My butt goes way out and I just must look awful funny. Good thing I’m in the pool – not so noticable.
If I don’t drop this darn crutch soon I’m going to have to spend more dollars on therapy. I’m really trying to stay as active as I can to keep it limber enough to just start walking………I keep praying.
Keep us posted everyone. We will one day soon be celebrating our accomplishments.
Hi Everyone, just been reading the latest posts on here. I have had a typical feel sorry for myself kind of day today. I find it so hard to motivate myself to do anything. If I didnt have to get out of bed to go to the loo I think I would have stayed their all day!!! I have a friend who is visiting tomorrow so hopefully that will bring a smile to my face.
Jocelyn I am so sorry you are struggling with the walking, keep your chin up I am sure each day will become one step closer and easier for you. I will no doubt be experiencing all this on Friday if they eventually take my cast off. I am finding that I cant sleep at night because I worry about what its going to be like and just cant imagine myself ever being normal again :-(. Stupid I know but god this is the most frustrating thing I have ever gone through in my life.
Christine how on earth did you stay sane after not being able to weightbear for 5 months????? what did you do about work? How are you now?
Sarah you poor thing having to suffer both ankles, least I have one decent one. It must be awful for you. I know what you mean by your husband having to become your carer, it is sooo frustrating. I said to my husband that he looks at me as a patient now and not a wife. It cause so many rows (from me) because I am so frustrated at not being able to carry out all the jobs that I would normally do. I miss work and the normality of day to day life, I hate it!!!
Kim I really feel for you and everyone else that have to pay for your therapy, at least us in the UK do not have to pay for that and it is provided by the NHS. A lot of people moan about our National Health Service but when you need it,they are there and I am certainly grateful for that. Do you take any pain killers for your ankle when it hurts after you have tried walking on it? I have all this to come, so will no doubt be having a good old moan about it. It is strange how we are so desperate to get the cast off but then we have the worry of being able to pressure on the foot. It is such a long frustrating time for us all.
Keep your chin up everyone, shame we didnt all live nearer then we could have broken ankle meetings 🙂
Hello – Happy Monday. 🙂
Well- today is a big work today for me- so I have been sitting 99% (I work on the computer). I brought out the boot..I was trying to walk without it the last two days and it just hurts too much.
I am going to try to get into the pool before more work. I am not bending much myself and walk with a stiff leg. -(This is to Lynda)
My spouse is anti-therapy. That is the main reason I am not going. I said I would give a college-try for a month. I have found a good physical therapy site and viewed the videos on what to do. I am stretching the foot and walking in the pool daily. I should note that I am bread-winner of the family currently and it takes time and money to go to therapists as well. *sigh*
I absolutely hate the hot boot. (Florida) But it does allow me to move a better pace…… I just will keep trying to get my leg to hold my weight a bit every day- it has to get better….
Lynda, think I need to move to the UK……… I’m just hoping and praying that my ins.pays on this bone stimulator. Still waiting to hear from them on it. The charge is being audited………UGGGG!!!
I’m trying to stay off the pain pills. The doc does not give enough anyhow……… So I save them in case I need a pill to help me fall asleep when it hurts bad. I have, however, been using over the counter pain patches. They seem to be helping. They are called SALONPAS and you can get them at Walmart.
Jocelyn, I feel your frustration. I know my doc is not going to be happy that I’m not walking w/o crutches – but like you, I can not tolerate the pain associated with full weight. The air boot does help get around faster and easier. But does not give us the flexibility that the foot needs to stay limber. It is in deed frustrating….. Its because we are expecting more from our foot. And a faster recovery…..
I keep having dreams that I get up during the night and just walk into the bathroom without crutches or anything on my foot. It feels soooooo good in my dream that I wake up wondering if it really happened.. hehehehe… But, no,, just a dream.
I just know that one day I’m just going to get up from a sitting position and just walk across the floor. I just wish that day would hurry and get here.
Being the bread-winner must be even more stressful for you!! I really do feel for your justified frustration. Hang in there……… Good that we have all the folks on this forum. Sure helps vent to those who understand what we are all going through. Also, gives us something to do while we are laying around bored sick……
By the way…….. what is the website link to the phys. therapy exercises.
hi / every one i keeping track of all of you even tho i am better , i so understand as i was their all winter not being able to do any thing a chore to try to get breakfast . My husband used to leave things setting on the table . glass of milk water the works it was horrible . I used to set down and cry and cry some more . so i totally understand .
Are you using the ice as it will help the ankle to flex better as it will take down the inflammation . A lot of the issue is inflammation inside due to surgery etc. I had to ice mine a lot . just a suggestion . Any thing to help . take care and keep me posted . hugs patty
Good morning everyone – thanks so much for all the well wishes – and advice!
Kim – excellent point about bearing children and bearing this! My husband all the time talks about how it’s mind blowing to him how women can handle so much pain. He flinches every time he’s at the doctor and they want to take blood, and meanwhile I have a knack for ending up in the emergency room for one reason or another roughly once a year. As I’ve always said – it’s dangerous leaving your couch!
It sounds like you are all a bit ahead of me in the healing process, although from what you are all saying the pain is roughly the same. I’m still taking painkillers which I hate.. I have been on different ones since I fell on July 29, and I absolutely hate them, but my ankle freakin hurts! A family member of mine told me to start also taking Citracal and vitamin C to help the healing process, which I’ve been taking for a week or so now. Are you guys taking any supplements?
Jocelyn – I can’t imagine the preassure that being the breadwinner and being in this situation must put on you. For a long time I was the breadwinner, and there is no way I could do my old job in my current physical state. I was laid off last December (2 days before Christmas mind you..), and took the summer to spend w/ my daughter before she goes to preschool. Your employer should allow for you to have time for PT, and most ins. companies will give you X number of visits – which should be enough for you to get the gist of what you should be doing, then do the exercises at home.(you probably have already looked into this, but it’s my HR background talking :).
Lynda – I have those days all the time where I am upstairs in bed all day! I feel like I’m losing brain cells due to the amount of TV that I’ve watched. I’m just starting to read The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo though, so hopefully that will kick start my brain again. Anyone read it? Yesterday I managed to spend the latter part of the day including the evening downstairs in my family room. It was so nice to have a change of scenery, but I’m feeling more comfortable up in my room for today. My husband did get me one of those compression sock thingies for my left ankle, which makes getting around much easier!
I think my daughter is having nightmares about when I fell. She’s been waking up screaming “OUCH OUCH OUCH” over and over again, only partially awake. My husband brought her into our room last night and she cuddled with me and went right to sleep for the whole night. She was with me when I fell, and I think she’s now having nightmares about it which breaks my heart.
I hope everyone makes progress today and feels good. I’m just counting down the days until next Wednesday when I go back to the dr. and he tells me I can put weight on my foot so that I can enter the next stage of torture….. (sense the ever so slight sarcasm here…)
Sarah
Sarah, I love your sense of humor….. It helps keep things a little brighter during these depressing times.
After breaking my ankle I began taking multi-vitamins and also calcuim pills (I think 400 or 500 mg). I have always been extremely healthy over the years and never felt the need to take any type of pills (as I HATE taking anything). However, now that I’m 56 yrs.old I realize that I can not rely on my wonderful health anymore. That I’m lacking chemicals in my body that are absolutely necessary to my healthy living.
So, for the last 4-mos. I’ve been taking these two HORSE pills so that hopefully I won’t break any more bones.
I’m so sorry to hear that your child is having nightmares about your accident. Sounds like she needs to be closer than usual to you right now. Making her feel safe when she knows that you are too. Children have such soft hearts.
Hello – Happy Tuesday all –
The physical therapy site :http://www.cyberpt.com/cptvidlist.asp
I have been looking at the lower leg/ankle of course.
I don’t have time off from work- I am an online adjunct for several online schools. I just work. My spouse lost his work back in April. But we do have insurance.
I agree that the boot is a mixed blessing…it is slightly better to walk- but no flexing at all.
I can’t say today is better in any noticable manner. I have yet to get in the pool today …I am so busy 🙂 I do try to flex my foot for about 5 minutes every hour to just work on that. I think I need to do more daily.
This morning I practiced standing and sitting down with both feet and no crutch. I am still gawky. I am thinking to video myself to show the horrible walking.
Hope all is well with everyone else!
I see your predicament Jocelyn.. The link you posted looks great. I’ve scanned through them because I am allowed to start weight bearing (only 20lbs), and they look really helpful.
I had a freak out moment the other day where I thought that a screw had popped loose. I made an appointment with my doctor and he saw me first thing in the morning. Turns out it is a tendon that is so tight that it’s popping through the skin… ugh. He did say though that everything looks good and that I can start taking the boot off, I can wash my foot (for which I am eternally grateful), and that I can start PT and using crutches, so I’m thrilled (albeit a bit apprehensive).
Kim – yep… mine are horse pills too – and I hate them!
Unfortunately I have to look at the comedy of this whole thing or I’ll throw myself out my bedroom window (even though there isn’t anything remotely funny about it except watching my husband realize how much laundry my family actually produces as he walks up and down the stairs with laundry baskets constantly!). I think it’s given him a completely new appreciation for what I do every day since I was laid off in December
My daughter has started wearing her green frog rain boot on her right foot around the house and when she goes to sleep so that she can have a boot like mommy…. that’s pretty cute :). She also said I was her best friend – so that cheered me up.
On a more serious note.. My tibia hurts so much more than my fibula.. I constantly hurts and I haven’t even started walking yet… there… that’s my woe is me for the day..
Hope you are all having a good day.
Sarah
Hi everyone, just wanted to give my progress report. The pool walking has been GREAT for me. I feel like I’m making much quicker progress since I began walking in the pool. Last night I made it for 1-hr. I spent 45 min. walking and 15 min. swimming. The last 15 min. of walking I did without my noodle or any other support. I felt so accomplished!!! I may have over done myself on the swimming – because I was extremely worn out and every muscle in my body was screaming at me. After taking a hot bath I retired to bed early. Today, I feel fine… I just got back from running my Elderly Mom to Walmart for her weekly supplies. I’m not near as tired as I normally get after a day of shopping (even with the use the wheelchair). So progress is being made. Oh, and another thing to brag on……..I can actually feel a small amount of my calf muscle forming again. I swear……my entire leg looks like a polio victims leg. Can anyone relate to me on that one yet?? I have not heard anyone mention it yet.
All in all…….I’m feeling pretty good. But, still not walking without crutches. Still hurts… but…I can stand with both feet down without the crutches. That feels pretty good. I do that lots while I cook and do dishes, and whatever else I manage to do.
My husband and all our grown children and their mates are headed for Galveston for the Labor Day weekend. My husband and I rented a beach house for the week. I’m really excited about the change of scenery…. This might be just what I need to reach my next level of progress. And, the place even has a pool spa that I can workout in.
Wish me luck that I come back after Labor Day walking without any assistance. I’m beginning to believe that when I finally ditch the crutch it will be the both of them……Or, least that is what I’m hoping for.
Hope all is going well for the rest of you. Sarah, I would have been scared to death had I experienced what you did. Wow!!! Can’t believe that after that and the doc said you can take your boot off and start PT……. Be careful with them crutches – especially with no support from the boot. Them darn crutches can get away from you if they hit a wet spot. Done that too many times myself. Just go slow and easy and keep your eye on the ground in front of you. And, steps are NOT going to be easy with crutches. Unless you have a good railing to hang onto with one hand and both crutches in the other. Still, it can be hard!!
Listen to me……. sounding like a momma again……Sorry……!!! I just don’t have anything better to do than worry about things I guess.
Have a good and progressive week everyone. Progress……Progress……Progress…… And a little prayer to our higher power to give us the courage to take them first steps.
A merry Friday to all –
Well I can say that after 1 week I did make some progress. Albit little.
Yesterday I went to Target and Publix on my own. I do not like being looked at – except for kids. The leg looks shrunken and bad.
I have learned this week: soak the foot for 5 minutes in hot/warm water the morning (or later in the day) to get loosened up. It really helps. Also when I wake up in the middle of the night I massage the area with cocoa butter..it just feels good.
I did ice the side without the metal (I don’t like ice on the plates..perhaps it is in my head) before going to bed. It seemed to dull the pain prior to sleep. (I still sleep very elevated.)
Carts at stores work fine to help walk. LOL
I keep a soft ball (about the size of a baseball…little bigger) under my desk as I work. I roll my foot back and forth. Just doing this motion helps loosen the foot and allows me to keep it down.
SHOES are important. I pulled out an pair of soft Nike’s and it was amazing for walking.( I have been using the bare foot or boot overall. Sometimes a pool shoe.) That is why I was able to walk in the stores. The foot looked horrible afterwards as it was puffed up around the top of the shoe..but really the walking was so much better.
Canes are hard! I tried to use one at the store …instead of the crutch….not ready for it. I was also told by a shopper that canes look permanent and crutches not….so I guess I am sticking to the crutch.
Well – I will stop here. I can’t wait to be able to actually walk without help. I wish I could put my left leg in front of the right (injured) one. 🙂
Hi Everyone,
Hope your all doing good and continuing to make progress. My update…had my cast off today 🙂 and other then a little swelling and very hairy legs I didnt think the leg looked too bad. Saw the consultant who said I can begin to put weight through the foot and sent me off to see the physio (consultant didnt x ray and doesnt want to see me for 6 weeks)…Felt really good leaving the room…that all changed when I saw the physio.
Not sure if she realised I just had the plaster off 10 minutes prior to seeing her but she wanted me to walk with alot of pressure through the foot which hurt like mad. The exercises she gave me 80% seemed ok but 20% not a chance yet. She even got me to try the steps with full weight!! I did one and it just freaked me out, so she said “oh well we will try that again at your next visit in 2 weeks”. I could have cried there and then but held it together. Left there with exercise sheet in hand, got back to the car with hubby and just cried. He doesnt seem to understand how hard everything is and how frightening it is. I have since had my leg shaved, washed and creamed which is lovely but my foot is soooo unusually cold, toes are ok colour so not sure why this is. I have had a go at exercising since home along with paracetamols!!! did ok I think but to be honest I just feel like going to bed and having a good cry. I think if she hadnt have tried me on the stairs I would have felt better. I feel so negative yet feel I should be pleased as I am entering the next phase. Guess I am just having a moment! Sorry to rant everyone, hopefully tomorrow I will feel more positive.
Hope you all have a great weekend xx
Jocelyn, I’m sooooooooooo jealous!! You walked through the store pushing a cart!!!! I can not get past riding the darn electric cart!! Yes, people do stare. It bothered me too – but not so much anymore. But, I do feel guilty taking an electric cart every week. I’m sure they are wondering when I will be asking for a push cart.
I will have to push myself harder to walk without so much assistance. I’m obviously not pushing myself to the limits where I need to. Even though I think I’m progressing. I need to be further along. I wear my tennis shoe all day at work. But I still use both crutches putting as much weight on the foot as possible – but keeping the walking motion going. Still very stiff around the ankle. And, the big toe still hurts as I bend it.
After reading your progress report I’m going to go inside and put my tennis shoe on and try very hard to walk without one crutch. Wish me luck…….. Thanks for the inspiration.
Oh Lynda, I’m so sorry to hear that your first experience of walking was so terrible. Seems to me that she pushed you pretty hard for just getting your cast off. No heart at all!!! But, you did very well.. And I certainly understand your fears and your frustration. Til one is in our shoes they can’t begin to understand what we are going through. And, in my case anyhow, I’m sure some think I should be braver. But, we do what we feel we are capable of doing. And we should not be made to feel that we are not trying.
Wow! I need to push myself much harder, based on what I’m reading from others. I’m soooooooooo scared of hurting it again, by pushing too hard. But, obviously, once the bone fuses back together again it should not snap by putting full weight on it. As to why it hurts so bad……..I guess it must be the lack of using it that is causing us the pain.
Hey…….vent……that is what this forum is for. To help us vent and to find others that can relate to what we are experiencing.
Hang in there. Keep us posted on your progress – Good and Bad.
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your message. Yesterday was a really tough day and I think I spent most of it in tears!!! I was so relieved to get into bed and forget about exercises for a while. Today I am going to try and be more positive. I have done one lot of exercises but the pain is so much worse then yesterday :-(. I just dont know whether I pushed myself too much yesterday or whether it is just that I have used muscles that havent been used for so long, its so hard to know whether your doing right or wrong!
Kim, dont feel your not pushing yourself to hard, remember I was only non weight bearing for 6 weeks, for you it has been so much longer. I think we need to listen to our bodies, we know when it hurts no one else does. I guess after sitting around for so long we are all so desperate to get back to our normal lives. Keep with it, I am sure it will get better day by day.
The Physio told me to exercise bare foot at home, I find that so much more difficult then if I put a shoe on. I suppose it is the support that makes you feel safer.
I am going to a family get together for the weekend at my Mother in Laws, I will try and do the exercises as much as I can. In my case will be packets of paracetomols!!!
Keep smiling everyone, we will get there :-).
Take care xxx
Good morning –
Lynda – Congrats on getting your cast off! It does sound like she really pushed you hard. I couldn’t imagine doing steps right after getting a cast off.. ugh. I thank my lucky stars that I didn’t get a plaster cast. I had one years ago and hated it!
I walked on crutches for the first time yesterday, and had my first PT visit. I’m cleared for 20lbs of weight on my right foot with crutches(with the boot still on), and I got the first wave of exercises for my broken ankle, as well as some for my sprained ankle. So far it doesn’t really hurt any more than usual, and I cleared with Manny – my therapist – that my tendon’s won’t snap, the screws won’t come out, and it won’t break again just due to these stretches.. I have to say though that when I’m doing them it feels like all of the above is going to happen. My main goal at this point is not to kill myself on these crutches.. it really takes practice! My daughter was so excited to see Mommy walking though – so that really made my day..
I don’t dare attempt the stairs with my crutches yet.. I’m no where near coordinated enough to tackle that, and I see definition in my triceps that I’ve never had before from lifting myself up the stairs backwards on my behind!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Take it easy.
Sarah
Well, since my last comments I did exactly what I said I was going to do. I went inside, put my tennis shoes on, had my husband walk beside me until I was ready for him to take one of my crutches. OH MY GOSH!!! first try was a flop. Second try was a little better but I could not lift my “good” leg much – putting all my weight onto my bad foot was not possible. I now know what some of you meant by shuffling your foot. Only I thought you meant shuffling your bad foot. You must have meant your good leg. Anyhow, I walked with one crutch back and forth across my living room 3 passes before both legs got so shakey that I had to stop.
Maybe I’m expecting too much of myself. I wish I knew more folks who broke their talus bone so that I could compare my progress. All the info. on the internet has given me reports that it will be a long recovery.
We leave for our vacation in 2-days. Hopefully the change will give me new encouragement to try more. I know the saying “no pain no gain” is true. but it is torture.
That same day I went to the “Y” to do my water walking. My foot was very swollen before getting into the pool – but the pool helped reduce the swelling. I walked in the lake the next day. And now today I’m hurting pretty bad.
I read on the internet that a Talus bone break could take up to 2-yrs. to resume heavy weight on the bone again. UGGGGGG… that was not encouraging news for me.
What type of exercise did the Physio tell you to do with your barefoot??
At that rate I’m going I’m sure I will be sent to a PT next month. I was so hoping that I’d be further along than I am and would not have to go to one. But, I have not given up yet. I will continue to walk my laps across the pool and continue to wear my tennis shoe and put as much weight as I can stand on it.
Have a good week everyone. I’ll be thinking of you.
Jocelyn, we have not heard from you. How are you progressing since your shopping day?
Hi Kim,
Well Done for walking with one crutch even if it was only a couple of steps. I cant even think about that right now. I have been away this weekend so exercises have been limited. Today I have done a few, still very painful but I do feel some of the exercises I am progressing on. As far as full weight on my bad leg…not a chance yet.
Some of the exercises she gave me were:
Sitting on a chair, bad foot flat on the floor and drag it back as far as you can before the heel lifts.
Sitting on the floor or bed, point your toes forward (stretch) and then back quickly for 10 times.
Stand at the sink, both feet flat on the floor, lift on your tip toes and then back on your heels.
Stand at the sink and bend knees putting weight through the foot (I struggle with this one) – as i bend my knees its agony and my bum just sticks out.
Sitting on the floor with leg in front, using a scarf wrapped just below toes, pull the toes up and then push against the scarf.
Lay on the bed and do leg raisers (to improve muscle mass in calf).
When I have just read through those exercises they seem so simple but it hurts so much at times :-(. I need to try and think about what I can do instead of focusing on what I cant.
Kim, sometimes reading too much into recovery for other people (like 2years) can have a negative effect. We all need to remember we are unique individuals and we all heal and recover at different stages. I know a break in the Talus will take longer then a normal break. I was told because I had a talar shift it would take some time for the tendons to repair. Take each day as it comes and be like I am going to try and be…focus on what you can do, not want you cant :-).
The day I got my plaster off I could put on my work shoes because they are quite wide fitting. Now I cant get anywhere near putting them on because they rub against the back of the heel. I guess I need too go shopping and bye some bigger shoes!!!
Hope you have a lovely time on your vacation, I am sure it will do you a world of good 🙂 x
Hi Sarah,
Well done you for having your first go and standing with crutches, I bet that felt good. Crutches are not the easiest things to master but you will do. When I think about the first couple of days how I was and before I knew it I was like I had walked with them all my life lol.
My daughter keeps reminding me when I feel really dispondent about how I stood looking at my front door wondering how the hell I was going to get over a 3inch step. I reckon I had a panic attack lol. She reminds me of the tears when I told her I just wouldnt be able to go over any step and now I am fine. As far as the stairs go, I just cannot do that. I just go up and down on my bum (its big enough!!).
Each day appears to be a new challenge and I have to remind myself I am one step closer to walking unaided. Time and patience is not my strong point, and I would imagine we are all the same with that!!
Keep positive 🙂 x
Thanks for the exercises Lynda. I have printed them and plan on taking them with me on vacation. They sound easy enough – but,with a broken bone what seems should be easy is not always.. I will for sure do them.
Thanks for the vote of confidence……… It does get discouraging at times. And, you are right, we should not believe everything we read on the net…
My foot has been hurting more than usual the last couple days. I’m sure from the walking I’ve been doing. I’m wearing my airboot today at work so that I can get around faster. But, I will put my tennis shoe on soon as things slow down around here.
Sarah, congrads!!! Progress is so wonderful for all of us. Wait til you’ve carried your weight around on crutches for any length of time (I’ve been using them 5 mos. now). You will have muscles in your arms and chest that you never realized you had!! I told my husband that I’m going to have to lift weights when I give up the crutches just so that my boobs don’t start drooping like they use to before the crutches……..hehehehe (alittle humor – but serious).
Yes, stairs are scarey using crutches. I started out holding on to the railing with one hand and holding the two crutches with my other (to help me lift up/down to next step) however, I still won’t go up long stairways. I leave that job for my buns.. I have had lots of practice going up 2-3 steps with my crutches and have gotten pretty good at it. Go slooooowww and easy though. I’ve stumbled going up one time. That really HURT!! Luckily I had my airboot on when it happened.
Have a GRRRRReat week everyone. Go shopping Lynda…. Need them shoes……. smiles…….
Hello all- Happy Monday!
I had to attend a conference at a hotel on Saturday. I wore my tennis shoes. (I noted that I was the only woman not in black shoes.)
I kept the foot down all day! OMG…I had never done that. I sit at least 1/2 the day with my foot on my desk and typing. I can say that I am now more flexible in some ways. LOL.
The foot was a grapefruit from the edge of the foot upwards. But it did not hurt as horribly as I thought. I don’t like it when I get SO SWOLLEN that if you push the area with a finger that an indentation stays there. I iced for 45 minutes that night.
Lynda- YES- I shuffle the good foot. LOL. I am like Igor. I can’t get the good foot to go beyond the bad foot. Even in the pool I tend to bend at the waist with every step.
Yesterday I made a big step. I tried my eliptical. I was able to SLOWLY go around – keeping the bad foot close to the front and the good foot back on the pedals. I think it is what made me sore last evening. BUT- today I am more flexible. I took 6 mini steps sans the crutch. I take that to mean that I have actually have worked enough to have enough muscle to do that.
I continue to roll my foot on the ball during the day as I can.
Commenting to everyone’s posts- Crutches. I was petrified when I started. When actually going into the shower to sit on a stool I had someone with me just in case I would fall. I was sure that any edge would kill me. By the end of my 3 months I was pretty good with them. Actually went to the movies and sat in the back. I refused to try escaltors. I still think they are dangerous if you cannot get on.
For the first week with one crutch – I was clutching the wall whenever I could …or counter.
And I don’t have far to go…except when I went to the store. And I was holding on the side of the cart. It really does work. I drove the automated carts about 5 times. I hate the back-up noise. I feel like a loader or something. LOL.
I just set up the charger for my camera…I will try to get a youtube video so I can show my shuffle walk…for everyone to have a good laugh.
Hello again
I posted my walking briefly on youtube. Not the most interesting video…but does give an idea of how I am walking.
🙂
Jocelyn, thank you soooooo much for taking the time and effort of video taping and then sharing your experience of walking with all of us. You are doing sooooo good!!!
I have one question. It is hard to tell on the video if you are holding your crutch on your good side or your bad foot side. I’m now wondering if I’ve been trying to hold it on the wrong side. My right foot is broken. So should I hold the crutch on my right side??
HI
I hold the crutch on the bad side. I don’t have a therapist helping me though. I started this because when I tried to step down – I didn’t. I just sort of overrode my brain saying step and held back. Using one crutch made my feet have to engage.
I hope I don’t end up with a strange way of walking. LOL.
I will say that the arm gets a bit more than before as a result. But for me it is doable.
And from what I am experiencing – I keep stimulating the bottom of my foot. I roll the ball..I have a textured thing I rub it on. Because I sit almost all day. I want to get the blood back moving.
I have never tried a stair with one crutch. If I find a step I am hopping up.
🙂
HI / EVERY ONE >>> MY P.T TOLD ME TO USE THE CRUTCH ON THE GOOD SIDE NOT THE BAD , THEY TOLD ME SO MANY PEOPLE THINK BECAUSE THE ANKLE IS BROKEN THEY SHOULD HAVE THE CRUTCH ON THAT SIDE AND THAT THIS IS WRONG . SO PLEASE ASK YOUR P.T ABOUT THIS . I DID A LOT BETTER WHEN I HAD IT ON THE GOOD SIDE AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL MY BAD ANKLE-FOOT A LOT BETTER AND BRING IT IN CLOSER TO MY BODY AS I WAS WALKING WITH IT OUT TO THE SIDE . PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU FIND OUT , AS YOU PUT MORE WEIGHT ON THE CRUTCH AND IF IT IS ON THE GOOD SIDE YOU ARE NOT PUTTING AS MUCH WEIGHT ON THE BAD ANKLE . WOW AM I MAKING ANY SINCE ?? GOOD LUCK PATTY
Hi Patty,
When I saw the Physio Friday she also said to me when I get stronger and feel I can drop one of the crutches, I must walk with the crutch on the good side and not the bad side. I understand where you are coming from Jocelyn because to me I would want to use it on the bad side! not that I am ready for that yet.
Jocelyn thanks for sharing the video, you are doing really great, well done.
I went shopping with my husband today and the first shop was a warehouse type of shop, so being clever I told my husband I would be fine walking on the crutches. Did start really well, putting heel to toe like I was told, my hand was hurting from the crutches but felt I was doing really well. Ten minutes later, my good leg was aching and I started feeling sick (it was hot in the shop), I looked round and ended up perching my bum on a stack of coke lol until my hubby paid for everything. I was so relieved to get in the car again. When we went to the other shops it was the wheelchair for me. I havent done much exercise today since because my foot is quite swollen so have decided to ice and call it a day. It started so well :-(. You start thinking your making progress and then you feel like your back to square one. How frustrating is this recovery Grrrr.
Hope everyone else is doing good, rest for me this evening and back to the exercises tomorrow 🙂 x
it hurts i know this because i did this to 😦 (^^^)
Hi Logan,
When did you get your injury?
Ok – a few days on cruches and I’m doig pretty well. No catastrophies yet. Went back to school shopping which included crutching to the back of the store and my friend bringing me things to look at while I sat on a table and my daughter Olivia danced around. I’m not in a lot of pain for the most part, and my swelling really isn’t an issue at all.Lynda – I was a bit the same though in that my good foot was aching after a while, and I was relieved to be back in the car!
I’ve been massaging my foot and ankle with burts bees coconut foot cream (not on the incisions yet) and that feels really good.
I’m actually posting this from my bberry as I’m in my car with my husband, daughter and 3 dogs driving 3 hrs up to Vermont for the weekend… Crazy/bad idea?? Most likely…
Happy Labor Day weekend everyone.
Welcome to the club Logan!
Sarah
hi / Sarah good to hear you are doing well and are getting away for the holiday weekend . have fun in Vermont i am from NH and love it here . it is good to get out after being unable to do much but you do get tired . take care , Patty
Hi Sarah,
Hope you have a great weekend with your family. Pleased to hear you are coping with the crutches. Yesterday my husband was off work and he drove me over to see some of my work colleagues. It was lovely to see them and made me realise even more how much I miss them and my work. I am hoping that when I am able to drive I may be allowed to go back and do light duties until I am able to carry out my full role again.
Today I have walked a bit around the kitchen with one crutch. I walked very much lopped sided but I guess that is natural because you are putting more weight on your good leg. I have found that I just dont get along very well with walking bare foot so have put my flat shoes on. I hope that no one knocks on my door because I have a dress on, socks and work shoes lol…not a pretty picture I can tell you. But hey needs must right? :-).
I also walked up 4 steps today, I have a banister on the left and partly on the right. So I did hold on to both as I put my weight through each foot. Not sure if that is viewed as cheating, but…I did it.
Feel a little more positive today, it is a week today that I had my cast off. I dont feel I have made much progress but I guess its because I expect far too much. My husband said I am so much better than a week ago so thats good.
Hope everyone else is doing good, still dreaming on walking with no crutches and being back to normal…oh it will be soooo good.
Patty…are you able to bend properly and kneel on the floor? I am just wondering because I will need to kneel on the floor at times in my job.
Take care everyone
Lynda x
Great progress Lynda. You too Sarah.
Hey, you could not look any worse in your dress with socks and work shoes as I do in my bathing suit with socks and ugly (and I do mean ugly) white velcro strapped tennis shoes. But……..I don’t care…… I’m just glad to be able to wear a shoe. And, its the only pair that I could find that I fit in. Can not even get the straps of a sandal on my bad foot (too swollen). However, sandals are probably not a good idea to wear anyhow.
I’ve been walking as much as possible in the pool at the house we rented for the week. I have not tried walking on the floor without one crutch since I’ve been here. Don’t want to ruin my vacation if it starts to hurt as bad as it did the last time I did it. I will wait til I get back home to try it again, and just stick to walking in the pool without assistance.
I’m getting around pretty good. It is hard to walk on the beach with the crutches but I did it. And, I even went in the ocean as far as I could with keeping my footing and a good grip on the crutches. It felt good…….but I was soooooo wanting to go deeper – but knew it would be a BAD idea. I might try again this weekend when our kids get here (more people to help me back up from ground level). Only next time I will get on my bum and make my way out a little further.
There are many steps going up to the house here. I have been going up using both crutches but going down I have to use the railing on one side and crutch on the other. I’m sure getting my workout. But the time I reach the last few steps I’m worn out. And, gets a little scary at the top of the stairs (looking down).
We rented a golf cart today (for the weekend) so that will help a great deal for me to get around the beach better.
Have a GREAT holiday weekend everyone.
Kim (and everyone) – have you tried wearing crocs? I only wear one on my good foot so far. They are also not the most attractive, but don’t make your feet too hot, and they are big enough to fit a swollen foot.Car ride was fine, I did the stairs here on my crutches, and have been great so far! Off shopping and to the pool later! I’m a little concerned about how I’m going to get in and out of the pool. Any advice from those of you who have already done pool time?
Patty – the weather up here is fantastic compared to CT where I live! CT was 100 degrees.and humid. Of course, anything would be better than having Earl swing by… Hope no trees fall on my house :0
Happy Labor Day!
Sarah
How I use the pool is I use the crutch up to the pool and then get on my bum. You can either drop you body off into the water from the said (using your good foot when you drop down to the floor of the pool – or just go down the steps on my your bum. Once you are in the water at say wait deep your body weight will be light enough that you can begin walking, however, I find it easier to walk when the water is chest deep. I started out using a noodle to help support your weight and balance. I evenually dropped the noodle after the foot loosened up and I felt strong enough to go it alone. Just keep walking as long as you can. And, do a little swimming too. Just don’t kick your bad foot hard. Go slow and easy and your body will tell you how much you can do.
Have FUN!!! Being able to walk again (without any aids) feels sooooooooo good!! You are going to love it.. don’t expect too much though. You may walked funny and with a limp. I push my buns out but that is because I can not keep my leg straight below my body as I walk. Let us know how you did it and how it went………
Oh, by the way…….when getting out of the pool I go up the steps on my butt and then cross the pool area on my butt to a chair where I can use it to pull my body back up. My husband is not strong enough to pull me up – so I have to find ways of pulling my body up.
hi Lynda , yes i can kneel and bend but in the beginning i was stiff, PT told me a lot of that is because you are favoring your bad ankle and this is normal you just have to work out of it in time .
Even now some times my ankle and foot ache if i over do it and i am one to just think i can go and go .
time is the largest healer , in the beginning i did not think i would walk normal again and now 4 months since i walked on my own i am doing really good . But my hip bothers me and i am told it is due to all the pressure i put on it using those horrible crutch’s . they did a number on my good side . so now pain over on that side !!
Sarah i am glad you are enjoying your time in Vt. Yes it is pretty nice here right now . take care . Patty
Happy Friday all –
I am walking better. Though it is slight and only apparent to me.
The swelling is the killer to me. I just get so swollen. I have iced a lot the past 2 days. But I am having that monthly thing…I wonder if that increases swelling there too? Because as I was writing this I realized it got worse at the same time.
Anyway….
Shoes…I like to wear them for a bit…then I get so swollen it just feels wrong. I had fitflops from before all this..and I wore them yesterday…and the swollen foot got larger than the band around the foot. Whereas it is very loose on the other one. I wish there were shoes to grow with the feet.
I am trying to just push myself as far as getting used to the swelling. I feel I don’t do enough movement. I know that stamina is gone from the 3 months of sitting.
Anyway…still here. I am glad to hear everyone seems to be making some progress.
Hi Everyone,
Well done to you all, we all seem to be heading in the right direction. Maybe little steps but least you feel you are making progress. I guess I must be lucky with the swelling, I do get it but my work shoes seem to be able to accomodate it.
My workout today (walking with one crutch and doing a few steps) have now taken its toll and I feel knackered. I am resting my foot this evening but feel so much more positive then I have of late.
Jocelyn you mentioned about the stamina, I notice that too, I cant believe how tired I feel all the time. I hope when I eventually return to work that I can stay awake lol.
Patty, I am pleased to hear you can bend and kneel okay, it was beginning to worry me because of my job.
Kim I am pleased your having a good time on vacation, I had to laugh when you said about shoes with your bathing suit lol…but like you said, its just nice to wear something on your feet!!!
Sarah, hope you manage to get in and out the pool, let us know how it goes, good luck
Enjoy the weekend everyone
Lynda x
Well I think I must have over did it yesterday because I am sore and stiff today :-(. Do a day of rest for me today. Hope everyone else is doing good and enjoying the weekend.
Wonders if everyone is still on vacation?
Wanted to share my exciting news….today I actually did some housework (even pushed the hoover!), then I walked up and down the stairs using one crutch yeah. I am walking very lop sided and stiff but I feel so excited that I have actually done it! Tomorrow Physio…could be interesting!! hope she is happy with my progress.
Hope everyone else is doing good too.
Lynda / AWESOME NEWS ! keep up the good work you are getting their , every day is one step closer to Normal !! Patty
Thanks Patty, its amazing how good you feel when you can do something different! x
Yea Lynda!
Please let me know what your therapist says to do. I am not going to a therapist and would like to hear.
I did 2 hours of yard work yesterday..first time since May. I pruned and trimmed plants. I have issues with walking on soil. I am much better with hard surfaces.
Since about Thursday I am walking more and more without the crutch. I don’t leave home without it, but at home I am trying to force myself. The leg quivers and I am not “smooth”, but I am trying to allow the weight on the leg and just keep a slow walking going.
I am trying to stretch..but I sort of forget. I work all day and wonder if I do enough.
Swelling is the issue that frustrates me. I iced 3 times on Friday. 2 hours seems to be the “down limit” – no matter if walking or sitting. At two hours my toes look like sausages. LOL. And eventually it gets swollen to the point where it impacts the feeling of walking.
But I think swelling is normal. (Golly I hope so!) The pain is less overall. I figured out that if I sit on the edge of the bed and do toe raises while sitting about 15 times or so…I can more easily walk first thing in the morning.
As I am doing this without a therapist thus far – if anyone has suggestions I am open. 🙂 I am doing regular point the toe and pull. I also am working on a stretch of the achilles (To work on getting the calf to go over the foot.). I also do a bit of circular motion with the foot. Any other ideas??
I am glad to hear everyone is improving!
Hi Jocelyn, You sound like your doing great I am really pleased. I will let you know what the Physio says tomorrow.
I have found a really good site for exercises which they call ROM never heard of it before but aparently it means range of movement. Hope the link works because they give some really good exercises to do.
http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/orthopedicsandpt/ss/anklerehab_2.htm
Let me know if you can use the link, they have about 7 pages I think to work through at different stages x
last spring, snapped my ankle in 3 places, it was in the wrong place, i had surgery 3 hours later, had 3 screws put in, now its been over a year, and my ankle always hurts, what do i do?
Hi Dev, sorry to hear your still experiencing pain a year after surgery. I really dont have any answers I am afraid but if it was me, I would go back to see the hospital and get an appointment with the Orthopedic doctors. Good Luck
hi / Dev i agree with Lynda , after all this time you should not have a lot of pain , ache some times due to over working it but not pain ! i am sure you have heard this a lot you best go back and explain all this and get it checked out some thing is not right , it may be the screws causing this i have heard of that happening before . Keep us posted , best Patty
Good job Lynda! I am dying to do some much needed housework! I managed to mop my kitchen floor yesterday, but it took me a long time. I was quite fulfilled when I finished!
Jocelyn- I’m so impressed that you did yard work. I cringe every time I see the weeds that have taken over in my back yard, but I can’t get to them yet. There are 2 things that I can think of that I’ve used in the past when recovering from a severe sprained ankle. The first is called a wabble board – it helps your ankle get it’s natural balance back, and is similar to what you’re experiencing walking on dirt. I don’t know what the other is called, but it looks like a ball cut in half that you stand on to work on balance in your ankles. I’d check with your doctor to see if you’re in a place where you can use these – or look online and do some research first so as to not do something that is too much. Just an idea. Here is a website I found that talks about it. http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/library/sports_health/fracture_exercises/ (can’t figure out on my mac how to make this a hyperlink – sorry).
I was so successful in Vermont – had a great time, got around on crutches just fine etc. I didn’t make it into the pool simply due to the fact that it was only about 60 degrees outside most of the time, and the pool was also about 60 degrees.
Yesterday however, I completely over did it and I’m paying the price this morning. I mopped my kitchen floor, cleaned my kitchen, ran errands with my daughter and a friend (with her driving of course because I still can’t drive), relaxed for an hour then had an open house at school, and went out to dinner…. waaaaayyy too much. This is the first time I’ve had a set back and I’m so bummed. I felt great yesterday so I just kept going. Today I’m swollen and in pain, not only in both my ankles again, but my shoulders and my hands from the crutches… and it’s only 10:00am..
Dev – where were your breaks? I agree with Lynda and Patty – check with your dr.’s before you do anything.
Have a good day everyone…
Sarah
Hello!
I say I did 2 hours of yard work..but it was probably an hour’s worth of old me.
My ankle is swollen always.
The wobble board- is it safe when I am so stiff? It looks neat. But I would be afraid sort of.
I can completely relate to backsliding. I walked too much without the crutch (Thinking tough me!) and I am back on the crutch. Just too stiff. I am okay with holding the weight..but the movement of walking is so much stretching.
I actually find driving easy. I have an automatic though. I would say mopping is harder. You have to keep moving around. 🙂
*sigh* And people say to try a physical therapist. I think it has only been 3 weeks and there is progress so I am okay…We will see.
🙂
Sounds like everyone is progressing very well. Wish I could share the same success story. However, while on vacation I did not want to over due myself and be miserable with pain from it – so did less than normal. But, did walk the pool each day so got some walking in. I tried to put more weight on the foot when I returned home and did well with that. But, still seem to need both crutches to balance myself, if nothing else. I need something to sort of lean against even though I’m putting most my weight on the bad foot as I walk. Swelling took over again, as it always does when I use it.
I go back to the Ortho Doc. tommorrow. He will not be happy that I’m still using crutches.
Wish I could mop my floor……I have mastered lots of things with crutches under each arm but have not figured any way of mastering a broom/mop. So, my floor goes dirty til my hubby helps me.
Hoping for better progress now that I’m back home.
Hi Everyone,
Sounds like you are all doing really well, even you Kim (dont be so hard on yourself). I had my second Physio appointment the other day, which I think went good. My physio has a face like she has been slapped with a wet fish!!! she doesnt show any emotion at all and encouragement?????? hmmm I think she must have been in the job too long and forgot how to do it!. I had to ask her if she thought I was doing ok because she was not going to say anything thats for sure. Aparently I am doing ok. She has now given me some balance exercises, pretty much the same as the link that Sarah put up. I am struggling big time with this, I can not bend my bad leg (knee) much at all, it just will not go and is too stiff. When I was at Physio she moved my foot about for about a minute, it didnt hurt but I havent been able to barely move since!!! hope to god she hasnt done anything bad to it. I havent been up long so it will be interesting to see how it goes today, I am hobbling about and my the bottom of my foot aches. These balancing exercises are going to be a challenge, it hurts so much to put all the weight on my bad foot :-(.
I was so happy the other day and now I feel I have taken a massive step back :-(. One exercise she did say which is quite easy, was to use a tennis ball and put underneath your foot and just roll your foot around. I can cope with that one!!! :-).
Good Luck everyone, and hope you get on ok with the Doc today Kim
Good Morning (or shall I say better than yesterday).
Kim – don’t be so hard on yourself. I was really bummed out yesterday and spent a lot of the day in tears, so I can commiserate.. hopefully today will be better :).
By no means did I master mopping with my crutches.. that would been quite a disaster. I have something called a knee walker from when I first got home. I couldn’t use crutches because my good ankle was sprained too, so I have this thing that you rest one knee on and it has wheels so I scoot around. It’s pretty cool, but I use the crutches for everything else now. I just thought wet floor + me on crutches could equal catastrophy.
Lynda – that’s great that you moved on to balance exercises. It does feel awkward, but you’ll get the hang of it. You’ll probably feel little popping feelings in your ankle too that don’t hurt, but you’ll feel it… that’s scar tissue breaking up.. really weird!
Jocelyn – I really don’t know if you’re at the right stage to do it. Maybe try it while sitting down to get your ankle used to the motion, then move on to weight bearing on it?
Good luck everyone. I’m off to pre-school welcome day 🙂
Sarah
Hello everybody!
It`s been a very long time since my last post, mainly because my ankle is doing extremly well. So this post is for all of you out there who are desperate and feeling useless as you`re lying on the couch or bed all day. Believe me, I know the feeling and it sucks!
My message to you is this: IT GETS BETTER! IT REALLY DOES 🙂
I broke my ankle while skiing in the beginning of March and I hated every moment of it. The pain, the inability to move, the feeling of utter uselessness…everything! After two month the doctor removed my cast and I started to walk again, like a child…left, right, heels, toes.
After a month of PT I was finally able to walk down the stairs, which was the hardest. My ankle was still swollen and I couldn`t walk very far, but I was immensely happy to be cast free.
In a while I noticed I couldn`t fit into ANY of my old clothes…yes, that is what happens when you`re in bed all day, stuffing yourself with pity chocolate given to you by your friends. Just say no 🙂
And so, here I am. Six months after my injury and I have just started wearing (and walking in) high heel shoes and surpringly the only part of my leg that is sore is the front of my foot together with my toes, but I think it`s only temporary.
As to my weight gain I decidind to start running. At first I thought I lost my mind because I couldn`t even run for a single minute but things are looking up. I can now run for more than a minute and I feel great. The best part of it all is the fact that after a run, my body aches a little all over the place and I can`t even notice that a had an ankle fracture. In an hour after my run, my body cools down and I feel fit and healthy again. Halleluyah!!!
And so, like I wrote…things do get better! Keep a positive attitude, a strength of mind and everything else will follow 🙂
And who knows….maybe I`ll ski again this season…but I`ll probably stick to nursery slopes 🙂
Carpe diem!
Hi Skiing Talent,
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. It is great to hear from someone who has survived and come out the other end!! :-). And to hear you can wear heals again hooray…I cant wait for the day lol.
It is such an emotional rollercoaster with so many up and down days. Good Luck with the skiing again, just be careful :-).
Hi Sarah, thanks for the encouragement too, I am really finding it difficult to bend my knee on my bad leg which is hindering any balance. I feel a tiny bit better today than yesterday (couldnt move at all), but I am aching more than I have ever done. I suppose it is working the muscles more thats why.
Well on with some more exercises :-).
Keep smiling everyone
Hi Skiing Talent,
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. It is great to hear from someone who has survived and come out the other end!! :-). And to hear you can wear heals again hooray…I cant wait for the day lol.
It is such an emotional rollercoaster with so many up and down days. Good Luck with the skiing again, just be careful :-).
Hi Sarah, thanks for the encouragement too, I am really finding it difficult to bend my knee on my bad leg which is hindering any balance. I feel a tiny bit better today than yesterday (couldnt move at all), but I am aching more than I have ever done. I suppose it is working the muscles more thats why.
Well on with some more exercises :-).
Keep smiling everyone
Happy Friday all!
Well…another week. LOL. Question – to those of you being in or going through physical therapy – how many times a day for how long is the therapist saying to do exercises?
I am forcing myself to do a 1/2 hour SLOW walking every day (constant) as well as just moving from point A to B. I do stretches 1 time a day (sometimes more..but not enough I imagine). I point the toe and pull back…I roll the foot in a circle sort of….I do stand on toes….and a stretch with one leg in front of the other (runner’s stretch). The last stretch is the one that kills me – as I need to get the front of the leg to be able to go over the foot. I trying to get unstuck from the 90 degree angle I have created.
What do the therapists say? Should I do more on a day and take a day off? More walking??
To a skiing talent – WOW!! – I honestly thought I would never wear even a slight heel again. The ankle feels so delicate. I only broke the tibia. There is hope!
I am going to go buy a new pair of shoes. I know my husband would say to wait. Something that can go with the swelling. I had small feet before this and I wore mainly flats, but I wore the shoes tight I guess. I can’t even begin to put them on and the one pair I do wear end up with a grapefruit up on top. There has to be something that can more easily accomodate the swelling.
Anyway….Hope everyone is having a great day!
Hi Jocelyn,
My Physio told me to do exercises about 4 times a day but didnt say for how long!!! She did say if you are walking around a fair bit then that is a good work out in itself. So sorry not much help there. I feel I dont do enough actually exercise.
What you were saying about the stretch – front of the leg to go over foot, this is what I cant do and its driving me crazy, so any help from anyone to rectify that would be good.
As far as the exercising bit goes I think I do pretty much the same as you, along with walking around the house doing a few housework things.
I am lucky to be able to get into my work shoes as they are wide fit and have a velcro fastening they were from Marks and Spencer (UK). It may well be worth you getting a wide fitting shoe it certainly helps. I cant get into anything else, not even my trainers.
Have a great day xx
Update!
New shoes. (Not attractive…but comfortable…) Yucatan Sandal by Ecco. Apparently is recommended by American Podiatric Medical Association. But I tried on a bunch and this was the most comfortable. Adjustable on toes, ankle and back of ankle.
I wore them out of the store. Just had to be able to adjust for swelling.
🙂
Yeah great news Jocelyn…..next step high heels 🙂
Hi everyone
I seen my Doc. Thursday. He gave me a prescription for Phys. Therapy. I asked him how much longer I can expect to be like this and his answer was…..”That varies…. This is a hard fracture to mend.. I’ve seen it take months” UGGGGGGG….
Well, I’m into the 5th month and getting pretty discouraged with this.
I start the PT on Wednesday, and go 2x/week. I hoping for great progress from that. I still walk the pool at the “Y” – and that does help loosen the foot a lot for better range of motion.
I tried walking this morning with one crutch and the cane on my bad side. The cane helped balance me but I’m still trying to put too much weight on the cane instead of the foot. But, more weight on the foot than when I use the crutch. The foot is so discolored. And swelling has already started up just from the 15min. or so of the walking. UGGGG…
Hoping for miracles from the PT..
Everyone sounds like they are progressing very well. Glad to hear it. Especially good to hear from the ones that are now back to normal. Give us hope and a leap of faith.
Hope my Phys.Therapist is not like the one that looks like she’s been hit in the face with a fish. I got a good laugh over that one….. Good that we can still keep our humor… Need that!!
Take care all….. Kim
hi every one / when i was getting back on my feet and using 1 crutch on my Good side i found i put most of my weight on that crutch . i did not use a cane on the bad side only the 1 crutch on the good side and i made sure i put the pressure on that side . it is such a pain to try to figure it all out and make it work , i wish i could help more . keep encouraging each other it helped me through my darkest days having this site . best , Patty
Is wondering if she used one crutch instead of none it may help me walk less with a limp? any thoughts anyone?
Keep Smiling 🙂
Good question! 🙂
I try to walk without the crutch to force the muscle for about 1/2 the day and then I get too sore.
I am finding that I sometimes have strange shooting pains through the injured area periodically. I assume it is healing / getting to use to being used.
🙂
Hi Jocelyn, I think I will try walking with one crutch for a couple of days (only around the house) and see if it improves my walking. I have had so much more swelling and pain this last day or two (more than I have ever had) I hope it isnt something that I have done. To be honest I havent felt right since I last saw the Physio (you know the one who has the face like she has been hit with a wet fish Kim ;-).
I am seriously thinking about seeing a private Physio and paying. I am now entering week 9 and I just want to be able to get back to work.
Good Luck for Wednesday Kim, it will be interesting to hear what your PT says to you.
Hows the new shoes Joceyln?
Thanks Patty for your continued support and like you, it sure helps to hear from others, you dont feel so alone in your self pity! 😉
Sarah how you doing? not heard from you in a while.
Take care everyone
Hi Lynda..
The new shoes made a huge difference. I still swell to the size of a massive grapefruit, but the foot has all the room to grow. It hurts less.
I can walk up stairs now. I cannot walk down without putting the feet together. I can push the leg about 1 inch or so over the foot. Every day I push on it.
I HATE SWELLING. I am thinking to make a t-shirt. I hate swelling. Sure to be a conversation starter. LOL. Perhaps we could all get a shirt…start a club.
I keep my foot on my desk at least 1/3 to 1/2 the day. And try to walk every hour.
I know ….more detail than anyone needed. I don’t talk to my friends about any of this…as it seems so redundant.
Just to repeat – I HATE SWELLING. And I long for the day of no pain.
🙂
Hi Everyone – this is a long one!
Skiing Talent – that’s awesome! I was supposed to get on skis this season for the first time since a knee injury a few years back that ended up in surgery about 5 years ago. I don’t think I’ll be at that point this year, but it’s great to hear your story.
Lynda – funny thing – about 2 weeks before my accident, I bought 3 new pairs of heels(pretty high ones!) I was so upset when I was stuck in bed that I would put the left one while lying down even though my left ankle was also sprained. I’m for it – go buy new shoes!!!
I had 2 very good / long days. Day 1 was up and down my stairs about 10 times on toddler duty. I also managed to use some of my vaccum, and mop the floor again. Day 2 I took a ferry boat across long island sound, went to brunch with friends, went to a car show of all things, then out to dinner all on crutches….I think the hardest part was walking around on the ferry boat.. talk about adding another element of instability! It was a great few days, but by the time I got home I was barely able to get myself to the bathroom. I was so sore, a little swollen, and more than anything exhausted. Unfortunately my left ankle took a few steps back too. I had forgotten to put the ankle support on that one prior to going out…
For all of you who hate swelling (as do I!). My doctor gave me a compression stocking, which you can get at any medical supply store. You may have had one already, but if not, it really keeps the swelling down. It’s just a little toeless sock that I put on. I wear it just about all the time unless I’m sitting still. Also – there is a natural supplement called Arnica that you can get at any health food store that is supposed to control swelling and bruising. I just started taking it today, so I’ll keep you all posted. I don’t have a huge swelling problem at this point, so I might not have a lot to report.
I also got something called Tamanu oil – I massage it into my scars and it’s supposed to be great. It doesn’t smell great, but supposedly it’s the best thing for scars.
All in all I’m not in much pain at this point. My tibia where I shattered it hurts the most, but it’s not constant anymore. My fibula – where the plate is just feels bizarre. When I tap on it I can tell it’s not bone – but metal.. so weird.
I don’t get to go back to the dr. until Sept. 24 (bummer), but Manny (my PT) said I could probably stop wearing the boot at night – so I decided that was good enough for me. No more boot at night and it’s heaven! I still wear it any time I get on my crutches though.
Hope everyone has a great week! Keep smiling 🙂
Sarah
Hi Jocelyn,
Pleased to hear your new shoes are going good. LOL about the t-shirts, it will certainly would be a talking point!!! ;-). Well done for managing to push your knee an inch over your foot, I dont think I am pushing myself hard enough with that. Today I am going to try harder lol.
Keep up the good work!
Well done Sarah, you seemed to have had a very busy few days. I am sure you were exhausted but I bet you felt good to do somethings that are “normal”. I find the tiredness unbelievable and wonder what I will be like when I do eventually return to work! dont want to be falling asleep half way through the day lol.
I feel like I have come to a stand still at the moment but maybe I am not doing as much exercise as I should. I walk around the house plenty but not really focusing on specific exercises.
Hope you have a great day 🙂
I see that there hase been a lot of discussion regarding crutches and PT, so I decided to offer some advice.
When the doc took off my cast, I lost the crutches in ten days. Don`t get me wrong, walking was very painful, but my physical therapist gave me the best possible advice: Keep your feet straigt and do extremly small steps. After walking like that and using crutches, I gradually gave them up, as my legs became stronger.
Also…if you can find a swimming pool in the area it is highly recommended, you feel stronger in water and walking is much easier.
Lynda: I wouldn`t worry too much about not doing exercises focused solely on your injory, as long as you are walking, it is exercising. You only have to be careful that you are walking in a non-broken ankle kind of way, if you catch my drift. For a long time I had to force myself to keep my left leg(the broken one) straight and not move it outwords which of course made it easier to walk, but was unnatural and unhealthy. To whole point of PT is to strengthen your muscles, not walking correctly makes your ankle unstable.
About the swelling: I would definately buy thath T-shirt 🙂 The only advice I can give you on that is a little depressing but here it is: Don`t look at it! It`s going to be swollen for a long time, so you might as well leave it alone.
Because of the swelling I couldn`t buy ANY new shoes so in 4 months I simply walked around in sneakers. But as soon as I could fit both of my feet in the same size, I bought high heels. 😀
In my book that means that the ankle is healed! (Note that this isn`t professional advice) 🙂
All the best to everybody!
Hi Skiing Talent,
Thank you so much for your advise which I have taken on board…slower steps and more concentration on how I am taking those step. I have decided to pay for private physio along side what I get from the hospital… I feel I need more than I get (once a fortnight), it may be more a mind thing but I am sure it wont do any harm.
It is so good to hear from people that are *back to normal*…thanks for your input 🙂
Fell off my bicycle (in slow motion) on 12th Sept 2010. It was a beautiful day and I was on the drive of my house – my husband was mowing the lawn and when he heard me shout he rushed to help. I asked him to get me a cushion as I wanted to lay on the drive for a bit!!!!! Went to A & E where I was x-rayed and plastered. The doctor advised me that I would need an operation as I had broken the tibia and admitted me to hospital. Orthopaedic ward was full so they admitted me to a gynae ward! Waited for op on the 12th, 13th and 14th!!! Saw a doctor on the 14th who said I could go home as I didn’t need an op and to come back in a week for a review and change of plaster!
Gosh, how awkward everything becomes when you have a broken ankle!!!! The stairs seem a mountain to climb and normal life is not normal anymore!
I’m keeping my leg elevated and managing pretty well on crutches. Might try a shower tonight! I have great help at home but hate to keep asking for help.
This site is excellent – makes you realise we all worry about the same things. Good luck to everybody!
Hi all –
Carolyn – great you don’t need surgery. Perhaps you will heal faster.
🙂
To all – I am doing pretty well these past few days. I am walking better. I am not taking the crutch around with me anymore.
I do really well from morning until about 4..then it seems to get tired.
🙂 Here’s to shoes that fit!
Hi everyone. I started PT yesterday. I now realize how much I have lost after seeing the Phys.Therapist. He took one of my crutches from me and told me to walk across the floor. I tried, with full determination, but stumbled and almost fell to the floor. He immediately took me to the room and measured my range of motion. He discovered that I only have 75 degree bend in my bad ankle – while it needs to be 90 degree. He said that “NO WONDER” you can’t walk without crutches!! You CAN’T……. So, we are agressively working on stretch exercise to pull my foot back into the 90 degree bend at the ankle. Plus MANY other exercises. He told me that it is going to take a “LONG TIME” to get my ankle back to what it was and able to walk normal. When I asked him “How long is Long” he just answered, “A LONG time”… UGGGG… Now that I KNOW what I should be doing for my type of break I feel better about pushing myself harder. It is hard to know what to do when your Doctor does not tell you anything except “Join the YMCA and walk the pool”.. I’m soooooo glad I got this PT going. Although I came home crying from the feeling of failure – I’m feeling much better today and even more determined than EVER. Anyone that has not started PT – let me suggest to you that the sooner the better!!! You need a professional to show you how to do the excercise – and the best equipment to use when you go to a workout gym. He even said that if doctors would allow it – there are machines that you can use right after a break that will keep your muscle toned. Making the walking easier when the bone heals enough for weight bearing.
My biggest problem is trying to find time to do all the exercise at home and going to the “Y” to walk the pool and do them exercises, and also going to the PT 2x/week. I’m also trying to care for my elderly Mother in the middle of all that. But…….I’ll get through it. Not soon enough for me. But, I feel a little more promise now that I have more answers to my questions.
Good job to all of you on your progress….. Keep that ankle moving. And keep it bent to the 90 degree as much as you can.
Wow Kim – that’s frustrating.. Hang in there :).
I remember when I got ‘the boot’ the Dr. set it to a 90 degree angle for that reason. It’s great that you have a PT now. I’m sure you’ll get there quickly. Just keep it up, and don’t get too down. You can do it :).
Carolyn – you were definitely lucky not to have the surgery.. Hang in there. This is a great site to visit with a bunch of people all in similar predicaments!
I actually went to get a pedicure today! The first time since mid July. I asked the lady to be gentle with both feet due to the broken ankle, and the sprain in the other that still hasn’t healed completely. It was great, and I have pretty toes! Talk about a self esteem booster :). I’m heading off to ice and elevate.
Have a great rest of your week everyone!
Sarah
Great news Kim, I am so pleased that you feel more positive now. As far as the intial tears I think thats understandable, I felt like that also. Somedays I get so damn frustrated because my head tells me I can do so much but actually putting it into practice is another story! What sort of exercises have they given you to help? Remember to rest amongst all those exercises and pool and looking after your mum. You can overdo it and then have to spend the next day resting because you have worked too hard. Keep positive, hopefully I will have something to report once I see my Physio (private one) on Monday, it will be interesting to see if she suggests anything different to the hospital one.
Hello pretty toes lol, little things can make us women feel so good cant they?
I have a friend coming today to take me out for lunch, she said we could get a wheelchair (big department store) and I said “Oh NOOOOO” I am walking around however much it aches. I still feel I want the crutch for balance when I am out, does anyone else feel that?
Hope you all have a fab weekend. Keep positive Carolyn 🙂
I’m in a rest day (such as it is with a 3 year old).. I am absolutely exhausted and achy.
Hope everyone else is feeling better than I. 🙂
Thanks for your comments. Today has been great – with the help of my husband, a bin bag and an Ikea stool, I actually managed to get in the bath!! With my broken leg stuck up in the air, I wallowed in the suds!!!! Even our new kitten kept me company! It was quite an effort and I know I’m lucky compared to some of you.
Poor Sarah , you must find it so hard with a 3 year old. Yes I feel I was lucky not to have surgery. I go back on Tuesday to the hospital so I’ll have more news about the break then and a plaster change I suppose. I’m in a back plaster at the moment and have to keep the leg elevated. Probably not as much as it was this morning, however!!!!
Thanks Lynda – I will keep positive! (that’s positive!!!!!).
I really love this site.
Carolyn (Wales, UK) XXX
A back plaster on my leg that is!
Hello everyone. Just an update from my end. I had my second visit to the PT. I worked out for 2-1/2 hrs. straight..Uggggg. But was so beneficial. My first hour was workout in the pool. That loosened me up for the torture workout on the ground for the next 1-1/2 hr. But, it helped bring some of my ankle to proper 90 degree. However, a long way to go yet. I felt VERY accomplished after leaving PT. I so very glad I started going.
I was so tired and so excited that I came home and checked on and visited with my Mom for about an hour and then pulled me husband away from what he was doing to take me out in the boat down the river. We were out for about 5hrs. thoroughly relaxed and enjoying ourselves. I NEEDED THAT!!! By the time we got home I was so tired that all I did was eat, shower and hit the bed. I was out as quick as I hit the bed.
I can move my toes both directions pretty darn good now. Still can’t move the ankle much, but I’m doing the ABC’s pretty good now. There are soooooo many execises that they have me doing that I just don’t remember them all. But the ones that stick in my mind the most are as follows:
#1 – All during the day – anytime you can, kick off your shoes/socks. Rub your foot (pulling towards you – never against you). Use various tecture of materials. Get the foot to “Feeling” again. And then turn your foot every which way “at tolerance level”. Pull you toes back. Put your fingers between your toes. And just rub rub rub. Get the blood flowing and the various parts of your foot use to moving.
#2- Lay on bed. Take towel or sheet and wrap around your foot. Lay back and pull the towel towards you forcing your foot to bend at the ankle. Hold for 10 sec. and release. Do this 10-times to startout. Then 15 – 20 times thereafter.
#3 – Stand at kitchen counter. Hands on counter stand straight. Ensure bad foot is pulled straight and in directly below your hip. If you can’t – then bring your hit to your foot. Then lean forward. Repeat 10-times.
#4 – Sit on rolling stool/chair in front of a piece of furn. you can pull from – set at height of your legs bent. With feet planted straight below you pull you body towards the furn. in front of you. Push back and do it again. This will bend your ankle as you pull your body forward. Try to keep your foot planted though so that it bends from the planted position.
There are sooooooo many more that I could list.. You really NEED to go to a PT yourself. Unless you are braver than me and more disiplined than me then you NEED that professional to show you how and what to do. She/He will push you to your limits – however, that is what gives you that safe feeling that it is OK to do. Most of us just don’t want to do anything that will rebreak that foot. That is understandable – because it is so possible to do. But, most of us have not been trained to know what to do and how much we can do without injuring ourselves.
I told over and over again “Work out to Tolerance” You do NOT want to push yourself to the point that you are hurting afterwards. But, you do need to push yourself to the point that you can feel the stretching. Hard to explain, but you will know the different. I pushed to hard yesterday and my foot hurt to walk on. So, that is why I took the break the rest of the day. Letting it rest. Today it is still alittle sore, but getting better enough that I will do my exercise this a.m.
I must say that the pool exercise is so much easier than ground exercise. But, like the PT told me – “we don’t live in the water. You have to relearn how to walk on ground”. Good point.
Understand that I have been using (2) crutches for 5-1/2 months. My situation is at more of the extreme than most of you. But……don’t let it get to my degree. Do as much as you can to keep that foot mobile and/or the leg exercised so not to lose your muscule mass that holds you up. I lost EVERYTHING!!! And now having to start out like a baby would. Yep, pretty sad that it only takes 5 months to loose it….. Like the saying goes “Use or lose it” Boy oh boy is that is good saying and applied in so many ways…….
Good luck to all. I’m sure that you will not let yourself get to where I am. But maybe my story will help encourage you to NOT let it happen. But, seek professional advise on what “YOU” can do without hurting yourself. There is a good and bad time to do what I’m doing and it may not be a good time for you yet.
Take care everyone. And keep that foot moving or rubbed……
HI EVERYONE,I HAVE BEEN ON THIS BLOG, EVERY SINCE MY ENERGY, NOVEMBER THE 2ND 2008, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME TO RESPOND, I AM A PLAYGROUND MONITOR AFTER SCHOOL ASSISTANT, LONG STORY, BUT A 4TH GRADE BOY CAME FROM OUT OF NO WHERE KNOCKED ME TO THE BLACKTOP, LANDED ON TOP OF ME, MY BODY WENT ONE WAY AND MY HEAD WENT THE OTHER WAY, I HERD MY ANKLE BREAK, I BROKE MY ANKLE ON BOTH SIDES, VERY BAD, THE RIGHT ONE OF COURSE, NEVER HAD A BROKEN BONE IN MY LIFE,MY DOCTOR SAID IT WAS ONE OF THE WORST BREAKS HE HAS EVER SEEN, WHEN I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL, AND HAD X-RAYS TAKEN I COULD FEEL THE BONE CHIPS TRICKLE DOWN MY FOOT,I HAD A PLATE 9 SCREWS AND A WIRE, THEY ALMOST LOST ME WITH A VERY SERIOUS INFECTION IN MY ANKLE, TURNS OUT I AM ALLERGIC TO ALL THE HARDWARE IN MY ANKLE, SO IT ALL HAD TO BE REMOVED, NOW I AM AT HIGH RISK FOR FRACTURES,I HAVE HAD 3 NERVE BLOCKS, PT, AND SAW A PAIN SPECIALIST IN SAN FRANCISCO,AND I AM STILL IN A LOT OF PAIN, IT HURTS TO PUT A SOCK ON, AND MY RIGHT LEG IS LOOKING MORE LIKE A NOODLE EVERY DAY,WITHOUT KNOWING IT I HAVE BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF MY WEIGHT ON MY LEFT LEG, I ALSO HURT MY RIGHT HAND, I CAN’T HAVE SURGERY, BECAUSE OF THE HARDWARE, SO I HAVE TO HAVE CORTISONE INJECTIONS EVERY 3 MONTHS,AND IN 2007 I HURT MY RIGHT KNEE AND HAD TO HAVE SURGERY ON MY KNEE, AND MY ANKLE HAS MADE IT WORSE, SO I HAVE TO WEAR A BRACE,NOW I NEED A KNEE REPLACEMENT AND CAN’T BECAUSE OF ALL OF MY ALLERGIES, WHAT HELPS ME THE MOST IS THE POOL, SO BACK INTO PT,I HAVE FOUND ONE SHOE THAT SAVES ME, IT LOOKS NICE AND IS BELOW MY ANKLE, IT’S SKETCHERS ,ALL AND ALL I KEEP A GOOD OUTLOOK ON THINGS, I AM STILL VERY ACTIVE I WALK MY DOG ETC AND I AM 68 YRS OLD MY FAMILY HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE I WAS TOLD I WILL HAVE THIS PAIN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE BUT LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE ITI WISH EVERYONE THE BEST OF LUCK,
Has anyone had really bad shoulder pain due to crutches? I have a bad right rotator cuff due to my highschool days when I was a cheerleader (yes – that is correct….), and it’s soooo painful now that I’ve been using my crutches so much. My PT says I’m using them the right way, but it’s still really painful. It feels like what I would imagine arthritis would feel like. I’m taking Aleve for it and it’s working, but I’m still really sore.
Anyone?
Sarah
When the hospital physio gave me my crutches, she was very fussy about getting the heights correct as she said that you could suffer painful shoulders. Maybe you could get a second opinion?
I’m pretty new to this, I broke my ankle last week, but I do find crutches much harder than I thought.
It seems to be a real emotional ride too – some days I feel fine and then other days quite fed up!!!! A bit like life I suppose.
Good luck to everybody and keep posting.
Hi Everyone,
Just checking in, sorry your having so much pain Sarah but like Carolyn says are your crutches set at the right height? that is really important. Other than that I am sorry I cant offer much help. Do you have elbow crutches or under the arm ones?
Thanks for posting some of your exercises Kim, I have my first appointment with a private Physio tomorrow so will let you all know how it went.
Hi Donna, good for you to still remain so positive after what seems an awful lot of discomfort you have had to face over a long length of time.
Well done Carolyn for getting in the bath it must feel lovely for you, all these little things we take for granted without realising it dont we?
I had a good day on Friday and felt I walked really well when out with friends. Havent been quite so good since 😦 Foot has been aching so much and the back of the foot not sure why. I am truly getting fed up at walking snail pace but the minute I try and walk quicker I find I walk more with a limp and dont feel as steady on my feet.
Looking forward to seeing the Physio tomorrow, it will be interesting to see how different (if at all) she is to the Physio I see at the hospital. I will update you all later tomorrow.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend 🙂
Hello all
Well – a little over 3 weeks out and I am walking pretty good. I do get too swollen after about 2 hours and get more “igor like” – but I am walking. I can say that a little tiny bit of calf is showing. I am not smooth in walking..but can actually walk in public. LOL
Crutches- I had sore shoulders. I had them fitted at the hospital…a therapist worked with me…It was my shoulder muscles. I barely moved the first month I had surgery…then suddenly I wanted to move out of the same room. ….started moving more. And then the shoulders HURT. I found it went away after about 4 days. I just got stronger.
Based on what Kim wrote earlier about the 90 degree angle – that is what I was told from day 1. My surgeon said very little else – other than keep the foot at that angle…I do believe that is why I have been able to walk so quickly.
🙂
Wow….just read the comments written by the person who broke his/her leg and allergic to the hardware. My goodness!! I thought I had it bad. You have had an extremely rough go of it. My heart goes out to you. Glad that you are using the pool. I too found it to be very beneficial. Certainly easier on the body than doing workout on the ground. Sounds like you are keeping a positive outlook. that is GREAT!! Hang in there…. by the way, what happened to the kid that caused you to break your leg? And did he do it delibertly? Or was it an accident? Now days one never knows about these things.
Hi everyone,
Just had my first appointment with the private Physio, it was more of a consultation this visit but I left feeling much more positive and knowing what was expected off me. Alot more than the hospital Physio anyway!.
She did not want to manipulate my ankle until I have had my second x-ray on the 8th October and got the all clear. Bit disappointed in that but I guess she needs to make sure she does not do any damage.
I asked her at what stage she felt I should be at 9 weeks post op. Although she said it is difficult because each person is different, she would have hoped that my bending (which is what has concerned me) would be a little better than what it was. I explained that I have not been pushing it because it hurt so much and the hospital physio never really gave me much guidance. She told me that aslong as I am only feeling discomfort and not pain then to push as hard as I am able. She held my ankle and pressed it whilst making me bend and it was sooo much easier.
As far as balance goes, I told her I cannot stand on my bad leg without holding on because I just fall to the left. She told me that I need to work on the arch of my foot (underneath) because it is very flat. A couple of exercises she told me for this was…put some tissue paper on the floor and put my foot on it, with my toes try and scrunch the paper up, that creates the arch underneath your foot. You can do this as often as you want. Another exercise was to stand on the bottom stair (holding on) and let your heel drop down (so have half the foot on the step and the other dropping down) hold this for 30 seconds if your able. Using a soft (not too soft) ball use the inner side of your foot and kick the ball at the wall.
Also the resistance band which you put underneath your foot and press your toes against it, aparently there are difference resistance bands. The one I have which is pink is no good any more as it is too weak, so she has given me a blue one to work with.
She also said she expected me to walk around the house with no aids (use a crutch when out for balance) and build up my strength in walking…I am really tired after 10 minutes walking so need to work on that. Ice whenever you have been on your feet for a length of time or exercised, if you have more than the normal swelling (i.e. when you first wake up).
Maybe a few of the above may help someone, I know I feel much more positive and feel that I need to push myself harder than what I have been.
Hope everyone else is doing good today 🙂
Lynda, your feedback is most helpful. Glad that you feel good about the visit. Sounds like you got the same benefit and encouragement that I got from my (2) visits last week. I look forward to my next (2) visits this week. You are RIGHT that PT helps give us the knowledge and courage to work and push ourselves to a new level. It is hard not knowing how much we can go – but a professional’s guidance lends us that confidence to go there.
Sounds like the Hosp. PT was just going through the motions and not really doing their JOB as they should. I believe an independent has more reason to get you walking than those that are hired in a hospital. The independent is dependent on you, the patient, to give “positive feedback” to bring them more business. Those working at the hospital know that they will keep working no matter what the patient’s experience and feedback might be.
My PT told me to do that exerise that you were told too – sitting on a chair and scrunch a towel, or in your case kleenex, with you toes. I am now able to move my toes with lots more flexibility than I could before these exercises.
My problem is finding time to do as many exercises as I’m expected to do. I’ve averaged them out and I’m expected to do approx. 5-6 hrs. per day.
This week I’m suppose to start using weights on my legs/foot while doing the exercise. I’m so bad that I have not yet went to Walmart to buy the weights. I must do that tomorrow on my way home from work.
😦 having a real crap day today, went out with my daughter and walked around a store. After 30 minutes I could no longer walk, I felt if I didnt sit on a chair I would fall on the floor because my foot ached so much. I have done the grand total of half hour exercise today and feel like I couldnt do anything else if I tried. This is just so frustrating and I feel like I have taken a big step backwards. I was looking at return to work very soon but I just would not be able to do it like this :-(. Hope everyone else is having a much much better day then me.
Lynda-it will get better! I think it is normal to have hard days with this. Look how far you have come in the past 30 days! Hang in there . 🙂
Lynda, so sorry to hear that you are feeling that you are going backward. I too am sore today – more than normal – but I’m sure it has everything to do with trying to get back to normal quicker than my body is ready. We have to remember to rest between exercise. And, it is also important that we treat the swelling often. My PT says that swelling is NOT our Friend. It will go against what we are trying to do.
Maybe you need to take it just a little slower. Me too…… My PT says to exercise to your tolerance. Everyone has their own tolerance and our body tells us loud and clear. We just need to listen to it. Work will come when your body says you can go back to work. Anytime sooner will be too soon – depending on your phys. activity at work. I’m lucky, Most of my work is done at my desk and computer. So I have missed zero days of work since I broke my ankle.
Don’t get discouraged…….Hang in there…. Kim
Hi – it’s me again. Saw the surgeon yesterday and although I thought it was a broken tibia (??????) it is in fact a broken fibula.
Don’t need an op and I had my plaster plastered. Non weight bearing for another 4 weeks and then it’ll be reviewed – hopefully for a walking plaster.
I still find crutches a bit scary but I’ve managed to borrow a wheelchair so I can scoot around my kitchen in gay abandon!!! And carry a cup of tea.
My GP told me to stop wiggling my toes. I thought you were supposed to do that? And can I clench my leg muscles? Is that a good idea?
Bye for now.
Carolyn, that is great that you don’t have to have surgery!! We both lucked out on that one. I truly feel your difficulty in using crutches. Although I have been using them almost 6-mos. now I still have my days where I get off balance with them. But, I have learned to master a great number of things with them – so keep working at it….gets easier.
As for my drinks. I have to use cups glasses with handles. Can’t fill them all the way. Hold on to handle with one finger and use my others to hold on to crutch. It is a slow travel but I usually get to my destination without spills.
I have NOT mastered a plate though. Nothing to wrap my finger around. So, I use my arm pit to move the crutches forward – a little at a time…
I don’t do that often though. Bad for the nerves around the arm pit.
At least you GP tells you something. My Ortho Doc gives zero advise on what to do or not do to prepare for recovery. His famous words have been “these things take time” “keep doing what your doing and come back in X-weeks”.. I found everything I needed to know when it was too late. Now how soon is too soon……well, don’t know that answer. But, if you are being told to keep it still then he wants you to let the bone heal before you begin moving any part of the foot. I would have to say that when he puts the walking cast on you should ask if you can begin moving your toes.
Hope everyone is doing well…… I went to PT again yesterday. I was not as impressed with my visit this time. I was sent to the pool on my OWN and just did exercise that I could remember from last week. Heck,,,,,I could have went to the YMCA and done what I did at the PT and saved myself the $100.00 Fee. Any more visits like that one and I will do just that from here on.
I’m making progress – but my foot is so sore. And,the ankle stiffins up so quick that I feel I’m not making steady progress. However, I’m sure I am.
As all of you feel, I just can’t get where I want to be quick enough. I do not feel confident that I will be off these crutches before I see the Doc again. Not sure what he will say next…..If anything.
I’m going to keep hitting my exercise and walk practice until I finally get there. But it doooooo become so frustrating at times!!
Have a GRRRRREAT day everyone…..
Hi Everyone – feeling good lately. Getting around much easier – still have tremendous shoulder pain in the AM, but going to the Dr. tomorrow am and hopefully I’ll be at least down to one crutch. I’m also hoping and praying that I get a different boot at this point… this one really stinks! literally!!!!
Not much pain right now, but a lot of stiffness. I’m sure that’ll change when I really start walking on it. Swelling is pretty under control, not much at all really.
In case you all haven’t done it – I find that the more I massage my ankle, incisions and all, the better it feels, and the less it hurts. I put vitamin e 32,000 I.U on it and just massage in little circles. It’s nice.
Has anyone had hardware taken out of their ankles, or are you thinking about it? I’m asking my Dr. tomorrow. I don’t know all the pros and cons, so I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’m not at that stage yet of course, but I am curious.
Hope everyone is well –
Sarah
Hello – Happy Friday all 🙂
I have heard from one person about removal of hardware. It was a good thing for them. Miminal issue with removal.
I am personally hoping to not do that.
I am going to go to a physical therapist on 10/7 – to get a consultation on how I am doing and to ensure I am doing what is needed for full recovery. I gave in due to the constant lecturing / worry from my parents. (I am 40.)
I feel I am doing well and making progress. I am not yet able to have a normal gait. I cannot go down stairs one at a time (I can go up). I know that this is related to the flexibility. I cannot put on boots as it requires too much pointing of the toe..(I thought if I could eventually wear boots – no one could see the scar up my leg).
Walking has made me personally feel 100% better. It is tight. It hurts first thing in the morning…but just the past 3 – almost 4 weeks of walking has improved my mood after 4 months of sitting/laying all the time.
🙂
Good news Jocelyn!
I just left the Dr.- no loger wearing a boot and cleared to start walking with one crutch and wearing normal shoes! Now – the only problem is that we went to the dr. on the way to Vermont, so I only have left shoes with me!
I have to go back to get one screw out after Thanksgiving,but that’s it. I asked about hardware removal and he advised against it too.
Have a great weekend everyone 🙂
Sarah
Hi
My surgeon made it sound “no big deal” to get the hardware out and that it was up to me. He indicated it just depends how it rubs my shoes and such.
I met a man in Home Depot today who had hardware (2 plate…lots of screws) 20 years ago…and said it worked fine. No pain – but he showed me where you could see the screw heads.
I still am swollen all the time..I wonder if it will be obvious when I get “normal”?
🙂
Jocelyn
I went to PT yesterday. I worked out in the pool for 1-1/2 hrs. and then did (3) different weights benches for another hour or more. The PT man handled my foot to the point I had tears in my eyes. OUCH!!! He also measured my ankle bend angle and found that I have gained 4 degrees in two weeks. Still have 11 degrees to go though. He said that I’m gaining at a normal rate – but that he wants to see me gain it back faster than that. So he is calling my Ortho Doc to request he order me a adjustable boot that forces the ankle to bend while I’m sleeping. yeh….like I’m going to be able to sleep much…hehehehhe…
Anyhow,,,…. When I got out of PT I was soooooooo exhuasted that I could bearly carry my body across the floor. I sat in the hot tub last night and got so relaxed that I went righ to bed.
Today my foot is mighty sore again. I need to get to the YMCA to pool walk today and tomorrow to work off the pain and stiffness. I have soooooo many exercises to perform that I feel like I do nothing else….. But, my leg muscles are finally starting to take some form. But a LONG WAYS to go to get back to before my break.
Glad to hear all are progressing well. And Jocyln, I understand your folks concerns. I am 56 yrs. old. It takes us OLDER folks a bit longer and harder to recover. We need all the help we can get to coach us in the right direction for a more speedy recovery. Don’t want to wind up walking like a cripple. That is my PT’s major concern for me.
Have a good weekend everyone….
Good news Kim :). I’m actually looking forward to my PT kicking my butt, even though I’m sure I’ll not be happy about it at the time!
So I walked around all over Vermont this weekend, bought some new shoes (because I only had left shoes that I packed when I was wearing my boot, and we left directly from my Dr.’s office!). They are really comfortable – expensive, but comfy. They are UGG’s w/ a rubber bottom, and they are shoes like Merrill’s instead of boots, fleece around the sides, but leather on the bottom inside. They are really comfy and give great support. It’s really painful to walk with barefeet. I find that my foot
is more sore when I walk barefoot than my ankle.
Today is the first day that I’m really sore and swollen. Essentially I’ve been at 100% weight bearing w/ a crutch for stability over this weekend. Dr. said that was what I should do if I could stand it. It didn’t hurt w/ shoes on so I went for it. My husband is amazed that after 9 weeks I’m actually walking again.
So this morning I actually went kayaking w/ my husband and daughter.. It was pretty funny watching me get in and out, but other than that was great! We continued to have a long and eventful day which included walking up a short but somewhat steep path to a pond, and back down… that was hard.
So – needless to say, I’m VERY swollen and sore now. I hadn’t dealt with much swelling until now, so I probably way over did it. I was wondering if anyone knows if you are supposed to continue to do exercises if you are swollen?
Hope everyone had a great weekend… Keep working on it!
Sarah
Can’t believe I’ve got another 3 weeks in a non weight bearing plaster! Seems a long time but I suppose it’ll go. My son is home from his holiday in Sharm el Sheik so it’s nice to have someone else to fetch and carry for me!! It really is the little things that mean the most when you can’t nip upstairs, outside or whatever!!
Had an outing to the local supermarket – a great place to zoom round in a wheelchair! It was lovely to be out. Braved my crutches to attend a friend’s birthday/retirement party but didn’t stay long – it was good to be out with friends.
I still feel I should be doing something in the way of exercise to help recovery. Any suggestions – or do I really need to rest totally? I’m an active person normally and can’t get used to sitting down.
Also, I find my back really aches in the morning as I’m sleeping on my back with my leg on a pillow. Is it okay to seep on my side?
I know I’m lucky compared to some of you – good wishes to all of you – and keep posting.
Carolyn XXX
wow Sarah!! I’m impressed with how fast you are bouncing back. Oh how I wish I could have had that opportunity. My recovery has been very discouraging.
I went to PT again yesterday. I’m making progress. My ankle is now at 77 degree bend. Still gotta get to 90 degree before I can walk correctly, and without falling. But, the therapist said that I’m progressing as expected. Just going to take TIME……UGGGG@!! I’m ready for this to be OVER!!!
Yesterday I walked for a while in my house with one crutch and a cane to balance (so I would not fall). I can weight bear pretty good – but without being able to bend my ankle all the way it becomes hard to keep my balance.
Pretty sore today after all the activity yesterday. Swelling is there but not too bad.
I’ve been working all my exercises daily. I’m starting to see some muscle return. But got a long way to go on that too….
Hubby and I want to schedule a vacation – but can’t determine yet how soon it will be before I will be normal again…..UGGGGG…..
Hope all are doing well.
Carolyn, I sleep on both sides and back. Should not be a problem – just keep it propped on a pillow.
Have a good weekend.
Carolyn – I feel your pain. I was non weight bearing for I don’t know how long and it was miserable! I have a 3 year old, and 3 dogs. I was confined to the second floor of my house for what seemed like ages! You really do need to rest though. I really think the reason I’m recovering somewhat quickly is that I really didn’t do ANYTHING for the entire time until told by my Dr. I did try to do some exercises similar to riding a bike – that didn’t hurt me, and I found that my boot weighed enough that it was worth it. That and I used some hand weights. Really though – wait until your Dr. tells you what to do – then do it hard! Also – I used something called a knee walker. It’s kind of like a scooter, and you kneel on your bad knee on a padded seat. It has 4 wheels and a bike like steering / brake contraption. It made getting around while non-weight bearing infinitely easier. A lot of PT’s here don’t have it yet, but I rented it from a medical supply store and my Dr. loved it. You should definitely look into it.
Kim – I’m shocked too. We weren’t expecting me to be coming along this quickly either! I was on the November walking track, but the Dr. said he can’t even see one of the breaks on the x-ray anymore! I do still have pain at the end of the day, and especially right now due to weather and that I just finished stretching.. ugh. The tibia where I shattered it doesn’t feel great. More stiff than anything, but an occasional sharp pain. I have noticed that when I tap on the outside of my leg where I broke the fibula, I can feel the metal.. talk about weird.
Jocelyn – I really noticed a difference when I ran out of Arnica (the anti swelling / inflamation stuff). I started getting significantly swollen really for the first time. I got more and am taking it again 3x day and it really works. You should try it. You can get it at any health food store – it’s called Arnica Montana and comes in a small blue tube. You take 5 little tables 3x day. It’s a homeopathic thingie.. Also – I almost all the time wear a compression stocking.
Have a great weekend everyone.. I’m attempting apple picking (should be funny!). Although – I did have to select the apple farm we are going to based on the terrain!!!!
Best –
Sarah
Carolyn – one other thing – I did take a HUGE number of supplements – Citrical, vitamin C, Arnica, Glucosamine (I had a dislocation and a sprain in the other foot – this helps w/ soft tissue damage), and something called Myo Tone – which also helps w/ soft tissues. I am 34 years old and I need a pill box along the lines of what my Grandmother uses!!!
Good luck!
Sarah
Happy Friday all
🙂
The swelling is somewhat better. I am swollen all the time – but I am used to it and it is a bit less over the long term. On long walking days I feel sort of sore in the middle of my foot – I think from stretching.
I am walking okay. I cannot go quickly – as I have limited flexibility. The faster I go – the more “gimpy” I appear.
I can sort of walk down stairs, but not well. That is my current goal.
I tried to actually move quickly enough to call it a jog – I couldn’t. I don’t know if it is mental – it just scares me.
I will see a physical therapist for a one time visit to see what specific exercises I need to ensure full return to health.
Anyway – hope all is well with everyone. 🙂 I think I am on track to be able to walk my 7 yr old for Halloween..we will see! 🙂
Thank you so much for your comments and good wishes – it’s really good to hear from you all.
Thanks, Sarah for all the tips. My husband has already sent off to America for one of the knee scooters and I can’t wait to use it!! You can’t get them in the UK (well, we only found one place that rents them – and my husband is convinced he’ll be able to sell the scooter on EBay once I’ve finished with it.) I use a wheelchair in the kitchen and I can get around on those scary crutches – stubbed my good toe whilst getting around on them!!!
I slept part of the night on my side with my leg on a pillow and it was fine – thanks again.
I keep dreaming I’m walking on my plaster and driving the car and then I remember I’m not supposed to be doing that!
Happy Days!!
Hi all!!
I posted for the first time in late June. Broke my ankle mid June all while 7 months pregnant, well I have now delivered my baby and am no longer in cast nor boot, I am able to put full weight and am walking with a limp no crutches. For the past couple of days however I’ve had really bad pain in my hip on the good side. Has anyone experienced that? Am I maybe putting more weight on that side…. Any feedback would be great!
Best to all!
Hi Abby, great news! you have progressed very well. I can not share the same news but am progressing slowly.
I too have had pain in my hip. Actually both hips. I would toss and turn all night long because it wakes me up hurting after laying too long on one side.
I have noticed that my pain has improved since I started working out at the Phys.Therapy. It could very well be that you are putting more weight on the good leg. Could also be that your gait is not at proper form. My PT pushes me hard to walk correctly.
Do you walk with a limp because it hurts or because the foot is not flexible enough to bend like your other one?
Congraduation on the new baby. You’ve had quite the experience to tell your baby when he/she grows up. It had to have been hard to walk with the added weight. You’ve done very well.
Everyone, I had my last visit Friday to my PT. I do not feel I’m ready to stop going – but I took away with me many exercises to do in the pool to keep my progress going. My last day there they worked me so hard!! I was in the pool for 1-1/2 hrs. doing hard exercise and then another 1-1/2 hrs. on the machines, this time (4) machines. The PT is concerned that I could have some other problems going on in my foot that is preventing me from full recovery. She said if I’m not walking in a year that I have another issue going on. My eyes got very big with hearing 1-year. But she assured me that “If it goes that long”.,.,
I was so very sore yesterday from the day before workout that I could bearly put any weight on it without pain. I used a lot of Dromeo pain lotion on the foot all day. I feel better today and will hit the “Y” to do my workout.
My Doc. wrote a prescription for a boot that I sleep in that bends my ankle back to the 90 degree a little at a time while I sleep. Yeh, like I’m going to sleep much,,,,,, But, if it gets me back to walking without assistance then I’m game.
As I read how well everyone is doing I feel like I’m not making any progress. But, I really am, just not doing it very fast. I can’t tell you how bad I want off these crutches. This is my 7th month using these damn things and I’ve about had my limit of patience. If I do not progress on my own now that PT has stopped then I will be getting a second opinion, My PT suggested that too, along with an MRI to check the entire foot for other problems.
Hope all are gaving a great weekend. Have a good week.
Carolyn – your husband is probably right about selling the knee walker on ebay. We rented ours, but Doctors and PT’s loved it when they saw it. They are not that common yet.
I’ve started walking around my house now w/ no crutch. I’m a little tentative, but go for it anyway. If I go very slow, I almost look normal. Stairs are another story though! I’m trying to go up putting my right foot up first, but it feels weird.. I decided that I should wait on that for my PT eval on Thurs. It doesn’t really hurt, but definitely gets sore / swollen the longer I’m on my feet. Driving is back to normal, although people look at me questioningly when I get out of the drivers seat with a crutch.
Kim – hang in there. It’ll get better. I’m shocked that you are still having this many problems 7 months later. It sounds like you are working your butt off, so I would imagine it will pay off soon.
Happy Sunday everyone –
Sarah
Hi All
My knee scooter arrived yesterday and it is FANTASTIC! No more scary crutches, stubbed toes and stumbles!
So far – so very good!
Will keep you informed of my progress.
Carolyn
Great Carolyn! I’m sure it has made getting around much easier for you. Smart husband you have there.
I trust that everyone is progressing well. I’m still going to the “Y” for my workouts. I’m improving – but still much slower than I expected. Yesterday the pool was closed for maintenance so I had to use the weights. They have (3) machines that give the legs a good workout so I will use them from here on – even when I use the pool. I found the equipment at the “Y” to be very updated. I was expecting less. I’m not very sore today – even though I worked out my upper body too. My lower back is the only really sore spot.
I walked for the first time this week using just one crutch. I’m VERY slow at it – and I have to keep my concentration on every move I make or I forget how to keep the motion going. I know……sounds like I’m learning how to walk all over again. After 7 months I guess I am……. Its such a struggle. And it gets so sore from putting all the weight on it. But….as the saying goes “no pain no gain”. So I just keep saying that over and over again.
If my not much better by the end of month, when I see my doc. again, I’m going to insist on having an MRI. This has gone on much too long – and I know I’m working hard……
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Carolyn – isn’t it the best thing ever? I whipped around my house with that thing :).
I went to the PT last week, and I have 30 degrees to go on getting my right foot to point equal to my left foot (i was pretty flexible prior to this incident!). I’ve been doing the calf / achiles stretch where you put your foot flat on the ground behind you, and I’m cleared to ride the stationary bike to help my leg out. Now I see why everyone keeps saying they are so sore from exercises! I’m in a fair amount of pain, and actually took a pain killer yesterday. I’m walking a lot without my crutch, mostly in my house. I can tell the pain is that good / hurts but is good for you pain, so I’m hanging in there. I even started tackling my stairs like a normal person, although I have to hold onto the railing..
Off to apple picking today.. although it feels good to still be in bed at 8:15am.. maybe I’ll just stay here for a bit longer :).
Happy Sunday everyone!
Sarah
Sarah, I have gained about 5-6 degrees of my ankle bend back over the past few weeks. I started out at 25% loss. I’m having a hard time getting my bend back but PT says that 2 degrees per week is normal. You are getting around VERY well considering your ankle does not bend all the way. How is your gait when you walk – are you taking big steps to compensate your lack of bend or are you able to take small steps?
I can go up/down stairs with my crutches but have not tried it without at least one and the banister to hold onto.
I know you already told us in previous comments but to save me from having to read back on them how long has it been since your broke you ankle?
I spoke to a lady at a garage sale yesterday and she broke the same bone as mine and is still struggling with the pain after 3-yrs. She had to use a walker for assistance for the first year. My eyes got big as a saucer when I heard that. She must have had some other issues going on that never got addressed. I refuse to put up with this for that long!!! I’m going to have a MRI done to rule out any problem that might be holding me back from walking without assistance.
I can walk for about 15min./attempt on my living room floor, using one crutch. And, of course, in the pool for an hour every other day. You’d think I’d be progressing faster than I am. Maybe I need to push myself even harder – but it gets so darn sore…… I don’t want to resort to taking my pain pills again.
Keep up the good job Sarah….You’ll be back to your normal self in no time.
Thanks Kim! I’d say my walking is a little lopsided. When I am walking I really concentrate on making the right movements, and that helps. I would definitely say it’s improved over the last few weeks that I’ve been able to put weight on it. If I’m going very slowly, it’s not that noticible. I broke it July 30, and had my surgery on the 31st. So it’s been a while, but honestly the dr’s didn’t think I’d be walking this soon. I really did nothing for the first 5 weeks due to the fact that my left ankle was sprained as well though. I attribute my improvement to that and all the vitamin supplements that I’ve been taking. Also – I am pretty stubborn and probably push myself too hard. Everyone keeps telling me to do that now so that you won’t struggle with it for a longer time.
I really didn’t want to take my pain pills again either, but I took one yesterday because it was really painful to walk around… and to sit… and stand etc!. Today I seem to be fine though. Cleaned my house this am (part of it), went the apple farm – navigating a crutch on gravel and through an orchard was a bit tricky, but I just paid close attention to where I was going!
I do think that it also helps if you massage your ankle w/ oil or something, and when you do it you use your hands to stretch it out as well. That feels really good to me. I do it in the shower and a few times during the day.
I don’t know about the lady you met – that does sound like there was something else going on. Who knows. My Dr. did tell me that I did a great job on my ankle though. Remembering back when they told me what I had done, and how they intended to fix it I can’t believe I can walk at all..
Hang in there – push yourself, but listen to your body as well. Have you tried taking Arnica for the soreness / swelling? I have noticed that I feel much better when I’m taking it.
Sarah
Thanks for your input Sarah. And I will check into getting some Arnica, and yes, rubbing the foot does help. I now remember your situation. As soon as you said you sprained one leg and broke the other it all came back to me. Yes, you are a tough one!! I’m impressed with your recovery!!
Before my hour drive back to my primary home where I work 3-days/week, I went to the “Y” to do my exercise. I worked out on 10-different machines (3 of which are for legs). I spent another hour after that in the pool working out my legs and foot, along with walking in the pool. I felt like a wet noodle when I got to the truck. Feeling pretty sore tonight…..I will take a couple advil before bedtime to help with the discomfort so that I can sleep.
Have a good week everyone…..
Kim – you are working infinitely harder than I am. I am headed to the gym for the first time today, and I’ve only been cleared for the stationary bike!
I actually woke up w/ no swelling, but some stiffness this morning.. Not sure how that happened. I sware when I wake up it feels like it’s just stuck back in the same place it’s been – like all the flexibility I’ve gained is gone and it’s a piece of wood again. I still get quick sharp pains in a few places every now and then, but I take it that’s part of the deal.
Good luck this week!
Sarah
Off to the hospital tomorrow – wonder what they’ll think about my knee scooter – it’s certainly turning heads in our local Tesco’s!!! It’s been 5 weeks non weight bearing so I’m hoping for at least a walking plaster.
This site has been such a help – we all worry about the same things and have the same problems.
My ankle has been pretty good – I’ve been waking up feeling that I really want to stretch my leg – I hope this is a good sign.
All good wishes from Carolyn XXX
Hi All
Well, I went to the hospital this morning – everybody was well impressed with the scooter – and I had my plaster removed. Wow – nobody warned me about this “alien” leg! It felt so horrible, it made me feel quite sick!!
Wasn’t x-rayed and the consultant just asked me to wiggle my toes and he said he’d arrange for me to see a physio and to come back to him in 8 weeks. I asked if my ankle had healed and what should I be doing and he said yes and don’t fall over!!!! 8 weeks seems for ever but I presume that is when I’ll be signed off the consultant’s books. Is it? I know surgeons and doctors are busy people and it’s “only” a broken ankle BUT I just wish I could have things explained to me. Hence this site, I suppose.
I was fitted with a gel splint arrangement which I can remove but, it’s weird because now I feel vulnerable again – I felt safe in the plaster. Are my feelings normal? I feel quite deflated (unlike my bruised and swollen ankle – I wasn’t expecting that – how stupid am I?)
Good news is that I had a lovely bath – although my alien leg floated quite separately!!!! – and shaved my hairy leg.
Now I’m going to look forward to seeing the physio who I hope will guide my progress. I can put my foot to the floor and as I said I’ve been told not to fall over. I feel very protective of my leg but at the same time I want to get going!!!
Your comments would be really appreciated. Thankyou.
Carolyn xxx
Me again
I’m now re-reading some of the posts and am beginning to realize that there were warnings of “pigs trotters” which I must have chosen to ignore!!!
Empathy is a wonderful thing!
Carolyn
Congradulations Carolyn………!! I can only imagine how good it must have felt to get that cast off…..but can understand how you could feel that your safe barrier is gone.
I can’t give any experience with the cast. I used the air-cast and was able to take it off when I slept and took baths. Made it much nicer. But, I can relate to the feelings after the doctor says you don’t have to wear the cast anymore and that you can walk…. but don’t fall……. I was told by my PT that I WOULD FALL when I tried to walk using one crutch. But I did not WANT to fall – so it made me even more fearful.
I have continued to progress. I’m now using one crutch around the house and at work. But still use two when I’m not on even ground or have to do much walking.
I’m still working out at the “Y”. Building lots of muscle I can tell you!! Now if only my walking would progress as fast as my muscle. My bad leg lost “ALL” of its muscle in that first 5 months of recovery. I have regained a great deal back from lifting weights and the workout in the pool but still have maybe another 3-weeks to go I figure before getting all my muscle back. Gaining muscle back has given me the strength I needed to walk with one crutch. I was just too weak to hold my weight before.
Since I can’t bend my ankle and have lost range of motion I do not walk normal. My foot goes off to the right too far – which does not help my balance. But, its the only way I can walk with one crutch.
I go back to the dr. in one week. We’ll see if he releases me.
My insurance company did not approve the Dyna-Splint. So I will have to get my range of motion back on my own, in time. Damn insurance companies have way to much decision power that affects us insured in a negative way. I don’t want to be like this forever. The sooner I can gain my range of motion the sooner I get back to normal!! But, I have already spent $1,500 out of my pocket on this ankle. I’m not prepared to spend more just because the insurance won’t cover needed equipment. UGGGGG
Since we have not heard from anyone lately we have to assume that all are doing very well – and getting back to normal in their lives. As they say “No news is good news”..
Hang in there Carolyn……. you’re almost there. PT will help you a lot. I only got doctor orders to go for 3-weeks, which was not enough. But the time that I went helped train me on what to do at the YMCA on my own.
Keep us posted on your progress. It will appear slow at first but it does speed up the more you advance.
Hi Kim / Carolyn –
Carolyn – I told you they would love the knee scooter! I got the same reaction from everyone here (I live in Connecticut, USA). It was such a great way to get around while non-weight bearing.
I too had the alien leg as you put it… it’s quite a bit smaller than the other side, and I also have found that my right knee seems really weak. When I try to crouch down it’s pretty uncomfortable. I am not supposed to be lifting weights yet – but I am doing the stationary bike at the gym for 30 mins. on level 4. It gives me a little resistance, while not completely depending on my ankle.
I have had a lot of pain on both sides – the fibula where my plate is, and my tibia where it shattered. I actually have a call into my Dr. to see if I’m overdoing it. I don’t feel like I am.. in my mind at this point, it’s not going to break.. the bones have healed, but I still have a lot of soft tissue damage due to the dislocation. I made an appointment to get one screw out on Dec. 2, so that should be interesting.
Although I’m usually a pretty upbeat person, I have just gotten so sick of waking up uncomfortable and in pain, and being that way all day. I think that’s why I push myself so hard on trying to get my motion back to normal…
Kim – that’s terrible about your insurance company. I can’t believe they can deny you that splint. I’m really sorry to hear that. I actually talked to my ins. company the other day, and got all excited when I found out I’ve reached my out of pocket max for the year! then I realized the year is almost over :(. My foot goes off to the right too, but when I force myself to put it straight it stretches a lot, but feels good. I really have to concentrate, but maybe just try that. It will take some getting used to. I’m trying it on the stairs now.
Anyway – sorry for the ramble… I’m of to PT tomorrow am, so we’ll see if I’ve improved at all. I’m just not feeling very good about it though…
Sarah
Hi All
Still no appointment with my physio – I was hoping to get started straight away – I think I’ll start pestering the hospital tomorrow.
You’ve really got to get your head around everything, haven’t you? I suddenly realised (whilst up the pub!) that, yes my bone is pretty much healed now, it’s the bruised and swollen ankle I’ve got to deal with!
With this in mind, I had a great time at a good friend’s wedding yesterday. Scooted around – was able to do my reading in a dignified way – and really enjoyed myself. However, the hotel wasn’t exactly disabled friendly – 6 steps to get in, the ceremony was down 2 flights of stairs, the wedding breakfast was back up the stairs, the band was back down the stairs and the evening reception was back up the stairs!!!! No lifts! I even managed a sort of dance on my scooter, which went down well!!! By 10.00 o’clock at night I was a regular to the bar for glasses of ice for my foot!!
I know what you mean about the swelling now.
So my next question is – how do you regulate between elevating for the swelling and starting to weight bear?
My husband was quite concerned about the swelling last night and yet for the past few days since I had the plaster removed (I still use a splint), he’s been wondering why I’m not walking. Now he knows!!
Roll on physio.
I also should have said thankyou to Kim and Sarah – good health to you both. XXX
You’re welcomed…..
Wow, sounds like you had a BIG time out!! You probably over-did yourself a bit. But, you obviously enjoyed the night out – and deserved it too.
Swelling is indeed the problem…… As my PT told me “swelling is not our friend”.. But my foot stays swelled most the time – but even more when I walk on it. The only time my foot is at its best is when I get up in the morning. Which is my best time to practice walking with one crutch.
You are doing the right thing – icing it. About all we can do for the swelling. Not sure why we all have swelling even though the bone has healed. But have to assume that its because of the muscles and ligaments being used, after not being used for so long. I’m most sure that this will pass in time – but my doc said it will be with me for at least a year.
Get on them folks to get you started in PT.. The sooner you can find out what exercise to do the quicker you will get back to normal.
I think I’m overdoing it again.. My workout at the “Y” every 2-days is killing me the day after. That should not be happening if I’m doing it right. But……like everyone……we push hard because we are anxious to get back to normal.
What makes me mad is that using two crutches I can walk normal. However, when I drop one of the crutches my foot goes off to the right (abnormal).. I will ask my doc on Tuesday what that is all about. Maybe I’m doing it because it does not hurt as much when I weight bear on it if I put it out to my side more. I’m most sure that is what it is actually… Again, all in due time I’m sure….
Keep up the good work… You will be walking before you know it. Don’t know how in the world you managed so many steps up/down at the wedding!!! Did someone carry you??? You didn’t go up/down using your scooter did you?
I can manage steps ok if they are not too steep. But will still go up/down on my butt if I feel out of balance or get too weak to go up.
Welp…….need to get outside and practice my walking. Have a great week….
Carolyn – that’s awesome that you got your groove on on the dance floor w/ a scooter!!! I love it :). I’m going to a wedding this weekend, but decided that I’m just going to guilt everyone into bringing me drinks at the table, then roll myself (not literally!) up to my room after!
Re: Swelling – You MUST get compression stockings if you are not using them.. I have a bunch that I got from my doctor and they are great. Kim – same to you. I wear them all day – not when I first get up and not at night, but when I’m at the gym, walking or doing anything else. That really helps with the swelling. ALSO – get the Arnica pills and cream. It’s a natural anti-inflamatory which I really really think helps. You can get it at any health food store. ALSO – rub Tamanu oil on your scars – or if you didn’t have surgery then over your ankle where it was broken. It also has anti – inflamatory properties, but also helps reduce scars.. Apparently it’s better than Vitamin E. You can also get that at health food stores..
BTW – I got all these homeopathic ideas from a girl I met who broke her heel. Some of them I haven’t shared because they weren’t worth it – but I can’t say enough good things about Arnica and Tamanu…
Kim – I’ve noticed that my foot also goes to the right, and especially when I’ve done a lot for the day. If you go slowly and really concentrate when you are walking- force it to go where you want it to go.. you’ll feel a big stretch in your calf, but your foot will get used to going in that motion again. I actually found that this is easy to do when you’re at the grocery store.. you can lean a little on the cart, and really force your foot to walk straight…. makes you tired but I do it every time I go and it feels good
I’ve gotten good at going up stairs the normal way – but I need to hold onto the railing for balance because my knee is really weak. I’m trying to strength my knee and quad.. I’ve decided that those and your calf play a significant role in walking correctly!
I slept through my PT appointment this morning due to the fact that I haven’t slept in 2 day. I have some kind of plague that my toddler brought home from preschool… ugh. I did go to the gym though – where I did 90lb leg presses, and enough calf raises that my leg was quivering! I also did the elyptical machine for about 10 minutes, and the bike for 30. I was pretty proud of myself, and it felt really good. It was the first time I felt like I was getting back to my old self :).
Hang in there everyone – please – give the arnica a try for the swelling, and get compression stockings if you don’t have them. Apparently there are a thousand different kinds, but I’m sure any that are comfortable will work. Mine were long footless things that I cut to fit just over part of my foot, and up about 8 inches to the top of the longest scar.
Have a great week – and good health to you too Carolyn!
Sarah
oh – and I haven’t been using my crutch at all! The only time I did was at a pumpkin farm due to the uneven terrain.. On the day to day though – it’s no more crutches! yay!!!
Thanks Kim and Sarah
I bumped down the stairs on my behind at the wedding and crawled back up!! Much to the amusement of the guests – can’t wait to see the photos they took of me!
Arnica came today – cream and also a cooling gel which smells divine.
Best of all, I have an appointment for physio tomorrow!
Happy days – I hope!
Carolyn
XXX
Hi All
Physio today and at last somebody at the hospital has spoken to me and explained everything. I’ve got exercises to do to build up the strength in my ankle and I actually “walked” with crutches. It felt so good talk to somebody who was able to answer my queries. Did I tell you that the only advice that my consultant gave me was – don’t fall over!?
That’s why this site is so good as it adresses the worries that we all have. I’m even a bit happier about the swelling now and I realise that I’m not going to damage myself even more by exercising and putting pressure on my foot.
Hope everybody’s okay.
Good wishes
Carolyn
hi to all i just sat down and read some of the post , seems like the broken ankle thing never stops . it has been 10 months since i broke mine Jan.14 /10 i am doing good now , i do about every thing i used too . But i broke my little toe on that same foot and that really bothers me . this site was a life saver for me all last winter i will never forget the support system i had here , God Bless and stay strong it does get better ! hugs Patty
thanks for the advise Sarah. I will have to try it. And it sounds like you are doing GREAT!!
I went to my doc yesterday. As usual……a man of FEW WORDS.. Hard to get him to stay in the room long enough to get all my questions out…he said he wanted to order another CT-Scan to determine what is going on. but, after going for the CT-scan today I was told by the tech. that MRI is the only way to determine if the problem stems from tendon/tissue/nerves….. I’m getting frustrated with this doc. I go back tomorrow to have him read the xrays.. We will see what he has to say…
Sarah, I’m so envious. I can’t wait for the day when I can walk without crutches. And without it hurting.
Patty, thanks for keeping us posted on your progress. Sorry to hear about your toe though.. Better take it slower……hehehehe..
Carolyn, good to hear you talked with someone that could answer some questions. You are right to be concerned about what you should/should not do. The last thing we all want is to cause a problem with the healing process. Sounds like you are well on your way now……… YEH!!
HI! so my story is pretty bizarre! on Oct. 14th i came home from school, and waited for my grandparents to come get me to pick me up to go practice driving, and maneruverability, (to take my driver’s test the following week) and i was in a rush, and went to grab someting from the table where my mom’s laptop and printer were plugged into the wall, and sitting on the table, and like the klutz that i am, my right foot got caught up in the cords and my left leg flailed around and landed super akwardly and i heard the bones crack, it was really scary,my mom called an ambulance, they loaded me in the ambulance and stuck me with a needle to get the IV going, and im terrified of needles, i absoultly hate them. i didn’t cry or anything, the only thing that i was worried about was(besides the needles) was the paramedics cutting my pants and shoe off. that really made me mad. so we get to the emergency room, first they take me to the wrong room, so then they had to move me to the pediatric ER. and then they took me to x-ray and established that although my ankle/leg looked broken, that it was accually broken, in four places and dislocated my ankle and it would require surgery. it took like an hour for the ER doctor to look at the x-rays and i was the only one there, it was reallly aggerivating. the hospital that we were at wasn’t a pediatric hospital, so they transported me to another hospital, we got to the other hospital, and they loooked at the x-rays and temporaralyy set it, they wouldn’t let me have anything to eat or drink because they thought i was going to have surgery the next day, so i eventually fell asleep in the ER until they had a bed ready in pediatrics. but every 10-15 min, the automatic blood pressure cuff would wake me up, then id fall back asleep to just be woken up again. i really don’t see how you’re supposed to rest and get better in the hospital when they’ve got machines and crap that wake you up all the time. so they finally moved me up to pediatrics around 1:30 AM and the nurse that was on duty lied to me, and put this thing around my calf of my right leg, she said that it was “a special leg massager” but it was really a blood pressure cuff, once again that woke me up every 10-15 min. i didn’t have surgery the next day, they were waiting for the swelling to go down, so they sent me home, that was the most miserable week of my life, every little move hurt, i was bored. the surgery was scheduled for the following friday, i had the surgery on the 22nd of october. surgery went fine, they put a soft cast on and the stiches come out on the 15th of november and the hard cast comes on, then im non-weight bearing for another 6-8 weeks, then after the hard cast comes off then i get a walking boot. cant wait for this all to be over!!
Aaah Natalie I am so sorry that you were messed about – but you’ll be on your way to recover now. Rest – you’ve got no choice! – and let people fetch and carry for you. Get a big box by your bed/chair and fill it with things that will keep you amused – pens, paper, books, makeup, babywipes, phone – anything that will make you rest time more bearable. The internet has been invaluable in my recover and there’s so many people to talk to online about how you’re feeling. I learnt more from this site than I ever did from my consultant. His advice, when I finally got the cast off (broken ankle) was – don’t fall over!!! Anything you want to know – ask this site!!!! The people are lovely and friendly and know exactly what you’re going through.
Hi All
Am exercising my foot and am so much more confident about everthing. The physio was great and I’ll be seeing her again tomorrow. I’m even “walking” up and down stairs now although the physio said she’d tell me how to do it properly! It’s so lovely to be on my feet again even if my foot aches and swells up if I stand for too long. I rest and elevate and ice – and I’m using the towel method to manipulate my foot. Hope everybody is okay. Any news?
Natalie – there’s also a Facebook site – “Broken Ankle” which has got loads of photos and discussions.
Carolyn, thats GREAT!!! you are progressing very well.
Natalie, sounds like you had quite the experience too. Like everyone will tell you on this forum. Its a hurry up and wait kinda thing… can’t make it go any faster than necessary to heal. Things will get back to normal sooner than you think.
Well, I got my CT-Scan results and met with the Ortho Doc. again (charged me for two co-pays in one week!!) He said that I have no broken Bones. DUH!!!!! That about all he could see from the CT-Scan…Go figure… He tells me that I have what is called “Sympathatic Dystrophy” and wants me to have a nerve block done. I’m NOT going to do that though. If things do not improve within the next 2-weeks I’m going back to my primary doctor. I’m done with this Ortho surgeon. All he is interested in is my money. He might be a good surgeon but a lousy doctor…..
I should be walking pretty normal after 7-mos!! But I have to struggle walking with one crutch. Not normal….something has to be causing it. And I’m not letting some doctor put a shot in my back nerve and chance other problems. Not unless I get a second opinion whom agrees with it….
I keep praying that I will improve without seeing any other doctor. I continue my exercise. No one can say I’m not working out good. Been doing it for over 2-mos. now. Still have a ways to go before all my leg muscle returns – but we can see improvement there each week. Maybe once my leg muscle comes back I will be able to carry my weight better.
I’m most sure that my problem is in the tendons and/or ligaments. Things are so tight in the foot that it just will not move well enough for a normal gait. And painful when moving it certain directions.
I’m so afraid that I’m going to waste too much time not doing something that should be happening that I wind up having permanent gait problems. That surgeon does not seem to be concerned enough about that – to me…. All he seems to care about is that his part is over with – the bone is healed.
Sorry everyone…..hope I don’t bring anyone down. Everyone on this site has recovered as was expected. And that is the norm…… I don’t know why I’m not one of those norms…. But sure ready to find someone that can help answer this for me.
Have a great week everyone……..
I broke my right ankle just over a week ago. On October 27th I was just out walking on my favorite trail at sunset and slipped and fell, twisting my ankle pretty badly as I went down. I figured it was just a really bad sprain and managed to get back to my car with the help of my walking stick and lots of hopping. Monday night I kept it elevated and iced but by Tuesday morning I knew it was more than just a sprain and went to the Emergency Room. So it was indeed broken and I went into a really awful splint and on crutches. I was scheduled for an appointment on October 28th to see, an orthopedic doctor.
On Thursday October 28th I went to see the specialist. The splint came off, kind of an ugly looking ankle but I had peeked before so that didn’t surprise me. Whole new set of x-rays to really acess the damage. Awful! The OS (Dr Mean) confirmed my fibula is broken and said he was inclined to do surgery, a plate and 4 screws to the outside of the fibula but I really resisted. So he brought in the other OS “Dr Nice” for “a second opinion” and he said he was okay with the surgery but he didn’t think it is “absolutely necessary” and it would “probably heal just fine” with just casting. So they went back and forth a little and I pushed for just a cast. And pushed. I’m glad you had prepped me some as finally Dr Mean gave in. He said it would be 6 weeks in a cast with the surgery (perhaps even a boot for the last 2 weeks) but all totally non weight bearing and “8 weeks minimum” if it is treated with just a cast. Again, all of it non weight bearing.
I asked about long term and the results for the fracture healing itself should be about the same but the plate would offer more stability after the cast comes off. But there are some slight risks of infection near term and hardware removal (if it bothers me) long term. Arthritis is a possibility either way.
So they agreed to go try the cast only initially and if the reduction isn’t good or the fracture slips then we will go the surgery route and start over from scratch, losing whatever time I was already in just the cast. And I had to promise to be really good with no weight on my leg AT ALL until cleared otherwise.
So, finally I got the cast, no surgery, no hardware. The cast is much better than the splint as far as keeping my ankle rigid but it still hurts. So for the past several days I have just been reclining, elevating my right leg and icing the fracture through the cast.
Any suggestions on how to survive this?
Cari – REST!!!!
Get a big box by the side of your bed/chair and fill it with things that will keep you amused – books, pens, magazines, remote control, phone, wet wipes, cards, makeup etc etc – and keep that leg up. Let your friends help you and keep the weight off your leg. If the doc says no weight bearing – NO WEIGHT BEARING!!!!! Surf the internet.
This site has been a brilliant help to me as you get to know the truth about how you’re going to be feeling – you realize that everybody gets fed up, everybody has horrible days but we all support each other.
I had about 6 weeks of non weight bearing and I so looked forward to having the cast off – thinking I’d be walking about straight away – but everything takes time and sometimes it’s better not to rush things.
I used to hate crutches, I was terrified of falling over and hurting myself and I always seemed to be stubbing my good toes!!! (Trying to rush!) My lovely husband bought me a knee scooter – they don’t do them in the UK so I had it sent from USA and it was the best thing ever!! I scooted everywhere – safely!!! If you can get one, they really are great.
My consultant is happy for me to weight bear now (I also didn’t have surgery) and I’m progressing really well but it’s still too slow for me!!!
Good luck! REST that leg.
Kim
So sorry for all your problems. Can you get a second opinion? I don’t like the sound of a nerve blocker – not that I’ve ever heard of it. I’m sure once you get your leg muscles back things will be better.
As I told you, physio made such a difference to me – I’ve even got my balance back!!! I seemed to have lost it at one point!!! My foot is still stiff and swells up but I’m working on it!
I love America but reading some of the stories about medical insurance and people getting sacked because they’ve injured themselves it makes me glad we’ve got the dear old National Health System in the UK.
Anyway, all good wishes to you and I hope you have good news. Keep exercising!
XXX
Carolyn, thank you for your comments and encouragement. I’m working on it really hard. We’ve decided against the nerve block. I’m making an appt. to see my primary doctor this week. We’ll see what he has to say. I agree that more PT is needed – even though I’m working out 3-days per week. I’m staying positive. but getting discouraged with how long it is taking to recover.
Yesterday I really overdid it. Went to the “Y” for our workout. Worked very hard. Then went to Walmart. They did not have any electric carts available so I had to walk through the store with crutches. When I got home I had to immediately start preparing dinner. I made fried fish and fried tators. Stood at the sink and/or stove for over an hour. By the time dinner was fixed I was OVER-DONE….. Taking it easy today. No choice…
Yeh………our insurance stinks. And its only going to get worse. Curious to see if they approve additional PT for me. I’ve only had 3-weeks of it. But insurance companies are really tight with their money.
Have a GRRRRREAT weekend.
Welcome to the club Cari – you’re in good company! Do exactly what Carolyn said – no weight bearing – eat a lot of healthy food that promotes bone healing – ie. protein, take calcium supplements etc. The easier you take it now the easier your recovery will be. I was NWB for about 6 weeks too with a shattered right tibia, broken fibula and a sprained left ankle. That all happened in July, and now I don’t use my crutches at all anymore. I attribute it to really taking it easy for those weeks.
I had my pre-surgery consultation last week, and am scheduled to get one screw out Dec. 2. We’ll see how that goes. I think it will be good… I’ve convinced myself that I can feel that one screw and am looking forward to it not being there anymore. Unfortunately there are still 9 in – and in for good!
So I was traveling a lot over the last week – by myself in airports etc – and managed just fine. I didn’t set off any metal detectors – which is a little concerning, but whatever.. I went to Pittsburgh for a wedding, then hopped on a plane to meet my husband and daughter in Florida to visit my ailing father in law. Spent 2 days there and when I got back was so sore and in so much pain. I went to the gym hard thinking I just needed to work it (as I hadn’t done any exercises while away), then had PT the next day. Everything from my hips down were so sore, and I’m just today back to feeling good! Talk about a step backward.
Anyway – PT says I’m right at or a little above where I should be in my recovery, so that’s good. My husband however keeps asking me if I’m ever going to walk normal again…. makes me want to smack him..
Insurance here does stink… I’m on COBRA right now, or I would be paying upwards of $1700/month for my family to be covered by some policy that undoubtedly leaves much to be desired..
Hope everyone has a great Sunday 🙂
Sarah
No crutches!!! Am very happy and feel that it’s all thanks to the physio who gave me confidence!! Went for my first walk on my own yesterday, it was blowing a gale, and it was brilliant!!! Not as fast as usual but who cares – enjoy the scenery!
I also did as Sarah suggested and ate plenty of healthy food and drank plenty of skimmed milk. My son is sick to death of mashed sardines and tomato sauce on toast with cheese grilled on top!
I’m still in a splint at the moment and my foot aches a bit towards the end of the day (not at the break) but I’m doing everything that my physio orders.
If only the consultants would tell you what to expect at the beginning – but hey, that’s what this site is for!
Carolyn xxx
That’s great Carolyn! Congrats :).
I don’t use my crutches at all anymore. I was so sore at PT this morning, but then on my way to pick my daughter up from pre-school, I felt a weird pop – which is a sensation I know from other injuries – which is the scar tissue breaking up! I was so excited!! I was actually walking normally ALL DAY! Stairs normally – walking normally etc.! I couldn’t believe it. Now, at the end of the day I’m back to my gimpy self, but I chalk that up to a long day :).
Next mountain to climb is Dec.2 when they take out 1 screw. I wish they’d take all of them, but they are insisting on only one at this point.
I hope everyone is doing well. I’m thinking that no news is good news :).
Best –
Sarah
Hooray Sarah w
All victories in our fight to get back to normal!
It’s still up and down, isn’t it? Then just as my leg seemed to be improving – up pops an abscess on my tooth – that focused my mind on something other than the break!!!
Good luck with the screw, I’m sure you’ll get on fine. My son (30yrs old) broke both legs (a year in between) and has never had any hardwear removed – nobody has ever mentioned it to him.
Yes, this site does seem quiet at the moment.
All good.
Caolyn
Hooray Sarah
All victories in our fight to get back to normal!
It’s still up and down, isn’t it? Then just as my leg seemed to be improving – up pops an abscess on my tooth – that focused my mind on something other than the break!!!
Good luck with the screw, I’m sure you’ll get on fine. My son (30yrs old) broke both legs (a year in between) and has never had any hardwear removed – nobody has ever mentioned it to him.
Yes, this site does seem quiet at the moment.
All good.
Carolyn
Why does recovery take longer than you think?
Obviously my consultant knew when he said see you in 8 weeks (I’d been non weight bearing for the previous 5 weeks). I just thought he was crazy thinking I’d be away from work that long! And here I am 11 weeks in and I’ve still got a splint on and I’m not allowed to drive. Since I’ve been having physio I really thought I was getting on brilliantly (and the physio tells me I am) but today she asked me to go up on my toes – on one foot – and I couldn’t and I feel really depressed.
I know it’s just a small thing and I’m just so grateful to be limping around but obviously there’s so much more to do. And I WILL do it. Sorry to have a moan. It just seems that everybody else knows your body better than you and it’s like a big secret that nobody will tell you.
Teatime!
Hope everybody is okay.
Carolyn
Just a quick update from my end. 8-mos. since my ankle break. Still struggling. 2-wks ago this coming Saturday I lost my balance going down stairs and took 13 steps face and side all the way down to the bottom….. I’ve been licking my wounds since. I’m pretty bruised up – and had a fat lip, along with a couple knots on my head…. But, I did not break anything, that I know of. I’m still very sore in the hip area – and terribly bruised. But I did get back to the “Y” yesterday to begin back doing my workout, after taking a week rest.
As for my foot….. I fired my Ortho Doc. Went back to my primary doc. He agreed with me that the Ortho was on the wrong track. I start back with PT next Tuesday. Hoping like heck that this time I get it all back. Problem I’m having right now is that I’ve lost my range of motion – preventing me from having a normal gait. My primary doc immediately put me back on both crutches as soon as he seen me. Wants me to use two crutches until after the phys.therapist works with me.
Now that I’m back with my primary doc – who knows me very well, I feel more secure with the care. If PT does not fix my problem then his plan is to send me to an Ortho that specializes in foot/leg only, which will no doubt lead to an MRI.
What a challenge this entire affair has been for me. I’ve kept a positive attitude thus far, but my patience is beginning to drop.
Glad to hear that everyone is progressing. Keep your head up – and don’t let your range of motion go. Work that foot as much as possible.
I’m sure at this point, that my biggest problem was letting it go for so long before going to the doc to have the Cat-Scan done, which showed the bone break. Well, I learned my lesson on that one – but I’m just too stubborn sometimes.
Keep up the good work everyone….. I trust that everyone else that use to be on this forum is back to normal now….. I’m praying for my day.
Oh Kim… I’m so sorry to hear about your fall, and just your lengthy recovery in general.. I thought mine was so bad, but I guess I’ve been lucky on the recovery part. I wonder if your range of motion is partially caused by buildup of scar tissue. That can inhibit your movement too. Did they say anything about that? I find that massage loosens it up, but some PT-ists also use electronic stimulation to break it up. Ask your dr. about it.I had it after a skiing knee injury that landed me in surgery and I loved it.the other day I was in so much pain following PT where I’m working on balance by standing on my rigt foot for 30 seconds at a time on a foam block, then doing squats, and the wobble board, and then going up, over, and back over a step… Ugh. Anyway – I was so sore after a day of that, and moved in a really weird way causing a big pop in the front of my ankle. Once I realized it was a startling pop, but not painful, I realized that I had a significanly increased range of motion! I could actually walk normally – it was so bizarre, but it was scar tissue breaking up. I have about 3/4 of my range of motion back at 3.5 months post surgery. I’m going in next thurs to get 1 of the screws out, so wish me luck :).
Hang in there Kim. You too Carolyn.. It does get better, but it sure is a freakin painful journey isn’t it??. I’ll check back in post surgery next Thurs.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sarah
Happy T’Giving to all……
Thanks Sarah for your input. It makes good sense what you are saying. I will ask the doctor.
Good luck on the removal of your hardware. In one way I’m sure you will feel better – but in another way I’m sure your a bit nervous about doing it. Do they do a local or do they put you to sleep for that type of procedure?
Take care…… Have a GRRRRREAT meal today.
Hi Everyone –
So today I had one of my screws removed (or as my husband says – I got unscrewed…). It’s really really painful, and I’m back on painkillers for a while. I wasn’t expecting it to be this painful to be honest with you. I can walk, but it feels like I’ve been stabbed in my leg.. ugh.
Hope everyone is well. I’m off to a narcotic induced sleep. Will share more later.
Best –
Sarah
Hey Sarah, so sorry that you are having to experience pain all over again. I did not realize that removing the screws would be so painful. I’m at least thankful for not having to have that done. Hope you are doing better today.
I started PT again. This time I went to my primary doctor’s preferred PT. I’m glad I did!! The PT’ist is REALLY good!! She knew after just a few minutes of touching and moving my foot/ankle what the problem is. I’ve lost my range of motion and my ankle is LOCKED. See, if that damn Ortho Doc would have just TOUCHED me for the first and only time he may have known what was wrong too. But instead he tried to pawn it off as being Sympathetic Dystrophy. This PT’ist even said “Oh No, I don’t believe that you have that!! I would not even be able to touch you without you complaining of pain if you had that”.. Yet that Ortho seemed to think I had it without even touching my skin. GRRRRRRRRR….. He may be a good surgeon but a lousy doctor!!!
Anyhow…..thanks to a doctor that really did not care about me – I’m very delayed in my progress. The Pt’ist said very frankly, “You have been neglected!!” Yep…..obviously she is sooooo right.
You know, we go through our lives wanting to trust those professionals that have been educated in an area where we have never ventured. We have no reason to challenge their word. All we have is our gut feeling. I took my gut feeling with this Ortho Doc when I went back to my primary doctor. Its just too bad that I did not get that gut feeling sooner. I just kept trusting him!!! uggggggg.
Well, the good news is that with the hand mulipalation that the therapist is doing I should be able to get back enough of my range of motion to be able to walk without crutches. She said I may never regain my full range back 100% – but hopefully enough that my gait can be returned well enough that it does not cause my hips/lower back/knees a problem.
I will have to continue using both crutches until I can walk correctly again. This is just over 8 months of using these two crutches!! Unbelieveable!!
I’m a very easy going person…..I take things in stride and don’t get worked up over things. But its times like this that I become a much harder person, and not so easy going. Its a shame that I had to experience this. Or anyone for that matter.
Sarah, hang in there girl. The pain should go away. If not…..get back in to the doc. By the way, do you have more hardware to have removed? Or are you done?
Take care…..try to have a good weekend.
Hi. I broke my left ankle in 3 spots and dislocated it onOctober 6. I also tore all the ligaments in my right ankle. After surgery with a plate and 9 screws and 2 full casts I spent 3 weeks in a rehab facility. 10 days after surgery my staples we removed and I was put on a non- weight baring restriction. Casts on for 8 weeks were finally removed last week. I can walk but I am in a lot of pain and my broken ankle and sprained one are both swollen. No pt for the first 2 weeks then 3x a week. Is this normal. The pain makes e worry. Back on vicodin.
My goodness Girl!!! You really got buggered up didn’t you……….. Well, I can’t comment on what is normal in your case. If I was in the shape you are in I bet I’d hurt pretty darn bad too. My goodness…..its only been just over 2-mos.
There is a saying “No pain No gain” I have to agree with that saying to a point. As long as it is normal pain…. Wish I could offer more advise – but really can’t. All I can offer is my sympathy and support.. Hang in there….. keep us posted.
Thanks for the pep talk. Will find out more next after i start pt.
Hi Maria
Sorry to hear that you’ve joined the club – hope we can help in any way.
I broke my fibula and was 6 weeks non weight bearing in a cast. I thought I’d be back to normal immediately!!! How stupid am I? Give yourself time and be patient – be good to yourself. Physio is great and I found that swimming was brilliant for me, it really brought me on.
My surgeon’s advice was – don’t fall over!!! And nobody will ever give you an indication of how long it all takes even though I’m sure they know!! That’s why this site is good – we tell you the truth!!! It’s been 12 weeks since the break and my ankle still hurts when I walk although I’m losing the limp (mind you, I am 57).
Enjoy little victories – you get your balance back, you walk a bit further every day, you can get out of bed without wincing – or best of all, no crutches and you get to carry a cup of tea!!
Good luck and keep us posted.
Hi / every one just checking in , well soon it will be a year since i broke my ankle. next month Jan.14 to be exact . i am doing good But i still can not wear some of the shoes i really like , causes pain in my foot . so i may have to part with my most loved shoes , they have a heel and as soon as i put them one OH it hurts . Has any one else had this issue after being healed a long time ??
All my Best to every one and Have a Blessed Christmas season . Big Hugs to all
Hi Carolyn and Kim Thanks for the encouragement. I am in so much pain especially in the areas where the plate and screws were inserted. It’s all I can do yo keep from crying. I am lucky to have a wonderful husband who has been taking great care of me. I am 56 and diabetic which means slower healing for me. Retired in 2009 so at least no worries about getting back to work.
Hi Maria, So sorry that you are having so much pain. My heart goes out to you. Breaking our foot at our age is not an easy thing to deal with.
I’m 56 yrs. old too. Semi-retired. I’ve been in PT for the last 3-weeks but today I really messed things up!! After work I went to my Mother’s rental house to check things out after a bad renter moved out. I fell in her back yard and hurt my bad foot. I think I’ve sprained it. I will have to go tomorrow to have it checked. UGGGGG… This has NOT been my year. I’ve been on crutches for over 8mos. and now this set-back!!! Wish me luck – I’m going to need all the luck I can get these days. ONE BAD YEAR for me.
Hi Kim. So sorry to hear about your fall. I will pray that you will be ok. I hurt myself today to when I tried to get up from sitting on the floor. I am goi g crazy just sitting around so I decided to clean out my closet (with my husbands help). No really a great thing to do the dat before starting pt which I am dreading. Good luck at doctors. Keep us posted.
Well I was researching help for rehab for a broken ankle and ran across your website…I have a unique story about my ankle. I was wearing skecher shape ups. Loved them, had five pairs of them in all of the colors. Wore them for seven months, they really helped me to stand straight which helped a damaged disc in my back. One day I was standing at my table in a restaurant (I was alone) and I reached across it to get my tab and my ankle rolled and I heard the breaking and felt the excrutiating pain. At the same time I heard my deceased mother saying in my head “Kaele, don’t make a scene, don’t make a scene”. So I turned to the ladies next to me and said “please call an ambulance I have broken my ankle” and I quietly sat down on the floor. I tried to reposition my foot as it was laying sideways and it just flopped losely. Hmmm, I broke both sides. I then just laid down on the floor and waited. Of course the manager came over and waitresses etc all very concerned and talking to me. I kept telling the manager I was not going to sue him it was my fault and nothing around to cause the injury. Finally the first responders came and of course they keep talking to you so you won’t pass out because of the pain…at one point I asked one of them “so, when does the adrenaline kick in so it doesn’t hurt so bad, u know like on tv?” He said “kiddo, I think you’re doing pretty good” I was in trouble ’cause then I knew it wasn’t going to get any better. I am a 65 year old woman never had a broken bone or been in an ambulance. Flash forward: I had two long screws put in inside of ankle and plate and six screws outside of ankle. I had stitches and was in hospital for one week and nursing home for three weeks for rehab until ramp could be built in front of house. I could not use crutches ’cause first time I used them I fell flat on my face in driveway. At the NH they had me hopping on one leg with walker,,,I kept telling them that I was going to break my other ankle doing that since I am no longer svelte. Anyway, before I could go home I had to show them I could do dishes on one leg sans wheelchair. I indignantly said, why? I don’t do dishes at home my husband does them. They didn’t like that answer. Anyway I digress, I finally made it home and went right back to work as I could work from my w/c. The break was Sept. 29th. I have been non-weight bearing since then. On Monday my dr. said I could wean myself off of the cast and w/c. He would see me 1/5/11. He said if it hurts don’t do it. Well I have had nothing but pain since 9/29 so I guess I can spend the rest of my life in bed, right? So we’ll see from here. I have been walking a bit and it is painful….so painful
My My My!!! What an experience you have had!! My heart goes out to you, as we all know what you are going through. However, I must say, that I truly enjoyed your story. That is great that you are keeping your sense of humor in spite of it all.
I’ve had quite the experience myself. I fell at the bottom of our stairs outdoors on April 1st.. and unfortunately I did not wake the next day to an April Fools Joke. It was the real thing.
I lost a month of recovery because xray at the hospital did not show the break. When it did not heal after a month I went to my primary doc. He ordered a CT-Scan and it revealed the Talus Broken bone. Off to the Ortho Surgeon I went……. Well, to make a long story short….. 7 months later and I’m still using two crutches. Around a month ago I finally fired my Ortho Doc. and went back to my primary doc. He immediately diagnosed that I had lost my range of motion and needed PT ASAP.. The Ortho Doc ordered me 3-wks of PT at month 5 but that was not long enough – and they really did not work on my range of motion. They were trying to regain my muscle that I had lost so that I’d have the strength to stand on my bad foot. Anyhow…..I’ve had 3-weeks of PT and I’m finally showing some progress – until last week when I fell again. It happened so fast I can’t say for sure what caused it but I believe my crutches sunk down into the sand and I went forward. My ankle hurt terribly. I went to the Doc and had Xrays. I boo hooed all morning long worried that I broke it again. Well, I lucked out – no breaks revealed.. But I’m terribly sore again. I went to PT the next day – as I can’t loss ground on my progress. The PT’ist was more gentle but gave me a good massage. I’ve been nursing it since.
Oh……backtrack…..I forget to mention that these crutches almost killed me one day. I fell down 12 steps a little over a month ago. The Good Lord was looking over me cause all I got from that horrible fall was terrible bruises, a knot on my head, and a fat lip. Don’t ask me how I managed to not break anything or hurt my bad foot again.
Since then…..I use my butt a lot. I will have calluses on my butt before I’m able to walk up/down stairs again.
Things are progressing….but much too slow.. Seems the older we get the harder it is to recover from anything. I’m 56 yrs. old and this was my first broken bone too. I always felt very fortunate until now. But, I still feel fortunate as I know it could have been worse.
Yes……I know what you mean about crutches…. if you have found a way to get around without them then I would say you are better off. I use my walker sometimes too – but hard to get in/out of cars and up/down one or two steps so I use my crutches more.
Hang in there. We will progress. This site will help you express yourself and to help relieve some frustrations. We all understand what you are going through. Keep us posted.
Hey Kim thanks for your response. I know what you mean about using butt to climb the stairs. I did not want to go to nursing home and when I was in the hospital I told the dr. I could crawl around in the house until the ramp was put up in front of house. He was horrified…absolutely not. I told him he didn’t like that, because he didn’t want to picture a 65 year old lady crawling, I mean what could possibly happen, the most I could fall was the length of my arms and maybe break my nose…no big deal I need a nose job anyway. As I said I spent three weeks in nursing home. As far as range of motion goes, when the drs. kept asking me if I could move my toes and could feel their pinching them I would have to work on range of motion…so as soon as I could tolerate it, I would wiggle my toes and ankle (in the hard cast). As soon as he put the big aircast on it I would take it off at night and before I went to sleep would do range of motion exercises. I would leave it off while I slept and I guess maybe it would do what your feet do when your sleeping. Today I loaded up on hydrocodone and drove the car for the first time and since none of my ankle braces would fit in my winter boots I wrapped my ankle very tightly and put my boots on and went. My ankle hurts but its tolerable…what hurts is the bottom of my heal.
I pulled ligaments and tendons two years ago in this ankle when I was stepping into a pair of flat sandals. I was in a wheelchair two weeks with that one. The emergency room dr. gave me an exercise to do to strengthen those ligaments etc. It worked and I have been doing it now. He told me to sit in a chair and put foot up on a stool and draw the alphabet with my big toe…he said just do it once a couple of times a day…I did and I do….also when my ankle hurts really, really bad I soak it in epsom salts and warm water…both of my pcp and ortho said go for it….maybe that advice will help
Hi!
Kim – soooooo glad you are seeing someone now who is pointing you in a better direction… Keep it up – push yourself hard even when it’s painful.
I am feeling so much better now from the second surgery getting the screw out. I need to get 2 more out in another 6 months apparently.. I have to say though – it is worth the pain because it feels so much better now.
Maria – ouch!!! That’s similar to what I did – I had a sprained left, and a on the right a broken tibia and shattered fibula and I dislocated it…. YES – it’s the most painful injury I’ve ever had! I’m so sorry for you. It hurts even when you’re just lying down – I know… I really feel your pain. I’m 5 months out and still have trouble, but am walking normally most of the time, stairs are still a little clunky, and I’ll get random pains every now and then, but when I think about where I’ve been – it’s sooooo much better. I keep telling everyone – take Glucosamine / Chondroitin, Citrical, and Arnica (a homeopathic medicine that helps with swelling and pain). You can get it at any health food store – or online. Once you are able to massage your ankles – definitely massage with Arnicare. It really helps. Ohhh – I just feel horrible for you because I know what it’s like to have both stupid ankles unusable!!!!
Kaele – I’m so sorry for you! I had the same break – shattered the inside and broke the outside (on July 29 of this year). I had 8 screws on the outside (just had the one that goes across both bones out), and the 2 long ones on the inside. I have to say – I feel so much better w/ that one screw out, but the two on the inside still give me a lot of trouble. That’s why they are coming out in another 6 months. I know the pain – it’s excruciating. I’m so sorry anyone has to go through that!! I tell everyone – take supplements – Glucosamine/Chondroitin, Citrical, and take Arnica. I think I was up to about 10 pills a day for a long time!
I’m back at the gym now – latest round of stitches out and feeling great. I do about 45 mins on the elyptical machine between levels 5 and 10, then leg presses – 110lbs on both and 55 on my broken side, etc. etc.. It always feels so great when I go. I really thinking using your busted limbs helps!!!
Good luck to everyone. The pain really does get better – so hang in there. I remember being in tears wondering if it would ever stop hurting, and although it hasn’t stopped for me completely — it is significantly better now… Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to everyone :).
Sarah
Hi Sarah. Thanks for your support. I am glad to hear that you have recovered. Sometimes I feel like I never will get better. I bought the arnica but when I put it on the ankle with the screws and plate it hurt. I’ll try it again. Thanks for the encouragement. Maria
Hang in there Maria.. it will get better. I actually walked with a normal gait barefoot for the first time today! It just takes time, and a tremendous amount of patience.
Sarah
Hope everybody is okay and had a good Christmas/New Year. Went back to work full time just before Christmas and it was good to be back in control again. It’s great to be driving and being independent.
My ankle still hurts every now and again especially if I’ve gone for a long walk. I’m keeping up the exercises that the physio gave me and am hoping to do a load of swimming (sharks permitting) when we go to Sharm el Sheik.
All good wishes to you all.
Reading some of these messages I realise how lucky I have been – slipped off the bottom stairs at home on 2 Jan and broke my right ankle – hubby and daughter got me straight to hospital where a “slab plaster” was put on after they had seen the X Rays, followed by another X ray the following day, and then another X ray on 12 Jan when they closed up the slab plaster cos the swelling had gone down and it looked OK. Still being good lying in bed in the mornings and then resorting to a wheel chair downstairs to do the odd jobs I can do (so hubby doesn’t have to do everything) and then sit with my legs up for the rest of the day with laptop on knee! Been given a date of 9 Feb when hopefully the plaster will come off.
Stairs defeat me I’m afraid – up on the knees and down on my bum (even resorted to knee pads much to familys amusement, but they were getting so sore….and the loo is upstairs so vital to have some way of getting there!).
Anybody else had a straightforward break? Really wanting to know what to expect once the plaster comes (apart from pasty looking skin). Yes it will be weak but is it walkable on? In the UK, if that makes any difference to what the docs recommend, and I’m not a youngster.
hi / every one it has been a whole year since i broke my ankle (Jan14 2010 ). i am doing really well some times i have pain in the ankle but not often. I still can not wear high heels , but can do every thing else. On Jan15 i got back on my snow machine and went on the same trail where it dumped and i broke my ankle . It felt really good to prove to my self i can do this again . All my best to every one .
Hi all, I just wanted to give an update, I’m the girl that broke her ankle while being 6 months pregnant! It’s been 7 months since I broke it and had surgery, 4 months since I had my beautiful baby, and I can’t believe how far I’ve come along. I am now working full time and enjoying my new daughter! I agree with Carolyn, it does feel good to be independent again. It does take time and patience, I have very little swelling and occasional pain where the metal is, but overall grateful to be walking on my own two feet again. I never want to forget the experience, as I view the little things in life with much more appreciation and will never take them for granted. Hang in there fellow ankle breakers, patience, it will get better with time. 🙂
Hi Lynne
Hope you are doing okay. Yes, stairs seem a mountain to climb and I used exactly the same method as you!
My broken fibula was pretty straightforward and I didn’t need an operation. I did as I was told and was non weight bearing in a plaster for a month – hated those dangerous things called crutches – but was lucky enough to buy a “knee scooter” which was fantastic.
When I had my plaster off my surgeon’s advice was “don’t fall over” and that was it! My leg felt as though it belonged to somebody else and I was scared to put weight on it even though I was given a leg splint to wear. Once I saw the physio and she encouraged me to weight bear again (slowly) the leg improved tremendously and each week she’d give me exercises to do to regain full movement. I was amazed at how much movement I had lost being in the plaster. The physio gave me confidence and that was the most important. I was always afraid of slipping (I’m 58 yrs) or doing more damage to my ankle. Swimming was brilliant exercise for the ankle.
It’s been 4 months now and I’ve been signed off from the physio although I still try to do the exercises. I’ve just come back from a walk on the beach (Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK) and my leg is aching a bit now. And I find it stiffens up if I’ve been sitting for a while.
Just got back from Sharm el Sheik and swam every day which was great.
Everything takes time – be good to yourself – good luck!
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn
Thanks for replying – keeping well and its 3 weeks today since my tumble (seems much longer). Still not overcome my problems with the stairs and crutches so am content to do as I’m doing.
Surprised by how much I can actually do now from the wheelchair – just takes a bit of thinking about and a bit longer! I am lucky that there are just the 2 of us in the house (I’m 60 and married, living in Cumbria). Signed off work til 4 days after the next hosp appointment on 9 Feb – so it doesn’t sound as though I’m going to be driving into work on 13 Feb!!……….I wonder why they don’t actually mention to you that you aren’t going to be walking out, fully functioning, once the plaster comes off…thank goodness for online info like this.
(When we were first married we lived in Pembrokeshire – stationed near Haverfordwest – in the days when you couldn’t get alcohol on a Sunday. Things must have changed by now.)
Bet its a bit cooler there than it was in Sharm el Sheik.
Take care, and thanks for the encouragement.
Lynne
Hi Lynne
Were you at Brawdy? All the Americans have left there now but I remember visiting the camp and having a great time! Or were you on the outskirts of Haverfordwest?
Yes, I remember the old days when you couldn’t get a drink on a Sunday – I remember the great day when Pembrokeshire went from being dry to wet!!!! People use to come over the county border to get a drink.
I live in Pembroke Dock but was actually working in Haverfordwest today.
This is a great site for finding out the truth about broken bones and how things really are! Obviously, everybody recovers in different ways but I think you need to give yourself time.
Don’t get too excited about driving – my doctor wouldn’t let me drive whilst I was wearing a splint and I found that really frustrating.
On the other hand, my son kept telling me about his friend (young) who had removed his own plaster and was out playing in a football match straight away!! Crazy.
Yes, a wheelchair made life easier – you can whizz around the kitchen and carry stuff and iron! I used to sleep with my leg raised on pillows and that was good.
I ate a lot of sardines on toast with cheese on top – good for bones! Also, once the plaster was off, I bought some arnica lotion in Boots and that was really soothing to rub into your ankle.
Hope this all helps. Talk soon.
Carolyn
Hi everyone, this is the lady that broke her ankle in the restaurant. My healing continues. I am walking without brace but ankle pain is still unmerciful. I have returned to water therapy as the limping awakened the sciatica pain. Walking forward in the water is awesome but wow, talk about pain when I started walking backward. I don’t know what that is all about. Anyway the back is realigned and only pain on inside of ankle just below the ankle bone. The dr. thinks it is plantar factiatis The areas of the stitches and the screws and plate seem to be okay. I am still limping and on pain meds once a day plus two aspirin. I keep walking through it. I do steps one at a time. The pains really get me down….especially every once in a while a real, real sharp one will catch me off guard and takes my breath away. Dr. wants to see me in March so hopefully everyday is a little progress. According to all of you help I may be right on track. Thanks to all of you….
Hi Carolyn – sardines on toast with cheese – yes, could live on that.
We were both stationed at Brawdy before the Americans were there – me in the WRNS and hubby in the Fleet air arm. Lived in married quarters (Goshawk Rd, Haverfordwest, if its still there) in a top floor flat. Loved our time there.
Know what you mean about pillows to rest ankle/leg on at night – also means I can relax knowing hubby isn’t going to turn over and hit the ankle.
Reading some of the other messages makes me realise just how lucky I am not to have needed screws etc…my sympathies to those that have had them.
Lynne
Hi all. I have been in physical therapy since December 16. I am doing much better and can move my ankles pretty well. My calfs are still week and I get very tired if I stand too long. I am waiting for my doc to clear me for the gym so I can get back in the pool for water aerobics. I am trying to wean off vicodin. I am down from 4 pills to 1/2 pill a day butbam going through bad withdrawal and am having trouble sleeping. Good luck to all.
Hi Everyone –
Unfortunately there seem to be a lot of new people writing in, which means more unfortunate accidents! I’m in month 6 post tib shatter/fib break and dislocaton. I can pretty much do most things normally now. I cannot get my foot into many of my boots, which being that I live in CT and we have had record snow is a bit difficult… I took my 3 year old skiing for the first time, and realized I will probably not ski anymore, which was also pretty annoying. I’m started round 2 of PT which includes ultrasound to help break up some scar tissue, and some kind of anti-inflamatory patch which my PT-ist puts on for an hour each visit.
It looks like I may get 2 more screws out this summer as they still give me a hard time sometimes. I keep hearing that this injury takes a year to truly recover from, so when looking at it that way – if I’m at 6 months, then I’m 50% better than when I first had my accident. I can then predict what 50% better than now would be, and that doesn’t seem so bad!!!
To everyone – hang in there. I still have good and bad days. Currently, I am sitting on my couch with my foot up and an ice pack watching the State of the Union, and wincing every few moments when I get a zinger of pain on either side of my ankle.. I had PT this am, then a full day of 3 year old and friend, then went to the gym and did an hour running on the elyptical between levels 5-15, followed by weights and calf raises… Looking back that maaaaaaay have been a bit much, and I wish I would have taken it a little easier :(. On the positive side, I did it, and it didn’t hurt at the time so I’m thinking that’s a good sign.
Carolyn – I’m so glad you’re doing so much better. I hope everyone gets better quickly.. I can honestly say, this is the most annoying and painful injury I’ve ever had…
Best –
Sarah (having a painful evening) Benisch
Hello everyone! I’m 19 years old and I broke my right ankle on 1st February ’11. The doctor said it’s not a bad break and it shall take 6 weeks till they can take off my cast. Does it mean I will be actually able to walk after 6 weeks? is it possible that because of my age my ankle could even heal in 4 weeks of time? it swells but it’s my first week and i don’t really experience any much pain.
Hi All. Today was my last PT session. I am seeing my ortho next Tuesday and will resume going ton the gym once he clears me. When I started pt 6 weeks ago I was still in a wheelchair. Now I can walk fine. I went 3 times a week but missed some sessions due to the weather here in New Jersey. My pain has really diminished and I stopped taking my painkillers last week. My advice to others is to listen to your therapists and doctors.
Hi Louisbabble
I’m a month ahead of you (though considerably older being 60…61 at the end of the month!). Broke my ankle with a spiral fracture on 2 Jan and it will be 5 weeks and 3 days when I go back on Wednesday – hopefully to have the cast off. From other comments on here I’m not expecting to be able to walk straight off……but I’ll let you know on Wednesay what happens – and what I can/cannot do.
Take it easy, and hopefully stay pain free. I have had days when I feel fine apart from the fact that I can’t walk anywhere – but then out of the blue had days when pain killers were the order of the day.
Take care, Lynne
Hi Lynne, thank you so much for your comment! I hope you’ll come back with good news. I know it takes longer time for bones to heal for people who are older, but hey lets keep our hopes up 🙂 will be waiting for news and good luck at the doctors’ next week! take care.
Wow..I am sad to hear your stories:( I have spent a few days crying with frustration, and reading what you all have to say has made me feel somewhat better.
I broke my ankle 3 weeks ago. I feel on the ice in “pretty” boots on my way to visit a friend. It was hard to get up, but I did….and proceeded to go for my visit. Kept thinking….holy did I sprain my ankle??? Still walked to my friends house and spent some time there all the while feeling that crazy throbbing (stubborn?)
It got late, so I slept over only to find in the morning I had a Shrek foot that I could not walk on at all….called my sister and she drove me home with the following supportive comment “serves you right for wearing pretty boots in this weather”
Had to keep my foot elevated and iced. My kids called me a toddler cuz I had to crawl to the stairs and use my bum to climb:(
That night…went to sleep with ice on my foot….lo and behold….my boiler broke overnight and I woke up in a freezing house with pre frostbite on my toes. The phrase “is this really happening???” kept popping into my head.
After 5 days…it didn’t get better. Finally went for an xray…broken. Nurses make the worst patients.
Now i am in a cast and have missed 2 weeks of work. Running out of good spirit and money. Learned that teenage children get frustrated when asked for help and my house is falling down around me. I kept saying….going to get better…hang in there!!! Then I have a good cry…
Going for another xray this week….hoping there will be some improvement!!! Have to relearn everything…can’t even carry my beloved morning coffee.
Snowing out there again…..
So glad to find this site! Facing my 50th birthday, I swallowed my trepidation and went down a snowy hill in my friend so name ‘geriatric what could happen? snowtube, and my left ankle met a fence. A few days later, hobbling into the doc’s on my actual 50th b’day – xray, break, surgeon visit, and surgery with 5 pins and a plate. no weight bearing for at least 6 weeks. A Mom with 2 teens and a husband who has a demanding job…..what an overnigh switch in household dynamics.
I’m not so dynamic for now! Too much swelling, so I have to have my foot elevated all the time. Plaster cast – crutches. My husband just brought me a thermos of hot tea, since carrying things is impossible – or has someone found a way with crutches? A small bag hung on one crutch can hold a water bottle etc, but that’s about it.
Just got a call from CT DMV – they had been out of handicap parking hang tags (!) and they actually called me to tell me they are in. Hving a handicapped hang tag is like having a cool sports car! Espcially with all the limited parking in our snow-covered landscape out there.
Vay – Just read your comment about ‘teenage children get frustrated when asked for help’ – made me “lol” – hope things are getting marginally better for you!
Having read your comments Holly and Vay makes me glad there’s just been the 2 of us while I have been “resting” these last 5 weeks. What bothered me the first few weeks…..dusty surfaces, carpets that could do with a hoovering etc….gradually seemed to be less important.
Tomorrow I go back the hospital – hopefully they’ll be taking the plaster off and I find out what happens next. If the plaster doesn’t come off I feel like asking them to put a hinge on it so I can open it once in a while…………….. I’m sure some of the pain I’m still experiencing is caused by pressure of the plaster on my poor ankle!!!
I have been lurking for a while ’cause I’m still walking with a limp having spent months in a wheelchair and cast. But I have to remark that this week I came down with a bad cold and then the flu. Ironically the only joint in my body that did not ache was the newly healing ankle. Go figure!!!
Carry on girls it gets better with time. P.S. Having raised four children there is NOTHING wrong with saying to your errant teenagers that you need cheerful help now and if you do not get it you won’t be so cheerful when they need you (which includes their allowances) 😉
At the hospital this morning – 5 weeks and 3 days since I broke my right ankle (a spiral break).
No X ray – they just took off the plaster. Dr came to check my ankle and when I told him it was still painful (obviously hadn’t been the cast, which I had been blaming)and I was getting tingly toes if he tried to bend my foot – he sent me off for an X ray. Results were that it should have been in the cast for another week/10 days, but it was healing nicely. I now have an air splint on (which I can take off at night, hurrah), but I must have another week of non weight bearing……then using crutches start putting some weight on it. Doc wants me back at the hospital in 3 weeks time, and no driving for 4 weeks at least.
As for physio – took my letter to our local physio and was told they are fully booked for the time being but they will be in touch – so my question is ………once you all started putting weight on your ankle, was that when you tried doing some stretching etc, or did you wait for the proper physio to instruct you?
Hope everyone is having a good day and managing to stay positive – must admit I was so depressed this morning thinking that it wasn’t healing or that I had somehow damaged it again…………but such a relief after the X ray result.
Lynne
Hi Lynne,
I’ve been waiting for the news. I’m glad to hear your cast is off – that must feel so good! And considering the healing time, I think you’re quite lucky to have only 1 week left until you can start putting some weight on your foot. I can’t comment on physio though – as you know I broke my right ankle just a week ago. As much as I know, most people start slowly and gently doing some exercises once their cast is off – but if you’re scared to do anything, and if it still hurts, I’d say wait till you get to PT and see what they do and tell you.
Keep us updated! and take good care of yourself 🙂
Hi Louisebabble – Bed time last night was bliss – splint off and ankle resting on a soft pillow. Woke up lots as I have been doing through the last few weeks but was able to turn over again and go back to sleep instead of lying for hours wide awake.
As others have said before – ankle and foot look ugh!! Surprised at how much bruising is there and the joints swollen – but there is plenty on here about massaging it yourself and using arnica, so thats my next thing. Pampered it last night and it looks so much better.
The exercises – not afraid to as long as its not weight bearing, but how wise was more my query. There is a message from last year that mentions someone using a static bike from week 3, never thought to do that myself.
Hows it going for you – plenty of reading, resting, watching TV, videos?
Take care
Lynne
It must be awkward to see your ankle covered up in bruises and stuff, I can’t wait to see mine! It’s been 1,5 week since my injury and guess what? I don’t feel much pain or anything, as a matter of fact, I’ve been off pain killers for a week now, which is amazing cause I expected my ankle to hurt a lot more, but it doesn’t. I walk on the crutches whenever I have to and it’s killing me, but I’m off to see a doctor tomorrow morning. I think they’ll take off my cast to do another X-ray and then we’ll see what happens.
I talked to my mom last night and she said her cast was taken off 4 weeks after the injury (she broke her ankle 7 years ago), and she said she was able to walk pretty much fine – no crutches or anything. I guess healing time depends a lot on how bad the break was. I’m excited about tomorrow, will let you all know what’s the news when I come back from the hospital!
Good luck tomorrow, good for you using the crutches all the time…I found them so frustrating trying to do stuff in the house that I hired a wheelchair from the Red Cross so that I could carry and move things about easier (could be an age thing that!).
One improvement, even in a day, last night I couldn’t get a trainer on the bad foot…which it needs with the splint for trying to walk next week. Today I got it on OK…so I’m all ready for the “walking/putting weight on it” bit once my “weight free” time is up.
Fingers crossed for good news for you tomorrow.
Lynne
Hi all, it’s Kaele. Refresh: broke ankle 9/29, surgery 10/1/10, nursing home 10/5 for three weeks. Non weight bearing/wheelchair until late December. Painful walking until last week. Today I noted for the first time that I actually was moving around in my office w/o limp and no pain…..I still can’t shop a great area or for a long time….everyday improvement….light at end of tunnel…hope it isn’t a locomotive
Hi all, I came back from the hospital today where I had my second x-ray 1.5 week since the injury. the news is: my broken ankle is in the right place to heal, and they put on a new cast – really heavy one! It hurts a lot just wearing this cast (before this I didn’t feel any pain) and it’s frustrating to feel this way now. The doctor told me my ankle’s broken in 2 places (something they didn’t tell me first time). Doc asked me to come back in 2 weeks of time to do another x-ray and see if I can then put on a boot and put some weight on my ankle. But the registry office booked me 4 weeks from now on! (I’m dealing with NHS in London, UK). I’m feeling upset, because I’d love to come back in 2 weeks instead of waiting a whole month. I will try and call the hospital next week to see if they can re-schedule.
The doctor also told me it’s very important to keep my broken ankle/leg elevated as much as possible, the swelling hasn’t gone away yet, but it didn’t look too bad I guess. rules to follow: must not attempt to put any weight on and keep the cast dry of all times. wish me luck!
How’s everyone else doing? any changes? hope everyone’s dealing well, I’ll update you when there’s something new 🙂
– louisbabble
Hi Louisbabble
Sorry you were disappointed with the results today – it sounds as if you had the backslab type plaster on first which allows swelling to go down before they put the big plaster on….. Same as I had.
I was given four weeks, from that going on, til my most recent appointment where they took it off and then gave me a splint…so it sounds as if the registry was doing what normally happens here in the UK.
You say how heavy the cast seems – I’m sure that is what caused the bruising I was mentioning in my message from 9 Feb – the bruising is all around the heel and across the top of my foot, so it’ll be interesting to see what your foot is like when it all comes off.
Hope you manage to sleep OK with the new cast.
Enjoy your books/videos/puzzle books.
Lynne
Hi Lynne,
it’s good to hear from you again! They gave me four more weeks as well, and I have a question for you – now that you have a splint, have you tried to put some weight on your foot? Is it possible for you to walk a bit? Does your foot feel really stiff? I’d like to know what it feels like after having such a hard cast on for a whole month.
I can imagine there will be bruises, just like you told me about. I can see this happening but I don’t mind that, really. The hardest thing for me is to walk using the crutches. but oh well, we’re all going through this and I don’t want to whine any more 🙂
– louisbabble
Hi Louisbabble
I still find the crutches a pain – but have been using them for things that I know I won’t want to carry things whilst doing.
The splint is far more comfortable than the cast – but needs to be worn with a trainer or outdoor shoe, and yes I have found that I can put some weight on the leg (by accident as I’m still non weight bearing for a few more days). Haven’t attempted to walk yet.
The cast seemed to get more uncomfortable as the month went on – but probably due to the fact that I was fed up with it…..how those who have it for months manage I don’t know. My “little” brother in Oz said wasn’t I lucky it wasn’t summer with the cast on – but then their summer at the moment is around 38 degrees, even at night, which would have been horrendous.
As for movement – its better than I thought it would be. Have always been able to wiggle my toes, and I have slight sideways movement (but try too much and it soon “pulls” and hurts.) I have more “up” movement than “down” and that again soon lets you know not to go further just yet. Will be interesting to know what Doc says in three weeks – should be weight bearing a lot more by then, not sure if he’s expecting me to walk in though???…
You really need to record everything they say don’t you……even hubby who was with me didn’t remember the “weight bearing for another week” bit and came home the first night asking how far I had managed!
Hope you have company over the weekend to make it pass faster, our daughter is coming up from Ealing for a couple of days to check “Dad” is looking after me.
Take care
Lynne
Question for my fellow broken-ankle bloggers – I’m in a cast and trying to follow doctor’s orders to keep it propped for the swelling. When I stand up, my toes go purple. The color matches the bright pink cast, but looks disturbing. Anyway share this phenomenon?
I CAN’T HELP BECAUSE I WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR AND BEDRIDDEN WHEN FOR THE FOUR WEEKS I WAS IN PLASTAR CAST. I WAS FAITHFULL TO NOT PUTTING ANY TYPE OF WEIGHT ON IT…NO PURPLE TOES AND MY FERVENT SUGGESTION IS TO GET YOURSELF TO DR. BECAUSE CAST MAY BE TOO TIGHT. ONE THING I DID IS THAT I KEPT WIGGLING MY TOES ALL THE TIME WHILE I WAS AWAKE. AS SOON AS I GOT THE REMOVABLE CAST I HAD IT OFF ALL NIGHT LONG AND MOVED FOOT IF “IF” IT DID NOT HURT. NO WEIGHT BEARING HONEST TO DR.’S REQUEST FOR 8 WEEKS. I AM DOING PRETTY WELL NOW. SEE PAST POSTS
Holly – when you say stand up I presume you mean standing on the one good leg and the injured one held up – I got the dark coloured toes too when I did that and assumed it was a rush of blood down to the toes (looked rather like my purple cast).
Like Kaele I kept moving my toes, not sure if we should, but at least I knew they were OK and the blood was moving OK.
If you are worried though, I would get it checked -when you are on non weight bearing, you have too much time to worry, so the reassurance will put you at ease.
Hi Lynne
it’s good to hear things are going better for you, and it’s nice to have your family around 🙂 How many weeks have you been non-weight bearing now? Keep up a positive attitude – I believe it helps to recover faster 🙂
HiLouisbabble – I went into a plaster the day I did it (Jan 2nd) and although it came off last Wednesday, too soon as it tuned out, by this Wednesday it will be 6 weeks and 3 days non weight bearing.
Had to venture out yesterday to get new footwear for the damaged foot …the swelling means that trainers etc are way too tight despite trying them before. Ended up having to get a full size bigger than normal (and they weren’t a small size before unfortunately). Come Wednesday they’ll be on with the splint ready for some weight bearing attempts…..Hoping that being positive works out.
Hope you are finding the plaster a little less painful.
Lynne
Holly-
Unfortunatley the hard cast is very unforgiving of swelling and becomes like a vice, trapping blood in your poor toes. If I was up for long at all the first few weeks, my toes too looked like little pink pork sausages that were about to pop. It took lots of icing and elevation to get my ankle/foot/toes back to “normal.” I learned the trick was to stay ahead of it. You can put a bag of ice on the cast and it will cool through the fiberglass. It just takes a while and try not to get the cast, especially the padding, wet. Good luck!
I broke my fibula. You?
cariwms@yahoo.co.
Hi broken ankle community-
no weight bearing since Jan 15 with the broken fiula. will get the cast off tomorrow – I hope – and not sure what is next. I am loosing my mind with boredom lately – any charms of lazing around have long worn off – anyone feel like you will loose your mind being bored AND being dependant on people?? I guess I’ll see my shrivled my calf tomorrow – at least it’s something different!
Hi Holly – had my plaster off two weeks ago but was given another week of non weight bearing as it wasn’t quite right…..the splint is far more comfortable!.
Anyway have been a week bearing weight now, no physio yet. First day of weight bearing was great – could stand upright in the bathroom for washing etc. With crutches could “walk”, very stiffly and slowly, but the last few days have improved somewhat….though no great distance. It stiffens up very quickly but massaging it frequently seems to have helped loosen things up. Be prepared for the horrible dry skin on the sole of your foot..and leg.
Two days into the weight bearing we were away in our motorhome home – and still are. Wish I had been in this during the non weight bearing – everything close to hand and no stairs!
Good luck for tomorrow.
Hi everyone, just updating on the situation: it’s going to be 1month next week since I broke my ankle in 2 places. I’ve still got 2 weeks to go until I see my doctor again so he could tell me if I’m ready to have the hard cast off – that will be 6 weeks then. I’m still off pain killers but the thing is I’ve been moving around quite alot this week and my leg really hurts now – it’s not the ankle, but the whole leg feels so stiff and painful, I guess it’s because I haven’t rested enough? the swelling’s gone down a bit, fortunately.
Question: those who had their casts removed already, did you get an air cast, if so, are you able to walk on it without the crutches most of the time?
Hope everyone’s healing well! Take care of yourselves.
Hi Louisbabble,
I just got my plaster cast off 2 days ago – I have an aircast/boot and crutches, and can walk(ish) without the crutches, but it is easier with at least one crutch, and the doc says to use it on the good side. My foot is still swollen, and what I notice is when my foot has no protection, the swollen area is numb, a wierd feeling. So it certainly is better than not being able to put any weight on the foot, but there is a way to go. If I don’t have the boot on, I use the crutches. I have not started PT yet. The surgeon said ‘let pain be your guide’.
Holly, I’m glad to hear your cast is off and it sounds like you’re doing just fine, BUT there’s no way you can heal properly soon if you won’t do any exercises. so far everyone I’ve talked to has recommended PT – you get back to walking sooner and it helps to ease the numbness and swelling. Your doctor sounds wrong to me, really. Even when I first got to A&E on the day I broke my ankle, the doctor already had mentioned I’d have to go to PT. Hope you will sort it out. And thank you for your feedback! Helps me to think/hope for better.
Hi All
Its now 8 weeks since i broke my ankle – with 5 1/2 weeks in plaster, which when it came off I had an air splint on and another week of non weight bearing. Have now been 10 days weight bearing and am still awaiting physio…so have been been stretching and rotating it myself and walking (wearing the splint) with both crutches. Today have been managing with one crutch on the good side when outside, and managing without in the house. I have even managed to get up the stairs properly holding onto the bannister, though coming down is still one step/two feet.
Not sure whether I should be attempting it all, but when I get too sore I stop and up goes the foot with a massage and ice. I can now get in to my normal size shoe (did have to buy some larger ones. Hopefully the more I manage to do the less physio I will need.
I am back at the hospital on Wednesday, hopefully to be told thats the last visit I need to make.
Did meet a couple this weekend who told me she had been walking without aids 4 days after the plaster came off! Did make me feel a bit useless but then I see plenty of messages on here where people take a while so I feel I’m not doing to badly for an oldie.
Good luck all.
Hi Lynne,
I’m very glad to hear you’re doing so well! It’s amazing you can walk upstairs and walk around in the house without your crutches, I’m proud of you! Keep doing whatever you feel like you can do, I’m sure it all will get better. Your information has been useful for me. I’m on my 4th week in the hard cast and your current situation gives me hope I’ll be able to do those things soon. Can’t wait!
I have a couple questions for you, if you don’t mind:
1. How is it for you taking showers? Can you stand on your both feet? Do you have to take off the air splint?
2. How old would you say is the women who told you she walked without aids 4 days after the cast was removed? If she’s quite young, I’d say her bones healed pretty quickly then.
Hi Louisbabble
Showers – if you have the walk in type its so much easier (at home we haven’t, but in the motorhome we do, so it was a real treat to be able to have a shower with no problems). Standing on both feet was OK from day one of weightbearing for me, though I wouldn’t like to have done it for very long. The air splint comes off at night for sleeping so off in the shower too if you feel safe.
The woman who could walk unaided within 4 days – about the same age as me (now 61) but very lightly built (I’m unfortuantely carrying quite a bit of weight and much bigger framed than her).
Walking around the house without crutches…I tend to “roll” a bit so I am using one crutch to keep myself walking “straight”……but at least when wanting to carry/move something I can manage without.
Reading through these messages it seems clear that everyone is different. I’m aware of my ankle all the time – not painful exactly, but its a reminder to take care. Its obvious that parts of it need more stretching than I’m managing to give it and I’m hoping that the physio appointment comes through soon.
Not long for you now, take care.
Hi Everyone! So may new stories now! For those who are new, I’m about 6 months out of a tib / fib shatter and dislocation. Had surgery in july w plat and 10 screwa, had one screw out in Dec, and likely two more out this summer. I am still in PT ( actually sitting here waiting as I’m writing this!), and on advil about 60 percent of the time. I have good days ad painful days still. For those of you who have started back at the gym, I want to share that I’ve found yoga to be extremely helpful in regaining range of motion ad balance.-t can be painful at first, but don’t they always say “no pain, no gain?”. I go about 4 times a week, and love it!
Right now I am also having ultrasoud and something called iontophoresis (a version of electronic stimulation with concentrated doses of anti inflamatory) at PT, but its becoming expensive. Especially considering I’ve been in PT since Nov! Anyway – I find the yoga to be great, so I wanted to pass that along.
Hope everyone is recovering quickly.
Best – sarah
Sarah – reading your account makes me so thankful that I didn’t need surgery.
8 weeks and 3 days since my break (and I now know that it was the malleolar that I fractured) and the hospital are happy for me not to need to go back. Even got the OK to drive again.
Physio assessment on Tuesday and they were pleased with the movement that I have achieved since weight bearing 2 weeks ago – and thats down to doing the exercises and stretches mentioned throughout this blog. Even massaging my leg and foot each day got a thumbs up. Came away with resistance bands to strengthen the ankle movements…back in a fortnight.
Still on 2 crutches outside, but managing with one or none indoors.
Into work today to say I will be back next Wednesday (needed to be able to drive as no way to get there otherwise).
Louisbabble – not much longer til the cast comes off…good luck.
Hi Lynne
Glad to hear about your improvement 🙂
I’m sure it feels good getting around in the house with once crutch and being able to take showers again like a normal person! thanks for sharing all the info, really makes me feel like I’ve got things to look forward to. I’ll try and massage my leg too as much as possible when the cast comes off.
Take care and keep us updated!
Hello New People and those who I have shared my progress over prior months….. I have not been on for a while. But I’ve read everyones comments. Congradulations to all that are regaining their normality.. To the most part – it can be said that although not fun, the average person will recover with no restrictions.. But it takes a great deal of time sometimes. And not fun……..
I have not been as lucky – as I’m still struggling after 11-mos. I broke my talus bone. No surgery. But I’ve never regained my range of motion in the ankle (its locked). I’ve been tossed around like a ball to this and that doctor…..due to bone loss.. but still no resolution. I’ve been in PT continous (2nd time around) for the last 3-1/2 mos., Due to expense, my last week is next week. I’ve made progress, and learned what I can do at home and at the “Y”. I can walk with a cane now. But my gait is not proper and causes pain to my hips. But I’m thankful that I can walk without using crutches.
I stay positive…. I have continued my workouts at the “Y”.. I’ve even started using the treadmill (on slow speed – as prescribed by my PT’ist) for apprx. 5min. but will gradually increase my time. I walk as much as possible – pushing myself most the time.
Hopefully they will resolve “WHY”, with all these tests, and help stop, my bone loss very soon. I’m being scheduled for another bone density test – this time on my ankle. The last test shows I have Osteoporosis in one hip.
Anyhow………Everyone, keep up the movement. All that your doctor orders. And YES – if you can – go to PT. It does help, even when nothing else does.
Oh Kim, I am so sorry you are still not up to par. I went to my exit visit with my ortho on Friday and he released me with no PT because I have full range of motion and walking well…I think the timing is correct as I broke the ankle 9/29 and had screws and plates etc. I however did all of my healing in a wheelchair and when the aircast was on and I was able to take it off I moved the ankle constantly. It still hurts to walk and I am having a very difficult time finding sneaks that I can wear all day. Everyday is a better one and now that the snow is fading my mood is much better. One thing I never did was cheat and put weight on the ankle until the dr. took away all the casts and wheelchair….I was so long non-weight bearing because I had crushed a small bone and he wanted to make sure it was a good heal…I belong to a health club that has a warm water therapy pool (quite a large one) and walking in that is/was so therapeutic. Good luck gals….keep up the good fight.
Reading these later messages makes me appreciate the NHS in the UK – being able to have physio, even if you have to wait a while, without paying for it is an absolute boon.
wow,reading all these posts sure makes me feel better. I am at the 3 week mark with a broken left ankle, 3 places. No weight bearing, had surgery right away. Fiberglass cast on the last week. 3 more to go and another xray! I am going stir crazy, but not much I can do. I am using a walker with wheels and seat right now. Can move myself around at least if I sit on the seat. finally made it upstairs to bed instead of couch!! yeah!
Hi broken ankles!
It’s been 5 weeks for me now, still non-weight bearing and using the crutches. I’m seeing a doctor tomorrow and hopefully I will get an air cast. I will update once I’m back from the hospital tomorrow afternoon.
I hope everyone’s healing well. It’s a struggle, I know, but the best thing you can do is ‘kill time’ by reading good books, watching good films and surrounding yourselves with positive-minded people. Take care and I’ll update soon.
Hi Louisbabble –
Good luck for tomorrow, I am now 3 weeks and a day weight bearing. Crutch free in the house but for any distance outside still use them (more to steady me, and let me move faster). Upstairs easily now, downstairs properly but a bit slower. Driving for a week now – freedom! Back at work yesterday (I only work part time and managing to get around OK).
A lot of the movement is back but I soon know when I have done enough/too much.
Hopefully being younger you’ll manage quicker than me, fingers crossed.
Hi Lynne,
wow, it sounds like you’re doing very well! I’m glad to hear that! 3 weeks and weight bearing + driving sounds awesome – have you started doing any exercises yet? I’m sure your mood changed too since you started putting weight on your leg, it must brighten your every day life now somewhat more since spending weeks wearing a cast 🙂 and thank you!
Hi Broken Ankle Friends,
Jan 15 accident, Jan 24 surgery – weight bearing Feb 24 – and now I don’t wear the air cast – and use one crutch! Take heart to may friends in the non weight bearing stage – the time will soon come when you can put that foot down!! I even went up the stairs ‘reciprocating style’ and was able to hobble outside to walk my dog – first time since Jan 14! It was wonderful. Ankle still is swollen and very stiff, but much better. There is a big patch of numbness on the top of my foot, and some burning sensations sometime, but no pain per se when I stand on the foot. All those weeks inside, on my bum, on the couch with my foot up in the air, have paid off. We had a fantastic winter (in a record breaking way) with several feet of snow and ice, so it was not much fun to have to go out anyway. Spring is coming, the snow is almost all melted, so I feel like the next phase is coming. IT was just xrayed today, and the screws are all in place.
Oh – I found a great way to ice it- using a ‘cervical ice pack’ – I’m able to wrap it around my ankle, and tie it with a scarf so it stays in place. Much easier than a bag. I got it at a med/surg supply store – they used it at my first physical therapy session. Good luck, indeed, positive people and good films keep the spirits up!
Hello everyone!
I’m back from the hospital with good news! Just to remind: broke my right ankle in 2 places 1st Feb, was in a hard cast for 5 and a half weeks. Today I went to see the doctor and he told me my bones are almost healed! He didn’t give me any boot, just told me I can start putting some weight on and go to physical therapy (NHS).
The cast came off and woah my foot was still very swollen and stiff! I can’t move my ankle but that’s normal. I also got my first session of PT today (already!! didn’t have to wait weeks for it)!! The therapist (a very good looking young male haha) gave me a massage and asked me to move my foot as much as possible. I couldn’t really, but then I stood carefully up on my both feet and it felt amazing! For now I can only put 50% of my weight on the bad foot. I even walked for a bit in PT, still using both crutches!
I’m walking already, but very very carefully and slowly, putting my heel first and then the rest. I was told I will have to be on pain killers for another few weeks, also expecting my foot to swell much more – that’s pretty normal when you start walking again. The swelling might last for like another month, but the most important thing is to do exercises at home and move my ankle carefully as much as possible.
Today was the first day I took a shower standing carefully on both legs. The best feeling ever so far! I’m so so happy I don’t have to be in a boot. The skin was very dry though so I’m putting lots of body lotion on it. I’m also practising walking using the crutches but the doctor said if I keep exercising every day, I could ditch the crutches in a week of time!!
My next PT session is on Wednesday and I’m really looking forward to it. oh and I was also told to wear shoes (I’m wearing trainers now) whenever I’m walking. I had to loosen up one shoe because my foot is still very swollen but it feels alright 🙂
that’s all for now, I will be updating to let you know what’s the future like. I’m just so happy to be walking a bit already as it’s my first day! As for everyone else out there: patience is your friend! don’t hurry to do anything and keep your minds occupied with good friends, books and films. There’s a light in the end of the tunnel 🙂
Great news Louisbabble, not even a boot! Isn’t it a great feeling to be standing on your own 2 feet again – and the shower is bliss.
You did really well getting physio straight away – had to wait 2 weeks for mine and my next appointment is a fortnight later (this next Tues).
Interesting comment about wearing proper shoes instead of trainers. With being back at work these last few days I have been wearing proper shoes and blaming them for my feet (both of them) hurting! Was going to go back to trainers,but maybe not such a good idea.
Know what you mean about the dry skin too – horrible isn’t it, bit of pampering definately needed.
Take care.
Hello my name is Cierra i broke my ankle in three places Dec 14 2011 its now April 1 2011 i just started therepy March 29th 2011 and i cant wait to be able to walk again im only 19 and i have a one year old and me on crutches chasing him not a pretty sight lol i still am non weight bearing even though today my therepist let me ride a bike and i can drive. my pure ankle happened in a fight 😦
I have enjoyed your blog! Sure helped me with my broken ankle. I am hobbling along, getting better every day.
hi all – I’m now 9 weeks weight bearing after breaking my ankle on 2 Jan. No surgery so very lucky. Had physio talk two weeks into weight bearing and came off the crutches completely 2 weeks later after the 2nd physio appointment when he had me concentrating on getting to be able tobalance on the bad leg alone……….that I found very hard, and very painful. After my 3rd appointment at 7 weeks in, they have signed me off as movement is virtually complete again – but he did say it would be a couple more months before I was walking with no noticeable limp.
Was away at a motorhome show at the weekend, 3 days of walking an awful lot – managed OK but painful by the end of each day, and resorted to my trusty stick (which I have resorted to on the odd day when I have overdone the walking).
Still have pain in my ankle but very localised now in the actual joint rather than all over the foot as it was in the early days. Very little swelling thank goodness…and even managing to use the injured foot to push off when cycling. At least I feel like I am winning now……….. hope the rest of you are making good progress too, especially as we are having such lovely weather at the moment (thank goodness the plaster is just a memory).
hiya heather, just injured my ankle with ‘soft tissue damage’- i think it’s broken though, just went to the doc yesterday and had an x-ray 😦 will get the results on tuesday, but in the mean time i have a ruined weekend and a day of school to battle with one non-weight-bearing foot. killed it on wed 27 april 2011 :,( but instead of getting progressively better, it’s gotten worse 😦 i hate this so much it just hurts all the time. the doc said use cold to prevent swelling, but mum says use heat for circulation (my toes felt like they were gonna drop off and they were freezing this morning) so i have an icepack under my foot and a heat pack on top. i was looking for some info on broken and injured feet and ankles- like you- and i found your blog. thankyou.
Hi I broke my ankle on March 10th, had surgery on March 15th to put pins and screws in- was told on 30th March that the surgery hadn’t worked. Had another operation on 7th April where all the previous pins and screws were removed and new ones put in. Also the consultant put another screw into my ankle to secure it even more. All the xrays are showing that there has been no movement since the 2nd operation and hopefully my cast can be removed in 2 1/2 weeks. I still won’t be able to weight bear until 6 weeks after that when the special screw is removed. I am totally fed up and my best friend is now a zimmer frame. I have been off work so far for 8 weeks and am looking atleast another 10 weeks. Goodness knows when I will be driving again. Any hints for staying sane.
Hi all,
Broke my ankle in two place May 14th. Surgery May 20th – pins, screws & plate. Have my next appointment with dr. on Thursday. Guess I will get more info on the future then. Just taking each day one at a time. Stopped the pain meds Monday. I don’t like sleeping my life away!
I was in a terrible car accident three months ago. The other driver had been drinking and he went left of center into the front of my car. He was killed on impact. I on the other hand sustained some pretty bad injuries. I fractured the head of the femur so bad it snapped all the way through. Not only did I have the fracture but the femur completely slipped behind my pelvic bone leading to a severe hip dislocation. Screws were placed into the femur and it was properly returned to it’s right place. I sustained a left tibial fracture that was so bad it ruptured my popliteal artery. I had a fasciotomy done to prevent compartment syndrome of lower left leg and also upper lateral left thigh. I currently still have the external fixator in my lower left leg after three months. I had skin grafts done to my lower lateral left leg and my left wrist. I had some tendons cut in my left wrist that have been repaired. My right patella was shattered into 7 or more pieces and was wired back together. The accident has also given me nerve damage to my left foot. I am very fortunate to have my left leg and even more fortunate to be alive. I have had many bad days and yet I still push forward. I have gone through eight surgeries and still may have a few to go. I can use my right leg to hop around on a walker but still no weight bearing on my left after three months yet.
Great site for reading and just bookmarked it. This page holds world of info and hundreds of testimonies. I’m 50 yr old male, decent shape, and had my accident on the snowy white beach of Destin, Florida. Was running full speed to catch a frisbee and stepped in hole that had been dug in sand. Heard the pop, broken ankle 2 places with dislocation/ligament damage right foot. Surgery with plate 8 screws on May 17. Put in moon boot ten days after surgery with instructions of elevating, no weight bearing, no work, can’t drive. Next dr. appt. in few weeks, then therapy . . . etc.
I want to contribute 2 things. First, the pain pills caused me constipation which became nearly as painful as the foot. So I only took the meds for 2 days/nights after the surgery. I know some have more severe injuries and need the meds, but be aware of the constipation ahead of time so you can ask about dealing with that.
Also research the PRAL list on line. This list refers to maintaining a correct calcium balance in the body. This list gives a numeric value of foods so that you can maintain a proper balance in your diet for calcium to be used for bone health. Good foods like spinach, raisins, orange juice to name a few. I hope you all walk normally again.
Hi Matt – sounds like you’ve been through a hell of a time. Good wishes for the future. Hi Rex – I love Destin – found Apalachicola a few years ago and I love the area – not so good with a broken ankle.
I broke my ankle back in September and found this site and it was invaluable. It encouraged me and told me the TRUTH about recovery. Every little bit of progress became such an achievement for me – now, it’s hard to imagine how I got so excited about little things!!! My ankle is good now – back to normal – ish!
I live in the UK but I bought a knee scooter from the USA and that transformed my mobility. It was amazing – and certainly turned heads in the UK – I could build up a real speed in the supermarket.
I lived on tuna melts – tuna on toast, topped with cheese – grilled. Good for bones. Yes, and plenty of orange juice and skimmed milk – not together!
Good luck to all you breakers – you will get through it – be happy for every tiny improvement and eat good food.
Thanks to the original poster, Heather, and everyone else for sharing their stories. As I’ve read through these posts, I have laughed, cried, commiserated, sympathized and empathized with many of you! Also found some pretty useful information on the healing process, so you are all much appreciated!
On May 11th, as I sat on the stairs, waiting for the ambulance to respond to my desperate 911 call, I was surprised to find one thing floating through my mind. The voice of my husband, words spoken many times over the last 3 years…”You need to slow down on those stairs. “One of these days, you’re going to break something.” Given the number of times I’ve tripped on those stairs, I suppose it was just a matter of time. The ankle broke in three places, and the flopping foot was both scary and morbidly fascinating. Several weeks, a plate and 9 screws later, I’m finally able to laugh about it!
Thanks again to all! I am still in my cast, and am really getting bored being off my feet. My next dr.’s appointment is on July 1st, where there will be an x-ray and a “weight bearing” determination will be made. While I know it may well be awhile before I really feel “normal” again, I am am hopeful reading some of the stories here, and look forward to being once again mobile. 🙂
Thanks to Heather & all other “authors”. I have to say, while researching ankle injuries (yes I have one to), I found this site more helpful than so called expert medical sites. I also got so much reassurance from reading everyone’s personal experiences as I thought my healing process was some how faulty with the length of time it’s taking to heal.
On 29th of March, after a night out & a bit worse for wear, I fell of an invisible kerb (well I never saw it) which resulted in my injury. fast forward to hospital, was informed that I required surgery, had to fast for 24 hours only to find my operation was put back another day, resulting in me worrying more about staving to death (48 hours without food or water [just the odd sip] is something i never wish to experience again), than worrying about my ankle. But eventually got my operation, 6 pins & a plate holding everything in place. Since then (bloody hell, is that 12 weeks already), the cast has been off for 3 weeks, no more of that awful dry flaky skin, & my crutches would be obsolete if it weren’t for the 7 flights of stairs to my top floor apartment, still have a little difficulty going up.
So well on the road to recovery, tho I do still have swelling, that could take up to 6 months to subside, & i do have a very noticeable limp, again, possibility of 6 months before it’s totally gone. However, I am waiting for a letter from the hospital, to confirm another operation, to remove a 2 inch pin that goes through both my fibula & tibia, it has to remain in place for 4 months before removal, thankfully it’s day surgery, so in & out the same day, all other hardware will remain.
So I’m really looking forward to my sons 8th birthday, because that’s in September, & I should be fully fit (God willing) lol.
Oh, & don’t forget to thank the army of people it took to get you on the road to recovery, from your GP to the surgeon & his theatre staff, from nurses that looked after you during your stay in hospital, to the nurse that took your cast off, & all the other unsung hero’s, hospital dinner ladies, newspaper delivery people ect
hi all i slipped on ice cream my daughter was eating and broke my tibula, it was a spiral fracture. i had surgery the next day, ive been put in a fibreglass cast and it comes of in july. im glad to read im not the only one goin through this. fmily are great but i desperately want my independance. wht i wanna ask is when the cast comes off can u walk straight way. good luck to everyone and hang in there.
I too had a spiral fracture – but of the maleola (the nobbly sticky out ankle bone), – no surgery though. When the plaster came off it was possible to “walk” on crutches, slowly, for the first few weeks, and by the 3rd week I was on one crutch for a week and then walking with a stick as an aid to speed me up. The joint in my case was really stiff and it took a lot of exercise to free it off. I had been plaster free for 7 weeks when the physio (on my 3rd and last appointment ) said in a couple of months I would be walking normally – and for me that proved correct …its now June and unless you knew I had broken it you wouldn’t know ….still gets achey if I’ve been on my feet a long time, and I’m in trainers or flat shoes for comfort.
Even walking downstairs seemed to take ages to become normal, but persevere and take care…….you really get to appreciate being able to move around unaided.
Lynne
weight-bearing for the first time after 7 weeks was intense. It takes a lot of mind over matter to trust your body not to break when you first begin. Yes, it is stiff and it hurts like hell, but you just have to push through it. My doc says to go at my own pace and assured me that I won’t do damage to my repaired foot. He said the more aggressive I am the better and quicker I’ll recover. After just two days of light boot walking, I have already gone to laced up tennis shoes and walking from mail box to stop sign on my street. I try to bend at the ankle joint to walk normally. I use my shadow on the street to see if I am “limp-free” as I slowly walk. This is tough but so much better activity than elevating on the couch all the time. Wishing you all get to this point soon
Funniest thing I’ve read in a LONG time!! Tib/Fib break on June 3, 2011 and waiting for x-ray clearance to start weight bearing exercises. Heather I hope you are still writing something – bc you have a gift!! Totally raised my spirits as I lay in bed today wondering why ALL my muscles ache. thanks for the laughs!!!
I suppose it’s safe to say “misery loves company” as I some how feel better knowing that I’m not the only one who has suffered a triple fracture (angular fx. of ankle bone, tibia and fibula). Thanks for all the comments, very therapeutic! My horror story began in Dijon, FR, of all places, which I stepped onto an ancient step that caused my foot to fold under me and send me to the ground. The Dijon University orthos performed two “barbaric” (according to my Hawaii doc) surgeries and actually placed an arcane external traction device on my poor injured limb, drilling through my tibia and heel to anchor it! Oh dieu! I was in a wheelchair for 5.5 months post 3 surgeries with lots of nuts, bolts, screws and a titanium plate. In 9 days I’ll be in my eleventh month of recovery and I’m still going to PT twice weekly: once with deep tiissue massage and the other for aquatic therapy. I have about a year to go. I walk with a pronounced limp, but am thankful that I can walk. Stiffness is debilitating, but I walk to help. Orthotics help. I was in a boot until May, still on a walker/cane, and now I am without either and my left leg muscles is starting to return so I don’t feel rubbery any longer. Oh, I was hospitalized for 10 days in Dijon where I wasn’t treated well and had a horrible infection to deal with. And, to add insult to injury Air France charged us $20,000 to upgrade our economy tickets since I had to fly back first class along with my hubby who had to inject me in the tummy every 12 hours so I wouldn’t throw off a blood clot. They had all but one seat empty, too. Sort of added insult to injury, so to speak. Also, the french team set my fractures without first medicating me. Not nice. I’d advise anyone traveling overseas to purchase emergency travel/injury insurance. We later learned it would have cost us $106 through our homeowner’s carrier. Lessons learned! Good healing to all. The real lesson is patience. Aloha!
Fell five days ago (yes I was wearing 4 inch heels) broke the tib and fib and am in a full leg (all the way to the top) bent knee plaster cast. glad to have found this blog. Worried about how to kep the BF interested for the next 8 weeks. Any tips?
@Long legs: I too was worried about how to keep the boyfriend interested with a broken ankle, but he took it upon himself to find interesting positions to maneuver into that would not bother the ankle or put strain on the leg. Typically and most easily prop your leg up on pillows and put one under your lower back. If all else fails, use your hands. Backrubs and other simple gestures can go a long way. Once the pain in your leg subsides, you will be surprised how easy certain things get – at least, in my case that is how it was.
Thanks for the tips. I have to confess to a guilty pleasure; my Bf is into my cast in a big way. He finds it a big turn on and can’t get enough of it. He has taken charge of all toe maintence and necessary toe massages. If this keeps up I may want to stay casted longer. I like to tease him by having him put a sock over my toes because they feel cold. He hates seeing them covered up. who would have thunk this is what it would take to get the male animal relly focused on me?
What a great find this blog is! I have a harrowing tale, which I will condense to only the bare essentials.
I was in Guatemala, was crossing an intersection while out jogging on the morning of July 29th, 2011 and got hit by a bus. Somehow, despite it hitting my whole right side of my body, I only broke my ankle and fibula (the bus ran over my foot). It was an open fracture, so they had to operate (yes, in Guatemala). So I am now back in the US with a plate and 8 screws. I had some kind of 1/2 plaster cast on for the first week and now I have the aircast which I hate. So I am about 4 weeks into the healing process, but still am experiencing a significant amount of pain. Now from reading this blog, I see that pain and swelling will be with me for quite some time. I am a teacher and go back to work on Monday….we’ll see how that goes. While setting up my classroom today, my crutches slipped on the freshly waxed floors of the school and of course I put a lot of weight on the broken foot to stop myself from falling. I then fell backwards since it caused so much pain and now I have a nice bruise on my tailbone. I hope that is not an omen for the rest of my recovery. Thank you for this blog!
Hello All,
My name is Sam. I am 30 years old. While mountain biking, I suffered a Bimalleoral Ankle fracture on August 7, 2011. Surgery occurred three days later on Aug. 10. I received two screws in my distal tibia (medial malleolus), and a plate with five screws in my fibula (lateral malleolus.) Also, there is a floater screw in my fibula at the break, unattached to the plate. the surgeons scoped my ankle in two places from the front as well while doing a stress test, to check for damaged cartilage, tendons, and the syndesmontic ligament.
On August 22, I had a follow up appointment for x rays and removal of stitches. The picture revealed a consistent amount of space between my malleoli and talus, thus indicating proper alignment and success of the hardware, the Doc said. I was given a walking boot to wear, no weight bearing. He prescribed no physical therapy yet, but I have been doing some research and would like to share what I have learned and my experience thus far. Reading everyone’s entries has been inspiring. I hope to reciporcate and be helpful as well.
When the fracture occurred, I took a slow awkward fall on my mountain bike and my ankle was displaced, dislocated. I was lucky enough to be close to town and biking with a friend (as I often bike alone in remote places, as crazy as that sounds to y’all.) So I looked down to see it disfigured and made the decision within a second to reduce it myself. I slammed my foot against the ground and I achieved anatomical alignment. Oh, I forgot to mention that I work as an EMT, so I have seen stuff like this before, and trust me, the longer a joint is dislocated, the worse.
The initial x rays showed that I did a good job reducing it, and all the nurses were super impressed with that, but boy did I feel pretty lame (pun intended.) I wasn’t in too much pain, but I got a script for 10 vicodin, or something like that. My leg was wrapped in a soft splint, but still pretty tight with the massive swelling.
The first few days sucked pretty bad, I have broken my tibia once before, when I was about 13 I think. Then I had surgery for the hardware. I had general anesthesia and a nerve block in my femur area. I remember waking up in the recovery room in extreme pain, screaming and flailing about, and they put me back down immediately. Next I awoke in little to no pain, feeling pretty good actually. The surgeon told me that the procedure went well, and when they scoped it, they found that I had no cartilage or tendon damage, so I was stoked.
The nurses gave me a little shoulder bag to tote around a little ball of nerve medicine that was attached to a tube that was supposed to be inserted in my femur, on the nerve, for extra pain relief. I was pretty jacked still, so I didn’t really understand what the nurse was saying. My girl and I split the hospital, but by the time I arrived home I discovered that the tube wasn’t in my leg, it must’ve been inadvertedly yanked out. We didn’t feel like driving another hour back, so much for that.
I was prescribed about 10 10mg oxycontins, and 30 norco, vicodins. I got right on the painkillers because I knew the nerve block would wear off within a day or two. When it did, the pain hit hard. Serious burning pain I have never felt before because I’ve never had hardware. Also, I was experiencing some pretty gnarly nerve damage pain on the top of my foot and in my toes. I didn’t really realize that until the splint came off at my follow up, though. The pain was kinda all blended together and I have never had nerve damage before. The oxycontin is pretty harsh.
At three weeks in, I am pretty confident that the bones are healing, but this nerve damage is tweaking me a little. The entire top of my foot and my three middle toes are numb, but also super sensitive and painful to the touch and tingly. The skin is all dry and tight looking. I have shooting pain through my foot and toes. I can touch just the right spot on the plate, where the incision is atop my fibula, and the nerves fire creating a very strange sensation in that area on my foot. It’s creepy, and I’m hoping it’s not permanent. From what I have read, it is probably temporary, but could be permanent.
I work in ski boots 9 hours every day in the winter, patrolling. I am really nervous about having too much pain this winter to be able to do that job. We shall see.
Right now I am showering while standing on one foot. Before the stitches came out, I was taking baths. I haven’t taken any pain pills in almost a week. I get around pretty good on crutches, half gripping items to carry them. I take NO NSAIDs or acematophin, except one baby aspirin a day, to prevent clots. Whenever I can, I ice consistently 30 mins on, 30 mins off. And I keep my foot up constantly. Whenever I go work for a few hours, it begins to swell and hurt. It’s gotta stay up. I drove a few times with my boot and that was pretty easy, but I’m trying to limit that as well because it is down while driving.
I have tried to cut alcohol out. And no smoking ciggarettes. I have been keeping a super healthy diet, with lots of food high in calcium. I also have been taking calcium supplements, vitamin c, and daily multi vitamins. I have found conflicting reports on the detrimental (or positive?) effect of smoked marijuana, but it helps some with pain and depression. I should probably be cooking with it instead.
I didn’t sleep with my boot for the first few nights, but now I do, because it hurt in the mornings. I was using an ace bandage, not stable enough. I wish I had a smaller brace to wear at night. I also wish I had one of those deals that ices with compression and constantly circulates ice cold water.
That’s about it. I’m headed back to the Doc again on Sep. 20th. I will keep you posted. Thanks for reading. Stay positive. I will try to stay up as well.
Oh, yo, I also wrote a poem. It’s pretty depressing but I tried to make it end well. Here ya go.
THE RIGHT LINES
Summertime: free roam, uncased
Mountain Biking, so free, feels safe
Crashed the place I’ve passed before, unscathed
Peer down to see an ankle displaced
Script meds from the doc, it’s ok
A few days pass, I’m crass, in a haze
Surgery for hardware, alas comes a change
Visceral pain, nerve damage, I go insane
Constrained to a house, I dwell, I remain
Complacent, in a mad state of refrain
Can’t walk, try to talk, use my brain
Rise to stand tall, collapse in vein
Healing consumes, time slows to a crawl
Slow motion, traced back to the fall
Before this, life seemed but a ball
On pain pills, I speak with a drawl
Look ahead, please, better times
Just maybe I can escape these confines
To me, a broken bone is like so many crimes
But the coming winter can provide the right lines
I should mention a few more things. I am currently non weight bearing, but in between icings, I have been working on range of motion by “writing the alphabet” with my big toe, doing circles each way, and just generally moving my ankle around. I’d say my range of motion is about 30-40% of my good ankle. I started using a theraband for resistance, but a physical therapist told me to cut that out until about 5 or 6 weeks post surgery. I have also been receiving massage to stimulate circulation and reduce hematomas and cell waste. I recently began applying neosporin on my incisions and vitamin e skin cream on the incisions and all over my foot with the nerve damage. I want to reduce scar tissue.
My goal is to make a 100 percent comeback within 6-8 months. From what I understand, I will be lucky to attain that goal. But I’m gonna work my ass off, because this injury has taken me from 100 mph to 0 mph in an instant, and I prefer to be extremely active at all times. Cheers!
Hi Sam, if you have read all of the blog you will have seen my entries. I am the one who was standing still by my table in a restaurant and reached for my tab and my ankle rolled (had skecher shapeups on). I have all of the hardware in same places as you. MyI ankle dislocated and I had crushed a small bone and tendons were stretched. I was too clumsy for crutches and since my cast was non-weight bearing for until January (I broke it sept. 29, 2010.) and first time on them I fell flat on my face in driveway…wasn’t pretty but didn’t step on the foot. I was to be at home for two days and go back for surgery. Didn’t go that way because when I finally got in the house I went to sit in a chair and the chair moved causing me to really put weight on it so we had to call the emt’s to haul me back to hospital and they did surgery immediately. They kept asking me to wiggle my toes so figured shortly that that must be important so for the three weeks in the hard cast I wiggled all my toes and kept at it. As soon as the swelling went down in the plaster cast, I wiggled my ankle as much as i could, crunched my toes, alphabets etc. after the hard cast came off I went to work on my own rehab…..as soon a s the ramp at home was put up I went back to work with wheelchair. when I got home the leg was raised on a stool while I sat in my rocking chair. The dr. told me if I could stand it “do it” just no weight bearing. I would ice it first and then slip the cast off and sit in the rocker and place my feet so I could get full stretch in ankle and leg and rocked to my hearts content until I tired. My choice of drug was percodan as oxycoton and vicodan do absolutely nada….the swelling and a couple of screws weren’t healing so I bought a clean bucket and soaked my high ankle in epsom salt to pull out the swelling and pain. I spent three weeks in a nursing home waiting for a ramp…It was brand new and only six blocks from home and I knew the staff there so I kinda made their lives interesting. What they were doing for me in rehab I could do in my bed and rocking chair. anyway I drigress….when the time came that I could take off the cast at home to wash it etc. I had it off a lot. and that is when I started the alphabet with my toes,, moving foot in circles and back and forth and the rocking. Cast was mostly off while I was in bed….figured when I sleep it would move somewhat normally and exercise itself. Bottom line when the dr. said I was done with wheelchair…I never looked back. went back for checkups etc and he told me “no rehab for me” it was perfect. Dont do anything unordinary….trust your body to heal with healthy food.
Since you are an EMT I want to tell you about MY EMT. I had laid on the floor of the restaurant and tried to move my ankle and it just flopped…crucifying pain….I thought, oh oh this sucks. the EMTS came and held my had while they were getting my shoe off, this really nice one kept talking to me would not shut up now I have watched lots of tv and knew he was talking so much to distract me and keep me conscious….Finally I interupted him and said “so I watch TV when does the adrenaline kick in so it doesn’t hurt so much” HE SAID “KIDDO I THINK YOU’RE DOING PRETTY GOOD” i SOOO REALIZED i WAS IN DEEP SHIT AND MORE PAIN to come was coming my way. I wanted to cry and scream so loud but all I heard was my mother’s voice in my head saying “Kaele don’t you make a scene, don’t you dare draw attention to yourself and ruin everyones meal. I didn’t start crying until the spasms started up aroud the breaks then we worried I would break or bend the bed rails.
Bottom Line I finally got out of the chair in January, no rehab, healthy sneakers and doing great since. Haven’t been back to dr at all. Scars healed nicely.
Good luck….don’t get fancy with the rehab…if it hurts real bad don’t do it. Eat healthy, meat, fish, lots of potatoes mashed L(comfort food)vegetables…..give the body nutrition, good nutrition, comfort food. NO SMOKING CIG OR OTHERWISE SLOWS DOWN HEALING AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT.
God Bless, Kaele
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Well I am two weeks in with a broken fibula and a very very bad ankle sprain, tendons and ligiments a hot mess. 4 more weeks with leg and no pressure on my ankle, then 2 more with a new brace with my ankle.
I am going stir crazy…..need somthing to do productive, 100 to 0 for me… I do not like ot sit around…help.
i am a 1 to 2 months in i fell out of a tree and i broke my ankle in 3 places and my foot was dislocted it i have 2 pin some screws and a plate it suck how i have to stay in bed
I broke my ankle (fibula) and it went into the joint, they put 1 or 2 screws in on monday and I still can’t walk with it down because it’s in so much pain, if anyone knows how loong it took for them to be able to walk on crutches let me know, I’m missing to much school!
Hello Billy, sorry about your accident. It killed me to use crutches, I had to take little breaks along the way, I was slow, I broke out in a sweat from all the work. I did get a wheel chair in the beginning while I built my muscles up for crutch use. Hopefully that would be an option for you. My hands are now calloused, ugly but I am 11 weeks post my break and getting my two long screws out tomorrow with physical therapy starting on Monday. It has been a long haul but you can do it. Take things one day at a time. Hopefully you find a loaner chair to use. Good luck with school! Kati
Hi can I just ask ppl keep there foot elevated whilst in bed, I am trying 2 do it but seem 2 wake up with my ankle in pain and really uncomfortable. I broke my ankle just a week ago so is it just time.
Hi Samantha
Use a pillow to rest your leg on when laying in bed.
Keep your leg up when you’re sitting down. Good luck! It will get better!!
I just have to say that I broke my ankle about a week ago, and reading this blog made me feel so much better about things. I know it’s 5 years old, but it’s exactly what I needed. To hear someone else’s story, and to hear that the way I broke my ankle definitely wasn’t as dumb as someone else’s (sorry Heather…)
I’m so glad that this blog is still out on the internet because it gave me information on things and has already made me feel better.
hi / i broke my ankle Jan 14 2010 and i was out of commission all winter . I found this blog. and it was a life saver i would read it and comment almost every day . People were so supportive . I survived it all and almost 2 years later i am as good as new . There is light at the end of the tunnel . i was laid up 3 months … it seems like forever at the time , it really makes you appreciate more when it is all behind you
Hi Emelia
What Patty said is right – this blog is a real lifesaver!
Things will get better – even though you can’t imagine that at the moment.
Good luck – be good to yourself! Eat well and keep yourself entertained. Time really does heal.
Carolyn
Hi all,
My accident happened Aug 19, 2011 while sliding into 3rd base. I rolled both my ankles and hurt them crack, I thought I broke both my ankles. There was instant pain, I rolled off the base and looked at both my ankles and new the right ankle was broke, left ankle felt more like a bad sprain. Anyway, turns out I broke right fibula and sprained left ankle. Dr. said cast for 6 wks followed by boot. Thing is my ankle is not healing and now its 3 months later and now Dr. is talking surgery plate and screws. I went for second opinion and this Dr. said my fibula is still displaced and should of had surgery day 1, just my luck. Now I have to start all over again, surgery is set for Dec. 19, oh and Dr. said I also have cartilage damage as well, so a scope will be done along with a floater screw, plate and about 5-6 screws. Reading everyones stories is helping me get ready mentally for this surgery coming up, but I have to say I’m still not looking forward to it at all. I’ll keep everyone updated.
DaLee
DaLee / wow you have been through a lot already , so sorry they did not catch this in the beginning . When i broke mine the doctor’s dragged there feet a bit . i never had to have surgery but had it in a soft splint type cast . One you could take off . i was really nervous about it all . i did go back every few weeks for X rays to see how it was healing . But of course you did way more damage than i did .. i had to ice it all the time and keep it up on pillows all the time . i was pretty much laid up for 3 months finally got to a boot ( that i hated) and crutch’s . I broke mine snow-machining the machine rolled over on my ankle and it was trapped under the sled . Not good , my husband had to really work to get it off my leg and ankle . was scary as it was after dark and we were in the woods ..I pray things will start looking more positive for you . Keep me posted . Patty
Patty/ thanks for your response, yes its been a long 3 months and very frustrating for me. I’ve decided to go with my 2nd opinion Doctors plan. So this past Friday I had to confront my Dr. who I have now, not a good spot to be in, especially when I don’t like confrontation. To say the least he was very pissed off at me for wanting to change Doctors, my doctor is a navy doctor. I just said that I feel like I should of had surgery right from the start, and that my bone is still displaced and maybe that is why it’s not healing. He was just very upset at me for getting the second opinion without telling him first. Whatever, because of his mistake now I have to suffer and have to go through this whole recovery process all over again. Navy Dr. gave me a bone stimulator, 2nd doctor said don’t use that, it’ll start healing the bone and your bone is displaced not a good idea. Instead he said we’ll use it after you have the surgery and that will help with the healing process and speed it up. He told me that I will not have a cast on, he will use a soft splint that can be taken off, kind of sounds like the one you had on. He said 3 weeks with that on and then I’ll have a boot on for about 4-6 weeks followed by pt to work on range of motion. My leg already is much smaller then my left leg from having the cast on for 7 weeks, I’m walking on it now and i’ve been able to use the calf muscle but it is still much smaller than the left one. I have what you call a non union fracture, I’m able to walk on it but I walk with a limp and have to be very careful on how and where I’m stepping. I just need to make sure I don’t tweek the ankle because it is very painful. My new Dr. said if I don’ t have the surgery I will have arthitus for sure within 1-2 years. He wants me to have leg up for 3 weeks, and I told him I can give him 2 weeks, and then I’ll have to go back to work. Luck I work as an assist for orthodontics and I can sit pretty much the whole time on a chair with wheels. I’ll just wheel around to all my patients, that’s what I did when I had the cast on and it worked well. The only problem is I’d go home with my toes looking like sausages, they were so swollen. This time around I’ll have to have my leg up at work as much as possible. So we’ll see how it goes, my doctors not happy about it though. I’ll keep you posted okay and thanks for the prayers.
DaLee
Hello everyone. I am 19 years old and I am miserable. I broke my RIGHT ankle about three weeks ago. I was told I would only be in a cast for 4 weeks. Then last week I was told I needed a plate and screws, TEN screws to be exact. I was put on medication for the pain but it made me sick. I threw everything up, I was itchy, I got migranes, you name it. Today was my first day without medication and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. I am over being in bed at home. I’m 19!!! I have a life. I have school and work and friends. -___- the half cast they put on my leg after the surgery is hurting my heel now and it’s very uncomfortable and heavy! I cant sleep. Plus, I have restless leg syndrome so you can imagine how that goes. I honestly just want to walk again. I want to get out of bed and not have to reach for a walking aid. I miss my normal life so much. I get to see my scar in one day. I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do right now or who to talk to.
Nancy- we all welcome you to the club and wish you a speedy recovery. I broke my right fibula aug 19, had in a cast for 7 weeks just for the doctor to tell me it’s not healing and may need surgery after all of that. Found it very hard to get around but I managed and you will too. We all get through it in one way or another, we just find ways to adapt. I have since changed doctors and am scheduled for surgery on the 19th, exactly 4 months after my brake, will need a plate and 5-6 screws . I’m not gonna lie, I’m not ready for this surgery and I’m getting very anxious and crabby. I’m walking right now with a limp and have been walking for about 3 weeks now and have gotten use to being able to walk even if it does hurt a bit. So not being able to walk and going through this all over again is making me very crabby. I’m lucky in a sense that at least I have my hubby to help me through all of this, and both my boys to make me laugh. The first time around it took me 9 weeks before I could drive, we’ll see how long it takes this time once my surgery is done.So in 13 days I will be in the same boat that you are in, only I won’t have a cast I’ll have a splint on for 3 weeks, and then hopefull a boot and for sure this time around I’ll need pt. I feel your pain girl, I do and it is very hard, I hope you have family and friends to help you get through all of this and you will get through it. What you have going for you is that you are young and I think you will heal quick and will be running around once again with work, school and partying before you know it. Keep your chin up, we’ll all help you through it. Wish you luck and I also blog on another site that has alot of support as well, google broken ankle and you’ll see the blog, you should tell your story there as well, you’ll get a lot of support. Take care and we are all here for you.
hi every one , i to know a lot of what your going through i was sure i could not make it , it was winter when i broke my ankle and being in NH you are not in good shape being laid up in the winter months as ice and snow you just can not get out . i thought for sure depression would take over but i prayed and prayed some more and was able to keep my self busy and friends took me to my doctor appointments . I can relate to shut in’s now as i was pretty much for 3 months .
Keep positive thoughts is the best advice i can give know that this is not going to last forever and there is light at the end of the tunnel .. i am praying for your recovery and keep posting how you are doing , doctor’s can get very frustrating i know mine did !! hugs , Patty
Today is December 10, 2011 my birthday. Never thought I would be spending it this way. On November 12,2011 I fell down the stairs and fractured my ankle. I slipped on a magazine that was left on the stairs by my husband. Five days later I had surgery and now have a plate and seven screws. I found this blog site by accident last night while searching the web for info. Since then I have spent many hours reading the comments of the similarly wounded. It is helpful to hear of the progress being made by others and also have it confirmed that it truly does take many months to heal. I am a nurse and spend 8 hours a day on my feet. Not sure when or if I can return to work. It is all up in the air.
My husband, children and friends have been wonderful. This helps you see what is really important in life. I am hoping to return to my normal lifestyle. I plan to do everything possible to make that happen. Thanks for your comments. This site is very helpful. Good luck to everyone. Mary
Well my life changed Sept. 2. 2010..(labor day weekend).it was a Friday afternoon…got home from work and was suppose to start my vacation!..We had a approaching hurricane (hurricane EARL)..so i had just talked with my husband who was with my daughter about an hour away…i figured the storm was coming and i would go out in backyard and start putting patio furniture in shed..well i went in shed came out and slipped on the wooden ramp and heard a “pop”…immediately swelled up…and i knew it was not good…i layed there by the shed for a half hour before my husband got home…so he thought he could get me in the car to the ER but nope i could not move…called 911 ….off to ER…i ended up surgery next day…plate and 8 screws…broken in 3 places..i was out of work 3 months..bedridden….cast/crutches/walker/wheelchair….oh what fun!… Now a year and 3 months later…i still know the injury is there!..
My job requires me running around pretty much for 8 hours a day….
I still have a slight limp….
Thanks for letting me share…..best wishes to all….
Hi, I’m 25 and broke my right fibula in two “U” shape parts when i fell 15-20 ft while bouldering and landed wrong on my foot. went to ER, they put on a splint, iced it that night and kept it elevated. the next day went to orthopedic surgeon and he said its a clean break and you can use the air cast in 2 days and after a few weeks even walk with it without the help of crutches even!
I was quite comfortable with the split for the first 2days and after i switched to the aircast ive been really miserable. it hurts more and when i want to walk, which is pretty much only the distance from the bed to the bathroom, its extremely difficult because the air cast feels veryyyy heavy, and every time i attempt to lift my right foot up to make another step, i feel the broken bones get farther and pulled apart and then back to normal when i rest my foot on the ground. lets not even talk about the pain!
I dont know if it is normal to have this pain in the aircast when i didnt have it in the splint? i dont know if i should go back to the splint since the aircast feels extremely heavy to the point that i dont even dare to walk around with it? i dont want it to heal wrong and have to get surgery later on or limp on it or anything!
also, i woke up with chills last night and as i was trying to make my way to the bathroom i ended up pretty much passing out but luckily landed on my butt and didnt hit my head anywhere. but i dont know if it is normal to get like this after 4days of breaking the ankle!?
any feedbacks would be appreciated since this is my first time ever breaking anything.
Hi – have any you tried renting a knee walker? I broke my ankle on November 25, 2011 and I was miserable with a walker and crutches. Someone told my husband about a knee walker and I looked it up on the internet and this knee walker has made a really bad situation a lot less miserable. It only costs $35. per week and I am able to wash dishes, vacuum a bit, blow dry my hair and I don’t fear falling. In case you want to look into it; the website is kneewalkercentral.com. It made me more mobile than any other walking aid. They also pay for shipping to your home and back. I’m trying to stay positive. Hope you do too! Karen
Fara , when i broke my ankle the doctor had me use a air splint , it was bad but could of been worse as when they switched me to a boot cast it was horrible , very heavy and uncomfortable . i could not get around with it well . so i can understand your feelings. i used to take the boot off at night and go back to the air splint and of course keep it up high on pillows , along with ice pack . i guess if you are that uncomfortable you best call the doctors office and let them know what is going on . so you do not do any further damage .
Keep me posted how you are getting along , Best Patty
Thank you Patty. So I saw my Orthopedic today and he said everything is fine and sounds normal. you will get use to it and its normal to have this discomfort for the first week or two of the injury. he also said its better to keep the aircast because in two. three weeks “you would want to put wt on it”, im not sure if i do, lol, and therefore it will be a better support. so i guess i will suck it up and deal with it for now. i just hope i wont end up needing a surgery or have other issues with my ankle once its healed.
Fara , are you wearing the boot cast at night when you go to bed ? i tried it and i just could not deal with it . all doctors are different . I did not have to have surgery mine ended up healing on its own properly .. I did have to go every month for Xrays to make sure it was mending together right . i was laid up all winter . I did mine on the snow mobile , i was riding with my husband and we tipped the machine on to its side and it laid on my ankle . was NOT good !! But i got through it all and am fine today very little discomfort . it has been almost 2 years . I pray yous will heal and no complications . Best to you , Patty
Hi Patty. I do wear it at night because i tend to move alot and am afraid to dislocate it or something and it will heal wrong. tho i emprty the air in the aircast and i have the Velcro’s loose so it will be comfortable. your incident didnt sound like it was pretty at all!!! sounds pretty painful!!! i am so glad it healed up right and you have no issues with it now.
i dont know what the time line for having to use the cast, starting to put wt on the foot, PT, level of pain is for such injury? is it ok that i go out every once in a while with my crutches for a few hours at time to get some work done (tho the pain starts and is sometimes unbearable! throbbing, sharp needle like pain right at the sight) ? or should i keep it horizontal for the first 2-3 weeks strictly and not have it vertical at all? is it normal to have this much pain or do i have to do something about it besides keeping it horizontal and taking advils? i am very afraid i might be doing something wrong and have to hear from my OS that the bones are misplaced and we need to do surgery. Did you not move from the bed and rest for a specific period of time? I would love to know how you dealt with it and when you started bearing wt on your ankle, exercises and pain level?!
I am sorry for asking so many questions and detail question. the doctors dont say much and are so vague and tell you everything is normal and i have no idea what is the right thing to do to have a positive affect at the end of the line.
Thank you patty!!!
Fara ,okay i am rewinding my memory . I do know i was Not allowed to put any weight on my foot/ankle until the last part of my recovery . i did not start putting weight on it until i was in that boot walking cast . And i still had crutch’s . also I did not have that horrible pain you are speaking of , i was uncomfortable and it would ache and if i held it down when setting it swelled up , so had to have it up in a chair even when i sat at the computer desk .
i kept it pretty tight even at night so it would be sure to stay in place , i was pretty paranoid . How often do you go to the dr. for check ups ??. they would X ray mine like every month to be sure it was healing correctly .
Now remember most breaks are different so mine may have been different than yours so it is hard for me to give you good advice .. But if you are having all that pain i would question it , or you are doing to much and aggravating it ,does it swell.??
I do not know if i am being of help i hope so as i know i suffered with discouragement and the people on this site got me through the long winter months .
And no the heavy snow machine laying on my ankle after dark in the woods was not good , but my family were there with me so that was a blessing ..of course i did not go to have it checked until the next day being stubborn … Stay in touch ..
Thank you patty. Its been only a week since i broke it and i am going back to see my dr in a week. i am very paranoid too 😛 i cant help it
i think maybe since its the first week, small walks even aggravate it. its hard for me to say if its swollen or not since its in the aircast, i would think it probably does, a little at least.
Fara , i kept mine enervated most of the time to keep the swelling down as that alone with make it more painful . Time seems to go really slow it did for me , it was the first time i had broke any thing and it was a shock to my body for sure !!
a adjustment i do not want to go through again !! take care ..
thank you patty!
you know how you have a nightmare about something you always fear in life and then wake up and are relieved that it was only a nightmare?! well it was the vise versa for me. yesterday i had a dream that my ankle was healed up and good and i was so happy in my sleep and was walking around comfortably and independently until i woke up and found myself still in the cast. nightmare came true!
like those movies that the guy wakes up in the hospital and removes the sheet and sees both his legs been amputated!
not a good surprise…perhaps im over thinking it but i cant help my unconscious brain 😦 i keep reminding myself how things could have been worst but maaaaaaaan this sucks!!! its not even the pain…its not having a freedom….deep breath…i need to cool down lol
Fara , yup you are having some panic attack for sure .. i know i would cry and cry and wonder how i would ever get through it as i am active . I am not young but i am still active and i would make myself sick . You have got to take some deep breaths and realize this to shall pass . And it will trust me and you will be all new again !! lol there is a end to it and just do what you need to so that you will heal with out complication’s . Do you read if not maybe it is time to start so to pass time . just trying to help .. take care and Merry Christmas . stay in touch . Patty
thank you Patty. i do read and i have alot of things i can and been occupying myself with but sometimes you just want to go out for a walk alone and you cant but its ok. things will get better 🙂 happy holidays to you as well.
best,
fara
Hi All,
I’m happy to find this site. I’m hoping for some advice. My grandson just turned 11. He has always been an outstanding athlete in basketball, football, and track. In fact, he was the top high jumper in the U.S. (in his age group) last summer. Anyway, he suffered a severe ankle break in the championship football game in October. There was concern about the growth plate initially, but the doctor says that everything looks great at this point. He has multiple screws and pins, with the pins due to be removed in March. I am concerned about physical therapy, or rather, the lack of p.t. All of my research points to therapy and rehab being essential after a broken ankle. He has had the cast off for 3-4 weeks now. He does not have full range of motion and walks with a limp.
I was not at his appointment to ask any questions. It is my understanding that the doctor said that he doesn’t like to recommend therapy for a child and that it wil get better. He also said something like, “maybe after the pins come out in March”. I am wondering if the doctor hasn’t prescribed p.t. because Jackson doesn’t have medical insurance. Everything that I have read points to p.t. twice a week for 10 weeks or so. I am thinking of paying for a visit to a reputable therapist just to get info on exercises that he could or should be doing, but I don’t have a lot of money.
Any thoughts regarding therapy and rehab following removal of the final cast?
Thanks for your help!
Barb
Hi Barb,
I have insurance, however, chose to go on-line to get excercises for my ankle. I write the alphabet with my big toe and I wrap a 5 lb weight around my foot and go from front to back and side to side excercises. I do have good range of motion. Go on line and google rehab for broken ankle. I’m sure the physical therapist will help you more if you find a really good one. Get a referral for someone good if you can.
Karen
Hello everyone:)
So happy to find this site…My story is so similar to so many but mine just happens to be that BOTH TALUS bones have been broken. I was on a Jet Ski and it exploded Aug. 16, 2011. I blew into the air 15 feet and came down and broke my ankles. The left ankle has 9 screws and the left (compound fracture) has 4 screws. I have had several surgeries on both of the ankles. I went to full weight bearing status on the left November 15, 2011 and the right December 21, 2011. I was so excited to be able to start walking again! However, the excitement wore off when the pain started. I have been struggling for the past couple months. I just wanted to find someone out there that has gone through this kind of pain and how long it will continue…I know that each day it gets a “little” better but it just seems that I will never be able to walk normal (without pain) again! I can go for a little bit but then the pain sets in…it feels that the left leg will not “bend” when walking down steps…It’s hard to stay positive…I never dreamed that this healing process would take so long…Any opinions on whether a walker or crutches are better…I have been using a walker and when it gets too tough I catch a break in the wheelchair only at home…since I have had a bit more time working the left leg I use a kneewalker when I am out of the house…Any opinons or thoughts from anyone would be wonderful…thanks:)
Tracy, I can’t imagine breaking both my ankles…that must be so tough. I learned about a knee walker a month after my injury. I wish I had found it sooner. Please explore the website and see if it is something that you can rent for awhile. The cost is very reasonable at $35.00 per week and the company pays shipping to your home and back. I broke one ankle and the knee walker was a god-send. I was able to do so many things compared to a traditional walker and crutches. I even made my kids their birthday cake!! Never could have done it with crutches. Let me know how you make out and try to stay positive.
Karen
P.S. Explain the pain to your doctor and see if he can prescribe something so you can heal.
P.S.S. Have you tried walking in a full length pool. Takes some of the weight off walking in water.
oh man what a bummer….probably left you with some ptsd also. I can only reiterate what was previously suggested and that is walking in a warm therapy pool. I broke my ankle a year ago 9/2010 and was wheelchair bound, non-weight bearing for six months. The ankle healed well but it took all of my immune system to heal which left me ill for about two months with flu/bronchitis/fevers etc. it was a year this January that I began walking with it. I was lucky I had to do no therapy because I of the wiggling etc I did at home. My ankle still hurts once in a while and I am having a hard time finding shoes that make me feel secure. The plate on the outside does not hurt but when I turn my ankle a certain way I can feel it. I hope you do well…stay upbeat and enjoy the comments of the well wishers.
This is the silly story of how I broke my tibia and fibula simply jumping over an 18in high wall, instead of walking around to the gate I took the short-cut and while I was gracefully (I would like to think) flying through the air my friend shouted ‘good night’ to me, I didn’t quite catch what she said and looked around, my peep-toe sandal sort of grazed the top of the tiny wall and I somehow landed in a heap on my own leg, actually breaking my own leg. I ended up in plaster to the top of my right leg for 6-months, itchy and having the most awful dreams of what could lie within the plaster – euw. When I went into hospital that night by ambulance, after another neighbour picked me up and carried me back to my friends house, I was put into a temporary half plaster, meaning just at the back of the leg but all the way up and left to sit in a wheelchair with my leg sticking out in front of me in the emergency room until they could X-ray my leg later that morning. As I sat there watching in on the dealings of the emergency room, one man actually had a heart attack just across from me and I will never forget the look on his wife’s face just before they pulled the curtain around him. She looked like a broken woman, so terribly sad. I was moved around quite a bit during the night as more people came in and as I was mobile they would just wheel me to another place. At one stage I was pushed over into a corner and there were two men sitting on a bench. One of the guys was very friendly and smiled at me pointing at the leg, I explained what had happened and he laughed at the story. The other guy never even looked up, he was reading a book balanced on his leg. The first guy started to tell me he had been waiting for a long time and when I enquired what had happened to him he suddenly and repeatedly banged his head off the wall behind, really hard, banging and moaning and banging his head again, saying how much he hated the *******, and how they had it in for him. The 2nd guy moved his right arm across his body and then I noticed that he was wearing a handcuff and it was connected to the ‘friendly’ head banger, with that small movement he pulled head banger closer to him leaving no play on the cuffs so he couldn’t move, the book never budged from his knee.. He immediately stopped banging his head and quieted down. The 2nd guy, a prison officer, just said ‘ignore him’. Unfortunately, I had been wheeled over facing them and the wheels had been locked into place. Head banger was still going on insisting upon telling me – albeit whispering – what he was going to do when he got out. He was an inmate of Mountjoy, one of the largest jails in the country.
After 6-months in plaster I was beginning to get very peeved off, although I will say it is great exercise using crutches and I have never been thinner in my life. Eventually they agreed they had to do something and it was decided they would do a live X-ray to prove or disprove the very discernible break appearing on the regular X-rays. On the day I was to be X-rayed various much more important procedures had to take place so I ended up in hospital for 3-days. I shared a room with a much older lady, she was in her 80’s and was quite ill, she had all sorts of machines connected to her, drips, tubes, etc. One night she feebly called me over to her, I had had the plaster on for so long at this stage that I could even get up and down stairs without crutches and I was able to jump off the bed and go over to her. She pointed to the floor and the spaghetti-like array of plastic tubes and said to me – could you please put my tube back in, it slipped out onto the floor. I was flabbergasted and told her I would get a nurse, that I couldn’t do that, she just kept saying it’s only a tube, you just need to stick it back in the thing you don’t need a nurse. I pressed the button for the nurse and waited beside her until the nurse came, she was still saying “it’s only a tube”. The nurse came in and she repeated herself, I started to say I just couldn’t do it and I wouldn’t know where to put it, when the nurse bent down picked up a red and white striped drinking straw from the floor and popped it back into her drinking cup – hygiene my eye. It was a drinking straw, not a tube, but the little old lady said ‘it’s a tube to me luv’.
They finally X-rayed my leg after giving me an epidural – didn’t even get one of those on the birth of either of my children. During the live X-ray they found that my leg had healed so well that a large amount of extra bone had grown on my shin and it was so dense it looked as if it were a shadow on the normal X-rays, so I didn’t need to have the hip high rock hard prison on for approximately 4 of the 6-months. Later as I lay in the bed dozing after the early trip to the X-ray theatre I was half-awake, half-asleep when I realised that there was somebody else in the bed beside me, I didn’t open my eyes, I just felt around with my hand and somebody with very soft squidgy legs was in the bed, my eyes sprang open, nobody there, but I could still feel somebody’s leg. I pulled up the covers only to see that my hand was on my own (squidgy) leg, so even though I was thin I still had squidgy legs, the epidural lasted for a good 8-hours and during that time I lay in the bed not being able to feel the bottom half of my body. Sitting in bed with no bum, with no legs. Very weird.
Hi Heather,
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It’s amazing how this blog still lives even though the original poster isn’t here anymore 🙂 It is indeed a great resource for everyone out there that had the unfortunate mishap of breaking their ankle.
My story isn’t much different from anyone else. I broke my left ankle in a motorcycle accident on the day that I was supposed to get my license. I dropped the bike and my foot got caught between the motorcycle and asphalt and twisted outside. I couldn’t feel any pain due to shock I guess, but I immediately felt that something was wrong as I couldn’t really move my leg under the bike. After the bike came off I saw my left foot looking at around 9 o’clock instead of usual 11. Fortunately the hospital was right across the street so I didn’t have to endure a long ride in an ambulance. Got in, got it x-rayed. The total toll was a dislocation and shattered and fractured fibula. They fixed up the dislocation almost right away and put a cast on it, after that I had to wait overnight to have a surgery next day. I had a plate and 9 screws put in, 8 through the plate and 1 sideways connecting a splintered fibula a little higher up. I got to say I was blessed with very little pain through overall process, however mental stress was huge. I’m an avid skier/snowboarder and a thought that this injury would inhibit my ability to participate in those activities was taking a heavy toll on my mind. I too, as many here, came across this blog and it gave me sort of consolation that I wasn’t alone and things do get better. I spent 4 weeks total in a cast without any weight bearing. 2 of those weeks I was bed bound, for the other 2 I went back to work as I was dying from boredom. After that I could bear 100% of my weight and started doing phisio. As I mentioned before the pain was minimal, I didn’t have to take any pain killers entire time, the foot is still a little stiff every morning, has about 20cm scar and is a little wider due to scar tissue. Accident happened early april in 2009 and 2 weeks ago I had the hardware removed. I’ve been able to start skiing/boarding the same year the accident happened, given I wasnt 100%, but this season I was able to be back to normal levels I was before the break. I’m happy that this chapter finally closed in my life and I’m mainly writing here to let everyone know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Things do get better 🙂
Hi Karen,
Thanks. They took the pins out earlier this week. I’ve located a free physical therapy for sports injuries through MSU. We’ll check it out next Saturday and see how it goes. Thanks again.
Barb
Hey heather, read ur blog n it’s amazing. I too broke my ankle in the exact same places u did. It’s been 2mths and I’m still in crutches :(.. Anyways my question is how is ur ankle doin and were u Able to wear heels again?? Asking because I loooooove to wear heels too. Hope to hear from u soon..*V
Just reached my ten month anniversary of my injury. I still have days of pain and limping due to all the ligament damage, but I am so much better than I was a month earlier. Ankle injuries are truly difficult to recover from. I’ve met so many people much younger and more fit who have told me how it took a year and some even two years to return to 100% normal. All you can do is stay positive and soldier on!
Hi Rex,
Just went back and read how your accident happened. I could definitely see how that can happen at the beach. I’ve played frisbee on the beach so many times. We never think of those things and I guess that is good because we would be too paranoid to just do normal activities. I broke my ankle raking leaves in my own backyard. My property is slightly downhill and I guess my ankle rolled and down I went. I just got back from a 90 minute cycle class at the gym and decided to rake some leaves before I went to the mall Christmas shopping. Well, instead of going to the mall, I was on my way to the hospital in the ambulance. Looking at my ankle made me feel sick. The next day, I’m having surgery and now I’m at my 14th week after the accident. Lots of metal in my ankle and that bothers me. I just started to not use crutches all the time. I do find that if I don’t use a crutch most of the day, I am in pain in the evening. I guess we take so much for granted doing everyday activities and one accident can change your life so much. If it wasn’t for my knee walker, I think I would have gone crazy. I used it for about 7 weeks and it was a lifesaver. I will leave the website below if anyone is interested. I feel the knee walker helped me both mentally and physically. I am a very active person and sitting on the sofa all day was very depressing. To everyone, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Stay positive and stay healthy so you can heal.
Karen
website for knee roller – kneewalkercentral.com
so u still have problems with ur ankle? i tore the ligments in mine and am now stuck in a cast for 3 weeks. i’ve always had weak ankles and every time i sprain my ankle its always the same one!!! i just hope that its completely healed when i go back to get the cast off
My dad, age 70, broke 3 bones in his ankle last month. He didn’t really walk well before this whole thing due to arthritis. He is a type 2 diabetic and doesn’t heal so quickly. I am scared he won’t ever walk again.
He hasn’t even had surgery yet, but he will need screws and rods etc.
My mom is stuck taking care of him and it is upsetting to think he may never be the same after surgery. Thoughts?
Hi Sue,
This must be so hard for him and your whole family. He is probably miserable that he cannot do much for himself. Please look into this website to see if a knee walker would help him get around easier. A knee walker helped me heal both mentally and physically. I’ll give you the website so you can see if this is something that would help him. Having him use crutches or a traditional walker could make him prone to more injury especially being 70 years old. I personally fell using crutches. And hopping on one foot with a traditional walker, well, I was afraid of breaking the other ankle. The people there are so friendly and helpful. If not, I sincerely wish him a quick recovery. He is so fortunate to have such a helpful family.
kneewalkercentral.com
Karen
I am so glad I found this! Hearing everyone’s stories makes me feel better and the personal advice is so helpful. I dislocated and broke my Right ankle in 3 places on March 17th sitting down for dinner at a friends birthday party! I took a step backwards to pull the chair out and my heal went into a grate where a tree was planted (outdoor seating at a restaurant). It was the most pain I have ever felt in my life! I looked down an my right foot was turned ALL the way to the right and the end of my leg had the bone sticking out. I started screaming in pain! They called an ambulance and I was sent to the ER where they “put me out” to put my foot back in place. When I woke they said “We have bad news, we took XRays and your foot is broken in 3 places and you will need surgery.”
I went to the best Orthopedic Surgeon in the city (they do The Bulls and The White Sox athletes) and they confirmed I will need surgery and that these are bad breaks. I will need a plate and at least 5 screws.
They can’t do the surgery yet because of all the swelling – my foot all the way up to my calf looks like a balloon.
The doctor said it would be 3 months to recover – but from reading all the entries it sounds like it is a lot longer?
It has been a week and I am already depressed. Thought I felt better yesterday and did not take any pain medication. I have only been taking Codine (1 or 2 a day) and now they said I can’t take Advil because I have to prepare for surgery.
In the middle of the night and this morning I was in great pain and it feels like its swollen again. ANY time I move it swells.
My 3 middle toes are also purple/blue today as the bruising seems to be going everywhere – is that bad??
I’m scared.
I can’t truly start healing until after the surgery on Wednesday and I am just trying to get from my bed to the bathroom and then scooch on my butt down the stairs to sit on the couch. It takes forever to do anything and is so painful – my foot and ankle start getting stabbing pains and throbbing when I stand.
This is already incredibly boring and I am sleeping all the time.
I joke this accident turned me into my cat.
I can’t drive (get to work, take my child to school), cook, clean, take care of my 5 year old, do laundry, unload the dishwasher, walk my dog, even carry my own glass of water. I need help with Everything and it has been very trying on my marriage.
NO ONE seems to understand how frustrating or lonely this feels.
My work is in total denial and thinks I will be back after a few weeks after the surgery. I was told it takes months.
Our work building is 4 levels of escalators/elevators Before I get to my office door AND the bathroom is down the main hallway of the floor with a key to enter and 2 doors to get through – ALL of these things I took for granted (as does everyone else) on how easy it is until you are on crutches!
My arms, back and shoulders are also hurting from the crutches.
It is amazing how in an instant your life can be turned upside down. I had no idea how breaking an ankle would be so life altering.
Thank you for sharing your info – everything is helpful!
Hi Monica,
We all know how you must feel. Please write anytime you want to vent or just say how you are feeling. We’re here to listen.
Best of luck with your surgery. It sounds like you have a wonderfulf surgeon. My accident happened on November 25th, 2011 and I am just starting to not use crutches all the time. I find that if I don’t use the crutches at work all day, I pay the price in the evening. It’s tax season and I am a public account, so this is my busy time of year. I started back to work in January, however, worked limited hours and now can work full time. Good luck and we are here to listen if you need to write.
Warm Regards,
Karen
I am going on 1 year since broken fib and cal and dislocation.
I have had 3 surgeries, One to put the screws and plate in and
two to remove them. Get your husband to at least get you a knee scooter. Insurance will pay for it. I used it constantly for the first few weeks. Also think about only one day at a time.
Get a large calendar and a heavy magic marker and X the days
out as you go. It helped me to be able to do that simple thing and prove I made it thru another day. I now walk fine and am completely healed. I do still have some stiffness and it can be sore once in awhile. But I made it and you can too.
I have enjoyed reading everyone’s stories. I’m barely 40 and I’m very active. I do cardio kickboxing, jogging, and run races. I was preparing to run my fourth race this year which will be on Memorial Day; however, unless I can get someone to push me in the wheelchair I won’t be participating… 😦 As I was running the course I was making great time my asthma nor allergies were not bothering me and was feeling really good about my accomplishments then all of the sudden “casmack” and down I went. I slipped on a small rock (size of a quarter) and it brought me down hard. Mind you it was a lot faster than a jog. When I started to get up my right ankle was completely turned inside and then I fell on top of it completely twisting my whole right leg. Instead of standing right up I moved over to the grass and tried to move my ankle and at the moment the pain had not set in and I did not hear a pop because I had headphones on jamming to Bad Girlfriend… So as I’m getting up the headphones come off and I started to take off running but I thought lets take a few steps first. Well that didn’t go well and thought I better get to my car. My car was 2 1/2 blocks away which was more like 1000 blocks away but I really didn’t think that until I had taken about 20 steps. OMG the pain was kicking in and I had walked a block by this time and was in misery and was still a block and a half away. ACK, then a man drove by he was at the carwash and he went to the stop sign then backed up to where I was at and asked if I needed help. He proceeded to tell me that he thought maybe I was in therapy and was out walking but then it hit him he had just seen me run by. I took him up on his offer and he helped me in his truck and helped me get to mine. I could not thank him enough! I drove home with my left foot (I drive really well with both) and as I was driving home I realized I knew the kind stranger and I;m in the process of getting a hold of him to do something nice for him. The funnier parts come after the first part was really lame but I was scared and not one person in my family answered their phones or have helped me through this. I get home and no one is here so I hopped to the end of my car and cried like a baby going up 12 steps to get into the house. When I got in I crawled through the house grabbing an icepack as I proceeded to remove my running shoes. I pulled it off and it hurt like the devil and I could only move my big toe and the second one but it didn’t look bad at that moment. I hurried up and got in the tub ‘thinking if it’s broke this my be the last bath my ankle sees for 6 weeks or more. I had my icepack on my ankle as I washed my hair on my hands and knees and when I get out and start drying of I screamed I have a contusion and I heard laughter coming from the living room. (they thought it was funny how I said it) I hopped to the bedroom in my robe and my hair wrapped up in a towel. (my balance is pretty good from the cardio Kickboxing) I get down o the floor so I can ice my foot and dry my hair so we can make our way to the ER. I look down again and scream OM I have a Contusion and a Hematoma… They were dying laughing at me (my other have and my 3 young men and one of their girlfriends. They tortured me saying its just a sprain until the last one came out and my oldest son who is going to college studying Athletic Training it is also the college that I work in and do the advising for. Very fortunate) After I get my hair dried I removed the icepack only to see a new knot and screamed OMG not another one and My oldest comes back in and says to me um I think it’s dislocated. Well, I have an avulsion fracture on both side of my ankle and I can not move 3 of my toes or bend or flex my foot my foot feels like it was shot up with Lidocaine it feels like your jaw after they numb it and has that rubbery feel. It aches like no tomorrow and the sharp pains OMG. My actual foot doesn’t hurt but I can’t put pressure on it and my ankle is deformed on both sides. I meet with the ortho surgeon this Wednesday at 8:30 am and I’m praying for no surgery. I will post back after Wednesday….
Plantar Fasciitis anyone?
Anyone here suffering from plantar fasciitis as a result of their broken leg/ankle/foot? I have been living with it ever since I broke my foot jogging nearly 3 years ago. I had never even heard of it prior to my broken foot experience but it is certainly painful–mine is just my right foot, the one I broke in 2009; the PF started shortly after I got my cast off. Physical therapy/home exercises, frequent icing morning/evening, off-the-shelf/expensive custom orthotics, a night splint and most recently 8 weeks in an orthopedic boot have not helped much, if at all. First thing some mornings I indeed cannot even walk on it. Three months ago my podiatrist finally resorted to putting me into the boot for 8 weeks to see if it would help–his next step was to be surgical release. Now one month out of the boot, my PF seems to be in remission—I have a checkup with him this afternoon.
Has anyone experienced this or better yet, conquered it?
I’ve broken my leg in two different spots. I hate being stuck in the house during the summer time but this is my 3 week in my fiberglass casts. & I feel no pain I havent took a pain pill in a week. When do yal think I will be back
And by the way I didn’t need surjury the doctor said !
Hello
I’m 30 years old and five weeks ago I broke both femurs, my left patella, my left elbow and my right ulna in a car accident. I was in hospital for about a month and now I am home and managing to shuffle round with a frame. The femurs have both been nailed, my elbow has been wired and my ulna fixed with a plate (which has since broken and will require more surgery), but me knee has been left to heal on its own. To add to my complications I am also 21 weeks pregnant and my belly is expanding rapidly! Am very grateful that baby was not hurt in the accident but finding being immobile very frustrating as I’m usually very active. Am keeping my fingers crossed for a rapid recovery as I have to give birth and look after a new born in just over four months. It’s good to know that there are other people out there having similar experiences!
Here I am reading comments about all of these broken ankles and legs and it makes me a bit queasy ,but at the same time it is nice to know I am not alone. My story is slightly different. I was arguing with my 17 year old son. I slapped him, apparently hard because he turned into a raging lunatic. I took off running. Didn’t get very far when I braced my self for what was to come. He somehow landed on top of me like a tackle and immediately my leg gave out from under us and I recognized it to be broken. So not only is is broken, but broken the day after my 44th birthday by someone who used to be my pride and joy. Went to the hospital holding my leg in the air. Ex rays were fun! Gave me something for the pain , splinted it and planned surgery for the next day. I have 6 kids. This is not the type of retreat I needed. Broke all three major bones in my ankle including 60% of the tibia. My doctor said it is the worst he’s ever seen. Great. not only is my leg broken, but my heart too. Had a hard time after surgery with the pain , I’m allergic to anything with codeine and morphine didn’t take away the pain. Had terrible pain the evening upon leaving the hospital . Went back and had the temporary cast removed to find I had fracture blisters. This happens In about 3% of the cases I was told. Great . Just add some sore itchy bulging weepy painful blisters to the mix, why not. I was told this occurs when there is severe trauma. Something to do with the dermis and it’s response to injury . Again. Great. So here I am almost two weeks out with 35 staples , three incisions and a majorly swollen foot. Surely due to torn ligaments. Iwill meet with the surgeon tomorrow , the first I’ve seen him in the 2 weeks( he went on vacation ) I’ll find out exactly how many screws on those three plates and a rod. Not that it matters, just something to tell the airport security:) good luck to everyone out there. Hopefully I will wear my high heals again. I guess that can be a pathetic goal to set. Although, when it comes time to choose them or flats I wonder what it will be. There must be a lesson in all of this , I wonder what it is. Or could it be karma? Really, have I been that bad of a person, because I wouldn’t wish this on anyone! Ever!
Im sorry to hear that your son would do such a thing. I know that just makes the break so much harder for you. I will be praying for you and your family. Try to hang in there, it does get better.
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On June 10 I was playing softball and rolled my ankle on first base and I hear snap,that could be heard across the field. I broke the tip of my fibula off (straight across break) , apparently thats not very common. Also sprained the ligament in the front of the ankle. I had surgery done, 7 screws and a plate. I am now on month 2 of no weight bearing. I am suppose to get the syndesmotic screw out next month. I am so anxious to be able to just walk again. My last doc visit xray showed that my bone is not healing yet. It is in place with the screws and all but still broken. I have really been deppressed, but your website has put a smile on my face. Thank you
Hi / Mary i am glad you found this site it was my savior when i broke my ankle back in 2010 / stay strong !!
I am glad too, it gave me hope. I have 3 kids and I am a single mother, and just when I needed a smile, here it was. How was it walking after your break?
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I am 25yrs old and was in a horrible car wreck DEC 6, 2012. It is April 2013 and im still non weight bearing on my right ankle. Among fracturing my skull, nose, shoulder i broke my tibia, fibula and talus bones in multiple pieces along with crushing my calcaneous (or heel bone) into fragments that they couldnt put back together. I had two steel plates put into my leg, one long straight one and one L-shaped one. I have so many screws i didnt count. After 100s of stitches removed and 4 surgeries later, i still cannot weight bear. its horrible. i use a wheelchair when i leave home and a walker while im here. im so afraid that i wont walk again. I am a RN and loved my career, however i would walk about 5miles a day because it required so much hustling around. I fear that i wont be able to walk again and i know that i must find a new career path. 5yrs of college for something i cant do anymore is saddening. i must go to a desk job when i return back to work, they want to do another surgery, 5th one, in december to fuse the joint. i have a lot of nerve damage and pain, along with bone pain from the fragments, especially in my heel because they couldnt fix that. the scar tissue had to fill in the spaces, and now it feels like broken glass on the bottom of my heel. i have boot i wear when im out. but the swelling is so bad i cannot wear it long. they say swelling takes over 1yr to go down. im beginning to wonder what career choices i should pursue since everything has changed so drastically for me.
i think that if i was older i wouldnt fear so much because id have a family to care for me and id have lived my life (the majority of it). but being only 25…single and was into the 1st yr of my career i find this traumatic for me. i lost so much blood i had 4 transfusions and i dont remember the first 2weeks of ICU. however i am lucky to be alive. another fear i have is that they are trying to cut me completely off my narcotic pain meds which are the only ones that seem to work for the bone pain, any ideas on how to make the DRs listen to me?? i think they assume that because im young im drug seeking, which is ridiculous knowing my past, i refused to take any pain meds when i had kidney stones. but this is a whole other level of pain for me. i need them to get out of bed!! any ideas on how to make dr, understand and cooperate??
i hope to continue to make a positive impact in peoples lives with my RN background or go on to college to further my studies. I wonder if there is something that doesnt require much walking but will still be interesting and fulfilling. i need to do more research but if any ideas let me know!! sorry for the misspelling…im typing on my android in the dark right now, my power is out and i cannot do anything about that!! 🙂 much luck to everyone on here. i feel your pain.
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Hi, Broke my ankle May 4 after slipping and falling down the stairs inside our house. Had surgery on May 8 and am trying to take it 1 day at a time and figure out any pointers I can. Broke the small bone on the outside of my ankle, had a metal plate and 7 screws put in. In a caste up to my knee. Am managing the pain w/ Tylenol and other minimum pain meds every 4 hrs., Pointer, the hospital says no Advil or Ibuprofen or meds in that category as that does not aid healing. Keeping the ankle up above my heart with ice on it while on the couch is key, and a thin cushion under my bottom helps it not be so sore. I can crutch around reasonably well when I need to for short distances because any more than 30 minutes in a downward position and the ankle starts to swell, feels like a vice grip is around it. I can stand at the sink for a sponge bath with my bad leg kneeling partially on a high plastic folding stool with a towel on top for padding. If I have to carry anything from one room to another while crutching I can have a very light cloth grocery bag over my shoulder if the items aren’t too heavy. I also found I can move things around a little in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room if I use the counters near me to slide items across, or to transfer items a short space from one counter to another. Mostly, I try to have everything I need within reach at a table and foot stool next to the couch. Thank goodness for the internet to cut the boredom! My husband is a huge help, couldn’t do this without him and we try to maintain our sense of humor and patience as this is a huge inconvenience for both of us. I see my doctor on May 17 and hope to be able to go back to work part time May 20 as I am a teacher and this is the end of my school year. A walking scooter with handbrakes that you can steer and a small platform to kneel on as an alternative to crutches was recommended by several people and my physician agreed. I just have to heal more for my ankle to tolerate that position. Would love to hear from anyone in similar circumstances, esp. if you’ve found any strategies that are helpful. It’s important for me to be as independent as possible while also doing what i need to do to get better as soon as I can.
I was in your same position last year. Broke my ankle in three places and had a plate and 7 screws placed. Was out of work over three months. I can tell you it does get better but it takes time. Here are a few things I learned. Get a very sturdy metal chair (or a commode chair. Place it in the shower. Using an inexpensive shower liner cut a hole in the shower liner just large enough to put your leg through to the outside of the shower. Rest your leg on another sturdy surface (a small table or chair on the outside of the shower) for support. And sit on the chair or commode inside the shower. Using a hand held shower head you can get a shower without assistance. Much better than a sponge bath. The scooter works great once you get the hang of it. Patience is most important. Do not try to rush it. You will only set yourself back. For me it has been over a year and I am pretty much back to normal (still can’t wear those high heels) but I am getting there. Good luck!
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I broke my fib tib chattered ankle in jan had external fixator fittrd 14pins and walj and walk remouved fixator after 4months 2months airboot was 5 months on crutches its very hard you think you will never get there i m just starting to walk unaided after 7 months with a limbjust gone back to work last week you will get there i doubled on calcium tablets good luck viv
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I fell from a storey building almost 2yrs ago,d pain was so unbearable,I didn’t go for X-ray cos I was scared I might not walk again and doctors might give me a report I don’t wanna hear. Yrs after I still feel pains n wud hv loved to go for surgery but couldn’t afford it. Can u tell me if I’m not in danger of ankle arthritis? Cos d ankle still hurts even though d pain is bearable…thanks waiting for ur reply
surgery or no, arthritis will probably happen, but it can happen to an uninjured ankle
What a beautiful and wonderful testimony some time things you don’t believe can just happen. My name is JACOB BRUCE, from U.S.A am 25 years old i got married at the age of 24 i have only one child and i was living happily .After one year of my marriage my husband behavior became so strange and i don’t really understand what was going on, he packed out of the house to another woman i love him so much that i never dream’s of losing him, i try my possible best to make sure that my husband get back to me but all to no avail i cry and i cry seeking for help i discussed it with my best friend and she promise to help me he told me of a man called Dr olokun, he is a very great man and a real man that can be trusted and there is nothing concerning love issues he cannot do that is why they call him Dr olokun. I contacted his email address at (drolokuntemple@gmail.com) And i told him everything that happen all he told me is that i should not worry that all my problems will be solved immediately. He told me what to do to get my husband back and i did, he said after 3days my husband will come back to me and start begging, it really happen i was very surprise and very, very happy our relationship was now very tight and we both live happily again. So my advice for you now is to contact this same email address:drolokuntemple@gmail.com, if you are in any kind of situation concerning love issues and any other things that give you problems. THANKS..
anyone,help,i am 57 years old,and 3 months ago i fell 18 feet straight down when the extention ladder i was onfell,the feet actualy kicked back on a slippery floor when i reached my arms up over my head to remove a lite fixture i just felt myself drop,allthough it was over in the blink of an eye,it seemed as in slow motion,i looked down and saw the floor comming closer and closer,i remember thinking ”this is really going to hurt”when i hit ,my right foot was still on the rung of the ladder and took the brunt of the impact,i thought it was broken,because it looked deformed,however,ex-rays told a different story,it has healed completely,but my knees,shins and ankles are so sore that i cant hardly walk and they seem to get worst every day,can anyone speak to this
If anyone still looks at this post please email me at londa_68ou_1@yahoo.com. Lets chat about our temporary handicap. We have to laugh it is better than crying. Look forward to hearing from someone.
Dr EKUKU is the best spell caster ever.
i just have to share this testimony
Dr Ekuku is the best spell caster ever,I just have to share this good news with you out there. After Philip and I had words this morning,just three days after i contacted Dr Ekuku.Then this evening around 7:30 he sent me an sms to say he wanted to talk. Naturally I played hard to get, then he said he still loved me and that he was sorry.We ironed out a few issues so we are back on speaking terms,Dr Ekuku is to thank for the sudden turn around in Philip after he cast the reunion spell. Thank you so much for putting a smile back on my face again. Even Philip seems happier and admitted that he was miserable since the fall out we had 6 months ago. I will definitely recommend your site to all my friends. I am a believer.if you are facing hard times with you love life or any problem at all reach Dr Ekuku on ekukutempleofsolution@gmail.com.
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little comment to support you.
Hello Heather glad you well, for me went too brush garden fail broke my wrist, In May Have A Cast on, And Stay In pain, need surgery , but no.job , no.money. The insurance have only.pays , 50.percent. and hospital.here leesburg florida , will not help.me with 5 ,436.00, said this is not an emergcy lo , not good, trouble is they wa n t me to take out loan with them $400.36.00 to.have surgery , and make payment. Per month., bad thang is have no.job, too make payments have too find another job, but have too have surgery get well. To work , ? What do think.i should do, ca n t find any help. Any were,
So 3 days ago came home from a short night out.. headed to the tv room I slipped on 2 stairs that I have never had a problem with before and twisted my ankle which i put back in place a few minutes later took some x-rays the next day and it turns out I fractured my fibula..now with wearing an aircast the swelling has gone down, just hoping to heal 100% and be able to continue on with basketball and running
I broke 8 bones in my ankle last sun I hurt all the time I’m bown for three months after that I don’t know I still can’t figure out how I broke 8 I don’t get it
Eight is way too many. How did you manage it? I only had two fractures and that was pretty intense. Take care and get better.
I injured my ankle about 4 day ago and they told me at the er that it was just a sprain. On the outside of my ankle now iI got a huge bump and its extremely swollen. I try to take my sock off it feels like its shifting and extreme amount of pain I try to put weight on the out side of my foot it can’t be done without horrible pain, I try to turn my foot in I can’t unless I want more pain that goes from the outside of my ankle to my shin I can’t even sit Indian style is this just a simple sprain or not. Because it doesn’t feel like a sprain seeing how I sprained my ankle numerous times this don’t feel like a sprain. Any opinion helps. Also I can put a small amount of weight but it has to be very minimal and on the inside of my foot.
Please get our ankle looked at once more. Did you get a referral at the ER to see your doctor or another doctor? Call your family physician and have it looked at again. Sometimes a fracture shows up more pronounced on the x-ray after a day or tow. Sometimes the ER is slammed and mistakes are made. Even if it is “just” a sprain, that involves tearing of the ligaments and perhaps needs stabilization and protection. Let us know what you find out.
Hi all! just found this site,so glad there are others out there sharing the pain.fell and broke both ankles,no weight bearing on them so am confined to a wheelchair,this was sept,27th had plate and pin put in right ankle,hope to put some weight on left one in a few weeks,im in my late 50s ,my upper body strength not so great,finding everything a bit of a challenge ,need all your best tips and tricks just to do simple things.Pain is getting better,as long as i do nothing.this one week after surgery.hope you all a speedy recovery.
Hi All-
Such an awesome space to share our stories so here’s mine. I had the day off of work and was catching up on some housework duties. Looking outside I could see my husband struggling to do a Fall cleanup on our yard. Knowing I had a few hours before my afternoon appointments (hair cut and pedicure) I walked outside fully geared up to assist my husband. Plus, I figured it couldn’t hurt to burn some extra calories before Thanksgiving. One hour later, I’m right on the edge of the hill behind out house just barely having stopping myself from going over. I’d fractured my ankle falling because of some wet leaves. A walking boot and 8 weeks later I’m now in an ankle brace and can wear 3 pairs of the numerous pairs of shoes/boots I actually own. A few phrases I’m tired of hearing:
1. It could have been worst.
2. You know, a sprain is so much worst than a break or fracture.
3. The boot’s not so bad, in my day they’d have you in a cast up to your hip.
4. What did you DO?
5. How much longer with a. the crutches, b. the boot, c. the limp?
6. So, can you drive with that thing?
7. Do you miss the gym?
8. How have you changed your diet to accommodate for the lack of activity? By they way, I didn’t = 10 lbs baby in 2 months – GAINED!
i bet ur foot looks so sexy in that cast hope u feel better
Nice article ! Just to add my thoughts , if anyone needs to fill out a SSA-3820-BK , my family filled out and esigned a sample version here https://goo.gl/1m9600.
Hello all,
I am about to have my 4th ankle surgery. The bones refuse to mend. This time, they’ll put a Truss, Rods & more pins.
Had anyone gone through this and what was your recovery time?
Thx Don
Hello everyone be been reading like crazy about ORIF I broke my leg, I’m like everybody else however reading about I didn’t break my leg like everybody else I literally slipped on a piece of paper in my house on my hardwood floors broke my right fibula and my tubular wad disconnected from the other part of my Telus I believe it’s called, which lens is pretty sufficient amount of space between the two bones that was on November 14th 2016 I had my surgery December 7th 2016 and was put in a partial cast of it’s called and then on the 27th 20 days after my surgery I got put in a regular cast I want to know what will happen in four weeks when I go back when I get my cast off and get a walking boot should I start trying to put pressure on my leg it doesn’t hurt at all I took a few steps this morning which is New Year’s Eve 2016 it was a little complicated but it didn’t hurt I think that I’ve been doing pretty well not having any type of pain medications since the break initially due to Insurance complications I what is popping Tylenol like Skittles and started to feel like a junk, Lol explain to my orthopedic surgeon the problem I was having with the insurance in my vacation and he just told me to Google home remedies for pain for my ankle some of the things have worked out pretty well I just wanted to know should I or should I not trying to walk before I get mine walking because I don’t like feeling incompetent and I don’t like depending on people and I’m a dancer n just really want to know if I’ll abale to dance like before. Best wishes to everyone who has undergone this crazy experience an surgery. Get well sopn. Amd mostly walk,run,work,play,skate orwhater u do carefully, I wouldn’t not wish this injury on my enemy. HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY SAFE NEW YEAR 2017.
Hello – I’m looking for feedback on the Freedom Crutch knee platform. Has anyone used this? Thoughts?
Hi James. I used a knee scooter. My friend recently broke her ankle and she ordered a knee crutch. She returned it the next day. She’s ridiculously active- climber and works out. She wanted something that would give her the most freedom. Although she didn’t like it, I’d suggest ordering it from a place with free returns. She ended up getting a knee scooter and using crutches when the scooter was not doable. Try it out. The good thing about a knee scooter is you can rent, or buy. If you buy, you can resell and someone will buy it within a few days.
هيئة المهندسين التجمعيين – corps des ingenieurs du parti du RNI
corps des ingenieurs du parti du RNI
I am almost 8 years post ankle breaks/dislocation. I am 51 now and am still struggling with daily stiffness, sharp pains, and swelling. Is this normal?
I broke my ankle 2 months ago Had a boot on for 7 weeks the ankle seems fine but the top of my foot seems to me swollen and hurts could this be cause d by the boot
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Broke my left ankle 3 times now??? Most recent 4 days ago,?? I don’t know if I am going to be in a cast long however they are gonna have to rebreak it in 6wks??