2,203 thoughts on “Update-Broken Ankle-1 Year later”

1. Louise,
   With ankles nothing seems to quite work out as expected. Even here in the US everything seems totally complicated when it comes to anything medical. Mostly incomphrehensible, actually! Can’t you enquire of a doctor or someone about why this change has occured? Of course, you may be put on hold all day or have someone in India answer the phone.

   It’s cutting it close for the New York trip! New York generally requires a lot of walking. What are your plans there? Perhaps I can give you some idea of the walking involved since I’m very familiar with the city. Of course there are always taxis but they seem to be much harder to get than in London.

   CLARK!
   I sent you an e-mail. Hope to hear from you. Send your phone # so I can call you next week.

   Sandra,
   If I meet up with Clark, then someday I have to meet up with you too! That would be something. I’d love to go back to visit London. Right now, though, it would cost a fortune since the dollar isn’t worth much, so you’ll have to come here.

   Watch you feet everyone!

2. Ugh!!

   I am so annoyed at the British so called National Health Service!! My surgery has been put back a week. I was told that it would be by a particular doctor (who I had met, and seemed to know what he was talking about!) in my local hospital, which is about a 10 min drive/short, rather inexpensive taxi ride from my house, on the 30th june. The surgery is to remove two of the screws in my foot, so I can start weight bearing on it. I had my cast off 8 days ago, and was just shooed out the door when it was off….no support bandage, no exercises to do at home, nothing. I was just told to “wiggle it about a bit and get some movement back in it!”. I was also told it would be under local anesthetic, as its a small op, plus I dont deal with anesthetic very well, and it takes me ages to come round, plus I feel so sick, and wobbly for a couple of days afterwards.

   THEN today I get a letter from the hospital telling me, actually it is on the 7th of July, at a hospital which is like nearly 30 miles away, I have to go to that hospital for a pre-op assessment (which is what I thought I had last week!) and it’s going to be under a full anesthetic. I am just sooo angry with them right now. I have no way of getting to the hospital….dont know of anyone who can drive me there as of yet, and on TWO occassions, and I hate opperations. Plus, that only then gives me two weeks until fly to new york for my holiday, and I know its not going to be back to normal, and argh….Im just so angry and upset now. I know its only one week later, its just that EVERYTHING they told me originally is totally different!!!!
   Plus I am now going to have to go back to work before the surgery (which I didn’t want to do!) becuase I cant afford to live off of nothing anymore.

   Well…thats my moan!! Very annoyed. And nothing I can do about it either. A week doesn’t seem that long, but Im sure as everyone on here knows, when your stuck at home, bored out your brain, staring at 4 walls, it seems like an eternity!

   Hope everyone else is doing well!

   Louise x

3. Hi Clark,
   I just looked at a map and I see you are way up there next to Paradise!!!! Why, when you are so close, would you move away?? OK, then there’s Barry’s Creek. I look at all these places and have read about them. Oh, that wild west CA history, which you are part of!!!

   I’ll be in Visalia Wednesday. Thursday my sister and I are going to Yosemite National Park and staying over night in a tent. Friday afternoon we will head back and one thing I thought of is that we could go out the west enterance and meet somewhere on Route 99 so you wouldn’t have to come down so far. Any ideas on that? Saturday and sunday are the remaining days. One of those days we are going into the foothills to my nephew’s remote cattle ranch somewhere in a canyon beyond Porterville. This place is so remote that when my husband and I went there he said if we drove the car over a creek or fell of a ledge and got stuck that we would die. (We had to drive through gullies and creeks…stuff I’m sure you know about.) Now my husband is born New Yorker so you can get the picture. Monday I am flying back. I can e-mail more details, phone # etc.

   I read your tribute to Nathan. Wonderful and thanks for posting it. Anyone who has a dog and loves dogs will appreciate it. They are truely man’s best friend. My husband never had a dog and was a bit skeptical when he married me with my dog but has changed his mind ever since.

   OK, a little diversion from broken ankles. I hope your ankle is improving. Can you feel it now?

4. ANKLEQUEST:
   Visalia is about 300 due south from Chico, about a tank full of gas and 5 hours. Would be wonderful to meet you. Email me back with info of your trip at [email protected] and we can go back and forth about it. Sounds like a fun road trip, my first since the ankle break, and I know CJ would love to get on the road, but finances dicate all. Email back when time permits.
   Clark

5. Correction to Nathan’s Obiturary.

   May 20, 1993 – April 28, 2008.

   Oh well, nothings perfect, DAMMIT!
   cd

6. Hello Everyone!
   This may seem out of place, but it seems fitting, since I had recieved so many nice comments from you.
   So condiser it an obiturary to all of our wonderful friends that have shared out lives with us. Not just mine, who was so special to me, but to all of us, as yours were to you. If interested, read on, and if not you cup of tea, scroll down.
   Here then, is my obiturary to Nathan.

   NATHAN
   May 20, 1993 – Feb. 28, 2008

   He was one of those truly “one of a kind dogs” that we all have had in our lives. Very much like his sister, Annabelle. But one of a kind hardly covers what he really was, to me and to everyone that knew him. He was such a special personality, housed in a magnificent example of Golden Retriever.
   He was 14 years, 11 months, and 8 days old when he went for his final nap at the vets, from respiratory distress, but everything else about him was in fine shape. He weighed 110 lbs. when he passed on to those green fields full of tennis balls to join Isabella, his mate, and Annabella, his sister, way up there, somewhere! Everything worked and worked well, until his lungs started to fail. And with the heat wave and coming summertime hotter temperatures, that didn’t take long. Perhaps a blessing in disguise, but I would never believe that. But he was certainly something else. I never wanted him to suffer, and he did not.
   He was my best friend and constant companion for 15 years and I was honored and humbled to be able to share my life with him. He was something special, alright! As are they all! He loved to sit and hold his head straight up, with his chest thrust out, as if he was looking at the sky or howling at the moon, and he loved to have his chest rubbed and assume the retriever position. He was really something else. Absolutely beautiful!
   He and his siblings were born on May 20th, 1993, and he was four months old and a terror to his parents and his owners, when my good friend Ann called me to tell me that she and Bob had just replaced Nadia, their beautiful Yellow Lab, that had passed on a short time before, with a beautiful female Golden Retriever female name Annabelle.
   Annabelle was a beautiful, tall female with a thin and elegant frame, a beautiful face with a long nose and wonderful color. She and Nathan both came from a line of Golden’s with Best of Show and Hall of Fame Champions in Show and Field in their lineage. As brother and sister they spent many days together, chasing tennis balls and swimming in Ann’s pool.
   Ann remembered my other Golden, Bradford Regency, now long gone (1973-1986) that I was fortunate to share my life with,, and she and Bob decided on a Golden this time, and after picking up Annabelle, there was one dog in the litterleft, a big, bruiser of a male, and she told me that he was destined to be with me, and to go and pick him up, and I did.
   I drove over to Sierra Madre, or wherever it was that his owners lived, and met everyone. His dad was a big boned, strong, beautiful 110 pounder, and his mother was a slim, classy, elegant female of about 80 pounds. And then he ran in. He was a beautiful boy; small and big at the same time, white and cuddly and full of puppy smell, and razor sharp teeth and huge feet that went everywhere, and he ran into my arms when I met him. I think everyone was glad to see him go, as it is when it is time to go, for pups. He sat on my lap all the way home. I named him Nathan, after my brothers’ dog, whom I really loved many years ago. The name fit him well and he wore it well. He was as much my son as if born into my family, and I was blessed to have him with me for what seemed like forever, 15 years, a lifetime and a full one, as it turned out.

   I lived on the eastbound on ramp of the 101 Hwy. at Woodman Ave. in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California.
   I moved there after retiring from the Police Dept., injured on duty and now working Executive Protection and Estate Security for Playboy Enterprises Inc. at the Playboy Mansion, just outside Beverly Hills, in Los Angeles. I had been there for 8 years and was the Asst. Security Supervisor, and had just moved into the little fourplex apt. just off Woodman, and now with Nathan, I had to build a fence. I put up a roughly 200 linear foot centered on 8 ft. 4×4 posts, solid redwood, screwed in no nails, 3 gate, beautiful fence that surrounded the complete fourplex, and sent the homeless that lived in the bushes packing, and over the six years that we lived there absorbed the $2500.00 cost the fence to something like $34.00 per month, or about $1.00 and change per day. Well worth it. It took me many trips to Home Base, many loads of bagged cement for the posts, many hours and nights and weekends building the fence, but he was with me all that time, on his leash, tethered to a riser, grinning and smiling all the time. L APD Metro used to stop by and visit as the fence went up, and many of the beat units as well. I worked with both street and Metro units as a consulting investigator during my first three years in LA, and after I went to work with Playboy, my friends still stopped by. That fence was never tagged with gang graffiti during the 6 years we lived there!
   That fence survived the Jan. 17,1994 4:01 AM Northridge quake, when all the other fences in the neighborhood had fallen down, and it is still stands today! When the quake hit, Nathan knew something was up, and he was scared, and started barking like crazy, and I was asleep in bed after a 12 hour security shift at the Mansion, and when it hit, Nathan left skidmarks over 5 feet high on the east wall of the hall as he headed for the door, followed by me, waking up as he was literally bouncing off the walls, while my 70 lb. Olympic weight lift bar, that had previously been tilted north away from my bed (the weight set was in the entrance portion of my bedroom, very small place) and as I left, unbeknownst to me, it had slipped the southward direction and landed with one end on my pillow, just where my head was prior to the quake. It would have killed me had I stayed in bed. We made it outside, with the other residents of the complex, amazed at the fires in the distance, car alarm sounding, emergency equipment racing by and sirens all going off at once, and all were thankful that we were alive, He was not even a year yet, back then. So long ago, so fresh in memory.
   Shortly after the earthquake, with Nathan about 2 years old, I decided it was time for Nathan to have a mate. We tried to find a rescue Golden after the quake, but there were none available, and we decided to find a litter and have Nathan pick out his future wife. A month later we found a beautiful litter in Redlands and Nathan made his choice, a beautiful 4 week old little female that he bonded with, and the red ribbon went around her neck until we picked her up a little over a month later. Isabella also came from a proud lineage of Field and Show Champions and Hall of Famers, and Nathan was the happiest I had ever seen him after he was united with his mate. Nathan literally raised her and groomed her, and when she was 4 years old, she and Nathan had 8 of the cutest little golden balls of fur that you had ever seen. 7 males and one female.
   Isabella was a wonderful mother and Nathan a proud father, and all went to great homes.
   After one litter and all that entails, I decided that one litter was enough, and Nathan was neutered and Isabella spayed, and never more ruled by hormones and needs that would have kept Issie perpetually pregnant and separated from her mate. That litter was a wonderful experience, but certainly one was enough.
   When he was about a year or a little older, we were walking the 2 + mile track at War Memorial Park, bordered by Van Nuys on the west, Woodman on the east,
   Riverside (I think) on the south, and Burbank on the north. It was a huge park and had a great packed hard dirt track to walk on and run on. During the earthquake the park became a tent city for weeks, until everyone was able to move back into their homes. Anyway, Nathan and I were walking west along the north track when I noticed 3 guys, European looking, all with dogs, leashed but not held, standing around smoking near the Van Nuys side. The dogs caught sight of us and I yelled at them to grab their dogs. They flipped me off instead and their dogs, a Dane, a Shepard and a Pitt, all came running at us. Lucky the Pitt was the slowest. The Dane and the Shepard reached us and the fight was on. I was kicking at the Dane with Nathan in full mix with the Shepard, as the Pitt came running closer, followed by the owners. They arrived and the closest took a swing at me, which I side stepped and caught him from behind and pushed him away. The others closed and we were outnumbered, so I pulled my Browning 9mm and held them off, and badged them at the same time, still holding Nathan, yelling at them to get their dogs, which they did. A very old security guard asked me if I needed help, and they now had their dogs and had backed off. I told him no, and told them to get the hell out of there and never to let their dogs go off leash again. They had sic’d them on me and Nathan, and they knew it and I knew it, and they were scared, and lucky things had not gotten worse. I told them to go, and we walked on home, cooling down, no injuries, but my adrenalin didn’t check for about 5 hours or so.
   Dog parks, and dog owners can be the worst. And that was not even a dog park, just a regular people park with rules for dogs.
   Another time we were heading up north to visit friends up on the north coast and Nathan, still a pup, was standing on the passenger window button with his head out the window, in the breeze, and had closed it on his neck. I was so shook up, with logging trucks coming and going, and no shoulder, it took me awhile to remember to shut off the passenger window controls, and then lower his window. But he was alright, and we laughed about it later.
   He was constantly at my side after I broke my ankle. He was always smiling from his couch, always next to me in bed, a bed hog for sure, always pushing me to the edge and leaving me just enough room not to fall out, and always making me realize that as long as I had him things weren’t so bad. He was surely my best friend, as they all are to all of us. He could never be replaced.
   In 2001, after 3 years as a Tribal Police Officer on a small Rancheria Tribal Police Department, I quit, and took a 50 pound Chow Chow mix with me, that had been abandoned on the Res when I arrived 3 years earlier, and when I took him home, Nathan and Isabella adopted him and he became a member of our family, and is still here with me. CJ (short for Clark Junior, named by a friend of mine, which stuck) was a wonderful friend and companion to Nathan after Isabella’s passing in December of 2006, and they were inseparable buddies on our many walks around the lake and trails in Butte County, until I broke my ankle.

7. Greetings all you Anklebreakers

   I should apologize for not writing sooner, Anklequest you can call that number anytime you want . So let’s see here where to start

   CLARK

   About time man, where the hell have you been hiding? Sorry to hear about your friend but I am glad to hear that you are able to sit up and take nourishment. Wow operation sounds like it was no picnic for you but I hope that it will help you move forward and progress better. As for me I think I will wait until and including the last possible moment before I let them do it to my ankle. But glad to have you back 

   Anklequest

   I do apologize for not writing more, been a little tough as of late, Sometimes life just seems to beat us up and we all have to work through that. I guess this has been and at times still is that time for the wife and myself. I need to get back to the gym and start working out again as walking has become harder as my legs and ankles and hip seems to be deteriorating quicker then we had hoped but I am hoping that getting back to the gym will restore some of the strength to the right ankle mostly as that is the major spot of the pain. Kinda makes it hard to walk without looking like a weeble wobble. But still moving forward and trying each day to make it through and fight off the desire to just sit down and say that’s it I’M done. On a good note the Daughters wedding is in 3 weeks and we are all looking forward to that. So one day at a time

   Celinda

   CONGRATULATIONS

   I am so happy and proud of how far you have come. See we told you when you get to do those things your son would still be there and then he and his MOM could do all those things together. As the old saying goes “you’ve come a long way Baby” keep moving forward kiddo and someday you will be telling us about your son’s wedding and how all of this is just a distant memory from a different age.

   Sandra, Tim and everyone else

   It is so good to see that all is progressing for you all.

   Tim sorry to hear about the fracture hope you get it corrected quickly and get back up and
   moving again? I hope this is a one time thing and not something that will be ongoing?
   But I am glad to hear from you.

   Sandra

   Good to hear from you and I am glad to see that you are still working and moving forward. Hope you’re getting to do some more traveling around and seeing different places where you are? And that you are getting to spend more time with the family?
   And that you get to see some of the nature you are always seeing on your walks. Maybe when we get some pictures of the wildlife around here I will get a chance to send them to you.

   As for me I keep trying to move forward one day at a time. As I said before walking at times is difficult for me Mostly because the right ankle and shin area gives me trouble and If I over use it at times it will not let me walk with out a pronounced limp. It really gives me trouble if I walk on grass fields and work with the kids in the medieval recreation group we belong to. If I work one day on the field I have trouble walking for the next three days. At times I have to switch back to the cane before the end of the day and must use it for a day after the event. But I hope that getting back to the gym will help with this.

   Remember everyone there is always someone worse off then we are. There is always someone that has had to put up with more operations, lost use of part of their body that we still have, put more hours in bed or therapy or had more operations then any of us would care to think about. So keep safe keep working and moving forward and above all keep the right part of your feet and legs on the ground. Because when are feet start going in different directions we end up here on a page like this talking to other people that understand why we can’t walk the right way  So be safe all

   Talk soon

   Don

8. Judy….let us know how the cast coming off goes!! Im sure it will be fine! And yay to you for being able to drive! I cant wait…another few weeks, then I will be driving again! (woo!)

   Hi chris. Great to hear that things are coming together for you!! Lots of things you cant do….no more bungey jumping for you then! (I will be quite sad if I cannot bungey jump again actually! It was fun! 🙁
   Hope your pain gets better soon enough and you can be cleared for more hours too. Good luck with it all!!

   Louise 🙂

9. Hello all, it’s finally been a full year plus two weeks, last year in may (2007) i was involved in a car accident ending up with bi-lateral dislocated fractured ankles. for three months i laid in a bed at home with 24 hour nurse care, during the fourth and fifth months i was in casts, then they came off. I couldn’t take it any more, physical therapy started and man was it painful, well for a week or so. In a months time i went from a wheelchair to a walker, to crutches, and on to sneakers. being it was five and a half months since the accident and being that i could walk pretty good with a good amount of oxycodone i started to ask my surgeon daily if i could go back to work. ( restaurants, 10 hours a day on feet ), reluctantly he cleared me, but for only 4 hours 3 days a week. now today seven months later, still having to take oxy only when working, i’m back in college because my docs wont clear me for any more hours due to my profession. I walk almost totally normal, physical therapy ended yesterday, and though i’ll never be able to ski, run, free climb, base jump, cliff dive, bungey, or ice scate, i feel great. good luck to you all, hope u guys and gals have a speedy recovery from here on out. Chris

10. Hi Louise,

    Cast will be off tomorrow and I am driving myself!!! I will be able to drive regardless of how long it takes to use my right foot again. The hand controls for the brake and accelerator is the way to go…but unfortunately for you, they only work on automatics and the Prius is 🙁 I need to practice again tonight so I don’t crash on the way there or back (all of a 3 mile round trip, but we all know when you need to get rides, could as well be 100).

    Sharon, we are all waiting to hear how you are!!!!

    x,o….Judy

11. Hello everyone!

    Judy…is your cast off now?? Thats so great about you driving!! I have missed driving soooooo much, and cannot WAIT to get back in the driving seat! I bet it feels great to be able to be a bit more independant now doesn’t it?? I have been told I should be able to drive again in about 1-2 weeks (ish) but I should prob wait till after my opperation though! Hmmm….
    I do have a manual though, and my clutch is very very stiff (and as its my left foot which is dodgey, probably best to wait a bit, as I dont want to crash!!!)

    Sharon…have u had your surgery yet?? how did it go??

    My ankle is aching so much, but not particuly painful though. I still have the aftermarth of my disgusting allergic gauze reaction, which are no longer blisters, but nearly a week later, they are lots of little red bumps, which dont look too great! Oh well. I am still not putting any weight on it, but the movement is slowly starting to come back. I can put my foot on the floor flat and bend my knee forward, and I can also point and curl my toes round as well, which I couldn’t do last week!! Overall, pleased with how its coming along!!!

    Much love to all!

    Louise 🙂

12. Hi Ana,

    That is GREAT to hear! I will simply tell them to authorized a different facility than the last (they had about 15-20 clients in a gym like place and about 3 therapist just roaming around).

    Good news here in hot S. Cal today…I got up early and hobbled my way on the crutches and installed the had controls on my delightful Prius and……DROVE!!!! Just a few blocks to see if I could drive myself to the Dr. Friday, and I will! Of course, I had to hobble back it but it gets better.

    From what everyone says, we will be swelling and throbbing for a very long time…

    Sharon, will be thinking of you tomorrow…best of luck to you…

    Clark, you are great!!! Stay up on that box! You ever go to care2.com? Lots of great petitions there!

    Bye all…

13. I am happy to say that I survived my first PT appointment!!! It was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. By the end of my appointment I had already gained 9 degrees in flexing my foot from the exercises the therapist had me doing. She even had me walking with my boot on and only using one crutch, that felt “great”. However, now my foot is starting to throb a bit but I have it iced & elevated. I am looking forward to the day I can run after my 2 sons again.
    Judy- you will do fine at PT, if I got through it, you can too!!! We just need to stay strong and a year from now this will all be a bad dream for us.

14. First, Sharon lots of luck tomorrow. I wish you all the best for a fast recovery and of course the biggest wish of all “pain free”…..

    Pam, PT I recall as a step towards being self-sufficient once again. It’s important and is NOT a “torture session”. Actually I always felt relieved and relaxed. It’s like going to the gym, yes you are sore, but its a good sore. Every time you go, you will notice a small difference, but with a few visits, you’ll see a great difference. Lot’s of luck….If at any time you feel uncomfortable, tell the PT. They are there to help you…don’t forget…

15. Judy,
    I just missed your post. If PT is to much than you have the wrong PT person. The therapist should push you but not so that you cannot take it. Plus it is true that in theory you may not really need crutches depending on your enjury, although it makes for an easier transition. A cane might work too. I didn’t use crutches very long after 6 weeks for they were very hard for me to use as I have carpel tunnel syndrone. My PT person told me if I could walk without then I didn’t need them. So that’s what I did. Good luck.

16. Pam,
    The PT will be just fine. It will not be as bad as you might imagine. Mine wasn’t bad at all.

    The important thing is to learn how to do things on your own while at PT so that you do not have to rely on PT for long.

    Since your bones are mended you need not be afraid of walking and weight. You can work on it in the house, and then progress to outside with the use of a cane or hiking stick.

    Good Luck & let us know how you do.

    Tim & Clark,
    Our dog Rufus, a poodle, is now blind and deaf, and currently has stomach problems. We are doing our best to give him back everything he has given to us. I’ve lived with dogs my entire life and could not imagine life without a dog.

    Clark, I hope you get another dog as soon as you are able too get around a bit more.

17. Hi Pam! Ditto for me…I get me cast off in just 3 days and was told I would have a boot or a lace up brace. When I said then I would use the crutches with that, he seemed to think I should not need it. That means full weight bearing right away? I cannot even imagine getting the cast off..it scares the heck out of me. It still hurts a lot of the time, ‘specially when I don’t elevate it. Physical therapy is coming for me too and want to know all you asked also. Actually have butterflies just thinking about this. I had therapy for a broken (other side) foot and it was so bad I quit…..GULP!

18. Hi everyone- I dislocated my tibia & fractured my fibula 6 weeks ago. I had surgery which required me to have 2 plates, 9 screws, and a pin placed in my ankle. I just saw my orthopedic for my 6 week post op visit and he said everyhing has healed & I can start walking with my boot on. I have been non weight bearing the entire time and am scared to step on my foot. I have my first physical therapy appt. tomorrow and I am also nervous about the pain I will have with therapy ( I have heard horror stories of people who have gone through foot, leg, knee therapy). Can anyone help me out & reassure me that I will get through this.
    Thanks and hope everyone is doing well.
    Pam

19. Anklequest,
    The fracture is right under the plate that I have and is about 3 inches long. Oh well could be worse, I could be pushing daisys right! :O) Thanks for asking,hope all is going well for you as well.

    Take care,
    Tim

20. Well Clark….WELCOME BACK !Im so glad to hear that your ok!!!!Im sorry that you have been thru soooo much lately and I truely hope that things get back to somewhat normal for you my friend. I am so sorry to hear about your dear friend Nathan,I have a friend like that of 12 yrs. a black lab, Duke and he to is getting up there in yrs. with some medical issues. Its very hard to see them like that when they are a huge part of our lives in many ways so again I am truely sorry for your loss. Take care of yourself and I look forward to reading your post in the future.

    Sincerely,
    Tim

21. WELCOME BACK CLARK!!

    Tim, I am so surprised to hear about your latest fracture. What caused that? Where is it located?

    Clark, I am so happy you posted. Some of us were very concerned. Frankly, I’m sure I’m not the only one who feared something dreadful had happened to you. Now the fusion is dreadful but at least you are OK and can think as manifest by your soap box!
    I can not agree more with your soapbox & could add a lot to it. Let’s get the oil barons, who are swimming in $ right now, to pay for some alternate energy research which we desperately need. meanwhile, I hope your fusion will eventually help you heal and allow you to move. By the way, I’m going to Visalia CA next week to visit my mother, who is 96, and still sharp as a tack. Are you anywhere near there? Where are you?

    Don, where are you? Please post & let us know how you are doing.

    Sharon, good luck with the surgery & keep in touch.

    Celinda, we are still here for you.

    Take care everyone.

22. Hello Anklebreakers!
    It’s been months since I’ve written in and was touched by everyone’s concern for me, resulting in Erica’s detective work and emailing me at home. Thanks for all of that to all of you. I am humbled. Probably many new members of this club (I first wrote in mid December ’07) and to those friends that I was in touch with and close to, and you know who you are, thank you for your concern again. Decided to update all of you and went to the end of the posts and saw that Tim was asking about me and realized that it had been much too long. Thanks, Tim!
    My computer died, virus, CPU problems, etc… and took awhile to get back online. My buddy of 15 years, my Golden Retriever, Nathan, passed on in late April, and this most recent operation, the right ankle Tri Mallealor fusion, was quite a bitch.
    Went in on April 9th, out on the 13, with the most post op pain I’ve ever felt of all four operations. Took 4 days to settle down and was able to go home, and then the boot, non weight bearing, etc… and pain pills. No feeling in the ankle or most of the foot. Two huge, perhaps 3/8th in lag screws (titanium) cross each other going into all of my ankle and lower leg bones, and still have the large long plate and screws up the back of my leg, inside my Achilles tendon, but the doc removed the two side plates and screws. No way to move it or exercise it or rehab it at all, yet, and no rehab prescribed. Not much to do with a fusion. The doc said to just slowly bear weight, and now, over two months past, I can walk around in just the boot, and will be back in the brace by August with the cane, I think.
    My right calf muscle is very small now, very atrophied, but will come back somewhat when I can start working out again. But without the flexion, there is not much to do to get it back, perhaps toe lifts, but not sure.
    I have been down abit, but then who hasn’t? This last year with 20 days over four operations has been fun, and not over yet, but the worst is over. Luckily I did not have to have part of my hip harvested for the fusion. Don’t know why, but got lucky there.
    Still planning on moving to the north coast. A high of 55 degrees up there compared to 95 here. Can’t wait.
    To close, on a political note, still have my soapbox handy, over this last year things in this county have gone straight downhill. Mother Nature is obviously pissed off at our abuse of the planet, with the world still not quite awake to the global warming crisis. Talking a lot about it but not doing much about it, especially the US. The constitution still takes its whacks from the Bush Administration, the Supreme Court still puts him in his place, and he promises to legislate a new law to yet still deprive the Gitmo group any due process. Just lockem up and throw away the key. Polar bears are now listed on the endangered species list, but the Bush Administration, under guise of the Federal Fish and Game Dept. has allowed a waiver to get rid of the bears if they are in the way of drilling or mapping or whatever, another end run around our already existing laws this moron we (not me) either elected or stole the 2000 (Florida) and 2004 (Ohio) elections, or both, into office. His administration will surely be listed as the most corrupt in modern history, and like the Romans, the city burned and everyone just looked on.
    Look for full scale war with Iran before he gets out, or a coup using Blackwater. Not inconceivable. Since most of you are recuperating, lying in bed or sitting in your recliners, think about the state of things, and no matter liberal or conservative, red or blue, Obama or McBush, make sure you make a difference this time and VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There was never a more important time to make your voice heard. Vote.
    Got that off my chest. Don, Anklequest, Sharon, Sandra, Tim, Nick, Erica, and any that I may have left out, thanks again for thinking of me.
    I’m back, can’t promise to what degree. But wish health and healing to all of you. And watch your steps out there, Anklebreakers.

    Clark

23. Thanks for that sharon!! I shall give this a go!! I have got a reasonable amount of movement back in the ankle, considering I only had the cast off 4 days ago, I am pleased with how its coming along anyway!
    Its not painful, just aches a bit, and swells up if my ankle is down for a period of time. I am noticing a difference already in the range of motion, coz I can pull my foot further back, and point my toes which I couldn’t do last week!! I am very determined to get as much movement back asquick as possible!! Grrr….
    hee hee!!
    And sharon, Im sure that your second surgury will go GREAT!! I have a small op on the 30th june, which Im a bit nervious about, but it will be fine Im sure!!
    Much love to all!! Keep smiling! 🙂

    Louise

24. Hi Tim,

    I’m good, thanks for asking. Right now I’m just awaiting my second surgery Thursday. I should have more info on Monday when I get back to work on how it went. I’m a bit scared and that makes me a bit irritable, but for the most part I’m doing well.

    Louise,
    As far as non-weight bearing exercises I was told by my physical therapist to get a belt and put it around the foot while sitting and watching TV and pull the foot up towards the body by the belt and hold it for a few seconds and then release. I usually did this after a hot bath because my foot seemed more relaxed then. Also you can get someone to hold the belt with tension to the right side and you try to pull your foot to the left against the tension. Then repeat for the other side. This helps to get movement back in your foot from side to side. Lots of luck with this.

    Sharon

25. Hello all,
    Anklequest,Don,Sharon&Sandra how have you all been? I have not been on here in a while and was wondering about you all. I hope this post finds everyone doing well.
    I went to the doctor two weeks ago to find that I have a new stress fracture so its back on crutches and in my boot for a bit longer.
    Hope all of the fathers have a great day today!
    Any word from Clark lately?

    Take care everyone.
    Tim

26. Hello all!! Thanks for the advice Judy about the airports. I am flying out from London Heathrow, but have to get a coach there, and when I arrive at the central bus depot, have to get a train to the terminal…..its gonna be interesting, but we shall get there im sure! hee hee!!

    Does anyone have any useful exercises to loosen this mess up?? It is very stiff, I can move my ankle up a tiny bit towards my body to approx 90 degrees, but cannot point my toe at all, and cant really move it a huge amount left to right. If anyone has any suggestions that are non-weight bearing ones other than wiggling it that would be fabulous!!!

    Many thanks!!

    Louise 🙂

27. Hi All! Sounds like a lot of you are on a recovering roll!
    Sharon…best of luck for an easy surgery! That is the day before my cast comes off (still cannot put weight on it though..worried about that).

    Louise…yuck! Freedom must be great (and a BATH!). Nice to know why you were so darn itchy! As to traveling on the plane..use a wheelchair (it is usually too much walking at airports) and they airline will take care of you. I did not do that the way out but boy did I learn my lesson! They will do everything for you. Allow extra time as they need to do a pat down.

    Pete…I am not there yet but I would assume that with the pain even with the cast, it is not going away just because the cast is off. I have one more week..they said either a boot or just a strap support that fits in a shoe (and HOW am I going to fit a shoe on this swollen mess?)

    Tracey…how did your surgery go????

28. Hello everyone!! I had my cast off yesterday!! FINALLY!!! Well…i broke and dislocated it on 23rd april, and had the cast off. I had a major reaction to the gauze or dressing which they used inside of the cast, so I have hundreds of tiny pussey blisters all over my ankle, which is disgusting…..it does explain the excessive itching in the cast though! I am just very glad I didn’t poke more stuff down in there to scratch it!! (I only poked stuff down there on 3 occassions, when I could not bear the itching any longer!!)

    So yeah..they took the cast off, everyone in the plaster room including me went “Ewww…thats a bit odd!” at my leg covered in blisters, and UNBELIEVABLY hairy, very skinny and very scaley too! Then i had x-rays and they said that the bones have knited back together very nicely, poked and proded my ankle in various places for some time, and then decided I was ok to leave.

    I have to have another operation (only under local anesthetic I believe) in 2 weeks to take out some larger screws going across the bones, before I can put all of my weight on it. They have said I can put like 10% of my body weight on it through my toes, enough to balance and thats it, until the screws are removed, else they may snap inside the bones and hey may not be able to get them out which is slightly scary!!!

    But after this had been organised they said I was free to go….no walking boot, support bandage, nothing, just me, and my gross blistered foot out into the cold British summer!!! I am very glad I wore long trousers to cover the leg, as ppl were looking! But I didn’t take a shoe as I didn’t realise the cast was coming off, which was unfortunate!!! Oh well.

    So yeah…my foot is so stiff, although I can do tiny circles with the ankle, but cannot point my toe at all…which feels so odd! It is very swollen, and I can only wear flip flops, which is quite irritating, as I love my shoes, and don;t really wear flip flops!!

    But my victory yesterday was having a proper bath for the first time!! Obviosuly becuase of the blisters I could not shave all my leg, or exfoliate all of it either, but its better than nothing. I am just using Sudocream on it to try and heal it (although the hospital gave me nothing, and told me to do nothing!!) But Oh my goodness….it feels so nice for it to be FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Hope everyone else is doing fabulous!!! Much love to all!!!

    Louise 🙂

29. Hi to all. I really don’t have an update right now. I don’t seem to have as much pain as I did and I seem to be getting some of my muscle tone back in my calf finally, not alot but some. I am just awaiting surgery next Thursday, 19th and will have more of an update I’m sure after that. I’m happy for you Celinda. I know you are ecstatic about being able to be out and about now, but no more so than your child I’m sure.

    Anyway, glad to hear all is getting better and better with everyone.

    talk to you real soon.

    Sharon

30. I started walking (with a walking boot) this week. Its nice to get around. That said, I am experiencing some minor aches and dull pains. I’m assuming that is to be expected?

31. Hi Everyone,
    After much grief about not being able to get to certain internet sites, my husband finally talked to a help desk in India and the person told us it was our router. We were skeptical, but it was the problem. Go figure.

    Celinda, it is wonderful to hear you are doing so well now. I am thrilled that you can get out and do some things!!! What a great thing that is! I remember the first trip I took from home in the car after my broken ankle and it was better than the first time I ever drove a car.

    Sandra, glad to hear from you. All the Chuckies show up from time to time but seem to have scattered a bit into the woods. The latest thing is that a crow family has taken residence in a tall cedar 100 feet from our house and the big dark hulking giant “babies” are about ready to leave the tree. No wonder that were no other birds nesting in the bushes next to our house this year. No robins, cardinales or other song birds. I did see a bear the other day ambling through.

    Cheers to everyone! I would like to hear updates from Sharon & Ana.

    Don, where are you? If I don’t see a post soon I’m going to call that number you gave me.

32. Hi all,

    How is everyone doing, I am doing alot better. I am able to walk better and I am able to drive now. I am very happy about that. I have taken my son to a lot of places, like park, zoo and me and my son are going out of town this weekend to my sisters house. This will be our first trip in over 2 years. I am happy.

    Celinda

33. Anklequest, thanks for the info. I will see if I can get on to this site.

    Hope the heatwave is not too much.

    We had hot weather earlier this week, but it’s cooled down a lot (again!)

    Hi to the rest of you.

    Sandra

34. Hi Everyone,
    I’m still having problems posting. I do get the posts that are being sent to my home e-mail but I cannot post from there.

    Christi started a new site, possibly because this one now has so many posts and takes time to load. Perhaps some of you can try that site as posted below:

    https://www.twistermc.com/christi/87/broken-ankle-2-years-later/

    Ana and Sharon, best of luck.

    My ankle is getting better this summer. It think it is because I am more active walking and sitting less so it doesn’t swell as much. In fact, sometimes I do not feel it at all.

    Sandra, critter problems are getting worse. Will post sometime later.

    We are in a heat wave! I hope it cools down soon. All this dramatic weather we have here. It never ends.

35. I felt the bones and everything. It was the most horrible experience I ever encountered and hopefully will ever encounter.

36. Ouch….
    Luckily, I never realized I broke anything until I tried to swim. I heard nothing, felt nothing. Until this day I never can say how I broke it.

37. My husband and I were riding and he thought he had seen some deer on a vacant lot several miles from our house and he and his horse ran up the driveway of this lot to see. Me and my horse followed and when we were leaving to get back on the road, instead of my husband taking the driveway back down he took his horse down a hill to the highway. My horse followed but stopped at the top of the hill and so I figured he was scared and wanted him to go back to the driveway but no matter how hard I pulled him he would not budge and he finally just started down the hill like the other horse, but he was so much bigger than my husband’s horse he tripped and when he did he just jumped the hill and it caught me off guard and I flipped off of him backwards on to the highway and landed on my ankle.

38. Hello Sharon,

    I know you fell off the horse, but how? Did the horse get scared?

    I have never rode a horse before, I am not sure I would want to try though….

39. I can’t imagine being out in the middle of the ocean with a hurt anything because you are going to move regardless if you want to or not with the waves and such. I can’t say that I blame you for not going back either. I haven’t been on a horse since my accident and there are no plans for such in my future.

40. Hi Sharon,

    I was trying to have fun with my husband on a wave runner in the Key Largo (without the kids). It was really wavy, and we wiped out. It took us a good 45 minutes to get help out in the middle of the ocean. I could not get on the wave runner and moving made the pain worse. Heaven sent, a nurse and a police officer pulled up along side us in their boat. I was taken to the dock, where the ambulance was waiting already. The story begins at 11:00AM and I went into surgery at 11PM. The inbetween is really long with lots of pain and no pain meds.

41. Thanks alot Ana for your comforting words. I also asked my doctor if I could keep the hardware once it has been removed and he told me yes as long as it didn’t have to be sent to pathology. I know it will hurt and that will be fine, but I’m just ready to get through it and get my ankle loose enough that I don’t limp and get back to life. Seems like all I want to do is rest or sleep.

    What happened to cause your injury? I’m interested in knowing what has happened to everyone to cause their injury. We spend alot of time talking about the pain and the surgeries and never really know what happened to everyone. Please share if you are interested in doing so.

    Sharon

42. Hello Everyone.

    Lots of luck Thursday Sharon….it won’t be as bad. It hurts don’t get me wrong, but a lot less than after your first surgery. They did a block on my second surgery to remove the hardware (I kept it). I have it next to a picture of Key West…..Funny thing, I live less than 3 hours away and I haven’t gone back. It used to be my favorite vacation place….
    I am still getting the shots (trial study). It’s a gel, and it works by filling in the gap somewhat. I think I received the placebo though. I feel no different, just very irritable for a few hours afterwards. If this doesn’t do anything, I will really consider the fusion.
    Again, lots of luck…..Heads up….

43. Hi to all,

    Hope you all are doing much better. I don’t really have anything new happening right now. I’m still waiting to have my surgery next Thursday. I’m sure I will have more info after that. I’m a bit scared because of blood clots and such even though the doc assures me I have alot slimmer chance of developing one this time than I did the last time because I will be up around and about alot sooner than I was before. Have any of you any info about such or think about things such as this?

    Sharon

44. Hi Anklequest. Nice to hear from you. No idea why you cannot post but it does happen sometimes- I cannot get on from work! Have you got rid of the animals yet?

    Some glorious weather for two or three days which does help with movement, but it’s getting cooler again. Still limping along and willing myself to get more movement into the ankle and lower leg, and trying to ignore the pain.

    Vale – knee rods sound bad.

    Louise. Shame you missed your holiday, but the heat would probably be a bit much. Hope all is progressing well with you.

    Hi to Ana and hope you are also doing well.

    A quiet site this week, so maybe others cannot post either. But hi to anyone out there who is listening, and take care of your ankles and metal parts.

    Don – hope you are doing well.

    Best wishes,

    Sandra

45. Hi all!! Hope everyone is doing great!!! I am very bored, so I thought I would post something on here, as I have not for a few days now!! I am going out for lunch later on and then to a friends house, so today is the highlight of my week really! ha ha!!
    How sad all our lives get when we break our ankles hey?

    Well..I broke and fractured my ankle just over 6 weeks ago now…can’t believe how long ago it seems now. I would have been in Egypt on holiday as I speak with some family, but I dont think hobbling around the valley of the kings, on crutches in a cast in 40 degree heat would have been a very sensible idea to be honest!! Just sad to think I would have been there now!! 🙁 Oh well..we are going to try and re-book it in about 5 months or so!! 🙂

    I have an x-ray in 8 days!! YAY! To see if it’s healed enough for the cast to come off, and have some screws out so I can bear weight on it! I really hope so, although am quite scared, as I have very comfortable in my cast….and I know it has to get worse in order to get better as it were. But the itching in the cast is driving me INSANE!! I ave tried baby powder, hairdryers, tapping the cast, thumping the cast, anti-histamine tablets….nothing is WORKING!!!! Any other suggestions people??

    Anywho…thats quite enough moaning I think!! This site has been great in answering a lot of questions I had!!

    Much luv to all!

    Louise 🙂

46. Hi Everyone!

    Sorry to hear about the bad situations some of you are in. All the best to you. Even a trimalleolar fracture like mine doesn’t sound to bad in comparision to what some of you have.

    For several weeks I have been unable to post on this site from home. Would anyone have any idea why? I can read posts but cannot post myself. This post is coming from work, which I normally do not post from.

    Sandra &Don: Fatso the groundhog had an offspring, Chucky. I saw a lot of Chucky for a while. Then one day we saw 3 Chuckies, each now the size of a big fat squirrel so one was really three. I’m trying to give away these critters; live! Will trap with a “have-a heart”- trap and deliver if close enough. Bears have been around too.

    Hope this post works!

47. Hi,All I hope everyone is doing ok. Ana where are you getting your injection. Because back in April 2006 I got injection in both my knees. But they did not help I also have no cartiladge left in my knees. I also have bone against bone rubbing together,and know since I had surgery and the had to go thru my right knee it made it worse. So I will pray for you to have better luck with the injection to help build up some cartiladge between your bones. Celinda I dont know how you are going to feel when they remove your screw but I feel much better.I dont have at feeing like someone is plucking at the guitar string on the side of my knee. Louise also have a rod and 3 screws in my right leg.One at the top and two at my ankle and it hurt all the time. Judy you are lucky I had my cast but on with the stable still in and it was no fun. I was in a cast for 3 month and after all of that my doctor he saw no new bone growth around the tibula. So he gave me a script for ultrasound bone healing system I have to use twice a day for twenty minutes. It seem to be helping but it is still a slow process.

48. Dear, Ana thank you for your comment it was greatly appreciated,and I will go and get the 3rd, and if needed a 4th one. The doctor I have know wont even give me a year off so I can draw my disability. He say he cant perdict the future but since my second surgery he has me off until July. Dont you think he is predicting my future by having me off now until July and it s just June 2nd. Because am off work on a leave of absent with no pay.

49. Dear Vale,

    Similar to you, upon my accident, I did not have a choice of Doctor’s. I was in Key Largo and I was transported to the closest surgeon on call. I chose Miami (since at the time I lived in Fort Lauderdale). The accident happened at 11AM and I went into the OR at 11PM. Meantime, I had no paid meds except one shot of who knows what to transport me. I was in pain. When I woke I was told that I had screws and pins and plates (no rods, Thank GOD). This happened about 5 years ago. I can tell you its not easy. Everyone has their own opinion, and after many trials and errors later, I chose to see a 2nd, 3rd, & 4th doctor. I figured, if maybe they all say the same than I’ll go through whatever I have to. I am not quite sure what you are going through, but as you can see even one screw from one injury can result in a lifetime of pain/questions/and a great deal of knowledge in “orthopedics”. Like Sharon said, it could always be worse…..this site helps, thanks to everyone who shares their stories. Keep your head up high, see a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th doctor and keep us posted. Lots of luck to you and everyone.

    Ana

50. Hi, All I broke my leg back in dec.18,2007. I had surgery on dec.21,2007. They put in a rod and 3 screws. I have been having problems every since I had the surgery. I notice no one said what kind of hardware was used. They use on me called Intramedullar Nail. The doctor mess me up by putting the screw in rod at the top inner side of my knee. Bones heal partly through a piezoelectric effect(i.e stress on the bone produces on electric field which generates bone growth and an increase in bone density).It had been thought that when a nail is held statically in place by its associated screws,the nail would take a lot of the stress and the bone would not densify or heal properly. Within experimental ERROR,a static nail was as good as a dynamic nail and several studies concluded that routine removal of even just the screw SHOULD NOT be done as a matter of course. I did not find this out until I went to another doctor for a second oppenion.He stated the only further treatment option that I would think would be reasonable at this point is for DYNAMIZATION OF THE NAIL. So if anyone going to have surgery with the rod going thru your knee please dont let them put in a interlocking screw at the top of the rod it will stop bone growth. I learn the hard way dont want to see anyone else mess up like me. If you want to look it up yourself on the internet please do.

51. Hello to all. Have been absent for a while and then catching up with all the news, and the newcomers – and Ana and Susan seem to be ‘oldtimer’s as well. Interesting to hear from you. Sorry not to say everyone’s names, but have liked reading about you all.

    For Sharon, I hope your surgery goes well. And Celinda, you are making amazing progresss out there in the world again.

    Pete, hope the boot is going well – did this myself with one of my busted ankles. Physio really helps, so keep at it.

    Hi to Don and Anklequest – not heard from the latter recently.

    I am at 9 months now. Walking better, but still holding on to my stick. As others have noted every step does hurt, but at least it all works – and it does not hurt anywhere near as much as it did three months ago. My pain moves around. The inner ankle pain has got better, and kind of comes and goes at the moment. But I feel stiffer where leg and foot join – difficult to get a full bend. Still working on my achilles tendon, which is tight. I think that may be a long-term thing that I just have to keep at.

    Someone mentioned foot position. Mine is different. Points slightly inward. In addition to that, foot also wants to roll outwards! Still moves around on itself as well, so I can be quite wobbly.

    I have invested so much time and energy on exercises that overall I feel fitter and stronger – despite the problems with the ankles. So that’s a message to all of you out there.

    It is possible to become a bit obsessed with the broken ankle(s). Looking down when I am walking to make sure I do not fall, doesn’t help! I feel I will have made anther ‘leap’ forward when I do not spend so much time wondering what my foot is doing, and how my ankle is coping or how it hurts/feels stiff. Somehow, if you can forget about it all, everything feels more natural.

    Still have the metal in, for those of you out there in similar position, but the stiffness means I might want to go back and ask if taking any out would improve stuff.

    Don, walking in grass can be a respite from pavement, but dodgy if there are any hidden holes in the grass! I have also discovered I do not like cobblestones – did some recently on a day out.

    I have been able to do more walking in the woods and I love that.

    Got a refund on theatre tickets, plus two free tickets for another show, because they sat me down a long flight of stairs, despite my saying I could not do stairs when I booked my tickets. So if you are not being treated right, and people are not making allowances for crutches, sticks, wheelchairs or generaly wobbly ankle-breakers, make a noise – a polite one of course – and you might effect some change of attitude/free tickets or whatever . . .

    And Don, have you and your wife decided if you are coming to England?

    Anklequest, hope the wildlife is buzzing for you.

    And Clark – if you are reading this – Hi!

    Stay stable and upright everyone.

    Sandra

52. Thanks Louise, just looking forward to this nightmare coming to an end of some sort, its been going on too long. Surgery scheduled for this Thursday they said it would be an 8-10 hour procedure. I really hope this is it..

53. Tracy – my word….really sounds like you have been through it all with your foot!! That sounds awful! Sorry, I haven’t had that, or know anyone who has…
    I wish you all the best though!! Best wishes!!!

    Louise 🙂

54. I broke and dislocated my left ankle in early December, had surgery to repair, five weeks later developed an infection, had it debreded surgicaly twice, then the incision would stay closed, had a skin graft and developed another infection, had to have hardware removed, graft failed, and I have now had a wide open wound since March. Changed dr.’s and now need to have hardware put back in and have free flap reconstruction. Has anybody else had to do this as well? This will be surgery number seven…

55. Dear Pete,
    The funny thing is when you remove the walking boot you feel somewhat naked and vulnerable. The ankle feels protected in there after a while. Ask the PT for a rubber band type thing (they come in different colors, I think the 1st step is blue, and get tougher/stronger in green and purple). Sit in front of the TV and place it around the foot and hold it with your hands, then point and flex and do right center left center (turn the foot in and out). This helps strengthen the ankle. Take it slow, don’t rush it. Do as the PT says, even if you feel you can do more. The more you have your foot in motion the better it gets. Good Luck

56. Just as I thought, the doc gave me a walking boot and permission to gradually start placing weight on my leg—really scared to put to much right now. He suggested only putting the amount weight I thought was appropriate and to arrange an appointment to see a PT to begin therapy asap. Anyone know of what kind of exercises I can expect to perform other than foot rotations? I’m in unchartered waters and looking forward to PT next week (earliest they could get me in!).

57. Judy and Ana: Thanks for the heads up about the heads up about the setting off of the metal detectors! Funnily enough, that was one of the first things I asked, but the hospital told me it wouldn’t set it off coz they use Titanium, which doesnt apparantly!! I don’t know!! Ha….just annoying Im going through 2 of the most high security airports in the world!! Eeek!! I ALWAYS get my bags searched as well!! Not even funny…its like a standing joke when I go abroad now…ALWAYS! And always set off the detectors, so I may see if the doc can give me a card as well…

    Yeah I had the operation to put the pins and screws in the day after I did it, and they wacked a cast straight on. It was a split cast though (didn’t go all the way round!) I then went back 2 weeks later and they look the stitches out, and gave me a lovely new purple fiber glass cast!!

    I just hope that when I ave the x-ray in 2 weeks they say it’s healing ok, and I wont be put into another cast!! I just want a bath!!! Hee hee!!

    Much love! xxx

58. Dear Louise & Judy,

    I no longer have any of my screws, plate, or pins in my ankle (I have them in a suvenier cup, they were removed over a year and a half ago). For laughs….
    I asked the doctor for a card that indicates you have “hardware” and the machines will go off (to ease traveling). The airport staff checked my underwire bra more than the actual “metal in my foot” They never even looked at the card. I guess it depends on who you end up with. The sensors are much more sensitive in government buildings though.
    Good luck…

59. Hi Louise,
    I broke three bones and dislocated my ankle as well (wasn’t that surreal looking?) on May 4. My situation is different as I was in a splint before surgery (May 8) and for two weeks after. On May 23 I got the staples out and the cast on (for 4 weeks). It sounds as though you were in the cast with staples? I found that the staples hurt in just the splint! The x-ray showed one large pin on the outer side of my ankle and a plate with 4 screws on the inside. I can start bearing weight two weeks into the cast. As to flying, I will let you know! On June 3 (almost a month to the day from the break) I will be flying to Vegas. It is a short flight, but the arrangements should be similar. I have decided to take my own wheelchair to avoid too many waits everywhere. I have a van transport to the airport, have arranged for a handicap room, called the airline and they explained how they will either put the wheelchair on the plane or the last thing in luggage. The airport has stairs to the plane and they have some sort of lift that they will use to get me on (and off). The airline will handle my luggage and moving me thru the airport. Also, please be aware that your ‘bionics’ will set off the alarms at security. I was told that I should always allow extra time for that when flying. (They said a wand will be used). In any case, I will let you know how it goes and if I have more info for you when I get back (June 6). Fyi, I had my surgery on a Friday night, went home immediately after and took pain pills till Sunday morning and stopped. However I had oxycodone which cause serious side effects from Tues. thru Friday. I do NOT recommed that medication to anyone!
    Good luck.

60. Hi all,

    I have a question? If the plates and screws are loose, will this make you ankle hurt really bad and even hurt to walk on.

    Please let me know.

    Celinda

61. Oooops didnt meant to post my last comment twice!!

    Plus I do want to say, i really sympathise with everyone who is having pain. I have been so lucky. I had an op on a thursday, came home on friday, and didn’t need any painkillers after saturday!! The time has flown by though…in some ways it does feel like forever i ave been sat here, but it does only feel like last week I broke it, so Im hoping the next however many weeks go quick too!!

    Also I wanted to ask…has anyone flown within sort of 3 months of doing their ankle’s in?? I am due to fly New York to london on 21st july!! Any advice would be great!! xxxx

62. Hi guys!! So glad I have found this site!! I have not found hardly anything online that explains fractures AND dislocations, mostly just about fractures!!

    I fractured my tibula and fibula and dislocated my ankle on 23rd april 08, playing netball of all things, and had to have surgery. I don’t know how many screws or pins are in there, as no one has really told me a lot tbh! So I have been 5 weeks in a cast, non-weight bearing. I ave been told that I have to have another operation to remove 2 screws in my foot before I can put ANY weight on it. If i do put any weight on it, the screws could snap, and that will affect the healing, and they may not be able to get them out. Has anyone else had that?? I wasnt even aware of this until about 2 weeks ago!!!

    Also, I am still in a cast, but the inside of my ankle is quite sore, not painful,just sore. It feels almost like a screw or something hard is poking near the skin or bone, and rubbing on the cast? Again…anyone else had this??

    I have an x-ray in 2 weeks to see if it’s healed…hoping it has!

    Thanks everyone!!

63. Ana,

    I haven’t heard of the shots for, I’m guessing pain? That is weird how you say that your foot turns in instinctively to block pain. I asked my doctor yesterday if he had screwed my foot on crooked because my foot wants to turn out. LOL! He told me the same thing that it was just doing what was most comfortable because now when I turn my foot straight to try and walk I feel bow legged. He gave me some exercises to do and I already knew I should be doing them but I haven’t and now he confirmed to me that they would help so I guess i’ll try that. It is just to stretch my Achilles Tendon back out so that maybe I will have the flexibility to walk straight again. I am definitely going to do them because at this point I feel as though I walk like a duck. Let me know how the shots do. That is very interesting to me.

    Chin up, feet down. Love you guys.

    Sharon

64. Pete,

    I know you are anxious to get up and going, not being able to do much for weeks sucks. I know, been there, done that twice….

    Take it slow, don’t rush, and don’t push yourself in the beginning. If you have therapy, do as they say, and don’t think that because you feel better you are ready to run and do things just like before the injury.

    You’ll reach recovery much faster if you take it slow.

    Good luck and keep us posted.

65. Sharon,

    I am so glad its just that and not more, lots of luck. Please keep me posted. I am starting a trial study today. It’s a series of injections (3) to see if that helps. I saw 2 other doctors last week for more…I guess hope, but they both said the same thing. I have no cartiladge left, so its bone against bone. I have osteophytes, and my ankle is turning in (instinctively – body’s self mechanism to block pain). The doctor promised 6 months to a year pain-free (not guaranteed) with these shots. I could also be receiving the placebo, and then get 3 more shots of the real stuff later. We’ll see. Thanks for also answering back with a positive outlook. At least I know I am not alone, and that someone else understands what I am going through. I know and I always say it could be much worse, but it’s still hard.

66. I see the dr. tomorrow. I think he’ll let start letting me put pressure on the leg. Any guesses on how soon I’ll be walking there after? My surgery required 1 screw and 1 plate (6 weeks ago). I’m inching to start driving and of course, walking.

    Thanks

67. Ana,

    I hope I don’t have any other complications after this. He says that I shouldn’t anyway but they don’t always know. I also asked him about blood clots forming and he said that it was a much lesser chance of one forming now than before the first surgery because I would be up moving around on it quicker. He would go in through the same incision and that sometimes the screws will break off and if they do then he will just remove what breaks off because that would have been what was bothering me anyway. When I first broke my ankle my thoughts were that I could definitely see why someone could be hooked on pain meds, but as time progressed I didn’t need them and things got better.

    I just hope that things will progressively get better after the surgery and continue to do so for each one of us so that life can get back to as normal as possible.
    I’m praying for ya’ll all the way from Louisiana.

    Sharon

68. Yes, very true Sharon, it doesn’t seem as bad when you hear of stories like this poor girl. She is young, but imagine what life has in store for her already. She is lucky to be alive, but it just doesn’t seem fair. Childbirth was a breeze compared to the pain of a broken bone. I have always believed that things happen for a reason, but things come up really fast with severe consequences. No chances what so ever.

    I am glad to hear that you are just getting the plate and screws removed and that there are no further complications. Chin up….and as you wrote, it can always be worse.

69. Hey to all of you,

    I went to the doctor today and will be having surgery on the 19th of June. He only wants to remove one plate and screws and told me he thought the other plate wouldn’t bother me any if it hasn’t already. Excited about that. Anyway, while I was there they wheeled a girl in on the stretcher and her grandmother told me she had blacked out at the wheel and flipped several times and was pinned in the car with the motor coming in on her. Fractured her neck, her pelvis, shattered her thighs and fractured her ankles. She has had to have several surgeries and rods placed in her thighs. She was in so much agonizing pain that she was screaming just to try to have an x-ray done. I felt so sorry for her and told her grandmother that we all think we have it bad…… She said yes we do. She is only 22 so hopefully the healing for her will go smoothly but they are having to move her via ambulance and roll her to keep her from getting bed sores. Just told you this to let you know that there are always people out there that are worse off in pain than any of us. I wished her grandmother luck with all that they are going to have to endure and told her that this too shall pass. So chin up when you are down because it could all be worse. I am scared to death about surgery on the 19th but feel that it will be better for me in the end. I sure hope so. I am still praying for miracles with all of us.

70. Hi everyone – hope you had a safe holiday. Spent it at home do not like to travel on holidays – I don’t do crowds! Did get in pool and that exercise seems to help ankle some. I agree Don – sometimes we have to really look at where we are and know there is someone else worse off. This injury is something that we will have to deal with on and off the rest of our lives. It all depends on how we convince our own minds how we are doing.
    Ana and Sharon we all share the same concerns – loose screws! My Dr never really said much about it – said about only 20% need to have out – but guess since we are active % we are part of that.
    I’ve been taking Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM for many years for arthritis pain. I think that might help give me some relief.
    Sharon I know what you are feeling about your granddaughter – I have 4 grandkids and I “used” to run around and play outside with them. But the older ones know about my ankle and sometimes they scare me that they might bump into it. I feel and see the screws but still putting off further surgery. Waiting for all of YOU to tell your stories. Susan sad that it has been that long and you are having problems again.Sometimes I put the foot down wrong way and feel a sharp pain – where I think the long screw is.
    But you know what all – at least we have a foot to walk on – pain and all – I’ve watched the Memorial Services today and so many veterans are missing limbs or have lost their lives serving our country.
    So for TODAY – no more whinning.
    Hugs to all – SMILE 🙂
    Best wishes for speedy and full recovery.Life is what we make it. Even though there are “speed bumps” we must make the most it.
    Have a great week
    Dev

71. Hi Susan,

    I hate to hear that after so long you are still having fits. Like you, they didn’t know if they would be able to fix my ankle either. It was barely hanging on if it was at all except by skin. The doctor said once he got in there and was piecing it back together it was like a jigsaw puzzle being put together. It was literally shattered and on x-ray it looks like, what my husband describes as a splintered 2 x 4 with screws in all different directions holding it together. My gait is all whacked up and I walk with that foot turned outwards a little bit and people notice it, but when I turn it to where it is supposed to be straight then I feel bow legged. I go back Tuesday to the doc and this will be one of the issues I discuss with him then.(Does anyones else have this problem? It’s like it’s screwed on crooked. HA) As far as pain medications I took Darvocet when I went home and soon was off of them. I take Lyrica though for my Fibromyalgia pain and this may be why I didn’t or don’t need pain meds for my ankle. I wish I had better advice for you on this. I too used to ride horses alot and after this accident my husband found out my bones were so weak he freaked and within a week had them all sold. He said if we kept them he’d catch me back on one and since that is what caused my breakage in the first place I guess it was probably best we did get rid of them.

    Hang in there and keep us posted on what you find out. I will know Tuesday if and when I’m having surgery. I know he doesn’t want to take out all of the hardware and all of it will never be able to be removed but he said the plate and screws that he wants to take out has done their job and the bone has healed back there nicely and for cosmetic reasons not to mention the scare of bumping one and it popping through the skin because they are just barely there.

    My prayers are with each and every one of you and I’m so glad we have each other during this long journey that we are going to be on.

72. Hey ya’ll. I broke my ankle close to 6 years ago and have 6 screws still in. Well the past few months I have had more pain then I can handle. I wake up and for the first hour I am on it I can barely move and walk with my ankle sideways. I finally went yesterday for a check up on it and was sent for xrays. I havent had a xray on it in 3 years. When I got to the hospital for xrays the radiologist came in and asked me if I came in a wheelchair and I said no I walked in. I have to wait until next Thursday to find out anything. I am sooooo nervous and scared. When I broke it I was told by the doctor that he didnt even know if it was fixable. Two doctors did the surgery and then after that I was sent up to IU in Indianapolis to see a doctor there. He said leave the screws in forever because if you have surgery you risk infection plus it might make it worse. I have never been the same since I broke my ankle. I used to ride horses all the time and now I dont at all. I am in so much pain and my doctor yesterday wrote me prescriptions for pain and a muscle relaxer hoping I can sleep through the night. So last night I took them and never again!! I didnt sleep worth a wink. Normally tylenol arthritis worked really good but not anymore. Any advice?

73. Hi folks,

    I am so sorry to hear that after so long, so many of you have such complications. I wish all of you the best! I am still at the beginning (staples out and cast on tomorrow). I have a feeling that I will be part of this blog for a very long time to come (thank goodness we all have each other).

    J.

74. Ana,

    I cannot see the threads but I can see the heads and I too worry about hitting them on something and tearing the skin open as this did happen to my brother-in-law. I think that may be why the doctor wants to go ahead and take one of the plates and some of the screws out, but in any event that was the side of the ankle that was NOT bothering me at all until just a week or so ago and now it really smarts and feels like metal rubbing bone (DUH I know). But the inside of my ankle is the one that has caused the most pain up until, like I said, a few weeks ago. I guess I’ll know Tuesday when he looks on x-ray if they are loosening, but I’m sure we are going to do surgery just the same.

75. I knew the hardware was loosening because I could literally feel the head and the thread. You could actually see it sticking out. An X-ray confirmed it. I was afraid to walk to close to something and open the skin.

    Thanks for reading and answering, I know things could always be worse. It helps to vent sometimes.

    Good luck…
    Ana

76. I knew the hardware was loosening because I could literally feel the head and the thread. You could actually see it sticking out. An X-ray confirmed it. I was afraid to walk to close to something and open the skin.

    Thanks for reading and answering, I know things could always be worse. It helps to vent sometimes.

    Good luck…
    Ana

77. Hi Ana,

    What you have described is my main fear. I don’t know if my hardware is loosening or not but I know it has begun to bother me and I go Tuesday to find out if or when I will be scheduled to have some of the hardware removed. I have three plates and 12 or so screws in my right ankle. I am 39 and have four children and a 3 year old granddaughter. I constantly have to tell my granddaughter that I can’t carry her because the extra weight hurts my ankle and then she may push or pull on me and I have to tell her no because I don’t want her to push or pull me down. I am so unsteady and she just doesn’t understand why I can’t anymore, but she can tell you I have a crippled foot because I fell off a horse. Children are so pure and innocent and fun and to not be able to enjoy them by running and playing takes alot of the enjoyment out of life itself. My foot too hurts with every step I take and if I sit for a few minutes it is like just crawling out of bed with the agonizing pain and stiffness again. We all keep telling each other it will get better and better is where we’ll get to but I’m afraid normal is not going to be in most of our vocabulary any longer and that is sad, but like everyone in life with handicaps whether you are born with them or acquire them as we all have you learn to cope the best way you can so that you are comfortable.

    Good luck and keep talking to us.
    Sharon

78. Hello Everyone,

    I don’t know any of you, but I feel for each and everyone one. Like all, I suffered a terrible ankle injury over 5 1/2 years. The sad thing is I have never been the same. I am in pain from my first step out of bed until the last step back. I have had another surgery to remove the hardware since it was loosening, and to repair what was left to try anyways. I feel pain killers only make me droggy and cranky, but the pain remains. I take Aleve, it helps a little. I am 32 and have kids. What sucks more than the pain is to not be able to do the things I would love to do with them. I hate to look in their eyes and tell them their mommy “CAN’T”, especially after so many endless speaches of never say “I Can’t”. I have no advice to offer to anyone on how to how to fix what was once broken. I can say it’s hard and keeps getting harder. I am scheduling my 3rd surgery, I feel better atleast venting. Thanks for reading and good luck to everyone.

79. Hi all,

    How is everyone doing. Well, I went to the doctor today, and he said that it looks like it is fusing in a couple of places and I am still in walking boot until it is healed. I do not know when that will be. I know that I should not get any pain killers, and I know what all of ya’ll said about how painful it is to walk. THE PAIN. I know that I will get through this.

    I can start driving now, per doctor. So, I will be able to drive myself and my son to places, isn’t that exciting. I had to put my car in the shop so that I could get some stuff fixed on it first before I drive it though.

    Well, I finally got a computer for my home and I love it. My son loves it to, he is able to play some kid games on it and he is enjoying it. I am so tickled about it.

    Have have a great evening.

    Celinda

80. Greetings to all the ankle breakers

    I see by reading all the messages that we have lots of people hitting different places in their recoveries. I have been at this for 17 months now, I had my car accident in Dec 0f 2006 and broke both ankles like Sandra and a few others on this site. Yup this is one of the worst injuries I have ever experienced. There is no set times or plateaus that we all hit at the same time or in the same way. We each find our own way and time to get to these places. Some of the things that are the same for all of us is the Pain, Depression, Frustration and of course the set backs if we over do and push to hard when we should just take it easy every now and then.

    Sandra
    I always have my cane in my truck. If I go for a long walk or for a long time even if the walk is shorter, I take the cane with me. I can walk on a grass field for awhile and work with the kids for hours when they are doing their battles on the field but I can also guarantee you that the moment I stop and sit down for a few minutes I will NOT be able to get up and walk again. If I spend a lot of time on the field (on a grass field) I pay for it for the next three days. It makes walking almost impossible if there is a lot of exertion and pounding on my ankles. Will it ever get better? I doubt it! I will have to deal with the results of this forever. So I find things that relieve the pain (weather it be ice, hot water or massage) what ever works, and YES I have to admit my limitations and work with them.
    I think that has to be the hardest part of all of this. None of us on here is that old that we want to admit to limitations when it all seems to have changed for each of us in the blink of an eye and we never even got to argue the point. Ahh well we will all keep moving forward.

    I think that is one of the biggest things we all have to remember is above all keep moving forward slowly and steadily. But not push to hard and to fast or we start all over again. Come on now isn’t this fun don’t you all just love this game  (I know I just do) But with the help of people on here it gets better I promise. Each of us finds our comfort zone or our tricks that we use to get us through. And every one here will too.

    Reb

    One of the things that helped me get to a spot where I got more flexibility was to do stretching against something for support. For example I lean against a dresser and push on my ankles with my weight stretching them further and further each time I do this. And use the exercise that Sandra talked about to get the ankles to move in the other direction (toe ups) as they are called here. On a step hold onto something and let your toes support you then slowly raise on your toes and then lower till you put pressure on your ankles. This will move both front and back of the ankle. (Hurts) but worth it and it does get easier.
    For knees
    Sit on a chair and then start by putting pressure forward on each knee. This will let you stretch more and more each time but will not make you support your whole body weight when you do it.

    For forearms and hands
    When your sitting just make a fist (with pressure) and then relax. Keep doing this at a steady pace. This will make your forearms and hands stronger. If you want you can even flex your biceps and that will give you a chance to work your arms and hands with the isometric system that doesn’t cost anything and will work where ever you are. The more we remember to work the rest of our body as well as our legs and ankles the better off we are. It doesn’t take to long to loose our muscle. But it does take a lot of time to build it up.

    Dev
    Been along time since we heard from you glad to see you back. The pain for me comes and goes, most of the time there is always some type of pain but I am able to control that with my mind. It is the times that I can‘t that really hurts. Slowly and steadily work on strengthening areas to help with the pain or make areas strong to try and make the pain less. It seems that the other thing we all have in common is our worst enemy and our best ally at times is TIME itself. It can help us heal and frustrate us when we have been recovering and dealing with pain for too long. I hope that you find what exercise or pain relief works for you. Glad to see you back were wondering how you were doing.

    Pete

    You are in the right place we are all unsure of the future. And we are all scared of what that future holds for any of us. In this game of broken ankles there is no set steps of set pattern as to you do this and then this happens it is mostly trial and error for all of us. What works for me may not work for others and we all find those thing out by trial and error. Sucks don’t it. But we are all there together and we listen when others talk. Someone on here has seen it done it or felt it or close to it so that is why we all come here to let people know what worked for us and didn’t then we all try the things out and see if it works. Always remember to keep asking and never stop searching for the answer.

    Well all you ankle breakers keep your feet in the proper place and that is on the ground or floor which ever works but remember slips, trips and falls is what got us here so lets not go in that direction again be safe. Keep living for tomorrow and always keep moving forward and reaching for more.

    Don

81. Sandra,

    The drug that I was referring to is Boniva and it is for osteoporosis. It took me seven months before the doctor would put me on anything because he said I had to get to a certain point in the healing process before he could do it. So fear of falling again and breaking something else because of brittle bones was a major factor in my healing and walking again. The drug is horrible at least for me, but hopefully I can get it changed. The screws that protrude are the ones in my outer ankle on the right side. I live on hills and if I misstep the wrong way it hurts really bad and has hurt for the past few days so bad I could barely walk. That is the plate and screws that he wants to take out, but if he wants to take more than the one, I want it done all at one time. Blood clots frighten me more than anything though. I can actually see the head of about 4 or 5 screws and those are the ones that he says has done all the healing they have to do. I guess we’ll see.

82. Hi to all

    Sharon – sympathy and empathy and lots of good wishes. I don’t know what bone sparing is but the drugs should horrible. So do your sticky out bits of metal. It’s easy to say ‘stay positive’, but this is probably a low patch, and tomorrow is another day.

    Pete – scared of the unknown – this journey has a lot of that! Lots of firsts too, which can be exciting – like being a child again. Delight in what you can do, and each day you will be able to do more.

    Dev, nice to have you back. Hope your pain subsides. I am at eight months plus. Pain goes away, then it’s back. Inner ankle bone hurting a lot today, and scar feels like a piece of cheese-wire. Wearing shoes and walking hurts, but hey, I can still walk with my stick!

    When I go downstairs, still cannot get enough of a bend where the leg joins the foot – a sharp pinch ther each time. And maybe it is the hardware, and Dev, like you, that concerns me. Should I go back, ask for it out, wait a bit more?

    Reb, your bending problems sound worse than mine. I really had to work at being able to bend my knee and ankle – for getting downstairs. Don’t know if this helps, but I was told to stand on tip-toe on that leg and then bend the knee, and it did work for me – as a starter – and then progressed from there. (I did hold on to something!) What bad guys? – are you a good one?

    Wise Don has lots to offer. This backwards and forwards thing is frustrating. The plateau bit gets me – when you feel like nothing is changing. Aiming to swop to a folding stick in June – my target. I feel I still need something outside because I am a bit ‘limpy’ and very slow, and sometimes just need that support. So if I can go solo most of the time, and just unfold a stick when I need it that will be great.

    Went to the theatre for the first time – different city – and booked tickets explaining I had a mobility problem and cannot do stairs. No problem, they have a lift with an attendant, and no stairs to get to my seat. Got there with my daughter, the lift stopped half-way down the theatre, and there were over twenty stairs to get down. Told we could sit where the lift stopped, but someone else might have booked the seats. So got myself down the stairs, and at interval back up, but thankfully they then found us other seats. We do have disability legislation etc. here in the UK but it does not always work well. Anyway enjoyed the play!

    It would be nice one day not to think about where to park, are there lifts etc . . .

    This has given me a real insight into being disabled -which I think someone else said a while ago.

    And Don – I was watching some footage of the earthquake in China last night – when it was happening/just after. It was heartbreaking, and it just puts life into perspective.

    Night to all new and old, and special goodwill to all those people I have not mentioned by name.

    Sandra

83. Judy, Karen, Pete, Tim, Reb, and Dev,

    Hi to all and hope you are all progressing in the time frame that is expected of each of you. I am not having a very good time right now and am kind of depressed because of things. I have misstepped a few times and had my ankle hurt on the outside where the screws are protruding. It didn’t really “hurt” so much as just “smart” and feels like metal rubbing bone. I feel like it is protruding more than usual, but my husband says he doesn’t think so. Anyway, I have been on my crutches all day yesterday and brought them to work with me today just in case. I also had to take my bone sparing drug Sunday and it makes me feel like I have the flu for a couple of days and all the side effects from it is the same symptoms I have when my Fibromyalgia flares up (flu-like symptoms, muscle and joint pain) and it counteracts my Fibromyalgia medication so therefore I don’t sleep and ended up with horrible dizziness and headache. Do any of you take any sort of bone sparing drug and if so what do you take?? I also called the doctor to get my appointment moved up again (for the third time) and get to go next Tuesday (week from today) It is not as soon as I wanted but sooner than I had. It just makes me so mad and frustrated because I went from the protruding screws not bothering me at all to becoming excruciating. At this point I cannot wait to get them out.

    My prayers are with each of you and I know how you feel.

84. Hi there, my favorite anklebreakers!
    Couple things for today:

    1. does anyone have a portable left foot accelerator for the car that they would like to sell? preferably the one that does NOT require screws? (Cast coming off Friday and I want to drive as soon as I can)

    2. NO ONE TAKE oxycodone apap. After only two days and stopping (not addicted), the after effects were HORRIBLE. If offered that, ask for an alternative. again ONLY TWO DAYS caused four days of terrible depression and many terrible physical symptoms!

    Good day to you all from very hot So. Calif!

    Love to all,
    J.

85. Pete, I had my accident in my garage as well about 5 months ago. They say accidents happen more in the home than anywhere else and we can testify to that. Reading your story made me cringe because I know how hard those cement garage floors are!

    Karen

86. Hi Everyone –

    Great site.

    I broke my right ankle about 5 weeks ago in two places that require a screw and 2 plates while working on a ladder in the garage. I’m in a walking boot now (not yet walking per my doc’s orders) and not experiencing much pain and look forward to walking again. I’m inching for the simple things, like walking around the block and cutting the grass. 😉

    That said, I’m a bit scared of the unknown. I see the doc next week and pretty sure he’ll let me start putting weight on my ankle. I hope I’ll be able to remember to walk again as pain free as possible.

    I spent 7 months in Iraq with the USMC without a scratch only to get hurt working in my garage. Go figure…

87. Hey everyone,
    Hope you all had a great week! wow what nice weather we are having here.
    Don,Sharon,Anklequest thanks for the uplifting words.
    So many new folks here now and thats great.you all have been so helpful to me in my recovery and I always look forward to reading your post.
    Welcome to all of the new folks here, I hope that you find this site as helpful as I have.

    Take care everyone.

    Tim

88. Hello All…
    I have enjoyed reading your posts and I only wish I had stumbled upon this site earlier.
    I suffered a Pilon fracture to the right ankle in early ’07 breaking my tib and shattering the joint while chasing ‘bad guys’ at work. I had 2 plates held in by 10 screws and the whole thing imobilized in an external fixator(not fun!)
    Nine weeks later I had the ex-fix removed and was put in a cast for 2 weeks. One week later, I started PT agressivly. I was back to work full duty in 5 and a half months but with a great deal of pain. Its been 14 months now since my injury and my greatest complaint is SHARP pain at the exrteme range of motion when I point the toes up. My range of motion is very limited in that direction. If my foot is planted firmly on the ground, I can hardly bend my right knee at all.I weight train at the gym a few times a week and mountainbike when I can but running is still a problem. Sometimes I try to run a bit at my daughters soccer practice but I end up all swollen the next day and need several days to recover.
    My Dr. won’t make any promises but suggests that the removal of harware is an option. My next apiontment with him is late June at which time we will revisit this option. He says it shouldn’t make it worse but I’m concerned about recovery time and dealing with all that surgical pain again! From the way it looks though, I dont think I have a choice. If this does not get better, I may have to rethink my career choice.
    I wish everyone luck with their recovery…
    Reb

89. Hi to all the old timers
    Don, Tim, Anklequest, Sharon and welcome newcomrs.
    I’ve been off the post for about 2 months. A whole lot going on and not time for computer. Glad to read back and see most everyone with a sunny outlook and healing well. I got to my one year and was SO happy that I was doing better and back to walking about 2 miles a day But that was shortlived. Started having pain and swelling shortly after. So stopped the walking again and it seems to feel better. Now I’m swimming but have noticed that last few days a little knot like swelling – seems to be over the place where the plate is. And foot seems stiff at the joints. I know I should go back to Dr. but had put the thought of having hardware our of my mind.I too can feel the screws throught the skin. I guess it will never be the same but I had thought is would be better than this. I was so excited as my year came and went – but now back to wondering if I should go for the removal of hardware – which is why I came to this site.
    About the pills – I was very concerned right from the start about the pain pills but Dr said not to worry about becoming addicted in the short time he gave them to me. I thought they were great for releiving pain but got to a point where I did not like the groggy feeling I had taking them. I took Motrin and that really helped. So keep your chin up and smile. 🙂

90. Don,

    I think you have summed it all up very nicely for all of us. I pray that none of you get hooked on pain killers. I have seen too many lives destroyed because of it. When my accident first happened and I was waiting for the ambulance my thoughts exactly were that it would be so easy to get hooked on them because at that point I didn’t care what I had to do to just make the pain stop. But, it does get better and I hardly had to take any at all. I have a very high pain tolerance though (being female and all! ha ha! Just kidding guys). I wish all of you the best and instead of popping a pill, get on here and talk to us. we are all here for each other and I thank God I found you all. I just wish I had found you before I did and while I was so depressed. But chin up everyone and it does get better.

    Sharon

91. Greetings to all the ankle breakers

    Well wear does one start? To all the people that have the questions about pain, Time, Medicines, Therapy ETC well lets see here .
    Believe me this can take a long time or it can take a short time. I know that sounds silly and just stupid but it is the truth. Most of this depends on how quick your body heals and what your pain tolerance is?

    There are people on this site that were up and moving in weeks and then there are people on here that took months. Also a lot depends on your injuries. I was non weight bearing on both legs and left arm and left hip for three months. In truth the arm I started using in one month by just using it to push my own wheel chair. I was bed ridden in rehab from Dec10th to May 10th very7 long time  but when you get the time to do physical therapy DO IT EVERY BIT OF IT that will make you time shorter. But don’t over due it and set yourself back to the beginning which can happen if you try to hard.

    Depression is very easy to get a hold of a person when they are stuck in the house let alone bedridden for a lengthy period of time. One of the things to do is make games to keep your mind active, reading, hobbies and strengthening exercises that can work on other parts of the body so you are farther ahead when it is time to get up. DO NOT fall into the TV fixation and just sit there it will drive you nuts and destroy any brain cells you might have left. It also makes it harder to hold conversations with other people as all we have is the perspective of the TV so do all you can to keep active and stimulate your thinking.

    Shopping is easier when you get to lean on the cart to walk. And YES it hurts it hurts for a LONG time. But it will get better and the pain will ease. Swelling will get less as time passes. Stiffness and normal pain will go on for a long time if it ever goes away? Which it may never do. I had my accident in Dec 2006 and I still have days when I can not walk without the use of a cane. True I had both ankles broken and a few other bones. In all I have around 25 lbs of steel inside of me. Now some people have had theirs removed and as for flexibility it has helped them and with the pain for some this is an option.

    Medicines one of the big ones we all have to guard against. Pain killers are cool for awhile but they are easy to get hooked on. We all have injuries that we don’t want to feel the pain from. We want to just get on with life and never look back. SORRY doesn’t work that way. You have to make sure you don’t replace one set of crutches for one crutch that will be an even hard battle to get rid of. At times the pain can tell us a lot about what we are doing? Either too much, too little, or too hard or even too early in the healing process.

    Scars Will fade they will lighten up and will improve with all kinds of treatments and cover-ups. But in truth that is the least of our problems since we have to get back on our feet and walk. That is the most important thing to worry (not worry but work towards). Remember out there in the world there are people a lot worse off then we will ever be. Children with cancer and other life threatening diseases that Thank the stars we will never have to face. These kids look you in the face and smile, their eyes dance and are filled with life. What is it we are working on? Oh yeah not walking because we broke an ankle or a few other bones. We will live to see the next day and to some degree we know that we will be mobile. We will see the sun rise and set. Always think of that when you are working at getting better. We have better odds of doing what we want then they do. How sad of a thing to think about? Yes it is but it puts a lot of things in perspective. We will get to see tomorrow, see our kids grow-up watch them run and play and we will be able to teach them how to play different games, to watch them go on dates and see their weddings. So in all were not all too bad off where we are. We just need to work at getting better and keeping our eyes on the goal.

    Celinda

    Ahh girl come on you are tougher then that. All you have been through. From depression to not walking to walking to not being depressed to seeing your son and playing with him now lets not go down that pill route? Your better then that girl and we have watched you work your way all through the rest of the crap this too shall pass so hang on and keep moving forward your getting closer Girl Congratulations on all you have done and accomplished.

    To Tim, Aklequest, Sandra, Erika, and Clark

    Good to see and hear from all of you. Clark were all still waiting for you to pop back up and fill us in but we know you will get back to us. Tim I can sympathize with the swelling and the tiredness of being on your feet all day I do the same amount of time at the first job on my feet then off to the second job where I do get to sit. But it does get better I promise.
    Thanks again to all of you for being here and listening and giving everyone hope and advise that is why we are all here.

    Don

92. Thanks for the comment about pain and stiffness being better at 8 months than at 5/6 months. I’m at the 5/6 month mark now and it’s so reassuring to know things will keep improving. It’s like I deep down know that but just reading the comments give me additional boost!

    Karen

93. Hi all,

    Yes, the shopping carts are really a great help Sandra, you are right.

    But, is it normanl to have alot of pain when walking. I have alot of pain, and I called my doctor to ask for pain medicine and she told me that he would not prescribe it for me. I was told that tylenol arthritis would help. The pain is really bad, or I would not have asked for pain medication. But, I will get by.

    Thank ya’ll for everything.

    Celinda

94. Hi to new and old.

    I have to say that I did not get depressed through this experience, but did find life more difficult later on – at about 5 – 6 months. Mainly due to pain and stiffness, and really the more I did the more everything swelled and hurt. I got through that and now at 8 months+ everything is less painful and swelling more.

    Sharon – agree that this site is useful and it’s the experience of others that has helped me through this.

    Hi to Don and Anklequest – both wise and experienced.

    Angie. Top of my foot and three middle toes still do not have full feeling, though it was worse when plaster first came off.

    Lel2000. I had an airboot – sounds light but isn’t! But it was a move on from plaster and nice to take it off at night and be able to wash the leg.

    Judy. Scars will fade, but my inner ankle scar more problematic. (Still can be.) Found the advice on here really helpful. And stop falling over – you have done enough of it already!

    Lynn – backwards foot sounds excruciating and Judith dislocated foot ditto. But you are both put back together now! Did both ankles, but right one stronger so I depended on it as mobility increased – and as you are finding Lynn – it did suffer. But it gets better – promise.

    Nicki is this 3 and a half years for you? And more problems with hardware. That’s a nuisance, and I hope the rest of us avoid it.

    Hi to Tim. I don’t have to stand at work, so not as much swelling, but I still get really tired – but that’s mainly the driving.

    And I did not drive until four months had gone by.

    Off to do some more work at the gym.

    And I can’t remember who had bits of screws sticking out, but it sounds horrible and you have my sympathy.

    Bye for now.

    Sandra

95. Hi all!

    I love this site and everyone on it! Thanks to everyone!
    I am not looking forward to the months ahead, but at least I had a primer less than two years ago when I broke my left foot and sprained my right knee. I am SO good at a wheelchair now, and eventually, crutches too. BUT, I am sad that all the rehab and gym and training I have gone thru in the last year has to happen all over again. Oh well, what can you say when you are a Klutz both times due to an oops on uneven surfaces)? I know that once I am mobile, it will make all the difference in the world! Even getting outside the door is wonderful. (Man, I HATE that one step outside, scares the dickens out of me!). I fell a lot using the crutches last time (with one cast NWB and a knee immobilizer) so this time, I will be more careful. It seems I am right legged (and left-handed)? I feel much less balanced on crutches with my right ankle break than my left foot break. I am sticking to the wheelchair for now just to be safe, least till I get my cast on. I sent pix to my work and friends with and ‘oops, i did it again’, with a picture of my foot looking off my leg). Last time it was a ‘I’ve fallen and cant get up’. I would like to stop these!
    Anyway, I am at least fortunate that I can work from home for a while, but I didn’t realize that it could be so long (guess i have another 5 weeks min to go?)
    Again, I have read thru the stories now a few times and will continue too. This is a great sharing site, and a realistic view of what is to come!

    I cannot say how much I appreciate all of you, specially Sharon and Lynn with your very speedy and personal responses. This really helps!

96. Hi Judy,
    Just want to say that everything your experiencing is totally normal. Depression is normal and unfortunatley I don’t have much to cheer you up except we all know that it could be worse and it will end.

    I was depressed when I was on bed rest for the first 6 weeks. However I’m not sure if anyone else has felt depressed once they started weight bearing. I am finding this difficult, it just seems that this will never end. I have to put boot on to walk anywhere, my inside of my ankle is still broken while my outside bone (with the plate) is healed. I am finding it so depressing to come home from being out for just a short while to find my ankle and foot swollen so big. My other ankle is also getting sore and swollen because I am putting such a strain on it. (has anyone else had this?) I think I need to heed my own advice as to the fact that it could be so much worse.
    What I am finding so difficult is I go out to the store thinking that I can walk and lean while pushing the shopping cart only to find myself looking for a wheel chair after 30 minutes.
    sorry don’t want to sound like a bummer!

97. Oh my bad. I thought you literally meant the outside. LOL! I never was able to put any weight on the cast themselves (although I fell on them quite a bit but that didn’t count). I was recasted and re-x-rayed every 2-3 weeks for the first several months and then when I finally got a walking boot I still couldn’t do any weight bearing on it for about another month or so. I felt ridiculous hopping on crutches with a walking boot on when you should be able to walk on it. I had to go to PT to actually let them help me start the weight bearing stuff. This may sound stupid but I crawled alot around my house. Once my swelling went down (still swells sometimes) I could see the screws through my skin and now he is talking about taking the plate and screws out that are on the “outside” of my leg because although they don’t hurt I can’t stand any sort of shoe or boot to rub them and he said for cosmetic reasons too. I haven’t decided if that is reason enough yet. I go back on the 4th of June and will know more then.

    Sharon

98. Not sure whether anyone can help I broke my ankle about 3 & a half years ago playing football and have a plate and 7 screws in my ankle. Lately I have been experiencing some swelling and pain just at the top of my plate, been to Drs and need an x-ray as may need to have plate and pins out. Firstly approx how long would I have to rest it for? Would I need crutches? Is the pain about the same as it was when you broke your ankle initially? Sorry about all the questions as you can guess I am getting a little nervous about it but if it will help then I am all for it!!!

99. Sharon,

    I just search back till I found your story. Wow. Best of luck to everyone!
    Hopefully, I will come back with some good news soon!

100. Oh, I was told by the Dr. that I should be able to go to Vegas first week of June…you think he was ‘pulling my leg’??? (LOL, could not resist). Gotta find the small things to keep you up, no matter how ludicrous, huh?