Broken ankle-2 years later

Posted on June 2, 2008 by Christi

Well I just thought I would let everyone know that almost exactly two years ago I had a trimaellor ankle break which I never thought I would walk again from. Slowly over the past two years I have re-learned to walk and run on it. It has gotten better with time. Two weeks ago I decided to see how healed it was. We went to Disney World. Which if you don’t know you walk ALOT….. As I told my husband this was a great test to see how it would hold up to all this walking. It did amazingly well. There was only one time that it twinged enough with pain that I took an hour break to put it up. Otherwise I just kept going and it was fine we went to all the park (even some twice all day long for one week and it held up really well. It still gets swollen here and there and it still lets me know its not perfect but I figure since I still have metal down there and since it was hanging off my ankle at one point I can’t complain.

1,654 thoughts on “Broken ankle-2 years later”

PJ on January 31, 2009 at 10:38 pm said:

Thank you all for the comments.

Liz – that is exactly what is happening! It is quite maddening……tonight I am sleeping with the splint off, I must get sleep, I am going to wrap it up with the ace bandages to keep it still but I can’t stand the pain, it is starting now to burn just sitting on the couch. I will have the doctor check it on Monday and hopefully I will be able to report back that I am in a walking cast! I hope…….

pj
Houston Wes on January 31, 2009 at 10:23 pm said:

wow Liz
I didnt realize you were only 28
shoot.. Im getting older.. thought you were in your early thirties..lol..
HAPPY BiRTHdAY!!!
LIZ (Trimal, rt ankle DOI: 5/21/08, DOS: 6/2/08) on January 31, 2009 at 6:28 pm said:

PJ, I also experienced a horrible pain in my heel. As soon as I’d lay down and prop my ankle up, like clockwork, every 10-15 minutes it would start this awful burning. As soon as I sat up and let my foot hang down, it would stop. Then I’d put my foot back up, give it 15 minutes and it would start burning again. Sleeping was miserable because it was vicious cycle of sitting up, laying down, sitting up, laying down. It was so painful. I complained to the doctor several times. It ended up being a large pressure sore on my heel that developed from the pressure of the splint. It turned into a large open sore on my heel that took months to completely heal. I would definitely mention the pain to your doctor. What you’re describing sounds alot like what I went through. It was horrible.

Hello to everyone else as well. I haven’t been posting as much lately but have been keeping up with all the postings. This site helped me so much when I was going through the early stages of my ankle break. I’m now about 8 months post-break and doing well. My ankle still swells and is sore when I do too much, but overall I can’t complain.

I celebrated my 28th birthday yesterday. 🙂 I’m looking forward to another great year and hope the ankle just continues getting better and better. I wish the same for all of you as well.

Take care,

Liz
Kim on January 31, 2009 at 4:17 pm said:

Hello all,
I found that for the swelling it really helped me to prop my foot up on pillows, and like you said before your leg has to be higher that your head, then i put ice packs on the area that was swollen and it helped alot. As for the leg cramping I used a velcro heat wrap and put it on my thigh and also put a pillow under the upper part of my leg and it seemed to help alot.
PJ, the heat wrap might help you also, I really feel for you, I had lots of pain in my upper leg not to mention my ankle, anti-inflammatories help alot also, and you can take those with your pain meds.
Good luck to all and hope your day is great!!!!
KIM
pie lady aka trac on January 31, 2009 at 3:42 pm said:

PJ, I had the same problem when I first had my accident and was out of cast. It was horrible pain, I feel for you. I found that propping up my foot so that nothing was touching the back of it, or the heel, really helped. I used soft foam so that it didn’t interfere w/my ankle. But, that was still difficult, but helped. So, if anyone has a better idea, for PJ, I’d be interested in it as well.

thanks,
trac
PJ on January 31, 2009 at 2:45 pm said:

I will be going back to the drs on Monday and they will be taking out my staples. I have only been in a splint since surgery (1/9)wrapped in ace bandages, I had a slight infection so he did not want to cast it. I am doing pretty well except I have one big problem that only bothers me while I sleep. Once asleep for about an hour my heel feels like it is being put into a vise grip with searing hot pain, it only does it when I sleep (even when I nap on the couch). Does anyone know the cause or how to make it stop?

Thanks,
pj
Houston Wes on January 31, 2009 at 9:18 am said:

added note
nicole i just read back over your post and it says from below the knee to ‘below’ the toe.. if its below the toe in most cases you can ask them to cut the end of the cast off thats down by the toes so your foot wont be ‘as’ likely to cramp. I asked that one time and they were planning on redoing my cast anyway.. they ended up saying since it was causing sO much discomfort and since I had taken real good care of it that they would just’trust’ that I wouldnt fall or damage it and they let me go with just my air cast.. depends on the Dr and the injury to though..

Some of us have gotten the Drs to let us go without.. not as secure..but allows for tiny toe stretching..

IF your toes ARE exposed, grapping with your fingers and pulling UP on all of them (at least the 1st 3) at the same time, towards your shin and knee down as much as possible actually releaves arch cramps. and once out of casts using your entire hand under toes will allow you to press up even better.. the runners starting position is the biggest stretch to eleviate arch pain..
Houston Wes on January 31, 2009 at 9:08 am said:

Nicole,
be sure to elevate to eleviate
even just carring the weight in the air while moving around on crutches puts strain on tendons which is difficult to impossible to stretch out while cast is on.. and even once its off with the tendons all locked up and the atrophy the muscles go through in even the short time a cast is on.

three feet above the heart is recomended. I found even just getting it slightly above the heart helps tremendously.

I carried around a throw pillow or two since a cast doesnt feel so comfortable on the heel once you get it up resting on something. That and I would sit on one since I was leaning so far back to have it raised while at work. And would tuck one under my thigh to releaive the muscles and tendons from holding everything in certain positions and set my foot on one even when I was able to drive (Im a lefty break so eventually as I drove my automatic I rested it on a pillow even on the floor board). Its unfortunately not all too uncommon to have strange and mean pains – still check with your Dr when you get a chance and be sure, as you go through the inbetween times til you DO get to ask him questions, that you write down the pains, queriousities and queries as they come to you. We all started doing that as we would sometimes forget 1 or 2 things and its so hard to get hold of the Dr once your not in your appointment 😉

anti inflamitories are gOOD.. Advil 600mg every 6hrs works great (dont exceed 800 every 8 hrs).. some have mentioned they couldnt do the advil.. but there are other anti inflamatories too.. I was amazed just how the little resting positions of the leg and foot had constant use of so many tendons and muscles.. elevating began to eleviate almost instantaniously as I got use to the good positions of me, my leg and the pillows

Keep smiling
Wes

PS LOIS,

I too posted in a couple different spots on Chrisis blogs where it ‘looks’ like she reads over pretty frequently as well 😉 nothing tOO forward.. just great thanks and appreciation and let her know wed love her to come by and visit us here too 🙂

Enjoy y’alls weekend everyone
(theyve been teaching me hows to spell that correctly here..lol)
nicole on January 30, 2009 at 6:52 pm said:

hello all

was just wondering anyone who has had the cast from below the knee to below the toes… if sparatic pains in arch of the foot is normal. i have had a cast on for just over 4 weeks now this new one in particular for almost 1.5 weeks am generally doing good however recently a new found pain in back of my toes and sharp pains in arch of the foot and heel is occuring. is this normal? my second toe is kinda slightly bent over and painfull from time to time and a small pink coloring on tip of it.. they are still warm to touch and can still wiggle them but feels like something is pushing on arch of my foot maybe just swelling i dont know its all new to me.. i broke ankle on new years eve day and had surgery have 4 breaks and bone in leg broken so maybe its normal. if my surgeon wasnt travelling globe i could ask him however he is a little busy i guess anyone who may have experienced this before pls advise me so i stop thinking my foot is slowly dieing!!! and toes may in fact fall off!lol

nicole
lois on January 30, 2009 at 2:35 am said:

Anklequest et al: I did a bit a sleuthing through “twistermc”… and discovered an e mail address for a thomas mcmahon aka twistermac. Suspecting he might be Christi’s husband, I sent an email explaining the difficulty loading and posting lately and asked if they would consider starting a new site. I don’t know if it will help but thought it might be worth a try as this site is too valuable to lose. Hope everyone is doing well. Lois
Houston Wes on January 29, 2009 at 11:44 pm said:

Well what do you know..

So many people joining the club.

Howard, Im a work out fanatic and feel your mental pain. I finally was able to go back to the gym and tHouGhT I was going to just be working out a lot of upper body, but instead wound up being a cardio nut with my legs.
It takes so much work to keep it up and build it back up so that I am able to function regularly without a limp and go longer days with no pain.

Hush, I found that if you get a wobble board (theyre sold online or at Sports Authority type stores fro bout $15) 25 rotations while sitting.. slow and steady just getting the edge to touch the floor all the way around gets every little muscle stretched.. reverse it and do 25 more .. of course it wont go all the way down for quITe a while.. weeks/months.. use a cane or press with your hand on the actual wobble board to help with the stretching. then in a standing position do 25 ea direction with as much weight as possible.. this of course AfTer youre weight baring.

Once Im in horrible pain this even helps.

Hello to all,
Im surfing the job market down here and glad to catch up with you all here and there. Im with Anklequest-how do we get hold of Christi? this is long to load even with high speed..lol.. maybe we can find one of her other posts she checks more often.

Well my wife just put the recliner down on my bad ankle and laughed.. it didnt hurt.. hmm.. guess my workouts really have been doing amazing for the healing.

I dont want to ramble tooo long this evening, but car had tire blow out, I swapped it to spare, found I had broken strut spring that punctured it.. anddd it punctured the spare too while on the way to the rental car place.. thank goodness we have something like AAA.. My brother was with me and had me walking across an uneven field for about 1.5miles til the rental car place finally picked us up.. when you get to this point, I got some GooD workouts that’ll get you prepared for “life”…

Anyhow.. Hello to all.. wait.. I guess its Hello to Ya’ll .. now that Im in the country of Texas..

Til later,
Wes
Lee on January 29, 2009 at 4:32 pm said:

Nicole,

sounds like you might be having muscle cramps in your thigh. If you can, try laying on your stomach, bend your bad leg at the knee so your foot is up in the air, then reach back and try to pull it toward your butt. if you have someone to help, they can gently push your leg toward your back – gets a good long stretch in your quad. It’ll hurt at first – don’t push it – just a gentle stretch. That should help a little.

-Lee
nicole on January 29, 2009 at 9:29 am said:

thank you for the advice on the bucket idea once cast is off.. i wish there was something i could do for the leg cramps i keep getting on my upper thigh. my cast is from top of foot to just below knee and my upper leg is killing me…feels like growing pains or an annoying tooth ache that is mostly all that keeps me up at night… less than 2 weeks to go until this cast is off and on to the next step. hopefully not another cast maybe a boot.. am a little nervous to get the cast off its fiberglass but the tools they use make my stomach flop… its now been just over 4 weeks from the fall and i go back to work on the 15th. 4 days after the cast comes off…. i do have a desk job so they are starting me at half days.which is nice.. hope everyone is doing well and healing quickly!!

nicole
Louise on January 28, 2009 at 2:19 pm said:

Michelle!!
Great to hear you can properly start weight bearing now! 🙂 Thats great. Just take it slowly remember, and dont push yourself too much! I did when I could weight bear, and it was ok for me….but I guess it wouldn’t be for everyone. as soon as I could weight bear I was told I could put 100% of my weight on it, which I thought was quite odd at the time. I had to have a small op to remove 2 long pins going across both bones under local anaesthetic, but within an hour of having the op, they pretty much told me I was ok to walk. In fact one person told me to get up and walk around the end of the bed to check I was ok to go home….when I looked at him in horror and told him I hadn’t walked on this leg at all, he reluctantly gave me my crutches ha ha! Strange isn’t it how different docs will advise different things even though the injuries may be quite similar?!

Nicole.
The hot bucket/cold bucket thing Lois told you about is great, and like she said, it really got my swelling down too. I still get a tiny bit of swelling when I have been on my feet all day, but nothing major at all, and I broke both bones, and dislocted mine on april 23rd last yr (sounds odd saying LAST year, seems like it was only yesterday!) so yeah give that a go! And congrats on the toe wiggling. Keep wiggling those toes lady! 🙂

To everyone else….hello, hope your all doing well.

Louise xx
Michelle on January 27, 2009 at 3:24 pm said:

Howard, I started doing range of motion (including circles) about 1 week post surgery. I was in a splint for the first week then they put me in boot. I am now 5 weeks out and was told yesterday at my doc appt that I could begin incremental weight bearing on my boot. They told me to start with 25% of my weight for 3-5 days and then increase in 25% increments. I am still nervous about the weight bearing and it is difficult to judge how much 25% is. I pressed my boot onto the scale to get to 25% of my body weight so I would know what that felt like, but it’s hard to remember that feeling once I start walking around. So I think I’m probably doing less than 25% right now and hoping to get more confident as I practice. I’m also starting to use my crutches which I haven’t been using b/c I felt safer with the walker. In fact, I actually drove to a restaurant and met a friend for lunch today and used my crutches so that was a huge milestone. Keep in mind that my driving foot is unaffected so I’m lucky that I can still drive. If I can limit my weight bearing increments to 3 days each, I figure I could be 100% weight bearing by time I go back to doc in 2 weeks. Realistically, I’m not going to hold myself to that though. I think I was a little sore last night and his AM from the little bit of weight bearing I did yesterday, but they said to expect that. They said if I experience pain, I should back off the weight, but said some discomfort in normal. I’ve actually had zero pain for about 3 weeks now, but I did take 3 ibuprofen last night. Anyway, good luck Howard. Do as much range of motion (starting out very gentle) as you can and hopefully you will begin weight bearing at 5 weeks like I did. Keep in mind every situation is different – I broke tib and fib and mine was just at ankle level – nothing up into the leg. I’ll be 53 this Friday. I think I’m doing pretty good for a 53 year old! But I was in pretty good shape before hand. I’m like you in that it kills me not to exercise! This is first time in over 25 years that I’ve gone more than a few days without working out. Being physically fit is just part of my identify and doing something like this has always been my worst fear because I’ve always been kind of addicted to exercise. But I’m determined to get back into shape as soon as possisble. Fortunately, I haven’t gained any weight. That was also one of my fears. Anyway, enought rambling. Take care!
nicole on January 27, 2009 at 1:59 pm said:

Lois,

thank you very much for the advice… it is greatly appreciated!! i have exciting news…. today its new >>> i can wiggle my toes!!!! fully…. not seperately all together at once but still they wiggle….its the most amazing feeling its warming my whole foot up .. bringing swelling down a little bit not alot but a bit,. i have a new normal color to my toes now!! small steps right?
lois on January 27, 2009 at 12:51 pm said:

Nicole, to my knowledge only elevation, which must be three feet over your heart level to be effective and ice for swelling at this stage. However, once the cast is removed in a couple of weeks, you can focus on forcing the swelling from your ankle. To do this, fill your tub with warm/hot water and have an elongated bucket (floor washing pail?) half full of cold water sitting beside it. Sit on the lip of the tub, and plunge your foot/ankle into the warm bath water for about 30 seconds,,, practice writing the alphabet and do other ankle flexation exercises at that time and then slide around and plunge your foot/ankle into the cold water for about 30 seconds. The Physiotherapist said that this causes a blood pumping action which forces the swelling from the ankle and causes the fluid to re-distribute throughout the body. I did this exercise several times a day and my swelling did disappear really very quickly,,, only returning a few times when I did something silly to aggravate it. When that happened I would quickly revert to the above exercise. Others have had success with the compression stockings as well, but I am short on patience and so I did not. Also don’t forget to continue with the elevation and ice more directly on the swollen area once the cast is off. Happy to hear you are getting feeling back in your toes. Mine were completely numb for a minimum of ten weeks.

Hello to everyone else. It is getting near the end of January,,, so its only a month or so till spring weather right???…. but who is counting??? Lois
nicole on January 26, 2009 at 2:31 pm said:

hello all,

just was curious i am still in cast have 2 more weeks left am on meds to help the swelling is there anything else i could be doing other than elevating it.. feels like it is soo tight at times and causing my upper leg muscles to freak out.. wasnt sure if there was some home remedies i need to know!! i am slowly starting to feel my toes again which is new!! lol
thanks to anyone who has tips!
PJ on January 26, 2009 at 12:54 am said:

Ok here’s my story: on 12/30 I was going down the stairs at home brushing my teeth and I slipped all the way down, toothbrush still in mouth luckily not jammed in the back of my throat! My husband was home and he was actually at the bottom of the stairs, the noise that came out of my leg was terrible, I knew it was broken and I had not ever broken anything with the exception of a toe. My husband got ice on it immediately and after about an hour of trying to contain the pain in my head we went to the hospital. At the hospital they all thought it was ligaments but xrays proved different. They told me it was my ankle, put on a splint and scheduled me an appointment for the 2nd to get a cast, told me to be very careful to not put any weight on it so in would not become displaced. As I was getting ready for my appointment, the toe of the splint was about 5 inches longer than my toe and it stuck to the carpet as I was turning and I turned but my leg didn’t and I fell. When we got to the doctors and I got unwrapped I was all purple which I had not been the night before. I let them know I fell so they took more xrays and let me know that it was now grossly displaced so I would have to have surgery but she was going out of the country so I would have to make another appointment with another surgeon. Ok, I came back on the 6th and saw my new surgeon and he had just broken his ankle! He was riding on a roll-a-bout and so was I. I could not use crutches any longer because I was trying to develop a hernia from lifting myself. The roll-a-bout is wonderful! I live in a trilevel so I am doing alot of up and down stairs on my bottom but I feel like I have a little freedom since I can roll into the kitchen and get my own coffee. So I had surgery on the 9th, 1 plate and 6 screws in my fibula. He said the break ran parallel down my bone about 4 inches. I am not in a cast just a splint and have 14 staples. This forum has been a great help to me as there are many others in much worse shape than I am and I hope all of you all the best. I thank you all for sharing.
PJ Herbert on January 26, 2009 at 12:29 am said:

I am 4 weeks out post break. I will post the story after I see that this does actually post.
Al on January 25, 2009 at 6:16 pm said:

My wife broke her ankle 13 weeks ago. The first surgery was not done correctly so a second surgery was require. This has caused all sorts of delays in healing. The bones seem to have healed nicely. However there is a very small area of the incision that has not healed. It is directly over the metal plate which was attached to the bone. We have been going to a wound center for over a month. It is treated with Santyl and we change the dressing each day. Even though the wound scabs over the Doctor scrapes the wound back down to the metal plate. I don’t see how it will ever heal this way and we are growing frustrated. Are there alternate therapies we should investigate? The Doctor says the body is slow to heal over metal but ther are major areas which did heal. If it does not heal the next suggested approach would be to remove the metal plate and we would certainly like toavoid another operation
lois on January 25, 2009 at 5:07 pm said:

Susan, I almost said I enjoyed reading your story,,, but that is not at all the correct phrase. So, how DO I say this… Well I am sorry about your ankle, but your story was really interesting. There that does sound a bit better. Actually your story sounds much much more interesting than many of us, who just did our breaks in the most ridiculous ways. Your story at least has some adventure and drama to it. But yikes, it does make me glad that I broke mine at home… I’ll be greatful for small mercies I guess. Glad to hear that you are coming along. Lois
Howard on January 25, 2009 at 4:43 pm said:

Hello,

Just a quick update. I’m now 3 weeks post sugery. Will be 4 weeks tuesday. I’m not in a boot and out of the cast. WHEWWWW. I have little to no range of motion. It’s getting better but it’s tough. The first doctor told me to start ankle circles. But then 2nd dr that took out my stitches told me NO NO NO. said it’s not been 6 weeks and bone is not healed. She said I should just be going up and down no circles. What is everyone else doing.

I finally got to see my x-rays. I guess I broke the very upper part of my ankle. or leg. and ankle. I have long metal plate up my right leg and lots of pins and screws in my ankle. Looks weird. My ankle is not deformed but still a little swolen. It does however feel very strong. I’m suprised. I’m not going to try to put weight on it but it feels ok. NO pain accept for the occasional sharp pain.

When do you guys think I should be walking ???? I miss driving and walking..
Susan on January 24, 2009 at 8:46 pm said:

Well, posting worked, and so here is my story.
On holiday with hubby in Scottish Highlands when I slipped and fell on wet grass after taking photographs of Stoer lighthouse -19th June ’08 at 3.00p.m. Check out the location to see the remoteness! Husband phoned for an ambulance as we’d both heard the break and knew there was no way I would make it back to the car park – I couldn’t bring myself to look at it but David assured me it ‘looked’ broken. He eventually left me lying on the cliff side while he went to collect blankets from the car – I was surprisingly calm and collected considering I am usually quite a wimp! Mulling things over there I thought I’d be put into a plaster cast, continue our touring holiday and 6 weeks later I’d be up and about again – no way!! When the ambulance arrived 30 mins later they contacted the Coastguard as they were concerned about carrying me down the hill given the slippery conditions and thought I should be airlifted to hospital but they eventually decided we couldn’t wait and we made our way down. We were helped by a lovely Welsh couple who had stayed with us and also a French paramedic tourist who helped carry me on the stretcher to the ambulance 1 hour later. I then had a 4 hour journey, mainly on single track roads with passing places, to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness stopping twice on the way for doctors to meet us to give me morphine shots for the pain. I used up 2 canisters of entonox but didn’t feel much like laughing.
At A&E x-rays showed my ankle was broken in 3 places, tib and fib, and also dislocated (officially Weber B fracture with displaced posterior malleolus – very posh!) I had the ankle relocated and plastered which was extremely painful and then I was admitted to the ortho ward at midnight. I had surgery first thing next morning and ended up with a plate and 8 screws and a temporary back slab cast. They had intended in putting a plate on both fib and tib but thought that they might get away with only one which they recommended would stay in, much to my delight. 2 days later, when swelling had gone down some, I had the back slab removed and a moulded plaster of paris cast put on. This was also very unpleasant as the surgeon had to manipulate my foot into the correct position whist firmly moulding the plaster over the affected area of my tibia. I spent 8 days in hospital which wasn’t a chore as staff and other patients were amazing and I had lots of visits from relatives who live in that part of the world. I was finally allowed to travel home when I could use crutches to get myself up and down stairs. Once home I had great support from my husband and daughter and friends dropping in and we managed to adapt to life with a broken ankle. I admit I got quite down at times as I didn’t want to continually ask for help and felt totally useless sometimes. I wanted to be involved in things and as independent as possible so I hired a brilliant wheelchair over the internet (cheaper than hire from local NHS – I can give you the contact details if you want them), got a bath seat and Limbo plaster cover so I could have a shower and also a perch stool from Occupational Health. I scooted up and downstairs on my bottom – to the amusement of my cat! The crutches (underarm type) were a different story though. I had a few falls with them and completely lost all confidence. On a routine visit to my local hospital I told them I hated using them so they gave me a walker and I managed fine with that until my physio gave me elbow crutches about 3 weeks later. I had physio twice a week at first and they measured my flexion etc then manipulated my ankle before taking me through a routine of exercises which I then continued at home. I am now going once a week to a gym class at the physio clinic to extend my flexibility and build up my stamina, quads and calf muscles. I have been really pleased with my physios as they are very understanding and supportive and also positive when I am feeling down. I am now crutch free – a traumatic experience in itself – and heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
I returned to work last week (Special Needs Nursery Nurse) but am finding this difficult as it is quiet an intensive job and heavy going at times. Again, colleagues are very supportive but I don’t want them to make allowances for me as I think that could eventually breed resentment in the long term. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone but I think if people (including some medics) could go through what we are going through for a couple of days they’d be surprised. Still, I am soldiering on!!
My ankle still gets swollen and discoloured if I have been active and pain ranges from mild to severe depending on what I am doing. I get shooting pains when I least expect them which pulls me up short and I am trying to remember what it is like to have a day without feeling pain. I can feel the metalwork in my leg – including a very ‘sticky out’ screw which made my physio recoil in disgust!! I dread icy days as I am afraid of falling again but I know I have to face that. Both my son and daughter are planning weddings this year so I am having to consider ‘Mother of the Bride / Groom’ outfits with flat shoes – hellllllppppp – I’m only 5ft 2 !!!
To those of you at the end of the journey, I am looking forward to joining ou, to those in the very early days, have hope, it does get better. You will adapt and progress and eventually see that light. 🙂
Michelle on January 23, 2009 at 10:44 pm said:

I’m 4 weeks and 4 days post break and going back to doc in 3 days at which point I am expecting to get OK to begin partial weight bearing. I’ve already been in the boot for all but my 1st week when I was splinted. I’m curious how much longer I can expect to be in the boot before I switch to a shoe. And then, will I have to get fitted for a special athletic or orthopedic shoe after I’m done with the boot? I’ve been doing range of motion exercises at least a couple times each day when I’m off my feet. Of course, the ankle is a bit stiff but, otherwise, I feel I’m doing pretty well. I’m planning to request PT when I see my doc in a few days (he originally said it wouldn’t be necessary). I want to at least try PT and let them decide whether I need more. One thing I’d like from PT is to learn how to use my crutches with confidence. I’ve been on a walker this whole time which is what they gave me in the hospital. However, I also have crutches that I borrowed from my neighbors that I want to start using. I tried them once a few weeks ago and took a fall so I went back to the walker. I like the walker for around the house because I think it gives me more flexibility in what I can do, but I’d like the freedom of being able to use the crutches too – especially when I leave the house. Do you think there’s hope for me to learn the crutches. I’ll be 53 next week, but was very active and fit before my accident. I know I have the strength and coordination to use them. It’s just getting past the fear factor of falling and hurting myself again. Hopefully, PT can work with me on that issue. Anyway, thanks to anyone out there who can answer my questions. By the way, the weather has been warmer here last couple days and yesterday I actually got myself down the stairs into my garage and into my car for a drive to Wendy’s drive-thru. Then again, today, I went all by myself to a hair appt. I have to get down on my knees and then scoot on my butt down the stairs to the garage and then reverse the process when I get home. I put my walker down on the garage floor ahead of me first. I use my walker to get to the driver’s seat and then am able to fold up the walker and slide it into the back seat of the car. Being able to do this on my own was really good for my confidence and state of mind (not to mention that my hair sure looks a lot better!). Anyway, wanted to share that small success! Hang in there everyone!
Anon O Mous on January 23, 2009 at 10:34 pm said:

RECENT STUDIES INVOLVING ACID PREVENTING DRUGS THAT ACTUUALLY REDUCE OR TURN OFF THE ACID PRODUCING PUMPS IN YOUR STOMACH TO ELIMINATE HEARTBURN HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE A CAUSAL FACTOR IN OSTEOPOROSIS AND BONE BREAKS, MAINLY FRACTURES TO THE HIPS AND SPINE.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT HEARTBURN SUFFERES WHO HAVE BEEN TAKING NEXIUM, PRILOSEC, ETC… FOR A YEAR OR MORE HAVE A 41% CHANCE OF A BONE BREAK, AND FOR THOSE THAT TAKE HIGHER DOSES THAN THE STANDARD DOSES SHOW A 244% INCREASE IN FRACTURES.
THIS HAS MAJOR IMPLICATIONS REGARDING ANKLE BREAKS AND THE QUESTION OF “WHY DID A SLIP WHICH SHOULD HAVE ONLY RESULTED IN A SPRAIN AT MOST RESULT IN A MAJOR TRIMALLEALOR BREAK?” AND THE ANSWER COULD BE, HEARTBURN MEDICATION.
THIS INFO CAN BE VERIFIED WITH A SIMPLE GOOGLE APPLICATION, AND THIS THEORY HAS BEEN OUT THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, ALTHOUGH THE RECENT STUDIES AND PERCENTAGE RESULTS OF RELATIONSHIP TO BONE BREAKS AND HEARTBURN MEDS SHOULD AT LEAST BE GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
THERE IS REALLY NO RELIEF FROM SEVERE ACID PRODUCTION, COMMONLY CALLED GERD OR ACID REFLUX. AS LAST RESORT AND PERHAPS FIRST CHOICE WOULD BE A SIMPLE SURGICAL ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURE IN WHICH THE PUMPS ARE CAUTERIZED AND THE PUMPS CUT OFF.
AT LEAST THE ANTI HEARTBURN DRUGS WOULD NO LONGER BE LEECHING THE CALCIUM FROM YOUR BONES AND ADDING TO THE CHANCES THAT ONE MAY BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ANKLEBREAKERS CLUB.
Susan on January 23, 2009 at 7:03 pm said:

Hello all, I am 6 months post break and only found this website a couple of weeks ago. I wish I’d known of it in the early days as I felt very isolated – a common feeling with ankle-breakers it seems – but I still find your comments and experiences comforting. I am really testing at the moment as I’ve tried to post before and it didn’t appear so, if this shows on the site, I’ll share my story and progress so far. Tread carefully! 🙂
Louise on January 23, 2009 at 4:15 pm said:

Hi everyone!!

Nicole, yeah the blister does sound a little odd, so I would keep checking with the doc on that one!!

Debbie. Hello!! With losening up the muscles, it probably took me about 2-3 months of physiotherapy to really start to notice them getting back to normal, so keep on with the exercises, and you should soon start to notice a difference. Just keep pushing and pulling at it, and stretching it out, and soon it shall be getting better!

Louise xx
KIm on January 23, 2009 at 12:47 pm said:

Hi everyone,been awhile since I been on. The blister sounds bad Nicole, I agree you should keep a close eye on that, hound your doctor its better to be on top of things like that, infections take a long time to heal.

I too am going to have the long screw taken out, have to see the surgeon Monday. A little worried because it has been 10 months since my break and surgery. Wondering here if there is alot of pain invloved and how long you have to stay off your foot.

Another thing, I had alot of pain in my toes also but it just took time to work out all the soreness and stiffness. THere are several tendons and ligaments not to mention muscles that may or may not have been injured so it will take awhile to to get those loose again. Keep doing those exercises and things will get better, its a slow process but it will start to get better, promise.

Talk to you all later!!
KIM
nicole on January 23, 2009 at 9:31 am said:

Thank you everyone for your responses!! i did get on my dr about the blister… and when he put this cast on he gauzed it up alot and put cream on it to prevent it from opening up. and if it does it has antiobitic cream to keep it clean i have been massaging my toes and it seems to be helping they arent as puffy and not as soar. it is making my calf muscle a little soar but will take that anyday. i will be honest i am still in shock at the scars on my leg i am not someone who is so concerned with the appearance of scars however it goes from bottom of heal to about 2 inches from my knee.. that shocked me a little bit but hear there are creams to use to help it once cast is off. again a BIG THANK YOU to all who are giving me your personal thoughts and suggestions it helps soo very much as i have a hard time believing the doctors as i am a big one to say “oh yeah you have experienced this?or is that what the book says is normal?”
Hope all is well with everyone!!
nicole
anklequest on January 22, 2009 at 10:27 pm said:

Michelle,
I hope things are going better. Don’t hesitate to ask for more help from neighbors if you need it since you are alone. I had help from neighbors and they were happy to help out. I didn’t take many showers for 6 months as I had to completely seal up my ankle with plastic and duct tape for I had a large open wound; hence no cast & no boot & and fear of infection.

Nicole,
Move and message those toes. And take care of that heel blister. That needs covering with gause & pads or it could become a big problem.

Gemma,
Patience is needed. A talus involvment is very serious. Broken ankles are bad enough but yours is even worse so be patient. Time will heal.

Lee,
Thanks so much for the update. Interesting that you are having a complete overhaul. the platlet thing is new to me. I learn new stuff every day on this board.

Judy,
what type of work do you do? Expect that your ankle will give you problems for a longer time. 4 months is nothing.

Don,
This weekend, no again!!! I hope to call soon. you take care!

Watch that ice, all you northern folks!

Anklequest
anklequest on January 22, 2009 at 10:16 pm said:

Hi Everyone,
I suspect the frustrating posting problem is due to the fact there are now so many posts on this blog. How can we get in touch with Christi or the site manager and ask them to start a new site?
Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Anklequest.
Debbie on January 22, 2009 at 10:08 pm said:

Nicole,
I agree you should push your Dr. more about the blister. i knew someone who had a blister turn into an ulcer and that wound up being more of a problem than the ankle fracture. It involved a lot of time at a wound center etc..
Well tomorrow I see my Dr., it has been 10 weeks and 4 days since my accident and timw for the long screw to come out. In PT I have been working really hard to stretch my ankle muscles. It is hard to believe how tight they have gotten. I still cannot bend my right knee during exercises. Any suggestions on how to loosen these muscles up? I guess just keep working at it, but it hurts bad when the PT has me try to go the limit! I’ll be curious what my Dr’s take is tomorrow-he is very difficult to read. Also he informed me week 1 that I ask too many questions- TOO BAD I said! Anyhow I’ll keep working I do not want to walk with a limp. All of you are in my thoughts, people here understand the deal better than the rest of the world. Good Nite–Debbie
Lee on January 22, 2009 at 9:49 pm said:

Nicole,

Push your Dr. a little more – I don’t like the sound of an orange size blister on the inside of your heal and coldness. That to me sounds like a circulation issue – is the cast too tight? Ask for some more padding on the heal to protect your skin. You don’t want to end up with an ulcer there and then infection. It may be fine, but push him to really look at it.

The numb toes seem normal to me, and my foot was always feeling cold and clammy, but I could feel it nonetheless.

My 2 cents.
-Lee
nicole on January 22, 2009 at 4:43 pm said:

Lois,

thank you soo much for replying… it was the best relief i have heard yet since this has all happened to know that I am not alone in this whole toes not feeling nightmare.. its very painful and the newest thing today is the spastic calf muscle cramps… not fun at all i asked my surgeon if there is anything we can do to knock the swelling down and in turn maybe feel the toes and bottom of my foot again… he said to keep taking what you are taking it should be working… well news flash its not working at all.
I have to manually move my toes which hurts alot pulling on muscles i didnt know where connected!! it feels soo cold inside but warm to the touch … very annoying… if that wasnt there i would be doing just fine… lol but i do feel a little weight off knowing that i am not alone.. when i asked my dr. he kinda looked at me oddly and said “its not really normal…huh.. well lets cast it and give it 3 more weeks!!” i wanted to say wow you deserve a raise!! it may be from the orange size blister on the inside of my heal!! wow.. anyway sorry to ramble on just a vent moment for me… lol
Louise on January 22, 2009 at 4:36 pm said:

Hi everyone!!

Lee. So glad to hear your test results came back ok! Thats great, and like you said, one less thing to worry about! 🙂

Lois. Good to hear your nearly back to normal, and cant believe your nearly at the year mark! Sounds crazy doesn’t it? I will be at the yr mark on april 23rd! Cant believe it has been so long. In some ways i cant rememeber life pre-ankle break, but in other ways, it only seems like yesterday I was sat in the hospital! Good to hear though!

Nicole. Hello to you. With regards to your numb toes, yes, I had that too. In fact I had a massive big patch on my foot on the top that was numb, which has gotten better over the time, so I wouldnt worry too much!

Liz. Hello to you! In answer to your question, I have not gone back to netball, and at the moment, I ave told them Im not going back, unless in the future they change where they are playing, so yeah….guess Ill just have to find somehting else to do. Hmmm….

Hello to trac as well. Sorry to hear that things didn’t work out quite as expected, but dont give up! I know you wont anyway, but keep the smilingness going! 😀

To everyone else, hello as well!

As for me, Im ok….I am going to thailand in may, (as well as norway in a few weeks! yay!) Although, am very annoyed at my university, as they told me we would be done by may, so I booked non-amendable, non-refundable flights, and they have now said I have an exam on the thursday after I leave on the monday! Grrr…. will have to see what I can do about this!! But other than that, yes…am going well!

Again, not much else happening on the ankle front. I have noticed I am generally not thinking about it too much, day to day, which is good! Still annoyed somewhat at the general achiness, and stiffness of my ankle, but Im sure I can live with it! But….oh well, Im sure I can get along ok! 🙂

So, hope everyone is doing well!!

Louise xx
lois on January 22, 2009 at 1:27 pm said:

Good morning everyone.

Lee, thanks for your post,,, I couldn’t stop thinking about you so was anxious to hear. What a relief to hear about the mammogram…and if I am relieved.. I can’t imagine what a lifted weight that must feel like for you and your family. Re: your ankle – well at least you have a concensus now and some kind of forward direction. Wishing you well.

Trac, you are the other lady I keep thinking about all the time. How frustrating this must be for you.
Wish I could come and share a slice of pie with you,,, and while I was there I would dump a whole pound of melted butter on your popcorn. You have such remarkable spirit, and the obvious love and support of your family and friends. In that way, you are truly blessed.

Nicole, I remember the numb toes well. It was from my middle toe to my baby toe that I couldn’t feel and which would stick together and not move independently. I even made a special trip to my GP, because I was certain they were dead and I was going to get gangrene and lose them. His advise was give it time but he too looked concerned. So, I decided on my own to stuff wads of toilet paper between the toes to keep them from sticking together. I began to massage them frequently throughout the day to get/keep the circulation going, and I would try and try to make each of them move indepently,,, and if they didn’t I would manually move them in accordance with the brain signal I was trying to relay. I honestly do not know if these actions helped but I do know that I even continued this for about two weeks after the cast was removed and the next thing I knew all the feeling was back,,, and all those toes are completely back to normal. I agree with you though, it really is a bit unnerving isn’t it.

I am still doing well. Perhaps about 95 percent back to normal as I approach (in five weeks) the first anniversary of my surgery. The best part is that I still continue to see small but steady improvements.

All the best to all of you. Chins up, but eyes watching the ground. Lois
nicole on January 22, 2009 at 10:16 am said:

hello!!
thank you everyone for your tips and thoughts and suggestions for me the newbie to it all!
only 3 weeks left with this cast and then on to the next stage(whatever that may be) swelling is still a hard thing to get used to i try to elevate and nothing helps and still not able to bend nor feel my toes… i truly hope everyone is doing well and healing quickly
nicole
Judy on January 22, 2009 at 10:09 am said:

Well, I am now 4 months out from surgery. Ankle still swells reqardless of icing and evalution. I am working now and can walk with a slight limp.
After a day at work my ankle swells a good bit.
How is everyone doing that is at my stage now.Finished my PT and have been very upset with my doctor as he already dismissed me before I finished therapy.
2008 was a really bad year. About 2 mo. before my break I have back surgery and was doing fine and what do you know I fell in the floor.
My husband is blind, so it really put a strain on us.
Oh well, guess I should be proud it was not my neck.
Hope everyone is doing fine.
Lee on January 22, 2009 at 1:51 am said:

My update:

Non-ankle related: Mammogram and extra views were all clear. i’m good to go! whew! One less thing to worry about.

Ankle-related. Have now seen 3 top ankle guys, and we have consensus and a plan. I’m back to PT for 6-8 weeks to get as strong as I can get. Then back to surgery. they’ll remove the fibula plate, scope and clean the joint, repair two ligaments that are shot, and check out the posterior malleolus that has not healed. They’ll inject a “paste” of my platelets to see if the bone will grow around it and fill in the non-union. And if it seems unstable, they’ll add a screw. So I go down hoping for 6 weeks off my feet, and wake up learning if it’s 6 or 12 weeks. I’m obviously hoping for the shorter of the two, but will be happy to hear that the joint won’t collapse any time soon and I won’t need a fusion, barring some unforeseen event. I am bummed, but happy to know it can all be fixed, to some degree.

I’ll keep all posted on the progress and will keep checking in on all.

cheers,
Lee
Lee on January 22, 2009 at 1:37 am said:

short posts seem to work…

Trace – I’m so sorry to hear your tests were not what you wanted. Keep at it though. You can’t give up. Get the answers you need and in time, you will have a decision. I know how you feel – I want answers too, and according to my schedule, it’s taking way too long. But the answers come when they’re ready and not a moment earlier. Let yourself have a good cry now and then, and then go make a pie and smile. you have tremendous strength and will get through anything. I can hear your frustration, and I feel it for you too. But you will get to where you need to be. I believe that.

-Lee

p.s. Hi Don and Louise – good to see your posts too!
pie lady aka trac on January 22, 2009 at 1:34 am said:

Hey there!

Nicole, I took a trip w/my leg freshly removed from a cast and in healing mode. I don’t know if you are flying or driving, but either way, swelling will be involved, be it from sitting a long while or altitude. So, make sure to talk to your Dr. about how to control the swelling. For me, it was as simple as wearing a compression stocking 24/7 and keeping up on my exercises.

Good Luck, hope all goes well so that you can take the trip —

trac
Lee on January 22, 2009 at 1:33 am said:

Hi all,

i seem to be having trouble posting long messages. I’m going to do a few short ones and see what happens.

Welcome to all the new posters. Sorry you need to be here, but keep coming. the group is fabulous and helpful and supportive. You will get through the hard early days when your stuck at home, can’t shower easily, and can’t get around. It passes and once you hit PT, it’s uphill from there.

-Lee
Hush on January 21, 2009 at 3:44 pm said:

hey all,

Ankle breaking is probably the worst place to break a bone… or 2.. thanks to gravity! damn that gravity! but yes you do learn to live and adjust to your ankle… for example, knowing how long you can walk on it before it starts to pain? or swell?

Don,
Thanks for the exercise tips!
will definately give them a try!

Nicole,
I wouldnt worry too much about not having much feeling in the bottom of your foot, Whilst i was in my cast my toes felt tingley and i couldnt feel anything in my middle toe! I think it was down to the anesthetic injected? or nerve trapped due to the cast and the swelling? im not sure but the feeling came back a few weeks after i had my cast taken off! so hopefully it will be ok 🙂

Hush xxx
nicole on January 21, 2009 at 3:06 pm said:

Update:
Well its now officially been 3 weeks since the fall. I went today to have temp fibreglass cast off and plaster cast put on. now have to keep this for 3 weeks!! UGGHH so frusturating i go back in on feb 11 and have a trip planned of feb20th that i do not want to and can not cancel.(already pd in full no refund)
still pain in toes no feeling on bottom of my foot at all really hope that comes back … and no more tests or anything. really hoping its normal actually!!
well i hope everyone is healing well and remember some days your the bug
some days your the windshield!!

nicole
pie lady aka trac on January 21, 2009 at 1:09 am said:

Hello!! Well, I will try again. I have fallen victim to the disappearing posts as well.

Don, So sorry to hear about your family. I am so close to my nephew, that I cannot imagine. Blessings to you and your family. Thank you for your kind words. They came at a necessary time. I had just gotten out of the shower where I made myself sad, sitting there under the water in thought. I was going in today for tests, and had become quite anxious, and was logging on for some comfort, that is when my post was lost.

What does me in is the loneliness. Not people loneliness, as I’m lucky enough to be surrounded my amazing people, both on and off this list. But, the activity loneliness. I am one of those people where an afternoon hike, on a cool afternoon, or a couple hours fishing, or even a quick stroll in winter, all done alone, when needed, takes the edge right off me and fills me up, soul side out. And, now those are all off limits. I can roll around the parking lot in my wheelchair (and do), but it is in no way the peacefulness of a hike. I keep plodding away, just knowing that I’ll be back up again. Not soon, but again. Just, sometimes I get angry, I get this feeling of “ALRIGHT, ALREADY!!!” you know? So, today, getting 9 tests that might lead to an answer, I was a bit anxiety ridden. So, thanks for helping. All of you. I had a CT Scan, Doppler, EMG, and some others, that I am not sure what they do. The results from the Doppler were okay. My circulation appears fine (whew!). However, the EMG was not so good. If you’ve ever had one, then you know that it is not the most painless test ever. It is for nerve and muscle stimulation and response. So, they have to inject a probe into your muscle w/o any deadening. It hurts, but doesn’t last long. And, unfortunately, the neurologist who performed the test said I had severe to extensive nerve damage, in both right and left legs/ankles/feet. Which surprised me, because I thought my left had healed nicely. wrong-o! But, I knew something was up, because the probes in my left leg hurt like the dickens, but when she probed the right leg, I didn’t feel it at all, in fact I was able to stay relaxed, because I didn’t know she had done it yet. She tested my back to make sure I didn’t have a pinched nerve. Which I didn’t. I asked her if there was a way to correct this, she shook her head and replied, “Sometimes, but I think with yours it is best to leave it to your dr to talk to you about.” I said, “Pretty bad, huh?” and She replied, “Yes, I haven’t seen this level of damage in a while.” dang it, dang it, dang it. I kept laughing and joking w/them, but when I was left alone in the CT room while the got the dr. I have to admit I teared up. I just want an answer, and it gets exhausting not know what to be able to look forward and see some idea what is to come, you know? “BREATHE” 🙂

So, apparently nerve damage can prevent a person from walking? Sheesh! Well, on a “good” note, if we can get some repairs done, we may be able to do a fusion. And, while I know a fusion isn’t necessarily a good thing, it kind of is compared to the amputation. I don’t know. We will see on the 29th. So that leaves me with some sort of hope. Who am I kidding, I have lots of hope, purely because when I get bad news I always get a dose of good to go with it — leaves a person w/hope. Has anyone on here had a fusion?

Nicole, see if you can get a Physical/Occupational therapist out to your house. They can work with you within your own setting to show you how best to get around. It helped a lot with me. They came out and spent a day with me. Showing me little things I never would’ve considered, such as the piano bench was a danger, or to move all rugs. How best to get in and out of my shower. And, where to move my bed so I had adequate room for dressing. Since then, I’ve been able to make my own changes, as will you, but they can get you started.

Stick with it, it does get better. Hard to believe, but, I’m like Don — double break/dislocation, shattered leg/knee/thigh, and left arm/wrist/hand. And, 18 months out, still struggling, but happy. You find outlets. For me, it is making pies and pastries (I had to find a way to buy meds — now it is pure fun, never would’ve started if it weren’t for the accident – now I’m saving for a bulldog puppy when I’m healed). And, you’ll laugh. Just today one of my friends said, “Well, at least I know longer worry about you getting distracted and wandering off when we are all out and about” True! See? Another form of healing. HA!

Okay, take care of yourselves, it will get better. I know how hard it is to imagine. But, it does.

Peace,
Blessings and Healthy Healing,
trac
Don on January 20, 2009 at 10:27 pm said:

Hey Ankle Breakers.

Nicole

3 weeks huh you can do 6 months standing on your head 🙂 for me I was in the accident on Dec 10th and ahh kinda (how should I say this) came back to reality Jan 7 2007 I guess that works. had 4 surgeries and had about 25 Lbs of steel added to various parts of my body. And got to be 3 months of no weight bearing on my legs or left arm.

I got to try my new legs and feet out for the first time on March 7 2007 and got kicked out of the hospital 3 days later on the 10th. 🙂 So lots of ups and downs in the mean time.

Your legs arms body and any where else you can think of will hurt you from time to time and you will get frustrated, Mad, pissed off, sad, depressed, Meloncolly and every other emotion you can think of and then it won’t be so bad, you’ll have that time when hey I can deal with this!

You will move forward and keep moving forward, yeah you will have set backs but for the most part it get’s better. When it does tell us when it doesn’t make sure you tell us cause we all been there and came here to complain, screem , cry and blow off steam and all the people here listened and then said Ok that’s over now get up dry off and move on, quit your whinning and crying and start laughing and moving forward. we have all been there done that and were all still here but our lives are better our friends here understand and can explain and we are happy at the smallest step. Here they mean alot because we all started with small steps.

So welcome to 🙂 Us yup just US.

Keep the right parts of the feet on the ground Ankle Breakers it is safer

Don
nicole on January 20, 2009 at 10:11 pm said:

Don,

thank you for the insight i was hoping it was normal however wasnt sure. its really the only discomfort soo far that and my foot constantly feeling cold however warm to touch!! i am sure it will get worse before it gets better . my legs are very soar however i do see surgeon tomorrow to take remainder of staples out and hopefully move on to next level whether that is a cast or boot or whatever. I have been now off since dec 31 so 3 weeks tomorrow and am able to stay off up to 6 months full pay however do not want to do that i am already going crazy!! I only go out for the dr. appointments the weather in ontario is not so crutch-friendly and live on the 2nd level no elevator… eeekkk
anyway any other helpful tips or comparisons to my same symptons is greatly appreciated!!
nicole
Don on January 20, 2009 at 9:11 pm said:

Hey Ankle Breakers

Hey Nicole

and welcome to our side of the world:-) I had my both my ankles broken Yup you guessed it at the same time Lucky Me:-) alonmg with a few others here. Mine was more then two years ago. Dec 10 2006 and to this day I have times where the top of my feet and toes feel like they are a sleep and have pins and needles in them. It comes and goes, I believe it is from the circulation and the nerve damage where they cut us. But it does lessen as time goes on. Keep working and doing what you are told and you will be fine. Oh yeah stick around here most of us have been through a thing or two and may have some not all of the answeres to your questions.

Hey Hush welcome

a good exercise to strengthen your ankles is toe ups. Put the weight on the balls of your feet towards the tips of your toes, then just push up till you are on your tip toes. Keeep doing that if you can find a curb of stair you can lowere yourself down so you can also stretch the calf muscles by letting your foot lower and push a little furhter down if you are standing on a cuerb of stair.

Anothe ris ankle rotations making circles with your ankles and feet. Gives you two things better movement and more strength..

Have fun keep working.

Keepo the right part of yopur feet on the ground every one it is safer for us and we are less clumsey when we do were more balanced.

Talk soon
Don
nicole on January 20, 2009 at 5:53 pm said:

hello all!!
i am very new still have the stickers on to this whole nightmare of the ankle breaking. broke my ankle slipping on ice new years eve day. succesfull surgery for the broken bones on both sides of my ankle and the bone running up left side of my leg. 4 pins and a rod later and i am home! had partial staples removed and remainder (26) left in due to not healing correctly
my biggest complaint is the pain in my toes that feels like they are asleep but little shots of what can be compared to electrical zaps. and the blisters on the bottom of my heal from rubbing on cast.
what i wanted to know is the toes and bottom of the foot feeling normal? can anyone help my surgeon doesnt really answer me in soo many ways.

thanks
broken in cananda
Hush on January 20, 2009 at 2:57 pm said:

Hi all..

wow all these situations sound painful! hope you are all on a way to a speedy recovery.
I broke my ankle whist I was in high school 8 years! it was a pretty bad break, broken on both sides, and practically hanging off! (not to sound crude!) i also have a metal plate put in with screws on one side and a metal pin on the other. i was devastated when i was told by my consultant that i would most likely develop a limp! and not be able to wear heels!! but i am glad to say i proved my consultant wrong! i had my ankle massaged every week which helped the recovery and movement and yes i do wear heels now! i get a slight pain sometimes if i over walk on it, but its not that bad, and i am glad i do not have a limp thanks to regularly massaging it!
I was wondering if anyone knows of any exercises to strengthen my ankle?

Thanks

Hush xxx
MARIA on January 20, 2009 at 8:10 am said:

DON, I’M SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. GLAD YOU’RE BACK.
Don on January 19, 2009 at 9:53 pm said:

Hey Ankle Breakers

Just caught up on all the posts Wow there are quit a few. So welcome to all of our new comers on our little site. Believe us when we tell you there will be more heart aches then joys in the beginning, BUT if you watch and look closely you will see little improvements. Some will be UN noticeable to others but to you and us they will seem monumental. And those are the days you need to look forward to don’t expect the world to look at them in the same way. But each of us will progress at our pace it can’t be rushed it can’t be hurried. It just takes time.

Lady Trac.

Inspirational Little old me. Neah kiddo it is really you that inspirers a lot of us. I remember you first coming on this list and the point you started at and then the more and more you had to cope with. And now look at you look how far you have come that is inspiration personified. Yeah I can talk a good game, and I have the slow, slow plodding of a plow horse and the, I’ll get there attitude. But your never ending determination is what makes your stories so compelling to read. I can see your little sly grin and hear your giggle. The one that makes a person know that you’re serious even when you act like your not. That is inspiring. Do us all a favor and keep weaving your tales and tell us of your progress as you are a fountain of hope and kindness.

Always smile always struggle always keep the right part of your feet on the ground ankle breakers, it’s safer for us when we do.

Don
Don on January 19, 2009 at 8:34 pm said:

Greetings Ankle breakers

Sorry for being away for awhile familyu issues to deal with. Brother inlaw fell off the ladder and broke his femur and had the same Dr I had do his surgery. And then my Nephew passed this past week so been out of touch. 🙁

Wes
As for the 2 shower heads you can look in most Plumbing suppliy companies. They have what they call diverters that can be put up on the shower arm and have the regul;ar shower head attached aso it can be used or the diverter can be turned and then it will go to the hand held unit OR you can just turn off the button on the hand held unit and it will just stop running till you need the water. Only problem with this type is that when you turn the hanbd held back on point it away from yourself as all the hot water collects in the hand hjeld shower unit and it is real hot when you turn it back on.

Be carefull all you ankle breakers with this weather on the east coast slipping and slidding is no good for us. Keep the right part of your feet on the ground it is safer.

Don
Gemma on January 19, 2009 at 1:32 pm said:

Hi to everyone and hope that the ankles are treating you well.

Just updated myself on the posts and realised that the one I did a couple of days ago isnt showing so im going to ask for advise again.

Cut a long storey short I came out of plaster just over a months ago and started P/T that consists of two sheets of paper exercise for me to do at home.

What Can I say, my ankle and I are not agreeing on range of movement lol. Have to laugh as im really really trying but my ankle is telling me its not ready for this yet.

After the trauma of the injury, surgery and ongoing recovery the poor ankle its winning, im now learning that I cant push it no matter how quick I want to return to (normal) and thats if it will ever be normal again.

So the pt team want me to return for my next appointment with a 90 degree angle in my ankle (yeh right) keep comparing the ankles and there is a long way to go and 3 weeks untill the appointment.

Anyway I would like to know what degree of angle you all have in your ankle and how long its been to see if my ankle and I are falling out for a reason, I was in plaster for 5 months non weight bearing and had a serious talus dislocation and subluxation requiring pins plates and other internal ankle bling lol.

Also non weight bearing pt to share would be good.

Take care every one and keep working with them ankles.

Gemma
LIZ (Trimal, rt ankle DOI: 5/21/08, DOS: 6/2/08) on January 18, 2009 at 9:12 pm said:

Hi Gang,

There are so many new posts. It took me a little while to catch up with everyone.

Louise, glad to hear you had a good time on vacation. lol I had to laugh at all the references to broken bones. I was watching TV this evening (one of those reality weight loss shows). A woman tripped and fell. She immediately grabbed her ankle and you could tell she was in pain. It was hard to watch, cause it brought back all the memories of breaking mine. Ugh! She ended up just twisting it though… no break. So have you returned to playing net ball yet?

Howard, congrats on getting into a boot. 🙂 I felt so much better once I had my boot… like I was finally making some progress. It’s normal for your ankle to be so stiff… think of all the trauma it’s been through, not only the bones but the tissues and ligaments. When will you start PT? Therapy was a tremendous help to me. Not only for my range of motion but just giving me confidence in my ankle and having someone to address my questions and concerns with on a regular basis. I would definitely recommend PT. Oh and you had asked how I broke my ankle… I’m a teacher. I slipped on some water in my classroom and landed on my foot wrong. It snapped in three places. OUCH! Luckily I have a full-time nurse in my classroom who took care of me as I was hyperventilating on the classroom floor, until the ambulance could get there! lol

Michelle, how is your range of motion now? Are you able to flex your foot back and forth and roll it around? If you have concerns I would ask again about PT. It really helped me. There were others here though that went without therapy or just had maybe one session and did it on there own, so I guess it’s not entirely necessary. Oh, and I used a walker too in the beginning. My palms got so sore because the handles weren’t well padded. I ended up wrapping ace bandages around each handle and that helped alot. I couldn’t imagine going through this alone. I’m single and ended up moving back in with my parents during my recovery so they could help me out. It’s nice you have friends and family stopping by to help out. Just know that depression during this ordeal is pretty normal. I think we all went through it at one time or another. I slept ALOT during the first month or so too. Just keep taking things one day at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be look back on this as a distant memory as you return to your “normal” life.

Debbie, returning to work varies. I know some people here, with desk jobs, went back to work within a few weeks after surgery. I, however, am a teacher, on my feet all day and lifting students in/out of their wheelchairs. I was out of work for 5 months! Take your time getting back to work. 12 hour shifts is a long time to be standing on your ankle.

Well, I hope everyone else is doing well. Everything is good with me.

~Liz
Michelle on January 18, 2009 at 4:52 pm said:

Lynne – Thanks for the encouragement! We have some similarities in that we are close in age (I turn 53 end of Jan) and I, too, slipped on the ice in my driveway. Also, with one exception, I have only left the house for doctor appts. My main obstacle is all the snow and ice right now and I am only using a walker – no crutches yet. I tried them once and fell. I want to try them again once I am weight bearing a little bit. My doc is telling me I won’t need PT, but I think I’m going to insist on it. He seems so blase about this whole thing – – telling me I can work right away and that I should be out driving! If there was no snow and I was good at crutches, then I would probably be out of the house occasionally. The driving part is not a problem as I broke my left ankle, but getting to and from the car is not easy with the snow and ice and using a walker is really slow and tedious. It’s so hard having to ask other people to shop for me. I am keeping my shopping lists very simple and basic to make it easy for my friends, but the food choices are getting very boring for me! I would love to just be able to go into the grocery store and pick out my own food! You are very lucky that your health insurance in Canada payed for home healthcare – how nice! I have been paying my step-daughter to come every 2 weeks and clean for me and I’ve been managing to do my own laundry. I don’t even sleep under the sheets anymore as making my bed every morning would be impossible. I just sleep on top of the comforter covered with a couple of blankets which I can just fold up in the morning. I’ve been showering, but only about twice a week. I have a shower chair. Showering is kind of scary and I don’t look forward to it. I haven’t even shaved my legs or underarms since this happened. I only stay in the shower long enough to wash my body and my hair – that’s it! Anyway, it’s nice to compare notes with someone close to the same age. Thanks for your support!
Louise on January 18, 2009 at 4:07 pm said:

Well hello everyone!!

My word, I go away for a few days, and when I come back, there are soooo many comments! ha ha.

Ok, I have read through everyone’s comments, but I cannot remember specifically who said what, so I am going to say hello to everyone and all the new people on here as well…welcome and hi!

Ok, so for anyone who doesn’t know, I broke and dislocated my ankle on 23rd april 2008, so am nearly 9 months post break, and its going quite well, so for you people who are at the beginning of your journey, it should get a lot better, quite quickly!!

Well…I have been in Edinburgh, scotland for the last few days, fancied a little break before I start back at university with my studying, so me and my flatmate disappeared up north to the land of scotts, and had a great time actually! It was cold, and a bit rainy, but we both had a great time.

In applying the above to ankle ness, then I would have to say it was quite challenging bearing in mind most of edinburgh is on a hill, so going uphill was a hard slog, and made my ankle hurt a fair bit, but I survived!! ha ha. it was also icy in the mornings, and that is like my worst fear, sliding around everywhere, so I clung onto my friend for dear life as we slipped and slid our way across a car park to a restaurant at one point! hee hee.

I also was not too happy with some tour guides while I was there, as the 1st one (as it was a tour of underground vaults….in the dark!) said “Ooh, everyone be very careful, as it’s very uneven, and we dont want anyone breaking their ankle’s now do we?” Argh…I gave her a look of horror, and upon telling her I am just recovering from one, she laughed a bit, and offered me a candle! A CANDLE?! Like thats really going to help! And then on the second day, after going up into the highlands, the tour guide there suggested that skiing was the worst possible way of breaking legs! Bearing in mind I am planning to do a bit of skiing (possibly!) in a few weeks in Norway, that wasn’t the best comment! Grrr…. I wish people would stop referring to broken bones all the time, specifically, broken legs/ankles! it’s not very productive!

But, I did have a good time, and my ankle didn’t play me up much more than my other foot, so its looking quite good really! 🙂

Hope everyone is having a good january!

Louise xx
Howard on January 18, 2009 at 12:25 am said:

Well,
I got my cast off yesterday… Was I in for a suprise. I have a LONG scar up the right hand side and one on the feft that’s not as big. I was suprised. I was still a little swolen and cout not really move my ankle. I don’t know if I was prepared for that. they put me in a boot and said still no more weight bering at all and to do exercises two or three times a day. Thats HARD. It will be three weeks wed. should it be that stiff that soon ? Its been hard and hard to move. I think it’s getting a little looser but i see PT is going to be tough. Is this common ?

How long does it usually take to get movement and how long does it take for your leg to get back to normal size ? Any advice would be greatly appreciated .
Lynne on January 18, 2009 at 12:24 am said:

Michelle… I feel for you and know exactly what you are going through… It’s been about a year since I broke my left ankle. I don’t know how I would have coped if not for my husband to help me… But I also got outside help from home care (live in Ontario, Canada) and they came twice a week to wash my hair, change my bed, throw in a laundry, etc. I was in a wheelchair, so I would wheel myself to the kitchen sink and kneel on a chair and put my head down over the sink and the home care helper used the vegetable sprayer to wet and wash my hair. I’m sure she would have applied colour too if I wanted it. Thankfully I didn’t have to take any stairs to the bedroom because I was on the main floor but I did rent a raised toilet seat and had grab bars installed in the bathroom. I also rented a “super pole” to help me get up from the sofa. I must admit that I didn’t leave the house except for doctor’s appointments. It was winter, and since I broke my ankle slipping on ice outside our house… And I didn’t feel like seeing people since I couldn’t take a proper shower and just had sponge baths…. I did go to physio as soon as the cast came off and OS said I was partial weight bearing. And physio got me out of the wheel chair, using crutches with confidence and then walking unassisted. A year later, I do still have pain and limp a bit in bare feet and there is some swelling if I am on it all day but I am quite sure I would not be walking at all had I not done the surgery (plate 5 screws and 2 pins)… At 51, maybe I should be happy with it the way it is and not expect it to be perfect…

Good luck Michelle and everyone else out there. It really does get better!!!!

Lynne
Debbie on January 16, 2009 at 7:28 pm said:

Maria,
I have been told that the long screw is through the talus and has to be removed before I can weight bear or it might snap.The ortho told me this from day 1. Today at PT I asked if it will be easier for me to get my heel down after the surgery. He told me no it has to be stretched and it will just require exercising. I was hoping after the screw was removed, miraculously I would be able to walk- No such luck! Although the PT assures me he will have me walking without a limp

Judy,
Yes I still see the ortho, I am in the ninth week and will be having the long screw removed next month. I started PT immediately after my accident. At first it was just safety stuff but moved along to exercises pretty quickly. Today I asked the PT who would release me to go to work, he said the Dr. That is scary to me because once their work is done they are done! It sure sounds like your ortho dropped the ball, I don’t know how you would go about getting another doctor, maybe someone else does. I am still in the boot so haven’t tried to wear a shoe on the bad foot but am not really looking forward to it. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.
Michelle on January 16, 2009 at 3:11 pm said:

I have been using a walker, but my hope is to start using crutches a bit once I can start putting a little weight on my leg (in about 1-1/2 weeks). I do have crutches here at home, but I fell while using them so I’ve been reluctant to try again until my ankle feels more secure and can bear some weight. I’ve been wondering about the question of hardware removal and PT. My doctor said from the beginning that he had no plans to remove my pins and plate. I know some people on this site have complained about pain from the hardware. Other than pain, what reason would there be to remove it? I’d just as soon leave it in than go through another surgery. Also, my doc says I shouldn’t need any PT. I was put into a boot about 1 week out so I’ve been range of motion whenever I’m not wearing it. I think that was his rationale for not needing any PT. But so many on this site have good things to say about PT, I wonder if I should ask about it again. The monotony of this ordeal is really starting to wear on me. I live alone (except for my 2 cats) since my husband died last Aug so this is very depressing and lonely. I have friends and neighbors who check in on me from time to time and run errands, etc, but mostly I’m alone. I know I’ve been sleeping an awful lot just to pass the time. I’ll get up and do a few things and then lie down and doze off for a while. This is pretty much my routine all morning and afternoon. By evening, I feel a little more energetic. Problem is I’m not really tired; I’m just sleeping because I’m bored. My doc says I can go out and even drive (since my break is left ankle), but so far I haven’t (except to have someone take me to Dr. appt). I’ve been afraid to go out. There’s so much snow here right now, plus I’m using the walker which is really slow going. I’m supposed to go to dinner tonight with some friends who are picking me up. That will be my first time out of house except for Dr appts. I’m a little nervous. I’m looking at my walkway now and it’s been shoveled, but still not completely clear. I live in condo so we have a service that does the walks and driveways. This is all so, so hard.
JUDY on January 16, 2009 at 11:46 am said:

Debbie, I am curious as to see if you still have to see your ortho. Mine dismissed me as soon as my ankle break had healed and said for me to start pt.
My ankle still swells bad and I am not able to wear but one pair of my shoes now.
My leg hurts from day to day and as you said my family can’t understand why I still complain since my doctor dismissed me.
I personally think that he should still be seeing me and he never mentioned a word about removing plate and screws;
What advise do you have for me.Should I see another ortho.
Thanks
Maria on January 16, 2009 at 8:27 am said:

Good morning to all 🙂

Hey Debbie, Curious to know why they’re taking your screw out. I am sooooo frustrated—-It’s been almost a year for me next month, I’ve been having pain & limping for a couple of months now & they said my doctor will not take them out until at least 3 more months. Maybe it’s my age & my break?????
Tammy Lewis on January 16, 2009 at 7:41 am said:

Howard-
I was still completely non-weight bearing in the boot, but every diagnosis is different. Ask your ortho today what you can be doing for exercises. The great advantage of the boot is that you can take it off and work on range of motion exercises which are the first and most important exercises to do. Also icing with the boot off is really important. My PT had me riding a bike for cardio, but only with good leg, bad leg was up and out of the way of the pedals. The first day I got to ride the bike was incredible…like a huge weight was lifted…And now the bike is my major form of exercise and the only thing that truly “loosens up” my ankle.
I got back on the b-ball court with the kids at the 2 3/4 month mark, just shooting around, no running. I am still really careful when I am out on the court, no quick moves and no fast breaks:)
Good luck today at your appt!

Debbie-
I hear you girl! There is nothing you can do but tell your family your “the leg hurts today.” I have gone so far as to let the kids feel the bumps and swelling and screw heads when I’ve had a bad day. They are studying the weather right now in science class, so I was able to explain how the fronts and changes in temperature affect my leg now like they never did before. I think just explaining as much as I can the mechanics of everything and that it will take up to 18 months to get back to “normal” helps them understand that some days not everything gets done.
Howard on January 16, 2009 at 2:43 am said:

I had a screw , I guess, pressing against my first partially hard cast today and called my dr. The dr. called back and gave me good news. Originaly, they thought I was going to have to go into a fully hard cast for three-four weeks after this was removed next fri. Well, since its been about three weeks since the sugery they told me to go ahead and come in tomorrow. AND, I’ll get to go into the boot. I’m so glad. I didn’t want to go into a hard cast. I guess i’ll be able to move my foot up and down and around. That’s a relief.

Dr. said I should be up and walking, maybe with a cane, by early to mid march. Maybe playing basketball again by june or july. At least I’ll be able to go to to the gym and work my upper body. I don’t know how the process, will be in the boot and pt. But at least it’s progress. How long do you usually have to stay in the boot ? What can you do in the boot ?
Debbie on January 16, 2009 at 12:54 am said:

Hi Everyone.
I am really starting to worry about when I will be able to return to work. I am 9 weeks out and have another surgery yet to remove the long screw. Today was not a good day I think I have been trying to do too much andd my ankle really hurt today. I work 12 hour shifts on my feet and cannot imagine that at this point. I have been slightly weight bearing and really walk with a limp.I hope that will go away when i can fully weight bear and the long screw is removed.
Kim, My husband sounds like yours ,he is tired of this whole ordeal but so am I! I think I have made a mistake by doing things in my house, now my family expects and when I am having a rough day ,like today ,they seem to be annoyed with me. Oh well I am feeling a little sorry for myself tonite and I just need to buck up! i’m not sure who said they preferred the walker to crutches but so did I. For the first few weeks I was too afraid to use the crutches they seemed to unstable to me. By week 6 I switched to crutches and am fine now, except for the callouses on my palms from them. Also,someone lent me a knee walker. It is kind of cool, you put your bad leg on it and use your good leg to walk around. It has allowed me to stand at the stove or kitchen sink. Ok well enough for now I ahve some exercises i am supposed to do. Good Nite! Debbie
Suggestion on January 15, 2009 at 11:04 pm said:

If you have trouble posting, form your letter on a program like word pad, or a new e-mail. Copy, paste, then post. If it doesn’t post, you haven’t lost it, it remains on word pad/e-mail for you to copy and paste again.
Kim on January 15, 2009 at 11:24 am said:

Thanks Karen for taking the time to comment. I have never tried using a chiropractor, that is something I will have to look into, thanks for the suggestion. I go back to the Dr. on 2/3 and I really hope that they will decide to take some of the hardware out. They keep telling me that some of the pain is because the screws are rubbing on tendens, so maybe if they take them out I wont hurt as much. Thanks for all the support, all the notes of encouragement. It really is nice to read that you are not alone.
Karen on January 15, 2009 at 9:54 am said:

Kim,

I felt as you do now, 7-8 months after my break. It’s so discouraging to have so much pain even though everything looks great on x-rays and people expect you to get on with it.

I am now 13 months post break. What helped me so much was finding a chiropractor who did ultrasound on me for several weeks. Many doctors don’t believe in ultrasound over the hardware, and mine didn’t either, but she carefully went over areas of my foot that were paining me, and doing some manipulations and a little massage afterwards.

On her advice, I also found that by doing exercises every day, a few times a day, without fail, helped me in the long run. I had PT for 6 weeks initially and thought that was all I had to do. I have since found out that they still have to be done, and maybe forever to keep the ankle (in my case, both ankles), strong.

It takes a long time. My friend that had your kind of break, finally, after 2 years, has no pain or limp. So, one day you will feel normal again.

Karen
Karen on January 14, 2009 at 11:59 pm said:

About compression socks….I loved them! They felt so good on in those early days after my accident. I admit, though, they were difficult to get on, but once they were on, I kept them on day and night until my next shower.

Showers were difficult, I know, had the shower chair but it took up the whole shower floor, guess it’s time for a bathroom remodel as it’s 18 years old now. The new showers are much roomier.

I had to have my husband catch me coming out of the shower as I couldn’t get my crutches situated right and there’s a small step down to the floor. A few times I cried if he didn’t catch me right as it was so painful. Admittedly, the whole ordeal was so tiring (plus, I hated taking the comfortable compression socks off), so I only showered twice a week while I was confined to home, only a few weeks (LOL)

About foot discoloration……My broken ankle foot was so red compared to my sprained foot. It took months to leave, but even now, after 13 months, I can notice a slight difference in the color between my feet. I also have permanent light brown bruising where my foot meets my toes. It’s quite noticeably to me because my skin is very fair.

Karen
Lee on January 14, 2009 at 11:25 pm said:

testing …. just wrote a long post and it is gone. ARRG. Will try again later.
-Lee
lois on January 14, 2009 at 8:18 pm said:

Hello to all new Anklebreakers. It’s just great to have you all on here chatting and giving such good advise to each other. Michelle, this board IS for asking questions… you just ask away all you want to. I used a walker too, (I liked the stability) and only crutches on occasion… finding them too difficult at age 64. Yes, my hands developed big black bruises, and the handles were padded but still it was better than what the crutches did to me. With the walker, I tied a small bag to each side, to assist in carting stuff around. That also worked for small laundry items, and I draped large items like towels across the top of it and hopped back and forth. It must have looked ridiculous and it was a slow process but it did work. I had a good laugh at your “this really sucks” comment. It was deja vu as it was exactly what I announced to my ortho surgeon last March. I still think nothing else describes broken ankles better. Also, I was prohibited from baths and showers for the entire 8 weeks I was in a cast. I was allowed sponge baths only, for the reason that I believe it was Kim (who got infection from a hot tub) mentioned. My ortho surgeon said bathing is a great way to introduce infection and i was to get water no where near my leg. It was gross to only sponge bathe, but I survived it. Hair washing took place leaning over the kitchen sink, so I had pretty good stability to look after that. So, for all you new people, remember that healing without infection and guarding yourself from further falls are your top priorities. Nothing else matters as much except of course to work at getting rid of pain, and swelling, so use ice and elevation. Also try to keep some muscular strength in that calf muscle by exercising your casted leg several or many times a day… it makes walking easier later. The rest will all come in due time. All the best to your new people, and hello to all the “old timers” too. Lois
Howard on January 14, 2009 at 7:17 pm said:

How long did it take your brother to recover ? Do you remember which leg he broke
pie lady aka trac on January 14, 2009 at 6:47 pm said:

Hello!

Michelle, yes, my hands got very sore, so I purchased two really plush washclothes and taped over the handles. This took care of that problem. The other thing it helped with, was when my hands were a little sweaty, so my hands didn’t slip.

Hope that helps!

Howard, my brother had a very similar break about 10 years ago, and he healed very quickly, and nicely. So, here’s hoping for you!

Ok. I’ve finally been cleared to go back to aqua-therapy. YAY! Finally. I had to do bed rest to alieviate the swelling. I can’t start until next Thursday, though. Too many dr’s appts between now and then. ‘sigh’.

Alright, have a good one!
take care,
trac
Michelle on January 14, 2009 at 5:51 pm said:

Is it normal (just 3 weeks out from surgery) to have some soreness in the calf? It seems more like bone soreness than muscle and it’s only when I put a bit of pressure on the leg from a certain angle (like shifting my position when I’m lying down)? Also, would like to know how long people were off work for their breaks? I am actually unemployed right now, but I’m looking for a job so I’m curious to know what might be good timing for me to go back to a job. Just thought of one more question (sorry for all the questions): I’m using a walker rather than crutches. Did anyone else out there using a walker get really bad soreness in their hands from using the walker? At first it was almost unbearable. It’s better now, but still a bit sore. The grips on my walker are not cushiony at all! Anyway, thanks to anyone who can take the time to answer all my annoying questions!
Tammy Lewis on January 14, 2009 at 11:22 am said:

Howard-
A couple other notes, I am not sure about your area where you live, but I threw my leg over to the passenger seat to drive. It took a little practice around the neighborhood with the left foot before I felt I could get out on the main road. I did not drive for the 1st month.
My break was a freak accident as well…playing soccer in the front yard with the children…not so cool:)
As for the screw head and the splint, I would call your ortho and see what they think. I had the same type problem when I was in the boot, and I ended up putting some extra padding at the spots that bothered.
Also keep it elevated as much as possible. I know that is said a lot, but it so necessary. Even now that I am up and about, every time I sit down I elevate, especially at night after being on it all day. My ankle is still very swollen, I think that stays with us for quite some time, but elevation and ice definitely helps. OK I think I got them all this time:) – Tammy
Tammy Lewis on January 14, 2009 at 10:07 am said:

Howard-
In reply to your question of how quickly some one has recovered-
I have not posted much since my initial welcome because I felt so very fortunate and truly lucky to have recovered quickly without many problems. I have spent many hours reading through the posts and it has been very comforting to read other peoples stories. I too have a spouse that thinks I should have healed long ago (I am only 3 1/2 months from break) that’s probably to do with the 3 children I usually run after:)
I fractured fib and tib on Sep 29th, with surgery on Oct 2nd. I have a plate and 7 screws(I too usually work out everyday, so this was a huge adjustment and reality check for me.) Let me tell you- it is not easy to coach your children’s soccer teams on crutches…but it is doable:)
So I spent 1 week in a hard cast and then was on to the boot. I was in the boot for 6 weeks completely non-weight bearing. I started PT at the 5 week mark, and moved to the brace at the 9 week mark.
I did PT twice a week for 9 weeks, and just last week was discharged to work out on my own. I have been off the crutches for about a month now.
So here I am at about the 3 1/2 month point and walk without much of a limp (unless I have done too much…listen to your body!). I am riding my bike on a trainer an hour a day and am walking 2 miles as well. Yesterday I tried to slowly and carefully jog for about a 1/2 mile. It felt ok, but don’t want to push it and re-injure something. So I’ll stick with the bike riding and walking with maybe a slow jog if I’m feeling ok.
My plate and screws are supposed to come out at the 6 month point. I am pretty nervous about that, as I want to get back to being as active as I was before, but am really nervous about refracturing. Ortho says the bones run the risk of becoming osteoporotic if the plate is left in, and will be more likely to fracture above and below. As my doctor has told me, b/c I was so active before the break, he doesn’t think I will have a problem running again. I am 33 (so a little older than you), but hopefully I won’t have a problem with the screw holes filling in. We’ll see:) I’ve written a book here, so hope this helps. Good luck!
Howard on January 14, 2009 at 9:37 am said:

I fell going to the car and broke it. FREAK ACCIDENT. I just fell in the mud. I had been at the gym playing basketball for 3 hours before that. It would have been a little more “manly” to have that as my story but I was simply going to the car.

LIZ– Thank you for the lengthy reply. I’m use to going to the gym everyday. I haven’t been in almost three weeks. Its killing me because exercise is such a huge part of my life. I have 9 days left before I go back to see if I’ll go in a hard cast or boot. I’m praying for the boot. Ive been told I wont want to be in a hard cast. I sure would like to drive again. How did you break your ankle. I like this site and the stories help. What’s the fastest anyone s recovered from an ankle break. I never thought not being able to move around would be so darn hard. WOW.

Thanks for the comments everyone. if anyone has anyother comments, please let me know. I’d appreciate all help. This is definately HARD. I think this cast is pushing against a screw or plate. I feel it on the left side of this splint. What should I do ?
LIZ (Trimal, rt ankle DOI: 5/21/08, DOS: 6/2/08) on January 13, 2009 at 7:45 pm said:

Howard, welcome to our little corner of the internet. I’m sorry to hear of your ankle break. I know you received some negative comments several days ago for advertising ways to make money. We’re a close knit group here and get a little defensive if we feel people are trying to take advantage of our situation. But if you did truly break your ankle then I know you’re seeking advice and support along with the rest of us. So welcome.

To answer your questions I’ll give you a brief timeline of my progress. I’m 28 years old and broke my ankle last May… metal plate and 5 screws.

I wore a splint (like you’re in now) for 2 weeks after surgery then got a boot and started physical therapy. I wasn’t allowed to weight bear for 4 additional weeks… so 6 weeks total of no walking.

I wore the boot for 6 additonal weeks, in which I was able to walk in the boot and get out and go places. I was in the boot for 10 weeks total and was then given an air splint to wear with a regular tennis shoe and could FINALLY drive again! 🙂 (I broke my right ankle). I wore the air splint for several months.

It has now been 7.5 months since my surgery. I have some swelling still and a little discomfort when I’ve been on it all day (I wouldn’t say it’s painful, just sore).

I started back at the gym about 2 months ago. I’m walking on the treadmill and doing the elliptical, taking kick-boxing classes, step, and spin classes, and weight-lifting. So don’t worry, you’ll get back there. Just take things easy and don’t over do it. For instance, last week I walked 3 miles on the treadmill and paid for it with stiffness and swelling in my ankle the next day. When I started back at the gym my doctor just told me to let pain be my guide. You’ll know when you’ve done too much.

Most doctors will tell you it takes a year or more for the ankle to fully heal and return to “normal” (if there is such a thing). It sounds like you’re doing well with minimal pain, so that’s a good sign. Just keep doing what the doctor orders and I would recommend physcial therapy for sure. I know it helped me a lot.

Keep us posted on your progress.

~ Liz
Katie on January 13, 2009 at 6:53 pm said:

Howard- Your break sounds very similar to mine. I had a tri-mal with dislocation. I was in the similar soft cast like you are describing for the first two weeks. On my first visit back the staples were removed and I was placed in a hard cast. I was in the hard cast with no weight bearing for the next month. I then had the long screw taken out and was put in a walking boot. I can’t recall how long I was in the walking boot, I think probably another 3 weeks or so. Then I was finished. My ortho didn’t feel I needed PT since I was only 23, so after that I was on my own. I did my own excercises etc was feeling pretty good in just a few months. Until recently I just had the mild swelling at times and stiffness with the weather and all. In the past few months I started having pain again which brought me to my recent hardware removal. But I know you aren’t interested in that part right now:)
Best of luck to you at your upcoming appt and the next couple of months!

Hope everyone else is doing well! Take care.
Katie
Michelle on January 13, 2009 at 6:39 pm said:

Hi Howard. How did you break your ankle? Yours happened just about a week after mine so it will be interesting to compare our progress. Mine was only 2 breaks which will make my recovery easier I would imagine. But, on the other hand, I am almost 53 so you have your youth on your side. They put me into a boot about 9 days after my surgery and got my stitches out about 4 days ago. My doc says no weight bearing until I go back again on 1/26 and then it will not be full weight bearing. I’m like you in that I don’t mind the boot … I just want to be able to walk around again on my own without a walker or crutches! My pain and swelling have been gone for about a week although my foot is still kind of purple/red in color compared to the good foot. I’ve read on this site about people who have complications down the road and I hope and pray that we can escape that! It’s wonderful to be able to turn to a community like this for support in any event. Good luck to you Howard!
Howard on January 13, 2009 at 5:07 pm said:

Hello everyone.

I broke my ankle 12/30/09 had sugery the very next morning 12/31/09 and was sent home 1/1/2009

I had 3 breaks, and disloacted it. It’s been 2 full weeks since the break. My next hopsital visit 01/23/2009….. I’m trying to figure out where the next move will be for me. Right now I’m in a partial hard cast and partially wrapped up. The back part is hard front part is open and its wrapped up. WHen i go in for a visit, how likely is it for me to have to go in the hard cast or go into the boot. It will have been 3 weeks since the sugery.

On average, how long does it take to get to walking. i’m perfectly healthy and only 30 yrs old. I don’t mind walking in a boot, I just want to get out and around. I’m a week off the pain meds , no real pain at all any more. I am so ancious to get back to the gym and play basketball I don’t know what to do… Anyone have any idea of how long it will be before that happens ? If I go in the hard cast or the boot next, how long do people usually stay in those.

So far, I only get rare pain and can now sleep in the bed ( couldn’t do so for 2 weeks ). I feel for those of you who are in constant pain. Will the pain start again after I get in the boot or hard cast ? Whatever the next step is ?

I just need a little help. I love the page, it has been very helpful. Now that I’m getting close to my next visit, Im curious to see where I will go next.

Good bless everyone
Alberta Dave on January 13, 2009 at 2:35 pm said:

Hi lois .
The compression socks are the best thing for the swelling . They are hard to put on tho lol. And only wear one at a time ,put a normal black sock on the other foot.Push your hand all the way to the bottom andgrab the inside of the toe and turn it inside out just untill u can see the heel.Then pull the foot part on untill your toes go in as far as they can .Then grab the end thats hanging off your toes and pull towards you quickly and evenly.And i always fold it over at the knee .
Hope that helps
Dave
MARIA on January 13, 2009 at 1:23 pm said:

THX TO ALL!! WELCOME TO THE NEW! I’M NOT GREAT AT TALKING ABOUT ME BUT… HERE GOES— I BROKE MY FIBULA, TIBIA,& TALUS PLUS DISLOCATED MY TIBIA 2/13/2008 A FREAK ACCIDENT—–I HAD SURGERY ON 2/26 CAST CAME OFF ON 4/7 AT THAT POINT I COULD ONLY USE MY FOOT FOR BALANCE 5/7 I STARTED WALKING OR RATHER TRYING TO WALK LOL WHOEVER SAID YOU LOOK BACK AND LAUGH, YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT I CRIED SOOOOOO MUCH BACK THEN PLUS I’M STUBBORN SO LIKE A LOT OF YOU I HATE ASKING ANYONE TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME. I DROPPED A LOT OF THINGS, I ALMOST FELL A LOT. ANYWAY I STARTED PT MIDDLE OF MAY I FINALLY STARTED WALKING PARTIALLY WITHOUT A LIMP & VERY LITTLE PAIN. THE BEGINNING OF SEPT. I STARTED GETTING PAIN & LIMPING AGAIN OF COURSE I KEPT GOING BACK TO DOCTOR TO HEAR YOUR XRAY LOOKS GREAT, YOU HAD A BAD BREAK, IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME. NOW THERES ARTHRITIS, TENDINITIS, HEEL SPURS & STILL PAIN—-I HAD AN APPOINTMENT YESTERDAY, THE DOCTOR SAYS THE USUAL PLUS THEY WILL NOT REMOVE THE HARDWARE UNTIL MY BONES ARE COMPLETELY HEALED 18 MOS BUT THEY MIGHT CONSIDER IT IN 3 MONTHS IF THAT IS THE CASE BECUZ WITH ARTHRITIS YOU DO GET UNEXPLAINABLE PAIN SO THEY WANT ME TO KEEP A CHART & MONITOR MY PAIN FOR A MONTH AND AT THAT TIME THEY’LL INJECT EITHER STEROIDS OR ANESTHESIA IN THERE ACCORDING TO MY FINDINGS TO SEE WHAT’S WHAT????? MY ANKLE STILL A BIT UNSTABLE WHEN WALKING ON THINGS LIKE SNOW AND IF YOUR FROM CLEVELAND YOU KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT RIGHT NOW & ACCORDING TO MY SISTER IT’S GOING TO BE 2 DEGREES TONIGHT SO ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS KEEP THOSE ANKLE WARM!!I AM JUST HAPPY I CAN WALK!!

MICHELLE, I USE TO SIT IN THE TUB BACKWARDS & LET MY LEG HANG OUT IT WAS EASIER FOR ME. I USE TO JUST PUSH MY LAUNDRY BASKET WITH MY CRUTCH, IT WORKED!! GOOD LUCK! LOL

KIM, I ALSO THINK MY ANKLE LOOKS DEFORMED, I’M THINKING MAYBE ITS BECUZ OF THE HARDWARE???? AS FAR AS YOUR HUSBAND THINKING YOU SHOULD BE BETTER—-TAKE HIM TO YOUR NEXT APPT. & LET THE DOCTOR TELL HIM HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE FOR YOU TO HEAL. I WOULD HAVE NEVER BELIEVED IT TOOK THIS LONG——GOOD LUCK TO YOU!
Denver (July 5th break - Trimalleolar Fracture - Surgery Aug 27th 08) on January 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm said:

My ankle deffinately looked deformed

The rare times the swelling would get less I actually saw it in a sort of normalish manner – well, aside from it being purple – I cried myself to sleep a number of times wondering if this was how it would always look. I kept trying to tell myself Id get used to it and it wouldnt be that big of a deal after more time(years perhaps) went by, but still didnt truly give the comfort I was hoping for. =( I guess it was one of those things like Trac was saying.. let it out.. bring it here.. weve been there or are currently still going through it and its good to vent it.

Eventually I came to LOVE reading people offering 2 pieces of information repeatedly
1- People letting me know that they eventually do come to laughing at the wierdness /look /swollen /unable to get a good maching pair of shoes or look good in heels… Seeing the time frames made me more confident that one day I too would be laughing at mine as well (w frustration.. but acceptance if that became the case) not the heels though.. those look fine on me.. Just Kidding.. I am a guy and no I dont cross dress… anymore.. Just Kidding.. sorry.. Im in a Louise mood today 😉 lol
ok..
and
2- Hearing that eventually the ugliness did go away for many.. to the point where eventually (as I now too see myself even 4.5months post surgery notice)there are days that go by where I dont notice the ankle or think about it … and at a glance down in the shower… its not red.. swollen or looking wierd.. it seems like the day I 1st learned how to drive – I feel like I can remember it, but it almost feels like it was someone elses memory as Im watching my own kids learn to drive now.. time does pass by. it is a safety feature of our human nature, Id guess, to notice and pay close attention to an are of our body that has been injured and is healing. As our body wants us to be aware and careFuLL of this injured area so that it is able to heal as best possible. Kindof like when we hurt a finger, elbow gets bumped really good or we stub a toe – that part of the body seems to be right there constantly getting bumped aGaIN and we never really noticed how much it was being used.. =our body just letting us know, ‘hey, this part of the body is being used,,..be a little more careful of it ;)’

As for the removable shower head… I have one, BUT when you go out looking for one, My dad had one I installed when I was visiting in November. It has two shower heads. It was nice for sitting down to massage and stretch while using the removable section, while at the same time I wasnt sitting out with no warm water showering over me as the overhead unit kept going.

DON I wonder.. you know about removable units that have on off toggles right on the hand held piece itself so they dont have to get up to even grab it and can let it hang down.. Do you know what the brand or where I could find one that has 2 heads sort of like my dads but with the switch on it too??

Anyhow.. I was going to throw one more thing out there for everyone who knows how my injury originally occured and those who like to ride motorcycles

Jody, if your still reading along
The day before I loaded the trailer my brother was all over my dirt bike trying to start it and fiddling around… My eyes were lit up but I told him HE was welcome to take it around the block but I hadnt ridden it since the accident. He tried for half an hour even changing the spark plug out..
Then I hopped on and gave it a few good kicks and took it for a stroll around the block. Suprisingly, it didnt hurt and Ive given myself quite the workout to where I can handle the pressure without even a wence…

Til Later
as Tracs calling me now,
Cowboy Wes =)
Michelle on January 12, 2009 at 11:25 pm said:

It’s been too soon for me (just 3 weeks out) to comment on the “deformed” appearance, but I pray that someone gives you some good info on that. I pray for all of us tonight. I, personally, am kind of relieved as each day draws to a close as I can check off one more day on my journey to having my normal life back. Kind of sad to just wish one’s days away, but that’s kind of where I am right now. I’m tentatively having lunch tomorrow with a friend. It’ll be my first time out except for the doctor. However, if it snows again tonight, I will probably back out for fear of slipping and falling again. Also, I use a walker and I’m sure I will feel self-conscious about being seen in public like that. Hope everyone has a better tomorrow.
KIm on January 12, 2009 at 7:19 pm said:

I do have to still ask though, if anyone has the same problem I have. My ankle looks deformed. That in itself is really depressing.
pie lady aka trac on January 12, 2009 at 6:24 pm said:

Hello everyone…

Welcome, Michelle and Kim! I’m glad you found us, this site has proved not only supportive but, informative, so please don’t be afraid to throw out any comment or need you have a question about, it is nice how many people can help.

Michelle, wow. I am impressed with you (as I am with everyone on here), going at it alone. I am very lucky, being able to live w/my mom who is an amazing help. I, too will continue to send power your way. How hard it must be. But, how wonderful that you are making it happen!

Kim, yes, oh, yes, that depression, I had a very dark period the first 2-3 months. I had my breaks 19 months ago. And, periodically, I still find myself enjoying a good pity party. And, I do mean enjoying it. Allow yourself a little indulgence, this is very hard, do not let anyone tell you different. They do not know, we do, YOU do. But, after you’ve indulged yourself for a little while, hug yourself for having the strength, gather yourself and get busy doing something that makes you happy. You may or may not ever do things the same as you once did. You may, because as I understand, it can take a very long time to fully heal. Or you may not (I like you, suffered a severe infection causing a set back — did you have to do the I.V. treatments? yea. horrible.) but, the great thing is, as you keep working out and going for it, every new accomplishment, like the laundry basket idea — ingenious — will make you grin wildly, and before you know it, your off on a whole different path. And, how proud you’ll be that you got yourself there. So, keep close track and be very proud of the littlest achievements, and if no one else praises you — let us know, we know how important those little moments are, and we will celebrate them with you! So, welcome Kim & Michelle, and please, don’t be afraid of sharing or laughing or wallowing in a bit of self pity. They are all parts of progress.

Lee — Oh, I hope that CT gives you an answer. Let us know.

Cowboy Wes!! Good to hear from you again — keep us informed.

Me? Well, I’m having a very hard time staying in bed as much as the dr. said I should. It is hard! I want to play! 🙂

Have a good evening,
take care,
Peace,
trac
KIm on January 12, 2009 at 5:15 pm said:

Michelle, you are welcome. I broke my ankle 10 months ago though, although it took me about 6 weeks to come up the idea of pulling behind the laundry basket. You go girl!!!
Michelle on January 12, 2009 at 4:51 pm said:

Kim – thanks for clarifying. I’m amazed that you are so good on your crutches that you can balance while pulling a laundry basket! You’ve inspired me to be creative. I might even try some laundry this evening. Thanks!
KIm on January 12, 2009 at 4:30 pm said:

Michelle, sorry about that, let come back on here to say, that with the rope thing. I would pull it a tad, then go a few steps with my crutches, pull the basket, go few steps and stop, then pull…etc.
KIm on January 12, 2009 at 4:15 pm said:

Michelle, sounds like you are moving along pretty well, the hand held shower head was a life saver for me also, it would be a good investment. As for the laundry, I have two teenage boys and a husband that helped out at first and by that I mean the first week, lol. I tied a rope around the laundry basket, or I guess I shoud say through the holes. And I pulled the thing behind me as I walked with my crutches. I just kept the rope wrapped around my hand so that I could make sure that I could keep a good grip on the crutch also. Just a suggestion.
The neighbor, if they are willing to help though, is what I would do first. Chin up, sounds like you are doing great.
Michelle on January 12, 2009 at 4:02 pm said:

Thanks to everyone out there who replied to my post with reassurances and tips. I already have the elevated toilet seat which is very helpful. I’ve thought of the hand-held shower head, but haven’t followed thru on it yet – I need to do that. Glad to hear my foot discoloration is normal. Does anyone out there have any suggestions on doing laundry? I’ve done one small load of dirty clothes that were already sitting in my (1st floor) laundry. But once I got them folded up, I can only carry maybe 1 or 2 articles at a time to my bedroom. My laundry is really starting to pile up at this point (3 wks post surgery). I have 2 large hampers of dirty clothes in my bedroom closet. Only thing I can think of is to ask a neighbor to haul my hampers into the laundry room for me. From there I can manage to get things washed, dried and even folded. I guess I can put folded clothes on top of washer or dryer or small counter I have. At that point, I’ll have to ask for help again to get the clean, folded clothes back into my bedroom. I hate asking people for help! Any other ideas out there for laundry, please let me know! Thanks to everyone!
Denver (July 5th break - Trimalleolar Fracture - Surgery Aug 27th 08) on January 12, 2009 at 12:18 pm said:

Kim
Sorry to hear the pressure and stresses.. especially when it comes from family it can be discouraging. Somehow through the internet hopefully they can research and see that it truly does take a couple of years.

I looked everywhere and the quickest Ive heard of anyone being ‘somewhat back to normal’ was 1.5 years. I go to the gym at least 3 – 4 times a week.. being careful not to overdue it, but but being sure to make gradual progress and using the hot tub to stretch as much as possible.

Everyone without these kind of injuries somehow may not realize – it took us yeaaaars to build up our stamina and strength to walk and have the mobility in our ankles.. now .. well.. its kinda been stuck without movement so long that it takes a good while to not only get it back to good dorsoflex, but to have the strenth as well…

Michelle
So sorry to hear the cards lifes dealt you recently.. we ARE here for you and very happy you and so many others were able to find this site..
Its not just a site, its like family here..
they got me addicted..

The discoloration is a good thing.. its lots of blood flow which is needed to heal… Im a little over 4 months post surgery and rarely see discoloration anymore, even though I thought itd never stop.

Been missing you guys… =)
At least for the next week Im still at my sisters til the big move down to Texas. Over here I have lap tops linked to the internet EverYwhere…
Tieing up all the end things and finishing up work and saying goodbye to lots of friends takes from my internet time.. but I flip on here and there to read up on sooo many people with newly broken ankles

I dont know how I could have or CaN continue to make it through this without the help and support of others.. For all the newcomers, theres a LOT of good advice and GREAT people here.

LOIS sorry to hear your computers giving you a hard time and Im with you on those compression socks

ANKLEQueST
I understand what you mean about that guy who was the teacher…
I look at everyone and have the respect they demand now.. but even MorE importantly I notice that people who have had struggles so much longer in life have made their mark and their injury is not holding them back nor is it the thing on the forfront of their mind.

We’re fighting the snow here today, will be GlAd to get down to Texas soon… where I can enjoy ice storms..lol… nah..just ready for a change of scenery

HELLO toALL
Miss you TrAc.. always cheerful as usuall and doing great =)

Ive rambled long enough Hello to those I missed Id start listing names but KnOw Id miss one and feel bad.. I’ll be reading along

Wes
Kim on January 12, 2009 at 10:26 am said:

How long I have needed to find this site. I fell down my stairs on 5/24/08 resulting in a trimalleolar fracture with widening of the ankle mortise. If that wasn’t bad enough the nurse tried to set the bones in the triage room with no pain medication before they could get me into an ER room with a ortho present.
After finally getting fixed up well enough to go home to wait for surgery, I had to wait three days to go and have a plate and seven screws put in. I wore a plaster cast for 4 weeks, then an aircast for 8 weeks, and then a brace for another 6 weeks. In the middle of all of this fun filled adventure I went to therapy where I was introduced to a whirlpool, and of course the incision was not fully healed and it got infected. It took 7 weeks to get the infection cleared up completely.
The surgeon who did my surgery was involved in a very bad accident about three months into all of this and I have had to see a physicans assistant since then.
So eight months into my ordeal my ankle is still giving me alot of problems. The inside area hurts all the time, I have pain up through my big toe, I still have bruising around the top of my foot at the base of toes, and my ankle does not look anything like the left. It actually looks deformed, the lower part of my right leg is visibly bigger than the left leg.
I can’t help but feel depressed about it all the time, I feel like I am never going to be “ME” again. I walk with a limp, I can’t enjoy the things that I use to do, its like I am having a pity party for myself everyday.
My husband gets upset, he says things like you should be better by now, things along that line, and that just depresses more.
When I go to the doctor he just says, “The x-rays look great!!”, “Come back in a couple weeks”, “Take these anti inflammatories”…..and so on.
Please, if anyone has any advice, I could sure use some.
Lee on January 12, 2009 at 2:15 am said:

Hi Michelle – Welcome to the group and I’m sorry you need to be here, but do stay. There’s lots of good advice and help and support. And I’m sorry that you are struggling through this on your own. You will be surprised thought at how strong you are/can be. First piece of advice – be safe. The first time I tried to shower alone, I nearly broke my other ankle. My advice is the skip the shower until you have some help in and out of the shower. In the mean time, a sponge bath will do the trick. And yes, the reddish, purplish foot is normal for many many weeks. I don’t think mine stopped throbbing and turning purple until about week 8-10? Can’t remember, but it was quite a while. And I’d say your Dr. is not realistic. No way I could have driven (my break is right foot, not left) until after week 12 – couldn’t have my foot down long enough to get out the driveway. Take your time, slow down for now, and keep visiting us for more advice and help.

Debbie – you’re probably feeling some nerve sensitivity with the sheets. I still have a lot of burning in a few of my toes – what I call “shooting sparks” from my toes … but it’s better than where I started out. Try putting on a soft fuzzy sock to protect the skin and nerve endings while you sleep, or, stick your foot out of your covers if you can. I started putting a tennis shoe on at PT at week 8 and then at home when I was allowed to take the boot off – around week 12. Now, I had to buy new shoes – went up a size – and I’m still only wearing those shoes, but anything felt better than the boot.

So, I’m off to see Dr #3 tomorrow to see if I can get some clarification on the best way to move forward on my situation. I’ll report back later in the week. Also have a CT scan on Tuesday, as well as my follow-up mammogram. Hopefully all is ok on that front. More news when I have it.

Take care all.

Cheers,
Lee
Debbie on January 12, 2009 at 12:06 am said:

Michelle,
First I am sorry for your break – I know how vulnerable you must be feeling right now. I too was really scared about the shower thing, the chair is good and the hand held shower head is a must. Has your Dr. ordered physical Therapy for you? I am very surprised he expects you to be back to business so soon. Especially since every little thing takes sooo
long. I would think you need physical therapy to build up your endurance and strength. I was also not so good on the crutches at first but it does get easier. Try to get your stepdaughter to help as often as she can- it is worth the cost to have some order in your life.

For anyone else, At night when my leg is under the sheets( it is without a cast or any covering), the mere brushing of the covers against my leg burns and really feels awful. What is this all about? Also another question. How long before you can put a regular shoe on your affected foot?

Best of luck to everyone, all of you get this like no one else in my life does so thanks for sharing.

Debbie
Holly on January 11, 2009 at 11:26 pm said:

Michelle,

Read the prior message before you read this one. When I went to check that website I couldn’t find the cast protector but here is another site http://www.orthomedicalsupplies.com .

I thought of one other thing and that is an elevated toilet seat. (Don’t laugh.) It makes it so much easier to get up off of it when you only have one leg to help you.

Take care.
Holly on January 11, 2009 at 10:52 pm said:

Hi Michelle, My heart goes out to you. I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m glad you found the blog though. You’ll find some great people on here who can give you support and advice.

I’m a bit ahead of you on the ankle break (Sept 08). I too wondered about the foot color. Mine was very reddish and swollen for months. It’s looking pretty good now though. Your doc will tell you to give it a year.

Getting around with no help is going to be really challenging. I have a couple of suggestions. First off, on the shower issue, you were smart to get that chair. You’ll use it everyday. What saved me was to get a hand held shower head, so you can sit down the whole time and just leave the showerhead on the shower floor for next time. Ya gotta be safe in the shower! Another thing before showering, get all your clothes out in one place so it’s not so hard after the shower. Sorry if that seems obvious.

Another help was a grabber for picking up things you’ve dropped on the floor or to reach up and get something off the shelf. It’s not a must but kind of helpful. A plastic bag ($14) to cover your cast really helps, it keeps all water off the cast. Here’s a website for it: http://www.lifesolutionsplus.com/carex-cast-protector-p-1175.html

I’ll be praying for you.