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

1. Hi Lee,

   With regard to going from crutches to no crutches, for what it’s worth, I transitioned from crutches, to crutches only OUTSIDE the house (and no crutches at home) in about a week. Then I immediately ditched the crutches all together.

   I started by navigating around the house and using furniture to stabilize myself. I took it slow at first. I walked with a pronounced limp because I was putting more of my weight on my good leg. I gradually built up to being on my feet for longer periods. I did the same when I ditched the crutches all together. Very short distances to start, then gradually longer distances.

   Cruches were such a hassle for me. It hurt to use them and I actually felt more stable on two feet. If it helps, by all means use one crutch (on the good side), or switch to a cane. Remember however, the quicker you can get on your own two feet, the more you’ll be able to get the blood pumping through your legs instead of pooling in your foot and ankle.

   Take care, Dan

2. LEE, it does feel so good to finally be able to get around. You’re not far behind me, you’ll get there. 🙂 It took me a few weeks to wean myself from my walker, to crutches, to one crutch, to finally nothing while wearing the boot. It was actually my therapist that suggested I move to one crutch and he had me use it on the side of my good leg. If you’re walking now with two crutches comfortably I bet you could do one crutch no problem.

   Well, I just got home from therapy and my ankle is so sore, particularly around my problem “spot.” 🙁 I can do all of the machines (bike, cross-trainer, seated stair step) with no problem, but its the stretches that kill my ankle (balancing on bad ankle, standing on an angle board, and then the wall exercise he has me do). OUCH! Those are all new within the last week/half since I got my boot off, so hopefully my ankle will adjust and I’ll start to see improvement soon.

   Well, take care all!

   ~Liz

3. Lee, I never did use crutches. I went from a walker to a cane. I would think that you would use 1 crutch the same way you use a cane, on your good side. I broke my left ankle, so used the cane on my right. Sounds strange, but works better than they other way around.

4. Hi all,

   JODIE – thanks for the sock recommendation. I’ll send my hubby out to find some of those and give them a try. The Dr. provided stockingettes are just about trashed. I ordered a light support knee sock too from a web site, so we’ll see if that works, or if I can even get it on my foot.

   LIZ – glad to hear you’re moving around so well! Sorry it’s painful, but I guess that’s the gotcha with these injuries. You’re about 2 months ahead of me, so I’m watching your reports closely to forecast where I might be soon. I know everyone is different and heals differently, but your my inspiration! Driving by Halloween for me!

   A question for all – I’m trying to get myself off my crutches in the next 3 weeks, but not sure how. I thought I should get to 1 crutch, then eventually none. I can weight bear and stand on both feet when in my boot, but how do I use one crutch when walking? Is it support on the bad leg side or good leg side? I know I need to use it as a third leg, and I think I can do it without pain, but I’m struggling with the logistics. I’ll ask at PT tomorrow, but I’m sure you all know and can offer advice.

   Take care all!
   Lee

5. Hi All,

   ANKLEQUEST! Not Funny! lol Cooked meat!? Gross… well I guess if it keeps my bones from rubbing together when I walk, cooked meat is better than no meat. 🙂

   Thanks for all the info DENVER and for trying to put my mind at ease. lol You be careful on that ankle now, don’t push it too far, too fast.

   LEE, You’re right… if your Dr. prescriped the phonophoresis treatment then surely it’s possible to do ultrasounds over metal. Let us know if they decided to do it or not.

   ERIKA, Sorry to hear the pain has returned after so long. Let us know how your appointment went with the ortho doctor.

   I’m still hanging in there… have physical therapy today. My ankle seems to go through stages… sometimes it feels fine and other times it is sore to walk. The exact spot of the soreness is inconsistent as well… sometimes it’s sore in my problem “spot,” sometimes on the outer side of my ankle bone, sometimes along my screws, sometimes on the inner side of my ankle bone, and sometimes on top of my foot. I never know how it’s going to feel from hour to hour. I guess it has to do with swelling and such that makes the soreness shift? It doesn’t hurt at all when I drive though, so that’s good news. I’m just so thankful to be able to get up and do things for myself now and drive myself around. Next step is to get back to work. I have an ortho appointment next week and I expect he’ll send me back then. Guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

   Take care everyone,
   Liz

6. Lee, I was reading the post from a few days ago, and you asked what other wore over their ankle in the boot. My daughter in law had bought me a couple pairs of really soft chenille sock slippers, and because my scars were so sensitive to touch, the softness felt so nice against them. That is what I wore for while I had my boot on. Was finally able to move to regular sock, but did love those chenille ones at the time.

7. Pam,
   Thanks for your comments about your foot bothering you. Thought maybe I was just losing my mind and making up things to hurt. I am looking to have my hardware taken out also, but right now, I just don’t want to go through another surgery and recovery. I know this one won’t take as long, but I just got to where I can do most everything I did before, just not as well.

8. Hi Jodie- I also have a plate & 7 screws in my left ankle (plus more) but I have decided to have the hardware taken out since I have been having way to much discomfort & occassional pain. I broke my ankle May 4th, so I am not as far out as you in recovery, but I still experience the swelling/numbness in my toes/top of my foot, A few of the doctors I work with said having it removed will make it feel much better.

9. lol see..
   that’s one more Dr says wouldn’t get plastered to the side of or have plates ripped out of your body in an MRI machine & says no problems w ultrasound 😉

   Hmmm

   See Liz

   I did notice when I was on that mendmeshop site (lookig to order the ankle hot cold wrap) that theres a specific box you have to fill in to explain what your injuries are & intended use for their aproval..hmm wonder if they have a # or what they would say about someone with plates in their leg.

   Stainless steel.. that answers 1 of my questions.. that being how could the hardware be removed if its been in for longer than acouple of years or so? because if it was titanium the bone grows to it.. hmm

   I think I got ripped of on my parts then 😉 I couldve brought some stainless steel I have laying around my garage and saved money.

   Anyhow.. I’m sucking down every natural remedy to get off of the drugs lol.

   So if you want to know what works and what rEALLy works hehe Ill fill you in on that..

   As all know I kept cutting back on the Vicoden & Sat night my body caught on & started paying me back to play I’m in charge. I couldn’t sleep sat night & I had NOOO problems with bowel movements as usually occurs when on narcodics. I had to take Pepto in the morning & saturday my paranoia was on overdrive as you may have noticed reading about my walking experience where I thought something had happened to my wife & was aLmOst going to take out the motorcycle to go see. That & I was up aLLLL night last night.. kept turning the light on & off out of shere boardom.. Luckily my wifes still around hehe.. I was coming up with delusions & expectations & you name it I was like …well.. I’ll leave that part opened, don’t want to sink myself. Anyhow a friend at work noticed I was a bit different & made the comment, “so you’re back to the cleasing part of your healing” He reminded me that I was drained & thought I was getting sick laST time I had gotten off of the meds from the jaw surgery. It helped reMiNd me that I had gone to boost my energy levels @ that time too & should go to the vitamin shopp to figure this out. (actually called my brilliant grandma & she filled me in on what to do for starters then called back this evening to fill me in on the literature and what they suggested)

   I found medicine that even replaces advil – reduces swelling & pain & it works. Called- Devil’s Claw

   I found a few different nerve calmers, addiction fighters, & even something that both you & spouse take & helps you understand eachother lol.. that one just sounded like a roller coaster 😉

   I will write them in here later when they’re in front of me but I wouldn’t even know hOw to spell half the stuff..

   Wes

10. Anklequest:

    Will let you know what the 90 second surgery (to remove the long screw between the tibia and fibula) costs when I get the bill.

    Also, saw my surgeon this morning. I asked him to tell me what type of metal was used in the plate and screws inserted in my ankle. He said “stainless steel.”

    I asked him if there was any problem having an MRI with a stainless steel plate or screws in your leg. He said the metal may distort the image, but otherwise there is no reason for concern.

    Similarly, while my surgeon has not recommended ultrasound therapy, he expressed no concern about using ultrasound to treat a broken ankle where a plate and screws have been inserted.

    Take care, Dan

11. Hello, my name is Jodie. I broke my ankle last October, and have a question for you long time broken anklers.

    I have a plate and seven screws in my left ankle, and not only does my ankle swell and bother me at times, but I seem to have more of a problem with my foot. Sometimes when I walk, it feels like the ball of my foot and toes are swollen? Anyone else have this problem?
    My husband is pushing me to get the hardware out, says that would probably help.

12. Hi Erika, welcome back,,, but on the other hand sorry that you are back because you are having problems. So glad that you are getting right back in to see the orthopedic surgeon. My own metal is still in my ankle so I am no expert, but from what I have read on this site, it sounds as if getting the metal out is not problematic. People sound as if they bounce right back after a day or two. Hopefully someone who has had this done will write in.

    Please let us know what the doctor says about what you are experiencing, and what he plans to do. All the best to you.

13. Hello everyone! Sorry I have not visited the past couple of months – Summer is so hectic with my son and work.

    Anyway – I thought over the summer my ankle was getting better every day. I actually went to Hollywood Studios in Florida (the old MGM) and was able to walk all day! That was in August.

    The past week or so, my ankle has been feeling very “weak” and has been more painful. This Saturday, I was at home cleaning. I did not overdo it, I did not twist it or anything. By Sat. afternoon, I could not walk on it. I felt like my ankle would break and it hurt so bad. I still am having trouble today. I cannot walk without a severe limp or I have been using my cane as well.

    It will be one year since my break on Sept. 23rd. I broke 3 bones – can’t remember what they called it – I know there was a break in the tibia and the fibia. I have a plate and 8 screws on the outer ankle, and 2 large screws on the inner ankle.

    I am getting paranoid that I might have to have the hardware out. I feel like a bone or something in my ankle is moving or popping – it is on the outer side and above my ankle. Right about where the plate ends on top.

    Has this happened to anyone? Did you get the hardware out – and did the pain get better? I have an appointment tomorrow with the Orthopedic Doctor for an x-ray and exam. But I am really nervous. The pain has not been this bad for 3-4 months.

    Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry to be a downer.

    Erika

14. Oh, Anklequest – what a laughable image of metal removal via MRI! I can see it now …. sliding into the tunnel only to see gobs of screws and plates stuck to the top from those who have come before….

    You must be getting loopy from the rain. Try to stay dry!

    -Lee

15. Liz – Don’t worry about the ultrasound. I’m sure your PT checked it out with your Dr. before doing it. Everyone’s injury is different and it sounds like it was beneficial to you. In my case, they’re evaluating whether or not they can treat some of the soft tissue damage with phonophoresis/ultrasound without disturbing the metal. My Dr. prescribed it, so I’m sure it can be done, if done properly and with the correct understanding of where the metal is and how it will react. It certainly can’t hurt to ask, but in your case, it sounds like you’ve experienced improvement. My POV is to be an informed consumer – ask before you buy. Or in your case, ask retroactively and understand the trade-offs.

    On that note, I have no idea what kind of metal I have. I assumed it was titanium, which does not react to airport scanning devices nor MRIs. But, I was also told they could not perform an MRI on the remaining ligaments with the metal in, so, who knows. I’m still a long way away from needing to know that. but when I see the Dr. again and ask, I will let you all know what I find out. I actually have my Op Notes – I bet it says in there the type of screws and plates. I started to read them abut 2 weeks after surgery and almost threw up. I had to put them down and haven’t looked since. I’m far enough away from it now and in much less pain, so perhaps I can peruse them again.

    I managed to sit through a 9-4 Board Meeting today – I serve on the board for my kids’ school and we had our board retreat today – only needed a little ice and did my letters, circles and stretches under the table. It’s good to be out and about, even if I do have to hitch a ride from fellow board members!

    Happy Sunday all. Stay safe and keep mending.
    Lee

16. FastRehab Ankle Injury Rehab Program

    How to rehabilitate your ankle in the least amount of time possible and then make it stronger so you get fewer and fewer ankle sprains
    By Bret Mundt
    © 2004 FastRehab.com
    Table of Contents
    Introduction…………………………………………………………………………3
    Equipment needed…………………………………………………………………4
    FastRehab Ankle Injury Rehab Program………………………………………..5
    How often should you do the program…………………………………………..8
    Little Tricks to prevent future ankle sprains……………………………………..9

    INTRODUCTION
    You may know this already, but when you first sprain your ankle, you need to immediately put it in ice to keep the swelling down.

    Before you start any rehab program, you must see a doctor or a trainer to verify that you don’t have anything that is structurally wrong with your ankle.
    If you start rehabbing your ankle and you have torn ligaments, cartilage or tendons you will only make your injury worse and make your recovery more complicated and extend your down time.
    Once you have confirmation from a doctor or someone who has certified training in diagnosing the extent and severity of an ankle injury and that person has confidence that you just have a common sprain, then you can start rehabilitating your ankle.
    There is a very good possibility that the doctor or nurse may prescribe some anti-inflammatory drug such as naprosyn. I personally found that I hurt more and was sore longer when I took the naprosyn than when I didn’t. The program that I will describe will make your ankle swelling go down faster and more safely than using any drug because the program is based on pure bio-mechanical movement.
    Why did the anti-inflammatory cause me problems? Because it would reduce the inflammation in all parts of my body and my body, like yours, always has some level of inflammation in the joints to protect them.
    If you need a little anti-inflammatory regimen you can get it from taking simple ibuprofen (Advil). Read the label or ask your doctor for the proper dosage. Most adults can take 3 – 200 mg tablets and get great results. The ibuprofen is better than Tylenol for muscle soreness that you will have after each rehab session too.
    This rehab program is a combination of several programs that I personally used to rehab my ankle as fast as I possible so I could get back to competition.
    I have taken the best and most effective parts of each program and combined them to create the most effective, perfect ankle rehab program possible.
    The good news is that if you follow the program and are committed to eliminating ankle injuries once and for all…you can! Just follow the program…it has been proven to work for many athletes and normal people as well.
    If your ankle has been hurting for a while and there is no swelling, just stiffness…you can skip to step # 5 where you start the actual rehab program.
    Take care and may God Bless You greatly.

    EQUIPMENT NEEDED
    Here’s the equipment that you need:
    1. A powered treadmill that will incline and has adjustable speed. Ideally it will have rails that extend the length of the belt, but if it doesn’t, its ok.

    2. A wobble board (I’ll give you a link where you can buy one)
    This is a wobble board.
    Here’s where you can buy it: http://www.everythingankles.com/recommended-wobble-board.html
    3. A bucket big enough to put your entire foot in (you can get this from Home Depot for about $5)
    4. A lot of Ice – you may have to get some from a grocery store if your icemaker at home doesn’t make enough. (You’ll need about 8lbs of ice to start and then a little more to keep the water cold enough during your rehab process)
    5. A 2 x 4 from Home Depot or another lumber yard (This can just be a small piece 2 ft long and can be picked up from a scrap pile where new houses are being built)
    6. A sturdy chair that you can use to stabilize yourself.
    7. Some steps you can go up and down or a 12″ high box you can step up on and then step down from.
    Got all the stuff together?

    Let’s get going.

    FASTREHAB ANKLE INJURY REHAB PROGRAM
    Step #1 – Fill the bucket with water and ice. Put your entire foot in the icy water for at least 15 minutes or until it is really numb.

    Step #2 – While you are letting your ankle get numb, have someone raise the incline of the treadmill up a couple of %. How much incline varies from person to person so you may have to adjust it once you get on.

    Step #3 – After your ankle is really numb (and yes it will really hurt at first before if gets numb) get your foot out of the ice and get on the treadmill.
    HERE IS THE KEY – Turn around and walk backwards up the incline at a pace that is easy for you. The angle of the treadmill needs to be 6-10% and the speed needs to be at 1-1.5 mph-very slow. It will hurt a little at first but not very bad (it is more the fear of the pain than anything else). The more you walk and as your ankle starts to warm up, you will notice the pain and the swelling is going down.

    It’s something about the angle of the treadmill that keeps the pain from killing you and it also moves the pooling blood (that is making your ankle swell) out of your foot and ankle and back into your bloodstream.

    Keep walking until your ankle no longer feels cold/numb. Then put your foot back in the bucket for another 15 minutes.
    Here’s a little exercise you can do while your foot is in the ice water to help loosed up the ligaments and tendons. While your foot is submerged, start writing the alphabet with your big toe starting at A and going to Z. Then go backwards.
    If you want you can do numbers too. At first, the ankle pain may be too much to bear the ice water let alone moving your foot in the water, but as your ankle pain starts to subside, you can use the little movements in the water to speed up your rehab process.

    Repeat the cycle until there is no swelling and little if any pain. The normal number of cycles is around 4-6 cycles with a cycle being 30 minutes.

    Step #4 – Once you have gotten the swelling down and the pain has significantly subsided (and you aren’t as gun shy about standing or walking on it) then you can start to strengthen it.

    Step #5 – Get the wobble board (It is a plywood circle with 1/2 of a croquet ball in the center on one side and carpet on the other side) you can get one at this web address:
    http://www.everythingankles.com/recommended-wobble-board.html .
    You may also find one at a local orthopedic supply store for around $30-$45. The 16″ board is fine.

    (my quick added note.. I went by Garts/Sports authority & saw 16″ wobble board calld something else of course, ut it was 15.99)

    Wobble boards, boards and rocker boards are often used by snowboarders to improve their balance and increase ankle flexibility when there is no snow to snowboard on.

    Step #6- While sitting down watching TV or some other time when you are sitting down, place the injured ankle on the center of the rocker board and roll it clockwise 25-30 times and then 25-30 times counter clockwise.
    Your goal is to touch the whole outside diameter of the board to the floor in a smooth circular motion. As soon as you have completed the exercises with the injured ankle do it with the other ankle too. We want to make sure that both ankles are getting stronger so you won’t have to go through the pain of an ankle sprain ever again.

    Step #7 – After you can have good mobility and technique while sitting using the rocker board, then you can stand and place a little more weight on the injured ankle and roll the board clockwise 25-30 time and counterclockwise 25-30 times.
    You will not be putting all of your weight on one foot right now.
    Just put enough weight on it where you can feel the muscles, tendons and ligaments stretching and getting stronger. You can tell if you are doing it right when you have a little muscle soreness after you are done.

    Step #8 – Once you are comfortable with putting a little weight on the injured ankle, now it is time to balance all of your weight on the rocker board with your injured ankle in the center of the board.
    Hold onto somebody or something when you first get started until you get your balance and get used to the movement. Again go clockwise and counter clockwise for 25-30 reps. You may want to increase the reps to get a burn (so you can get stronger, faster).

    Step #9 – Next its time for calf raises. At first do calf raises (Push up on your toes like you are trying to look on top of the refrigerator if you were a little kid). with both feet at the same time. Do them until your calves really burn. Then relax. Keep increasing the number of repetitions until you can do more than 100.

    Step #10 – Start doing your calf raises one foot at a time. Do as many reps as you can and then switch feet.

    Step #11 – Once you can do 50 with each foot then get the 2 x 4 I talked about earlier and do calf raises with both feet starting with your toes on the 2 x 4. Extend your body up. Work up until you can do 100 reps.

    Step #12 – Once you can comfortably do 100 reps with both feet. You guessed it. Start doing calf raises one foot at a time.

    By now you should really start seeing some strength developing in your ankles. Your calves will be getting stronger too so your performance in your favorite sport will improve as well.
    Congratulations! You have completed the rehab regimen. Keep doing the exercises to maintain strength and flexibility in your ankles and you may never have a sprained ankle again and if you do they will be less severe.
    Step #13 – As you get more strength in your ankles you need to add in the 12″ box to your program. Step up onto the box with one foot and using the foot on the box push your body and your other foot up onto the box too. Now both feet should be on the box. Step down with the same foot that you started with and repeat with the other foot. It’s like you are going up stairs one step at a time and then down the stairs one step at a time. Stepping up on the box in this manner will help to keep your Achilles tendon flexible.
    HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU DO THE REHAB PROGRAM?
    You may be wondering how often to do the rehab program. If you are really interested in getting better faster, then you should do the exercises 2 times per day. In the morning and in the afternoon.

    LITTLE TRICKS TO PREVENT FUTURE ANKLE SPRAINS

    1. Get your ankles taped before practice and competition – especially until your ankles are stronger and your confidence has returned.
    There are a lot of sites on the internet that explain in detail how to tape a twisted or sprained ankle and with a little practice someone can do it for you or you can do it yourself.
    Here is a site that tells you how to tape an ankle:
    http://www.ehow.com/how_9595_tape-sprained-ankle.html
    The key to taping an ankle so you get the maximum support possible is to make certain you have good anchors at the top of the tape job and at the arch of your foot. Once you have the anchors established, you must pull the tape (when placing the stirrups) from the inside of your ankle to the outside as tightly as possible, in a sense forcing your ankle to turn toward the outside of your body (opposite the way that you probably sprained it).
    All the supplies are available at an athletic supply store. They are reasonably priced if bought in quantity.
    2. Purchase some ankle braces for added protection and as a security blanket. I like the McDavid, lace up type the best. They seem to give me the support I need without restricting my movement during competition.
    Click on the following link to get a great deal on ankle braces.
    http://www.everythingankles.com/recommended-ankle-brace.html
    Avoid the aircast brand of brace if at all possible. If found that it does not provide the compression I needed to make me feel confident while I was playing and it seemed to move around a lot in my shoe which caused cuts and abrasion on my ankle bone. Some people love them, I don’t.
    3. Don’t fight momentum – I know this may sound funny, but if you’ve had as many sprains as I’ve had, you learn how to recognize when you are in danger of twisting or spraining your ankle. Most people tighten up and try to stop their ankle from rolling over and this is that biggest mistake they could make. It is natural to try to stop yourself from falling, but this reaction can cause you to damage your ankle even more. Instead of fighting the roll, go with it. Just fall in the direction in which your ankle is rolling and catch yourself. If you are in the heat of competition, you probably won’t even get hurt and you’ll be able to get back in the game fast.
    I wish I could tell you exactly how to know when you should go with the roll, but it something that you just need to work on. Of course, sometimes there is nothing that you can do to stop an ankle sprain, so you just need to have this manual ready so you can get back in the game fast.

17. WoW!! I’m down for 24hrs & you guys just FiLLed this place lol

    Thanks to ANKLEQUEST I see lol dang,.. scaring Liz lol

    Ok.. so I AM in the industry of dental & work w implants ALL the time but when I questioned Labs,Drs etc I keep getting the big ??? answer so a few of us decided to test this out

    (1st Titanium Implants are used because back in 1969 they discovered the bone reacted well aND would bOnd & grow wITh it so they since started using it for that reason & its 47% lighter than metal and stronger.. therefore it being BoNdEd and becoming part of the bone it should NOT rip through you magnetically lol… stents, pacemakers etc are different as they are susspended in & around tissue not bone so yEs they can be moved & cause damage.. However as far as titanium fused w human bone, it will be imovable and take on the weight of your body and unless it is a LOT it shoUld not be pulled to the walls of an MRI (refering to titanium Implants which are permanent through the jaw bone).. but we are going to experiment that theory as well as larger amounts like we all have in our ankles.. either that or they will show us where its already been conducted =)~

    Something we CAN do between the Dentist, Oral Surgeons & Lab is an experiment on the ultrasound reaction to titanium abutmants & if it does indeed heat (or heat to damaging levels) because I keep getting both yes and no answers & good reASons why but none have personally read,studied or know actual fact & all of them can be swayed both ways.. go figure.. see, we shouldve been Doctors.. get the big bucks and live on theories 😉

    ANKLEQUEST your a lot more LiVeLy than I gave credit for lol…

    Don’t worry Liz..
    though we don’t know for sure yet, My hypothesis along with more than hAlf the Drs I’ve talked w is that even though it can conduct heat & cOuLd get hot, it would take a LOT more than something at such a low level pulse to not only heat but heat to levels that would damage & we are going on that belief since, as LOIS said, we’re pretty positive you would deFFinately feel it getting HOT even on the inside of your skin & would jerk,jump,scream & hollar.. I even believe that the worst it would do if it goes for long enough period of time would be it may posSibly slightly (sLIGHTly) magnatize the titanium. Since use of electricity usually magnetises metal its current comes in contact with.. Did you ever run a wire around a nail connected to a battery to turn it into a magnet? & this has no heat to it.. so it would only be the heat of the titanium absorbing energy waves.. & metal is used to disperce heat quickly & take it away.. so with there being zero heat to start with.. hmm I would say it wouldn’t generate heat & if any at all was beginning to generate yOU’d jump out of your pants.. lol
    I’ll call some more of my Dr buddies & get the true acurate indefinite answer & post it.. but so far tHiS theory seems to be pretty accurate that LOIS and I believe along with 6 other Dr friends of mine.. But don’t worry, We work with over 60 Drs & ONE of them will have the exact link we’re looking for because I’m Surtain someOne has to have done this study.. & if not 🙂 we’re going to try it hehehe

    So.. now that I covered that..
    I had a very scary fulfilling day yesterday. I’m just about 5days from 6weeks post surgery & 9weeks post break & I woke up & my wife & Caitlin were gone 2hrs longer than they were going to be for an appointment w the counselor. I got nervous when I couldn’t get hold of my wife on her cell phone (& w us both having the same provider my phone accurately can let me know when a text is received & that their phone is on). I wouldve thought if she were anywhere else possibly her meeting may have gone longer but this counselor is a real to the minute guy & nEvEr goes more than 5-10 past time reGardless.. We share 1 vehicle as our suv broke at the beginning of the summer & I started thinking I have to drive & see if shes alright or been in an accident since I could not get ahold of aNy1.. I felt like some1 out of an action movie that gets shot & has to pull strength form beyond his normal ability to keep walking & I looked @ my foot & had a heart to heart letting him know he had to help me & I couldn’t do this on my own.. I visualized walking & going down the stairs & into the garage & kICk starting my motorcycle (kick start is on right side of bike & it is my left that’s hurt)& being able to walk once I got where I found her. HoLy @#$! can you belIEve what I’m sAYing?! ahh!!

    I stood up out of bed.. step one completed.. then I leaned to my bad foot a couple of times, said a prayer & started to walk.. It was tight, didn’t have much movement from the achelies tendon BUt I was moving.. even able to roll from heal to toe (that actually helped it hurt LeSs) I meade my way to the restroom, contacts in, put clothes on so quick walkd back into bedroom grabbed my wallet & headed for the stairs….
    I waLkED down the 17stairs & opened the garage door looked @ my bike & though well after its started I don’t have to lean it to the left & can keep my weight off that foot & dO have enough strength to shift with the left.. AAHHH!!! so I walked over grabbed my boots & my phone rang just then.. it was my wife.. just leaving the library where for the 1st time ever shed left her phone in the car..

    The sigh of relief came after about an hour.. I was angry! so confused, tellin her how worried I was & how my adrenalin was racing & I couldn’t even talk I just let her go & when she got home she saw me walking around the house.. WoW.. caitlins jaw was on the floor.. (Id just like to take this moment to say its moments like this I am upset that we are in the age where we have cell phones and they put our brains into expectation mode of getting hold of some1 @ any given moment.. I miss when I just had a home phone & if I was out it wOULd be hours til I heard from anyone or til they heard from me & we got along just fIne..lol I sound like an old man..)

    I went out looking for that ankle brace that holds the ice cold gel packs in it that I saw on that mendmeshop web site, see if theye were anywhere local so I didn’t have to wate or pay shipping & I kNew I deffinately was going to need it NoW after walking all around.. couldn’t find’m anywhere I drove & just bought a couple of McDavid Gel packs from Gart Sports (Sports Authority I guess its called now), came back home, threw them in the freezer & sat w foot elevated watching movies.

    I’m sure I also was scared & upset because I’m cutting back on meds more & more if you recall I wrote about.

    So I went ahead & walked into the kitchen, made dinner for us 3 (other 3 are @ Dads this weekend)

    After that I was ready for the gel packs.. I thought I’d even fill my bucket of ice water which I haven’t done since my surgery..
    I don’t know wHY, but prior to surgery it felt like heaven & though ReaLLy cold I could suck it up & deal w it.. but NOw I about screamed & could NOT force myself to stay in the bucket for even 10seconds.. what is that?! reaction for the metal? WOW! tried a FEW different times & it was a HeCk No! so just pulled the gel packs & wrapped them around my sock covered ankle held on w an ace bandage.. so I walked about 2hrs worth total yesterday & thought I’d be a bit soar today… YA! my foot don’t like me today..lol.. that bruise on the bottom is more swollen no.. but as for the ankle, shes in great shape..

    JusT listening to my body & it says sLEEp right now..

    More to come later.. I didn’t sleep much last night, in & out of restroom all night.. another side effect after cutting the drug dose dramatically.

    Oh ya, & not that any1 is doing physical therapy today, but I read from that site where I payed that how he gets the swelling down & gets the proper healthy blood flow through entire fot is by 15mins inbucket of ice water then he walks BaCkwards on a treadmill @ a 10% grade to cause the blood to go all the way down to toes and allow for good healing as you work out.. Ill copy paste it here next.. so you CAN skip this if it seems like you’ve already heard it..

    Wes

18. Liz, thanks for your response, and I read the article that you attached and found it very interesting. I think it might be helpful if I contacted my orthopedic surgeons office, just to ask what kind of metal it is that I do have in my ankle. That sounds like info I should be aware of for my future.

    Wow Anklequest,,, you have likely scared the dickens out of Liz, with (in your words) your perverse sense of humour. I would think that if ultrasound caused burning,,, that you would be aware of a hot burning sensation during treatment. Heck,,, I even had commented in one post about a month ago, that with the summer sun, I had to cover my bad ankle otherwise it felt as if it became gradually hotter and hotter with the metal heating up,,, until it became mildly uncomfortable. The good ankle did not do this. That experience in itself would make me think that if untrasound did heat the metal, that one would be quite conscious of it.

    Anklequest, I hope you are making out okay with Hannah’s rains. I was happy to hear that Hannah was downgraded, or at least so I heard on the news…. however, what one hears and what one actually experiences can be two different things. So hope you are okay,,, and nobody but nobody wants to clean house on a Saturday night… That is over and above the call of duty. Take care, Lois

19. Liz,
    About the MRI’s. Your leg & ankle will just be immediately smashed by crashing into the MRI machine tunnel when the machine is turned on and the tech is out of the room. The powerful magnetic field pulls at the metal and then rips it right out of the foot, which is an alternative to metal removal surgery. When the tech comes back in the machine will be off and your foot back in place like nothing every happened but the metal will be gone. The same goes for heart pacemeakers.

    Anklequest

20. Hi Liz,

    Well that spot, which you no longer can feel–no pain–is now filled with cooked meat! On the x-rays the cooked meat looks like it filled that spot nicely. Ha, Ha! At least you are feeling better. Whatever it takes, even if you are cooking your ankle.

    Sorry for the perverse humor. I’m waiting out the Hannah rains and am tired of sending people e-mails. An ankle diversion or two are occupying me at the expense of e-mails or cleaning the house.

21. Lois, I was under the impression that we will be able to have MRI’s with metal in our ankles. Of course you always have to let them know that you do have metal and where it is located but we would still be able to have the MRI.

    Here is one article I found about it:
    http://orthopedics.about.com/od/hipkneereplacement/f/mri.htm

22. Oh my… well my therapist has been doing the ultrasound pretty much directly over one of my screws. Like I said, my doctor is aware that he is doing the ultrasound. Well crap, I hope it hasn’t done any damage? 🙁

    It has actually gotten lots better over time, he uses over the spot I was mentioning last time when the doctor was very pleased with my x-rays… said that the spot had pretty much filled in entirely and if he hadn’t seen my previous x-rays he would never have known it was a problem spot. The therpist hasn’t done an ultrasound my past 2 visits (since the good report from my doctor). I wonder if I should say anything or just let it ride and see if I have problems with it later?? You guys have me worried now. lol

23. Lee, I too am only 5’3″ and about 130. So althoygh we may have less far to fall than guys like Wes,,, we have smaller bones I would think so that likely doesn’t help our cause. Anklequest, et al the info on the ultrasound was really interesting. Also prior info on not being able to have an MRI was interesting too. (I think it was Melanie who mentioned that.) What this is all telling me is that we had better take good care of our health as diagnostic options may be more limited. On this same topic, I attended a new dentist last week. Because it was my first visit, I filled in an into chart. One question asked was whether I had any artifical joints ie artifical hip…. I had answered no, but indicated I had a lot of metal in my ankle… I asked the reason for the question and was given the response that having an artifical joint puts people at higher risk for infection during dental procedures. I asked if my metal ankle did the same. This really caught their interest, and I was asked many questions about my ankle, but I never did receive a definative answer of whether this increases my infection risk. I don’t think that they knew for certain. Wes, as a dental ceramist would you know the answer to this??? Take care everyone…

24. Hi All –

    Just back from soccer where I saw another Mom with the same injury as me. she has a little less metal, and it was her left foot, so a little easier to get around in the car. Wes – we’re both under 5’5″, and both fell despite being low to the ground – silly us 🙂 It’s common, I guess.

    LIZ – the cold marbles were not so easy. I thought I was doing it, but turns out that I was mostly moving my leg to the cup, not turning my foot with my ankle. Felt like I was, but when I looked down, I was not. Hmmm. I’m telling you – my ankle just doesn’t want to move, at least side to side. I’ll keep at it, and they say it eventually will, but I’m still not convinced. But you’re absolutely right about the confidence factor. Just getting into my shoe and putting my foot on the ground, even for just the small trek to the bike, was fabulous. And the bike was even better. I need to find a way to get to the gym this week before going back to therapy. They might look at me a little funny, coming in with crutches and the boot. That’ll be a story to tell, I’m sure 🙂

    Anklequest – yes, your explanation of the ultrasound is basically what I was told too. But I guess they think they might be able to work on the soft tissue closer to the foot and away from the metal in the tibia/ and fibula without harm. They’re checking into it with my Dr. before doing anything – have to look at the Xray to be sure. It must work for some, but I’m not interested in cooking anything inside my leg!

    Enjoy a nice Saturday all!
    -Lee

25. WATCH OUT! ULTRASOUND COULD COOK YOUR ANKLE.

    Ok, just a little warning. The energy in ultrasound is absorbed differently by different materials. Vessels, capillaries, muscle cells all open up to more blood flow, etc. when exposed to this energy source. Bone probably warms up too. Metal, on the other hand, captures the energy at a much higher rate than soft tissue. Since the molecules are more concentrated they warm up (heats up) more rapidly (A simple elementary school science experiment can prove this). Hum, maybe the screws, blots and plates in the ankle can heat rapidly enought to overheat– if over done– and then cook your cells? Well, I don’t know but I do know about these basic principles. I am assuming that is why several medical types, including two ankle docs, told me not to use ultrasound if I have metal in my foot.

    Never overdue a good thing.

    Anklequest

26. woWW! so many posts 🙂 & I thought I’d hear nothing back til after the weekend 🙂

    TENS hmmm… definitely going to figure that out.. I’m like Karen.. ‘sure that after PT & going on w more of lifes fast pace I will start to get soar again & looking for “toys” to help sooth & reduce pain, inflamation, swelling & irritation, etc…’

    And what did I read about LEE,.. your only 5’3″?! how on earth did you fall?! your so close to the ground You shouldn’t have broken your ankle 😉

    J/K sorry.. I’m 6′ & always tease every1 under 5’5″ 🙂 I know.. I’m bad.. this must be pay back..

    ya, bout those $400 boots lol.. that oughta give you an idea if I had three fractures in there you can guess the speed I had to be going to hammer the foot with such pressure to cause it & too bad I can’t posts pictures or you guys could all see the never ending bruising up and down the foot, toes, ankle, leg all the way to my knee ouchie 🙂

    next time I get boots with shock obsorbers 😉

    Friends heard I’ve been round neighborhood on mtn bike & tried to tell me I could take out the motorcycles.. lol.. I said, “”NOOOO!!!!” tHAt’s my stairs Lois 😉
    yaa… LoVe the bikes but don’t want to feel that dirt bike peg for a LOOOng time.. wellll … at least not til next year…

    Come to think of it, it was 2 months ago to the date that I had my break.. and I sTILL have the bruise under the arch of my foot.. through boots that have zero bend or give..

    oh.. and nope.. haven’t started PT yet hehehe… remember, I’m being a good boy & waiting for Dr next Friday to give the ok 😉 shh. @ which point knowing my luck he’ll ask,”can we try another few weeks without weight baring?” & I’ll say #@!%!!!
    😉
    And to think.. eventually I have to get this done to my OtHer ankle because I just HaD to like running when I was younger.. lol.. that ANd my KneeS.. (i gotta remember to find that knews special I saw about those shots that people were raving about that rebuilt their knees)

    Great thing about stretching and putting foot to use is that as I slow the meds the pain I notice mOrE prominent than the lack of meds or withdrawl is the aching of a good gym workout.. I get my membership fixed next week. I was forbidden from any workout for 10 months from the start of my broken Jaw Last October then this just mad it longer 🙁 talk about LoSing weight that I did NoT want to lose.. while every1 else said they’d LoVe to have my broken jaw after hearing I lost 28lbs.

    Ok.. I’m going to the web site to pick out the right size ankle brace/gel package .. I like noT having to have my ankle raised sOO many hours a day & know the ice gel would help a LoT & the HeaTed gel would be nice after the wobble board & stretching w the bike..

    Not doin PT yet, but using what I know from personal training as a runner, mtn climber & weight lifter helps me stay focused & pushing properly while nurturing sensibly.. BuT it is good to get the input on the differences I gotta take into account now that I’m turning into the terminator & things may not have the same gReAt effect or Feeling 😉

    I also heard from a friend that he’s seen something simular to the brace I found @ walgreens.. hMMmm Ill check to be sure its the real deal & see if its more affordable or if its better on the site & let all know..

    Wes

27. Karen, I got one of those little bandages with the electric current too. It was like a little battery on top. Man, that made my skin itch, but it did help with the swelling. I only did that once, like my first time at PT. He sent me home with it on and told me to leave it on for about 4 hours I think it was. Hmmm… I wonder if that was a form of TENS?

    Lee, haha, oh those little cold marbles bring back memories. I’ve probably picked up hundreds of marbles over the last few weeks. 🙂 Luckily I think I’m past that stage since he hasn’t had me do it since getting my boot off. I found it was very easy to do. You? I think PT will do you a world of good. I know it really gave me confidence in my ankle. I hope it will do the same for you. 🙂

28. Thinking back on my physical therapy sessions,(back in February and March), I remember having a circular bandage put on with an electrial current and now I’m wondering if that was called TENS.

    Honestly, I think my pain increased over the months since physical therapy once I stepped up my activities, walking on the treadmill, etc., I would be OK walking for a while and then deep, excrutiating pain could literally take me down, if I had let it. My chiropractor said it was deep seated inflammation and calcium deposits. The bone heals but that remains. She has been working on breaking up the deposits.

    It also was never mentioned to me about metal being a contraindication to ultrasound, will ask about that.

    My future son-in-law will graduate with his physical therapy degree in June and I told him I hope he has been taught about ultrasound and how to use it – said he had!

    Karen

29. Dan – great summary of screw removal. Thanks for sharing that. Seems pretty easy. I was wondering what that might be like when my time comes. Now I have a good idea, though I wonder if it’s a little more involved with a plate and 6 screws? i’ll have to hear from Pam when her turn comes… it will be well ahead of mine.

    Wes/Denver – Phonophoresis, yes, that’s it. I asked more about it at therapy today and why I can’t use it. Evidently, it is a way to delivery cortisone to the torn ligaments via ultrasound and it’s great for soft tissue healing. But the ultrasound heats up the metal in the bone and can cause inflamation and discomfort, undoing the good effect of the the treatment on the ligaments. So, my PT is looking into it’s use on just the soft tissue, away from the metal. But for now, they’re just using TENS, which is an electrical stimulus on the skin that confuses the nerves and reduces pain and sensitivity. They put it on when they’re iceing down my foot//leg after I work it. Today’s exercise consisted of the bike (felt SO good to move!) and picking up cold marbles with my toes and moving them with my ankle to a cup. Oh, and Wes – glad to hear you were safe on that bike – I was worried for you 🙂 And I’m especially glad to hear you are almost done with the meds…that’s the way to go. Slow and easy, down to nothing. Then only the occasional advil or tylenol. I absolutely needed the stronger stuff at the beginning, but by week 4 or 5, no more.

    Anklequest – the TENS is interesting. I first read about it when I was pregnant and wanting a natural delivery. Some doulas use it during labor on the back to minimize the effect of contractions. I didn’t end up using it in labor either time (had a c-section with the first 10 lb baby – I’m 5’3″ and about 130, and went au naturel with the second, much smaller baby). The PT here seems to use it on everyone during their ice downs…it’s worth learning a little more about. I suspect it’s useful on post-surgical sights to desensitize the skin and wound, but I’m not clear that it does much for healing the ligaments. I’ll ask when I go next week. Learning lots at PT. And yes, you’re right, my ligament damage was severe and will take longer to heal than the bones. Who knew?

    Have a great weekend all – I’m getting ready for a long soak in a hot tub.

    Cheers,
    Lee

30. Wow, the group is very active today. It took me awhile to catch up. 🙂

    KAREN, I’m glad to hear things are going well and you’ve found a treatment that works for you. It’s interesting to hear of your ultrasounds. I have been getting an ultrasound treatment on my ankle 2x per week ever since I started physical therapy, over the spot that was giving me the greatest pain (which happened to be where the cartilage was missing). My therapist recommended it and my doctor is aware that I am getting these treatments because I have mentioned it several times. I hadn’t heard that it was not good for those of us with metal. What is the reasoning for that? You guys have me worried now. lol

    LEE, Yes, I’m walking without a crutch now. It still swells in the brace and gets really sore from time to time. I never know when I stand up if it’s going to be sore of not… sometimes it feels good and others it’s sore with every step. I haven’t quite figured that out yet, what the pattern is. But, I have confidence in you that you will be walking in your boot in 3 weeks time. It will feel so good to walk into your next appointment on your own. 🙂 When I first started walking with my boot I thought that day would NEVER come, but it did and it will for you too. As far as the “stockingette” mine quickly wore out too and got stringy around the edges. I asked my doctor for some more and he just game me a small roll of it to cut as I needed. I had also thought of trying mens tube socks since my socks were too tight around my foot. But I never got around to buying any and just stuck with the stocking things my doctor supplied.

    LOUISE, I wish I could go to Peru with you this summer. It is such a beautiful country and I just loved the Peruvian people. I have such great memories from my time there. I keep in touch with a few people I met while I was there, so I still have connections. I hope I can go back soon. As for balancing, I can definitely see a small improvement already… not tipping over as much during the 5 second interval. You’re right! Trying it with your eyes closed is so much harder.

    DENVER, are you going to physical therapy yet? They’ll have the stationary bikes and other machines you could use. I also use the wobble board during PT. It’s been neat to see my improvement with that over time. I can now make complete circles with it. For home, I just kept a small rubber ball (like a pilates ball) by my chair and would roll my foot around on it while I was watching TV or whatever.

    Well, hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. My foot was more sore today than usual. I think maybe it was from my therapy session yesterday. He had me doing some new stretches. One of which is… I put my hands flat on the wall in front of me, and step back with my right foot (the injured ankle). Keeping my left leg forward and knee bent, lean into the wall. OUCH! It hurts all up and down my ankle. I think it’s supposed to stretch the calf muscle, but the only thing I can feel stretching is my ankle! lol But I guess it’s like someone said earlier… no pain, no gain!

    Stay safe everyone!

    ~Liz

31. Don,
    No lunch tomarrow, as it looks like Hannah will dump a lot of rain and there could be local stream flooding (I’ve been stranded in these before). Some hit a bear cub with a car..dead at the side of the road.

    Denver,
    Thanks for all the info about the $27 purchase. I was wondering about that. And thanks for the mendshop link. This is the great thing about this board! Sharing information. Great to hear about cutting back on those meds!!!

    Lee,
    TENS is something I’d like to know about. Ultrasound..yes, I heard it is not for those of us with metal. You sound like you are continuing to made great strides! With the damage you describe, it will take a much longer time than Denver. Denver’s footwear seems to have prevented a lot of damage.

    Dan,
    Very interesting posts. Thanks very much! Now I have a new question. What’s the cost of that 90 second surgery?

    Lois,
    I sure wonder about some of the “end of stories” of some posters here. What happened to Melanie? I fear for her. And how is Celinda doing? There are many others. I wish some people whould check in from time to time. I do plan to do so. All of us probably would like information about 3 years, 5 years, 10 years after the broken ankle.

    Everyone!
    Keep up all the great posts. Always give back more than what you receive. Keep helping each other and others. Post occasionally if you have not done so for a while and let us know how you are doing.

    Watch those ankles! Wear good shoes. How about $400 dollar boots? I can say with certainty I would not have broken my ankle had I been wearing boots or high working shoes of any type.

    Regards to all!

    Anklequest

32. one last quick note..
    I believe for LEE

    this is what I found when I punched in what your Dr was recomending.. I know the ultrasound wouldn’t do anything for the actual matal but use of it would help the temdants & wake them back up.. anyhow on that same site I found this which caught my eye.. tell me if that’s what the Dr was talking about

    http://www.mendmeshop.com/phonophoresis.php

    anyhow.. everyone enjoy the weekend 🙂

    Wes

33. wOW Dan that’s cool.. I wondered what that’s like & you didn’t leave out any details..

    I’ve been cutting back on my pills & now have started literally cuTTing them in half (breaking them in half w my fingers anyways) Only taking half a day if needed & only half a night.. Weight baring in 1WeeK from today 🙂
    Of course… ummm I also have read & believe the whole “listen to your body” theory too… soooo I kinda.. ok.. I fULy stood on it today shhh don’t yell @ me hehe.. I feel like Louise lol… Keep in mind too that I broke it while it was in a $400 dirt bike boot & Dr said there was no tendant, ligament or soft tissue damage so all feels quite strong & held together.. with the exeption of my toothpick calf muscle and lack of full motion from the tendants .. that and still the last tyny bruise from aLL the ugly bruising is down to just 1 inch of yellow on the bottom of my arch.
    The only pressure or pain as you’d say was a little bit of pain in the knee..

    Of course as you were reading LEE, I took a while til I got the strength & mobility from rotating the foot & dinky stretches over the last 3.5 weeks & just 4-5 weeks ago it was so touchy & uncomfortable fresh out of my cast (splint) that I wanted to do stretches & progress with it, but was NoT comfortable or anywhere near ready.. It was only after I would wake up from it jerking in my sleep & causing me pain that I figured, ‘if I got it to a point where it had mOrE movement, then even if I had little jerks it wouldn’t sHocK me so much’.. sure enough that dId work as I had little jumps & jolts & smILEd because I had already gotten the ankle to those levels of movement.. the WoBBle board is 100% worth having or buying to rotate and rest in a stretch worthy position that extends more and more mobility even just while sitting in front of the TV.. Its so nice to have something eLse to do instead of JuST keep it elevated 🙂

    Oh and the hot bath.. NiCCCCee and I just get it into that position where its got pressure on it & only press LiGhtly resting my hand on it for a count of 30-60 & after relaxing it & moving it the other way & gradual rotation (using my hand holding it around the arch to manuever it) then setting it up again to do another simple stretch seems less invasive if you only do it about 3 times.. after a week or 2 I got brave & just felt I could do it a little longer & a little longer.. didn’t even really try to plan for it.. just listened to my body that was saying ‘i miss walking’ 😉

    & I mtn climb, ice skate, run & mtn bike regularly so I have..welll,uSe to have- BIG upper legs and great strength to bike just on the local neighborhood streets considering I don’t yet have access to a gym for their local stationary bike and Promise I was very steady, smooth & careful lol..

    I wondered about that ultra sound too.. u say TENS.. what are tens? have to look into the other stuff you wrote too 😉
    deFFinately liking the look of the ankle wrap w gel packs too 🙂

    and as for the irritating walking cast BeeN there.. I aske Dr for a couple extra socks they used inside & over my splint.. They were the full leg helpful blood circulators that went all the way up the thigh theyre thin so not hot & comfortable & they would just cut them .. ImPorTant note – I messed up by cutting the top thigh part on one of them & then pulled it on to cut excess near toes but it was TOO tiGHt.. I needed to slide it on where it was comfortable, not loose and NoT tight tHEN mark where to cut off the top & pull it on to cut where needed at toes (& I liked leaving it hanging oVer toes so I could pull it bAck over my splint after I would wrap it on so my bandage wouldn’t rub top of foot.. sOmetimes it would help w the walking cast as it too would rub my toes & het irritating)

    Good LuCk
    😉

34. Everyone,

    An update on my progress.

    To recap, I shattered my right ankle on 6/03/08. Surgery 6/10/08. Plate and seven screws inserted. A long screw was inserted through the fibula and into the tibia. The purpose of this screw was to stabilize my ankle and prevent further damage to a torn ligament running between the tibia and fibula.

    On 09/02/08, I had minor surgery to remove the long screw between my tibia and fibula. I arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am. I was taken a room at 6:30 am. A nurse took my history, vitals and gave me a gown to change into. At 7:00 am the surgeon came in to explain the procedure. He said the procedure to remove the screw would take about 90 seconds. At 7:15 am a physician’s assistant came in and confirmed that surgery was scheduled for 7:30 am. At precisely 7:30 am, I walked into the operating room.

    I climbed up on the operating table. I was covered with warm blankets. A blood pressure cuff was put on my right arm, and a oxygen sensor on my left index finger. The nurse asked me to raise my right leg so she could scrub it with antibacterial solution. The surgeon X-rayed my right ankle to locate the screw. Then he began injecting numbing medicine. It stung like the dickens for about 30 seconds, and within a minute I couldn’t feel anything.

    Then the doctor used a scalpel to make a small incision (1/2 inch long). Not more than a minute later he was tapping my right arm and holding out a bloody screw. He asked if I wanted to keep it and I said yes. The physician’s assistant then stitched me up. By 7:45 am I was climbing off the operating table and onto a reclining chair, with my feet elevated.

    I was wheeled into recovery and given a glass of apple juice and a couple of Lorna Dunes (shortbread cookies). By 8:15 am, I read and signed my discharge instructions, and put on my clothes. I was put into a wheel chair and taken to the reception area. From there I walked about 50 yards to the parking garage. At precisely 8:35 am, I drove out of the parking garage and headed home.

    I was advised not to shower or spend much time on my feet over the next 2 days. I didn’t take any prescription or over the counter pain medication. The numbing medicine wore off in about 2 hours. Throughout the first day the ankle ached and was tender. When I tried to sleep that night, my ankle hurt when I turned over in bed. By the second morning following surgery my right ankle felt much better. I tried to stay off my feet most of the day and experienced very little discomfort. On the third morning following surgery, I changed the bandage, took a shower and scrubbed the excess antibacterial solution off my right foot and ankle. I took the dog for a walk around the block and did some errands. Still a little soreness, but tolerable.

    Today, my ankle feels good. Took the dog for another walk and heading to a high school football game tonight to see my 15 year old in the marching band. On Monday, 9/11/08, I have an appointment with a physician’s assistant to have the stitches removed. On Thursday, 10/02/08, four weeks after the screw was removed, I see the surgeon for a check-up.

    Have a great weekend.

    Dan

35. Hey – 3 new post between writing and my last post going up.

    Denver – a word about the ultrasound. My PT said it is contraindicated when there’s metal in the leg. He’s using TENS, but not ultrasound. Just check in with your Dr. before you buy something to use and cause a problem. My Dr. had prescribed photosensoresis (or something close to that), but the PT said they can’t do it. I still have to make a call to the Dr.’s office to verify, but just wanted to offer that as a consideration. The brace with the hot/cold packs looks good to me too!

    -Lee

36. Hi Dan – thanks for the nice note and reminder that confidence and pushing our brains is the most important part of recovery. I’m back to PT today and looking forward to actually making my foot move!

    Lois and Anklequest – I’m glad to hear that you are delving back into life full force and while I will miss all your wisdom and stories here, happy to see you getting back to normal and not needing to visit us on the boards so often. Do drop in now and again though – those of us still at the early stages really benefit from your experience and encouragement. I would still be quite depressed if it weren’t for all of you! And I appreciate all the good advice. My expectations were not in line with reality and you all have helped me considerably. I will pay it forward by staying here for a while and offering the same to those who will surely follow.

    I do have a question for all who wore a boot. My Dr. gave me one of the “stockingettes” that they put on as the first layer of a cast to wear like a sock under the boot. But it’s pretty worn out now, after just two weeks of wearing and washing. What did all of you wear on your foot/leg under the boot? I don’t think I can get a regular sock on my foot yet. I could cut the toes off and try, but not sure what will be most comfortable. The boot material is giving me a rash on the top of my calf, so I need something to cover my skin. Plus it’s hot here in No. Calif now and my foot is sweating. ideas? All appreciated.

    Denver Wes – Wow, you are a brave wild man! I can see the tub soak/stretch, and keep thinking I need to do the same. But bicycling? Yikes! Be careful. I’d hate to see you fall and land on that bad foot. When the PT told me to bike, he meant a stationery bike in the gym with supervision. Maybe I’m just being a wimp. I know my bone is healed, but the ligaments and muscles have a long way to go still. The idea of putting full weight on my foot is still unthinkable. I know I’ll get there, eventually. And there will be fear to go along with each step for me. I’m working on the confidence, but scared of the pain and more damage. I would give a lot for that freedom, but know I’m not yet ready. Soon, though. Very soon.

    Liz – keep up the PT and the balance will come. I wore one of these ankle brace/aircasts long ago and I think you’ll find the swelling is different b/c of the pressure points you get now. It’ll eventually adjust. So, are you walking now with no support (crutches/cane?) I need to get there – my Dr. saidif Iculd make it to the next appt. in 3 weeks with no crutches (still in the boot), he’d be happy. I can’t get myself to that point yet. I just feel like there’s no movement in the ankle and the boot in not very comfy. I gotta keep working on it.

    I’m wrapping up for now. PT this afternoon, and soccer season kicks off tomorrow bright and early for my kids. Life goes on. Type to you all soon and stay safe!

    cheers,
    Lee

37. lol.. I tried posting yesterday about just copying the msg before sending it then checking the site to see if it showed up then being able to paste it if it didn’t work… tHEn my phone (which is my computer) froZE & I lost my attempt too…

    I asked a little over a week ago if anyone had heard of that ankle site I’d run across & didn’t hear anything, so I figured it was only $27 & I’d probably easily spend that much on the magazines to find the information, so I went ahead & paid for the access & information. I found & watched how to prOperly tape an ankle to support it from being injured & also how to make a 16″ wobble board (or even w a purchased one) how to use a 16″ wobble board in a new way- while sitting @ a 90degree angle bad fot flat centered on wobble board they rotate to touch the sides all the way around, to the ground – 25 reps each way then standing (using back of chair as support) good foot on the ground bad foot on wobble board & repeat while using chair as support to lift more of the weight to the bad foot as you repeat the excersise over time.. it helps to see the weak spots in an ankle as they jerk in movement & also some areas that won’t be able touch the floor.. I have one on the floor @ work & even have both feet on it for now to kinda help the bad one get into place even while just working & not paying attention.

    I also stumbled onto this web site that had an ankle brace w the sleeves for the gel packs (hot or cold) you cAn switch them out to help stretch things out & ice’m down after workouts too 😉
    Oh, & it seems like a little chunk of change but they also sell a portable ultra sound machine for @ home/or office use. found that interesting after I had a neck injuey in’99 I had the best result while using that & probably couldve gotten even better except I couldn’t affor to keEP going to the office for visits .. anyhow.. take a look its full of ideas

    http://www.mendmeshop.com

    nice to hear from every1 🙂 sad to see some moving on.. I will try to keep touching base even once I’ve gotten up & out again.. Ill just make this part of my continuing therapy to check in here because I KNOW how much I needed this & how important it is to hear from people who’ve gotten so far along too 😉

    til later
    😉

38. Eight months after my injury, long after physical therapy ended, still had pain with every step along with new pains from the time immobile and starting to move again and using crutches for several weeks………in other words, a physical wreck! My ankle, of course, was the worst, but neck, shoulder, knee, you name it and it hurt. I wondered if this was my new life!

    I ran across an ad for a chiropractor that treated extremities as well as back and neck, started going regularly and am doing so much better. She does a manipulation on my ankle first, sometimes it cracks, but feels so good. Then she does ultrasound, followed by a short massage. The swelling is down finally and I’ve been pain free minus occasional twinges, but for the most part, I feel pretty normal. I’ve been having three times a week ultrasound for some time, but am going down to one day to see how that goes. She doesn’t know whether or not I’ll need a maintenance ultrasound once in a while or not, we’ll see. My other pains have also improved since having regular manipulation. Seriously, after my crutches, I couldn’t even turn my head to the left to change lanes while driving.

    I also bought some Ecco athletic shoes that I can’t even role my foot over if I tried! – it’s that much support! I had written here a few times that for no reason (while wearing my New Balance athletic shoes), other than the ankle must be very weak, it would cave outwards and fold, causing me to lose my balance. So, there’s an improvement there also.

    The chiropractor during the first appointment noticed I was rolling my foot inwards while walking (protective mechanism, I guess), and she had me begin a different exercise, not one I was given back in therapy. Initially it was making my ankle worse, but in time, got better, so I’m going to keep that one up! I am aware of and forcing myself to put equal pressure on the whole foot when I walk. She also had me go back to my circles, abc’s, balancing, and trained me to exercise on a big ball daily. I am much more aware of my posture and how I carry myself.

    I think what happens is we are sometimes left with residual imflammation that lingers stubbornly, and we just need a little bit of extra care and attention to knock it out.

    Karen

    Karen

39. Hi Lee,

    Tried posting numerous times over the past three days without success. Made the mistake of not saving what I wrote, so similar to Louise, I lost it all.

    One of my posts was an update on the removal of the long screw between my tibia and fibula which took place on Tuesday, 9/02/08. It was quite detailed so will take me a while to reconstruct it.

    The other was a short reply to Lee’s post on 9/03/08 about her recent physical therapy appointment. Here goes one more try.

    Great news that physical therapy is going well for you. And, you’re right about the importance of “rebuilding confidence that your ankle won’t snap again.”

    Isn’t it amazing how the things we did so casually before we broke our ankles cause us so much concern now?

    Of course, it is natural to be fearful of messing up and starting all over again after suffering a traumatic injury and everything that goes along with it. But you can’t spend your life looking over your shoulder, or worrying about every step you take.

    Physical therapy can help many get over the hump by getting us used to trying things we wouldn’t have tried on our own, testing our limits and teaching us that pain is actually good and an essential part of the healing process. Like they say, no pain, no gain.

    The most difficult muscle to rehabilitate is the one between our ears. We need to take a leap of faith to move forward. Each step builds confidence. Day by day positive images crowd out the negative ones.

    In time, those of us lucky enough to achieve a full recovery will return to doing things without thinking about them.

    Take care, Dan

40. Hello to everyone. Anklequest, We will understand if you cannot post as often. Getting better and getting back into our busy lives will do that to all of us. But, we will be hoping that you will still pop in from time to time. I am glad you told us to expect you less often though. I too suspect that I will begin to wind it down as I get more and more able to be out and around and about. This is the first blog that I have ever been involved with and I found it fascinating how quickly I became “hung up” on everyone. For me it has been sort of like reading a very good book, the kind that when you turn the last page you just don’t want the story to end,,, because you have made friends with all the wonderful characters and have grown so fond of everyone. So I find when people just sort of disappear off the blog,,, it is a bit like reading all the way through that book only to find the last five pages are missing, so you never know the ending, and then I find that I still fuss, worry and think about them. All the best to everyone. Hope everyone has a great friday.

41. Nooooooo!!! I spent ages typing out a post, and it has gone!!! 🙁

    Ok, so a shorter version of it!!! Again, if it posts like a million times, sorry!!!!

    Ok, so LIZ!! So jelous you have been to peru! Have wanted to go to s.america like forever, so really wanna go next year!! Determined to get there and do it!!
    Great to hear your balancing now, it does get easier! I am now attemping to do it with my eyes closed….sooo much harder!! And glad you didn’t make such an arse of yourself as I did! hee hee.

    As for me…I went to London today, which was a really good day, although soooo much walking!! Left about 15 hours ago, and had about 9 hours on my feet, apart from the odd sit down here and there, lunch etc. My FEET are killing me….mainly on my good foot where the podiatrist told me I ave tendonitus, but my ankle is FINE!!! No pain, hardly any limping…up and down the stairs on the underground no problems!! It is quite swollen, but other than that….nothing wrong at all!!! I am so pleased! Physio yesterday obviously did something good. Either that or it was the iburophen I am taking for the good foot, but even so…to feel nothing, and walk normally not having to THINK about every step was amazing, and to have to pay attention to my OTHER foot was actually quite a relief! heehee. very pleased with that yay.

    I also managed to break into a half jog too, when I crossed the road stupidly in central london on a green light (for the cars!) and was faced with a lot of beeping and 3 lanes of cars, buses, and bikes, all angrily shaking their fists at me! hee hee. Maybe thinking of the gym tomorrow if my feet can take it…we shall see!!

    Anywho…I am off for a hot shower and to bed, and I am sooooo tired!!!!

    Hope all you guys (and girls of course!) are fabulous!!

    Louise xx

42. Hi Everyone!
    Congradulations to Liz, Lee, Louise, Lois, and Denver! What a lot of progress these last few weeks! You get over that initial big shock, which can take a while because your whole life changes in a flash, and then things get better quite fast when you get a little mobile. I notice quite a contrast between mobility approaches! Some are brave and bold, while others hold back. Some depend on PT, while others don’t much at all. Everyone is moving forward.

    Don, can we have a hamberger together again this Saturday? What’s your schedule like? Let me know. I can take a quick ride up!! I’d like to “see” how you are doing! What a most wonderful thing..taking in a 17 year old under your wings!

    I’ll not be posting as much now since us folks who are in education are back to being swamped. Think of all those parents who couldn’t wait for their kids to go back to school. Well, our classes & classrooms are now filled with all these kids and, in my case, college students. They do keep us very very busy.

    Cheers!

    Anklequest

43. FINALLY!!! It posted!! 🙂

44. ONE MORE TIME. URGH! This site keeps losing my post. If this posts 10 times in a row, I apologize. I keep submitting it and it won’t show up. It’s never done this to me before.

    Anyway… just wanted to stop in and say hello. Things are going well here in South Georgia. We weren’t really effected here by Gustav but Hannah is on it’s way.

    LEE, glad to hear your first day back at work was a success, as well as your first PT appointment. You’re bound to start seeing progress now. Keep us posted. Have fun on that bike. 🙂

    DON, it’s great to hear from you. Sorry to hear of your setback, but glad the doctor caught it before it turned into something more serious. You’re definitely right about that we should look back at our journey and see how far we’ve come. When I look back on the past 3 months, I have come such a long way. I only hope that in 3 more months I can look back and say the same thing.

    DENVER, I’m impressed… swimming and now biking! All before even being able to weight-bear. That’s great! lol Just be careful.

    Well, I had therapy yesterday and the PT gave me some new exercises since I have my boot off now… raising up on my toes and then my heels, and balancing on my bad ankle for 5 second intervals. I stink at the balancing. lol I keep wanting to tip over. LOUISE, I thought of you when he had me balance the first time… how you fell through the curtain at your first session. lol Luckily I didn’t have any embarrassing moments.

    I’m finding lately that my ankle swells differently with this brace on than it did with the boot. I wonder why that is. It gets really swollen now over the tops of my screws. I’ve never seen it do this before. Usually the swelling is across the top of my ankle, not down the sides. I guess it has to do with how the brace fits versus the boot? Anyway, things are going well. I’m not getting much pain with walking, just a little discomfort at times.

    LOUISE, What takes you to Peru? I was there for about a month a few summers back… volunteered at an orphanage in Lima and took a trip up to the high jungle while there. I slept in the middle of the jungle in a hammock! It was AMAZING! I can’t wait to go back. I really want to go to Machu Picchu. I hope my ankle will allow me that pleasure one day. 🙂

    Well, hope everyone is enjoying their week.

    Stay safe,
    Liz

45. oh I love that Don.. juggling teens I’d have 2 say is the 1 time I’m glad I’m not looked @ as younger..lol, that fear/deer in the headlights look is always admired by me especially 😉

    Ok, so here we go.. I am 1 week 1.5 days away from official weight baring on bad foot. Now for those who may have missed it, I have no boot on or cast (the air feels great). I only had the splint wrapped as thick as a cast for 10 days after surgery then he required no weight til sept. 12th. I asked if I could go w/out the cast since my foot was in a dirt bike boot which they claimed kept my ligaments & tendons & soft tissue in great shape. He said he would trust me to nOt re-injure it & if in large crowds or if I needed it to feel safer or more secure I should use the boot or even better, the bottom half of the cast wrapped w an ace bandage to keepit real safe from re injury.

    I am permitted to stretch as it is able to & have tried to find the line between pressing to stretch & pressure of weight being aplied (since I was told no more than resting weight, etc).. So you all saw I went swimming monday (felt GrEaT & aloud for great mobility w/out weight baring) and today I felt good taking a bath & leaving it under the water for a LoNGgggGg time finally. 1.5hrs 🙂
    I drew a WaRm bath & began stretching w a towel.. then pressed (knee bent) down on my upper leg as my toe was on the far wall of the tub.. I would see how close to flat I could get my foot onto the wall as I pushed my leg down. It never got near straight out, but I could gage how much weight was being applied to my foot by how little I was pressing down on my leg. PaIn, PaIn PaIn!! yoWWW.. but from my younger days stretching ligs to be able to dance better I knew the feeling & the outcome too 😉

    I DJ on weekends ever since I was 15.. mobile functions – proms, hoemcomings, church dances, school functions, BDay parties, weddings, you name it. I had learned how to dance ManY different ways for fun & also to liven up functions as I did this the first few years. Line dancing, Salsa, Swing, some other styles & even learned to break dance. So when it was time for MY Junior Prom I remember every1 was expecting me to knock their socks off. So I was combining moves & preparing a fun evening.. It wouldn’t be complete unless I could do the splits… So I would practice @ my other job inbetween rendering pieces (old school computer animation would take forever to render the pictures into the colors).. I would get straight legged and into the farthest possision I could possibly achieve and would push it into pAiN possision & hold for count of 30 then count out another 30 then another & when I noticed it was a liTTle less stress on the tendons I would go a little further & count again.. eventually when I had counted 3 – 5 times like this I’d end by counting down from 10 when I felt I just couldn’t do it anymore. all the while I would be rubbing my muscles/tendons to warm them up (warmer stretches so much better & hurts less when relaxed & healing later) I repeated this twice a day sometimes three times if my bidy would have the time & amazingly enough in 1 weeks time I had gotten there & it wasn’t a shocker to Me when the dance went off without any complications (or ER visits..lol) We all knew a girl in school we had heard that wanted to do the splits & got as far into possition as possible & had a friend rest their feet onto her thighs & jUmp down fOrCing her all the way into the splits & it wOrKed.. HoweVer she went through a LONG time of having to heal until she could even function right/normal again. but could always do the splits from that moment on. hence we used that as an example in training & excersise to nOt short cut because you would be stronger just pushing yourself hard withOUT breaking yourself. Anyhow.. so I know this feeling in the streching feels like too much as we press, but it does improve our range of motion the more we train ourselves. And being able to do it in a warm bath or hot tub improves & helps in the heating of the tendons especially when its hard to fub near the injury or sensitive. After being in the tub and repeatedly streting it both by pressing foot against wall & lifting outward w top of foot against side wall, & doing this so long, the water got cool.. I then turned the hot water only on & opened the drain til it was all hot wate & felt like a hot tub or like the frog slowly having the temperature turned up that he boiled to death.. it loosened up the tendons even more for the second half of my arobic marathon bath.. I had a good 3 inches or so of mobility 🙂 and then took 600mg of advil..

    J got this crazy idea I should try & ride my mtn bike. I don’t have a stationary bike & no car 2day to go work a deal w the local gym yet. I figured I would gain lots more mobility if I continually use the range of motion I have come into recently. I though, ‘as long as I time it properly I cOULd very easily use my good leg as the muscle to get the other pedal back around without too much pressure’. IT WORKED 🙂 I felt so normal for SOO Long about 2miLeS 🙂 I went round the hilly neighborhood, but the hills weren’t that bad. I would hold pressure to both front & back break levers on downhill slopes to feel safer & would continue to pedal while using preper motion with my bad ankle.. & even on a couple of the upward hills I would apply pressure to the bad ankle to the point it wAS propelling me foward .. I can’t bEgIn to tell the joy it felt to feel like theres light at the hopeless tunnels end as I couldn’t even move it side to side @ one point w/out shaking or shocking pain.. which brings up another 1st- putting a sock on it & slipping on my shoe.. its a slip low top that felt heavy even to move a couple weeks ago w my toe on my bad foot & now my foots ok carrying the weight of the shoe while wearing it..
    🙂
    🙂 so even though I feel light years away from ever jumping, running or even touching a wobble board, I know I WiLL 1 day do alL these things & w confidence too 🙂
    🙂

    Til later 😉

46. Greetings Ankle Breakers.

    Thanks for the kind words and the understanding. We all get to share that edge we hold onto The (fear, uncertainty, exasperation ETC) When we feel down or like we just can’t take one more step to get through this we can look on these boards and smile over some little achievement one of us has made. That’s because we all know how VERY VERY hard it is to make those little achievements. We all know that feeling of satisfaction it gives to get just that little advancement.

    Wes as tired as you were just having the strength to throw the kids out of the water and be able to look at them and go “not this time kiddies “ Still just a little bigger and stronger then you makes you want to laugh and on the inside I bet you were? But it also is one little achievement and one more hurtle you crossed on the move forward.

    Lee, Louis, Lois

    Thanks for your kind words and support, I hope I can inspire some people to move forward and I know that you all have inspired and helped people with your stories your kindness and compassion. You all inspirational to so many people I hope you all keep moving forward and telling stories that not only make us feel better but make us laugh.

    My Laugh for the day came last night when I got home from work. My daughters had friends over from Connecticut and I arrived in the driveway at around 12:00 midnight the kids all 17 and 18 year olds four of them two boys two girls were standing next to the car. I looked up and asked them in a Daddy voice where they were going? The driver a Brand new college student chirped in a little voice ( Guy 5ft 10 in about 200 LBS) to Burger King for a snack? I stopped and waited to see what they were going to do. (Looked like deer in the headlights) I said OK not to late. And you have never seen 4 kids move so fast, so I didn’t get a chance to change my mind. I walked into the house and my wife was snickering as she was watching out the kitchen window. Was worth the laugh and watching them get back to the house within an hour and a half ! Burger King is almost 20 min drive from my house Have a good night all

    Keep safe all and keep the bottom of the feet on the ground we all seem to have trouble when we let our feet and ankles go off in different directions.

    Don

47. hello to everyone!!

    Don…great to hear from you again! Thats so nice to hear that you have adopted that 17 year old..its always great to know that someone out there loves you enough to take you in as their own! (I was also adopted when I was younger!) Thanks for the encouraging words as well!! 🙂

    Lee…. after reading your comment about confidence, (I think it was you that said it!) yes a lot of using it IS about confidence I have come to understand myself. It is NOT going to snap when I put weight on it, and it generally takes a lot of pressure for a bone to break, so leep going with everything!! And a good result for you at the PT. I have only been booked in for another 3 sessions, then thats it…Im off on my own, after 6 hours of physio! But if they think you’ll be great by december thats fab! 😀

    Denver. Off for a swim already?? Glad you enjoyed that! hee hee.

    How is everyone living in the southern states with all the hurricanes and stuff over there?? My friend got back from Orlando Florida yesterday, and she said that there was patio furniture blowing past the window of her villa!!! Quite scary really! hope ppl are all doing ok over there though! 🙂

    As for me…I had an appointment with a podiatrist man yesterday, after being referred by my physio. This man (Gareth his name was!) was soooo amazingly attractive, which kind of diverted my attention away from my feet. The problem then came as I thn had to produce my wet, smelly feet to him! ha ha. It was pouring with rain yesterday, so thats why they were wet (Im not an excessive sweater! lol!) and I squelched in in my shoes….lovely hey?!
    Anywho…he said that I have tendonitus in my good foot, so has told me to take iburophen for 2 weeks, then I have to go back to be fitted with insoles in three weeks, as my feet are very flat, and I am walking in a very strange fashion apparantly, which is causing me a lot of pain in both feet!!

    I had physio today for an hour, and had this new physio in the ankle class which Im in, who was more like a personal trainer than a physio, and was really pushing us on all the stuff. Eg…I thought that I was doing really well at calf raises, until she told me to stand slightly further back on the step…oh dear..then I started to sweat profoudly, and get cramp in my calves like I have never known!! So um..yeah! Think I know how to do big girls calf raises now then hee hee. She also made me do the stepper, which is hard work for three whole minutes! booo….
    I know it has to be done, and I am so unfit after all my not moving and stuff for months! 🙁 Good practise actually, as I have decided I am going to south america next June, and I really want to the Icna trail in Peru, so this is my long term goal!!!!
    The pain which I was experiencing after my ankle crack last week is still there to an extent, but is a lot better than it was, and the good looking podiatrist man said that he thought I had pulled the ligament that runs over the top of the foot. Hmm…need to be more careful I think!!!

    I just really want to run! I have just got an incredible urge to RUN! I NEVER want to run (apart from one time when I was in the gym, and the Eye of the Tiger song came on, and I ran like forest gump….till the end of the song, and nearly fell of the back of the treadmill…but however!) its very frustrating that I cannot run! Or even jog at the moment! One of the physio’s who was looking at my notes today though said I was doing really well considering I have only been walking for just under 2 months, and considering the injury I had, so that cheered me up a bit!!!!

    Went to a netball meeting tonight, as it was only a meeting, and I have convinced the team to play on the inside court rather than outside in the future, which is great!!! (For those of you who don’t know, I broke and dislocated my ankle in april playing netball, and skidded over on some gravel on the court, which shouldn’t have been there! SOmeone else also broke their wrist, by falling over outside!) so inside is GREAT for when I DO go back to playing!!
    The coach is away for the next 3 weeks, so has left me with a training plan for then as Im not actually playing! tehehe…should be interesting! lol!
    Plus I have found out my coach also does personal training sessions for £10 an hour (compared to the £30 an hour which my gym charge!) so when Im a bit better, Im gonna start doing them too to get a little fitter, and shed some of this ankle weight gain!!!

    Anyway…Im going to stop rabbiting on now, and go to bed, as I am going to London tomorrow and we leaving at 6.30am, and its now like 11pm, so speak soon,and hope everyones great!!!

    Louise xx

48. Hello Everyone. Nice to hear from Denver Wes, Don and Lee.

    Don: I am really sorry to hear that you have had continued problems. But glad to hear that you got things under control. I think that your home will be a very happy and settled place for your daughters friend. Good for you guys.

    Wes: Sounds like you are coming along. I loved your account of how your accident really happened. I was just teasing you about how you broke it, but good for you to admitting the truth. I have also found a place to go swimming. Being out in the boonies here in retirement, there are few amenities around. I thought I would have to drive about an hour into town to find a pool, but then I discovered that the beautiful lodge on an Indian reservation about 20 minutes from here, has put in an indoor pool along with their beautiful new gold course. I had been over to ask about it as I thought use might be restricted to their patrons. They so very kindly told me that I can use it, and the jacuzzi whenever I want for a very nominal fee of just a few dollars. How very nice is that. I am not much of a swimmer but this pool is very underutilized in the off season, which will be beginning soon, so I will likely have it all to myself and can take a “swimming noodle” or something in there with me. It will feel really good to get in the water, as I could not walk into the lake to swim there all summer,,, with the sand too soft.

    Lee, glad to hear that you enjoyed physio. Feels great to be doing something constructive instead of all the dead time in the cast. I agree, confidence is part of it. Not just in that it won’t snap like glass again,,, but also especially related to how we broke ours in the first place. For example my big hang up has been stairs, because that is how I fell. So learning to try to walk normally up them and down without going sideways and hanging onto the railing with both hands has been the biggest challenge,,, but it was necessary to make my calf muscle work. I am now one week before my six month anniversary. The great news is that I am now going for hours each day where I am beginning to not think and be obsessed about having a broken ankle. How nice is that??? Obviously I am more careful than before,,, but do not have to stare at the ground all the time, not limp all the time,,, etc… and if I step into a small indentation in the ground while working in the yard,, then I step into a small indentation,,, instead of getting that jarred feeling through my ankle. Soooo life is good and getting better. I know that some of you are back at work,,, back teaching school, getting your kids off to school, affected by hurricanes or whatever but please let us know how you are doing when you can. We do think about you you know. Louise how is your leg now.?? Still hoping Melanie is okay because we have not heard further from her…so bye for now everyone…. Have a great Wednesday or what is left of it. aka Triple G.

49. Hi all,

    Just home from my first physical therapy appointment. It was actually pretty good. They assessed everything, treated it with heat to limber up the ankle, massaged it which felt SO good, had me do some exercises (pushing and pulling on the therapists hand) iced me down with TENS (electric stimulus), and sent me home with exercises to do 3x/day. Sounds like therapy will go on for many months – he thinks 3-4. So, maybe I’ll be somewhat normal by December? Wow – that’s a long haul. But being out of the boot and moving feels good. He says next appt they’ll get me in a shoe and on a bike!

    Just a quick update. More later when I have it. For others who are interested, it sounds like confidence is the biggest issue. I just need to rebuild confidence that the ankle won’t snap again and get it moving.

    cheers to all,
    Lee

50. pretty tired this evening.. Long weekend made for hard day, @ least it felt like it anyway.

    Don, I read over both site 1 & 2.. been awhile now & still having hard time keeping my mind straight as I try to pull so called life together after joining the club of ankle breakers annonamous, but I remember reading your story & my heart goes out to you and your family. I appreciate hearing and getting a chance to have something like this. As you were saying we have a place we can look to others in our simular struggles & talk & seek help where as it must be so hard for some1 @ 17 so on the cusp of rising into their own yet they would have a tough time just searching the web for exactly where they fit in as to who would know so closely what they are going through as we were able to find. My prayers are with you as you still are reaching out with a kind heart even as you keep pushing through your struggles & challenges. Good to read from you. My names Wes.

    Happy to see your back @ work & feeling good to be back Lee 😉

    Hello to all, As I hit the sack just wanted to say the pool was great. I still can’t weight bare til 1.5 weeks, thought I’d have to just keep left ankle/leg suspended in water, but when the water is near or above shoulders the zero weight feeling really is noticeably inocent and feels less pressur than even resting my foot on the floor @ home or work.. & I could swim with my other leg & it was great to keep my upper leg working out & could feel no pressure & the joy of the stretch when letting bad foot flip up & down both while swimming & even when relaxing with legs in the pool from the side. I was worn out in a good way.. & felt whole for the 1st time in a long time.. kids wanted to wrestle me because I always have taken on 3 of them @ once n the pool prior to the injury & they thought they could take me down.

    I was a little worried about them somehow bumping or accidentaly kicking the bad ankle or leg, but was able to just pick them up out of the water w ease & toss them so they threw in the towel on messing w me & we all enjoyed a relaxing day.

    Triple G,
    Most my families in Texas..actually all except my sisters family live there. some near Dallas & some near Houston & Beaumont.. so far so good,.. lots of rain but half of them that just hung out say alls clear so far & they appreciate all that prayed this would go over calm 😉

    ok.. hands tired..
    til Later..
    Night all

51. DON- thanks for those inspirational words – I have read your story from a ways back and amazed to see how well and how far you have come. I’m sorry to hear about the recent set back, but glad that the Dr. was able to stabilize it all. It must be terribly frustrating to know that this is all from an accident out of your control. I appreciate you mindset!

    So, I went back to work today and boy, did it feel good to be in my regular routine. Well, it was a little unusual, but you know what I mean. I was honestly scared, not sure I could do it. But it was great to be at my desk and around my co-workers, all of whom have offered lots of help and good words. And it feels good to just see people all day long. That was seriously the cause of my depression. While I’m usually so busy I crave alone time, 7 weeks was way too much, especially when I was so immobile. Anyway, I was able to sit at my desk with leg up on a chair and pillow. They got me a fridge with freezer, so I had my ice packs handy and made PB&J for lunch. I’m keeping it short this week – only going in today and Thursday, but going for 3 days next week, and 4 the next. I work part-time, so it’s never all day.

    And, I start PT tomorrow. Not much to say about that yet. I’m sure Ill have a good report tomorrow.

    That’s all for now. Hope everyone is doing well. I’m thinking of all of you and wishing everyone well.

    Cheers,
    Lee

52. Greetings Ankle Breakers
    Been awhile since I have been online and got a chance to check in with all of you. So let’s see what we can tell you? I unfortunately have been though a little bit of a setback in the health department. I started retaining fluids in my legs and that in turn started my Blood Pressure off and running. It was 170 over 110 when I got to the Doctors. Fluid was backing up and began filling the lungs, so the fear was that the congestive heart failure I had in the hospital came back?

    With luck I caught it in time and got on Diovan HTC . Which reduced the blood pressure and also took the fluid out of the body and legs? Now back down to normal( Normal for me anyway) But have to go back to the doctors every 6 months for the rest of my life Thanks to my little buddy (Illegal Alien) that caused the accident that almost killed my wife and myself.

    Ahh well anyway enough of feeling sorry for myself. I am glad to see all of my old friends on the site and to the new members of our intrepid band here Sorry that you are here but glad you found us. On the good news side my wife and I just kind of inherited or adopted my youngest daughter’s best friend. She is a sweet 17year old that has IDIOTS for parents. She has stayed at our house on and off over that last few years but it seems she will be moving in full time after this past weekend. (Mom got kicked out of the 4th place they have been living). So we are looking forward to providing a stable home for the kid and getting her ready for college with my Daughter.

    So everyone with all the physical problems we all have and share just think how it would be to be 17 and have a family that throws you away? A family that most of the time doesn’t even know or care where you are or what if happening to you? Moat of us looked on the web for a place to find help. We did we stumbled across this blog and met all of these people that have been and are going through the same pain and problems we all go through. Remember we all heal at different paces and some of us like Dan can push further and fast then most. I was also a person that was off my cane and crutches 20 days out of the hospital and walked into the Doctors office.

    Some take more time and more work at healing, and we are all susceptible to relapses or problems from over doing it or just as bad under doing our workouts that are given to us. Each of us heals and recovers at our own pace and ability. We falter when we feel sorry for ourselves but at times we need to take a minute just to admire how far we have come to reflect on the pain and exasperation of how we got here? It takes all of us to get through this and to move on together we will all get to where we need to be! To be where we can be and to work at getting just a little bit better then anyone thought we would or could get.
    Keep working , keep believing and dreaming on the finish line and take every ones hand a pull them across the line because that is how we all get to the end, Not just by ourselves but a little bit of info from all the people that went this way before. And we help those that come behind us.

    Keep smiling DON

53. Pingback: Flat Stomach In Two Weeks With Excercising Ball | Flat Abdomen

54. My thoughts also are with those who live in the Gulf area affected by hurricane Gustav or those concerned about possible tornado activity as a result of this storm. I am not sure where Liz resides, but I remember her taking cover in a bathroom not long ago… . I stayed up half the night watching CNN, the news network which has 24 hour coverage and right now am watching their shots from a bridge at Waladaulphin ??? Island. They took the name off the screen so quickly that I am not certain I spelled it correctly. It sounds as if there are major power outages down there as well, so we wont likely hear from anyone affected for a while.
    Lee, we didn’t mean to teach you to tell fibs… but I bet it felt good didnt it???

    Stay safe and take care everyone. By for now,
    Mrs. Triple G.

55. hmmm las day pools open here… gonna go swimming 😉

56. Hi All,

    Thanks for the advice on soaking and shaving. I went the route of sitting in the shower and gently shaving the leg. I’ll tell you – that leg and foot don’t look like mine at all. They are oddly foreign and all the dead skin – yuck! Well, I’ll try a tub soak next time, but still not allowed to stand on it outside of the boot, so I’m still pretty careful and gentle with it when it’s “out”. But the entire thing is feeling better and better. I guess I’m going to wait for PT to put more weight on it- still at about 50% of normal some of the time. More than this seems to hurt. I go to PT for the first time on Wednesday, so I can report back then.

    All funny stories to ready above. Thanks for sharing the visions of Tripple G and helo skiing! I actually told someone today that I broke it skydiving. I just can’t stand to say that it happened while walking.

    Ok -enjoy labor day all. My thoughts are with any in the Gulf Coast area and those evacuating, as well as with all of you.

    Cheers,
    Lee

57. Ha ha!! I remember the story that Lois told about the helicopter skiing thing. That made me laugh so much! Thanks for the reminder Denver! lol!!

    Lee….great to hear you can have the boot off now. Regarding the shaving, again, I did not have a boot, so dont know if it would itch (wouldnt think so though!) butwhen my cast came off, I just HAD to shave as best I could. I had to avoid the scars and most of my lower ankle, as I had had an allergic reaction to the gauze which was inside the cast, and I had hundreds of tiny blisters all over my ankle. I hated the hair so much though….I am going to admit to this….I did trim as much as I could with scissors! HA HA!!!
    I wouldnt advise it personally, but it got rid of some of the long ones hee hee. Shaving should be fine, but even now, I cant bring myself to press hard over the scars, so they normally end up a little stubbly if anyhing hee hee. But you should be fine. The flakey skin from inside my cast went after a few days, a few good soaks in the bath, and a good exfoliate around the non-blistered areas! Felt soooooo good! Very pleased for you!!! 😀

    To everyone else hello. So many posts are appearing on this site every day or so!!

    As for me..ankle is still hurting very much at the moment still from the physio. I went out last night for a friends birthday, and we went to this VILE nightclub (I dont really enjoy the whole club scene to be honest…I prefer going to the pub,a nd having a beer and a good old chinwag, but however…) and the bass in the club was sooo dam loud that it jarred my ankle every time there was a bass part in a song, it killed me. I could not get out of there quick enough!! Ha ha.

    Anyway, have had a good nights sleep, and ankle is feeling a litle better, so keep moving forward everyone!

    Louise xx

58. well TRIPLE G
    ur correct, my break wasn’t a cool motorcycle accident… lol
    I was actually trying to, ‘take it easy’ on a new track. So I’d down shifted to sLow down til I could get abetter read (which means I got scared lol) & I put the toe of the boot down to shift back up when I felt I was in the clear (surprised the big jump I had just hit, of which I dId NOT expect, didn’t cause me to s#@! my pants lol) then it happened to me a mogul (if any1 doesn’t know what a mogul is, I’ll give a quick exlanation). a mogul is a series of bumps, not even big enough or dangerous enough or scary inough to be classified as jumps.. not evan ‘small’ jumps lol… they’re a bunch of little bumps that cause the bike to just rock back and forth from front tire to back tire as u kinda just skim across them.. so I wasn’t steady enough on speed to just ‘lean back off the seat & let the bike glide across like any rookie couldve done’ lol.. I just went ‘skip, thud’ (or craCk rather)on the second 1 n the series.. & wasn’t even soaring enough to cause a cool crash.. or to cause the bike to go down @ all.. so it sounds cool to people who don’t ride motorcycles.. butttt lol every1 who knows what moguls r always say, hUH?! ur kidding right.. tHaT’s how u broke ur ankle… 😉

    I could only come up w telling a lot of friends that I did it running (since most of my friends r die hard runners lol) their eyes get real big & I just go on starting to elaborate, “I was just running & everything snapped & I went to the ground!!” they get completely scared.. until I tell’m the truth. But I DO add in that I wouldve been able to just do serious of casts except that bEcAUse I’d run for so long I DID do damage & the bones were so close w the beginings of athritis that I HaD to do surgery to tRy and ProLong the inevitable.. they have a hard time with hearing that & start to admit they havE a LoT of pain & have all been having treatments.. asking me what to do to stop it.. lol I can only tellm, well, if u can go back in time.. jk.. don’t know now, start suppliments I guess 😉

    talk w u l8r TRIPLE G

59. Hi Denver Wes, that is just TOO FUNNY. Thank you for sharing that. I bet you had a good laugh. And no I have not seen that DVD but I will just have to get into town and try to find it. I hope “Hoodwinked is a new release as that should make it easier to find. You were correct, it was definately me (this grandma here) who lied to the male nurse or whatever he was when he was removing my staples. And yes I did make up a complete B S story about helicopter skiing saying I broke my ankle when I sky dived from the chopper on skis. (It sounded far more exciting than admitting that a 10 pound shih tzu puppy knocked me down three stairs.) That just sounded just too “lame.” ( pun intended). Until I started reading this blog,,, I thought people broke legs and ankles doing exciting and adventuresome things; not in some completely inane way like I had. (But of course I now know better) So Wes… tell the truth now… you didnt really break yours in that exciting dirt bike accident did you??? (Just kidding)…

    Well, unlike the real Mrs. Triple G,,, I am no x games nut… or…well actually wait just a minute… maybe all the corrections training I took qualifies me. (weapons training, self defense exercises, riot squad practice, hostage negotiation exercises) Yep I think I do qualify… but then on second thought, I am retired now… . But now I have a metal ankle, and I have been referring to myself as the bionic woman… . In recent months I have been known to state that this particular metal appears to have a strong magnetic attraction to male jock straps. (whoops I think I just got bleeped) So Wes does any of that count for triple x rating points??? If so, I am flattered to be Mrs. Triple G… (or at least I will be until I see what this cartoon granny actually looks and sounds like) Thanks for the very good laugh this evening… Lois aka ((also known as)) Mrs. Triple G

60. one other fun thing I saw

    for aLL..
    LOIS
    I watched this movie on DVD today called,
    ‘Hoodwinked’
    Its a sort of computer animated movie w lots of known actors doing the voices in it.

    They all keep telling their little stories as the plot unfolds & as it gets to the grandma, she turns out telling a story of how shes getting dropped out of a helicopter skiing & shes actual this prize winning X games nut who’s awesome at so many different action sports… They call her ‘Triple G’ swiped from the adrenalin junky action hero, ‘Triple X’
    😉 I totally thought of Lois because I’m about 90% sure I read when u were getting ur sutures (or staples) out that he was trying to distract u & as he was asking how u broke ur ankle u told an elaborate story of helicopter drop skiing? isn’t that correct?
    😉 Mrs Triple G
    They got u in an animated movie.. if I remembered & I am correct u all should c that movie.. I thought it was totally cool (as the kids would say) to have my new friends on here b the first thing & right there fresh on my mind when watching a movie w the family 😉

    What ever happened to Blake? I saw posts from him near top of page & don’t recall seeing anything towards bottom (& its kinda hard to scan quickly over the site on my phone.. big screen, but still takes a Looooonggg time to overview)

61. LIZ
    u answered a question I had.. I like 2 set time goals to shoot for & try to keep realistic even if I try 2 push faster than most I still want to be safe like all say in hear ‘listen to your body’.. so 2 weeks gradually working down from wlaker, 2 crutch 1 crutch the on ur foot @ 2 weeks, nice.. that’s w the boot on?

    I m oposite the ladies here, in the fact that I wish my hair would grow back quicker 2 camo the scar 😉
    I had slightly long fingernails when my surg cast had come off (long for a guy, nothing out of control) & I sat in the shower & scratched all around my scar, under foot, leg, top of foot… I found I was able to get most of the dead scin off without irritating my skin this way.. as for the scar, the Dr said after a few days the butterflies would start falling off & I could pull them off.. but I was worried still & cleaned it lightly scrubbing (butterflies off) to get some dead skin but mostly left over blood from sutures then after shower I put the maderma on & have butterflies of my own (box of 10) & spaced them over both sides of leg holding both spots together (really though I believe it was my safety blanket) I went 7-10 days b4 I finally took off the ones & left the Tibia side exposed, while the Fibula side was more sensitive & had a lot more pressure toward the bottom so I kept those on til just a week or so ago.. its feeling tougher since I’ve started using the maderma. Its almost like glue after it dries it just keeps everything tight & from stretching or even getting the feeling of any grooves.. veRY Impressive.

    One last note b4 I enhoy the weekend,
    I had a dream I was at a Summer get together w a lot of family friends & co workers & had used my crutches to go over to one of the activities they were doing & I got so side tracked that I walked about 50yds back to were my wife was 🙁 I dreamed I walked & I was aLL excited in my sleep that it felt so good & back to normal… awww
    anyway, every1 enjoy ur weekend..

62. Lee! That’s great news! You will feel so much better after you’ve had a proper shower and able to walk around. It took me about 2 weeks to gradually build up to full weight bearing without a crutch. I was a few days with a walker, then 2 crutches, then 1 crutch, then nothing! 🙂 It feels so good to be able to walk and do things for yourself again. Lois is right… the days of depression and frustration are over!

    As for shaving, I was the same way when I was finally allowed to take my boot off… scared to scrub it too hard in the bath or to shave it. On my first therapy appointment (a few days after getting the cast off) the therapist scrubbed and scrubbed it, got alot of the nasty, dead skin off, and it felt so much better. The next morning I shaved it, being careful not to get too close to my scar. I think you should definitely shave it. It was itchy at first but I kept lotion on and it was fine in the boot. I was peeling dead skin off for days! lol Gross, but it felt good to get it all off. My hair still does weird things, grows alot faster, and alot darker than it used to. But it seems to be slowly getting back to “normal” growth patterns. lol SHAVE IT! That’s my vote. 🙂

    Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I have company coming (an old college roommate) so I may not be checking in much over the next few days.

    Stay Safe,
    Liz

63. well I burried myself in work 2day..

    This morning was Caitlins Therapy appointment but he walked out into, & as there were no people in, the waiting area, he asked how I was or anything he should know be4 they went in for her appointment. I told him that I didn’t want her to waiste her hour going over my bad morning so I told him about my falling episode & how I’ve finally had the straw break, wondering why I’m putting myself through all this & how I blew up & am feeling alone in all of this. He said hed do their meeting & they’d cover other things & afterward hed let me come & sit 4 a bit to see what advise he could offer.

    After chattin he set an appointment 4 my wife to work w him.. We do some appts together & sometimes toggle so he can give us things 2 look 4 n eachother & what 2 try & then we’re able 2 enjoy life w/out pointing out, ‘hey ur just saying or doing what the counselor said to do’ & w/out being angry.. it also helps us to recognize & builds our confidence as the other reacts better 2wards us.

    Anyhow.. I’ve been doing best I can w/out trying to be the kids father & have plainly let them know I don’t intend to be & that no1 can ever take that away from them.. I just hope 1 day they realize I am there if they need me & hopefully they see 1 day that I could b their friend. That being said I’ve let them know I still have to be responsible & there r lines of respect that have to b upheld in our home. As Anklequest said, Jacob does need a role model & not sure when he’s going to see what is a good role model.. Courts have said he needs therapy but dads fighting it & dragging his feet because he want his friend to give counseling 2 his son.. his friend who he sent his now X wife to so he could tell her she was a bad wife & when he saw marks on the kids & herd of them being beat he wouldn’t give therapy to their dad or uphold his oath to call & report it… one big game.. we’ve tried getting help but our system doesn’t function until its too late. They unfortunately drag butt & we’ve had 17deaths of children last yr alone on cases they wrote off as closed & inconclusive.. So I’m going off topic a bit here.. anyhow..
    I went to work popped a pill & amazingly my temper went down..
    Therapist actual told me to take it slow as I have 100 different things pulling @ the home front its more than just flushing a bottle & going through withdrawls for a few night. It could cost me everything. So I’m setting a date.. I believe the 1st week weight baring is going 2 b agrivating & cause wrestlessness & awkward pains (I remember even trying to get my jaw to stretch out past 1/8″ was hell & put me 2 tears) that being the case, its the last week of meds & the dose is going down. 2 weeks from today I’m aloud to wight bare, & 3 weeks from 2night I’m going out of town 4 the weekend to enjoy wrestless withdrawls til I puke.. Ill cut myself off that thurs & possibly take the following monday off too. So far plan is to hit a hotel that has neverending hot water (showers & baths will ease some of it) Between now & then Ill think of some other things to keep me occupied or things to break lol.. jk.. sortof

    I got home this evening to a LandLord letter of my last 2 yrs here.. He owns about 40+ properties & the office people have shifted & apparently somewhere along the way caused funds of mine 2 disapear. I had 2 run through their numbers & calculate everything against my numbers & it will all end up working out, but plugging away @ the math had me completely forget about my foot as I was leaning fwd @ kitchen table, heals up toes firmly down & felt no discomfort w quite the stretch on it.. & as I slipped 2 the couch & watched a movie, I actually forgot & went 2 stand up w/out my crutches.. I stood fine then realized as I began to feel the pressure, WHOOPS! I quickly relieved the wight & picked up the crutches.. I’m so tired this is kicking my @$#!

    every1 was good, calm & helpful when I got home.. & gabe (youngest) came up askin if he could play his trumpet 4 me.. I thought when I 1st heard it that I would b very sensitive but I was happy 2 c him growing up (coming into his own) stepping outside the shadow of just doing what his older brother told him he should do & doing something he wanted to try.. don’t even remember the loudness of it really.. He was right there helping me from the moment I got home.. I’ll take enough 2 keep calm til I can pace then they hit the toilet & its advil PM if need b

    morning stability of my home & my feet,
    Denver

64. Hey Lee, Yahoo, you’re on your way now. Even if you do have set backs, the frustration and depression stages are over. You might have a few @#%$#$% minutes or even days… but the scary part of feeling helpless and hopeless is finished.

    I didn’t have a boot so I don’t know if shaving will cause itching under it. I did shave my leg as soon as the cast was off and I returned home from the doctor. I just couldn’t wait to get into the tub to have a real bath and to shave my legs. I wanted to feel human again,,, and I wanted to wear shorts because it was summer after all. I was not itchy while in the cast, but as soon as it was removed I was just frantic with itching flaking skin. I was trying to scrub all that off and shaved very carefully up to but not over the scar. I don’t seem to have any hair actually growing right on it anyway. (Incidently, I guess this is normal but that scar which was at that time about eight inches with the swelling is now only a neat four inches in length.) But because the skin on that scar still does feel a bit more sensative, I think if I had to remove hair from there, I suspect I would first very carefully try some hair removal product on that area rather than try to shave it.

    Lessons in faith and patience. yep.

    We were out for dinner tonight as well. The lady who was our waitress knows us , and she began checking my husbands hands and chiding him that she could see he was sticking me with all the housework again because his hands are clear and smooth. This comes from the fact that while I was in the cast and stuck on the basement loveseat, my husband was stuck with all the dishes, and there is no dishwasher in the downstairs suite kitchen. Well, he must have been very allergic to the dish soap. He developed the worst case of red, raw, cracked and bleeding sore hands that you can imagine. That got to be just the town joke… which it appears still is going to continue. we had a little chuckle remembering that tonight.

    Anyway, I am so pleased for you Lee… you and Liz are both on your way now.

65. Hi all,

    Just back from the Dr. Things are moving forward – yes! I’m now allowed to take the boot off to shower and start PT next week. And I can start putting as much weight on the leg as I can stand. He said he’d love to see me back in 4 weeks with no crutches, but is telling me to take it easy and listen to my body – exactly what all of you have been saying all along! I’ll tell you – it is so hard to imagine you’ll ever get there when it’s all brand new. It just feels impossible and insurmountable. So, I’m not anywhere near done yet and I know there will be lows and setback throughout the therapy and learning to walk again, but I am here to say that it does get better and better. Clearly my lesson in all this is patience and faith, and I’m not sure what else, but I’m sure there are other lessons to learn.

    So, I have a dumb question for the ladies in the group. Do you advise shaving? I really want to, but will it itch regularly in the boot if I do? It’s not really itchy anymore now that the hair is all grown in. I SO want to. I’m a little nervous about the scars and shaving over them. Someone mentioned that a few weeks back – can’t remember who. What’s the majority opinion on this one? Im still not quite certain how I’m going to do it, since my toes need support to stay at 90 degrees, but Im sure I’ll figure it out.

    Ok – looking forward to hearing from all. We’re going out to dinner now and then I am headed straight for the tub!

    Cheers,
    Lee

66. Denver – sorry for the difficult morning. Kids will be kids. Mine constantly leave an obstacle course for me to get around with pillows, blankets and toys on the floor. I try to be patient with them and explain how scary it is for me to have a crutch slip out from under me. I know they’re trying. Being perfect is not in their nature. I just have to keep gently guiding them toward appropriate behavior. I agree with Anklequest – the combo of pain meds and the general annoyance of the injury are enough to make anyone lose it on a minute’s notice. Good luck – my thoughts are with you.
    -Lee

67. Hi Denver!

    Hope things are a bit better now than earlier in the day.

    Sounds like there’s a whole lot of dysfunctional family stuff going on, including your own background from a dysfunctional family, which does not make matters any easier.

    Jacob, the teenager, could use a very good male role model (you, I hope) to help him in the long run. Short term: a 15 year old in his situation is going to have difficulties.. anger at the mother and perhaps even more anger at the man who replaced father.

    Anyway, I hope you can get some help for yourself from the counseling, in terms of how to best help out with the kids and how to deal with your wife. I say deal with your wife because it’s possible it will be very difficult for her to ever change a whole lot.

    As for the flood in the kitchen..you paint a very nice portrait of what happened to you in slow motion. Getting angry should have played little part in that episode, since every household has flooded kitchens and toilets from time to time. What good does anger do in that situation? Take some time to look back and laugh at it now that you had no ankle injuries on account of it.

    On another note, I just read today that Cindy McCain had been addicted to pain killers for a while due to back surgery. She finally quite “cold turkey.” I hope you get rid of those pills soon. They are affecting your moods and behavior by your own accounts of that. I agree with Lois, these things should not be around any house unless absolutely necessary. I’ve even ripped up all the persciption forms I had for them which I never filled. You have kids around now, and so must assume these kids might try everything, as unfortunately many kids are incline to do.

    My best wishes! Keep in touch as a way of theying to keep your head together and your ankle in one piece too!

    Anklequest

68. Not a good start 2 a long day 🙁

    I woke up refreshed, relaxed & ready 2 go out in the world.

    My wife had already left to take the 2 younger kids 2 school & would be back in about 20mins to get Caitlin & I so we could drop her @ work & head to Caitlin’s counseling.. I made my way down 17 steps to the main level & rounded dining area & into wood floor kitchen.. My morning took a DrAStiC sHIFt!

    there was water eVerYwhEre on the floor (Im cryin right now just thinkink about it am sure there will be nightmares to follow).. by the time I realized what I was into it was 2 late. My ankle is out n the open & I tried frantically to get grip & kEEP it CLEAR of going down or hitting ANYTHING! I slipped, slID, planted crutches again into more water & began going the other direction wondering if I was going to end up n the ER,..just then I slipped throwing my ody around like a helpless rag doll & saw the center tiled island coming right for the temple of my head! even WorSe fears then raced through my mind as I bailed on the crutches after about 4 or 5 shots @ getting sOMe kind of grip.. I (bad left leg) threw the left crutch clear behind me as I stretched for my life to grab the bar stool (which too was wet) and I forced my body to roll spin completely around just barely missing the island as it would look in a Matrix movie, all while seeing everything inslow motion & feeling it in super high speed motion thinking the entire time ‘faLL rIGHT!!’ as if theres a Right way to ‘want’ to fall. I looked down my body using my perifreal vision to keep my upper body correct while maintaning full locked on vision & careful (as if that word could exist in this situation) concern for my ankle/entire LeG.

    Somehow while taking the bar stool & flaling it over my chest after missing the counter I spin rolled while past the 45 degree angle still going down managed to land on my Right side, left leg suspended in the air .. temper through the roof.. weve gone over picking up after urself for YeArS now w the kids.. they wouldn’t leave anything out of place @ their dads house & weve watched them intentionally look @ things they drop & leave it, looking back @ it repeatedly & consciously watching to c if some1 slips on it or puts there hand in it (which reminds me as I was grabbing for counter too it was wet & just helped me continue slipping on the way down)

    Wife called just then 2 see if I was up & ready & I let her know very bLuntly if the kids (youngins turn 12 & 11 here soon) didn’t immediately clean up after themselves that I would hobble my cripple @$$ & dragm out of the house, I said I can’t do this on my own, & we got smaller crutches they’ve used 4 the last 2 weeks so they could have some fun & they learned how difficult & careful every1 has to be @ least just w manuevering not even knowing the swelling, rehabilitation, emotional pain or worries, fears & morning of some things that may never again be able to enjoy 🙁
    🙁 🙁 🙁
    I was yellin for 5 mins traight in the car for some1 to care & how Dr told me if I wind up n ER hospital would charge me 40-60k if I wound up HaViNg 2 go there & how something so simple would sink us… of course I then started letting it all fly – how my wifes past the buck to Caitlin which I appreciate Caitlin for helping but but I need my wife to show she cars & I’m going through this night & day alone just sleeping in pain & fear working then sleeping then working then sleeping & I’ve never felt like a pay check & useless other than that anymore than @ this very moment..

    Counselor gave her a book to read (actual 3 books & a video) keep in mind this counselor is some1 she wanted to learn & go see yet she hasn’t read more than one chapter about breaking this cycle of abuse that hed like her to get through in order that she raises her kids w consistancy so they appreciate her & like spending time w her.. this coming out because her oldest (Jacob 15) has not come to her in two weeks since she told him he couldn’t do something now he’s rolling w the punches of divorced parents & I can just stay w the other 1. Shes just letting him run her over rather than letting him know if he can not abide by simple rules of her home then he needs to not come by (as the counselor told her is the way she needs to present this so in Jacobs mind he realizes its a priveledge to spend time @ moms, not forced & so the younger kids don’t start to think the same & start complaining that they don’t want to be there either.. That’s simular to what he pulled back in December when he was chewin his mom out & made the statement very clearly ,”you deserved to be beat for tearing apart our family.” I told him he could go now, not aloud to stay under our roof if he’s going to treat his mother this way. He never apologized to me but WoRsE he never apologized to her, the young 1s noticed this & in the time he was gone they were saying they didn’t want to be w her either.

    The horrible part of all this is that her X & his entire family is very abusive & against reality (spanking r NoThIng compared to the crap he’s done). & their mother has EVer hit them, NoR cheated or even left his side… he cheated on her multiple times & while shes trying to play the nicer parent not talking down about their dad he sure isn’t holding back any of the punches & LoTs of lies…

    I keep asking myself do I really want to be here to watch what I (as a realist) know the outcome to be even once the kids r out on their own?

    Our family was torn w my own dad doing crap like this (not NeAr the pressure or degree my wifes X is pushing this), while my mother stod back & eventually as every1 moved on its not her that any of the kids go see.. awkwardly enough its permanently imbedded in our subconscious minds that of being let down or that theres not enough strength there or anything to gain (i learned that yrs ago n therapy). And this is where my wife is headed if she doesn’t take advantage of this, the only time she has to raise her children w talks, love & consistancy that will stay in their minds & have them have a love or respect that will draw them back again & again to spend time w her or even visit..

    I wish I could just get away right now.. keep thinking how I could leave…
    …this is so hard & not any easier tryn to take care of 5 other people when they consistantly show they don’t care & well… I feel money would b better spent hiring help rather than flushing it on these people who not only don’t see me but go beyond to get a laugh & treat eachother like crap & I get more & more broken watching my wife get walked all over and seeing her falling piece by piece apart into a person that’s just burried n reading over being near us, me or caring for our love..

    I’m so torn right now 🙁 🙁
    🙁 🙁 🙁

69. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
    Liz, when I first got my cast off (no boot) and attempted to put some weight on my leg, my husband asked if it hurt. My response was …not really, it just feels like its not there. So your description of feeling like jello sounded pretty normal to me. This stage of your recovery now requires gradually putting increased weight onto the leg to which it will gradually respond by getting stronger. Do not ease up on the elevation or ice to keep the swelling down. I did not have a brace… nor nor torn ligaments, so I have no advise on those issues. I just cannot image what this stage of recovery was like for those who broke both ankles and had two legs feeling like jello. I am also ecstatic for you about the cartilege… one less worry.

    Pam, yes please keep us posted on the plate removal. Many of us may be there some day.

    Denver, I am sorry that skipping the meds did not work out well for you. Dusty, Anklequest et al, thanks for your support and encouragement to Denver Wes. I am not certain how things work is the US, but in Canada my doctor would likely try to help us out in a situation like this and might even admit us to hospital for gradual supervised withdrawal. Would this be an option for you??? Denver, you have a great deal going for you in your life, and a great many people relying on you… . So, things just have to get better.

    I made what I believe was a smart decision two days ago. All of our chat about prescription drugs and drug addictions made me aware that I had my unused full prescription of narcotics sitting in the cupboard. I also had a smattering of other unused medications. So, I had bagged everything up and returned it to the pharmacy for safe disposal. So the strongest drugs in this house now consist of a small bottle of T’s, and of course stuff like aspirin, tums,,, and the like. I wasn’t worried about me, but I am not the only person who comes and goes from this house,,,, so don’t need the other stuff around at all.
    Lee, good for you going back to work. I think you will enjoy the social stimulation. Just remember to pace yourself…

    Louise: That is a shame that you ended up hurt at physio. You have been doing so well and have been so active, so lets hope this is just a brief glitch.

    The day my cast came off, I had many questions for my orthopedic surgeon about what would happen next. I think he gave me excellent advise. He said (paraphrased) ,,, just work along through it at a pace you are comfortable with…. you are the best judge of what you feel comfortable with and when. I think you will eventually be just fine. In my response to questions about doing physiotherapy, he was non committal and sure okay…do sessions if you want to but at most only a few should be needed.

    Well, I did find the physio helpful . but mine was very non stressful physio… basically just showing me exercises to do at home. I only did three sessions in total, the third being after Dan challenged me. But Dan’s challenge came at the right time for me. It came when I, myself, felt I had reached a plateau and uncertain why. But again the suggested exercises to build up my calf muscle are not particularily stressful, and are done at my own pace and to my own tolerance.

    I guess what I am trying to say, is that I think that each of us is the best judge of when we are ready to take each next step.

    Happy healing everyone.

70. Liz – Congrats to you! Yea – no more boot! You’ll love your air cast once you get used to it and get some strength back in that calf muscle. I can get there too – you’re an inspiration … there is an end!

    Louise – thanks for the work timeline. you’re right, as long as I’m comfy with ice handy, it’s not much different than being at home, just more social and more to think about than worrying about my leg. Thanks for the good thoughts.

    Denver – good for you for trying to get off the meds. I know it’s hard – I watched my brother-in-law do the same and he said it’s no fun. I’m thinking of you and wishing you the best as you go through it.

    Anklequest – I did it – took my foot out of the boot. You would have thought I was handling the most fragile antique piece of china or lace. But boy did it feel good. I can’t wait to be able to take it off to sleep and bathe. Maybe the Dr. will give me the go ahead tomorrow to do this regularly. Who knows. He’s always had to support my toes when it came out of the cast, so this feels amazing to be able to hold my own foot up on its own. I had two ligaments that were reattached in the surgery, so not sure how long they take to tighten back up, but 7 weeks seems to be about right, at least to hold my foot up on it’s own.

    Pam – keep me posted on that plate removal. I’m going to be curious to see how that goes for you, as I think I’m feeling all the same things and I suspect mine will need to come out too. But I have a ways to go before I can even think about that. I’m guessing I’ve got at least another 4 weeks in my boot and then an air cast or something.

    ‘Night all. Sweet dreams and good healing/limping/walking.

    Cheers,
    Lee

71. By the time I was getting up from my much needed rest… my wife was kissing me goodbye headed out to a skating night w the kids & then going downtown til late again..

    They were getting food while skating so I called some chinese delivery & get to watch DNC & back 2 bed so I’ll b fresh for work.

    I got what you were saying Anklequest.. about the difference in healing times & Dr.s playing it safe.

    This is a question posed to all.. I found this web site w a “training device” & “training piece of equipment” before I post it out of curiosity & for feedback, I just want to say I do nOt plan on doing it til 2 weeks from today when the Dr says GO…

    I looked over this knowing of something I ran across many yrs ago talking about clearing sinuses & I tried it/ better stated trained my body to position properly, & it worked. Positioning my lower back properly literally cleared up my sinuses w/in 10seconds.. it was stressfull & different & took work but now everytime I get sinuses clogging up I am able to heal 3times faster than every1 else because I can breath & even keep them clear by positioning myself just right even through the night. That being stated, I wonder if that is what this site is onto w the repostioning/training of the ankle to help keep the swelling down & allow fresh blood to circulate properly?

    http://www.fastrehab.com/

    anyhow.. I’m sure some1 has run across this possibly as u all have been longer @ this than me.

72. Hi Lee- The plate is very easy to feel since it basically goes my bone, plate/screws & skin. Then as far as the “slipping feeling” I have that with pretty much each step I take. I have gotten used to it, but feel it more so when I first get up in the morning. It definately feels like it is sliding & my doctor said I might very well feel that for a while in “hopes” that it gets better in time. It is managable to deal with, but because I’m having constant swelling & achiness I am going to have it removed. I also have a constant “tingly” feeling in my foot as well as my pinky toe being completely numb. I know that takes times to get the sensation back but it is sure annoying. In talking with one of the doctors I work with, he also recommended I have it removed. He said that I am young enough (how nice of him to say “young at age 36”) to have it removed & heal very well. He thought I would also be better off in the long run to have it removed since the break in the bone is healed he thought I would bounce right back easily. Boy I sure hope so. This recovery has been quite difficult but I am counting down the days til I see my doc in Oct. in “hopes” of having the hardware removed by Dec., which will make me 9 months post op.
    Hope some of this information helped you.

73. Dusty,
    Thanks for the encouraging words for Denver. It’s easy to get on thoses meds and not be able to get off but it is so necessary to eventually “bit the bullet”, which is what people use to do in the old west.

    Denver,
    I hope you can get the strength (and the support with the other meds) to get off those pain killers. They seem to be messing things up for you at work so it is worth a try. I think after you get off of them the regular over the counter stuff will work for you. Let’s hope so.

    Dan,
    I think you are a great example of someone very fortunate who is on “fast healing” end of the spectrum. Lucky you! I hope your great progress continues. Unfortunately there have been examples on this board of people who had bones that did not heal at all (Clark) or that took a long time for the bones to mend (Celinda–a year and a half). Then there was a guy, Tim, who like you was very progressive with his activities. At 6 months he developed a stress fracture and went right back into a cast.

    I need to clarify what I meant about what I said about evidence. I meant scientific studies, not antadotal examples. Apparently there are plenty of broken ankles so numbers of studies have been done on cohorts who begin exersize and walking early vs. those who begin a few weeks later & remain in casts longer. After 6 months and then after 1 year there is no significant difference in the cohort benchmarks. Those who are inactive a few weeks longer “catch up” and become even with comparable individuals. This being the case, doctors would be accused of malpractice if they suggested activities earlier than what is considered acceptable. Besides, doctors are interested in long term results, not what you and I might desire short term. That doesn’t mean there aren’t individuals like you who can move ahead very rapidly. But what if your bones had not healed? I would not have taken that risk. Besides, I was able to go back to work on crutches and all, so could play it carefully.

    Lee, take that thing off for a few minutes. Your foot will not fall off. Just don’t step on your foot.

    Anklequest.

74. Hi everyone!!

    WOW….once again lots of posts since like yesterday or whenever it was I last checked…you cant start missing a single day on this site, else you’ll be reading forever hey?? Hee hee.

    LIZ! Thats great news! 🙂 Well done and yay for you! You can really start getting on with everything now can’t you?? Even if you are back with the walker, you leg will soon be able to hold you up, im sure. It took about 5-6 days for me to be able to hobble around my flat without one of my crutches, so keep going!! Im very pleased for you! 🙂

    LEE. I went back to work at about 10 weeks post break/surgery, and I work in an office, where I couldn’t have my leg elevated or anything…I lived to tell the tale (although I was only part time!). It would really depend on you I guess….go back, see how you feel. If you are sat down for most of the day, with your leg elevated, and ice on hand, its not too disimilar to being sat at home is it really?? Give it a go, but if it’s too much, stop. Good luck with that! 😀

    Denver! Tehehe! Sounds a bit sneaky to me….ha ha!
    It is so tempting to start weight bearing isn;t it when your waiting for an op??! I had to have 2 pins taken out on 7th july, which was nearly a month after having my cast removed. So I was non-weight bearing for all that time, and oh my word…it was so tempting it was unreal!!! I did wait until I had had the pins taken out, as I was warned they may snap inside the bones if i put to much pressure on them, and then I would have had HUGE problems. Although…saying that, I was driving in that time period (left ankle broken….which is my clutch foot!) and the consultant at the hospital cleared me to do so, then when I went in for the op, they said I couldn’t drive for at least another 2 weeks, and that I shouldn’t have been driving on it at all (same consultant told me that, who had cleared me to do it the first time round! grrrr….) Anyway, cut a long story short, he said I shouldn’t have been driving on it, one coz the insurance wouldn’t have covered it in the event of a crash, and two because if I had had to do an emergency stop, it could well have snapped the screws!
    In my personal veiw, I would just wait until you have been given the all clear to weight bear again till u do properly, athough wiggle it around as much as poss, and try and get as much movement back in it as possible in the meantime…that gives you something to work on doesn’t it?? 😀

    Also hope the whole pill thing works out for you very quickly too!!!

    As for everyone else…anklequest (nice to hear from you again!), Dustin, Dan, Lois…hello!!!!

    As for my good self….
    I had another physio session yesterday, Was again quite good fun, although no wheely stool races this week!
    The only bad thing was…they got out this rope ladder thingy and put it on the floor, to make us hop, skip, jump, run, and walk ect through as a warm up, and as I was half hopping and half walking through it, I landed on my ankle in an odd fashion, and it let out the most almighty crack I have heard it do since I broke/dislocated it!! And yes…it hurt! Like HELL!!! My physio looked at it…poked it,a nd moved it around, and came to the conclusion that I had just pushed it into another area of movement that I had not pushed it into yet, thats why it cracked and hurt. So carried on the physio session…and it held out ok (kind of,) although certain things made it hurt a fair amount more than usual.
    I got up this morning, and it still hurts A LOT, and I found myself limping around in a similar fashion to how I was about 6 weeks ago or something. On top of that, I tavelled to london today to see a friend, and we went shopping in a place called Bluewater, Kent (which is a HUGE shopping centre!) for a whole day. It is now killing me, and is the size of an infant child’s head practically!!! I used some deap heat muscle rub stuff to try and stop it hurting (which amazingly did work for a short time, but it STINKS!) but I cannot use it anymore today…..
    I dont really think the driving helped either, because I hit a lot of traffic on the way up, which meant I was using my left foot on the clutch a lot. Hmmm….
    Although saying that…if I got through today without getting a speeding ticket I will be very chuft! I got very confused with all the changing speed limits, and the dam cameras hiding around every corner, in their silly yellow boxes in amoungst the trees. And my sat Nav (which is meant to have speed alerts!) doesn’t beep until you are past them….stupid piece of junk! lol! Oh well…thats my rant for the day over with anyway!
    So Im gonna get off to bed and hope another good nights sleep does my ankle some good! I was hoping to go to the gym tomorrow, but if it hurts as much as it does now, I shall not be!!!!

    Keep healing people!

    Louise xx

75. DUSTY ya… I do have pain about 35% of the time.. it really screws me up w my schedule tryin 2 chase around 2 15yr olds n high school & an 11yr old & a 10 yr old too… so keeping my schedule is pretty particular. If I mess up sleeping through 1 night I’m hosed on payn the bills lol… I laugh cause so goes the way of life… I have to keep stepping down the doses deffinately & have 2 weeks til weight baring and I’m going for it even more tha Louise 😉 I keep telling myself ‘hey, you didn’t get any damage to your soft tisue or your tendons or ligaments so they’ve held everything together this long & the titaniums making u stronger so stretch & b ready to hobble like a pro’ because n all honesty I’d rather b n pain from hobbling than pain from withdrawls. I’d try going just a pill a night & when I’d wake up @ 430am (after finally dozin off @ 1245am) I was forced 2 take medicine that would keep me stuck n bed til lunch & working later.. that forced me to start settin my phones alarm to take my dose @ 2 or 3 so I was good through entire night & up 4 work. good thing is I finally got to the point where I can hear the alarm & tell most times I’m going to b alright til morn & I just go right on sleeping. not to the point I can fully b done yet, but as the hobblin gets on its way, I will have 2 schedule a week of withdrawl (2 or 3 nights of anger & wrestlessness w no sleep @ the begining) I may have 2 budget 2 go to a hotel so my loving wife & kids don’t have 2 hear the agony & anger… i’ll probably end up breaking something too. I used to practice Kempo & loved the meditation I learned which helped me keep centered… nut I never realized how much was also exhausted through the actual pressure of kicking,punching & breaking things. Thanks 4 the post.. Ill go 4 it here soon.. down 2 only night pills

    LEE your question about work
    I guess we all were writing @ about the same time
    anyhow, I was back 2 work 2 days after surgery yUcK.. but found 3 things that help
    u mentioned u work @ a cube.. if they’re ok w it (& can be understandin/not grossed out that is) If ur able 2 arrange or slide down ur work space or computer so that u can put ur foot up on the desk that helps a LOT.. I only have foot down maybe total accumulated time of an hour a day while the rest of the time I am able to have limited to no pain or swelling w it being up above heart. I have a cusion thro pillow on my desk & 1 on my chair.. @ 1st I had 2 have my half cast w bandage lightly wrapped just 2 keep it from fallin off-this gave me the ability to rest it up close on desk or far away as it gave support under all of lower leg w zero pressure 2 any bones or muscles.. now I just use the pillow & alls well -4.5 weeks post surg now. Oh, & I put a firm thro pillow on my stomache (instead of saying my lap since I’m leaning back n the chair) & set my keyboard on there to do work & when building my work I also do on the tummy pillow 😉 hope it works.. that’s 2 things & the 3rd is whenever I’m able to have foot imerged in water again having a bucket of water under my bench worked best.. I had bif bag of ice in fridge & took like a hotel ice bucket & dumped it in there.. 7mins n, 15-20mins out (have a towel on floor…ok,this will say gay, but it actually is a close color match to floor so its not too noticable, this to rest/dry it on when I pull it out & to place over the bucket when I leave)
    And I am VERY OCD about surtain things & had the exact gross fealing about my boot going all over the downtown streets/rest rooms/etc & then n2 my bed… so I kept the bottom have of my cast (only wore it 2 days previously) & put a medical sleeve/sock over it so it doesn’t catch the sheets or pillows its raised on. I lightly wrap it onto my foot/leg even use 2 ace bandages because I wrap so loosely I run out of bandage before I really get up the leg to keep it n place more… once I heard my tends & ligs were tight enough & felt safe foot wouldn’t flop over, then I just slept w it out of everything… but until then.. the half a cast is nice,clean,lighter & well… cleaner than my heavy boot

    LiZ thanks for reminding me… I have a bottle of glucosimine somewhere & need to work on that too… PraYiNg I’m deffinately all over that too 😉
    anyhow.. once again, I appreciate the talks… will read again soon,
    Pill popper out

76. Hey DENVER, I know kinda of what you are going threw. I broke my leg like in 12 or 13 pieces. Right above my ankle I had 2 sugries and then had a external fixator or however you spell it..for 3 months then a boot for 8 weeks i can walk now with a limp. Its been about 1 year 2 months since accident. I can to relate to your pain med problem. I have 2 plates and 17 screws right above my ankle. I always wondered how people could get addicted to pain meds and i sais man they just have no will power…..Untill I was on them for so long of a time then one evening i realized that my leg wasnt hurtin that bad but I was just takin the medicine to put me in a better mood. I was used to workin from daylight to dark and now i couldnt get up over 10 mins at a time because of swealling. anyways. I had a perscription to go get filled and i said to my self that i wasnt gonna do it and i didnt, I threw it away and let me tell ya it was so tough I had the shakes and i was such in a bad mood..but after a couple days it got better. And then it was gone, I remember the first night I didnt sleep at all and it was rough…..But just stay strong and push through and you will be ok,,,dorry for the long post,,,,,,Dusty

77. Hi Lois
    🙁
    Unfortunately last night didn’t work out how either of us hoped for
    I found my self beyond restless in agony @ about 11:30pm I think what made it worse was thinkin “great, now its too late to take anything or I’ll end up sleeping through work or be too groggy & shakey to build teeth”
    So I evaluated the situation.. I was home alone with no medicine & no car to even get any if I wanted too.
    I was almost uncontrollably uncomfortable & very irritable & achy.. but the saddest part of all was when I was pacing around (crawling around on the floor on my hands & knees, raiding the mini fridge & dizzy from sleeping meds that weren’t working) & completely uncomfortable, I had a very plain realization, My ankle was not really in so much pain as It was just uncomfortable. I tried showering but couldn’t calm down. At that point, I knew it was withdrawls.. My brother (who had @ 1 point been addicted to this stuff & knows Rx inside & out) lives n TX & is an hour ahead.. but I had 2 call & he answered from a dead sleep & stayed on the phone w me for an hour tryin 2 help.
    He went over the questions I ran through my mind already to see if it was actual pain or lack of narcodics. He spent time w us about a yr & a half ago when he was coming down off of his pills & told me 2 go check my wifes prescriptions & that she had 2 unused bottles of Ultram… lol sorry, I couldn’t believe he knew meds my wife had & hadn’t taken & was racing it through my mind. He let me know he had evaluated the situation @ our house in case it got rEAL bad since they adviced him to gradually come off of the medicine to prevent episodes like I was having last night.
    I couldn’t find the ultram but he had me pull every bottle out I could find of ours & read him off the Rx.. He told me what every med was, what it does, how it works & what can & can’t be mixed together & what doses were ok.. I even stumbled across a bottle of wifes old vicoden.. it was only a 5 (I was bumped up to 2 10’s ea dose since I recently was taking 15mg worth ea dose when nursing the broken jaw w/n the last 12months & body had gotten used to it & even 10mg wouldn’t do any good for the ankle pain) He said to take the pill & beLieVe that it would work. He let me know he @ 1 point was taking 17-24 pills @ a time about 2-3 times a day & when he went w/out & got to the point I was, that oddly enough just getting the narcodic n the system again, even 1 small dose, actually dID calm even his nerves. not enough 2 sleep, but 2 stop the shakes & wrestless anger. I was reading him my meds & he wa shocked, I found a narc. that they give to cancer patients that’s stronger than morphine.. I couldn’t remember when I got it & we figured out from the dates that I got it from a hospital when I initially broke my jaw & didn’t wind up using it.

    During this whole thing my wife was stuck n traffic trying to get back here from down town so she could get my last 2 pills I had sitting @ work. Sh efinally got her @ about 12:30am & let me know she saw my boss there working round the clock & let’m know what was goin on so he then knew not 2 expect me in the morning. I took 1 of the pills & tried surfing the internet on my phone 4 aNYthiNg 2 get my mind off of everything racing through my mind til I would eventually fall asleep..
    So wound up taking 3sleeping pills..a 5mg V pill & an hour later taking a 10mg pill.. brother said set the other pills I had found to the side & wait an hour til I took 1 of those.. of course this was because he knew I’d be out be4 then.. He talked w me @ lunch 2day letting me know he’s going to give me the tech break down on how to wean (cant think how to spell that word right now) myself off of these stupid pills w what I have & what’s worse & better. He then let me know- walking around is tremendous anxiety therapy while coming off of pills (this coming from a 27yr old ultimate fighter who lives in the gym & works w heavy machinery all day long n the oil fields) he then told me to work the muscles & keep the motion going
    as DAN just let me know.. brother said you know how to push it.. & the more your doing that, the more its good positive aches & pains rather than anxiety withdrawl pains..
    On the pushing it side, I am being cautious & careful.. we have a Ford Tauras that I could press on the break w my finger & itd stop & I am not aplying any more pressure than I do regularly while stretching it in the showere.. I am going to pay attention to my body & its saying ‘i want to go swimming’

    DAN, not sure if u read where or how I got here, its a Bimoliolar fracture.. 3 screws n2 Tibia & 5 n2 Fibula.. Tibia was a top side fracture which opened about 1/4″ but did not fully break off & Fibula was about1.5 inches above the bottom & was broken clean through. However the catch was, it was perfectly lined up still.. I was on dirt bike w/ $400 boots which kept everything n place. I came straight down & jamed it since my toe was down to shift. No accident.. pulled off the track & removed boot had full motion 4 1st day & a half b4 swellin fully had set n. I kept bucket of water w ice & would submerge it repeatedly @ work & a bucket @ home doing likewise. everytime I get the swelling down I would be able to have full motion back. I did this for 10days b4 even seeing the Dr & even @ that point bones were still aligned perfectly. Dr’s comment on day of surgery after hed opened me up, “those boots saved his leg. The reason everything stayed perfectly aligned is because his ligaments,tenduns have no damage & r n great shape, no soft tissue damage either. That’s what usually makes the healing process take so long.”
    So here I am knowing they r in good shape even to the degree everythings holding in place & had been prior to surger 3 weeks 3 days from actual accident on JuLy 5th ’08… I’ve kept flexing my calf as much as is possible w the no movement while it was wrapped & since the removal have been able to put foot n a pretty stress free position where I’m able to flex repeatedly & hold. I’ve read plent & done training with athletics & runners.. It only take 21 days not using a muscle to have it completely deteriorate.. I ve been trying like hell to do even flexing to prevent this extra healing time.. I will stand on foot in 2 weeks & 1 day in front of Dr.
    The reason he said no weight & the reason the plates even though it all lines up was because I have damaged knees & ankles from being such an amazing runner for all those yrs.. lol.. it catches up to u in the form of arthritus. My knees reALLy kill me, ankles not quite there yet.. they just pop all of the time even doing normal walking. Dr showed how noticbly close the bones r n my ankle & let me know the plates were the way 2 fix it & it would wind up being my stronger leg… I recall reading here just n the last few day it was mentioned its not just getting back to where u were but pushing beyond that to have it sTRonger than it was prior to the break so we don’t wind up there again… & that’s definitely what I like to hear and plan to shoot for.
    Sadly enough if this is all making sence to you, it kinda obvious I will have to go through this again on other ankle & eventually my knees too Clarks had his knees repeatedly getting worked on & studing things they’re coming out with, I’m w you just waiting for ‘something that’ll last longer & work better’
    I saw a thing on 9news about 5 months ago about shots they were giving people (not cordizone) & showed proven results & people we’re up & down stairs & latters w/out any pain. The Drs who do the surgeries were questioned about the shots & said nothing more than they can’t say any good or bad & can’t prove it being unsuccessful either way… hmm
    Its said to poke multiple holes through the tendons & whatever medication it is they’ve come up with actually causes the tendons to self heal & they heal up the holes & in turn wind up getting tightened up again & people recognize the tighter feel & even noticably feel less roll,give & sway while being able to do their tasks as if they were fully working proper again. they mentioned that it took a few treatments & each 1 cost about $350 but we all in here can attest to that being small change in comparison if it works well… I gotta find the article again …

    anyhow, til later,
    your pill popping work out fanatic friend,
    Denver

78. I got GREAT NEWS at the doctor today!! I’m ecstatic! 🙂

    1) The x-rays looked great. You know the spot I’ve been complaining about, where the cartilage was missing? Well, it’s completely filled in. The doctor said if he wouldn’t have seen my previous x-rays he would never have known it was damaged! That is SUCH a relief, because cartilage does not grow back, I was so worried about early arthritis in that spot. I think it’s a combination of physical therapy, ultrasound treatments, and glucosamine supplements that have helped. But most of all I believe in the power of prayer and I have been praying for that particular spot continiously. I have to give God all the credit. I’m just so excited!

    2) I’m OUT OF THE BOOT! Yay! He gave me a small ankle air brace that fits inside a regular shoe. He said I can walk with it as tolerated and drive!! I’m thrilled. I came home immediately and found a tennis shoe that would fit over it. Here’s the thing though… I’m back to using the walker because my leg (without the boot) literally feels like it won’t hold me up. It feels so light, almost like jell-o. Is that normal when you first start walking without a boot/cast? It feels so weird! Yet so free! lol I can’t wait to go back to physical therapy on Tuesday to share the good news! 🙂

    Can you tell I’m happy. lol

    LEE, as far as work goes, I’m still not able to go back. He said at least 3 more weeks with no work. That will put me at 15 weeks, post surgery, with no work! It’s mainly because I have a job that requires me to be on my feet all day, get up and down from the floor, and lift my kids in/out of their wheelchairs. If I had an office job I’m sure I’d be back by now.

    Well, just had to share the good news with everyone! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day. Stay Safe!

    Liz

79. Pam – quick question – about the hardware you’re having taken out. Can you describe the plate slipping up and down with each step? That’s exactly how mine felt when it was in the cast – like it was sliding down to my foot with each movement. Now that I’m in the boot, it seems better, but I still feel something. Is it manageable? Or is it really hard to walk with that feeling. I’m a little worried about that. Dr. says plate needs to stay in for at least 9-12 months. That’s 7-10 months away …. I sure hope it doesn’t feel awful all that time. Can you tell me more?

    -Lee

80. Hi all! I haven’t posted in a few days – busy getting the kids back to school yesterday (Yahooo!) and keeping up with work. But I’ve read them all and am so happy to see so much progress with so many! I will get there too, I will get there too….I just keep saying it.

    Anklequest – tell me more abut taking off the boot. Dr. Had initially said 6 weeks in the cast, then increased it to 10. At week 6, I had too much swelling, so out of the cast and into the boot with 50% weight bearing to loosen up the ankle. But, he told me to wear it like a cast. I loosen and tighten to sleep and walk, and open it to lotion and ice, but I haven’t taken it out of the black sleeve at all. I’d LOVE to. But I’m scared that my foot will fall out of the correct position and ruin the set. I feel like I have no muscle/ligament control on the ankle at all. I live in terror of it flopping down or sideways and the pain I felt before. Am I over thinking it? I’d love to actually slip it into an old air cast I have from many sprains ago for sleeping at night. The idea of walking all over town in this boot and then putting it in my bed at night is pretty gross. I see the Dr. again tomorrow, so maybe I’ll ask then.

    So funny – all the comments about the Olympics. I think I closed my eyes every time a gymnast went to land a vault, dismount or floor trick. I couldn’t stand to watch the ankles for fear one might snap. I thought I was nuts …. good to know it comes with the territory.

    So, I’m gearing up to go back to work on Tuesday. I’ve been working from home for the past 5 weeks, but I really want to be back at the office. I need the social stimulation and just to feel normal again. I hope I don’t regret it – got a zero gravity chair to sit in so I’m comfy and the foot is elevated as much as possible and a fridge for my cube so I can keep ice packs handy and lunch near by. I think it’s just time to live life and work around this rather than it being my life. I’d love feedback from those who have and have not gone back. I’m 7 weeks out from break and surgery. Too early? Crazy? Sane? A good thing?

    Ok – Sorry no specifics to each poster today – I have to get back to work. Just wanted to touch base, but I’m thinking of all and so happy to see some walking, gardening, driving, and just basically getting along so well!

    Cheers,
    Lee

81. Hi Denver,

    Have to respecfully disagree with Anklequest with regard to there being “no evidence that ‘early’ movement and no cast speeds up recovery in the long run.

    First a little history. I am a male, 59 years old. I’m good shape, as a result to chasing my 11 and 15 year-old daughters around.

    My right fibula was shattered 6/03/08, surgery 6/10/08. Plate and 7 screws (including a long one through the tibia and fibula). I was in a splint (cast) for 1 week. At that point I went in for a check-up. I complained so bitterly about the cast, the doctor agreed to remove it.

    Initially the doctor said no weight bearing for 6 weeks following surgery, then 6 weeks of gradual weight bearing, and full weight bearing at 12 weeks post-surgery. The doctor encouraged me to continually flex my broken ankle up and down. From that point on, I rarely wore my boot. While I understood I should not put weight on my broken ankle, I kept it moving by flexing it up and down, then then adding straight leg lifts and a bicycle motion. I knew that one of the biggest hurdles to getting back to normal was muscle atrophy. I was determined to work my broken leg as hard as I could without putting weight on it.

    Two weeks after surgery I began swimming. Initially I was concerned when the foot attached to my broken ankle seemed to flop around a bit in the water. I quickly overcame my fear and had no problem kicking my legs in the water.

    At the same time, as I described on the “1-year site,” I took my first drive in the car. Keep in mind my right ankle was broken. That meant I needed to brake with my left foot. Yes I still needed to use my right foot to push the accelerator pedal, but that was a simple up and down movement which I already knew was OK.

    At 4 weeks I saw the doctor again. This time he said he changed his mind. He explained that I had torn the ligament between my tibia and fibula. Now he said no weight bearing for 8 weeks following surgery, then full weight after that.

    That confused me. Why did he want me to wait 2 additional weeks before bearing weight? And why was it OK to bear full weight at 8 weeks, when I was originally told I needed to wait 12 weeks? The answer to the first question was that in addition to breaking my ankle, I also tore the ligament between the tibia and fibula. The doctor was concerned about any twisting motion that might break the long screw between my tibia and fibula before the ligament was completely healed.

    I understood that I should avoid twisting my right foot or ankle and thereby avoid breaking the screw and reinjuring the ligament. But I didn’t understand why that had anything to do with putting weight on the broken leg.

    Through that experience, I learned that, 1) Doctors generally error on the side of being conservative, 2) Doctors opinions about recovery are subjective.

    At 6 weeks I ditched the crutches and began walking on my right leg. I put most of my weight on my good leg, but started limping around. I covered short distances at first, then gradually increased my range. By the time I saw the doctor at 8 weeks I had already been walking for 2 weeks.

    After that visit, I began walking in earnest. I swim, I bike, I do everything I did before I broke my ankle. Yes, I get sore. But day-by-day I am getting better and better. Part of my regimen is going to physical therapy. Doctor ordered 8 sessions. Therapists are amazed at my progress.

    Next Tuesday I will have minor surgery to take out the screw between my tibia and fibula. That will also mark 12 weeks since I broke my ankle and 11 weeks since surgery. I am the poster boy for rapid recovery from a broken ankle.

    OK having said all that, I understand the “little voice in the back of your mind” that says I don’t want to have to do this over again. And I wouldn’t ever encourage you to do anything you’re no comfortable doing, BUT I’m convinced that if you’re not reckless, you start slow AND LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU, you can do more than you ever imagined.

    Bottom line, it is OK conquer your fears and test your limits.

    Dan

82. Hi Wes, It would be exciting having the conventions right where you are in Denver, but frustrating to have your city taken over. We have also been watching on tv,,,in Canada,,, and there is lots of it on … What the heck, I guess we watch mostly American TV up here anyway.

    I am wondering how you made out over night with just a couple of Advil’s. I’m hoping you discovered you were fine and that you no longer need anything more. Don’t forget to elevate your leg and use an ice pack… Those are great natural pain relievers and promote healing at the same time by forcing the swelling out of your ankle.

    Liz, I spent perhaps yet another seven hours outside yesterday working on the landscaping. More mowing shoveling raking etc. Apart from sleeping in this morning, after all this fresh air and exercise I feel fine. Actually, more correctly, my back has a mild ache but my ankle is not complaining at all. I am glad we are encouraging you that all of this is likely just a matter of time, unless complications arise. Same for Lee. Gradually all the snap crackles and pops, sore knees, limps etc etc seem to disappear. Hello also Dan. You sound like you are keeping busy with work, having fun with your daughter at the cabin and just plain doing well. Sounds like you might be ready to join me on on Mount Everest next year, or are you holding out for the Himalayans ???

    Bye for now everyone. I am getting a late start on getting out in that garden today. We have had an early cool down of summer this year, with sunny and showery periods. This should be good for getting in lawn sod, or grass seed if I can get that far with topsoil etc.

83. in all honesty iS probably more the TV side of it ranting mud slinging back & forth & not having straight answers that’s getting to me… and the fact that I can’t just b around it in my condition is a topper too.. Its so crouded its rediculaous..
    Wife still down there 2night just suckin it all up.. the atmoshere, the people the packed city streets & all.. while I have 2 just fall asleep so I don’t stay up all night & wind up sleeping during work 2morrow..

84. Denver;

    Seems to me you might be pushing things a bit. Louise is/was further along when she became more active. I’d adhere to the 6-7 week check & certainly would avoid trying out the foot driving a car much as you would like to. (In NJ the law wouldn’t allow it.) The doc check is to insure bones are mending. We have had occasional posters who have been set back by doing too much too early and/or delays in bones mending. Also, keep in mind that your joint may still likely be a “bloody mess” and that it does need time to heal. The bones heal first & then there’s still all the rest.

    Given what I just said, you certainly can keep “moving” your ankle around, but would be careful with the pressure part until the OK from the doc. By the way, there is no evidence that “early” movement and no cast speeds up recovery in the long run. I checked that all out when I was sitting around at home before going back to work. Anyway, Good Luck!

    PS: I look forward to and feel thankful to be able to watch both conventions, especially having traveled in a number of counties where people would give and arm or a leg or an ankle for our political system, flawed as it is. Movies are always there but great moments in our history fly by fast. So enjoy! Doing so may even reduce your pain or move it to another area of your being.

85. off the political topic & back 2 the ankle..

    1st night no pain meds.. we’ll see how it goes.. I was kinda forced 2 do w out.. wife out w the car, left my Meds @ work & pharmacy’s closed now

    just acouple advil PM & a hot shower..

    Anklequest,
    I’m Wondering if I’m pushing too much 2 soon.. I have 2 weeks til I have permission 2 weight bare but not prevented from stretching & have done so often.. it has helped keep the pain down of flinching or nerve spasms as its getting some good motion (1-2 inches worth) lol
    I was driving 2day (have 2 everyday anyway) so I sat @ a stop light (no car in front of me) & wondered if I could hold down the brake pedal as I have stretched simularly.. hehe.. so put my left (bad ankle) foot on the break & could hold it no problem, & with the car being such a newer model the power breaks & assist mechanism I’m sure helped a Lot 😉 I even released & reaplied a few times.. Drs been real busy so we actually were good 4 check up & weight baring n 1 week.. but had 2 schedule a week further til xray & day of ‘new pain’
    I notice u kinda tested limits.. & likewise Louise pushed threw the tough stuff quickly…

    My thinkin pattern is as Dr said, ‘6 weeks is healed to the safety mark’.. that b n the case, xrays shouldn’t show any worse from 6week – 7week mark but still have that little voice n back of mind ‘if u damage this u have 2 do it all over again including surgery’

86. I’m torn between being greatful & sad..

    the Democratic National Convention is here just 15 mins away from home.

    Democrat or Republican, every1 is impressed because this is a a once in a lifetime event, hasn’t happened since 1908…

    But its sure taken over our city & most here are just staying away from the city & stayin inside.. that is, if they stayed here @ all. I heard of people renting out there sMall houses for $4k just for the week.. some even rented it with fridge stocked & use of their car too. I’m kinda glad (this being the greatful part) I don’t have 2 be getting out & am sortof laid up with all this going on. ThE sad thing is…its the OnLy thing on TV & Radio nonstop since its right here…

    hmmm .. runnin out of movies.. ne e d 2 go 2 B l o c k b u s t e r s o o n…

87. Okay, I lied, I just went over the “1 year” site to post… this one is still MUCH faster. 🙂

88. Wow, this site is getting as slow to load as the first one. lol I guess that’s a good thing because so many people are posting (well, on second thought, maybe that’s a bad thing.)

    Anyway, PAM, LOIS, and DAN, Your posts are so encouraging. It’s great to hear that you guys are doing so well. Wow, Lois, 8 hours on your feet and not even noticing it too much, that’s GREAT! You’re about 3 months ahead of me, so I hope in 3 months I’m as far along as you.

    I can see small improvements each day, like yesterday, I had to get a few groceries from Wal-Mart. I had been using the little scooters when I go there, but yesterday I walked through Wal-Mart! Woohoo! I never thought I’d do that again, 1) for not having the strength, and 2) for being scared of all the “wet floor” signs! And it was even raining yesterday too, so I was so worried that I was going to slip on their wet floors, but I did fine, and with NO crutch. 🙂

    Anyway, hope everyone is doing well. Oh and it’s funny a few of you have mentioned about watching the ankles during the Olympics. I did the same thing. lol Especially during the track and field events and during the marathons, those people really put strain on their knee and ankle joints! I also took note anytime I saw a gymnast or other athlete wearing an ankle wrap of some sort, wondering what their injury was.

    Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

    Liz

89. Hi Lois,

    Thanks for asking about me.

    Don’t worry, I’m keeping an eye on the site. It made me smile when I saw your recent post. I’m so proud of you and the great progress you have made. You even climbed up on a fence rail! Glad I could give you a little nudge to get you going. Next thing we know you’ll be running marathons or climbing some damn mountain??

    I’m doing great. I was at a local business conference last week, then drove with my 11-year old daughter to our cabin in Northern Minnesota for a few days. No Internet connection up there.

    Saw the physical therapist yesterday for the first time in 10 days. He was impressed by my progress. My range of motion has increased significantly. As I gain strength and stamina, I know what you mean about actually forgetting about the ankle from time-to-time.

    Next Tuesday I have minor surgery to remove the long screw between my tibia and fibula. Doctor says it is no big deal, 5 minutes under local anesthesia and I can walk out of the hospital.

    After that I should be able to run and jump again. Woo hoo. That means I can dust off my tennis racket and get back out on the court.

    Take care and keep working. Remember the goal isn’t to get back to where you were, but to push beyond where you were to the point where you are better and stronger than before.

    Progress is hard to measure day-to-day, but small steps over time add up and when you look back you’ll be amazed at how far you have come.

    Dan

90. Hello to just everyone. MELANIE, how are you doing? Am also wondering where DAN is??? DAN, you will be happy to hear that my leg seems to be getting stronger. I think the electric current to the calf muscle really turned things around. Also, it has helped that I am refusing to baby it. Anyway, something is working and it is not just the exercises as I have not been diligent doing those with all the company I have had. However, I have done the one where I go up on the toes of both feet and than shift back and forth to force the bad leg to hold my weight. This one is easy to do throughout the day, while cooking, washing dishes or whatever. I also climbed up on a fence rail, (same as a ladder) and found I can now put some weight onto a smaller area of that bad foot.

    Yesterday I spent the entire day outside, (seven or eight hours) raking, shoveling, pushing a wheelbarrow and mowing lawns. I took a few sit down breaks to catch my breath (not to rest my ankle), but it seems my stamina is returning. The former tiredness could have been due in part to the surgery anesthetic and not just my ankle per se. All my hardware is still in and will likely remain where it is. I am only vaguely aware of it. At five months and about three weeks, I am beginning to have BRIEF time periods where I actually forget about my ankle… . How nice is that???? If I get any better, I won’t have anything left to say. Anyway, I am very pleased with my progress, and that progress is largely thanks to the information, advice and encouragement provided on this site by you guys. Thanks everyone,,, and keep working away at this. Someday, perhaps when someone asks .. we will respond…”what.. what.. what broken ankle??”

91. showers r soooo gooooood… I think I worked out my muscles & leg a bit tOO much last night.. I know I need 2 press fwd safely as I work things out, but wOW PaIN while trying to sleep woke me repeatedly… oh but it was such a good pain.. didn’t even worry about trying to kill it with narcodics.. I kinda enjoyed it =) call me sick, but the fact that it was pains I remember from times past when I used to run, I guess it kinda made me feel as if I had run maybe. Hard to explain to any1 else. Almost like having the sweet taste of pie in your mouth even though you didn’t eat pie.. your sences still are running on all 8cylinders as if you had.

    As I would always preach while b n a track mngr, ‘stretch your muscles while they’re hot’… & if I ever felt even a slight amount of pain or cramp I would warm it up by rubbing it or a hot tub or shower, then stretch it for at least 40-60seconds rest & massage & repeat at least 3 times & if I felt it stretching nicely I’d stretch it further.. guess I just made myself a baby now that the rule is nO weight.. I’m kinda on a fine line of bending the rule but maintaining it =))

    Anklequest
    like u I reaLLy haven’t had a cast on. I went 10 days til I saw the Dr & got a boot from a friend the night b4.. He put a cast on that day 2 keep it safe until we decided if I was going 2 try 2 repair arthritis problems & fix my future mobility problems w the surg. or if I was going to just do series of casts & cross my fingers while walking w a cane minimal mobility the rest of my life..
    I mad it 2 days til the swelling hurt worse than the break ever had & they cut the entire top off the cast just saying no weight bearing & I could take it off or losen it for swelling compensation. I went with just this ‘splint’ for another week an a half (total of 3 weeks 3 days from the time of the break) til actual surg. they had a different splint w a LoT of bandaging so it was thicker than the cast but told me I could losen it if it began 2 swell.. my goal- keep it hIGH so I wouldn’t have unsightly healing issues/worm marks scarring.. I want a cool scar and all.. but I guess I don’t want it to stand out 24/7 like a soar thumb…hmmm or.. like a broken ankle..
    So I couldn’t get back in due to work schedule, until 10 days later @ which point he let me know It was all in the right place & hed like me to go non weight for 5 or 6 more weeks (cant remember, little tire, just know that its 2weeks2days left starting 2morrow)
    He said hed like to put me in another cast.. & looked @ me & waited.. I asked, ‘can I talk u out of it? or can I use my boot, or splint if I swear I won’t step on it?’ He said hed trust me as long as I promised not to stumble,slip &or basically NoT reinjure it or I’d have 2 start all over. I let him know I was just better @ managing it if I was able to ice it down when it got real bad.. He said wait a few days til you pull off the butterflies (that was their idea of making me feel secure after they had just yanked out all those heavy duty sutures as they kept calling them) they should come off on their own more or less, & that I could wiggle toes & move foot as much as it was on its own & not pushing it as to baring weight..
    I went maybe week putting boot or splint on here or there til I thought the quicker I get it moving around, the less jumpy I’ll be as muscles spasm or nerves decide its fun to have my foot juMp.. Its nice.. I keep it well out of every1s way & would put splint on w ace bandage @ night worried my wife would roll over & kick it sendin me n2 pain & packing or if I had 2 DJ where I’m left 2 rely & trust ever1 else 2 b careful.. So now 1.5 weeks w nothin more than my black velcro over ankle support wrap which really only hid the scars from every1. Now its been couple days just enjoying the air on it out in the open & using the maderma.

    DUSTY
    wOw… sound tougher being on such rough terrain. I grew up on a Horse Ranch & couldn’t imagine doin this or getting around the land or takin care of everyday chores.
    From a trainers point of view & I’d wager 2 bet many of those who’ve gotten far along in here on their road to recovery, I’d say even little bits will help the healing along.
    I remember reading a post from Lois about using a stationary bike.. even if u don’t have the equipment a make shift (bike sitting on a device holding up the back wheel & keeps the regular bike balanced as well) would help retrain the leg & foot 2 do what its suppose to.. better than that though is the fact that u can retrain the motion w the repetative stretching through the turning of the pedal. This way your foot gets used to motions on the bike & creates less shock going over such uneven terrain when you do have to get out. I know it may seem impossible & long, but don’t give up, trust in yourself more than the DRs do even. I was told I whouldnt & wouldn’t b able to do a lot of things & turned it around & shocked MaNy.. This makes it harder, but not impossible.. a lOt slower & longer between results, but possible..
    I had 2 stretch after breaking my jaw & the Dr said eventually this may b as good as it gets.. I still couldn’t fit a sub sandwhich in w/ut squishing it down & forcing it through the opening.. I refused to believe that was the way it was going to be & I swear I was in tears every work out & night but I can open twice as wide as he thought.. The body is an amazing thing.. I have faith in you.. Pretty surtain from reading in here all the others do as well.
    Not sure if you drive 4 wheeler around there too.. but I found I’m going 2 dirty a few of my thro pillows 😉 wife may not b totally excited, but I put 1 down under foot when I drive to help take excess blows away.. I work it out enough w/ou having rough driving add to the pain.. that & a pillow under my bad leg to lift it so its not being used in balance as my support.. I’m still 0weight though, so HaVe 2 watch it 100%.. I’ll gradually downsize pillows & raised foot time as I have been while getting closer to the dream land of putting weight on it. I read what Louise had said when she was aloud & was forcing it as hard as she could & w/n 2 weeks was mobile crutch free & here 18weeks later shes fiNally going all around..

    Just had a brain shut down.. hope I got every1 correct there @ end..

    Anyhow… tiReD & LoNG work day 2morrow..

    & by the way, I had weird dreams of prosthetics last night…yikes, they made me up entirely… cRaZy

    lol…

    praying 4 all of you, Wes in Denver

92. Hi all- “WOW” so many posts over the last week. I’ve been trying to keep up with reading all of them but I’ve been quite busy with my job & family that I have hardly had anytime to sit down and relax.

    Well, here I am, 16 weeks post op. Hard to believe that 10 weeks ago I thought I would never walk “normal” again or live without pain, but everyday has been getting better!!!! In a few months I’ll have the pin on the tibia side removed since it is poking right into my skin & causing me to have swelling. My doctor said he will most likely remove the plate & 7 screws from the fibula side as well since I can basically feel it slipping up and down with every step I take (UGH………..)

    Anklequest- When I was watching the Olympics, I was doing the exact samething you were doing, WATCHING THE ANKLES… Isn’t is something how you become so much more cautious.

    Sandra, Lois, Louise, Liz, Melanie- Thanks for your updates!!!

    Denver, Dusty, Lee- Keep the faith up, your doing so great with your progress!! It does get better!!

    Don/Clark- Hope to hear from the both of you soon!

    Ankelquest- as always, it is great to hear from you! Looking forward to our visit this fall in WI!

    Hi to anyone else I may have missed!

    Night all!

    Pam

93. Ok, great posts continue & hard to keep up now. I’m taking a break from being busy at work.

    Lee,
    You sound so much better.! You can take off that boot from time to time. The doc cannot say that (not a best practice) but I can. I didn’t have a cast or boot at all since I had an open wound. The doc just told me not to walk on my foot. When I asked what would happen if I did, he said likely nothing, as I had pins and screws holding things together. I didn’t walk on my ankle, and undid the ace bandages & dressing every evening & had no problems. I wasn’t afraid about not having a cast because I never had one.

    Louise,
    Thanks for your upbeat reports. It helps to hear that people do get better and better.

    Dusty,
    Coming from a farm background myself, I could not imagine how terrible a broken ankle would be for every day activities. Most of us have “sit down” type jobs or at least can work with minimal amounts of activity, so we don’t have your type of daily struggles being active all day. No wonder your foot still gives you problems.

    Denver,
    Interesting point about using the eraser of a pencil, which sounds much better to me than accupuncture. I have heard of accupucture in the joint but I would certainly not try anything like that on my own ankle without clear evidence it would have a positive effect.

    CO Q10 mught work in some circumstances but it would likely not work for me. My problem is lack of fitness, not lack of nor reduction of a metabloic enzyme. Since my broken ankle my “fitness” has been greatly reduced so I do feel “older” as some folks here have also talked about. I have to get going again but now have reached a high level of feeling “lazy”! Some would say this is lack of energy, but I’d like to call it as it is: I’m turning into a couch potatoe.

    Lois,
    The Olympics were so inspirational, but at every event I watched those ankles. In many instances that’s all I would really take note of. All I could think of was that those ankles could all snap in an instant.

    Sandra,
    Hope your headaches are going away before school starts. And have a very nice trip this weekend. It’s not a time to celebrate a two broken ankles, I know, but maybe you can celebrate the small things you can now do again, like getting your own clothes on, walking around a bit, and enjoying the British weather. Maybe you’ll have sunshine. We are having some picture perfect days here in the NY area. the critters are very busy. The latest: Chucky chewed through the propane tank hose on our deck so my husband is very upset.

    I’m sure I missed someone. Melanie…I hope she’s OK!

    Take care everyone!

94. Helloooo everyone!!! Again…so many posts to read!!

    Lee. I bet your excited to have a little “me” time when the kids go back arn’t you?? hee hee.
    Yes, swimming is great! As is the sauna etc. I was a little scared about slipping on the floor, and clung to any hand rail I could find as if it were a lifeline, but I just went very slowly, and very cautiously! I went again yesterday with my flatmate, and we went to the gym bit as well! I thought I would give the machines a go as well, to see what my ankle did, and was pleasently surprised…
    I did 15 mins on the bike, 15 mins on the cross trainer, 5 mins or rowing, and about 10 mins of walking uphill on the treadmill. They also have some wobble boards and stuff there, so I had a go on them to help my balance. Then I went for a swim and of course, back to the sauna, and the spa pool! yay!
    My leg and ankle was very VERY stiff when the cast and everything, and it hardly moved at all. It was more stiff than I expected it to be to be honest, but it soon started to loosen up…mainly when I started walking on it!

    oh, and I am 18 weeks post break tomorrow (and I had surgery the day after I broke and dislocated mine!) I did it on the 23rd april this year!

    Sandra. Hello again!! great to hear that you are getting better and better!! I hope everyone else progresses very well and quicly too!! 😀

    Sandra (and Lee!)
    And as for dreaming about breaking bones…I still get the vision that Im going downhill and my feet just slip out from under me, and they break. Plus anytime Im on gravel, it just brings back my ankle break again. When I was on crutches, I had a vision that my left stick would slip across in front of me, and I would trip over it, and break my arm, and re-break my ankle. It is normal I think for everyone to dream about it!

    Liz. Hello!! Wow…hope no one else falls ill, or has anymore injuries in your classroom!!
    Shame about what u were told about your knee…just keep believing that you will NOT be back on crutches again…even if it IS just one!

    I just really want to get rid of my swelling…its such a pain in the backside. It doesn’t hurt particuly, but when it swells, it just goes very tight, and I find my movement even more restricted. it also becomes quite tender to touch, and very hot. Does anyone else have this?? Is this something that just goes away in time (the swelling I mean) or is there something in particular i have to do?? it means I can still only wear a few pairs of my many shoes! Very irritating!
    The main problem with me is getting my knee more forward than my toes. Plus the strength aspect in my calf as well, Hmmm…….

    I have another physio appointment tomorrow, (I say appointment…I really mean very fun filled ankle class! 😀 ) so will maybe put a few questions to the physio then!

    Anyway, to everyone else….lois, denver, dusty, clark, melanie and anyone else I havn’t mentioned, hope your all doing great!!

    Much love!

    Louise xx

95. Thanks for everyones responses. Liz…I dont think arthritis has set in yet I think most of my stiffness and pain just comes from the joint itself. I dont take any pain med at all really maybe a advil pm at night here and there just to help me sleep. I can do good walkin on smooth flat surfaces. But i live on a farm so there is not many flat surfaces around.My doc seems to think that in the future I will have to get my ankle fixed stiff. From reading on here I can tell that may be a last resort. I can bear the pain for now but im only 33 and i fear that as i get older it may get worse. But thanks again for everyones help its good to talk with people that can acutually kinda understand what you are going through. Talk to ya soon Dusty

96. 1 more note
    LEE,
    the acupuncture..
    it Is VerY scientifically possible.. I’m such a realist & read LoTs.. Be sure you study about it so you know what you are looking for when researching who has the proven results & not just the mind over matter patient saying they’re the best. I understand how it works & believe its possible BUT I caN’t sTaNd needles .. lol, I’d lose it 🙂
    My grandmother found things shes read on even taking the eraser of a pencil & massaging surtain areas for different things & I’ve tried that & had AweSome results 😉

    Ill let you know as I found out more of the authors & or Drs who’ve written things

97. good call on the Asics.. I lOvE those shoes 🙂

    I was the track mngr n high school and learned a lot about stretching muscles, caring for & how to train the body.. but like Sandra said, after this I found a facination of the working wAy more in depth & just sit quietly watching the olympics n awe seeing how its all being aplied & how well the knees, ankles, well.. eVerything functioning in fine tuned accord.

    Not too much for now.. however, Lois- I metion that medicine is over the counter @ walmart so prob can be found @ most places 😉 hoPeFuLLy that is.. the COQ10 was anywhere from 7,8 dollars up to $15 or so I noticed the other night @ quick glance..

    I’m w every1 just enjoying fresh air & waas planning on mentioning how much I enjoy sitting in a nice shower w/ romovable shower head so I can massage my calf.. its not too happy 2day

    J I had headaches during jaw healing/post healing, & was told to try dark chocolate (which works) or caffinated soda .. it somedtimes (the headache that is) is related to body missing a key it kinda remembers.. medication 😉

    anyhow.. I’ll catch up on reading later & YeS AMEN school is here again… I reaLLy understand that Christmas song now ‘& Mom & Dad Can Hardly Wait R SchooL W StarT agaIn’ (i know its a Christmas song but sure get the parent sympathy vote now that I’m the parent)

    😉

98. Hey Sandra, I see you’re a Big Brother fan too. lol I love that show. 🙂 As far as work, I haven’t gone back yet. I have an appt on Thursday so we’ll see if he sends me back then.

    Speaking of work, as most of you know I broke my ankle while in my classroom 3 months ago (just before summer break). 🙁 I’ve been counting on my 2 parapros to hold down the fort while I’m away. Well I got a call from one of them this morning… apparently one of my parapros fainted in the middle of class this morning!! She was complaining of being too hot and then next thing you know, she was on the floor. She was taken to the hospital via ambulance. Crazy! What’s going to happen next in my room?

    I had my therapy appt today and got a good workout. When I mentioned the knee pain again to him he said that I might need to go back to using one crutch. 🙁 NOT what I wanted to hear, but he said we don’t want to do any damage to that knee in the process. So back to the crutch for me until I go to the doctor on Thursday. Then I’m praying he will let me walk without the boot! I wanna wear a regular shoe so bad! It’s driving me nuts. lol And when that day finally comes I might need some help from you Sandra, on picking the right ones! 🙂

99. Hi Sandra,,, your posts popped up in the middle of sending mine. You are the opposite of me I think in that I like to try to pretend my ankle is just normal, dont want to think about the metal, the scar or look at anyone’s ankles etc. I just want to try to pretend its all back to normal. So, its one year,,, hope the headache disappears and you can celebrate with wine…. What a year it has been for you. To whomever was talking about sore knees,,, mine gave me a bit of trouble… especially on my good leg, once I began walking again. That has now stopped for the last couple of weeks or so. I had actually forgotten about that… so thanks for reminding me… because it is one more step of progression that I can tick off my list of being normal again.

100. Hi yourself Denver. Thanks for the tips on Wal Mart medications. I may just look into that next time I go into the big city where they have that store. Lee, I agree with you entirely. I juat could not believe the pleasure and luxury of showers again. And several months later, I am still entirely enjoying them like I never have before in my life. Also that pleasure of getting outdoors, with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Sheer heaven that I also somewhat took for granted before, but after months of sitting in the basement because I could not get up the stairs, or outside, it was wonderful. Yes, it really does make us question our previous priorities and I hope that i will never again take these simple things for granted,,, because they are the best. Hope you make it through the next couple of days until school starts,,,, I am sure you will but its tough isnt it. I had not seen my two little granddaughters (who were just here) since before I broke my leg… which also meant that I had not seen the six year old since she finished kindergarten in June. She was so excited to tell me “Grandma I graduated”… (with that one probably at the top of her class) So its now only nine sleeps to grade one for her and kindergarten for her five year old sister. Take care Lee, and don’t work too hard… Lots of time for that later.