Broken ankle injury

Hey Casi23 (why 23 by the way? nosey I know but I was curious)

I suspect the reason for your lack of responses is due the severity of your injury, combined with limited knowledge?

The pin you have highlights the severity but you didn't say where it is? I'm guessing you have been/are in a cast? for how long? How big (above or below the knee)? have you been given/ told you will have physio? How did you break it? How active were you prior to the accident? what type of activity/sport did you participate in? have you been given any advice so far?

I know you prob didn't want this barrage of questions but if you provide more info then you may catch a physio or someone in sports medicines attention and then get the answer you want.

For what its worth I would be surprised if you couldn't walk at all after rehab, although I couldn't comment on the limp without hearing more info.

Sorry, but in the meantime - keep smiling.
D.

I'm sure you will be fine, I had hip to ankle plaster casts four times now so I know how you feel. Speak to your doctor about hospital or community physio when you see them next. Be wary of going direct to a personal trainer - often PT's do not have adequate rehabilitation experience to offer physical therapy.

Hope it all go's well for you - i'm sure you'll be running in no time.

D

Hi Casi,

I dislocated my patella's (kneecap's) twice on each leg (although at different times) and had an operation on my right leg. All in all I was on crutches for around one year, thankfully not in one go though.

I still went to the gym (even in cast) to keep me sane, read alot, watched ALOT of films. Luckily for me I was also a student so also had studies to distract myself.

Have you been off work the whole time? Did you train prior to injuries? if so do you do anything now e.g. upper body workouts?

Dan

Casi,

I was in a cast for six weeks, resting for two weeks, then physio for around six weeks. Initially I was on pain killers and anti-inflammatories but I stopped taking them the second I was allowed (roughly one week after injury). I was walking unaided after 4-6 weeks without a limp in 8-10 weeks.

I cannot really help without knowing much more about the injury and surgery, and considering what you have said so far I would say wait til april 5th and then find out what your consultant has planned. Are you in the UK? If you are then there are additional options that you have in private rehabilitation should you be unhappy with what the NHS has to offer.

However the NHS does offer free consultation with many experts interacting, therefore I would definatley advise that you go through this process first seeing as your next appointment is so near.

Keep smiling
Dan

Hey Casi,

From the point of injury it would have been around 8 - 10 weeks before I could walk unaided (although I was in a cast for six of those weeks), I wore a tubegrip bandage on my knee for a while but prefered not to wear it if I could.

My rehab was lots of mobilisation and isometric exercises, a little massage, some ice - did not use heat treatment as I was still inflammed.

There are many different styles of supports available but you may not require them so try not to worry too much. Do you normally train in a gym? I'm sure that there is someone there who can advise you on some upper body stuff.

You have an appointment on weds if I remeber correctly? email me and let me know how you get on - in the mean time TRY AND RELAX, don't worry too much - you'll get high blood pressure.
Remember, keep smiling
Dan

My advice is easy: enjoy lots of baths - do not try and rush full movements. It will take time so be patient. Did you get any medication? any advice on what to do at home? At this point I would say you just need to get used to being castless. the 11th isn't to bad at all for follow up.

Dan

Casi,

Definatley, if I remember correctly it took me around 3-4 weeks to get full movement after one cast was removed. Don't try and rush it - your physio will tell you how hard to work it next week.

Dan

:) Hey Dan,

I haven't written you in a while but I want to tell you how I'm coming along.I am about to start my 2nd week of rehab& I'm able to stand on my leg for a little bit & take a few steps.I'm still using my walker & crutches but soon I hope to not need them.I did the exercise bike Friday for 10 minutes.

I been doing alot of turning my ankle back& forth& up& down.The therapist have been having me stand to put weight on that foot more.He said he want me to quit hoping along on 1 leg & to keep trying to use that foot more.

I know it going to take time but I'm so happy I'm improving day by day.Response back please with and feedback. :P

Casi

Dan,

I'm up & walking but still swelling up on ankle&limping but I am using only 1 crutch. I am getting better so I might be back to close to normal by hopely next month.

It's been about 9 weeks & I'm improving each week.I do a little something extra everytime I have rehab so I will keep you inform.Til next time.See ya!

Casi

Hi Casi,
I just joined and read your question. I broke my ankle last week and same as you I have had a plate and some screws put in. I am now in a cast. Can you tell me how you have been getting on and how long it took before you could walk again.
I broke my ankke kite boarding. I do a lot of sports including wake boarding, surfin and running. I usually work out 3 times a week at least and I feel as if I am gonna go mad just sitting here. Do you have any ideas as to what I could do to keep myself sane and if you did any exercises to keep yourself fit.
Sue

Hi Casi,
Thanks for getting back to me. I will do my best to get out as much as I can, unfortunatley, most of my friends work and I live in a bit of a remote area so transport is very limited. My gym is about 8 miles away and to get a taxi costs a fortune. Like you my job required me to be up and about for at least 8 hours per day, I also did a lot of driving so that too is also out. My daughter is getting married in August so at least I know I should have the cast off by then. Thanks for your advice it is greatly appreciated. I expect I will spend more time on my pc whilst I am not able to get out much.

Sue.

MY NAME IS JESSICA AND IM 19 YEARS OLD. MY SITUATION IS LIKE THE ONE ABOVE. OCTOBER 13TH I FEEL DOWN MY STAIRS IN MY APARTMENT. I WAS HOME ALONE CARRYING BLANKETS DOWN THE STAIRS WITH MY CAT AND DOG RUNNING AFTER ME. DURING ALL OF THAT I FOUND MYSELF GOING HEAD FIRST DOWN THE STAIRS. I GRABBED THE RAILING AND MANAGED TO TURN MYSELF AROUND, BUT LANDED ON MY LEFT ANKLE. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS AS BAD AS IT WAS. I LIFTED MY ANKLE OUT OF UNDER ME AND IT JUST COMPLETELY FLOPPED OVER AND WAS STARTING TO SWELL UP REALLY QUICK. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO AND I WAS ONLY HALF WAY DOWN THE STAIRS. I SLID DOWN ON MY BUTT (I ALSO KNOW THAT FEELING AMANDA..HAHAHA) AND GOT THE PHONE IN THE LIVINGROOM AND CALLED MY BOYFRIEND WHO WAS AT WORK. BY THAT TIME I WAS PANICING AND IN EXTREME PAIN. I WAS CRYING SO HARD HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND ME. FINALLY I CALMED DOWN AND TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED AND HIS RESPONCE WAS "DON'T WORRY IT'S PROBABLY JUST SPRAINED." WHILE LAYING ON THE FLOOR FOR A HALF HOUR WAITING FOR HIM TO COME HOME WITH OUR 80 LB. BLACK LAB WALKING ALL OVER MY LEG I KNEW IT WASN'T JUST SPRAINED. BY THAT TIME IT WAS AS BIG AS A SOFTBALL. FINALLY HE CAME HOME AND HE SAW HOW BIG IT WAS AND I COULD TELL HE WAS NERVOUS. HE ASKED ME TO LIFT MY LEG UP SO I DID AND HE SAW MY ANKLE JUST DROP AND DANGLE AND THATS WHEN HE STARTED TO FREAK OUT WITH ME. THEN CAME THE STRUGGLE OF HAVING TO GET UP AND GET DOWN 3 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS...WE JUST HAD TO PICK AN APARTMENT ON THE THIRD FLOOR WITH NO ELEVATORS. AFTER BEING IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR 3 HOURS WITHOUT THE OFFER OF ANY PAIN MEDS I FINALLY GOT X-RAYED AND THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO GET SURGERY WITH SCREWS AND PLATES PUT IN. I HAD TO WAIT 3 DAYS BEFORE I COULD GET THE SURGERY THOUGH CAUSE SOMETHING ABOUT THEM HAVING NO DOCTORS ABLE TO DO IT. I HAD TO GO SEE A SPECIALIST AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET ME INTO SURGERY THE 16TH. AS FAR AS PAIN MEDS I WAS PERCRIBED THE SAME AS ABOVE WITH THE SAME REACTIONS. I WAS COMPLETELY KNOCKED OUT FOR A WEEK STRAIGHT IT SEEMED BEING UP FOR MAYBE A FEW HOURS EACH DAYS AND THAT WAS THE TIME WAITING FOR THE NEXT DOSE OF PILLS TO KICK IN. I WAS ALSO HAVING A HARD TIME EATING. TWO WEEKS AFTER SURGERY I HAD TO GET MY STITCHES OUT AND GET A REAL CAST ON. THAT WAS THE MOST PAINFUL EXPIERENCE I HAVE EVER HAD TO GO THROUGH. NOT THE STITCHES..BUT THE CAST. MY ANKLE WAS SO STIFF, SORE, BRUISED AND SWOLEN FROM SURGERY THE NURSE PUSHING ON IT TO GET IN A 90 DEGREE ANGLE WAS TORTURE TO ME. THE CAST ENDED UP HARDENING AND IT WASN'T IN THE FULL 90 DEGREE ANGLE SO THEY WANTED ME TO GO BACK TWO WEEKS LATER. TWO WEEKS LATER I WENT BACK AND THEY GOT IN PRETTY CLOSE. DURING THIS TIME I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BOTHER TRYING TO GET UP THE STAIRS TO MY BEDROOM, SO MY COUCH BECAME MY BED FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS ABOUT. I ALSO DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BOTHER GOING OUTSIDE, BECAUSE I HAD THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS TO GO DOWN TO DO SO. PLUS I WAS AFRAID OF FALLING AND MESSING UP MY ANKLE EVEN MORE. THE ONLY TIME I GOT UP WAS TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. I WAS EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL, AND FELT VERY LONELY. A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED I JUST MOVED FROM NY TO NC AND MY BOYFRIEND AND CO-WORKERS WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE I KNEW HERE. TALKING TO PEOPLE ON THE PHONE ISN'T THE SAME AS FACE TO FACE. PLUS IT WAS PROBABLY EXTREMELY HARD ON MY BOYFRIEND HAVING TO DO THE CLEANING AND COOKING THAT I ALWAYS DID. I JUST GOT MY CAST OF NOVEMBER 30TH AND GOT MY WALKING BOOT. DOCTOR SAYS X RAYS LOOK FINE AND I SHOULD BE BACK TO WALKING IN TWO WEEKS. I WORK AT A DAYCARE CENTER TAKING CARE OF INFANTS SO UNTIL I CAN BE FULL WEIGHT BEARING I CAN'T RETURN BACK TO WORK. IT'S ONLY BEEN ONE DAY BUT I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL ONLY TAKE TWO WEEKS. THE DOCTOR SAYS I WONT NEED PHYSICAL THERAPY AND TO SLOWLY PUT WEIGHT ON THE BOOT USING BOTH CRUTCHES. THEN TAKE AWAY ONE CRUTCH, THEN SOON JUST BE WALKING WITH THE BOOT. IN THE MEANTIME PRACTICE WRITTING THE ALPHABET WITH MY TOES. RIGHT NOW IM LUCKY TO EVEN BE ABLE TO WIGGLE MY TOES, THATS ABOUT ALL I CAN DO. I FIND THIS BOOT EXTREMELY WIERD, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST ME BEING AFRAID TO PUT ANY WEIGHT ON IT OR WHAT, BUT SOON HOPEFULLY THAT WILL CHANGE. IM STILL BLACK AND BLUE AND EXTREMELY STIFF. THE WORSE THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING IS MY INSURENCE DOESN'T START UNTIL THE NEW YEAR...SO ALL OF THIS WAS SELF PAY. AND NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK I'M UP TO ABOUT $16,000. YIKES!!!!! COMMENTS ON EXCERSIZES I CAN DO TO GET BACK MOVEMENT, GETTING USE TO THE WALKING BOOT BETTER, REALLY ANY ADVICE WOULD BE NICE.

AMANDA- THINGS YOU CAN TO THAT I DID TO KEEP MY SANITY IS OBVIOUSLY CATCH UP ON TV SHOWS/MOVIES YOU WANTED TO SEE BUT NEVER HAD THE TIME TOO...I ALSO HAD A TON OF PICTURES JUST IN BOXES SO I DID A FEW SCRAPBOOKS. ALSO WITH THE HOLIDAYS COMING I GOT ALL MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE, OBVIOUSLY ALL ORDERED ONLINE CAUSE THERES NO WAY YOU'D FIND ME CRUTCHING AROUND A MALL RIGHT NOW. AND JUST TRY TO RELAX EVEN THOUGH I KNOW ITS HARD WHEN YOU HAVE A MILLION THINGS RUNNING THROUGH YOUR HEAD, BUT SOON WERE GOING TO BE BACK TO WORK WAITING FOR OUR NEXT DAY OFF. I SAY THAT I'M NEVER GOING TO BE CAUGHT ON THIS COUCH AGAIN, NOT GOING TO WATCH TV FOR A YEAR AND I WANT TO BE OUTSIDE EVERY MINUTE I CAN GET BUT I KNOW AS SOON AS I GET BACK TO WORKING A 50+ WORK WEEK IM SURE THAT WILL CHANGE. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

I have just been reading all of your stories on your injuries and I can really empathize with all of you!
I injured my leg in June this year. I woke up one night to get a glass of water and whilst in the kitchen I felt light-headed and the next thing I knew I was on the floor with the most unbearable pain in my leg and my leg was at an angle - it looked like something out of a horror film. I was screaming so loud that my neighbour who lives below me heard me and thought I was being attacked so called the police and my flatmate heard me and called an ambulance. It took the paramedics 10 minutes to arrive but it felt like an eternity. It took them 2 hours to transfer for onto a stretcher and take me down to the ambulance (I also live in a block of flat on the 4th floor). At the hospital, the doctors confirmed that I had severely broken my tibia and fibula bones near my shin and left it to me to decide whether I wanted to have metal plates fitted or for them to manipulate the bones into position and to wear a cast without surgery. He said that both procedures would have the same results but without the op the bones would take longer to heal. I decided on the latter as I was terrified of having surgery and was worried about having another operation later down the line if the plates needed to be removed. I waited for 5 days for them to do the manipulation and put me into a proper cast. The pain was excruciating and no amount of painkillers of even morphine seemed to help enough. I was discharged from hospital after 2 weeks and spent the next 4 months being looked after by my grandmother at her house (from July - October). I didn't realise how long my leg would take to heal but as I opted for the more natural option (without plates or screws) it took considerably longer. As my cast was hip to ankle, I was unable to use crutches which meant for a long time I was unable to leave my bed. My doctor had also confirmed that where I'd fractured my leg, it was the worst place in the whole body for healing due to the lack of blood that is pumped to this area. During this time, I felt very depressed, despite all of the support I had from family and friends. There were times when I felt very lonely and useless and I just wanted to bang my head against the wall. I read more books, watched more TV and DVDs in 4 months than I had in the last 4 years . It definitely helped to pass the time and take my mind off my injury. I deeply missed doing normal things and having routine in my life as a lot of you have probably experienced. I found doing the most basic things the hardest such as trying to wash myself or make a sandwich. During these 4 month, I had a different cast put on every 4 weeks and was relieved to have a below-knee cast put on after 3 months as I was now able to bend my knee gradually and become a little mobile and use crutches. I began physio sessions and my physiotherapist gave me gentle exercises to practice at home to build up my thigh muscles and knee. Slowly the pain also became a lot lighter too.
On Monday 26th November, I was relieved when at hospital my doctor told me that my leg had heeled by over 75% and that I could now come out of plaster and begin partial weight-bearing with my crutches. I was really happy as I knew this was a step closer to walking again. The next day I had a session with my physiotherapist and although it felt strange to have my leg back and to have my foot touch the ground after so long, I felt like I was making progress. I even cycled on a bike for a few minutes. She said that hopefully I'd be walking by the end of the year so I decided optimistically to give myself a target of walking unaided by Christmas Day.
That was until Sunday 3rd December, when I left my flat to go for a walk on my crutches with my boyfriend. I crossed the main road outside of my flat when all of a sudden one of my crutches slipped on the wet pavement and trying hard not to fall, I tried to balance myself and put of all of my weight on my bad leg and heard my leg crack and fell to the ground. I couldn't believe I had done it again! I knew from the pain and previous experience that something was broken. I was crying from both the physical pain and the thought of having to go through all the physical and mental trauma that I had endured over the last 5 months again when I was just weeks away from making a full recovery! I feel extremely unlucky but also foolish. I shouldn't have gone out when it was raining and wet. Anyway, an ambulance came and rushed me to hospital - the paramedic though I had just torn a ligament but a doctor confirmed in hospital that I had fractured my ankle on both sides and part of it had been crushed! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I stayed in overnight until the doctors made a decision not to operate (at least noe for now) and fitted me in a ski boot and sent me home. The strange thing is that they have told me to take the boot off twice a day to exercise the ankle, to ensure it doesn't get too stiff but as I've just broken it less than a week ago, I am finding it very hard and painful to do so. My ankle is incredibly swollen and has turned every colour of the rainbow in the last few days. They said that the boot is better than the cast but I find it strange that I have to take it off to exercise it so soon after the injury.
I apologise for going on for so long but I feel like my injuries have taken over my whole like during the last 6 months.
Jessica/Amanda/Jena, have your doctors told you how long your ankles will take to heel? And do you know whether they will regain the same strength and flexibility they had before your accidents?

I wish you all a full recovery.

hi everyone, I just read all your emails. I just wanted to see what you thought about me. I broke my ankle 5 days ago and the hospital put me in a splint and then the next day the doc. put me in a cast. He wanted me to have surgery and put two screws in my ankle. it says on my papers that it's a closed, pilar fracture tibia. I am 6 months pregnant and I do not want surgery. They want me to have surgery when im awake with a epideral, I said HEC NO! they also wanted me to have a full leg cast, i said NO, so they put a cast up to my knee and I have to go back in 3 days to get x rays to see if the bone moved. Any advice? He said 6 weeks in a cast, (that's if I don't have surgery) any suggestions on what I should do? please someone give me some advice. Thx. so much,

I broke my right ankle in september i had a screw put it in as i snapped both back and front ligaments aswell as chippin bone.i had an operation to remove the screw on the 16th of november and now are back at work but i have a limp is this serious. i have hardly no muscle in my calf and no strength in my tendons. my doctor didnt prescribe me with physico and need some advice as to what i can do to get muscle into my leg again as i am affraid to get back to the gym and run.

any help would be great.

Josh

Wow I'm excited to have found this.

I feel very alone in my current state.

I fell coming out of my apartment in December 21st on some black ice. My boyfriend drove me to the hospital where they got me in right away. They didn't think the break was that bad (gave me no painkillers) until they took the x-ray and realized I had a bimalleolar break. I inverted my foot and the pressure from breaking the inner bone snapped the outer bone and shifted my entire foot out of alignment.

I was lucky enough to get surgery the same day since the swelling was so controlled but I now have two plates on the outside and seven screws. I spent 2 weeks in a plaster splint and just got a fiberglass cast. They tried to have me point my toe when they took the splint off and I couldn't do it. I danced for about 10 years so I can point my ankle and toes almost to the floor and was very dissapointed in myself.

I'm now off work and going crazy. They told me to take as much time as I need and I know I'm not ready to go back but I feel like a broken bone isn't something that should keep me away from my desk job for 6 weeks.

Really what I'm hoping for is some advice on workouts/stuff to do to keep the rest of my body in shape. I'm going to see a personal trainer next week and I have a pilates ball and weight bands but I'm not sure what's best. I'm also in the process of trying to drop about 40 pounds.

Good luck to everyone else. It's nice to know someone else understands what you are going through :)

I just got my cast off today after having the walking cast on for two weeks and prior to that having a splint and then a cast on since Thanksgiving. I guess my expectations were too high, because I though I would immediately be able to walk without assistance or limping. Wrong! The skin feels really tight especially where the incisions were made for surgery. I can't really move my ankle up and down without pain. I will begin physical therapy this Thursday and hope that helps. I guess I was just wondering when I should expect to be back to normal whatever that is?

Hi
Great to have found this discussion board. Maybe i expected miracles when my cast came off and was shocked to find i could not put any weight on it, for the last two weeks with my cast i was walking around really well without my crutches. My break was in three places, slipped on ice. Took me 35 years to break a bone in my body, so it was a job well done! I was wondering if anybody has had the same treatment. As well as a plate with nine screws on one side, on the other side, i have a long screw that is fitted into the large bone which MUST be removed in a few months. (I live in sweden so communication between the doctors and myself was and still is difficult - so i dont completly understand why this was done, hence looking on the net and came across this site)
Its been two weeks since i had my cast removed, and have pushed myself to move around because i was so desperate to work again. I have not been seeing a physiotherapist and wonder if this is really important. I returned to work last week (half time), but have an easy job. The swelling concerns me and on one side it feels numb. Will the feeling return? And if i have the chance to remove the plate (im on the understanding that the plate can stay if it causes no discomfort - but does it restrict movement?), should i take it and how much more time off work should i expect? (or, more so, is it painful again)
I am not a serious sportsperson, so i am sorry to hear about people who enjoy their hobby and have to go through this. It must be very frustrating. Good luck everyone, happy healing!

I suddenly do not feel alone after reading these comments!
Early last november, I slipped outside my house and went over, falling on my right leg. I was screaming so loud, my bf and father had to carry me inside the house. My bottom leg and ankle swelled straight away and my dad decided they should take me to A&E.
Once there I had my leg x-rayed and it turned out I had broken my tibula and twice fractured my fibia. As it was such a bad break I was admitted to hospital and had surgery to put a plate and a whole lot of screws in my leg. I spent 5 nights in hospital.
Once home I had a lovely temp. cast on which was removed after 2 weeks. I then had a red cast on up to my knee for 4 weeks. I was on crutches and was told while I had the cast on to be non weight bearing.
I had my cast off in december and was told to be partial weight bearing with crutches and to start physio. I went back in January and was told to be full weight bearing with crutches. I had an x-ray to see how things were going and unfortuantly I have suffererd nerve damage and have a v week foot bone.
I've been trying to walk without crutches, and the pain is unbearable! My foot is often blue and my leg swells immensly!
I have no idea how long it'll be untill I can walk unaided.
This past 10 weeks have been a right laugh i can tell you!

i broke my FIBULA and crushed my TIBIA on halloween night 2007 it was an open fracture, bone sticking out of my leg and some pieces of it actually fell off! i still have them. i was on vacation and trying to take a shortcut back to my hotel room which involved jumping over a wall, oops, i landed terribly wrong. called a cab instead of an ambulance to take me to the hospital as i didnt have insurance. they re-aligned my bones and did surgery the next day nov. 1 (put 4 long screws in my leg attached to a metal bar on the outside, external fixator, to temp. hold my bone in place) i stayed 4 days in the hospital. came back just over a month later dec. 4 to have a second surgery done (sliced open the front of my leg and put in a metal plate and about 8 screws to hold it together, also put in some bone grafting) stayed 4 more days in hospital, i had an epideral in for 2 days after and was numb from the waist down, couldnt even sit up (not fun) but still had pain! i now have a hard cast on and its been 2 months since my last surgery, still no weight on my leg for a few more months. i live alone so i also get soooo board! i like reading everyone's stories, so i dont feel so alone :)
thanks for letting me vent!
im supposed to be getting something called a BONE STIMULATOR this month which i will wear on the outside of my cast for about an hour a day. its supposed to help my bone heal up better, cause we dont get much blood flow in the lower leg, has anyone ever used one of these before, please let me know! thanks.....

cornstarch

Hi there fellow sufferers!!

Mine is a bit of a tale but hey if you're lying there with your leg in the air what else would you be doing.

On the 24th September I was coming into land after my 18th sky diving jump, I should've of packed it in when I landed in the trees a number of jumps prior.

I bet you know what's coming next...snap crackle pop and there I lay with my foot pointing @ two o clock. I was in Spain at the time on the drop zone field, after approx 1 hour I started to realise the severity of the situation. In broken English (pardon the pun) the medical team asked me some questions to gauge the extent of my injuries, then administered some eye bulging drugs huddled around my foot and commenced the bone relocation ceremony.

Once in hospital I was told I would require an operation to fix the fibula and tibia, this took place the following day, the professionalism was second to none and I remember drifting off to sleep with classical music in the back ground and the subtle babbling of a foreign tongue.

After two days in hospital I was released with an all clear well I think It was because I couldn't understand a word they were saying, the funny thing was though they wouldn't allow me to keep the crutches so I had to hop to my pals car which took at least ten minutes.

The next day I flew home with Ryan Air, that was the wrong thing to do but I got away with it through some incredible luck.

Thirteen weeks later and I was well on my way to recovery. Physio twice a week and very beneficial! Despite what the doctors say it's a must for long term benefits’.

As a rule twelve weeks is the normal duration before taking on a long haul flight after such an injury, so I did my time and thought I'd celebrate the New Year...Las Vegas style. The journey was horrendous and took the best part of seventeen hours, on and off of planes. Within a day of arriving in Vegas I started limping and my leg expanded at an alarming rate, from toe to top of thigh. The pain increased with each hour until I could bear it no longer, in hind sight the pain could of saved my life because on the 3rd of jan my 44th birthday I hobbled into a medical clinic and three hours later was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis, in many cases this condition goes unnoticed so beware.

Off to hospital again with my suit case by my side. Three hours is all it took to assign me to a ward then I was lying in a private room where I stayed for three days. TIP of the day INSURANCE, you just never know.

In summary back on track even skipping and running for 1 1/2 minutes. Don't underestimate the power of your mind look after yourselves and your injuries but keep moving forward. Elevate leg at all times, if flying flight socks are a must and drink lots of water and stay mobile.

Here's my mobile should you want a chat. Dotors are great and where would we be without them but they tend to treat us like mushrooms...left in the dark. +44 07977090185

meedja, I cringed reading your story...having to go through all of that again is constantly on my mind, when I’m in the bath at the swimming pool or just climbing a few steps are to name but a few focal points. Good luck for the future I hope my next snowboarding adventure doesn't put me in the same boat as you.
Regards,

Hello koorahk what you're now experiencing with your ankle is exactly what I had, swelling pain and bruising for months. My walking has improved since I started wearing a compression stocking...every day now for over a month...I even wear it at the gym and only remove it at bed time. Your husband can help with your recovery by gently massaging your ankle, this is not far off what my physio is doing for me. Even now five months after my injury I still take every opportunity to elevate my leg with a cushion under the calf. It's a frustrating time because the healing process is so slow but the good news is does get better.

read the above with interest.I think I am one of the luckier ones but I wonder if anyone can advise me.
20th feb thought sprained ankle 2900ft up. got down myself then 2 miles on uneven surfaces. Was bearable when could plant foot flat on floor- harder after went dark! drove home hobbled on one stick to relieve weight on bad leg but after a week went hospital cos still very swollen. They said broken ankle put in fibreglass cast said for 6 weeks no weightbearing. My problem is over 60 now live alone in area not long moved to, Dead boring as everyone knows! can cope in house but problem is I have a big dog and no garden and obv. he needs to go out to do his business. Accordingly pretty desperate/depressing cos I find hopping about on crutches both tricky and dangerous but would feel better if I could put some weight on it using crutches if not now then asap. My injury clearly not the worst since;-
I did have to walk initially have since walked aided by stick
Apart from when I first got up was not that painful and I have taken no painkillers nor anything else.Nor did the hospital prescribe any anti inflammatories.
Question;- will the Doctor just go by textbook? is there any hope talking to him?Am I simply being unrealistic? they have to cover themselves etc.

The other thing- 40 years ago broke my leg playing football. usual plaster up to hip for 3 months horrible but after that the below knee plaster seemed dead easy- memories do fade but i def. walked on it and once went upstairs on a double decker bus.
Also after it came off I do not remember any problems walking but could be wrong of course

funny just after mine yours is the experience I was hoping to see( the only one on the site tho`) pity you do not know what bone it was . Was there any suggestion you were given shortened sentence due to having look after son?
I cannot believe work could be so unreasonable as to expect you to wear high heels; that would be absurd. If owt went wrong you would get "millions".
Walk the dogs next week- can mine come?