Broken ankle

[IndieR22]

Hi all. Hope everyone is well. I am currently one week (tomorrow) into my broken ankle with a 5 month old. Luckily my parents are retired so they pick me up each morning when my husband goes to work so that the baby isn't stuck with me! I've been told I can't weight bare (bear?!) On it, am wearing one of the velcro boots, and it's driving me mad not being able to do anything and the paracetamol not touching the pain.

I have a patterjack who seems to have entered himself into a show jumping competition and is using my ankle as practise. Unfortunately he isn't very good and I feel I won't have an ankle left soon.

Just hoping for conversation, funny stories, own stories about broken ankles to let me know it gets better and when.. Just anything really!

Oh dear, you need codeine if you’re able to take it. I broke my ankle, needed surgery….awful time but we rented a little scooter and it was helpful for getting around. It’s the kind you put one knee on the pad and then paddle with the other foot. Mine had a basket so I could sidle up to the fridge and stock up on snacks and then paddle back to the sofa. 😁

I broke mine at uni (both ankles and feet at separate times)
Dad pushed me into a&e in a wheelchair - I had fallen down the stairs and very obviously snapped it as my foot was pointing the wrong way. He drove me there over speed bumps
As he pushed me into a&e he misjudged and smacked my broken ankle into the door. A lot of people came running when I screamed

The other one I still don't know how I broke it, a&e were convinced it wasn't broken. No, just shattered foot and ankle that I had walked on for a week
Dad "again?!"

After spinal surgery he was concerned about me riding my horse, I pointed out I so far had broken bones doing nothing, falling down the stairs and herniated a disc with no idea how. Horse riding = zero injuries

I’m 2 1/2 weeks into being non-weight bearing due to a fracture to my fibula! My sympathies. Bad enough with an 8 year old and a puppy I’m not able to have a boot due to the complexity of my fracture. Currently have a half fibreglass cast which should be replaced tomorrow when I go back to fracture clinic.

Are you breastfeeding? I’m taking the strongest dose of co-codamol which is managing the pain (I can’t take NSAIDs).

I am mostly sitting on the sofa watching TV but I do crochet which keeps me occupied. I’m very up and down in my mood. I feel so dependent on how others, hate not being able to drive and when I’m out in the wheelchair I’ve borrowed I feel invisible. It totally sucks. Happy to make this a moany thread til we have recovered!

I'm coming out the other side after 12 weeks non weight bearing first in a cast then a boot. Elevate it as much as you can as often as you can and also as high as you can, ice packs really helped me got a 3 pack from Amazon cheaply. Accept any aids etc that are offered even if they make you feel ancient, a raiser on my loo made it much easier to be independent, as did a perching stool in the kitchen and a step to help me in and out the door. Religiously do any physio exercises once you are allowed. Are you able to undo the boot? Once you can moisturise regularly and the boot will get smelly what ever you do I wiped it out often with a baby wipe and regularly febreezed everything near me! If you can get outside do I got really stir crazy as I wasn't able to get upstairs and the first time I managed to sit in the garden was wonderful really helped with my mood.

Oh nooo how did you do it? On the plus side 5 month isn't on the move yet but it's still an absolute pain! I hope your parents are feeding you well and the next 5 weeks fly by.

@SalsaLove oh my goodness I would have no self control if I had that! I've already said I need to cut my portion sizes down or else I'm probably going to double in size. Still carrying the 4 stone I gained during pregnancy 🙈

@NotMyCat what an impressive array of injuries! Up until this point I hadn't broken anything and was quite proud of myself for reaching 31 without doing so! Not as bad as your dad smacking your ankle into the door, but my husband definitely isn't careful around my ankle when I'm changing the baby for bed on the bedroom floor!

@ThePontiacBandit moany thread.. yes please! I'm looking forward to my appointment at the clinic next Wednesday to see how it's doing. I'm hoping it's recovering well but I have a feeling it won't be.. not even sure if my boot is on correctly because I have to take it off to shower... which I have only done twice in one week 👀 it's so much effort and I'm terrified of slipping.. if that's going to happen to anyone, it will be me! I'm not breastfeeding so am open to any pain relief I can get from the chemist!

@dancingthroughthedark they haven't actually told me if I can take it off or not but I have done to shower, get dressed/undressed, and just to check on it/itch it 🙃 febreeze is a good shout.. it's already starting to smell a bit and when I take it off the dog won't stop trying to lick it 🙈 how did you ice pack it with the boot on?

@Ohshittt I was walking back to the house with the baby from unlocking my husbands car for his work mate who had left his house key in the car. I stepped down onto the 'grass' that my husband has dug up because we want it flagged (because the bins were blocking the path) and it must have been uneven.

I'm just so thankful that the baby is OK. He didn't touch the ground, so I'll take the broken ankle for that.

@Ohshittt my parents were both cooks, so I'm being fed far better than if I was at home 🤣

Okay so I’ve been prompted to say about aids….my friend is an OT and she’s organised equipment for me..I’ve got perching stools (one for upstairs and one for upstairs) so I can do some food prep and wash upstairs. Best thing is the shower seat so I can slide over the bath and sit to shower. I doubt I could stand for too long. I have wedge pillows and a leg pillow which really help to keep it elevated. I have a wedge that raises it and one that cradles my leg so it doesn’t move too much. Will try to add a photo. Photo shows wear my leg is broken in yellow as well!

We are mostly having microwave meals because it’s easier (DH is working full time and doing all the laundry etc). DD is having hot dinners so she only needs a light tea. I only go up and down the stairs once a day too. Once I’m down, I’m down.

@ThePontiacBandit I sent my husband for a shower stool on day one! I can get in easy enough but getting out isn't as easy! How lucky that your friend is an OT though.

Definitely agree on the fact that once I'm downstairs at home that's it! Luckily I'm at my mums everyday and they have a toilet downstairs too, but once it's close to home time I limit my drinking!

We need laundry doing too but my husband doesn't hang it up on the maiden properly so I'm reluctant to let him do it 🙈

for the pain foot up and ice ice ice.
you can takd both ibuprofen and paracetamol. I didn't see if you are bf but if not consider codeine af least for the night time.

good luck and I hope it heals well

Fractured both ankles at the same time 18months ago. Used the experience as a wake up call. Now fitter than ever!
Although 63, I was taken to the OR and screws and a metal plate inserted. Which meant I was able to lightly weight bear right away.
I was given long acting freezing which covered me for 48 hours after which Tylenol ES was fine.
Lots of rest though and careful nutrition.
I healed well and went on to having all the metal work removed (easy peasey day surgery).
One leg was worse than the other, the one that didn’t warrant surgery was weak for a long time.

luckily never been in such a position apart from a badly sprained ankle when I was 13 that still kills today at times (wasn't taken to casualty for 48 hours despite teachers saying I needed to be).
anyway just sending a quick hello and hope you feel better soon and you are healing well.
though he may not be good at it do let your husband do the laundry and hang it up its better than nothing!

Not sure if it will make you feel better or not, but I know someone in the US who broke their ankle. She had no medical insurance and little money to pay.
So they took her to the hospital, x-rayed it (which she will be paying off in instalments, with vast levels of interest), and because she couldn't pay any more, popped a quick bandage (not much better than an elasticated stocking) on it and told her not to weight bear for at least 6 week, probably 12 otherwise she'll have a good chance of landing up with permanent mobility issues.
Say thank you to the NHS!

@IndieR22 I used to elevate the leg, then undo the boot and sort of tuck the ice pack round it. The itching is something else but regular moisturising did help with that though I tried lots of different ones before I found the right one, I probably have enough different brands and scents to start a small business!
I got an excellent leg wedge that you could use in different positions one of which cradled it which really helped at night once I could get up to bed.

@purplesequins thank you. Will get the frozen fruits on it when I get home (that's all we have!) And get on the ibuprofen as well as the paracetamol as I have both of those in already!

@fallfallfall my goodness, so glad I didn't do both, how did you function?!

@labazslovesliving thank you for the hello! I think you are right re the husband doing the laundry as it does need doing!

@MargaretThursday definitely grateful for the NHS! I would not like to have been in your friends position.

@dancingthroughthedark I will be icing it when I get home!! That makes it sound delicious 😫 just knocked it so I'm not as bad as the dog for knocking it!

I didnt break my ankle but I pulled tendons on both sides and the pain was horrendous. I wish I had got crutches and a boot because it still isn't right.

You need codeine for the pain. It was the only thing that managed it for me. Try not to walk too much.

With the pins and plate and a boot called an air cast on the left leg and a tensor on the right. I was able to “feather weight bear” right after surgery (next day). This allowed me to transfer from bed to a chair with wheels. From there using my arms and the walls I “pushed and pulled” myself all over the house (one level bungalow). Already owed a bath bench and hand held shower. Eventually got a wheeled walker (that hurt my pride). But allowed me greater freedom in the house.

Oh and there is NOTHING better than when you get the cast off than using a body scrub on your leg. It's better than cake, and I bloody love cake

Waiting in fracture clinic for my review. It’s been 45 minutes already 🤦🏻‍♀️

Got seen after a 50 minute wait! Have a new fibreglass plaster in purple. 3 more weeks in cast non-weight bearing then I’ll be reviewed. It feels really weird and tight after the open cast went so loose. Need to get it elevated again.

@ThePontiacBandit

Got seen after a 50 minute wait! Have a new fibreglass plaster in purple. 3 more weeks in cast non-weight bearing then I’ll be reviewed. It feels really weird and tight after the open cast went so loose. Need to get it elevated again.

Glad you got seen! Really hope I don't have to wait 50 minutes 😬 I'm in at 9am on Wednesday so hoping they may be relatively on time that early in the day.. Am I deluded?

No last time I went I was there early and was in and out. I think I was the last patient of the morning, place was empty when I left!

How are you doing IndieR22? I’m pretty down today. Finding it hard not to dwell on the things I can’t do and what I’m missing out on!

So sorry to hear of your predicament, Pontiac. I've been in a similar state with ankle surgery. While you are 'incapacitated' forget how you like to do things and just shrug.: -) Don't worry if the laundry is wonky - it's only wet washing. You'll get lots of good advice here so all I'll add is "Get well soon".