Broken foot - feel so disabled!

[owwwfoot]

I’ve broken my foot. Stress fracture from walking. I have a walker boot for the next 4-6 weeks. We go abroad in 3 weeks. I get married in 4.5 weeks (hopefully I can take off the boot for that)

I’m thoroughly fed up and am basically immobile. It hurts to bear weight on it - the boot makes it hurt slightly less, but walking is clunky and odd.

I can’t drive until I don’t need the boot anymore. I can’t even take it off to drive, as it does hurt lifting the clutch up and down. Public transport links are shit around us. The bus and train station is 10 minutes away by car, then my office is a 10 minute walk from both the bus and train station in the other town.

I can work from home but my role is hybrid, I’m also often out and about in the community. Next week I have to drive to 5 different locations. Of course I won’t be doing that anymore. I can’t go into the office and just park outside because it’s city centre and there’s no access. A taxi could theoretically drop across the road but it would be £20 one way from where I live.

Adjustments can and probably will be made but I am seriously fed up.

I love going on walks, how can I exercise now? Even simple things like popping to the shop can’t be done.

DP and my parents have offered to give me lifts to places when they’re available but they all work so often aren’t available nor do I want to rely upon anyone, kind as the offers are.

What terrible timing I am sorry
Would a knee scooter help?
You can ask for assistance at the airport where they take you through in a wheelchair so do ask about that
and honestly I know you won't want to hear this but I would seriously consider buying a lightweight wheelchair to use while you're away
Personally( I am disabled) I'd rather do that so I could enjoy my holiday/ honeymoon.
I wish you a speedy recovery

If it is a stress fracture just from walking maybe you need a DEXA scan?

I feel your pain. I'm 8 weeks in to non weight-bearing due to a broken ankle. Hopefully getting a boot next week and then I can start doing things for myself again.

What’s one of those & what’s it for?

Hope you have a speedy recovery xx

Dexa scan measures bone density. I had one when I broke my foot years ago to check if I needed medication to improve bone density.

Oh right! I thought anyone could get a stress fracture?

@owwwfoot - I am in the same boat! What have you broken? Mine is the fourth metatarsal. I have no idea how I got it which is stressing me out as I hadn't been walking any more than usual.

I am so down. I've had a terrible day today. I can't do anything, can't exercise, sitting so much is hurting me as I have bad hips. I've been walking around a bit on the boot which I thought was allowed, but am now in increased pain and have since learned you're not really meant to. Have you been walking much on yours?

I am really hoping mine heals because I keep reading all these horror stories about it taking months and then just reoccurring soon after.

I can wfh too but don't want to as I hate being stuck in the house. I will probably taxi down to work but it'll cost me about a fiver each way which is more than I can afford.

I am honestly feeling so depressed about this injury. It's come at the end of a very long, hard year and I just feel like "what next?"

In my head I'm telling myself I will be better by Christmas.

PM me if you like as it would be nice to have a stress fracture buddy :-)

Try going from being completely able to doing everything to having a bleed on the brain,63 days in a coma and now can't walk. Dose't really compare!

That sounds awful for @DebbyU I hope you are recovering now and will be able to walk in the future.

@owwwfoot It took my broken foot 6 weeks to really heal. I felt like I turned a corner when I ordered an organic chicken and made soup from the stock I made with the bones.

The first question the orthopediatrician asked was do I eat dairy. He said broken bones are sometimes due in menopausal women to being short on vitD/calcium. I've switched to full fat milk since.

You’re right, it doesn’t compare at all. That sounds really horrific.

Second metatarsal for me. Exact same situation as you! It’s crap. The boot makes walking so uneven doesn’t it!! And really painful.

I will definitely PM you it’ll be good to have a fracture friend ha ha

how much did you walk

you need a fit note and your work needs to reshuffle so that your foot can recover.

protein rich food.
keep mobile as much as possible, ask for physio or book a private session to look at exercises you can do,

all the best

I have walked more before! Prob only 12k steps. Not that many really. The issue was the footwear, it was a hot day so I stupidly wore lace up fashion shoes not trainers or anything with any real support

and yes to dexa scan.
ask you gp.
tbh they should have referred you if you had a fracture 'without reason'.

also take vit d3, and magnesium. if you eat dairy and/or bony fish you should not need extra calcium.

I’m dairy free. Really that could be it! I do have a D3 supplement but probably don’t always get 100% of RDI of calcium.

It’s awful isn’t it? Crutches are much more difficult and exhausting than they look too. When I broke my left ankle I was able to drive an automatic car because you only use your right foot.
A little manual wheelchair was great downstairs, and a knee scooter was amazing upstairs to get to the bathroom. Also a disabled stool/seat thing in the shower was good. It does feel so much more disabling than you would think, but it will heal and you’ll be walking without the boot in no time. Here’s to a speedy recovery…

Dear OP, you really shouldn't be walking or putting weight on that foot for at least 2 weeks ( borrow some crutches!) if you want it to heal asap, and keep it elevated most of the time. With your wedding coming up so quickly you have no other choice but to rest and stay immobile otherwise it won't heal correctly. Are you having daily shots for circulation?

I have broken my feet several times (!)- usually metatarsals but have always had full knee length casts - non-weightbearing / nor walking for 6 weeks, on crutches despite stairs in the home! Believe me I was in great shape after those crutches. Went on 2 week sailing holiday directly after the last one. No problems because I did as the doctor ( in France) ordered!

It is so painful and frustrating , I feel so sorry for you! Try to be patient and rest as much as possible.

Best wishes for your future happiness!

I hate my crutches. So bloody hard to maneuver. We've borrowed a wheelchair though so I can get out and about. I've slept on couch since it happened though as our bathroom is downstairs

I agree crutches are horrible, but they do provide mobility if you are busy planning a wedding! The main thing is to keep weight off of that foot !
And keep it elevated as long as possible! :)

Oh that's rough OP. I sprained my ankle last October - grade 3 sprain with ligament and Achilles tendon involvement.

I completely understand why you say it's disabling - and I have a disability (visual impairment) so have no issue with you using the word.
My ankle injury made me realise how much I took the ability to walk, bend, climb stairs etc for granted.

Keep it elevated, keep off it as much as possible, and hopefully you'll heal quickly.

When I broke mine I had an Aircast boot and crutches and was told not to put weight on it for the first few weeks (couldn't have done so anyway as was a bad/messy break and it hurt like mad). Once I could put weight on it without pain, I was advised to do so as stressing the bone does help with healing.