Broke my foot and I’m struggling

[Ricecrispiesatsix]

I broke my foot a couple of weeks ago and I am finding it so hard and depressing.

I’m usually a very active person: running, dancing, cycling, walking and now I can’t do any of that. DH is being amazing with doing all the school runs and extra housework but he works full time and I feel like I’m slowly watching the house descend into chaos and I can’t do anything about it.

I’ve not been signed off work but I am working from home and I hate it. I’m very extroverted and being on my own all day is making me really tearful.

But then my day off rolls around and I don’t know what to do with myself. I know I need to find something which brings me joy but the only thing I want to do is go for a run. I can’t even bring myself to listen to music because all my favourite music reminds me of running and dancing and just makes me feel sad.

I know it’s not helpful but I keep replaying the accident over and over in my head and just wishing I could reverse time.

Sorry for the rant, my friends and family are all getting a bit sick of me moaning though! I don’t know what I need. Maybe a reality check or a head wobble? Or practical advice on how to get through this. I’m so down.

I broke mine 3 years ago. Didn't rest it or give it chance to heal properly.. Fell a year later and did it again.
So relax. Try and embrace the rest. Find a hobby you can do from a chair. Christmas crafts? Write a novel?
Dc decorated my crutches that first year...
They still let me cook Christmas dinner - how thoughtful of them.

I was the same with an injury and didn’t rest it enough and now I can’t run at all. So please do rest it. It really pissed me off at the time too - can you try reading, crochet, knitting, drawing instead? Alternatively it is that time of year to
hibernate a little - do you have any projects you could research? Holidays, decoration, rehab plan? You have my sympathy as I’m not a good patient either!!!

Can you invite friends and family around so you get some social interaction.

Turn it round, just think of how satisfying that first walk will be, and how great you'll feel when you run again. Choose some music for your first dance, a podcast for your first walk. Plot a route for your first cycle. Buy yourself some new trainers as a treat, or something to wear to keep you warm when you start walking again. It might take a few weeks to settle into it and get those muscles moving, and it'll still be satisfying.

And also as a reality check and head wobble, be grateful you will do all of those things again. There is an end to this annoyance, many don't get that. Many people are left bed bound for months with chronic illness and injuries, years sometimes. You're strong stuff, you can manage a few weeks of bother.

Have you got anyone who could come over and tidy the house, spend a bit of time with you and cook dinner to save DH a job? You could be quite bossy even from a sofa!

I had similar a few years ago and had a rota with friends would could pop in weekdays to eat lunch with me or have a coffee and those who could take me out (borrowed a wheelchair from local Red Cross) for wheelchair friendly excursions. My work also arranged some lifts with colleagues so I could come into the office once a week. Could that be an option? Was so nice to be around people and get out of the house.

I’d echo others who say don’t rush the recovery.

@Ricecrispiesatsix you have my sympathy

I was so so low when this happened to me.

Anything that distracts you is a good idea. I must've binged watched absolutely everything!

You could look on YouTube for chair exercise videos that only do your upper body - get some movement in where you can.

I overdid things on my first day of crutches so do be careful of that.

💐

Sympathies. It's hard but you have to let it heal properly. I broke my ankle and went loopy not being able to run or carry shopping etc. Wearing a boot 24/7 for 6 weeks did drive me mental at night by week 4.
I used to do weights exercises in my chair to at least give myself the illusion I was ok.
Can you do little walks outdoors with crutches? I used to trundle round the block slowly with my bored teen for 15 mins and extended it by 5 mins every couple of days.

Get on the floor, there are exercises you can do without a foot. Especially if you have a dumbbell or kettlebell.

Oh no that’s awful! And terrifying!! I’m so sorry to hear that. How long have you not been able to run for? And is there any hope you might be back running one day?

Not being able to run has really brought home to me just how much I rely on it for my mental health. And frustratingly 2 days before I broke my foot I ran a PB at parkrun, it was so exciting and I was on track to break 21 minutes before the end of this year.

I have been trying to do some exercises on the floor but I find it so boring. I just love being outside in nature, watching the seasons change.

Chair aerobics

Well I was devastated- much like you had just really got into running for my mental health. I took up outdoor swimming and that is awesome - I also now walk the old running routes which gets me the fresh air and daylight I crave. Hopefully things lookngs better for you today!

Could you get a knee scooter? You have my sympathy. Someone I know broke their ankle and they still can't put weight on it two months later!

When I broke my leg and had to wear a boot day and night I used crutches as much as I could and got really strong!
If it's your left foot in a boot it's legal to drive an automatic car. I would take myself to a local beauty spot, high up and with a panoramic view which widened my horizons. There was a coffee van there and if I phoned the owner (number painted on the van) she would bring a coffee to the car. I could enjoy the view and pretend I'd walked there.

Good luck!

Ooooh, I really feel for you. I would go stir crazy.

Would something like ‘Create Academy’ interest you. I love some of their courses and have them as my winter dark evening treat.

Without wanting to make you relive your experience, could I ask how you broke your foot? (please ignore if you would rather not say). I have Osteoporosis and worry about breaking my finer bones. My DM broke both her feet (due to Osteoporosis) but is no longer around for me to ask how she did it.

I really want to try and protect my feet in any way I can. Like you I would be so p…d off if unable to walk every day.

Wishing you a fast recovery !!

How did you do it? What did you break! Foot is hundreds of small bones. Yes, obey the instructions, I know someone who broke her hip, didn't obey instructions,was operated on,sat on the sofa barking out instructions to her poor DH, didn't do the exercises, then first time walking,fell and dislocated the thing. Ended up another operation, followed by a blood clot by not moving and in ITU., you learn to manage because you have to. Have you got kids. I had a broken left wrist,yup,left handed full pop, an a year old baby, with 2 older kids. Find some online chair excercises.

It was a stupid and entirely avoidable tap dancing injury. If I hadn’t been tapping dancing in the kitchen, or if I’d just popped my tap shoes on, I’d have been fine. Also if I didn’t have a bone cyst it wouldn’t have broken.

I had it re x-rayed because I was panicking (partly due to some of the stories on this thread!) and the good news is it’s healing fine. The bad news is I have to be patient and it’s going to take longer than they first told me at a&e.

Are you in plaster or a boot?

i broke my foot many years ago and mine never really healed. I can walk now but will never run again.

i do wild swimming instead.

you can also drive an automatic with one foot if you have one.

Ouch, how unfortunate.

Thank you for sharing that. I will be looking at my tap shoes now with deep suspicion.

I do hope it heals quickly and completely for you !!

I sympathise. I broke my ankle as a teen. The worst part was when they removed the plaster and my leg was horrendously hairy! 😬

-I too was going to suggest a knee scooter so you could at least scoot about.
-Chair yoga
-Do you have a teams group at work so you can chat/interact with colleagues?
-Write out Christmas cards
-Wrap Christmas gifts
-Read, crochet, knit, try a new hobby
-Weights for your arms or one of those little rotary wheels you use for legs under a desk- but for your arms?

I've been on sticks for 18 months waiting for surgery. Had to give up driving. Had surgery two weeks ago. Dire threats from surgeons if I rush recovery. I feel your misery.

I'm now on two crutches. Saw physio today only allowed light muscle exercises, tensing and squeezing.

Tomorrow I'm going to write out Christmas cards I've ordered online. Xmas presents are also being ordered online. I'm reading books on my kindle again. Binge watching old TV series. Moonlighting and Foyles war this week.

I'm finally allowed to shower again. But can hardly stand in it. So that's no fun.

Don't mess about with a foot. So many tiny bones. My rugby playing son is facing his third surgery on his left foot after the original accident years ago.

I wasn’t wearing tap shoes. If I had it would have been fine! I was doing the routine at double speed just for fun while waiting for the kettle to boil and just kicked the corner of the kitchen island way too hard. But all complicated by the fact I have a bone cyst.

8 weeks in now and still not able to walk. Finding it very very tough. I dream about running a lot. On the plus side I can now do a pull up. (Working towards 3 in a row.) But I’m very anxious about the fact my foot is not healing the way it should. Hopefully will have an MRI scan soon to find out more.

Do you have a boot or a cast on?

Full sympathy here, I had knee surgery and had a leg brace, my goodness I've never been so grumpy. Never realised how important moving was for my mental wellbeing.

I was religious about doing the physio though as it was something to do and I really badly wanted it to heal properly! All a distant memory now.

No cast, just a boot.

Awaiting results of the MRI scan but surgery now looking likely. It’s been 13 weeks and still no healing. Very frustrating.

I know I’m putting weight on but feel powerless to stop it. It’s impossible to exercise and I’m used to being so active that I could eat as much as I wanted.

I fell off a step 7yrs ago and karate kicked a full chest freezer. Heard the snap and fainted numerous times. I'd broken all 5 metatarsals and my toes. I was in a cast for about 8 weeks then a boot for 6 weeks. It was a blummin nightmare so I feel for you.

I ended up discharging myself from treatment as I kept being told to go for an x-ray only to be told .... it's healing, come back in another fortnight. The hassle of getting there drove me mad. I ended up just gradually learning to walk on it and after a few weeks I felt able to drive again.

Take it over OP. You'll be all better by spring and able to run again in the new sunshine.