I have broken my leg

[littlebird55]

I have two young dc. My dh is working non stop and my nearest family member is nearly 200 miles away. All my lovely friends are away or visiting other family or sick. Literally no one is around to help me even a little bit.

I was doing okay up until this afternoon, I have been stuck inside this house for a week now and feeling the cabin fever. I have used up every last craft idea, movie idea and now I am just crying. I am in pain, I am tired as I can't sleep. We are snowed in and I don't think I can take much more.

Do you have ideas at all how I can get through this?
I am too scared to go out in the ice and snow with my leg in full plaster and crutches. I am trying to be positive but I have hit such a low, I don't think I can carry on with getting through the day much less another five weeks of this.

So at that age can they be bribed with money, for example 50p to do the washing up, £1 for putting some washing on. Even a bribe if they play nicely and quietly together for an hour or whatever.

You have all my sympathy. I broke my ankle a few years ago, and thought that I'd go mad - and I didn't have very small children..!
Definitely online delivery for as much shopping as possible. Are you in the UK? (Just wondered as the snow here will probably not last too long - but if you're in Canada etc it's a very different deal). Ring the shops when you order so that they note that you'll need help with putting stuff away - also more time to get to the door.
Eating pizza three times a week won't hurt you for a short time - you need easy to prepare food. The microwave is your friend.
Do you have a religious organisation near to you that you could contact? You may find that people will spare an hour a week to help you. And if you possibly can - get a cleaner for a month or two --- if your 'D'H wants to help you in your hour of real need, he needs to pay for this.
All the very best to you

Its times like this when we realise who we have really married. Isnt it shit when you need them most they dont even attempt to try?

My neighbours are very old, I could ask them if I could get to their house, but I don't have their number.

Next week could be easier when more friends are home. God I hope!

Yes I will get them cooking. Good idea. They are old enough and they can help me with the laundry. As it is they are getting me bathed, dressed, making beds and doing pets etc. I feel so bad for them even they don't seem to mind.

goodness, you aren't being a terrible parent. It's just one of those rotten things. If screen time is working, then needs must.

Do you have a local fb group? can you appeal to anyone who's dc might be friends with yours?

Call a nanny agency and hire a mothers help? Expensive but may be a life saver

I couldn't read this and not reply - I was in exactly the same situation at this time last year....couch bound with a badly broken leg.

I agree that your husband should take time off. Other ideas that worked for me included:

• Have your husband prepare meals before he goes to work - sandwiches or cold meals that can be prepared in advance and covered in tin foil to be left within easy access to eat whenever you are ready.
• Have your husband boil the kettle and fill a thermos of tea or coffee before he leaves to work so that you have a much needed cuppa on hand!
• if you have not done it already - hire a wheelchair. Even being able to wheel myself from the lounge to the kitchen was good and I was able to quite a few basic tasks while seated, sometimes just the change of scenery was helpful. I am not sure how old your kids are - could you do some 'baking' that doesn't involve using the oven? Decorating biscuits, chocolate rice-crispie cakes etc?
• I found a Walking frame much, much easier than crutches in the beginning. I even DIY'ed a cheap plastic basket to the front of the walker so that I could carry things around with me from room to room.
• Most of my friends were at work or away when it happened, but where possible I arranged to have someone visit each day - even just for an hour. Just having something to plan around was nice.
• The only way to get any sleep was by making a nest of pillows around me and under my broken leg.

It was hell (and I have been through a fair amount in the last 3 years so in the grand scheme of things it should have just been a blip - but I found the recuperation from the fracture one of the worst experiences ever). I spent most of the first few weeks in tears. So what you are feeling is completely normal...it will pass. I promise...

you are teaching them resilience and how everyone needs to pitch in together, that's a brilliant lesson.

OK stop with the guilt for goodness sake! I bet they are loving unfettered screen time and it won't kill them as a short term solution. Can you order some board games
/books/lego sets for you all? Just having one planned thing can really help. Would they enjoy being given the freedom to cook some basic stuff?

If it was prescription ones, try just paracetamol and ibuprofen but regularly, every day at set times

Napqueen. If I am totally honest I don't think he could get out of the house fast enough. I am struggling to walk, the house is bursting with christmas tat and the kids have hit fever pitch. I am thinking he is more selfish than I ever imagined.

it's temporary. tell them how proud you are of them for helping!

my dc (similar age) have been great when I broke my arm recently.

www.amazon.co.uk/walking-spikes-none-slip-universal-foldable/dp/B00FX8IMJU/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?keywords=ice+grips+for+crutches&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1514575401&sr=8-2

If it helps you get out of the house at all then I have something like this to attach to my walking stick when it’s icy to give me some extra support and help me feel more secure. Even 20mins fresh air might help the cabin fever feeling and let the kids burn off some energy.

Everyone’s pretty much covered what I could say to help but I wanted to second the suggestion of a wheelchair!

I had one when I broke my leg (complicated fracture that also involved the knee joint) it was the only way I could reliably get around - the sheer sense of independence you get from being able to wheel between kitchen and living room with a sandwhich you’ve made yourself is unbelievable if you’ve not been in that situation!

We bought ours from eBay - there’s a good second hand market in basic wheelchairs so you can buy one and sell on fairly easily.

Hang on, can’t the 11yo do some cooking/chores for money as well. You’ll only need to instruct them to do some things. I’m sure the 8yo could help. Why have dc? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I broke my leg when dds were 18mo and 3 yo. Dh booked them into nursery as I couldn’t look after them as I had surgery on my leg, and on powerful painkillers. I wish mine were older.

hope you’re better soon.

Auntlydia. I have played board games, lego, even lol dolls (that was totally mind numbing) and made cakes. I have hit a wall. I am so tired of it. I am crying alot. Too much and they look worried.

I feel abandoned and isolated. I should just stop worrying about the quality of their school holidays and focus on not crying for a few hours.

Change your on line order to ready meals, pizzas, fresh soups etc.
Add chocolate to your order, your favourite kind!

Get yourself a soft light cross body bag, (cobble together one from plastic bags & long scarves). Use it to carry things around the house.

Don't feel you are a "bad Mum". You are doing your best in horrible circumstances. Keep your pecker up!

I suggest you practice cognitive reappraisal: Your troubles will be over in five short weeks. Your children are old enough to entertain themselves. Your husband is committed to providing a stable income for your family. You have a medical problem that has received expert attention and will be relatively quickly and easily cured, forever. For all of these things you are actually very lucky.

To think I was stressed at christmas in past years!!!

If the dc were at school it would be fine, if it were not christmas it would be fine, it was not bloody snowing it would be better....

I am going to push and organise for help. If he can't be here then someone else will have to be.

Thank you for such kind replies. Just reading through them made me feel so much better. Thank you.

I agree banjo My break also included my knee joint and the wheelchair we hired had an attachment so I could elevate my broken leg. I will never forget the sense of freedom from being able to move to another room and sip my cup of tea with a new view!

littlebird It is normal that you will feel down (Although your husband could certainly be more supportive). Part of it is also the fatigue, your body will be using lots of energy to heal the broken bones. There are lots of great suggestions here but do look into hiring or buying a wheel chair. We hired one from a mobility shop and paid about £100 for 6 weeks. Absolutely best thing I could have done. Depending on the access from your house, you could even wheel outside for a few minutes of fresh air while the kids run riot!

Change your food order, get lots of things that need simple, or no, prep. Pre cut veg, mixed salad, ham, sliced cheese etc, microwave meals, snacks to keep DC quiet. Add magazines, word puzzle books.

Can the 11 yr old help with food prep and other things? Oh, and make sure the food runs out the day ‘D’ H gets back.

Hope you get some sleep soon.

When I had this, DP could not take time off. DP prepared lunches before going to work, did tea and housework. Let the DCs use their screens, it really does not matter. Sometimes you just have to get through the kids.

Oh OP, this sounds rubbish! How did you do it? Sending get well vibes your way

I got a chair from St Johns ambulance. Only need to give a donation.