Broken knee. Operation tomorrow. Anyone been through similar?

[Spidermama]

I have two fractures in my femur and tibia a depressed fracture in the top of my tibia. They're going to put a plate in my knee and graft the bone.

It happened a week ago today on holiday in Thailand and it still hurts so much.

I'm on crutches so effectively useless in terms of laundry and cooking. I'm in a full leg cast. I'm really just looking for other stories so I can get an idea of how things might pan out.

Poor dh is up to his eyeballs and cracking under the strain.

Spider, I was in the Middle East and the treatment was amazing, second to none. My leg wasn't stable enough to fly and I needed loads of blood transfusions, they were great though.

Just had a major set back yesterday though. My specialist told me there is no sign of healing, so I have to have a bigger operation with bone grafts in the new year. One step forward and all that. No sign of my boogying at the Xmas parties.

Hope you recovery is doing better than mine.

Gosh Dotty! I'm so sorry. That must be extremely demoralising. Why do you have to wait so long for another op?
I can recommend chair dancing over the Christmas period. Any kind of dancing - even just hand dancing - can lift the spirits.

Ha ha chair dancing sounds good to me

How are you recovering?

My fracture is showing no signs of healing at all, it's still quite a large open break despite being plated and screwed. They will wait two months more to see if there is any natural improvement, if not they will go down the bone graft route.

Driving/running and walking seen such a long way off.

How are you doing Spidermama? Have you been finding things to do to keep boredom at bay?

Hope you're on top of the pain now.

I've been lucky enough to have a fantastic physio therapist come to my house twice a week and she's made a massive difference to my recovery I'm sure. I still can't get physio on the NHS so she's private. Annoying but worth every penny. She's showed me how to reactivate muscles which had just switched off because I haven't been using them.

I can now bend my leg about 110 degrees and have full flexion so the consultant told me yesterday I can start partially weight bearing which I've been doing. I was euphoric when he told me that.

So I'm hobbling around the house practising. It's a long road ahead and for a while I got quite down feeling like I'd plateau'd but I can feel progress now so that's helping.

Norbert I'm still waiting for my trip to the garden centre.

I've been partially weight bearing all day now and my whole leg really hurts. I guess that's normal.

I'm wondering if I'll wake up in renewed pain and have to go back on pain killers.

Fantastic news that you're making such progress! The physio will have definitely helped. I can't believe that you can't see one on the NHS! Will that come later?

I seem to remember seeing one after my knee op, although that was many moons ago so there have no doubt been cut-backs since then. I know that when I broke my ankle a couple of years ago I had to ask to see one -they were just going to send me away when the plaster came off. No advice, no suggested exercises to build my leg back up, no follow-up appointment, no nothing

Keep up the good work but don't overdo it !

(and get yourself to a garden centre soon )

I've been partially weight bearing for 6 days now. My leg is sore and particularly my ankles. It's also very swollen. DS said my foot looks like a rubber glove which has been blown into.

DH says it's normal but as he's not a medic and has never broken any bones I'm after a second (MN) opinion.

I've been partially weight bearing for 6 days now. My leg is sore and particularly my ankles. It's also very swollen. DS said my foot looks like a rubber glove which has been blown into.

DH says it's normal but as he's not a medic and has never broken any bones I'm after a second (MN) opinion.

Well done Spider. I am so jealous of your hobbling about. Hope you have a great Christmas.

I may be a bit late to come in now but it is normal for the leg to be painful as you gradually increase what you are doing with it. The first few days of doing anything extra will be sore but will gradually ease off. More painkillers for those days when required.

I was also told it's normal for other joints to hurt as you tend to overuse them whilst compensating for the knee and trying not to put too much pressure on it.

Good luck with the rest of your recovery.