Time off work for broken ankle

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I broke my ankle quite badly 9 weeks ago.

I have and an operation and a plastercast .The plastercast was removed 2 weeks ago and I dont have to attend orthopaedics clinic again.I didnt have to have a walking boot or any other support.

I started physiotherapy last week and will attend the ankle clinic 3 days a week until my ankle is moving more freely.
I have a desk bound job with no need to walk around/carry items/climb stairs etc.

How long have others had off work in similar situations? Did you go back to work once physio started - or before? Did you have plenty of time off allowed for physio etc?

Less than a week actually off work. Was working as soon as i could hobble.

But all the time i needed for appointments.

I've broken my shin, ankle and ribs. Only had a day and a half off for my ribs because the painkillers made me too stoned to work. I have a mostly desk job so it wasn't an issue.

I broke my foot in 2012. Had 6wks plaster (off work completely) then 6wks plastic boot. Went back to work after about 4wks into wearing the boot. Had almost a year of physio and work treated them like other medical appointments - I went along then went into work. Tried to book appointments on Friday afternoons when not much happens at work. Make sure you and they do a risk assessment - I had a long commute so they hired me an automatic car (very generous I know) and had to make special fire evacuation plans as I couldn't use stairs well.

Wow - what a mixture of responses .

Kudos to you TAIT and Dobedobedo for only taking the minimum time off.

My GP has signed me off for another 6 weeks from last week and I feel this is excessive. I get full pay up to 6 months of sick leave so thats not a problem for me but I think that I am taking liberties to take all of that time off. But I dont know if I can just say that I feel okay to work and go against what the GP has put.

You can go back when you feel ready. A sick note isn't set in stone and most doctors give fairly long ones so that people don't have to traipse back and forth for a new one every two weeks.

Not broken but badly sprained- I had five weeks off, but I did have a very long commute (driving)and I hated that job, found another one while off sick and handed my notice in on my first day back

I think what is important is your safety- not only getting to & from work, but in the workplace too.

I broke my knee a few years ago & it was 8 weeks after the plaster came off before I felt safe enough to attempt the travel etc.

I also did a phased return because I was totally exhausted by the whole op & recovery process.

If you do go back 'not fully fit' make sure your employers have a personal evacuation plan in place for you. I worked on the 3rd floor so this involved getting an evac-chair to use should we have needed it in the event of an emergency. If you have Occupational Health at work, they should be able to assist.

Just had 6 weeks off for a fractured vertebrae. I was sceptical about how long the consultant signed me off for but he said I needed to take time now to try and avoid problems later.

If you get 6 months sick pay and your GP has signed you off I would make the most of it! I only went back when I did because my pay would have dropped down to 50%.

I had about 6 weeks off initially then came in for a few hours a day to start with. Work were very good- someone always came to pick me up and take me home until I could drive again.Stayed office based until I was fit again. Plenty of time given for physio.

I am currently in plaster having badly broken my fibula & had it put back together with plates & screws. I also completely dislocated my ankle. I work standing behind a shop counter & also as a cleaning lady.

I have been signed off by the hospital for 6 weeks so far. My current note runs out this week when I go back to the hospital to get my plaster cast changed but I'm guessing they will sign me off again. I am desperate to start working again as I get no sick pay so I have had no money coming in for the last few weeks.

The orthapedic commented last time I saw him that if I had a desk job I would be back at work by now but it is not possible for me to stand behind a counter for 4 hours at a time while in plaster so I'm signed off.

it depends what's broken, and if you have been declared safe to weight bear.

I had a broken talus once and that's a break which is prone to suffer necrosis which can be rather undesirable, I was not allowed to walk on it or drive for several months, though I could get arounbd on crutches. I only fell down the stairs twice.

Depending on how you broke it, you might have soft tissue damage as well which can take a long time to heal. Refusing to follow the rest and exercise routine may leave you with a lifelong limp and pain.

Did your GP tell you why they signed you off completely? There is likely to be a good reason!

Are you clear about what you can and can't do ie can you weight-bear, drive, sit in position for hours at a time (like a desk) etc.

If you feel you can go back I would make another appointment with your GP and discuss it fully before making a decision to go back against medical advice.

Sometimes you need to rest for a lot longer than you think otherwise you can end up with problems for a long long time. Be patient!

I think it depends on the break and on the type of job you do, including how you would get there; can you drive/walk/take a bus, for instance?Most of us completely underestimate the amount of moving about we do during the day at work, also - even things like how far away the loo is from your work station.
I am a primary school teacher and I broke my tib/fib and ankle about 9.5 months ago. I'm still not taking PE lessons at school. I was off work completely for about 6 weeks, (major op to recover from too) and then on a phased return doing admin for another couple of weeks, going in late and leaving early (dependent upon lifts as I couldn't drive for around 10 weeks). After that, I did full days for a few weeks, but just supporting my class (from a wheeled office chair, and was set up for putting my foot up on a cushioned chair as much as possible. The kids did all my fetching and carrying and were fab . There was another adult in the room at all times while I was on crutches. I did increasing amounts of teaching.
I was back to pretty much full operation (minus the PE and break duties) after 12 weeks.
My school were very understanding and supportive, and they could see that I was keen to return and help out, not sit around at home watching daytime TV and eating cake.

Clam, your injury sounds pretty much the same as mine. Glad your work has been understanding too.

I had a broken ankle recently and got back to work 3 weeks after surgery thanks to hiring a device called a 'knee scooter' . The device supports the injured ankle being a 4 wheeled scooter. It takes the weight off the good leg" can act as a seat or support for the injured leg, and massively improves mobility. Link to this is knee scooters.com. Rental is about £4 a day. I don' t work for this company, but feel everyone who has this sort of injury should be informed of the availability of these devices.