Diet & broken limbs/limited mobility (Terrified of weight gain)

[Borisjohnsonshairbrush]

Hello all,

I'm 3 weeks post bimalleolar Ankle fracture and 2 weeks post surgery to fix the the break and dislocation.

I'm usually very very active (i did this while indoor rock climbing fgs ) I used to be very overweight 16st now 10st and thankfully I've lost my desire for things like white pasta and chips/crisps since the break.

I just cant treat myself at the moment as I feel I don't deserve it. adjusted my diet to low (ish) carb - berries and protein yogurt, fish and salad for lunch and chicken with greens in the evening. snacking on nuts or low sugar protein bar. And of course no alcohol due to meds/thinners

Has anyone else been through similar and found diet played a massive part? did you eat your usual pre-break diet? did you lose or gain?

That’s great you are getting about without crutches!

I am still wearing my shoe ☹️ PALS finally got back to me on Friday to say the consultant’s secretary is going to speak to the registrar this week. I emailed them back to let them know I am going on holiday for a week on 27th so unless I can be seen before then, 7th September appointment is probably realistic. I have asked them to find out why she didn’t ring the registrar a month ago when I first contacted her 😡

In better news I have managed to buy a pair of trainers with a built up heel which balances the difference and makes it a bit easier to walk. My chiropractor said my pelvis is twisting quite badly and she was appalled I had been left like this.

Hi, is this the dodgy leg club? (Ladies Who Limp?)

One week into a broken left fibula (and right 5th metatarsal - aaargh). Started my own slightly panicked thread but have just read through this one and it’s been v helpful. Am being treated conservatively so far but being seen for X-ray next week to check nothing has moved - broken in several places so being held together by hopes and prayers.

Can’t believe you’ve been left that long Evenstar with something that should be straight forward??

Telmesomegoodnews - gosh! Tried to find many conservatively treated and seems rarity! My physio, dr father in law and BIL who are both doctors said I made the right decision with my type of injury though think left me unsure due to surgeons re re recommendation to have surgery!

Hey all,
Syndo screw removal went great. Sort and limping. Oh gosh it hurts to limp!
@TellMeSomeGoodNewsPlease welcome! If they go for surgery then you are in the best care. Try and rest as much as you can.

I'm back on phased return next week. Dreading it. I'm hoping to be able to hand my notice in soon. Just waiting clearance on NHS jobs xx

@Lushmetender (great name btw) it does seem less common not to have surgery. I’ve had various levels of doctor up to a specialist foot/ankle consultant peer at my X-rays (including a weight-bearing X-ray, which was mildly terrifying) so I think they won’t treat conservatively unless it’s really ok to do so.

Each case needs to be taken on my merits but I’ve learned you should really explore your options. My ankle really was only broken in one place but after alignment was good for conservative treatment. They’d nearly made me had surgery and made me give consent due to saying I had no other choice. Just lucky they got busy and many healthcare professionals I spoke to said it was the right decision in my case.

Great boris you have your screw out and back on the way to full weight bearing. Can’t believe how time passes and things change. Keen to get another job myself and am applying. I realised how unhappy I was but should be glad I had paid sick leave! If I’d taken the new jobs I’d been offered, one only offered 8 days sick leave and the other none so I’ll be looking for that perk in the new job!!!’

Hope you make the right decision. NEWS re surgery

yep, I realised how depressed I was in my job. full sick pay here too, very grateful for that but my salary is shocking for the amount of work that I have to do so it kind of makes up for it really,

I have a well paid job but v stressful. It’s got worse since COVID and we are haemorrhaging staff which puts pressure on others and so more leave😟. I need something more sedate in my run down to retirement as been working all my life!

Finally lost the built up shoe and bandage. After all the trouble I have had getting someone to see me I suddenly got a call this morning to say that the registrar would see me in the fracture clinic.

X Ray looks great and I am all systems go now, normal shoes (well Crocs at the moment 😳) and weight bearing. Foot looks yucky with dry skin so won’t subject you to a photo yet! Doctor said it would have been all right to clean it, but nobody told me that, I felt mortified to show such a manky trotter!

I didn’t realise, but I have 2 screws and a staple which will be staying in. Worried I will set airport scanners off now, not that we have planned any foreign holidays.

that's great news that you have some progress @Evenstar.

I have a telephone enquiry later for some more strong pain relief as its agony to weight bare.

I have to say mine is a bit ouch, but bearable. I think Crocs are going to be the footwear of choice for some time though as even in those there were marks where the foot had swollen a bit.

I had to walk quite a long way from the car park though as DH had gone to work by the time they rang and said I could go this morning. I think it was probably swollen before they took the dressing off.

Hi all
Great thread! NWB here and no idea how long it'll be for.
I have 3 kids and normally very active and busy (kids call me 'hyperactive' - I'm not really!).
Any ideas for a workout focused on upper body and core sterength I can do without putting any weight on my ankle? I really feel like a blob not doing any physcial activiy. I have some hand weights at home that I could use. Never been too into strength building, always tended todo more cardio and regretting that now!

Great news guys! More progress being made! Sorry you’re in a bit of pain boris.
Nothing much different here. Pain is a lot better but still stiff in the morning and swollen in an evening. Feeling like I have moments of not thinking about it at all which is good but don’t want to get complacent and do it all again by doing something stupid

Welcome
Habibi. Truth is I did quite little. Crutches and whomping myself to the loo and up and down stairs was enough but I’m sure the others will have great tips😬

@habibibibi invested in some resistance bands and used the while sat down on the dining room chairs. Bum shuffling up and down stairs helped my upper bi's Tri's and shoulders.
I had a mobile masseuse come and do a sports massage due to the tension and strain on my upper body after a while. I cannot recommend it enough. Worth every penny. Great for relaxation too.

Aha, I live in a country with massages galore. There's even a place crutch walking distance (i.e .jsut down the road) Definitely an option (once they actually open due to corona restrictions).

Go for it as soon as you can, all the adjustments we have had to make to to sleeping and the way we sit changes and has an effect on that upper bod! x

I am getting a massage in a couple of weeks, it was the soonest I could get in as my lady is on holiday. I have been to the chiropractor since the op and it was really helpful.

We travelled to our seaside holiday yesterday, I have walked further today than I have done since before my operation, but I am on the sofa with my foot up as it swelled dramatically!

Hope everyone is doing well this Bank Holiday weekend 😊

Sigh. I need an op next week to pin my right foot. Will be NWB on that foot for 4 weeks. Which means I’ll be totally NWB on both feet for 2-3 weeks, and then I guess I’ll be able to start using the left ankle a little bit.

I’m a bit worried nobody is going to realise this because the op is only on one side. Mentioned to the consultant who was a bit “it is what it is” but I guess they don’t really deal with the practicalities on discharge. I haven’t got a firm date for surgery yet until they finalise the lists, but can I ask to speak to OT when they call with a date? Don’t want to get to a point where I can’t be discharged, or worse be left in the car park with no way of getting into the car! Am guessing I can get around that using a wheelchair accessible taxi to get home, but then I’ve got a complicated step situation to get into the house. And how will I go to the loo?! Aaaaaagh.

Am also feeling generally a bit emo about the whole situation as I am getting quite good at whizzing around on my knee scooter (scooted myself all around the hospital yesterday rather than being reliant on the porters) and now I’m back to square one. Well, worse than square one. Totally fucking immobile.

@TellMeSomeGoodNewsPlease the time will absolutely fly by. Make the most of the NWB and embrace this time in your life to rest and heal

I'm FWB and in agony. I wish i made the most of nwb, I'm shattered all the time, back at work and every step is horrendous while I'm trying to walk again.

@Borisjohnsonshairbrush that sounds really tough. Have you still got adjustments/phased return or are they just expecting you to get on with it?

My foot keeps swelling dramatically if I walk or stand too much. I am still only able to wear Crocs, and it’s been close to not being able to get that on a couple of times this week as we are on holiday and I have pushed it too far once or twice.

Hope we can all get back to normal soon, my friend who had bunion surgery last year said it took a while before swelling wasn’t a problem. In good news I am already getting some movement back in my big toe which is progress.

5 weeks plaster and 5 weeks 3 days out of plaster! Still swelling! Still having nice private physio with nice young man! Gives me a massage!😬 going back to NHS physio next week! Unfortunately my dd has a fever and just had a PCR test tonight! Lots of covid cases at school.!!!!

Sorry to hear about last everyone’s prolonqed recoveries! Hope you all get pain free or weight bearing soon!

How you ladies or gents doing? My ankle is still swelling but feels less arthritic feeling! Managed to break into a run before I got knocked down by a passing car! I have a new challenge - 3 children with COVID. Son is recovered and out of isolation! His room my god - what a mess! Hope you are all good

Hello!

Breaking into a little run is a milestone achievement! Yikes re the Covid though.

Left ankle still in plaster here. Had my right foot op (ORIF 5th metatarsal) last Friday. Had to stay in over the weekend so that they could plan to get me safely home again while NWB on both legs. Am now confined to the first floor on a wheelchair and waiting for follow up appt (9 days to go!) at which point (please please please) I can probably graduate to a Walker boot on my left side and maybe even a little bit of heel weightbearing on the right.

Am finding it hard to envisage how much and how quickly I’ll be able to use my left leg as my ‘good leg’ to get around. Not expecting to hop around on it straightaway but any insight/experience gratefully received! Am thinking using my knee scooter (with my right foot ‘up’) might be easier on it than crutches. Certainly found that to be the case when my right side was my ‘good but not really’ leg.