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?

It is really hard, last week on holiday I felt bad that everyone was having to fetch and make drinks and food. You feel like you are not contributing.

I have the appointment with my surgeon on Wednesday, hoping I can at least lose the dressing.

Good luck Evenstar- dd actual
Birthday today so a few pressies to open!

How is everyone today? Another hot one! Nearing the next phase of our journey! I’ve been doing some work again today. Have agreed 20 hours per week until I start being able to move around etc. In the morning my cast is relatively loose. Right now it feels a bit tight! 6 days and counting’

Boiling and couldn’t sleep last night ☹️ DH having to do loads for all the pets in this heat, especially my Guinea pigs as they don’t do well with heat. They have to be moved out to their pen on the patio when it gets this hot. Have just been out to check and wet the patio to cool it down a bit, but that’s the most I can do.

Basically trying to avoid moving and staying near the fan, sounds good to have a phased return @Lushmetender as moving about is really tiring.

7days and counting.
Purchased two more fans last night and one for my remaining Degus.

Ordered a koolpak for my cast is was only like £3.20 which should arrive tomorrow and doing the hot water bottle in the freezer hack.

Ordered 14 boxes of ice lollies from Iceland and they arrived this morning.

Only 3more days until hopefully the rain break arrives xx

Glad you are doing OK @Borisjohnsonshairbrush fingers crossed for your appointment

I suffer from Fibromyalgia & broke my ankle in 2009, I did it doing something so silly you would never imagine you could break a bone. All I did was stand up to turn the heating up in our caravan, I had been sat with my feet under me & my legs had gone numb, stood up & went down like a ton of bricks with a loud crack, I broke my fibula in 2 places, a double spiral fracture. I was lucky I didn't need a pin or plate but was in pot for 6 weeks & on crutches for another 6 afterwards. As we were away from home the hospital put me a backslab pot on & sent me out with my Xrays on disk to make an appointment at the fracture clinic at home. I was useless none weight bearing on crutches & had to have a zimmer frame until I could put some weight through my pot. The day I had my final pot off I think I left skin everywhere, I had to sit in the bath & scrub my foot & leg with a nail brush to get it all off.

That an idea - cast ice pack! My cast is fairly loose in morning but now it feels tight! 6 days and counting. Even if have to have cast on a bit longer (hopefully not for much longer than a week) I will be glad to see where the break is at in terms of healing!!!

Did you have a sneaky gin at the weekend boris? My mother lovely that she is told me my legs were looking flabby! Don’t you love it!

I would say it’s more humid today. Think our weather won’t break until about Monday! Oh yes just in time for maybe when I break free!

No, I might have a bev this Friday as it's my grandads celebration of life as he passed away in Feb.

Why do mum's do it? They have no filter lol xx

Gosh Nat. Sounds horrendous- thx for posting.

Let us know how goes at hospital Evenstar.

Another v hot one here! Only 5 days to go till next evaluation. My ankle has been hurting a bit in the area I have the break. Not sure why it’s started hurting now. I do feel the cast is slightly looser down there but still quite tight round the calf in this heat! I hope it’s healing ok🙄

I have a in iced hot water bottle in the pillow case @Lushmetender

The pain will be the nerves and tendons healing around it. They are waking up after nerve damage too.

The cast may feel more loose with muscle wastage.

I've decided I'm going to refuse a cast and insist on boot, if they want a new cast on.
after 6 weeks of NWB since surgery it's starting to feel very unnatural now and in my mind I feel I could wb on my toes. (I'm not of course) I want to wash my leg, I want the dead skin off.

My dp said when he broke his ankle he started walking after 3weeks, it felt natural to do so. (He broke 3 places and no surg)

In regards to the pain,Mine still burns when I wake up. I've been breaking my days up by moving room to room bum shuffling 8am -11am in the kitchen at the dining table drinking coffee watching TV, in the lounge from 11-2pm and 2pm til bed in the bedroom as the front is sun facing the front from 1pm and bedroom is at the back xx

Eg

Ah sharing casts! We should really as we never know when it’ll be our last day of wearing it (she says hoping it won’t be too long!). My leg today and how my toes look after I’ve been up and about! The purple goes when I elevate my foot but not v pleasant!

I also meant to add I saw an article in BMJ that there’s evidence to suggest immobilisation in a cast for 3 weeks v 6 weeks did not affect functional outcomes. Maybe not with ORIF but uncomplicated breaks!

I was speaking to my boss in the US yesterday. Her husband broke loads of bones in a cross motorcycle racing accident and had a cadaver bone put in his knee. Can you imagine that???

I'm on a couple of FB ankle groups. They have been a massive help.

I’ve been doing a few steps here and there without the crutches as it makes it easier getting dressed etc, the surgical shoe prevents me putting weight on the bones anyway. I think as your DP said it feels OK @Borisjohnsonshairbrush

So boris re your dp. Which 3 places did he break it? Any ligament damage?

Great Evenstar you’re taking some steps!

I’m getting anxious now!

I think there was slight ligament damages but it was his heel he landed on and he just said it was 3areas. But yes felt like it was ready so just started walking on it in his cast!

I've attached my x-rays.....have a look at the job I've done.

Hi everyone just got back from the hospital, had my stitches out this afternoon and a much lighter dressing, I am allowed to use my waterproof cover and stand up in the shower to wash without the boot. I can walk a bit without the crutches as long as I am safe, he says they are more for balance, so will probably do that a bit more. The consultant is very pleased with how it’s healing.

Review in 3 weeks so hopefully I will be free of the boot then, although I know I will have physio to do.

Hoping for good news for everyone else 🤞🏻

@Borisjohnsonshairbrush that must have been an awful shock to see those, you poor thing

Great news Evenstar! Great X-rays boris! Dr wouldn’t let us take photos due to patient identifiers. Hopefully a good story to tell the grandchildren 🙄. Not finding the funny side at the moment.

Morning! I dreamt last night I was walking in my cast when I wasn’t supposed to! Strange

A bit tired, I took some painkillers last night as foot was a bit sore after having the stitches out and that and the heat seems to have knocked me for six.

Feeling grumpy as having said I would be reviewed in 3 weeks, the consultant has said I can wait till 7th September as he is going on holiday! We have a week’s holiday booked in Norfolk before then so it would be quite nice to lose the giant platform boot before then, even if I have to stick to Crocs and not walk far.

The receptionist who rang me said I could try phoning his secretary, but I would have thought the answer would be for someone else to see me.

Yes op you are right to reduce your calorie intake if less active.
More importantly than weight/ looks though I'd concentrate on nourishing good quality food to help you heal. Hope you're back to it soon!

Hi Evenstar - shame you have to wait that long. I’m dreading they say I need this cast on Another two weeks. Feel I’m really missing summer and kids go back mid august so it would be nice to try and start walking so I can do stuff with them even if just going out in garden. I can go in the garden but feel I want my husband around in case I fall or something as the crutches Are not the best. FIL has given me a wheelchair which I haven’t used yet! FIL forgot the food things but they came through the post this morning.

Tried to weigh myself but didn’t feel comfortable on the scales and thought I was going to fall off so will leave that. Don’t want another broken bone!!!’ Not that I’ve been dieting but feeling like I have not been eating much or properly. DH has been having to cope with so much that dinner has been coming at 10 pm
And then I don’t feel hungry.

We going to take some calcium and vit d tablets I had in the cupboard but they expired last July🙄