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?

How is everyone progressing? I got a Discharge letter from the hospital saying my ankle had healed clinically and radiologically! Longest 5 weeks of my life! Still swelling but bruising is starting to disappear! Went to the supermarket solo in the car! Freedom!!!! I have booked a 5 day hol for next week! Let’s hope this one is more successful than the last😬🤕

That’s great news, glad things are going so well 😊

Still not heard from the hospital regarding an earlier appointment and fed up with this shoe ☹️

I had a melt down yesterday, cast was off last Tuesday and I was told off a covering consultant that they will try and get the syndo screw out within 3 weeks as i expressed the fact I run and hike and When i eventually fwb the syndo will snap. I rang yesterday to asking how to expect any future appointments/info regarding the op etc and long story short the woman on the other end said it would be unlikely that i'm seen until 10th September as my official consultant is on leave? My sick note has two weeks left and pwb at 30% is a very long time for 6wks!

@Borisjohnsonshairbrush I am trying to pluck up the courage to phone the consultant’s secretary again. I am so upset at the thought of having to carry on like this for an extra 4 weeks. I am starting to have trouble with my back and pelvis due to the thickness of the surgical shoe and the way it is making me walk.

I find it unbelievable that the consultants can go on holiday and have no arrangements in place for post operative appointments. I would have thought that one of their team could look at an X Ray and sign people off to the next stage.

Yes same!! Surely they have cover/on call in? the hospital cant stop for holidays surely?
I also mentioned I have been offered a job with the nhs at the same hospital and I want an idea of what to say to occupational health (they will ring me to discuss this before i start my new role). I know Hospitals have a lot going on and its just not all about me but broken ankles are debilitating and change your life, we need to focus on the next steps and without the answers how to we start moving on?> xxx

Bizarrely one of the clinics isn’t available because he is doing on call! I can’t decide if it’s even worth trying anymore or whether the answer will till be nothing until 7/9.

As my foot surgery was planned it seems crazy to call people up for elective surgery and have no plan for follow ups.

I have actually emailed PALS tonight to complain about the failure to return my phone call and the lack of holiday cover. I was reluctant to do it as I know things are difficult at the moment, but I don’t think it is satisfactory to leave me for a total of 7 weeks with no review.

I am even considering whether to contact the local private hospital to find out how much a private appointment and X Ray would cost, as I think the pain is beginning to affect my fibromyalgia and I am just getting over a major flare.

No that doesn't add up.

I'll be in the same boat as you if my consultant (I've seen once out of 2 other consultants) doesn't sign my screw removal. possibly pwb til mid- September is making me feel ill.

Ah hope you all get through and sort it out! Sorry to hear it’s a slow process with these consultants being out!

I got an email back from PALS saying that they hadn’t been able to speak to anyone in the orthopaedic department, so they have forwarded my email to the head of the orthopaedic secretarial team.

They said I can contact them again if I need to.

Syndo screw is coming out in 2weeks! Booked in for the 20th. 16days of pwb xx

Whoop boris! Evenstar - how about you?

I’m hobbling around! Annoying thing is the heel pain and the bone throb! Glad I got the inflatable hot tub! Helps with home physiotherapy

No news yet ☹️

Am getting about quite a lot, but the bone does ache a lot if I do too much, and then I just have to sit down and put it up.

I have just nearly gone arse over tit at the scene of the crime! basically while my partner boulders I sit, eat cake and have an iced coffee. the floor was slippy from the rain and my crutch went and i had to put my bad ankle down more than 30%. FFS!

Pre-op for screw removal tomorrow! read my appointment letter, I have to isolate 10 days before and 10days after? i mean that's bonkers, I didn't have to iso 10days after my 1st ankle surgery in June? Dp's birthday is 8days after the op and I want to head out for family meal that is planned, I'll ask if I can do a PCR a few days after I'm out.

And my op is a simply screw removal, outpatient day procedure.

That’s madness, I only had to isolate Saturday PM to Wednesday AM for my operation and why on earth do they want you to isolate afterwards?

I would just ignore the afterwards part and go out for the meal.

Hope your ankle feels OK, I went to church this morning and feeling a bit sore after standing about chatting afterwards, but it was really nice to go out.

@Borisjohnsonshairbrush

it feels nice and light weight and snug in a good way but I'm keeping it cool by out of the covers etc. Are you injecting thinners still too? I'm struggling so bad with them at the moment.

Im bum shuffling up and down stairs, I use a Zimmer frame in the kitchen if I'm pottering (my kitchen is down stairs, everything else inc lounge is upstairs, I have a wheel chair I use around 1ce a week at the moment when my partner takes me to a cafe etc and i only use my crutches to go to the bathroom or lounge as i hate them so much. xx

Seated weights work?

Yay boris! Hoping you are weight bearing soon. Any further forward Evenstar? I am 2 weeks out of cast. Still getting a lot of selling and heel bone still pretty achey.

Off on holiday again - no where close to scene of crime so hoping all will go smoothly. Only away for 4 nights but hopefully spur me on to do more walking than I have. Had a physio phone consult so only see then face to face next week.

Had a family do and was out all day. The cankle was a true site so have taken to wearing a tubigrip to even out the swelling. Hope to get swimming when back and might reduce (Hope) the swelling more. I’ve done my ankle in so much in the past I’m worried it’ll take longer than the 6 weeks the doctor mentioned

I’ve emailed PALS again today as nobody has contacted me at all.

I went to pick my repeat prescriptions up from the pharmacy today and had to walk further than I have been. It’s actually not too bad although a bit ouchy yesterday when I had been to church and stood talking.

I rebandaged my foot myself this morning, it was wonderful to take it off and I kept my foot up for 10 minutes longer as it felt so nice.

Any news Evenstar? How was the screw removal?

Well I’m sitting beside the seaside in the pouring rain! The weather was beautiful until it took ages to Mobilise the kids. 5 miles down the road and we hit the stormy rain clouds and the heavens opened! It stopped for a while but has started again and they’ve all gone swimming in the sea! There’s other crazy people out in the sea as well! I’m in the car with an extra swollen foot! I got cold so hope they’ll finish soon! I want to get in my hot tub!

No news, PALS haven’t replied. I just want to get back to normal, 6 weeks tomorrow in this shoe ☹️

Hope your pre-op went well @Borisjohnsonshairbrush

Hot tub sounds lovely, a bath would be nice.

Next Friday is operation day. Even though it's only a syndo screw removal I'm still really scared?!

Back at work on the 31st Aug but I have had a new job offer..

Hope all goes well tomorrow @Borisjohnsonshairbrush

No progress here, I heard no more from PALS and after writing to my GP on Monday I have been offered a telephone appointment next Wednesday, two days before we go on holiday. Looks like it will 7/9 before I get rid of the shoe 🙁

Thank you, im so nervous! i know its only a syndo screw removal but im so scared xx

How are you ladies doing? Must be good progress with screws coming out etc boris? Evenstar?

I will be 4 weeks off re cast tomorrow and have had a couple of physio sessions- one NHS and one private! I had a lovely young man give me an ankle massage re private session. Waking without crutches but all still very stiff and swollen as you can see.
Hope it’ll settle down!