Anyone who has ever broken ankle/leg - what happens when you weight bear again?

[GColdtimer]

I dislocated and broke my ankle on boxing day. I needed surgery and have a plate and pins. I have a removable cast so have been doing physio so have quite a lot of movement but whenI put my foot to the floor it feels really strange. Have 6 week check next week and my physio is conviced they will let me weight bear, but how much will I actually be able to do. I have visions of everything being back to normal straight away, but I am kidding myself aren't I@

Can anyone help?

It only feels weird because you haven't done it for ages. Weight bearing is ok, its the bending and twisting that takes a while.

I think I am lucky that I have had a removable cast so I can bend and twist (albeit painfully). Also, I seem to have no calf muscle left!

It feels wobbly for a while but I remember it felt great to be able to use it again. I went down to using just one crutch for a few weeks but I hated crutches and gave up on them quite quickly.

I won't be sorry to see them go I have to admit. Its exhausting hauling yourself around on them all day isn't it?

When did you do yours? Are you OK now?

It will be hard...your muscle atrophies (shrinks) if you don't use it.

DP had a cast for just week with suspected broken ankle (turns out it wasn't in the end). Even after a week the shrinkage was noticeable.

He was really unstable on it for at least a week (and remember it wasn't even broken)...but then he had been doing no physio. He remained on crutches for 7-10 days whilst he gradually increased the pressure

yes, I have one very skinny calf which looks odd with a still fairly swollen ankle! I had a feeling it would take a while .

Never mind, it will get there (although if this snow hasn't gone I'm not going anywhere!)

am glad you escaped from hospital eventually two falls! What a nightmare for you!

glad the physio is going well - sounds like you've recovered really quickly

thanks foxinsocks - I was in there for a week in the end. Came home the day after new years day with my other ankle heavily strapped. I am recovering well thanks - as much as they are painful and boring, the physio exercises do the trick if you persevre!

oops, I mean persevere

I had a spiral fracture of the ankle and needed surgery for pins and a plate. My cast was not removable and I could not put my foot on the floor for 8 weeks.

When the cast came off I was given permission to weight bear but it was a good 6 weeks before I could walk without crutches. The first few days I could not weight bear at all as it hurt too much.

Kerrymumbles - xmas day! At least I made it to 6AM boxing morning before I ruined everyone's festive season

artichokes - that is what I had. spiral fracture of fibula as well as dislocated ankle. I have pins and a plate too. Although I haven't been able to weight bear, they were really keen for me to have a removable cast and start physico straight away which I hope will help - I have good movement. Your foot must have been so still.

I have to say, both of your recovery periods seem to be longer than I expected. Not sure what I thought I was going to do but was so focussed on 6 weeks, am only now thinking beyond it. Better to be prepared though.

Glad you are both on the mend now though.

Twofalls - it sounds like you are having good care. Nobody mentioned a removable cast or early physio for me. The accident was four years ago and I still can't flex that ankle as well as my other one. My hospital were crap though, they were short of operating staff and kept me waiting on the ward for 6 days before operating (while insisting I stay nil by mouth throughout).

I hope you have a quick recovery .

I had pins and a plate too, after breaking my ankle in 1997, by falling off a pair of ridiculous Spice Girls-style platform shoes

I stumped around on crutches ? first two, then one ? for about four weeks after the cast came off. Then I suddenly realised, halfway around Sainsbury's, that I'd forgotten to bring my crutch and I was actually fine!

artichokes, that is awful. You poor thing. I was at the new trauma unit at the JR in Oxford which is apparently a centre of excellence for trauma injuries - my SIL who is a physio said if you are going to break your leg anywhere, Oxford is a good place to do it. Even the paramedic who picked me up was a trauma specialist so could put my ankle back in straight away.

I had to wait 4 days for an op but that was to wait for the swelling to go down from the dislocation - to keep you hanging on like that, Nil by mouth for that long is dreadful.

Thanks for your good wishes

So with a removable crutch, does that mean you can shave your leg? The most shocking thing about getting my cast removed (apart from the weirdly pale and withered-looking foot) was the hairiness!

botbot, I would have loved to have seen your eureka moment when you realised you didn't need your crutches anymore. And falling off spice girl wedges I bet that was so common in the 90s!

Yes, I can! Which is relief (although I didn't for the first couple of weeks because I couldn't have cared less about anything. And i can have a proper bath (well, once the stiches had disolved). Its really good - everyone who sees it is pretty amazed at it.

I can even put a sock on to stop my feet getting freezing

please let us know how you get along. I think you've been very brave you know. You always sound so positive. I'm sure it must have helped with your recovery.

I have also been able to show those of my friends who love a bit of gore, the full extent of the bruising and swelling from day one which has been a pretty good party trick.

Just realised I said removable crutch - I meant cast. doh.

Artichokes, my ankle felt inflexible for years afterwards, but it's fine now. It only bothers me now if I sit cross-legged on a hard floor and lean on the bit with the pins in ? agony!

Twofalls, I'm very jealous about the bath. I used to have showers with a clumsy plastic-bag-and-elastic-band arrangement wrapped round my leg. The first bath afterwards was BLISS.

Ah, thanks foxinsocks, that is nice of you to say so. I will keep you updated.

I have been pretty positive tbh. I know so many people are far worse off than me and in a strange way, it has made me slow down and let other people take control, which isn't a bad thing . Also, I was carrying DD when I fell down the stairs and every day I am grateful that its not her in this position.

Funnily enough, I have really positive memories of my broken ankle too. I was single at the time (lived with a male flatmate) and so many of my friends rallied round - it made me realise how many good mates I had. And work paid for a taxi to get me from south-east to north london every day for 10 weeks, so I didn't die of boredom. And a couple of months after I'd recovered, I met my dp - a very good year!

I know what you meant about the crutch/cast botbot, don't worry.

Its funny isn't it, that something positive can come out if it. My friends have been lovely and have all rallied round too and I realise I am lucky to be surrounded by caring people. Also, DH has had to do so much more with DD and it has been good for them - our family is so much more balanced as a result. And I have learned to let things go a bit more and not be such a control freak .

Don't get me wrong. I have had some really low moments. We live in a 3 storey house and I had a bit of a moment when I couldn't bring my cup of tea upstairs to the living room to watch eastenders and was in floods of tears, but on the whole I have tried to just get on with it. Apart from when I drop my crutches for what feels like the 100th time that day. Then I swear!