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General health

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Original poster

Anybody know about broken ankles? Any idea what might happen at the fracture clinic on Monday?

22 replies

mawbroon · 08/01/2010 17:35

I have lots of time to sit and ponder things just now.

I broke my ankle on Sunday. They told me it was broken in three places - at the bottom of the tib, the fib and I had also cracked one of the other ankle bones.

They put me in a temporary plaster because there was talk of needing surgery. Then they decided I didn't need surgery after all and sent me home.

So, are they likely to give me a differnent plaster on Monday? Might it be a walking one at this stage? Does being 32 weeks pg make any difference to how they deal with it? Might they change their mind and tell me I do need surgery after all?

Or am I thinking about it all too much and will just have to wait and see what they say???

OP posts:

SleighGirl · 08/01/2010 17:37

All I can say is ow poor you

Batteryhuman · 08/01/2010 17:40

Ouch!

SnowTulips · 08/01/2010 17:40

i'd presume they'll give you a plaster of paris cast but it's unlikely to have a heel yet, usually they give it a week or two with no weight bearing at all before giving you a cast with a heel.

you poor thing bad enough if you weren't pregnant but what a nightmare given you're third trimester

Original poster

mawbroon · 08/01/2010 17:44

Ah, so I might have to get more than one new cast then along the way?

It was sooooo sore getting this one on, and that was with gas and air. Fortunately I was off my face on it, but the tears were streaming down my face when they were done.

Perhaps it might not be so sore getting a new one? [hopeful]

OP posts:

SnowTulips · 08/01/2010 19:08

i found after the first week the pain was much lessened and dd seemed similar, at her she was moving the leg around a little when the half cast was taken off it didn't bother her much, that was just 2 days after the initial break.

i got a new cast after a week with a heel on it and then a new cast after 2 weeks until 5 weeks after the break at which point i just got strapping but that was almost 20 years ago... dd broke her leg this year and once they put the POP cast on she was left in it for 6 weeks, then changed it to another cast for another 3, they never gave her a heel as they didn't want to encourage weight bearing until she did it of her own accord... but the differance is she's 4 and it was a broken tibia... ankles are generally faster to heal and as an adult they'll trust you to be able to follow doctors instructions

Original poster

mawbroon · 08/01/2010 20:03

I am not in too much pain just now. Haven't taken any painkillers since yesterday morning. It's only sore in the morning when I put my leg down after being elevated in bed all night. It also gets a bit sore if I spend too long on the crutches.

So you had 3 different casts over 7 weeks SnowTulips? They told me "at least" six weeks which is perilously close to still being in plaster by my due date. There's a good chance I might have to have a section because of other issues, and I reckon I will be stuffed with a bust ankle and a c section wound at the same time. Won't be able to do crutches or anything.

Ah well, will have to see what the next few weeks brings.....

OP posts:

SnowTulips · 09/01/2010 11:29

no, 5 and a bit weeks. when dd was having her cast changed i commented on how much longer she was in plaster than i had been and the nurse said ankles are generally 5-6 weeks... i don't know if the fact you have 3 breaks will affect that though.

how on earth did you do it btw? sounds like a seriously nasty accident.

Original poster

mawbroon · 09/01/2010 14:04

It happened in a flash SnowTulips. There were a few of us decided to go for a walk. I had been inside for days on end, and decided that the fresh snow was safe enough to walk on (we were going to walk on the estate behind my house)

All was going great, but then I had to come off the verge where the fresh snow was to cross the cattle grid. I negociated the cattle grid no problem, and then as I was heading back to the safe fresh snow on the verge, I just fell over. I heard the bones break, and I knew before I hit the ground that it was serious.

We called an ambulance, which got stuck in the snow when they were trying to turn, and had to be pulled out by a passing 4x4.

I don't do things by halves eh?

OP posts:

Original poster

mawbroon · 11/01/2010 18:50

Ah well, that's my question answered.

I have to go in on Thursday and have surgery after all...

Hardly ideal, but the consultant said my ankle would be knackered forever without it.

OP posts:

SnowTulips · 12/01/2010 18:52

oh mawbroon, i'm sorry

he's probaby right though, i only fractured my ankle in one place 20 years ago and it still aches constantly... with a break as bad as yours you'd probably suffer badly if it's not operated on.

good luck, hopefully you'll be on your feet again before baby gets there

OhYouBadBadKitten · 12/01/2010 22:12

oh blimey, that's drastic hope it goes really smoothly,

FatGirlThin · 12/01/2010 22:16

Good luck for your op Mawbroon, you have my sympathies. My mum broke her leg just slipping over on some grass, no dramatic accident, it's easier than you think.

Really hope the op goes smoothly.

FluffyForLifeNotJustForXmas · 12/01/2010 22:21

Try not to worry mawbroon, they will do a really good job. They will more then likely pin the bones together to make sure they are healing in the right way.

Original poster

mawbroon · 13/01/2010 09:13

Thanks for your good wishes ladies.

I just wish they had admitted me at the time and just done the operation like they were going to. I have no idea who/why they changed their minds and then sent me home again. I could have been ten or so days further on by now.

Baby is likely to be breech (last one was, i have a heart shaped uterus) so i will probably also be looking at a c section in a few weeks time.

How much can a girl take......

OP posts:

FluffyForLifeNotJustForXmas · 13/01/2010 18:42

They often like to put it in plaster in the hope that it will heal itself rather then operate on it. They would have looked at the x-ray, seen that it needs a pin to hold the bones together and decided then, it's not something they would have taken lightly, they don't do anything unless they have to.

Your baby might move, just see this as a tricky patch, it will get better.

Original poster

mawbroon · 13/01/2010 19:28

I can understand that fluffy, but i think there has been a bit of a cock up somewhere. the consultant I saw on Monday said she had been the one who said I needed surgery last week and she didn't know why I was sent home.

Bit frustrating really...

As for baby turning? Very unlikely. DS was completely stuck from 32 weeks. And this one has moved today from transverse to breech. I can feel his head bobbing about at the top of my bump, exactly the same as DS's did.

OP posts:

FluffyForLifeNotJustForXmas · 13/01/2010 20:13

Sending you a huge hug mawbroon.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/01/2010 09:39

not sure if you've left yet, just wanted to wish you well.

Original poster

mawbroon · 16/01/2010 16:52

Just to update.

Surgery went well on thursday. I had a spinal and no sedation (because of the baby) so was fully aware during the op. I had my iPod on and had to turn it up at one point when I heard drilling and the suction thing.

I could feel the baby kick during the surgery, so that was reassuring.

The pain after the spinal wore off was a bugger, but they gave me some morphine to get through the worst of it. I got very little sleep on Thursday, but did a lot better on Friday night, sleeping almost all night, only with paracetemol.

I got home today and feel quite positive about it all. Now it's done, I just have to get on with the recovery and wait and see regarding the birth situation. Worst case scenario is a c section in a plaster cast. And a plus to that will be a lovely long babymoon with ds2 when he arrives.

Thanks for all your kind words and good wishes.

OP posts:

SnowTulips · 17/01/2010 16:48

sounds like it went as well as it possibly could have mawbroon.

i hope you have a speedy recovery and that all goes as well with the birth and new baby

Original poster

mawbroon · 18/01/2010 14:03

Thanks SnowTulips.

Things are ok now. The pain is minimal and I haven't had to take any painkillers today which is not bad going.

I will get my stitches out in about a fortnight, and the following week after that, I should get a weight bearing cast which hopefully will make things easier for me.

I am going to see the consultant on 5th Feb about my low lying placenta (least of my worries, baby is still breech as I have a bicornuate uterus) so I would imagine she will want to book me in for a section.

Leg in plaster and a c section wound. Great eh? It is one of those situations where I will just have to manage.

OP posts:

brimfull · 18/01/2010 14:10

blimet mawbroon , you poor thing
glad you are on the mend now

good luck with the baby!

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