Broken ankle (pilon fracture) Anyone else experienced this?

[togoornot]

I broken my ankle in several places 2 weeks ago. Had surgery to insert metal plates and screws 12 days ago and have been told i cannot weight bear for at least 6 weeks. Therefore can do very little and it's driving me a bit mad already!

I wondered if anyone else had experienced this and how your recovery went. eg time in plaster, weight bearing, physio?

I broke mine quite badly. I think it was bi-malleolar or something like that, and have plates and screws in it. I was non-weight bearing for 3 months.

I had physiotherapy once a week for about two or three months (I forget now) and my ankle is officially about 90% as good as the other one.

It aches a bit in cold weather and I have less strength and flexibility in the whole of that leg now. Occasionally it gets sore and painful on the skin, like there is a minor local infection, but afaik the plates and screws will stay in for life. I cannot run or do any serious weight bearing exercises (like step classes) either.

Thanks Bib. Anyone else got any broken ankle experiences to share?

Pretty much the same as bibbity....few screws holding mine in place too.I broke tib and fib and disclocated the ankle.I had two lots of physio of around 8 sessions each. I broke mine 2 years ago and mobility is still not great.

I was in plaster for around 8 weeks,non weight bearing. It will drive you mad...bathing is difficult and even making yourself a cup of tea is a pain because you can't easily carry it anywhere....suggest you get an insulated cup!

I broke my ankle four years ago when my children were 7, 5 and 2, I hadn't lived in the area for long, my two eldest children were attending different schools and I didn't have much of a support network. It was one of the hardest times of my lfe. I really regret not hiring a nanny. We had savings and we should have spent them - I found it really stressful hopping around the kitchen preparing dinner and crawling up and down the stairs. Do you have any help? I hope you get through it better than I did. I put a brave face on the whole time and tried to be positive - it was afterwoods that the stress really hit me.

I broke my Medial malleolus badly in 2005 - Worst time ever! I broke it the end of the November and it didn't heal properly until the following July! It was casted up quickly at A&E, then a week later properly casted at the fracture clinic. The consultant didn't seem completely hopeful that it would heal with a cast, but didn't want to get me in for surgery (It would have meant being in over Christmas) they left it like that for 6 weeks, then after seeing the Xray, decided I would need pins and plates. Went through the surgery and was bed-bound for another 4 weeks. Given physio and an Aircast 'walking boot' to wear but was still in agony and couldn't weight bear properly. I was using crutches for 3 months. Further x rays showed that it STILL wasn't healed so the final resort was a synthetic bone-like cement injected into the fracture site. Again, I had to spend weeks non-weightbearing, and a further god-knows-how-long in an Aircast walking boot.

It was before I had had DD, so The fact I spent so long laid up didn't really have a massive impact on the household (only me and DH at the time) I found stairs a nightmare. DH was a night worker at the time, and before he went, he would bring me up snacks, a flask of coffee, magazines etc. (he was amazing) Only one night, I REALLY wanted a glass of wine. I shuffled down the stairs by bum with a backpack on, crawled into the kitchen, dragged a chair across the kitchen to hoist myself up with, got the wine and a glass put it in back pack and crawled all the way back to the bedroom. This took ages. Only to discover with a primal howl when I got back to my comfy bedside armchair and telly, that I had to repeat the whole palaver to go and get the forgotten corkscrew.

I could go on! They were the strangest days of my life!

You were brave hopping round kitchen fluffy !

I'm lucky that dh has arranged to work from home some of the time and friends and family are helping out wih ds for a few weeks. Not sure what will happen after that. If I can put some weight on bad side then at least I won't be so helpless anymore. All this ssitting around, uncertainity and relying on others is so miserable. I feel like such a burden

I have a check up on weds so i hoping to get more idea of how long recovery is likely to take then

Anyone else got any broken ankle experiences to share?

TIA

I certainly do - and excuse the epic novel, but that is what it has been like! I can really sympathise with the feeling like your a burden...

I broke my ankle mid-April (snowboarding! and it wasnt my first time). I fractured and displaced the tibia, and also fractured my tibia. I had to have an op in France to put metal plate and screws in - worst week of my life, DH and kids had to go back to UK and leave me on my own in french hospital!

1 week after getting back to the UK, can you believe it we had to move house (exchange etc had taken place before we wen on holiday), and about 35 miles away, kids started at a new school that was 1.5 miles away (8 & 10 so could not leave them to get school alone) and did not know anyone. DH is a contractor (and worked about 35 miles away) so could not afford for him to take time off work. I was on crutches with no weight bearing but managed to drag myself to a bus stop everyday (it was only about 100m) near our house and I used to take them on the bus (stopped at the top of school road) and then get a bus home. I did this for 5 weeks and it was a nightmare!

Luckily, about 2 weeks ago I swapped cars with my Dad who has an automatic so am able to drive (is my left foot!), I am still on crutches but almost fully weight bearing (I have an air cast boot). Have started physio but still feels like my ankle has a long way to go. has been so frustrating. Have been off work since it happened, dont know how I'll manage when I go back. I think the worst things have been not being able to use disabled parking spaces and people constantly telling me it serves me right for snowboarding. I too could and have gone on -

You poor thing Doctorholly That must have been so tough moving so soon after it happened

What's the airboot like? My consultant said I'll have one of these for 6 weeks after the cast comes off.

I fell down a step carrying DS on thursday but couldn't save my fall as wanting to save DS.. now have a broken foot!! in a cast for 40 days and have to keep it high.

I am very very lucky because i live in Turkey and my mum got on the first flight, 12 hours later she was here. She has been amazing as DH has to work and we have 2 DC aged 1 and 3.

Only thing is we live in an apartment on the 3rd floor with no lift so getting out isn't going to be easy and it is 40 degree heat here ATM

Health care here isn't great.. the doctor took an xray then put it in a cast. i have to go back in 40days for another xray so see if it can come off. but no advice or no talk about these air-boots etc. I have no health insurance so was pleased the bills was only 40pound.

Poor You Micky Assume you didn't need any surgery on yours then?

Sounds like you've got a fab mum

togoornot no surgery thank goddness. How is it going for you? I feel like a burden too.. and i feel bossy asking people to get me things.
I am going to get DH to lift me in the bath later with leg sticking out and hose me down with the shower...should be fun

How is your leg? I broke mine 7 months ago, it's alright most of the time but people see you looking ok and forget you are not 100%!

I had 2 plates and 11 screws put in last Monday. I'm blogging the whole experience hoping that it will help people in similar situations. allsellsfinal.wordpress.com/