Comments on: woo! broken ankle update… day 83..

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:52:18 +0000

Dislocated ankle and damaged talus on 19 November when a caving ladder broke and I plunged about 20 feet down a shaft in some ancient mine workings about 120 feet underground near Llandudno, Wales. After 3 hour rescue operation I was rushed to hospital where they tried to manipulate ankle back to original position. This was not successful so they completed a 4 hour surgery to insert 5 k-wires (pins that protrude to skin surface) to hold the reduced ankle in position, also damage to ligaments and tendons. In hospital for three nights – really glad to be out – difficult sleeping with various noises and pain. Various visits to hospital, then on 21 December after removing bandages they decided to remove the 5 pins – under anesthetic about half hour and returned home later that day. On 28 January returned for more surgery, to have two permanent screws inserted in fractured talus, which also entailed part removal of end of tibia to gain better access to talus – this was then reattached with two more screws. Been told that can not bear weight now for 2.5 months!

Some thoughts/suggestions for others:
Buy or rent a knee scooter – many types out there. They really give a big degree of freedom inside and outside the house. You can cover quite a distance with such a scooter!
Eat healthy, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. I read that pineapple and papaya are especially good as anti inflammatories and help repair tendons and ligaments.
Keep diary so that you can realize improvement does occur but is slow and progressive. Just writing about the problem is also helpful.
Keep chairs/stools at strategic positions as they are very useful to rest a knee on when washing, preparing food and moving around.
Encourage family and friends to visit and call, as it can get lonely at times.

Good luck to all those out there.

By: zurich_allan

zurich_allan — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:13:08 +0000

Just thought I’d add a little positivity to hopefully encourage some of you who are a bit down if you’re reading this whilst injured! I broke my left ankle / leg in 3 places, with a section of my ankle completely broken away from the leg having to be screwed back in. This was in November 2010. I had ORIF surgery as many of you have had to have titanium screws / pins put in before being in cast for a couple of months. When I first started physio directly after having the cast removed I had not a cm of movement. Gradually after several sessions of physio the situation improved slowly, and then more quickly. I was told I didn’t need any more physio after 10 weeks as I’d surpassed what they could do. I’ve always been a runner and set my sights on completing a 10k in June 2011 (7 months after my surgery). I was given the go ahead to start light training at the end of April and gradually and carefully built it up, successfully completing the 10k in 52 minutes. The joint felt good (although I was still being very careful), and believe it or not, between June and November (from 7 months until 12 months post op) I managed to successfully complete a 5k, ten 10k’s and two half-marathons. How I could do this? Just by following what the doctors and physiotherapists said to the letter and being slow and patient with my own therapy. It’s still only 13 months since my surgery and I feel fantastic. I’m in my 30′s, so not that young, though not to old. If I can do it, there is no reason that all of you can’t do it too! Good luck all!!

By: janet

janet — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:57:39 +0000

Hello

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:34:23 +0000

I appreciate, cause I discovered just what I used to be taking a look for. You have ended my 4 day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye

By: Wes

Wes — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:13:29 +0000

I note that David indicated he used shangkejiegupian. I used that last year when in China and for treatment of broken ribs that I received when I fell in Yangsho. I would dearly love to buy some here in the US, but so far I have been unable to find anyone with a US source. If anyone has a source for it, please e-mail me at 06miata@gmail.com.

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:23:58 +0000

Hi. I just turned 60 on Sunday. Well 50 years ago I was T boned at a traffic light on my Honda. I lost in a big way. The bike and me got trapped under the car, I broke many bones and bits and pieces. All eventually healed but my tib fib kept me out of laid up the longest. Four broken ribs kept the smile off my face for weeks but the ankle problems turned into a life time injury. It changed my life but at least the girls thought the scars were interesting

By: Lily

Lily — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:44:59 +0000

Hey let me start by saying that in January 2008 I had open heart mitral valve repair surgery which is a big operation and it was MUCH easier than dealing with a broken ankle!! Oh my gosh and gollies (!!) I’ve been reading this site all afternoon(when your ankle is broken, you have a lot of time to do this). Bless all of you who wrote starting back in 2007 and to the present. I say a special hello to David who wrote on July 28. On July 29 I stepped on to a small brick border in my front yard, my ankle rolled out to the right and that was it. I’ve been immobilized since then … BUT … I never had a cast. Non weight bearing…I put a little weight on it with crutches. I have a boot (cam boot?) I wear when I am going somewhere and use crutches. Otherwise I have the foot elevated and bare. It is a lateral malleoulos (?) fracture and doctor says these are harder to heal because they are horizontal and not vertical, foot gets swollen especially on the bottom (?) and can get warm at the break site. There is not much pain anymore. I have lots of Vicodin but take a half pill rarely. I will not really know the final outcome for several weeks. I may still need surgery but do NOT want it!!! After reading all of these entries I can only say I completely empathize with everyone as this is a life-changing injury and it takes you out of your normal activities. It is my right ankle so I cannot drive. I am lucky to have husband who really helps me, otherwise, I don’t know what I’d be doing. I am 66 and never thought I was old at all until I did this !!! I was watching movie musicals the other night, Singing in the Rain, watching Donald O’Connor tap dancing (!) All I could think was, oh my God what a gift it is to walk, to move, to take for granted our precious legs, ankles, feet, all of it. I send healing thoughts to all.

By: David

David — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:59:06 +0000

Hello
I Broke my right ankle late June 2011 had operation 2 pins added; now going today to get my first X-ray +day 41. The Dr. did not use a cast for me and only a boot. Swelling was a major problem for me first three weeks related to an infection, after the infection was controlled swelling reduced and improved every day and still continues to improve weeks after. I have been taking a Chinese medicine called ShangKeJieGupian (Bone Chip) to help improve bone growth and improve blood flow; I have no opinion on this yet.

By: Darlene

Darlene — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:45:15 +0000

I broke my ankle May 11, 2011 playing tennis. I knew immediately when it broke because I heard the crunch. Fortunately for me it was a clean break with no surgery required. Since I broke this same ankle exactly 7 years ago I thought 6 weeks in a cast, some PT and back on the courts. Well this time not so simple. This Dr. put me in an aircast which was super uncomfortable and causing more bruising. He ended up taking off the aircast because my foot and ankle became really red, still swollen and warm to the touch around the ankle area. At night mostly, my ankle has this excruciating burning sensation that almost brings me to tears. (i’m really not a baby) The Dr. said it was just my body reacting to the injury. He didn’t think it was an infection, but decided to put me on antibiotics just in case. He wants me to only wear a compression sock now during the day and at night wrap my ankle in an Ace bandage.
The redness and burning has subsided, but is still there. A friend thought it looked like cellulitis. Anyone experience anything like this????

By: secgo@aol.com

secgo@aol.com — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:31:59 +0000

I broke my ankle tibia and fibula about 5 weeks ago. I had 16 stiches on tibia side, and 10 on fibula.
1 Plate 11 screws. Went to the Dr today, cant put weight on foot yet? I am using a knee scooter,
which awesome, no cruthes, no walker. I cant wait to get this cast off and return to normal.

By: AVIK

AVIK — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:27:21 +0000

I injured my ankle about 8 months ago playing basketball I couldnt put my foot down on the ground for about a week it hurt that bad. I was swollen and from the outer area between the heal to the middle of the foot had turned blue which was blood of course. I did all the icing and hot water as usual and very slowly it kinda got better. For about a month it was alright I guess and now its a little sensitive and as of today it still hurts alittle at times when I play sports or just walking up the stairs. ****Here is were it gets strange in the last 3 days the area that I had injured has been getting hot flashes and numb at times almost every 20 mins. I just turned 30 and im in great physical shape. Have you had any type of similar experience? Please let me know if anyone has had these type of hot flashes or know of such thing. Please email me if you know anything about this thank you! avikandreas@yahoo.com