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Broken ankle, surgery, 2 incisions, help me!

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I received surgery for my broken ankle on September 12, it was originally broken August 31. I had a plate and screws put in. There were two incisions. I was in a plaster cast for about 2 weeks after the surgery. Then I was placed into a regular cast, which was one for 6 weeks. Next, the doctor took of the cast and told me to not put any weight on it. In 2 weeks, I will be going back and hopefully getting a boot. I have been non weight bearing since the day of the accident August 31. How long will I need to wear the boot? And can I drive with it? I am in college and due to this accident I had to go home. So far, I have missed one semester and I do not want to miss another. Please feel free to email me @ my AOL account. Thanks!

8 comments

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    9 10

    Ariel and Carl, I have the perspective of being 5 months post break. Life does get better. I broke my ankle (three seperate fractures) on July 15. My surgery was July 17. I, too, had a plate put in on the outside of the ankle and two screws inserted in the inside of my ankle and one longer screw from one side of the ankle to the other. I was in a “cast splint” for two weeks following surgery. Then I was put in a walking cast for almost three weeks. I wasn’t able to really put any weight on my leg until after one week of being in the walking cast. Next came the wonderful “boot”. I was in that for about 4 weeks. If you broke your right ankle you will not be able to drive with the boot on. The thing weighs a ton! It has been a lifesaver though. Even after I got the clear to stop using it, I would put it on if I was going to do a lot of walking and just recently I wore it to a formal evening wedding! Yesterday I had the long screw removed. It was a piece of cake. Actully my ankle feels so much better. The screw was preventing me from having the mobility and flexiblity that I needed. I have been in PT for about 3 months now and that has helped a great deal. I was not all that active prior to the break and certainly am not that active with the break. My surgeon (who has a 2 year old and was sympathetic to me having a 3 year old and 2 month old at the time of my break) told me that I would feel completely healed in about one year. I believe her. Feel free to email if you have any questions. One thing that I did that really helped with the swelling and with the comfort of that boot was wear a knee high compression stocking (open toe). Not that attractive but hey, the boot isn’t either!
    Good luck!!! [email protected]

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    9 10

    Broke my ankle 5/3/, 1st surgery 5/5. The site was “dirty” so 2nd surgery 6/9. Sent to convelescent hosp for 2 months. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “CONVELESCING” at these places.
    You need rest, proper nutrition, good emotional support and many other things. You may end up supply these things yourself after finding out no one else is going to support you. Your food and vitamin supplements need to be upped to support healing of the bones. Liquid protein is good. Vitamins need to be in the “stress” category. Calcium/magnesium/ supplements will also help. The most valuable help I received was chiropractic as you may have nerve damage, lack of circulation and many other problems that will not be addressed by ortho surgeons or other drs. The worst or non-help I received was from ortho surgeons. They are insisting I schedule another surgery to remove screw and pin from ankle and they are retaliating in their treatment as I will not sched surgery until I find out why I have no range of motion in the ankle. There are simply endless daily problems to overcome in your healing.
    I am currently working in google “broken ankle” and getting a lot of help so that I can communicate with drs. and surgeons.

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    9 10

    There must be a lot of different types of break. I thought mine was bad till I read cases of 3-6 months. Broke on 11/12. Bimollular fracture required one 3″ screw in the big bone and a 1/8’dia 5″ long crochet hook in the other,Had plaster splint wrapped w/ Ace bandages. 5th day it hurt so bad to stand, I had to lie back down. I solved it by wrapping tighter which kept the incisions from stretching. I used a walker (much safer han crutches, and all I had to do to relieve pain was raise foot behind me. On 11/26 got fiberglass cast with lots of padding. On 12/12 Doc said okay to walk on cast. I went out and chainsawed a bunch of firewood, and many other tasks. 1/7 cast removed. Xray can’t even see breaks. Doc sez to attempt standup knee bends. OWWW It is going to take a lot of stretching. I told him I read that gente pressure over a long period was better than wrenching. He said yes. I am having a rough time but I don’t think it will be more than a couple of weeks before I can be half normal, I will wait and see. Hope it’s not 6 months I am 69.
    Good luck– John

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      9 10

      Wow! This is very interesting. I broke my ankle on Jan. 28, during an ice storm. My friend thought I was trying to ice skate without the skates…lol I also had to have surgery, however my surgery was immediately on the morning of Jan. 29. My doctor put a plate and 3 screws into my ankle. Two days after surgery, I was given a walking cast but told not to put any weight on it. Then 3 weeks later the doctor told me not to put weight on it for 6 more weeks. Which means I still have to walk around with these God awful crutches. I’ve been on crutches now for 5 weeks and it is killing me. I noticed my toes are moving a lot better than they were. So I tried to put a little pressure on my foot. Heck, I feel like I can walk. I tried a few more times. It hurt a little bit, but I don’t think I put all of my weight on it. I’m still a little scared. I go back to the doctor tomorrow 3/4/. I hope he tells me I can start putting weight on it. But judging from everyone else, I may not get my wish.
      Sincerely, Felecia J.P.S. It’s good to know I’m not the only one. I’ve never heard of such surgery until now.

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    9 10

    Howz it goin. Well I broke my ankle on december 5th and had surgery on the 6th of dec where my ankle was put back together using a plate and 6 screws. I had a plaster cast for a week cause I was flying back home the next day. I have 3 fractures and have been in bed for the last 6 weeks with my leg elevated on a pillow and with no weight on it. I had an xray done today and was told by my doctor that it would take atleast 2-3 weeks more since one of the 3 fractures has not healed yet. I was supposed to remove one screw 6 weeks after the surgery but since one of my fractures has not healed yet, I cannot remove it until everything is healed. It sux that the healing process is taking longer than I thought, even my doctor told me that 6 weeks is the regular healing time for a fractured bone but for some unknown reason, one of my 3 fractures has not healed yet and I hope it will heal soon.

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    9 10

    Ariel,
    Sounds like a similar timeline to mine. I broke ankle/fibula/tibia (compound fracture) in a rock climbing fall on Sept 9. Also had multiple surgeries with titanium plate and screws in fibula. I am still non-load bearing in a removable Bledsoe boot cast. My Dr. said I would start load bearing sometime in December, so something like 3 to 4 months after injury seems probable. I was told that PT and near full recovery will take another 3 or so months. Feel free to email me direct at [email protected].
    Good luck.–Carl

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      9 10

      Hey guys, i’m new to the message board – but was encouraged by your stories. My name is Sinan, a 29 year old, business owner who broke his ankle and tibula / fibula bones in a vegas accident. I jumped over a small wall thinking the drop on the other end was small – yet it was 12′. I had surgery on Wednesday, it is now Friday. i’m in total pain – and I need your help and advise. is this pain normal? i’m in agony – not just normal pain. it kills to stand up due to the blood rushing to my tendons. do you guys have any advise for me at my stage?also – when do you think I will be able to drive again?>also – I love running – do you think i’ll ever be able to run again?
      Thanks for your help.
      Sincerely, Cripple in pain.

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        9 10

        Hello,
        Yes pain…something to love or hate. There is no middle road unless you have pain management drugs. I survived a 300 kg steel block…approx 30″ x20″x 10″ thick falling off a steel bench…landing on my right ankle…the lifting strap dislodged from the crane hook. How. We don’t know….however, I managed to order the foreman who went into shock…to get an ambulance and ordered his apprentice to get a chair and one extra and a box for me to sit on and elevate my foot.Yeh I was lucky.. It hit the only part of the ankle where you could sustain an injury. I was the fleshy area above the end of the 5th metatarsal and the lower cuboid bone. It the block missed the tendon to my little toe by 1mm. The corner of the steel block had a 40mm thick plate on the back. This corner nailed me. It smashed the cuboid bone, the end of the 5th Metatarsal where I had had a “Jones Fracture” repaired in 2013. At that time I had a Titanium pin/screw put in that bone to put it back together again. I had healed well until this accident.Well the impact of that block also broke the screw. I was now left with a separated 5th metatarsal with a tight pin in place( a screw really)
        The 4th metatarsal was also broken. I was extremely lucky…amputation..instantly was the alternative. Pain when you have it can be controlled. You wean yours self off it..you have to say that it hurts and how much in a scale of 10. 8/10 is high…9/10 is worse, 12/10 is extreme….2/10 is managable with minimum drug use. You see how it works? Pain is a hinderance to healing…reduced pain is better. You may have nerve pain thrown in like I have at the moment. I have a drug that treats something else…the byproduct is nerve pain reduction. Ask you Doctor about that aspect.Important thing is to remain positive and have a goal. I too am self employed. My customers understand my situation. I am helping them by phone and having “friends” in the industry help me out by helping my customers out. Customers remember that too!You have to do a blanket notice telling them what happened and when you will be back…and hope that they will support you upon your return.You gotta have a goal.Mine as well as work is small boat sailing. I just watched the Boats from the Sydney to Hobart racers go past my apartment. Some of my friends are racing today.My goal as well as work is to be there next year to bring one of the yachts back from Hobart…no race pressure there. Mate…think positive and you’ll get there.
        regards from Down Under
        Michael

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