Catch words

That's right Olga. It is so important to stay positive throughout the whole horrible process no matter how hard it is. Focus on the positive always no matter how tiny it may be. Putting a smile on your face not matter what is not always easy but it does help a little how you feel.

All the above... It definitely pushed my depression into a tailspin and not being able to care for my dog as normal... I had to send her to my parents. Being without my pet was beyond stressful for me, that's when I really knew she was my emotional support animal for sure 😘 !

Take it day by day... It will get better! IF I can say this, it HAS to be true!! I am a single woman with no help or friends that came to help me....

Oh I can so relate to not being able to care for your dog. I so miss walking my boy, but fortunately I have not had to send him away. My partner, who works away for 5 days at a time, has done everything when he has been home, and we have had a nephew come and stay with us as well. He has been walking my boy for me, which is great, but it breaks my heart when he follows me around at my slow pace, and looks at me with those lets go Mum eyes. That is top of my to do list when I can manage it..

I also have a dog and I leave in a condo on the second floor. I leave alone, my daughter and my boyfriend are here regularly and taking the dog out, but I would miss my walks so much...That what I am doing : I rented a potable wheelchair from Pharmasave right after the initial trip to Emerg. because I could not use the crutches, too much pain on movement. That w/c is the best help I have now, can do practically everything around my place, cooking, laundry, even some light cleaning already...feeling much better beeing independent. I am also taking the dog out in w/c on a leash, the building is w/c accessible with a ramp. It is a bit steep to wheel up, but I am pushing it forward standing up then, also getting some exercise..

Well done Olga. I also used a wheel chair for the 8 weeks I was off the leg and it sure made a difference to what you can do. I also used a walking frame for showering as I found the crutches limiting. Good on you and I hope you heal as quickly as possible.

Tracy, you can add deflated to the list, and maybe exhausted could gto in there too.

Oh MsCamboot! My prayers are with you during this!!! I KNOW ankle break/surgery is definitely a terrible thing to go through but to hear about loosing your job or not be able to do your job.... Devastating!

Were you not able to get short term then long term disability?

Good luck to you!!!

That is terrible MsCamboot! Have you had a second opinion on that? I dont know what work you did, but surely they could find something else for you that didnt require you to be on your feet all the time.

​I was looking for work at the time of my accident and just stopped applying. I have just started applying again, but am a little concerned that it is going to be some time before everything is back to almost normal. Dont think it will ever be the same no matter how well it heals. I hope things work out for you. Good luck

Hi Pix.

I have income protection at the moment but will try to find a sit down job. I can still use my hands to work. I really need a full time job as I too am on my own. If I was on disability I wouldn't be able to pay my bills. The income protection is not covering the wages I made before either. I will have to look into every avenue I can. I'm so depressed with it all.

Hi Dianne.

I worked in aged care, which is physically demanding and you're run off your feet all day.

I had very severe ankle breaks. I was 5 MONTHS post surgery until I was walking without aids. My inner ankle bone hasn't healed because it looks like a round ball now, due to fragments breaking away when I fell. I have been off work 8 months and can't possibly do my job at the moment due to pain, walking / limping slowly etc.. I have poor quality bones and could easily injure myself again. I have a plate on my Tibia with screws, my Fibula has a plate with screws and 2 screws in the inner ankle bone.i can feel the two screws digging in at times but I doubt I could ever have them removed as that bone hasn't healed. I am hoping that in the future I will be much better, but I just don't know. I think I will have to see how I am further down the road. Work also told me that they don't have any sit down jobs. I guess after seeing the occupational doctors report they see me more of a health risk. It's all very sad really because I was very fit and now my life has slowed down. I do intend to keep positive and I keep telling myself it's only early days. As the saying goes it's not over till it's over. 🙂

I am devastated for you!!! That is terrible I can only imagine how truly "deflated" you feel right now. Can you actually be fired for being "disabled"??? Are you in the US??? I can't imagine that is legal...

I am so sorry you are going through this... I too sound like I have a very similar injury and I'm afraid that I may not recover as well as I hoped.

3 plates, 14 screws and 3 pins!!! I am 5 weeks post surgery and I'm a nurse so I fear I won't be able to return in the same capacity. My prayers to you!! You will find the perfect job that you can do while sitting!!! Your positivity is inspiring!!!

Hi Tracy.

You can get fired if you can't do your job anymore and your employer doesn't have the required position you need. It's not as if they employed me disabled and then sacked me. They also left my position open for me for 8 months, hoping I would recover well.

I live in Australia and I think it's after 3 months of being off work sick the employer can release you. I guess that's life. It is depressing but I guess it will pass.

Don't worry Tracy you will probably spring back better than me and return to full capacity. I do hope you recover quickly. 🙂

I understand your situation as I had to go on LTD for chronic migraines 6 years ago and it cut my pay down to 60%. I'm barely making ends meet and my employer made me file for social security but I did not get it. I have had a surgery every year since I've been out of work, for things other than my migraines 🙄

I feel I'm falling apart in my 40's!! All elective surgeries but necessary for living. I also found out my bones are softer since surgery on my ankle... Taking lots of calcium supplements now...

I would love to go back to my job someday soon if they could find a cure for my migraines, or that I could get through more than a week without one!

Again Good Luck! It seems like you do have a good knowledge and healthcare background and that should be helpful in your career search 👍

Stay positive is all you can do. Do you take any supplements at all? Sounds like a really bad break you have suffered. I feel for you.

Sorry to hear about all your struggles with job situation...It is too early to predict when I will be able to come back, I work union, so there is a bit of security there...

That's sounds terrible, about your job, and should be illegal also! Government or the employer should be offering you a re-training program. In Canada if you are in the health care you can be retrained for a unit clerk or health records...something you can do not on your feet...maybe some date entry job? But i also heard from people that it is all look nice on paper. but in real life some employers are dealing with people in a totally ugly way.

Hi Pix.

Oh I'm sorry to hear of your situation. What a carry on for you.i too occasionally get migraines and they are shocking.

I'm sixty on the 15th of this month, so I'm beginning to feel as though I'm on the scrap heap. I guess these things happen but you never think they could happen to you. One broken ankle turned my life well and truly upside down. I guess I will have to do what I have to do and I will still believe for total recovery of my ankle and keep pressing in with whatever I have to, so as to get it right.

Hope things pick up for Pix. 🙂

Hi Olga.

I will be going in to Centrelink on Friday to see what they suggest I do. They may suggest I retrain for a sit down job. I'm 60 in a couple of weeks and do I really need all this messing around but I guess I have to do whatever. We have to remember employers are running businesses and we don't come first. I've got a few things running against me now so I will see what happens. It's hard being on your own and having no security.🙂

I've taken calcium since I was much younger and still do. I take Vitamin D, also go out in the sun, fish oil, glucosamine etc. since breaking my ankle the doctor sent me for a Dexa Scan which came back with a bone Disease. I'm now on 6 monthly injections to manage the condition. That's why my break was so severe and I've had complications. It wouldn't have been bad if my bones were normal. I'm 60 in 2 weeks time. I have to be extremely careful not to fall and that's now why I have a fear of falling or being in large crowds and getting bowled over. It brought with it all these other issues including depression.

I wish you all the best with this, you are a strong person, but yes...sometimes the odds are against us.

I do understand. I am 62 and it gets tougher. I have learned to create space around me when I am out and about, but for some reason there are so many people who just dont seem to notice when someone is struggling. Stay positive, and hit those small goals when you can. I set myself a series of goals for when I was able to weight bear, and so far have achieved three of them, driving my car, wearing a pair of shoes (although one is pretty tight) and walking without crutches. Now I am working on the swelling and strength in the leg, so the next goal is to be able to stand on the fractured ankle like I have had to do on the good ankle. Need to build up the calf muscle to help the circulation to help reduce the swelling around the ankle and top of the foot. Despite these small steps, I still have deep seated pain, more of an ache really, and nothing I do is going to hurry the process. Need to accept the challenges, and work towards overcoming them, one at a time. Stay positive, you will get there.

Hi Dianne.

You have a good attitude towards your healing. I'm sure you will recover well. It is a long road but we have to keep pushing through, as you are. 🙂

I am also a cancer survivor, so I think the tough mental attitude was developed during that episode 11 years ago. I reckon if I can survive that then I can survive anything

Aww bless you ! You are a fighter !!! 🙂