Broken ankle for 7 weeks -- is this normal??
Posted , 4 users are following.
I fractured my fibula in one place after falling down the stairs on 10/16/16. It seemed pretty standard but the first doctor I saw thought I might need surgery and redirected me immediately to a different doctor; he said completely otherwise and put me in a plaster cast.
Yesterday, 12/2/16, I got my cast off and got new xrays. When I walked into the office and saw the first xray on the screen, I was ecstatic because it looked completely normal. Then when my doctor came in to go over the other views with me, I saw the side view that showed my bone was still very much broken. I couldn't believe that despite that my doctor said I was on the right track and encouraged me to start walking with an air cast boot and ditch the crutches ASAP. I even asked how much I should be walking, and he said "however much you want."
I'm really confused. I have six weeks until my next check up so I'm on my own here. How do I know that walking with the boot is actually not going to make the bone any worse? I would be fine if it was even mostly fused together but I'm telling you it did not look like very much improvement. I feel incredibly uncomfortable giving my foot all this new stress knowing that it isn't even together yet. I'm afraid to even take the boot off because I don't know what it will do if I move my ankle too much, or what too much even is. Should I actually be working towards ditching the crutches soon? Or should I keep playing it as safe as possible until I go in again??
0 likes, 5 replies
ihavenonickname charhex
Posted
Did you see a crack, or a separation. Bone forms a callus. Y
An x ray taken when you die will still show the fracture.
charhex ihavenonickname
Posted
It appeared to be a pretty significant crack. It's not entirely all the way through but there is a decent gap between the bone and it doesn't seem aligned. My doctor did point out calluses which is why he seemed optimistic I suppose. It's not that I don't trust him, it's just I didn't receive very much of an explanation and I have a lot of anxiety over anything that will complicate my healing process.
ihavenonickname charhex
Posted
If he pointed out the callus, you are healing.
Personally, I would give it a couple of weeks with touch weight bearing.
You should see my femur, snapped in two and separated...healed but not the way I expected to look.
hugs
Ankle_Surgery charhex
Posted
Lamborghini_Gal charhex
Posted
Hi Charhex,
?This is just my humble opinion and I am in no ways medically gifted! LOL! BUT, if it were me and again, this is just me..........I would do whatever I? feel comfortable with doing. In other words, if they told me I could put weight on it and I just did not feel ready or at that point yet, then I would NOT. Of course, if they told me NOT to put weight on it, I definitely would not put weight on it. But I'm weird like that! I had a mental block and just could not and would not, put weight on my left foot, even when my doctor told me I could, when I got a couple of weeks of physical theraphy done. I just could not put weight on it. Not because it hurt, but because I just did not feel ready AND I was worried it would break again. So, for about 3 weeks of physical theraphy, the wonderful therapist (who was really patient and kind) tried and tried to get me to put weight on it and I refused! Am I glad I refused? YEP! I sure am. I was not ready - emotionally.
So, you do what YOU feel is right. Again, just my humble opinoin! Good luck!