2 weeks post ORIF ankle surgery.

yes it gets better but don't rush anything. bed rest keeping foot elevated and listening to your doctor is all you need to do at this point. moving around is only risking injuring your ankle again. long process but it gets better

if it helps , i had same accident , got orif surgery for my ankle. i bought the ossur cold therapy unit , putting ice under knee and keeping leg elevated helps with swelling .. take it slow .. i am still not back to normal , cannot go to groceries or malls or walk too much or even escalators.. but just counting my blessings that am able to walk with a stick.. dont lose hope , stay strong and positive , safe and steady ..

I broke my right ankle this past summer. I had a 4 year old, 1 year old and 6 month old. I also severely sprained my left ankle so I was non weight bearing for both feet for over a month. It was really hard and I remember thinking at one point that I would just stay in my wheel chair permanently because learning to walk again was so hard! But it does get better. My best advice for early recovery is to keep it elevated all the time. Even if it's just propped up on the dash board or on the chair next to you in a restuarant. This will speed healing so much. Once your stitches come out and you have access to you ankle soak it regularly and cover it in vitamin E oil. I have a 4" incision on the inside and outside of my ankle. I took way better care of my inner incision because I could see it and it healed so much smoother and faster. Stock up on gauze pads, neosporin, vitamin E and tea tree oil. I had never had surgery before and I under estimated how long it would take my incisions to heal. You are on a long road to full healing but it sounds like you have a great support system and great doctors. That will go a long way!

Oh yes it gets better and you will teeter totter on the emotional roller coaster. I'm not totally fixed 10 months out, it is still tender and swollen, but I can function just fine. It's very rough in the beginning, hang in there. I also have 2 kids and had to rely on someone else, it's tough for a mom. I fell in 4 inch heels in a bar, had to leave in an ambulance, what a scene lol In a few months you will be able to do more.

Hi,

If your already at the stage of venturing out, then good luck to you.

Unfortunately the swelling issue takes a long time to right itself, months, i will improve but very slowly, be advised please to elevate your foot at every opportunity to help bring swelling down, this is a must to relieve the pressure your feeling.

From my experience I would actually say it's a good idea to move around more! Whenever you're resting for sure keep it elevated but I found that staying active helped the swelling a lot. I started walking at less than 2 weeks in the air boot, and healed about 6 weeks ahead of schedule! I was even competing at cheer nationals less than 3 months after my break! Positive attitude, staying hydrated, and a good diet are my tips!

oh cynnmarie, i know how you feel. im now 5 weeks in ORIF surgery ..its not the pain or discomfort its not being able to put any weight onto your ankle and having to relay on family and friends. Its hard when you are normally very active. My ankle starts to aches and changes colour when i dont have it elevated, its normal.

Im at hospital next monday, 6 weeks post op for xrays, i will keep you updated on what happens next. x

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences!! I know our journey and outcome is so different for all of us, but reading your stories and hearing that it indeed does get better is so comforting. It put me at ease! I'm still in the very early days of recovery so I know right now it's going to be rough, but when I hit those rough moments all that keeps running through my mind is "oh no, this is what it's going to be like for the rest of my life??" Thank you for all of the encouragement!! I wish you all a speedy and full recovery!! I look forward to following your journeys and hearing about your healings!!!!

As others have said, elevate the foot.If going out, get a table with chairs that pull out and you can put your foot up on it. Or in a booth, etc. Don't be shy or prideful, let others know your need. And same with getting help from others. This is the time to ask for help and even teach your 6 year old to help more around the house.

I didn't go out that much for the first 3-4 weeks after surgery, maybe once a week and in a wheelchair as I couldn't manage crutches. A wheelchair with raising foot rest helped elevate the ankle when a chair, etc. wasn't available.But resting for the first 4-6 weeks as much as possible and reducing risk of injury is going to help you the most in the long term. Have friends come and visit vs. going out. If you do go out, take as many precautions as possible and take everything slow.

As for healing time, it will vary alot by age, fracture, surgery, etc. It's common to be down in the weeks after the break/surgery but trust me, it does get better. As for other tips, see if you can get in-home physical therapy and/or work on exercises you can do in bed to strength the upper body (dumbbells, like 3 or 5 lbs) and doing things like leg lifts to strengthen the leg muscles you will be using to get around on the good leg and in the future.Getting good healing foods like veggies, fruit and good protein. Bone broth is very good., as well as supplementing calcium with Vit K, glucosamine chondrotin, C and D.

For me, right bi-malleolar fracture of the lower fibula on Oct 20, 2018 and torn tendons., ORIF surgery on Oct 30 with 5 screws and plate. Cast for 4 weeks, then walking boot., then cleared for a brace on Jan 21. I had in home physical therapy which helped TONS. It's been 4 months and I just started out-patient PT and driving again. I'm also slow to healing due to age and arthritis. I've kept m ankle elevated 90% of the time as I've been working remotely (thankfully).I broke my ankel 20 years ago and know it takes time, that one took 6 months to a year before it was much improved but I'm already doing better this time around due to better self-care.