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9 weeks fibula not healed

Posted , 18 users are following.

Roach63
Roach63

Hi All

My previous message was written to encourage people bc I was starting to walk with little pain after 6 weeks of NWB. It took 2 weeks n PT but I was sure I was on the mend.  Well.... I followed up with a different Dr because I am now living in another state and this Dr says my fraction is not healed and he no longer wants me to go to PT.  He is OK with me walking with a brace and would have had me walking from the beginning.  I am confused bc I thought the PT was helping but he implied it was interfering with my healing.  The first dr had told me I wasn't completely healed but sent me to PT. Two different opinions and the fact that 9 weeks out I still have a fracture on my fibula.   Think I need a 3rd dr.  Why haven't I healed??  

1 like, 82 replies

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  • andy88
    andy88 Roach63

    Posted

    Many years ago I had a complete fracture of the right tibia and double stress fracture of the fibula sustained whilst playing football (soccer to you guys!). The tibia was internally pinned with no cast. After several weeks I was given the go ahead to start PWB. I soon noticed that in certain situations ( i.e. Standing at the sink cleaning my teeth!) I could feel and hear a clicking in my leg. On my next visit to Outpatients I mentioned this to the duty doctor, who said that I was probably overdoing it and should go back to NWB for a couple of weeks and then start again. He said he was happy with my recovery so far and sent me on my way. The nurse who was attending me could see that I was upset with this and went out of her way to contact my Consultant for a second opinion. He took one look at my X-Ray's and informed me that it was obvious to him that for whatever reason the bone wasn't naturally knitting back together, so within a day or so I was back under the knife having a bone graft from my right hip. This time I was in a cast for several weeks. The graft was a success and I've had no problems for the last 25 years, although I never played competitive football again!!

    The conclusion to my story...... Get that 3rd opinion. Don't always take their word as gospel if you aren't happy. You know your own body.

    Good luck with your recovery 😊

    • Tituscanby1
      Tituscanby1 andy88

      Posted

      Great advice. Trust your gut. Demand copy of xrays. I always take a snap of Specialists computer with xray on screen. I insist on truth now. Don't be scared to ask. Your leg! Good luck. We're all here for support. :+)
    • Patientholland
      Patientholland Tituscanby1

      Posted

      Does anyone have any advice or recommendations on how to wake up once foot in the morning. I am now 17 weeks post surgery and can walk for about 10 minutes without my crutch. I still sleep With my foot slightly elevated so it's not swollen in the morning, but it is very stiff. I find I have to keep rotating it and then I soak it in hot and cold water and do my exercises. Can anybody give advice as to when one wakes up in the foot feels just like I foot
    • maria85416
      maria85416 Patientholland

      Posted

      May I ask how do you elevate your leg up? Is it well supported. Does it go numb?

      When it was especially stiff for me I would put a towel in the dryer and when it was hot wrap it around my lower. What mostly caused my stiffness was when I would elevate my leg while sleeping. I hated elevating my leg everything hurted and it really didn't help so I stoped about 2- 4 weeks post

    • Patientholland
      Patientholland maria85416

      Posted

      For the first 16 weeks, i had a surgical bed that had an electric mattress so that i could elevate as and when i needed [which was all the time!!]
    • daphne23784
      daphne23784 maria85416

      Posted

      Hi Maria, have you tried elevating your leg with more of a gradual incline. I took 3 pillows and placed them to form an incline so that it would run from my foot this being the highest level then down to just before my bottom. Packing pillows one on top of the other is very uncomfortable and wrong. I checked on Google what the correct angle is.
    • karenngie
      karenngie andy88

      Posted

      Hi, I know this is an old post but I just fractured my tibia and fibula while on vacation and had surgery same day. I got a metal rod along the tibia and screws on the bottom (around ankle area) bc of a little shattered bone as well. The surgeon purposely mentioned that the rod will hold the tibia in place but he will not do anything with the fibula bc it usually heals itself much faster. I was put on a boot and crutches and healing one is 4-6 weeks. Sometimes I do feel clicking too while getting around like to the restroom...but doc said it's broken and I won't break it again. But I'm worried that it won't heal like that. I'm really really worried and feel so painful everyday and it's only been 1st week. I won't be able to see another doc back home until another week.

  • Patientholland
    Patientholland Roach63

    Posted

    Does anyone have any advice or recommendations on how to wake up ones foot in the morning. I am now 17 weeks post surgery and can walk for about 10 minutes without my crutch. I still sleep With my foot slightly elevated so it's not swollen in the morning, but it is very stiff. I find I have to keep rotating it and then I soak it in hot and cold water and do my exercises. Can anybody give advice as to to when I can hope to wake up wirh a foot that feels just like I foot
    • Tituscanby1
      Tituscanby1 Patientholland

      Posted

      After 31 weeks, half of that post surgery, I have the luxury of little swelling- mostly now from 5pm to bedtime. And for 8 weeks I have been able to sleep in the recovery position either left or right side. A pillow can help here. Yeh. No stuck on back. I can have my legs on top of each other- so fairly normal.

      I take it easy when I get out of bed. Always worried it will snap again if I don't! It gets easier but setbacks occur if I over do it.

      Morning is my easiest time. A few slow laps of house with my Walker, then I try to walk a bit smoother heal toe fashion. Then I sit down and elevate it. Rinse and repeat. Little and not lots. Pain dictates.

      Wish I had a magic spell for us. Keep sharing and we'll help each other.

      Aside for the physical damage, its easy for others to lose sight of the extreme mental damage we go through. ©{°∆°}©

    • patti123
      patti123 Patientholland

      Posted

      I went from not being able to walk barefooted around the house last week, to walking lots barefooted today inside my house everywhere. Basically, I think you just have to put a bit more weight on it day by day and then one day it just is strong enough to walk. If you walk 10 minutes at one point, try to walk 12 mins the next time. Increase it slowly and then all the sudden you can do it for a long time. Stand on it in front of the sink brushing your teeth and do lots of strengthening exercises. I found the foot strength increases exponentially. Let's say you do 1 min of walking one day, try to do 2 the next, 4 the next, 8 the next etc. Slowly you will gain strength. I think you have to do the ankle exercises a few times a day too. Hope this helps.
    • Roach63
      Roach63 patti123

      Posted

      What are some strengthening exercises? I was doing PT till the new dr stopped it.  He said I couldn't do the alphabet with my foot only flex up and down.  I can walks short distances w/o pain but after awhile I feel a slight soreness in the leg.  
    • daphne23784
      daphne23784 patti123

      Posted

      Hi Patti, you are so right in pushing a bit further every day, and it's true all of a sudden in all comes together. I also pushed a little bit more every day and then all of a sudden one small step suddenly felt like one giant leap and now every day is better. Today I had my 18 month old grandson visit, and as you can imagine he is busy, but I managed to keep up with him and even bathed him, and a week ago I could not do it, and today I was basically on my feet all day. Tonight my ankle is a bit swollen but I don't have much pain, more uncomfortable because of the swelling, so that long painful and emotional road does come to a end and we are nearly there.
    • patti123
      patti123 Roach63

      Posted

      My favorite PT exercises are on You Tube. Look up these words " Best Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises For Those Recovering From Ankle Injury Well Ki Mobility Series You Tube ".

      Also type into your computer "piersbarry md ankle exercises" for some more good exercises. 

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