broken ankle

Not to get you more depressed but you may not be full weight bearing tomorrow. I think you will have a boot. When you are weight bearing your leg will ache and swell when it is down. It will also discolor. When you start physio things get better faster. Remember RICE. I was 10 weeks non weight bearing. After 5 months things were mostly normal and I was golfing. It's a difficult journey physically and emotionally. Good luck and keep us postef.

Hi I broke my ankle and dislocated my foot in august, pot for six weeks then air boot for six weeks , so you have been lucky if you haven't had much pain so far, when you start to weight bare that's when it starts to swell up so ice and elevate when you can I need to stand for work so that's why mine swelled so much , having large pin out next week so hoping another surgery won't set me back to much , only just starting to walk normally although still have slight limp , I'm told this is normal for around a year , had ankle class in hospital gym to do exercises and physios on hand to help ask any questions , don't worry and try not to overdo things at first I thought l would never get back to normal but it does take time

Hi Lesley. I had a trimalleolar fracture so my ankle was broken in three places. I now have a collection of two plates, eight small pins/screws and one big one. I had surgery five days after mine and was non-weight bearing for six weeks after. Like you I didn't really have any pain. The one thing I've learned is that one person's experience can be vastly different from another. Some people are able to weight bear straight away. Some are not. So here is mine. 

The day I went to get my cast off I was told I could begin weight bearing straight away and that I would need to organise physio myself. I was also put in a moonboot. So I left the hospital and started partial weight bearing as soon as I got home. I wouldn't say that I was ever in pain but I ached a lot. Like all the time. So I needed to take pain relief during that time quite religiously. I ached for about the next six weeks. Got to the stage one night where I was pretty sad about it all and then the next week it just all kind of stopped. 

My physio gave me exercises and said to me 'if it hurts, don't do it'. That was always my guide and has been ever since. So if I was doing exercises and they hurt then I stopped. But they never really did. I just ached. A lot! I was able to walk in my boot without any crutches or anything else within a week of my cast coming off. I stayed in the boot - off and on - for the next six weeks, mainly to keep the swelling down. It swelled a lot. And was tight, which is quite uncomfortable. Still swells now. I'll be four months since my accident this coming Sunday. Most of the time now when I walk nobody would know anything had happened to me. I find it easier to walk with flip flops (summertime here) that have arch support. They are easier than bare feet. 

Wishing you the very best of luck. It's a hard situation but hopefully since you've had no pain, the next part will be pretty easy. But despite it being like that, I cried a lot! Don't do that anymore either.

I was off six weeks due to surgery of torn tendon. . I was was in cast 2 weeks and then walking boot. The first time he let me be weight bearing, it was with one crutch and 60 to 80 percent weight on my foot.

Yes, it's uncomfortable but by the next day it was much better. I would suggest crutch (or cane) when you first start walking. In the mornings my foot is stiff so I do Range of Motion exercises before I get into my boot. This "warms" up my foot. The more I am on it.... the better it feels. For example, my middle toe hurts a lot when I am walking around first thing in morning. But in 30 minutes or so I feel fine. Once you feel confident walking, don't over do it. I went out with my niece and walked four hours. The next day I was in pain. No pun intended, but it is a balancing act either way.

Physical Therapy is very kind and gentle .... they will access you on your first visit and I actually got a wonderful foot massage and then ice. They have gradually increased my foot exercises. You need to communicate if you ever feel pain and what kind of pain it is.

what helped me when I first walked was having a good friend with me. I not only had my crutch but my arm was wrapped around her so tight because I was trying to have as less weight as possible on my foot. We were in a pharmacy to pick up compression socks and we started laughing because we must have looked so funny. Try and have a sense of humor about the predicament. Also, if your foot hurts just remind yourself this is part of the healing process. And, everyone has different tolerances for pain and coping with pain. I read where some people screamed when they had stitches removed. Again, had a friend with me and showed her photos on my phone to distract me. It was uncomfortable having stitches out and I said ouch a couple times out loud but again, I told myself this is one step closer to recovery.

Keep in mind the discomfort does not last forever.

Hi,

Well I have been weightbearing for a week now. Just over 6 weeks post surgery on my ankle.

It is very difficult to weight bear without the boot but with it it is so much easier. The whole thing is a nightmare and taking so long but one step at a time.

Keep positive and remain positive.

Just in the bath having a good soak. That helps a lot.

Wish you well.

H

No worse than what you have been thru. Just follow Physios instructions. Have patience, and you will be find. You are lucky you got plate and screws so quick. I was nearly 4 months b4 they decided I had 100% non union, and I needed a bone graft as well.

Weight bearing is a slow process. 5-10 kg at a time, done by putting foot on scales while on crutches, I other foot on ground.. Moon boot fantastic, as long as it is right size

Gives protection but off for shower, and eventually sleep.

Good luck. You're well on road to recovery!

👣🌻🌼🌞🌈

I had a trimalleolar fracture on Oct. 28th.  Surgery the next day and then in a splint for a week, then a cast for 3 weeks and a boot for 3 weeks.   All this time non weight bearing.  On Dec. 21st my surgeon said I was healed and I can start weight bearing.  I did not put the boot back on.  The first day I thought I would never walk again.  I felt sharp pain up and down my leg .  I used a crutch for support.  The next day I was walking without the crutch, lots of swelling, but I iced it when I could. I also soaked in warm to hot to cold water at least once a day.  This not only helped the swelling, but it helped with the pain too.  I had 6 PT sessions. This did not hurt.   Now I am walking very well.  It still gets sore, but I feel I am almost back to normal.  I am on vacation and swim each morning.  The morning my ankle is stiff, but once I get moving it is better.  I do all my excercising religiously.  Yesterday was a big day...I walked a mile.  Hope to do more today.  

I experienced the same feeling you had when I got out of the boot....like starting all over, but it gets better.  Just take time to ice as often as you can.

Good luck.