Broken ankle recovery

Hi Kieran, I had an ankle replacement mid Aug and during op my tibia was broken so in plaster and not weight bearing for longer than initially planned. I was discharged on day 3 with a zimmer frame and one crutch - to aid getting up stairs. I found this very exhausting and very slow. I very soon ditched the crutch and trying to hop up stairs and began to go up on my knees and down satirs on my bottom. After about 10 days on a visit to the hospital i asked for two crutches which I was given. I found these much easier to get around on as still not weight bearing but difficult getting up stairs into my kitchen and bathroom. at 4 weeks I began weight bearing using 2 crutches initially and then on to one. Shoulder muscle pain was bad and also I found the palms of my hands also became sore if I walked any distance.

Hope these comments help your research

Hi

Its about 6 years ago now that a care reversed over my ankle then drove over it......so it was pretty well mashed. 

After an operation, pins plates and screws inserted and a stay in hospital I was sent home but not until the physiotherapist was satisfied I could manage stairs.

Her idea of managing the stairs was......{sorry should have said I was 60 at that time and have osteo arthritis in hips as well as other places...OK?}  going to a flight of stairs in the hospital with an UNDERARM crutch...not an elbow one

Holding the bannister with one hand, the under arm crutch in the other and hopping {non weight bearing} up the stairs At 60 and with arthritis in hips and due a hip replacement soon!!!!!! I wanted out so thought I will do it if it kills me LOL

I managed and she was impressed.....

I got home, discarded the underarm cruch, used elbow crutches or a zimmer depending on how I felt, when I had to go upstairs,.......I left one pair of  crutchs at the bottom, [borrowed a par from a friend} and had one pair  at the top.

I sat on the stairs put the bad leg out, and pushed myself up with my hands and went up on my bottom  LOL.....came down much the same way.....coming down was easier because when I got to the bottom I could put the good foot on the ground, hold the bannister rail and get myself upright. The first time I tried it when I got upstairs I suddenly thought how do I get upright without putting weight on it. I decided to go a bit further on my bottom and into the nearest bedroom, one hand on the bed and one on the bedside table and push......hey presto...upright  LOL

Hope that helps

Eileen  UK

 

Hi Kieran what your trying to do is an amazing thing  because your upper body really starts to hurt after been on crutches for weeks or even months I've been on crutches now since the 4th of June now on just 1 so a whole world of pain starts from as I said your upper body and now that I'm only using 1 crutcher my lower back and my left leg are in so much pain I end up laying on the floor trying to stretch out and relax however it's hard do to the pain so if you have any ideas on how to help me realise the pain that would be great I'm more then willing to try anything right now thanks good luck with your adventure 

I was hit by a car as i was crossing the road on Halloween this year. My fibula and tibia broke and dislocated. The surgeon used 2 plates and 11 screws, one screw is very long and goes through both bones. The operation was done on 1st Nov under GA. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being very painful and 0 being no pain, my pain was at 7 immediately preop. I am overweight with a bmi of 33, and walking, no, hoping around on crutches has been very stressful. The heavy cast will be removed in a week maybe then the doc will allow me to walk on the bad leg. after hoping a few meters my ABS really hurt, it feels like I'm getting a stomach ulcer. and I can't walk or stand for long because my good leg gets crampy and my knee hurts from all the weight. I am very stressed emotionally as well. I have had nightmares a couple of times where the driver who hit me didn't stop but they ran me over completely. I keep seeing myself lying there in the middle of the road cars coming at me and being unable to stand up. I often find myself sobbing. I have been so independent on my mother these five weeks. I can't do much for myself and it's depressing. I know I have to keep using the crutches even after the cast is removed in a week and I go back to work. I am more stable on the crutches now than I was the first week preop. what worries me the most is the pain I'm still having. the cast feels lose I'm sure the swelling has gone down, but the pain is still there. I have also lost appetite, eating about 500 calories a day, which for a big girl like me is probably a good thing.

Keiran, I live in Australia and my house has many steps.  Initially we hired a wheelchair and under arm crutches then friends told me about a Knee Walker. This scooter was brilliant, works like a normal scooter, using your good leg to power it along. Compared to the other options - wheelchair was cumbersome and useless if I wanted to help with household tasks and crutches were painful, I found it easier to crawling and hop in may instances - the slight knee pain on my good side was acceptable.  I was unable to drive, but we could easily put it in the boot and get out of the house, whiz around the house and spend a few hours in the office.  As I was unable to walk for more than 9 weeks  it saved me from being completely housebound. Definately a good alternative to crutches. 

I fell down in a shop and thought i had a bad foot sprain and went to the GP after 2 weeks to see if he could help me with pain. My GP referred me to the hospital for an xray. i went there the next day and they confirmed my ankle was broken.I was a boot an air shield worker because i came in 2 weeks after the accident,i have to wear the sheild all day long just like a plaster. I haven't been up the stairs sine I went for my xray on thursay. Is there any help out there for patients to get free hand rails to help them up the stairs . I have only 1 hand rail i need one on both sides. I my housing association only do repairs. Please can you give me some help. Thanks Hina

my physical therapist and doctor suggested going up and down my stairs on my butt. I'm in my 50's and have 14 steps in my house. Hopping was physically not going to happen. I keep a zimmer at the foot and the top of the stairs and scoot up and down.  My upper arms and thigh of my good leg are really feeling the extra work.  Going up the stairs, using a 2-step process per step helps. I push myself up until my arms are bearing my weight, move my good leg up a step then push up the step.

I had my first ever professional massage after 5 weeks of this. Heaven. I highly recommend it.

I have only had my air sheild walker for 2 days and i have not been upstairs yet. I have thought of going up the stairs on my bottom but 3 weeks before my ankle was broken i stretched my ligaments on my right foot which i am still recovering from, so i am still worried about going up the stairs safely i am only 49 years old.

I broke the distal fibula, had surgery with plate a screws, nwb for 7 weeks. Had fiberglass cast, boot, surgery, plastercast, fiberglass cast, boot. I am 62 years and have fibromyalgia. I was totally dependent on my husband for care. I have 7 stairs to enter my house with large landings and no handrail. I used a wheelchair much of the time in the house. I felt weak and couldn't manage the crutches. To get in the house I would wheel to front door, crutch to over porch to next step, wc to next step, get on the ground and climb up backwards on my butt, then push up to wc at last step, my husband would push me up sidewalk and up grass to the car and I would hop several steps to get in the car. I used a combination of wc and crutch. Then I got a scooter. I found it difficult to get on and off until about 5 weeks. My knee hurt on the bad leg on the scooter and I was afraid of falling off of it.  The las 2 weeks I would use the scooter and go around the living area in a loop for a little exercise. At the end I got better with the crutches. I had severe neck and back spasms from hopping and using my upper body to pull myself around. I got a massage every week which was very helpful. I could not have done this without all the help from my husband, who was cranky much of the time making me feel guilty on top of everything else. I had a bedside commode which was helpful, a shower chair making it more stable to get in the tub. It's been 12 weeks since I broke my ankle and I'm glad the nightmare is almost over. I  am walking out of the boot, my gait is off and it is more of a limp, my ankle it tight and is hurting more since I'm using it. The loss of independence is the worst. I would also recommend a house cleaner. 

Hello Kieran

first my heart goes out to those who responded. I'm probably not much help here as I'm 3 weeks post surgery after falling in shower, dislocating my ankle and breaking 2 bones, I have no mobility at this time with plates and screws. I'm not weight bearing and thankfully have a partner doing a lot for me. I'm using a wheelchair mostly to get from a to b as I'm not supposed be up very much so I'm on my butt pretty much full time. I'm 65 and they are concerned about clots at this time. I'm taking things day by day and do upper body exercises each day to keep strong as the upper body really takes a beating, my same leg and hip of the break is out and this is causing me pain but I'm trying to work it out with light stretching and hot packs.

I can't do crutches because I had cancer 4 years ago and the took my lymph out so this limits my options but would love to use them. I wish you well - it helps a lot to see how everyone manages so thank you for this posting.  

Merry Christmas

I broke my ankle 7 months ago playing basketball I didn't need surgery and I went back to work 3 weeks later which was obviously painful. This was in may my ankle still hurts, I can't run and hardly jump off of it what should I do?

I have had surgery for a very serious ankle fracture. Had an external fixator for about 20 days. Now have a canoe cast. No weight bearing. Am currently using a walker to get to commode and have 24/7 nursing care. I am now after the surgery going home and starting recovery. Looking around for tips. How best to get around with no weight bearing. Would appreciate any guidance.