Cast gets really tight when I stand up

So happy for you!! You are on your way now!

Hi Maria, so happy for you. Just keep in mind some days are going to be better than others. It is all part of the healing process, then suddenly it will all come together. Just keep pushing forward. Have a great weekend.

Thanks yes I will it does feel better to be able to do things that will help my recovery

Hi Maria- I had the sensitivity on the top of my foot for quite a while too, and I was pretty worried about it, because some people on the site at my same point were not getting it as much as I had it. Someone said it might be nerve damaged which really worried me. The good news I have for you is it went totally away. I haven't had it for some time now that I am 6 months out. It just gets a little better every week very slowly, just like everything in the foot. The stiffness will get better, but I still am stiff after getting up from bed sometimes, after using my foot a lot the day before. It seems it also gets stiff if you use it a lot, let it rest up on the bed or chair for a few hours, and then hop on it right away again. It's not a big deal, as it goes away when you warm it up and start walking a bit again. My injured ankle is still a little swollen compared to the other, (which really only I can see or I would have to point it out to someone for them to notice it) and that may have something to do with it too. Basically, it's just a little bit of stiffness and a touch of swelling and that's it. I'm very happy at this stage. Most people leave the site at this stage, but I am trying to stay on for a few months to answer people's questions, as I had a lot of trouble finding people who didn't have complications on the site when I was first looking, and who were 6 months out. I also will stay on for a few more months to check on my buddies here and make sure they are doing well. 

Hi Maria, it sounds like you are doing well. Patti and I are at the same stage in our recovery, I am also 6 months out. The top of your foot will stay sensitive for a while, but it does get better. I found pushing up onto my toes and standing on them for a while, strengthens the foot and the stronger the foot got the less sensitive. I know the feeling when you wear normal shoes for the first time, so exciting. I have been wearing normal shoes for a while now, but not very high. I lost my mother on Sunday and we had her cremation service yesterday. The slacks I wore were very long so for the first time in six months I wore shoes that had high heels. I will admit I was nervous and very careful, but after 4 hours I started feeling my ankle, definitely not bone but muscles and tendons. I suppose it is like walking on your toes for a while. I also had slight swelling. Once I took the shoes off and sat with my leg up for a while all was ok. I like Patti will also stay on this site for a few more weeks, as I know sharing positive information is a great help. Have a great week.

Hi Patti, had my mom's cremation service yesterday. I remember the pain I had for weeks after I broke my ankle, now I have broken heart and no medication can take away the pain. Only time will heal this. I am to see you are doing great. My ankle is also doing well, but I have neglected my exercises the last few weeks, while my mom was ill, will start again on Monday. Next month is the start of spring for us, I can't wait, I am definitely not a winter person. Have a great weekend.

My heart goes out to you Daphne. What a sad time. This has been a hard year to say the least!  My parents are 79 and 82 and I can't imagine not having them here. It is one of those things in life we know will happen, but we can't bear to think about. Think about happy times with her. She would love knowing you were doing that instead of being sad, as hard as it is to do. Take care of yourself, she would want that too. Spring will bring a new chapter. 

Thanks for posting about the high heel shoes Daphne. I haven't tried those yet, but I have been thinking about them. I think I will start with short, wedge or thicker heels that are low. I wear any kind of flats now, and have for a month or so, including flip flops without any problem. I have some beautiful heels from shopping in New York City and I look at them in my closet when I get dressed each morning and wonder if I will ever be daring enough to get back into them. Your post inspires me to start with the lowest heels for now. It might be good on the ankle to work it like that btw. I was on a boat on Victoria Island in British Columbia on vacation yesterday, whale watching, and the swaying of the boat (in tennis shoes) felt like being on a wobble board and it felt so good to stretch the ankle as the boat rocked back and forth. I try to always find a moment to do my injured leg, leg raises (onto my toes- up and down on the single leg) every day to get that one calf stronger. We will be able to run in a few months time I bet, if we strengthen our weaker calves. That's what my PT said and it will be the final milestone for us I think ! We are almost there!! I have never really been a runner, because I've always thought it was a little hard on the knees later in life, but now I want to be able to at least do it. Funny how that works. I can walk fast on the treadmill, can do the elliptical and stationary bike no problem though. Are you able to do all those? By the way, I think you were here when RonUS was on. I still keep up with him on email and he is just where we are Daphne. He is also our age and very healthy and active too. I think we are on the normal path for healthy active people our age. He just bought new skis (since he broke his ankle on his old skis) and is working hard with his ankle exercises to play tennis again. We all know it will happen, we just don't know exactly when. Thank goodness we stayed active before our accidents and got lucky we had good surgeons and no complications!

Hi Patti, your holiday must have been great. I don't have any problems with a treadmill etc. The other day I was walking in a passage at the hospital, and a lady that knows me said she had to walk fast to catch up to me, she said she it is amazing how fast I walk. I am pleased that Ron is also doing well. Patti another good strengthening exercise for your ankle is to take a pillow and put it on the ground , then balance on one leg, do it on both leg's, once you can balance well there are a few exercises you can add. Physiotherapists said it is a very good exercise even for the uninjured ankle. I had my grandson with me today ( 20 months ) and had to carry him up some stairs, so I could not hold onto the railings, also no problem. Good luck with the high heel shoes, I am going to wear more tomorrow. Let me know how it goes and also how you found balancing on the pillow. Don't use a very flat pillow, must be a bit firm.

Great to hear that Daphne! I can also walk as fast as anyone wants to walk, up hill and down, with no worries any more. I was always a super fast walker before the accident too - always trying to get there quickly. It took a while to break the fear of going down stairs without a stair rail, but now I go down without one and quickly too. I notice I never really looked down much before though, and now I tend to scan the area better with my eyes before walking through- just still a bit more cautious about tripping over something or walking where there are potholes, and also having someone step in my foot. I'm sure those fears will fade through time. I have a Fitbit and am always trying to get a minimum of 10K steps a day and often get 15K with lots of stairs (floors), so 4-6 miles a day usually of walking. I still have 5 pounds to lose that came on during the recuperation and stayed due to summer vacation eating. I'm committed to working it off after our end of the month last trip. It was hard to cut back calories when laying around- it's boring enough already and meals were something to look forward to with family and friends, during the mending period. When I add up the miles I walk now per week, just working and moving around normally, adding 40-50 mins of cardio each day, it's no wonder one can put on weight sitting around for a few months.

Thanks for the info about the pillow. I'll try that! I also got a Airex Balance Pad (blue colored) on A-mazon that's like that and really works the ankle and I have a wobble board, a slant board, and a Bosu Balance Trainer. It's an ankle gym at our house now! I plan to use those continually to keep both ankle strong from this point on. And even though I'm fair, and have tried to avoid too much sun for fear of skin damage, I'm letting a wee bit more sunshine come into my life, as I feel that can help the bones in the future. Hope your feeling a bit better this next week and can have a little fun. Laughter and keeping busy is the best medicine for loss I think.

Hi Luke sorry hear you broke your ankle.I know how your feeling I got really down not being able to do anything asking for help.just try and realize your letting your bones heal and do thinks you enjoy I read a lot watch favourite films even did colouring books.at the time it feels like forever but you do get through .I am now nine weeks on back in normal shoe still on two crutches foot still quite stiff side to side not bad but up and down movement harder see physio once a week but doing exercises daily to get it moving better so I can ditch crutches and carry something .the tightness in your cast is normal keep it elevated and wiggle your toes .good luck let us know how you get on.

Thanks Maria. I'm back at the fracture clinic tomorrow to have my stitches removed and get a proper cast. Feeling a little nervous and anxious about that if i'm honest. I will let you know how I get on.

I didn't mind the stitch removal half as much as I thought I would. Don't worry. It doesn't take long at all and it's a good chance to check out your leg. I took photos with my phone so I could check progress through the weeks. And everytime they walked out of the room, I took pictures of my xrays too, although it was hard to understand exactly what to look for on the xrays some times. I also brought baby wipes for everytime they opened me up and re-casted me, so I could wipe my leg clean. You shouldn't wipe over the recent incision area though, until it is fully healed. I tried to rub off any dead skin with the baby wipes too, to decrease the chance of getting ichy between castings. It worked great for me. I only once felt inchy and used a knitting needle to rub the area (not by the incision). You may get a choice of colors for your cast, so think what you may want. I tried to get colors each time related to the events I was going to in the following weeks, since my cast got changed every two weeks. I'd match up sport team colors if I was going to a sports game, or if I was going to a party, I'd try to think ahead of the color outfit I would want to wear so it coordinated. Got to have a little fun with this stuff! Btw, I found out accidentally, that if you are going on a flight with a cast, you have to get the two sides cut open, and then they wrap your cast with an ace bandage. This is so if your leg swells, which often it will in flight, there is room and you won't get a blood clot. I went on one flight without realizing it. Guess I got lucky, because I didn't have a problem and it was a short flight. 

So happy for you Maria. You are on the way back! Did you try a backpack for carrying things? It helped me a lot at your stage.