CAST IS OFF after medial malleolus stress fracture !! New Kinds of Pain :'( Need HELP

My Surgeon gave me the go ahead for swimming the day I got my stitches out. But I waited. 4 weeks after surgery the Physio met me at the pool. Been going once or twice a week since. Was light walking in neck high pool first, but I could handle that. My broken leg floated to the surface. Couldnt keep the dam*#d thing down. Couldnt stop laughing. I wanted to swim. Then I got to dog paddle in about 2 minutes. Beware, if you were a swimmer previously like BE, your mind and body aren't on the same page.

Next time I went to 2metre deep pool and got deposited in pool with a chair hoist, and I took a float belt. Waste of time for me. It got in my way. Broken leg kept floating. Well once I got the leg under control several sessions later, I started freestyle ( crawl?) Got up to 300 metres. Used earplugs, snorkel and prescription mask.

Then disaster struck and my Bakers cyst got out of control. I went in pool, and my Bakers cyst knee would only bend about 5%. Couldn't kick to save myself. Couldn't even tread water. Hurt like heck.

C

3 weeks after cortisone and I'm back in pool.

If surgeon has cleared you for walking and stitches are out and wound us fully healed, can't imagine why you can't go swimming.

Happy splashing!

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Swimming is the easiest sport for us. I did it the day after I got my cast off before I could walk whatsoever. That's a great place to start for sure. Congrats on the great news too btw!! You are going to get better all the time now.

Yash, thats awesome news. Congrats. Im walking with out anything, and the stair way sideways. im still not confident using my foot to go upstairs normally yet, the dr even said not yet. jsut be careful. like i said not ready for a marathon, but getting close.  he even said swimming was allowed after the cast came off, but i dont have  a pool anywhere that i can go to.  Keep up the awesome healing

Heyy !!!

CONGRATS !! IM Glad You are doing great !

Glad Running isnt far now !! You arr gonna be just good .

But lately , i discovered a new pain. Please share your experience.

Cheers !

Hey !

I swam today and it was okayish.

Thank you so much for you constant help Patti. Im sorry but i think I need all of yours help again. Please see my reply.

Thank you again

Heyy !!

Yess swimming was fairly easy. And Im glad you're again back on the good side ! I pray that you keep getting better and better and no back step this time or ever. And Im really sorry but i would again have to annoy you guys :'( please read my new Reply.

All the best

So glad you swam! Another step toward normalcy!

Hi yashmoon, the pain in your foot is normal, I sometimes felt like my foot was being electrocuted. When you sit on a chair or the edge of your bed, push your foot up onto your toes, with a bit of weight on them, hold for a few seconds, and slowly return the foot that it is flat on the floor. Massage the foot from your toes up around the whole foot. Also you will walk with a limp at this stage. But practice walking heal toe. Put a long mirror in front of you and walk towards it and watch how you walk. This helps. Pysotherapy is very important as are the exercises at home. I know it is difficult at this stage, but be patient it will improve very soon.

Totally normal. I had the same things you described. I was casted for 7 weeks and in a boot for 4 after that, so immobilized for 11 weeks. The longer you are immobilized, the longer it takes to get things fired up again, but you are younger, so it will happen faster. Slowly you have to gain strength in the injured foot and if you go to PT exercises, or look online, you will find a bunch of things to do to first get ROM and flexibility in the foot, and later to gain strength in the foot. When you are at the second stage (strengthening the foot), you will be able to stand and balance on the injured foot, then you will balance on a wobble board or cushioned pad, and later you will balance on it and touch something ahead of you on the floor (like a cone). You will learn to stand on your toes, and later to walk on them. (I am still working on the latter). You are in the initial stage of walking and it takes some time. Daphne and I are about 18-19 weeks out (I believe we are at the same point if I recall correctly) and having a lot of the same experiences now. I can walk around normally all day long now, still have a bit of a slight limp, but continue to strengthen the foot every week. Sometimes there is still pain, from doing the exercises, but it gets a bit better every week. Think of growing muscles. You do the exercises, get pain, they break down, and then get stronger. It is much the same process. Also you are taking tendons that have shrunk all up and are stretching them back to their normal capacity. This naturally will hurt as you do it, but you need to keep with it so you fully recover. Ankles just take time. You are going to feel a lot of those fireworks in the next month or two, and medium levels of aching pain that occurs in all parts of the foot...think of it as a moving target. As you have pain one place, your foot over compensates, to take pressure off, and then that pain goes away and shows up somewhere else. It gets better all the time though. Think of those little pains as your body firing back up and fixing itself. 

Also, as someone told me, you are kind of going from a process of broken bone repair, to a severely sprained ankle repair. 

All makes sense. I was in a cast fit about 4 months in total. Moon boot for 2 months plus. Whole foot mechanism was shot. Physio only came after surgery on Feb 10th. Into 38th week today.

Women at my child's education meeting said oh how can that lady wear heels all day. I thought how petty to even care or mention it, and said, I don't give a DAM* what I wear, I just want to walk. People forget the simple small things in life. Not us, in our elite knowledgeable down to earth club!

©{°$°}®

Thank goodness for comfortable shoes!! 

I hear you sister, from the other side of the world even! Physio from time spent totally immobilized or in boot and cast, times it by 2, and you should be healed and almost back to normal. Will be about a year for me. Dong care. Getting better that's all that matters. 38th week bit a bit daunting. 35th week for my husband. Living nightmare. Still not a complete person between us.

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Hey Daphne !

Sorry for being away for a while

I have been doing the excercises you suggested. PT hasnt started yet.

I just dont know if Im normal or not. It has been wierd , Painful and exciting.

Read my update.

Thanke for such constant support.

Hey Patti !

As you said 'fireworks' and dam im getting them. I just am so scared right now.I am walking ..like okay. But there has been something. Please check my update here in the discussion.

Im just happy to have you

Hi yashmoon, good to hear from you again. I agree with Patti, you should not try jump or even run at this stage. First walk properly making sure you distribute your weight evenly. If you are finding it difficult to walk evenly, take one crutch on you good side, as you walk put the crutch forward with the bad ankle then bring the other leg forward walking. Put very light weight on the crutch, walk like this until you feel you can distribute your weight evenly, but do keep trying without the crutch as well. When do you see your doctor again, and when do you start pt. It would really be good to see both the doctor and the physiotherapists to have an evaluation of your ankle and the progress you are making. Good luck and keep us updated.