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Help! Advice needed after ankle break (3 plates + screws)

Posted , 7 users are following.

Pheebs93
Pheebs93

Hi all,

I'm posting this from the UK (in case that makes a difference)

At the end of Feb I had an allergic reaction while out on a walk which led to an anaphylactic episode. This had never happened before and was pretty scary! I fainted during this episode and fractured my ankle in several places.

I had surgery in March - 3 plates on the right side with several screws. I've attached a copy of my x-ray for reference.

image

I had my cast off almost a month ago and was given one of those huge air boots and a sheet of exercises to try. When I saw the doctor he was really positive and made out that I'd be back walking by the next time I saw him but now that my hospital appointment is only a few days away I'm concerned that I've not made enough progress.

Basically, I feel a bit lost and worried. I haven't been referred to a physio and was literally given a sheet of exercises to do. I feel like their instructions were so vague - I tried to ask how much I should be walking to help me progress and their response was just 'as much as you can' but 'don't overdo it'.

For the last 3 weeks I've been doing a 40-50 minute walk - minus time to stop and rest it's probably more like 30 minutes of actual walking.

is this enough? Should I be doing more?

I'm going to ask for a physio referral when I go back to the hospital but in case they're really vague about how much I should realistically be doing in a day I also wanted to ask you all for advice.

Thank you in advance 😃

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • ravishanka39759
    ravishanka39759 Pheebs93

    Posted

    Hello,

    I am sorry that you feel that you made little progress, but upon reading several of these stories I think ankle surgeries do feel so. I think you are going to do just fine. According to me, you have cleared the tough phases already. However, I would recommend to go to a different physio therapist who can help you with the ROM. All ankle surgery success stories I read where because they had an excellent physio therapist.

    I would like to ask you something as well here, when they transitioned you into the boot, How painful was it to start walking ?

    • Pheebs93
      Pheebs93 ravishanka39759

      Posted

      Thank you for your response.

      I'm due at the hospital tomorrow so I'm going to ask to be referred. My mum's friend is also a PT and is surprised they hadn't already referred me so I'm going to have a chat with her over phone tonight - maybe she can offer some insights that the hospital haven't.

      Have you been in the same position? It's just so hard to know how much to do when they don't give you specifics.

      When I first started using the boot I found it quite difficult to get my foot in properly and I found it was quite sore when I finished my walk and took the boot off - I would have to raise my leg and ice it. However I don't recall walking in the boot to be painful as it's well cushioned.

      Thanks 😃

    • ravishanka39759
      ravishanka39759 Pheebs93

      Posted

      Hey there, I am not quite sure whether the doc will prescribe me to the PT but I will find out more on Jun 4th. Until then I will have to let the time pass. I shall keep you posted. I am currently 4 weeks post op and have 3 more weeks to pass before transiting to the boot. I am just anxious to know how it feels and want to be prepared for it. Last visit was 2 weeks ago and I fainted when they removed my splint. Doc says it does happen with some patients but that was horrible feeling when it happened. I got my stitches out, they gave me a cast which I am currently in. Trying to keep the leg elevated as much as possible and taking Tylenol for now during the night.

      I am glad that you are much closer to the normal than I am to the recovery. Good luck with the visit tomorrow. I am hoping the doc refers to you PT. I heard from several people that 6 weeks of PT will be a great deal of help. Let me know how the visit went later.

      Take care.

    • nella061094
      nella061094 ravishanka39759

      Posted

      hello,

      i am going through a trimalleolar fracture plus a broken heel bone now. can you please ease my mind?... do they keep you awake when they take the rod/splint stabalizer off? if so do they at least give you some kind of pain medicine? i know i will faint or vomit if i am awake during the process of the stabalizer (that is keeping my bones in line) off. i am currently in rehab and have not been sleeping well. i am beyond scared for second surgery which insists of putting metal plates and screws in my ankle to reconnect bones and removing bone fragments. thank you for sharing your story i shared mine also.

    • ravishanka39759
      ravishanka39759 nella061094

      Posted

      Hello Nella,

      I am deeply sad as you are going through this. I totally get how it may feel and what you are going through right now. I literally prayed during this time that nobody should go through this. I won't say it is easy but I can assure you once the surgery is done, probably from day 5 you should feel better with pain

      (life in the day may become little easier). I had the similar fracture and my doctor placed a plate and 9 screws to stabilize my foot. I was given Oxycodone but which really didn't help me with the pain once the Nerve block wore off. Later, I was given Dualadid which did help me a little bit to get some sleep ( Didn't work for long , just for 3 days and I stopped taking it ). Sleeping is definitely a challenge and I had to spend atleast a month being not able to sleep. I tried different positions but didn't help. I am currently 7 weeks post op and Doctor has given me go ahead for FWB, I am scared to put my leg down as it is extremely painful. I scheduled my physio next Monday and hopefully they help me get back to my original state. Please remember that "THIS TOO SHALL PASS". I was also very depressed. I am from a different country and I live by my own. My family doesn't know about this as they will be worried and cannot even travel now with the restrictions in place. There is really no one to help except for a friend who is kind enough to being some food when I ask. Trust me, it took me a while to take my mind off these thoughts and think about something else that makes you feel better. I understand you miss your family but think about the years of celebrations you have ahead of you. I am sure you will walk and enjoy the life as you did before. Just have to hang in there and don't let these sad moments define you. CHEER UP and be strong for the next surgery, you are going to do just fine. 😃.

    • nella061094
      nella061094 ravishanka39759

      Posted

      thank you for the uplifting words and reassurance that i will be fine for next surgery. i too, can not sleep and when i feel myself overly tired and my eyes heavy i tend to jump in my sleep and that agitates the ankle and leg all together as it is now unwrapped and still in stabalizer. i ice it i elevate it and i take short distance walks with my walker. twitching in my sleep is not like me at all and i did not think anything of it until i felt as if my bones twitched. my main worries are if and when they take the stabalizer off if i will feel pain or not or be awake during that time or not. i know the first surgery i was asleep and when i woke up i was in pain so sore so much pain. i would never want to feel them take this stabalizer off and still be awake. i do have some kind of pain tolerance but this is my first broken bone and it happens to be 4 broken bones and the most painful thing ever 😦

  • hilary72843
    hilary72843 Pheebs93

    Edited

    I am just starting out on this journey having broken my ankle badly on Saturday afternoon (4 days ago). I had surgery on Sunday (plates and screws on both sides) and have the air boot rather than a cast. I am mobilising on crutches but am finding it exhausting and sore. I am coping with paracetamol as I didn't like morphine.

    It is all so debilitating and I can't get over how incapacitated I am.

    I will be making sure I get good physio as part of my rehab but I am desperate to hear positive recovery stories please.

    • ravishanka39759
      ravishanka39759 hilary72843

      Edited

      Hello there,

      Trust me I am still in shock on how simple was my fall yet caused so much damage. I heard trimallelor fractures are the severest of the ankle fractures and I am lucky enough to be a victim of it 😦. I think we need to stay positive about what happened and need to keep the spirits up. I sometimes think about it and feel so depressed. But all we need is time. I already lost lot of muscle on my leg and get a feeling that I will have to carry the leg with a hand to move around. lol.

      I am counting days to go to the second visit and see if I can get a boot and start PT. I didn't get a boot after my surgery though. It was splint, and 2 weeks later they changed me to a cast. Getting good PT for the rehab is the best thing we can do to our ankle for the best recovery. At this point I am only hoping that my ankle is back to normal and I can return to some sports without any complications.

  • lyndsay33038
    lyndsay33038 Pheebs93

    Edited

    Hiya, please don't worry about your progress, I am 2 years post orif and it took me easily six months before I was beginning to feel anywhere near like I was getting back to normal. Recovery from Orif surgery is slow and frustrating but you will get there. Even now two years on my ankle is at around 90% of my pre break normal , it still gets stiff in the morning, sore if I walk too much on it and I run like a drunk duck lol.

    • nella061094
      nella061094 lyndsay33038

      Posted

      hello,

      your comment is very helpful for me as i have no idea what to expect im still in the waiting for swelling to go down stage before second surgery that consists of screws and plates being put in and bone fragments being removed. i am positively terrified 😢

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