hi there

I'm sorry to hear about your fall. Golly you must be hurting! Can you tell us more about yourself. Age, fitness, size and a thing else that might help us to offer you some guidance.

You might find that elevating and ice packs help with the pain.

Cheers Richard

I am 4 weeks in from surgery with plates and pins in ankle etc 

Rice  definetly helps just 30 mins at a time 

As and when you get pain 

Especially if you have swelling 

It might take a while  for pain to go 

So check you have right meds I am slowly coming of my pain killers now 

After 4 weeks I just take them at night 

Go up and down stairs on bum and just take plenty of time  with the crutches. 

Good look it will get better 

Lee x

Oh Sinead! That sounds awful. I fell also, not fun and hurt. Holy heck. Surgery yesterday! You have a long way to go so take it a few mins at a time. Take all your meds they give you. Get yourself a lot of help. And sleep!! 

When you feel up to it, get yourself a scooter. It is a lifesaver! And so is a walker. Crutches are not for me so I never tried them. I just  knew I didn't want to learn something with an injury/surgery. 

Elevate! Ice ! And more of that! Stay on top of the pain. 

Best of luck to you. 

Rose

I'm so sorry, it's such a painful injury. I am three weeks since surgery and can only agree with everyone else who says Rice. Elevate the leg and ice behind the knee is all that helped the first two weeks. Not to be snarky but rest is a given as there really is nothing else to do!

Here are some other things I have learned during this unwanted couch/bed break:

1-) Take med doses on time the first two weeks even if you feel like you don't need it. It's much harder to get get comfortable again when you let is go too long.

2-) Although my husband has patience and loves me it is easier on us both if I ask for more things, fewer times. So I try to think about what I I'll need for the next few hours. Like a glass of water,  my book, my reading glasses, the supplements I take etc, so I'm not asking for something every five mins.

3-) Believe it WILL get better. It really will. That pain won't last forever, it only feels like it will. Two and a half weeks for me was when it got tolerable. It's different for everyone. Also, the pain WILL come and go. That is normal. 

4-)I am very independent so when the cast came off and I got a boot ( I am still absolutely no weight bearing) I could not figure out how to get in and out of my tub to shower by myself. I know some people slip in on their buts but I have shower doors and metal groves that would badly bruise me, so that was a no go. Then I remembered a bar stool we have in the basement. Perfect! I slip on it in the bathroom, turn and slip off of it into the tub. I use it for leverage to help lower myself to te shower seat and I am good to go! I keep towels and my clothes within reach and its perfect.

I wish you all the best!

Sinead,

Tip of the hat to you for what you are going through.

None of us are prepared for this ordeal when life thrusts a nasty surprise like a bad ankle injury on us. Patience and fortitude are the mental attitudes that carry us through the hard times.

Don't feel ashamed about not liking crutches-- they are not for everyone (some young and fit ones seem to like them, even doing acrobatic adventures with them-- which I would not advise.

I settled on a rented wheelchair for my weightless period. A wheelchair, in my opinion, was the easiest, safest, and most convenient way to get around my abode.

I know the knee scooter has a lot of fans, but I considered that it was more expenditure of energy than I wanted at my most fragile time. Besides, maneuvering it tightly around to do daily tasks (as in kitchen) seemed clumsy, but was easy in wheelchair.

But to each his own.

Best wishes.