Recovering from ORIF
Posted , 3 users are following.
About 4 weeks post ORIF surgery now.
I missed a stair at home and fell down about 4 stairs - superbly fracturing three ankle bones and requiring ORIF surgery a week or so before Christmas on 22/12 (after external fixation for 6 days and two initial manual manipulations, one of which was under GA). I now have 2 plates and a huge screw - I think the bones had broken outwards - deep joy.
What a total pain this ridiculously slow recovery is!
I had the stitches out two weeks ago and have had the 'boot' since the operation. I've not been able to tolerate wearing the boot all the time as my inside ankle is agony and sickly when the boot presses it. The inner anke bone area is very swollen and there's a tender area that is terribly painful. I am making myself put the boot on to do a little partial weight-bearing with my frame, as instructed by consultant (crutches are crazily unstable and evil things that I cannot use yet - is it just me?). Has anyone else had this pain?
My ankle is not yet able to be a flat 45 degrees - it is at an angle and swollen. Luckily - and I really do recommend this - I booked a private physio locally. The NHS physio only kicks in in another two weeks after removal of the boot and is likely to be virtual. I've had one physio session and she's gently massaged the foot to move the 'viscous-like' odema and I've been told to try and move my foot towards myself a fraction as exercise. It's depressingly slow and depressingly tight all around my ankle.
Am taking on a little home working from tomorrow, increasing to two days next week. I'd need to drive and walk with my job.
How much walking (hobbling) in the boot are people doing (how far/how often) and what on earth are you doing to stay upbeat? It's not like we can be driven anywhere right now. Time has never dragged so much.
Who would've known how awful ankle fracture would be, eh!
0 likes, 2 replies
rose71920 SunshineDreamer
Posted
That is a terrible accident! OUCH!! I can feel it as you hit ! So sorry.
You are so new to being out of post op, such a long recovery to go. A lot of pain and a lot of aggervation. I wasn't in a boot that quickly. I had a fall , too. But no one believed that I was as hurt as I was. "just a sprain" Is all I heard for over a year. I couldn't walk properly and so on. I had 2 casts put on and then a boot.
All you can do is go at your own pace with your healing . If you feel you can walk on it , do it, but make sure you elevate through out the day. That is a key thing to keep doing through your healing .
I wish you luck!
Don't let it get to you to much.
Rose
robin06640 SunshineDreamer
Posted
I'm at 6 wks postop for tib & fib break. Have plate with 8 nails and three large screws on inside of foot. Had xray ltoday and showed I'vr been too active on it There is now a 1/2 milimeter seperation betwee bones. 2 more wks in boot with No Movement and 4 more starting to weight bare. 2nd surgne doesnt grow together.