When can i start driving ?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello,
I had an accident and only my left lower ankle bones are broken at one place and I had surgery on the big bone only. And now the thin one is not in the right place but the big bone is in a good position. I start walking without crunch on 11th week in addition I start work on the 13th week but i didn't start driving because of the clutch pedal. So When can i start driving ? Note that It has been 15 week from my surgery .
1 like, 6 replies
katherine21894 Meski
Posted
Check with your surgeon or physio but i believe the rule is when you can comfortably do an emergency stop. I'm about 19 weeks post ORIF and finally this weekend have started driving again. My husband took me to a deserted car park early one morning so I could practice the emergency stops. I'm only doing very short distances to start with but I feel so much better from having some independence back.
Llamalah Meski
Posted
I agree with Katherine, you have to be able to be comfortable with emergency stopping to be able to drive, and on advice by your surgeon or physio.
For me, that was before I was free from the boot and the crutches, because 100% weight bearing is more force/weight through the ankle than pressing down on the brake. I did have to take the boot off while driving though.
I started driving around 7 weeks post ORIF, which was 1.5 weeks after starting to weight bear and was limited to 20mins maximum. As I live in a big city, it was limited by time not distance because I could easily spend 20minutes 'driving' and have only gone 2kms down the road. If it was longer, I had to stop rest and then could continue. Now at 13 weeks post, I am driving longer amounts of time but have not made significant long distance drives yet.
KK1969 Meski
Posted
I had to ask my surgeon as they don't really think to tell you these things, and even after posting on here, got no replies. 12 weeks post op I was told I was OK to drive. That was when I asked. The question whether I could drive yet was met with a quizzical look, almost like, durr Yes!
Meski
Posted
Hello ,
I did ask my surgeon and he said you can drive but another doctor says I can't drive until 6 month after surgery that's why I just got confused. I feel like I'm in prison not to be able to go out without someone's help. After I read your reply I taste drive and its not that painful. I will take care not to drive in a crowd and long time.
Thank you all for sharing your experience and thought. It is so much helpful.
Meski
Posted
Hello ,
I did ask my surgeon and he said you can drive but another doctor says I can't drive until 6 month after surgery that's why I just got confused. I feel like I'm in prison not to be able to go out without someone's help. After I read your reply I taste drive and its not that painful. I will take care not to drive in a crowd and long time.
Thank you all for sharing your experience and thought. It is so much helpful.
epiphany19 Meski
Posted
When you get a walking cast. But, you are walking.
When you say big bone you ate talking about the tibia? The smaller, the fibula.
I broke both 47 yrs ago. They fixed the tibia, but the shortened fibula has pulled my tibia to the side, over the years, putting me into a predicament, where no doctors want to fix it.
Best Regards,
Viki