I broke my right ankle 7 weeks ago just by falling down 2 stairs. It was broken in 3 places and i had ORIF - i have a plate and about 7 screws in total. I got an air cast boot last week after 6 weeks in plaster and I’ve been told to start gently weight bearing. I am shuffling around with a zimmer frame as I dont really feel safe with crutches. I am getting so frustrated at the impact the injury is having on my activities, the road to recovery seems so long and I honestly worry I will never walk properly again! Also driving is really important to me and I worry I won’t be able to do that again either. I’ve just been referred for physio. My ankle is still swollen and although not particuarly painful is quite achy and the air boot does sometimes feel quite uncomfortable. I guess I’m just hoping someone who has been through this can offer me reassurance that things will get better? Thank you.
Oh I remember thinking the same all too well. I’ve had a plate and several pins on my fibular, also two large screws going through my ankle (which will snap at some point), so I thought I’d never get movement back let alone walk. However, the best advise I would give is, get back up and walking as much/as soon as you can. Walk.through the aches and pains. Your leg will tell you when it seriously needs rest. I skipped all my physio because walking get the blood flow going, so the swelling will get better and movement gets easier, but itll all soon be a distant memory. I really do sympathise with you… it’s one of the hardest things I’ve faced in life. Hang on in there and you’ll soon see the light. Xxx
hello and welcome to the club !
I am interested in joining your post for the comments as i too fell off high step and needed an ORIF with a plate and 12 screws done abroad on a holiday to Thailand for a shattered right ankle, not so well done it has transpired so my recovery will also be a long slow process too, im 4 weeks into it still in cast and never felt so frustrated at the sheer inconvenience of being housebound and not even able to get upstairs and needing a wheelchair as i broke my wrist aswell. All my toes and half the top of my foot are still numb and tingling which and i get shooting pain in the big toe and is discoloured compared to the other foot.
I too worry about the impact this injury will have on my life and whether i can ever return to my job, when can i drive, and what limitations it will cause to my previously very active life.
Did you have bone density scan done as i did due to getting the 2 separate fractures which showed osteopenia to my wrists but the rest pelvis and spine was ok. I am post menapausal in my 50’s. As a precaution im now taking calcium supplements with vitamin D for bone strength, my GP seemed to think there was no evidence for him to prescribe them but i could buy my own which was entirely up to me so I am doing so to try to protect myself from future breaks! I am certainly not taking my good health and mobility for granted ever again!
Good luck with your recovery xxx
Hi
I can totally relate to all your going through
had the same surgery and i am now nearly 5 months on . Once i came out of boot walking as much as possible things started to improve although even now i havent regained all my walking abilities and it seems to be stuck not really moving forward , im walking 2hrs swimming and driving daily and at the end of the day my ankle is very swollen and fairly painful . Before my accident i was a post lady and i am still off sick due to not being able to walk at any speed . It has been one of the most challenging things ive had to deal with and so much patience is needed as ive been told it can take 12 months . wishing you well
Hi, sorry to hear you are going through a hard time too and sustained breaks to your ankle and wrist. At least I can manage to shuffle up and down the stairs on my bum. I (unhelpfully) keep wishing I could turn back time - how your life can change in a split second. I asked my consultant about osteoporosis but he thought that the way I described my fall, the break was mechanical. I’m not yet menopausal although not far off at 47. I think I may start taking supplements. I had a really heavy back slab cast for the first 4 weeks (should have been 2 but I didn’t get sent a fracture clinic appointment and had to chase it up), replaced by a lighter cast for 2 weeks before switching to the boot. Wishing you a straight forward recovery. x
hello! i had the same break! broke in 3 places and dislocated it, i have 1 plate, 11, screws, and 2 syndesmotic sutures. Next month will be 1 year since my surgery and im here to tell all of yall, i promise it does get better! honestly the first 6 -8 months were horrible, my ankle was swollen, i had no range of motion, it was ugly, i had a limp 95% of the time when i walked or even tried to run. i thought id never run again. fast foward to 11 months later, i can walk without a limp, run without a limp, its not swollen all the time anymore, my scars healed up very nicely, and im 95% normal. my ankle swells up sometimes when i do certain activities or stand on it too long and i cant point it towards my body(if that makes sense) as far as i use to could. but other than that, everything else is back to normal. i even ran a 5k last month. it gets better! just stay positive and dont be afraid to pull yourself !! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE
Hi Courtney. Thank you for your reply. It gives me hope that things will eventually improve - was feeling I’ll be this restricted forever ( slightly catastrophising I think). I keep telling myself I’m only 7 weeks into my recovery and it’s been a very long 7 weeks. I’m used to being really independent. I don’t like looking at my foot - makes me feel slightly faint and I’m a nurse - it’s swollen, still looks a bit bruised, skin is like a snakes all dry and shedding. Thanks again x
oh I sympathize with all of you, I’m 10 months after a bilateral ankle break with a closed reduction on one ankle and surgery on the other ankle with pins and plates. I couldn’t walk at all for about six weeks and then I had partial weight-bearing on one using a knee scooter. The knee scooter was a lifesaver it made me feel much more normal. I could use the restroom and get around the house a little bit better with it.
After everything was healed and the doctor dismissed me I still had a lot of pain and swelling, this was about three months after the break. I found that wearing ankle braces that gave compression helped with the swelling that’s helping with the pain and recovery. I wish someone had told me about that sooner because I didn’t discover them until a few months ago. I also took supplements and drink lots of milk. Im about 80% recovered but then I am carrying extra weight so that does not help.
Every now and again if my ankle is at a funny angle I will get a shooting pain, or if I pivot or move too fast. I still have to be careful with myself I’m not running but I am walking more normal than I used to. The end of the day is always worse than the beginning and sometimes I have to just let people walk past me in the hallway as I used to be one of those fast walkers myself. Just let it out and give yourself time to heal you may get back to where you were and you may not.
I think a lot of us have a little bit of PTSD about our breaks. I had bad flashbacks for a few months following my break. That got better as well but it was difficult to relive it over and over again. Find someone to talk to or use this form because we all feel each other’s pain and we’ve all been there. It does get better.
Thank you for your reassurance. It’s really helping to find out I’m not alone - none of my friends have been through this so until I posted on this forum I hadn’t had anyone to talk about it with. I thought once I got the air boot I’d be at least able to mobilise without a frame or crutches so the realisation at the long recovery has really knocked me. Having one broken ankle is hard enough - can’t imagine how difficult 2 was. Thanks again x
Hi Katherine, my story goes like this:
mid March 2018 broke my uncle
end of March 2018 ORIF with plate and 7 screws.
All March and April depression and despair and fear of never walking properly BUT at the same time I was doing knee exercises. Later when I was weight bearing I was stretching and wiggling my foot every time I was on the sofa watching TV. too, did not get on with crutches so used a zimmer frame and went down the stairs on my bottom. By mid April wound was fine, stitches were removed April and hurray, I had a bath. I did not have to wear the boot from early May. In May and 1st half of June I had several private physio sessions which helped with my ankle moving better. It was swollen most evenings which I had been told to expect. At the end of June I had an op to remove the two big screws. I could walk normally the same evening.
In late July I returned to doing long walks and 7 miles was fine.
Now I can walk lots, started jogging, ankle often is stiff and aching in the evenings.
So, listen to your doctors, exercise and stretch your ankle and you will fully recover but do be patient. By the way, I was allowed to drive by mid June 2018 and fly by early August. Warm climate, walking on sand and warm sea did wonders for my ankle but damp and cold UK weather is not beneficial with its adverse effect!
Wishing you all the best.
Anna
Hi Anna. Thank you for your reply and sharing your experience. It gives me hope. Patience is not one of my strong points but I’m realizing that I need to try to be patient and not worry so much but it is really hard, particuarly as I have a history of depression and am trying not to relapse. If I could only turn back time and concentrate when I went down the stairs! Thanks again, Katherine x
Katherine, patience never has been my forté either. And people brake their ankles in freaky ways. I met a woman of 24 who broke her ankle badly slipping down two steps. Don’t get down, th worst is behind you.
It does get better, just never fast enough!
Mine: right bimalleoar fracture of the lower fibula Oct 20, 2018, ORIF surgery Oct 30, 2018 - plate and 5 screws. Torn tendon that the doc tacked down too. I’m almost 50 with arthritis fibromyalgia and hypothyroid which slows healing. Had a cast and boot and delayed union which has slowed my progress. A bone stimulation device helped with that plus increase vitamins, more rest etc.
I broke my left ankle 20 years ago (tibia) and had 3 screws on that and knew kinda what to expect.
It does get better. If someone with my health issues can get through this, so can you! I can’t use crutches due to balance issues and mostly used a wheelchair and knee scooter when non-weight bearing.I also lived along but stayed with a friend for the first 3 months as I couldn’t take care of myself (let alone drive), and came back home eventually where it was hard, but I did it. I learned to rely on friends and delivery services to help me get through in the beginning. Now at 5 months, I’m able to drive and get groceries, etc. though it’s a struggle at times.
Depression is understandable and I too struggled often. As someone who went through it before, it does get better but realize it’s going to take months. My biggest tips for you are to work hard toward anything to get better, including any exercises you can do NOW at home, even if in bed including upper body weights, leg lifts, etc. Supplement/vitamins. Essential oils that help with bone and pain (good for incision too). And doing PT as best as able.
I have a friend that had a spiral fibula fracture much worse than mine and it took her about 8-9 months to really feel much better.
One of the struggles I’ve had with others is many people do not understand what it takes to recover from a broken ankle. Having been through it before, I knew what to expect somewhat. But most people think it’s like a broken leg when it’s not since the ankle is weight bearing PLUS needs to move in multiple directions after you broken the bone and injured ligaments. So it takes a while.
Hang in there. I also recommend mediation, yoga (I do what I can in bed as I can’t get up from the floor very well yet), and reading as much as you can online of others stories so you can see their progress and eventual healing.
Hi Lillie,
Thank you for taking the time to reply. It really does help to hear other people’s successful recovery stories. I’m usually really independent so don’t like asking others for help although I am learning I have to ask and find people are actually very willing to help - mostly with school runs and getting my daughter to activities (my husband works very long hours). I also find the day home alone very long as most of my friends are at work and can’t stop by. I am using meditation to help keep depression and anxiety at bay. Thank you again, Katherine x
hi .I had a trimalleolar fracture in August last year. I just slipped in wet grass.
3 weeks in hospital, 1 week with a metal frame work , then the surgery of 16 screwses, 2 plates..
I had to sleep on a sofa for 6 weeks, but luckily had help. once into the walking boot with a Zimmer I thought it would improve but the thing rubbed on my scars despite stockings etc .
they gave me an airboot but not much better.
I found the 2 inch heel height put my back out.
I started hobbling around indoors with out summer or boot about 3 months in..
now 7 months later I’m walking with a limp, which is more noticeable at the end of the day.
Still swells and I’ve only recently been able.to independently move my big toe.it may sound silly but I couldn’t wiggle it at all..must have been nerve damage.
I’ve only recently started walking my dog again but I find I’m nervous about falling or tripping so its only for short walks on flat surfaces.
gone are the days of hiking through woods .my son takes him now .
I did suffer from a great deal of self doubt. I had to give up my part tine job but at 63 that’s not too bad.
I hated losing my independence and also the fact that I’ll never wear stilettos again.
not that I wore them much before but I swear I will never go down the velcro, beige orthopaedic route.!!
I also have found that ive put on weight from not being able to walk everywhere..and I’m not sure what keep fit I can do.
but I’m 95 % better than 3 months ago.
good luck
Hi
im 5 months in after ankle surgery im so frustrated the improvement seems to be staying the same .just not carrying on improving . Thankfully i can now drive and like u can walk my dog but it has to be off lead because i have no speed to my walking. Im doing Pt swimming but cant get back to work which is a post lady and im very concerned i wont ever get back to complete normal activities . Your not Alone if that helps .
Hi.
unfortunately my dog is an 18month old lurcher..he has to be kept on an extender lead as I couldn’t catch him…i take him for an sedate early morning wee and leg stretch and my son does the long free running thru the woods walks twice later on .
Before the accident I took him miles..
I’ve put on a stone and a half in 6 months and I feel so low..
I’m looking into getting a treadmill or cross trainer ..
i feel your frustration ive put weight on as well and had some extremely low days due to not being able to walk for miles with my dog, it was one of my main pleasures being out in nature . Hope we all get brighter days soon .
I am 8 weeks out from ORIF! same exact thing happened to me!!! Slipped down the last two steps of the stair case and broke my ankle in three places! A plate and 7 screws on the outside , and two huge screws in my inner ankle!
I am proud to say that life has pretty much returned to normal for me!!
I was in a moon boot right out of surgey. I obviosuly couldnt walk yet, but was able to take it off as long as I was sitting down and not up and about. My foot was pretty much out in the open the entire time it healed.
At 6 weeks I was cleared to WB as much as tolerated!
by 7 weeks I was back at work walking in my boot!
by 8 weeks- yesterday- I was cleared and am walking in my sneakers!! Some swelling, a slight limp that is getting better with each day! NO PT was needed! I am driving and life feels NORMAL AGAIN!!! I too was very discouraged for a while. I didn’t think I was going to get better but here I am! Trust the process. Trust your doctors and take it easy. One step at a time! You got this !!! Good luck xoxoxo
Thank you for your reply. Our accidents, injuries and metal work are almost identical. Sounds like you are making a great recovery so that has made me more hopeful for my own, I wish my recovery was as fast as yours! I will be so much more careful on stairs in the future! x