So glad to have found this blog. Going a little nuts here in New York City. Broke my fibula and tore my syndesmosis on February 16 while skiing in Italy. Emergency room and stabilizing cast there and managed to get back to New York where I had surgery on February 20. March 8 the cast was removed and replaced with an air boot. Unfortunately, I can't be weight bearing for a total of eight weeks because of the syndesmosis tear. The long screw for that comes out at week 12. I've managed to do okay with a rolling 'knee walker' but approaching week 5 now and getting mighty depressed about all of this. Hardest thing I've ever been through. Can someone tell me what to expect after week 8? I'm scheduled for home rehab but when will I actually be able to walk normally again. Thanks.
Well, I only had 3 breaks and a dislocation so not as bad as your injury. I was not allowwed to full weight bear until 8 weeks after surgery. Doc said it takes that long to heal. It has now been 3 months and I can't yet walk quite normally - still a kind of hitch in the step due to the fact that it hurts to roll onto the toes. I've been told it takes quite a while to walk normally. I know it is depressing and frustrating. I'm a runner and am getting very impatient. Best of luck!
I broke 3 bones in my ankle (screws, plates etc) on Feb 17th. Totally with you in timing and spirit. It is a bit of a downer for sure and adds work for those around you too, which is painful- I'm used to doing everything for myself and lots for others too. It makes you feel really kind of useless for a while. The lack of exercise, when you are used to being a very active person, messes with your endorphins I think. I don't want to start to be a drag for those around me, so I am starting to do exercise videos I found on youtube for people with broken legs and ankles. I do them to music which lifts the spirits even more I find. I found this helps with healing, to get the blood moving around more, and also with lifting the endorphins. Since sugar, bread etc is an eventual downer for your system, try to avoid that too. Plus, I find having 8 supportive pillows in the bed helps to prop up the legs- isn't sleeping a bit of a bear? Feeling your pain 
You find on here that anything to do with ankles seem to take a long recovery. No quick fix. It a case of having loads of patience. I saw very little improvement till around the four month mark, then I come on in leaps and bounds. Still long way to go yet but each day you will see improvements.
We all have good days and bad ones, these days I have more high than lows.
Keep yourself occupied by doing perhaps a new hobby.
Thanks Patti. Seems you broke your ankle the day after mine. I do do exercises every other day (with an old Macho Power resistance bar) and sit-ups and leg raises with weights. Just trying to stay somewhat fit as I'm used to going to the gym almost daily. I find my calf muscle on my injured leg is wasting away! When are you allowed to go weight-bearing? 6 or 8 weeks out?
Hi. I'm almost 6 months since my surgery for broken ankle requiring 3 screws. It is very frustrating and no quick fix. I still walk with a limp, cannot squat and swollen ankle 24/7. At 8 weeks I had my fixed cast removed and replaced with a split fibreglass cast which was to be used outside but taken off in the house to allow partial weight bear. I went from being in a wheel chair to crutches, then walking with 1 crutch to allow me confidence, I have not noticed much improvement since January other than I'm back working 10 hours a day, still have 30 minutes physio every 3 weeks, ongoing since beginning of December. I need to look at other options as I feel that I'm not progressing as I should. The only issue is that private treatment costs upwards of £30 for 30 minutes in the Uk and not working for 3 months money is an issue. I would take each day as it comes, you will have good and bad days. I was told that I will recover to 90% movement and this could take up to 12 months from surgery. I hope my experience helps, and good luck
My calf muscle is really wasting away too...it is probably one of the hardest things to watch re. this whole thing....someone told me you can lose in 2 weeks time the muscle that takes 6 months to rebuild, but others tell me there is muscle memory and we can bounce back much faster than the average, if we work hard at it, when the time is right. I've been told to stop weight training on the right leg totally because it may mess up my hip alignment...but that side is only slowly decaying in muscle strength. My doctor told me, even though I will be in a cast for 10 weeks total, I may begin at some point putting weight on the cast in 2-4 more weeks, or 6-8 weeks out (maybe some sort of walking cast? I will ask more next appt.). The bones seem to be healing well, even after I was working my way down steps on my knee walker on a vacation in Mexico to get to a bathroom and tweaked the knee walker funny and fell right on my cast...more embarrassing than painful...but I am impatient and like to be independent which gets me in trouble sometimes. Anyone out there who doesn't have a knee walker should get one by the way asap....a life changing decision for me when I purchased one on Amazon. I hear you can rent them too. Get a light weight one that you can throw in the back of your trunk by yourself. If you want a recommendation, I can tell you which one I purchased that I love. And if you can drive (if you broke your left ankle and not the right) be sure to get a temporary handicap placard, if you are in a place that has those...makes getting in and out of places so much easier!
Thanks for the info Ron. I keep hearing 12-18 months to be back to normal. Sounds like forever!
Ron, it is a very slow process. Keep your mind busy. It is very difficult and I know time drags by. I think all of us have been depressed a various times while healing. I have had days that have been absolutely unbearable. I can't help you much on your questions, I am 11 weeks post break 10,weeks post surgery and still in a cast. I am here if you need to talk or vent. Good luck in your recovery.
Thanks, Patti, sounds like we're on the same page as far as trying to stay in somewhat shape and keep positive. It is interesting how quickly the calf muscles seem to go to mush. I was always in such good shape before. But can't think of any exercise one could do for that calf that doesn't involve putting strain and pressure on the healing foot. Can you? I'm so counting down the days when I can least just put my damned foot on the ground again and sleep in my bed instead of this blased sofa! (My bedroom is up a spiral staircase.) 3 weeks from today! Although I know I have to still wear that blasted boot to walk in for quite a while. I think things will get better after the long screw is out at the 12 week mark, which will give my foot more flexibility. I forget, did you have the screw for a syndesmosis tear? Or you didn't injure that along with the break?
Thanks for the reply. Was wondering, can you feel the metal plate along the bone when you run your fingers along the scar? I can. I guess that's normal?? Ron
Four months? Yikes. Didn't expect that. I have the long screw out at 12 weeks and thought by then walking would be close to normal again. But from what I'm reading on this blog, not so fast. Boy, this has been a humbling experience to say the least. Ron
Thanks for your reply/info. I'm surprised that you're still in a cast 10 weeks post surgery. You mean an air cast/walking boot? Weight bearing now? Just curious. Ron
I'm so glad you asked me about the screw and the syndesmosis tear. That reminded me I really need to make a phone consultation with the doctor who did my surgery in Hawaii. I was there when I fell hard, and probably in a twisted fashion, on my ankle, from a hammock when it's strap broke off a tree on my first day of vacation there, breaking 3 bones in the ankle on impact, if you can believe it! They decided I should have the surgery there the next day because flying home would make it swell and perhaps delay surgery for weeks. My doctor at home was wondering why I didn't have that screw amongst my other 11, as he said that type of damage is super common with a trimalleolar fracture. Thanks for asking! Btw, everyone asks me if I broke it skiing, as I'm an avid skier like you...wish I had... my story is lame! How did you break yours skiing? Do you think we'll ever be able to ski without fear/pain? I've been thinking a lot about skiing lately. Good thing he season's over for now.
3 weeks doesn't sound too bad! As much as you want too, I'd wait until your doctor gives you the okay for leg exercises, so you don't go backwards. You'll bounce back quicker than you think because you're athletic and motivated ....and I really do believe in muscle memory.
Bummer about sofa but sometimes I think sleeping on the sofa is more comfortable than a bed anyway, because you can throw the leg over or keep it up in the air pretty easily.
Counting the weeks with you and trying not to go crazy!
Have any of you heard, you are supposed to go to the doctor and have him/her split your cast on both sides, and then wrap it with ace bandages, before you take a flight, so it can expand during flight as needed? The doctor told me it's really dangerous flying with a hard cast on because your leg swells a lot on a flight and I guess you can get a stroke or something once that happens. Never heard that before, have any of you? Just wanted to get that info out in case anyone is planning flight travel.
I know all about flying with a cast. As mentioned in my first post, I broke my ankle skiing in Bolzano (more on that in a moment), taken to the emergency room of a hospital in the nearest large town (Bolzano), where they x-rayed it and put a stabilizing cast on it. They were excellent there by the way (way used to ski injuries) and wanted to do the surgery right away but I wasn't sure about my insurance, etc. so decided to get back home asap. That's why they put the 'split' cast on, and also gave me a pack of injections to give myself daily in the abdomen to prevent any blood clot because of the long flight home from Milan. So yes, if you're flying, you should definitely have a split cast and these self-injections. The ski accident? Well, wasn't even my fault, damnit. I keep a set of equipment there because this is my 11th year to the same place. This year, however, I brought over some new ski boots, so of course my skis there had to be re-calibrated to the new boots. Obviously, the technician there did something wrong because one ski came off for no reason twice while skiing. I thought at the time it was because of snow on the underside of the boot but I now know that is not the case. It happened a third time and this was the accident. I and my Italian ski buddy were just starting down a slope and I was maybe four feet down when again the ski came off. This time, however, I lost my balance, and as I fell, twisted the leg with the ski still on. And worse, that ski did not come off, so as I fell I broke my ankle. I knew immediately because of the intense pain. And yes, I will definitely ski again because it's such a part of my life. At least that is my intention and intention is 3/4 of the road to success. Ron
....meant skiing in Italy (nearest large town is Bolzano. I ski in the area called Alta Badia, and stay in the small town of La Villa.
I broke my left ankle 07Feb and had surgery 16Feb. I'm on week 3 1/2 of 7 weeks in my cast NWB until my next Dr appointment. I have been puttering away on my knee scooter since the week I broke it since I had hand surgery 01Dec and couldn't really use crutches. But of course steps/stairs are a pain and I have to climb them. I've been in the depression, cabin fever feeling this whole time. Getting around and being by yourself is hard. But I'm trying to drive some just hard with the scooter... I have to try and get in the car with it and it's still a little bulky broken down to get in the front seat with me over the steering wheel. I'm also worn out pushing myself around.... LOL! But still can't shop for things because I can't get them, myself and the scooter in the car and in the house too....
This so far has been so stressful and hopefully I can start wearing the walking boot on my next doctors appointment. As I have heard though this is a very long recovery process that could take a year
Gosh, you are having a tough time, bud (gal?). I live alone too in New York City but do have some friends that pitch in and help me with food shopping from time to time. Is there no one you can call on to help out occasionally? I'm sure you, like I, don't want to burden anyone but, hey, I'm sure you would do the same for friend/family in need. So don't be too proud and reach out! I have stairs in my apartment, too, but they are the metal winding kind. I managed them once. Getting down on my butt not too bad but getting back up was really a chore. So I'm sticking with the sofa for the next 3 weeks til I'm allowed to weight bear. Hang in there!!!!
And yes, thank god for that knee scooter!!