Hello,
I had ankle surgery and my cast was taken off over a month a go.
I can stand on my 2 legs but can't walk.
Every time I exercise with crutches or stand to cook my foot swells and goes purple. Does anybody know how long the swelling will last for?
I was cryptically told by a nurse that the last thing to go is the swelling.
Any ideas?
I am really fed up and frustrated. It is all taking so long and progress is so slow. The whole business has made me depressed and negative.
Molly
Early days. Elevate as often as possible and used iced ace bandages and keep ahead of the pain. It may help you to use one of those stretch stockings, it certainly helped me in the early weeks.
Cheers Richard
I agree with Richard. Ankles take their sweet time and this is all what many of us experienced. It's hard to be patient, but you will probably be almost as good as new in 12 months, and a heck of a lot better by month 4, and then month 6 is a big turning point. Hang in there. Many of us have walked this walk and know what you are going through. It is very frustrating!
Im sorry Molly i havnt a clue how long it will last but i just wanted you to know your not alone in this mess...How i wish i could stand 😩 i find i too have bad days and negative thoughts and sometimes nothing will help....but then i see photos of the day i had my accident n realise ive come along way really.....i admit sometimes this doesnt help but thats why i joined here to realise im not so alone and to talk to people in similar situations...hope your walk soon luv maria
You are right. It is early days... I have one of those stretch stockings. I wear it during day time only. I use ice bandages too. Although I am surprised that my foot will swell even when I am sitted. I am fed up sitting on my bed and having my foot raised. How long did it take you before you could walk without aid?
Hi Maria,
Sure is good to know we arn't alone. Never imagined there would be so many people suffering from fractured ankles. It is like when one is pregnanst start seeing there are so many around 
Good idea to look at the pictures and realise the progress you made.
It all takes ages and is hard to appreciate the progress made.
I keep stuffing myself with food to compensate!
Spring is here and can't even get out in the garden as there are steps
to negotiate! Awful really! Can you stand at all without support? Well, that is all I can do. Getting rid off the cast was a great relieve though.
Concentrate in getting better and remember we aren't alone.
Hug,
Molly
Dear Molly
Yes it is boring! I think it was just about a month but not quite certain but was driving a manual car at six weeks on the road but a bit sooner in our large yard.
Cheers
Richard
Oh, Patti don't say 12 months. It is so long!
12 months starting from the operation or after you are free of the cast?
Molly
This was the experience for me and my friends on here the broke 2-3 bones in the ankle:
4 months- you will feel alive again
6 months- you will be walking pretty well
9 months- 85-95%
12-13 months - 99% -almost perfect
Everyone is different but our healing almost matched week by week!
Hang in there...I know this is a frustratedly long process. I had surgery for a bimallelor fracture on Jan 3. I still have swelling and that awful purple colored foot/calf. My doc and physical therapist said that can take up to a year to go away unfortunately. Just yesterday was the first time I've walked with out my crutches so you are still very early in your recovery. Keep in mind that everyone heals at different rates but it will get better. I know its hard but be patient and make sure to elevate and ice your ankle.
Good luck :-)
It is a realistic estimate. I was operated on the 14th of Jan and it would be next Jan when I might be walking again. Thanks Patti
Well done Alissa. You are doing really well. I had my surgery on Jan 14 but can no way walk without crutches. Maybe you have been exercising and had physio already. I am still waiting to have a physiotherapist.
All the best to you too :-)
Molly
Hi molly!
I think we all know how you feel. Progress is very slow & requires a lot of patience. It is depressing. However, I've handled that by realizing that what I accomplished this week I could not have done last week.
Are you in PT? My great PT has gotten me through these bumps in the road. Had to teach me how to go down the steps this week.
I broke my ankle on 11/13, surgery 11/18 & 1/11. NWB for 3 months. It's tiring too. Once I accepted that recovery would be slow, it has been easier to handle. Also I wrote everything down - PT exercises , pain levels, meds. I look back & I see I'm progressing even tho it doesn't feel like it especially on gloomy rainy March days.
Hang in there!
Hi Molly,
My surgeon told me it will take up to 12 months for the swelling to stop. I am 10 weeks post surgery could weight bear for 4 weeks however now back in the wheelchair and another op on 27th to remove the screws. Two steps forward one step back. fingers crossed for both of us. You have to stay positive.
I too want to get out in the garden. I am a garden designer and you can imagine how hard this must be! But I'm having my landscaper come and clean up all of my beds - something I do myself but cannot. I'm looking at it like how great it'll be to have them all look great but I don't have to do the work! By the way - I broke my ankle doing fall cleanup of my gardens!
We'll be in the garden before we know it! 🌷🌷🌷🌸🌸🌸🌺🌺🌺🌼🌼🌼🌼🌻🌻🌻
I'm a gardening girl and it's killing me not to be out there planting and decorating. We have a wine tasting party being thrown in our backyard this month.
My husband is wonderful but not the type to take those extra steps I would to make it beautiful for the get together.
The pace of this recovery is...SLOW.
Hope you can garden soon. I get it!
🌹🌸🌺💐🌹🌸🌺💐🌹🌸🌺💐
Good to hear there's light at the end of the tunnel! 😀
Molly My surgery was Dec 16 so I have another th on you and I'm in the same boat , but still have the cast on. I do a little walking with crutches gets purple a swells. I can't really stand without holding onto something and putting more weight on my good leg. I too am frustrated. Next week supposed to go to one crutch , but I don't know if I can do it yet. Still some snow to melt in our garden , it's hard to miss out on so many things.
I really hope that girl was right on her post saying walking really good by 6 months! That would be so great!
Margie
Take courage from a video I made of me walking at twenty weeks. It goes without saying that I was walking without any sticks etc much earlier perhaps five weeks. Put the following into Google. Yogesh total hip replacement.
You will see me briskly walking up a steep slope, walking across a gravel yard and running up and down stairs. I was 71 at the time BTW. Oh yes at the time was finishing the internal woodwork of this building.
Take courage
Richard
Yeah Ive been going to physical therapy 2-3 times a week for almost a month. I've really been pushing myself and it is very painful but I'm seeing benefits. Get into pt as soon as you can. It helped significantly. Your about 2 weeks behind me and at your stage I was still using 2 crutches also. I would suspect you'll see great improvement in the next couple weeks.