6 months after breaking my ankle...

ColoradoBringItOn

I broke my ankle coming off the incline in Manitou Springs, CO on May 13th this year. I broke my fibula clean in 2 and was in a cast for 2 months non weight bearing, then 2 months of intense PT and now I'm working with a personal trainer 2x a week and we are into week 6. This recovery is SLOWWWWW. I'm happy to be able to walk down the stairs normally and today I did my first real lunges and squats since the injury.

Anyone else recovering from a broken ankle?

I had never broken a bone until this so it's all new to me and I never imagined it would take this long to even begin to start feeling semi normal again. And forget running...my long term goal is a 5k when I finally get my ROM back!

Looking for other gimps like me LOL

ChangingAmanda

Oh no! Ankle injuries suck. I had a severe sprain mid-July and I'm just now able to exercise w/out a brace. The ER doc said it was broken but at my follow-up ortho appt, the doc there said it wasn't, just a high sprain. It was still giving me so many problems that I had and MRI first of October. Results were bone bruise and contusion, swelling, tendinitis, and torn ligament that was healing with possible calcification. (I wonder if it would have been better to break it...)

I also never had a bad injury like this so I wasn't sure what to expect. It took forever to get most of my ROM back and even now there's still a noticeable (to me) difference between my two ankles, especially dorsiflexion.

All I can say is just keep at it, push yourself to do better each day but don't push so hard that you have setbacks or re-injure yourself. Listen to your ankle, it'll let you know when it's had enough.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

You broke it on the easy part. That's kind of ironic. I'm sorry. That really sucks. Good luck with your healing.

odusgolp

Yeah, it sucked. But I'm able to wear heels again... sorta. OK, I fall a lot, but whatever.

aimeev2

Hi there! I'm so sorry for your injury. I broke my ankle on December 20 of last year, though all I did was stumble into a pothole while out on a nighttime walk so not very dramatic! Still, I broke my fibula and was non-weightbearing, in a fiberglass cast, for 6 weeks -- then 4 more weeks in a walking cast. I didn't have any PT, though I was able to get massage therapy which really helped.

I hate to say it, but full recovery takes a looong time. I'm finally at about 95% now, I'd say, and as I said above it's been almost a year. But I've been back to running for about 2 months now, and am up to 5 miles at a time. I just need to use KT Tape to make sure I'm not limping the next day!

This was also my first broken bone, and I had no idea how hard it would be, both physically and psychologically. I'm glad to hear you're doing better and I hope your recovery continues apace. Feel free to friend me!

JilloftheDead

Thank you for posting this, it's been about 8 months since my hubby broke his ankle and sometimes I lack sympathy for him because I feel he should be better by now. He had to have surgery to re-set it and has screws and a plate in there. I guess I need to be a bit more sympathetic to his healing.

This is hub's x-ray if anyone's curious.. I'll just link it, as it's a bit graphic!
http://i43.tinypic.com/2e5igdx.jpg

ruthlesswr

I broke mine in January. I'm still not quite to the point where going downstairs is "normal" though I don't have to do the one-step-at-a-time thing on them any more. Wearing heels or running is just a fantasy at this point
Ruth

schmoozyq

I broke my foot last December 10th.... 5th metatarsal - Jones fracture. The worst kind of break. I was in a non-bearing cast/boot for 3 and 1/2 months. Then I was able to walk in the boot for another 2 months before I was finally healed. It has taken me a long time to get back into exercise (partly out of fear, since I broke my foot doing plyometrics during P90X). I am not currently a gimp, but I totally feel your pain. Hang in there.

_jayciemarie_

I broke my ankle coming off the incline in Manitou Springs, CO on May 13th this year. I broke my fibula clean in 2 and was in a cast for 2 months non weight bearing, then 2 months of intense PT and now I'm working with a personal trainer 2x a week and we are into week 6. This recovery is SLOWWWWW. I'm happy to be able to walk down the stairs normally and today I did my first real lunges and squats since the injury.

Anyone else recovering from a broken ankle?

I had never broken a bone until this so it's all new to me and I never imagined it would take this long to even begin to start feeling semi normal again. And forget running...my long term goal is a 5k when I finally get my ROM back!

Looking for other gimps like me LOL

I broke both bones in my left leg when I slipped and fell at an outside concert. I've had two surgeries and it has been one heck of a struggle to say the least. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I take glucosimine and that has helped wonders. When I work out I often will take advil AND Alieve AFTER and I feel better. You can get through this. It is tough not being able to walk for so long. I remember how excited I was when I was able to take a bath. It is the little things

stat1124

I broke my foot in three places in a compression break which is extremely painful! Not sure its nearly as bad as your break cuz that sounds horrific. Good luck on your journey to recovery!

thegabbleduck

I broke my ankle in 8 places about a year and a half ago - so you are not alone!
Hope your recovery goes well!!

EDIT: I was also told by my doctors that a broken ankle is one of the hardest things to recovery from in terms of broken bones - so don't be too hard on yourself!

ColoradoBringItOn

Yeah I forgot to mention I had to have surgery and had a plate and 5 screws put in and 2 long ankle screws to set everything back into place. I did PT for 2 months with the 2 long ankle screws and then I had a 2nd surgery to remove those so now I just have the plate and 5 screws.

I actually wore heels (chunky and low) as a test on Friday and stupidly rolled my other foot and even though it didn't cause an injury I was limping and I threw the heels across the room and went barefoot for the rest of the day. I guess I just wanted to feel normal after this long. NOT.EVEN.CLOSE.

Thanks for the input. I figure I'm looking at several more months before I can even think of running. I'm sure trying my *kitten* off though to get stronger by the day.

ColoradoBringItOn

I broke my ankle in 8 places about a year and a half ago - so you are not alone!
Hope your recovery goes well!!

EDIT: I was also told by my doctors that a broken ankle is one of the hardest things to recovery from in terms of broken bones - so don't be too hard on yourself!

I'm sure trying not to be. And yeah...I agree with your doctor. It's no joke. Sigh.

babyblues72

I feel your pain. A little over 3 years ago I fractured my right fibula and needed surgery to fix it - I still have the plate and screws. I fractured it one week before a half marathon I had been training for all summer. It is a long recovery - physically and mentally. I cannot stress enough the importance of PT and regaining range of motion. As for recovery, mine has been a bit prolonged because I had back to back pregnancies (my first pregnancy about 5 months after the surgery), and pregnancy loosens your ligaments which certainly does not help a bum ankle.

I was able to run a 5k without pain and with a normal stride about 2 years after the surgery. I'm now trying to do some cross training and having some pain, I think due to the lateral movement. But I am able to jump rope, and do lunges and squats that were impossible 6 months after the surgery.

Hang in there and be patient, and it will heal! I never dreamed the recovery would be this long and frustrating, so know that you are not alone. Best of luck, and hope to see you posting some positive results on here soon!

ColoradoBringItOn

Thank you for posting this, it's been about 8 months since my hubby broke his ankle and sometimes I lack sympathy for him because I feel he should be better by now. He had to have surgery to re-set it and has screws and a plate in there. I guess I need to be a bit more sympathetic to his healing.

This is hub's x-ray if anyone's curious.. I'll just link it, as it's a bit graphic!
http://i43.tinypic.com/2e5igdx.jpg

OH MY WORD! That is a horrific break! Mine was a nice clean break...nothing like that Give your hubby some more sympathy...that's no bueno

thegabbleduck

I actually wore heels (chunky and low) as a test on Friday and stupidly rolled my other foot and even though it didn't cause an injury I was limping and I threw the heels across the room and went barefoot for the rest of the day. I guess I just wanted to feel normal after this long. NOT.EVEN.CLOSE.

I still can't wear any kind of heels.

Literally every time I go out, I put my heels on, walk around the house for about 5 minutes, decide its stupid, cry, then wear flats. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME

I still live in hope that one day, I will put them on and it magically won't hurt!!

meganpwood

While I'm not currently suffering from a break, I have broken my right foot twice and my left once, so i feel your pain. Any lower body injury sucks to recover from and are so easily 'tweak-able' even after healing. I was stubborn and really pushed the recovery (taking off the boot early when I thought I was ready, but really wasn't), and now I have to be very careful with certain activities even years later because it's so easily re-injured. So take your time and let it heal! Goodluck!

ruthlesswr

I broke my ankle in 8 places about a year and a half ago - so you are not alone!
Hope your recovery goes well!!

EDIT: I was also told by my doctors that a broken ankle is one of the hardest things to recovery from in terms of broken bones - so don't be too hard on yourself!

!!! 8 PLACES !!! wow. That's .... scary bad. I only broke mine in 3 and it's been pretty tough to recover from. Still no high heels for me, and I can't even walk comfortably barefoot at the moment. Sigh.
Ruth

_jayciemarie_

My break was in 2007. I still can't wear heels. After a day of wearing boots/pumps with the tiniest of heels hurts my ankle. I feel if I stuck with physical therapy longer it might have helped. Hang in there!

Winston1717

Hi, 49 here and broke my tib and fib sparring on July 25 and had surgery the next day. Had a rod and screws put in and being 3.5 months in...getting stronger. Was actually doing my workouts at the gym on crutches early on. Doing pt etc. To date spinning or stationary bike daily along with hiit free weights and hiit calisthenics. Have also included the stairmaster in my work outs recently. Still have pain but that's getting better.Still walking with a slight limp...but working on it. Going to do a 5 and 10K this spring....that's a fact...even if I can't compete with my previous times...its getting back on the horse that counts...good luck!

Colorburst29

I broke my ankle twice in 2 years! It has never been the same since. I used to let it be an excuse as to not work out but no anymore. It acts up once in a while, but I won't let it get the better of me.