Thoughts from those with metal screws/rods in their bodies

I had screws in my leg that have since been removed which is not an option for you.
You need to accept your limitations.
If it were me, I'd pick swimming and calisthenics as the primary base of my fitness program.
Your risks are too high for anything high impact on that ankle..
Good Luck

I agree with the above mentioned. Seriously.

Swimming alone can help so much, due to the resistance involved. Take care of it. I'm running into the same problems as yourself, sans screw but I'm learning now to take it easy.

Take care!

You may want to get a 2nd opinion. I had 2 plates and countless screws on a broken leg that had the same impact on me. After 2 years of suffering with it, I had them removed. Yes, there is a danger of refracture. I had to wear a boot again to protect from refracture for a couple months, and then on no-impact activity for a while after that while the holes in the bone re-filled in. It's not easy or fun (though easier than the original surgery) but I am SO glad I had it done. I actually didn't realize *how much* it was bothering me until after I had it out and had healed again. But for me it wasn't just exercise - even walking for prolonged periods (like a day hike or a day at a theme park) had me in pain. I decided I was too young to deal with that for the rest of my life.

Not saying your OS is wrong - maybe he's not, and if that's the case low-impact is key. But, it may be your doctor just does not have the skills necessary for your hardware removal, and getting a referral to a different OS more experienced in hardware removal may be worth it. The standard of care in the US is NOT to remove hardware unless it seriously bothers the patient and some doctors won't do it unless there's an infection or something involved. It's a surgery and there's a risk so I get why doctors are reluctant, but I think even rods can come out. In some patients the hardware DOES get infected or the body develops an allergy and it HAS to be removed, so it seems to me unlikely that it is utterly impossible - just maybe more of an *ordeal*. I would want a doctor who could explain exactly what the risks and recovery involvement were so that I could gauge the risk vs. benefits myself.

i have metal plates at the end of both thigh bones. my knee caps have been hollowed out from bottom up and fitted with plastic buttons. my plates were both cemented, then screwed in to my bones. i've had 14 knee surgeries in the past 20 years.

i have severe limitations when exercising, or living. there is NO running, unless, according to my doctor, i am running for my life. i can't kneel b/c i will crack the plates. and jumping isn't good for me either, so no basketball, volleyball, jumping rope. the weather plays a MAJOR role in anything i do. and not just the day it rains, but usually the day after also. so i am constantly looking at the forecast, and making an exercise plan based on the weather. i can't exercise the day before, of, or after rain. you can imagine how helpful that is.

the exercises i can do are walking, biking, elliptical and swimming, altho i don't swim. i have found that with my limited exercise, i have to watch my calories extra b/c i never know when my next exercise session is going to be.

i have also found, that with my numerous surgeries, someone can almost always fix someone else's mistake, or at least try. my advice to you would be to find a new doctor. an ankle specialist. perhaps the scar tissue is building up or creating an obstruction. that is minor surgery and makes a world of difference.

any questions, feel free to ask me. best of luck to you...i know how you feel.

Wow this is really freaking me out. I've injured my ankle many times over the year to the point where the talk of surgery has come up. I don't have health insurance at this moment so I've put it off for a bit but now I'm thinking I wanna figure it out ASAP before it gets worse...

I have a pin, a plate, and several screws in one of my ankles. If something hurts it, I don't do it, period. And consider, also, that a problem in one of your ankles can lead to problems with all your leg joints above the ankle on that side. Not something you want to play around with.

Having said that, walking long distances (and I mean absolutely zero jogging/running) hurt when I first started, so I backed it up to the shortest distance I could do comfortably and worked my way up. I made very slow progress. You aren't going to improve as quickly as somebody without that sort of problem, but you can improve.

I stay away from running COMPLETELY. My current favorite is the elliptical trainer. I don't seem to have any trouble with that. (Well, unless my feet fall asleep, but that doesn't have anything to do with the damage and is quite common.) The ankle, I believe, is one of the more easily injured parts of the body and you already have a strike against you. I would say avoid high impact activities all together.

Also, have you considered consulting with a physical therapist or other specialist who might be able to help you work out a plan based upon your special needs?

I also avoid unneven surfaces. Some people say that walking/jogging/running outside is healthier than using a treadmill, as if using a machine isn't 'real' exercise, but the possiblity of injury for somebody with that kind of injury is just extremely high on 'natural' surfaces. (I'll sometimes do pavement, but have still come across large rocks that sent me sprawling...usually when there is an audience.)

I would suggest to find what you can do in the meantime. I have a chronic condition that limits my mobility. I can't jog or run so I don't. I walk or bike or use the elliptical instead. You certainly don't want to do anything that will make it worse.

My heart goes out to you. I broke my ankle and shattered my heel last Feb. due to a car accident. I do the treadmill, but not without pain due to the arthritis and such. The days I do more than 15 minutes, I pay for it dearly for hours. I do not have screws, and my bones, I was told by the doc, healed pretty nicely. The pain is forever though. I know you were asking for advice form people with the screws, but just to let you know, I've been doing this about 2 weeks, only had about 6 days or so on the treadmill and it's more painful every time. I wouldn't try anything like that. Swimming seems to be the way to go. Hopefully you have access to a pool. As you and I know, being "down" in the cast, boots and such is just plain sucky. I'd really hate to see you do anymore irreversible damage. Good luck to you! Btw, after becoming immune to any narcotic pain reliever, oddly enough otc ibuprophin actually eases some of the pain after I walk awhile. I hope all works out for you! You deserve it! Best of luck!
P.S. please don't try the treadmill, as I said, mine is supposedly healed "nicely", BUT my pain says otherwise and I really haven't done it too long.