Broken ankle

deisemum

I'm not looking for medical advice as that's in hand.

I slipped and broke my ankle on Friday evening and got a soft cast put on yesterday, hard one to go on this coming Friday. It's a simple break but what's the average time people spend in a cast? Any pointers on foods etc that may help bones mend, even old wives tales.

I'm meant to be going to Florida Feb 10th and would love to be able to walk unaided.

I'm not managing too well with the crutches and am frustrated as hell and no doubt driving my family round the bend. All suggestions welcomed.

Nevyn

Calicum tablets and drinks of milk
Magnesium tablet or a banana every day,
Vitamen C tablets and oranges
you will also need Vitamen D
Arnica cream will help with the swelling and brusing.

Comfrey is a wonderful plant it is commonly called knit bone,
you can get a hemopathic does of comfrey from a health food store the one in wexford town should have some and a comfrey cream is good when the plaster comes off.

The other ingredient you body will need is sillca, and a good scource for that is in fact nettles.

It is the wrong time of year to be gathering nettles for a salad you need young nettle leaves for that but you could do a nettle tea, make the tea out of the tips of the nettles leaves and add some honey to it.

Make sure that the nettles are gathered from a clean area not the side of the road where they are covered in exhaust fumes and make sure they are well washed before a tea is made out of them.


I would also recamend Echinacea either drops or tablets to boost your immune system so you don't get a cold or flu while you are on the mend and prolong the process.

You must be driven demented esp this time of year, I know I was driven around the twist when I took a chip out of my knee cap and was on crutches.

Oh and advoid carbonated drinkings as they can leach minerals out of your system what you will need to mend your bones.

Hope you heal up fast and that you have a bell to summon the children to mind you and fetch for you and if they get stroppy about it play the mammy guilt card and tell them to be glad they don't have to change your nappy.

Faith

I think it's 6 weeks in a cast, on average.

Traumadoc

Yep 6 weeks

Zillah

Thaedydal wrote:

snip

You really are a witch

deisemum

Thanks Thaedydal, I'll get working on that list. I'm so fed up. Trying to get up and down the stairs is a nightmare.

Nevyn

Zillah wrote:

You really are a witch

?

deisemum wrote:

Thanks Thaedydal, I'll get working on that list. I'm so fed up. Trying to get up and down the stairs is a nightmare.

You have my complete sympathies but do try and keep yourself occupied with knitted or reading, or take over one of the games consoles in the house

spurious

You'll get better at the stairs - remember the good go up to heaven, so you step with your good foot first going up, the bad go down to hell, so going down it's bad foot first.

It was the sore hands that got me with the crutches - 6 weeks is about average, depending on the break.

deisemum

Hubby moved a bed downstairs for me. Makes life easier. Spares the bad language anyway.

The one good thing about it all is that hubby is getting an eye opener on how much I've been doing for him and the boys. Bless him he's been very busy since

gary the great

Average time for a broken leg is 6 weeks in a cast, but i thought it was 8 weeks for an ankle? And after them weeks dont you have to be put into a darth boot for a couple of weeks too?

I broke my tibila plateau in April, the docs said 5 months until i walk unaided (very serious break, 2 8 hour operations and 12 screws and some plates) but i was walking fine after about 3 and a half months. I thought i perfectly healed during the summer months but as soon as the cold damp weather hit it was a different story. Can still hardly walk some mornings. So even if your walking with a bit of pain/limp come febuary, when you go to florida in the sun your leg mayfeel much much better.

My quick recovery was due to the fact i was a really fit and health 22 year old male. Are you fit, atheltic, young and healthy? Cos if you are you will recover a lot quicker.

Try the website www.mybrokenleg.com , its a great site with a forum dedicated to broken legs and ankles and you will find any question you need answered there.

And remember, go to your physio (if your offered) it seriously helps and quickens recovery.

Best of luck
Gary

Traumadoc

Im not an orthopaedic surgeon,but the management depends on many factors, such as the type of fracture, for example a fracture of the very tip of the outside of the ankle could be managed without a cast, others that are more "complicated" will require longer periods immobilised, or may require operative splinting.
Often the orthopedic surgeon will repeat xrays to see how well the fracture is healing and will immobilise more or less according to the healing.

deisemum

If it's 8 weeks I'm finished regarding Florida anyway.

If I manage to fly I think I'll bring plenty of reading material and let my family off to the theme parks.

I'm 42 very overweight and had recently started at the gym to sort myself out. Apart from my weight everything else is fairly healthy.

Traumadoc

you would be at risk for a leg clot!

deisemum

Well I got my new red plaster cast today and will be in it for 6 weeks. I'm having my ankle x-rayed next Friday. God it's heavy. I'm just about over all the hopping on the crutches round the hospital this morning. I'm going to get the loan of a wheelchair next Tuesday so I can get out and about.

Florida has been cancelled and I've been able to rebook flights and accommodation for October. The airline refunded all money except €127 so I'm very happy about that. Hotel is allowing a straight switch without any penalties

One good thing about this mishap is that it's strengthened my resolve to stick to a diet and get fit. I'd already started going to the gym 4 weeks ago. No more half hearted attempts either. I didn't pig out over christmas and I'm very conscious that my arms and good leg will have to carry the burden if I'm not careful

trooney

Six weeks isn't too bad in the greater scheme of things. I smashed my ankle and foot and tib and fib in a rock climbing accident last June and am still on crutches. Spent similar amount of time to Gary (the great) in surgery with similar amounts of metal keeping the leg together. Docs told me that if had happened 10-15 yrs ago they would've amputated! Nice. Need to hit the hospital again now sometime soon for bone graft surgery, which will leave me on the sticks for another 3-6months. The worse thing is I have now worn through the rubber stops on the end of me sticks. Makes getting about a little treacherous until I get them replaced.
Good luck with the ankle, six weeks will fly in

deisemum

Yikes, I know 7 weeks isn't long compared to your injuries.
Fortunately I'm not experiencing any pain.

I've gotten the loan of a wheelchair and it's made things a lot easier. I had my first outing last Saturday, only to Tesco but I was starting to get cabin fever.

Today is my first day on my own since the children went back to school.

Good luck in your recovery.

sudzs

I was 6 weeks in a cast after breaking ankle and then a couple more hobbling around on one crutch doing physio for my poor wasted muscles! Ended up with one muscle-y leg and one withered one! See if you can do any exercises to avoid this happening. I'm sure you can.

I'd go with the extra calcium but make sure to take it in the evening and NOT with high fibre foods. They block the calcium being absorbed.

G'luck with it!

sk8josh2396

hey man i broke my fibula tibia and some bone in my ankle skateboarding a big stairset. theres a couple of rules that u might wanna follow. no matter how much you want to, dont walk on it. i had to wear my cast for four extra weeks which equaled about 10 weeks of crippledness. it sucks but also dont skate with it on. (yea im that stupid) and just chill. its good now cause im 13 so im really healthy and it took me about a month and a half to skate like normal again. (i landed the trick i broke my ankle on too.) hey at least we got some hella bad arthiritis to look forward to. peace

flowergirl968

I was in a cast for 12 weeks!

Hey skater boy- how long did it take you before you could walk without crutches after you got your cast off?

locum-motion

flowergirl968 wrote: »

I was in a cast for 12 weeks!

Hey skater boy- how long did it take you before you could walk without crutches after you got your cast off?

Flower girl,
I don't think your sk8r friend is gonna reply; he left that message 7 months ago and it's his only message on boards.