Broke my ankle and leg in 3 places and I’m getting surgery tomorrow. Idk how to feel or what to expect.
Do your physical therapy. All of it. Its not fun in the short term but will become something you don’t remember doing and you’ll heal much faster
I plan on it. I don’t wanna be fucked for life
I work with a lot of badly injured people and my two pieces of advice based on my experience is to be committed to your pt and to practice mindfulness as a way to reduce the effects of pain. Pain disrupts sleep and concentration, and is really fucking exhausting.
It’ll be fine. Surgery is neat. If they put you under, one second you are awake and counting backwards… and then you are suddenly waking up.
The most important thing is do exactly what they tell you… especially any and all rehab afterward. Take the rehab seriously, because if you shirk it, you are very likely pay for that for the rest of your life.
I’ve had lots of surgery, but this one is the second most intense. I’m terrified of how I’m going to feel afterwards. They will be putting some hardware in and I’m afraid it’ll hurt more than it does now. My pain is so bad right now that I’ve been crying for hours. Morphine isn’t even taking the edge off.
Well hey as long as you’re not screaming
If people touch my leg in a certain way, I do let out a bit of a holler.
When I broke it, I was on the floor screaming because it hurt that bad.
I had screaming from an untreated tooth infection once. About three days of screaming. Changed me permanently.
Oh wow. I’m sorry you went through that.
Do the work after the surgery. Don’t skip or be lazy with recovery. Do the work. You will not regret it.
I plan on that. Not looking forward to it, but I gotta take care of myself. I have lots of pets who depend on me.
If you have any books you’ve been putting off on reading, nows the time to start.
My mom is on her way to my house right now. I told her to grab my backpack which has a book in it. I have so many books to read lol
Also get audiobook versions in case reading books gets uncomfy. Wishing you a speedy recovery! 💪
Oh that’s a good idea! And thank you!
Libgen for free ebooks (if you don’t mind reading ebooks)
Oh shit I didn’t know about that resource.
DO. YOUR. PHYSICAL. THERAPY.
And if your doctor’s say do this 5 to 10 times, maybe do 11. My ankle never fully recovered from my accident and I can’t wish it on anyone.
Yep, same here. I tore the muscles and ligaments in my shoulder 25 years ago, and didn’t keep up with the exercises. At the time it didn’t feel too bad. Now, it hurts regularly, and I don’t have the full range of motion.
On the bright side, every time I rotate my shoulder, it clicks and grinds, and scares the shit out of my squeamish friends…
Luckily my ankle doesn’t hurt (but I still have 22 years to go), but being able to balance on my left foot would be nice.
And mine also clicks if I haven’t moved it in a minute.
You are going to be on some heavy painkillers for a little while. Really not a big deal, just remember no matter how you feel good/bad, ect. You thinking will be a little off. Don’t make any real decisions and don’t worry if your mood is weird. Just ride it out for a little bit and the cone back to your self.
You are going to be on some heavy painkillers for a little while. Really not a big deal,
For most people…
A small but significant amount of people metabolize opioids faster than they should.
So if they’re supposed to take a pill every 8 hours, they might get 2x as fucked up the first 4 and no pain relief for 4 hours till their next.
Which is like a recipe for prescription misuse and eventually opiod addiction. Especially when doctors up the dosage instead of spreading more pills throughout the day.
And if you are one of these people whose pain isn’t controlled, or you’re feeling overly fucked up - CALL YOUR DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY. Better to be an annoying patient once, who’s just trying to get their pain under control, than to risk addiction. Shit’s no joke.
As givesomefucks said, Docs have other options besides just uping the dose, but you may have to advocate for it. Different timing, different meds and combinations, and even RICE can do some magic.
Only real thing I regret when I broke my leg was not using a cane after crutches. Didn’t realize using the crutches too long led to my fibula reattaching incorrectly and breaking again a year later randomly as I was walking.
Oh wow. That’s terrible. I’m sorry you went through that. I actually bought a neat cane last month at a Ren faire that I could probably put to use of my doctors and physical therapist(s) want me to. I bought the cane as a prop for costumes, but also as a stick to beat raccoons with. I got jumped by a gang of raccoons a few months ago, and the fuckers keep breaking into my ducks’ outside enclosure. I take the cane out with me whenever it’s dark.
How would a cane have helped?
Forces more weight bearing.
I’m pretty sure that I healed with my foot in an unnatural position (outside tiles up slightly) causing the bone to heal in a shortened position. They don’t do anything to your fibula in most cases as it bears very little weight, it’s just allowed to heal on its own.
That’s the sort of thing they should have told you
Don’t skip your post surgery PT. Your PT sessions have a huge impact on the outcome and can mean the difference between full recovery or being a gimp for life.
Eat lots of protein while you’re healing. Your body needs protein to repair the damage caused by the accident and the surgery, without it you will be so devoid of energy, you’ll wonder if you’re dying after simple tasks like tying your shoes.
Don’t lose heart, recovery can be long, but it does get better.
I have pets that depend on me, so I gotta take care of myself so I can care for them. PT is essential. I’m actually having a physical therapy consult today or tomorrow to figure out what mobility devices will work best for me when I go home. I can’t have surgery until the severe swelling goes down in my leg. I’m looking at getting the operation early next week.
I’ve been given protein-rich hospital food and it has been so refreshing.
The knee scooters worked the best for me until I was strong enough and the pain had subsided enough for crutches. They’re not great in small rooms though.
Good luck to you!
Edit: you can often find those scooters at the thrift store or on Craigslist. Of course that won’t work if it’s your femur that is broken.
I can’t use a scooter right now because I have a fracture just below my knee. I have no idea what I’m going to get in regards of mobility aids pbecause I can’t move the entirety of my right leg on my own. My thigh and hip and groin muscles are working overtime right now (presumably to compensate for my lower leg being broke af?) and it has me pretty much crippled.
If I’m ever cleared to use a scooter, my mom has one from when she had foot surgery.
Yeah you’ll end up with some muscle imbalance. I couldn’t walk for about 3 months after shattering my ankle and when they finally took the cast off, my leg was super atrophied and one of my shoulders was all fucked up from 3 months of having to compensate for half my lower body not working. The good news is all that shit is temporary, as long as you do your PT, and then focus on fitness after you’ve recovered enough. Ask the physical therapist, or the surgeon what mobility aids to use, they’ll know. Also make sure to get the handicapped placard, you’ll need it for awhile.
I’m getting a PT consult for mobility aids to use tomorrow. I will hopefully be going home until the swelling in my leg goes down. I can’t have surgery until it isn’t as swollen as it is. I expect to be in PT for a long time just because of the extent of my injuries and the fact I’ll be getting hardware installed. Hopefully this whole thing can help me work out my upper body a lot until I can walk on my own again. I’ve already been using my arms so much to help me get comfy on my hospital bed. I can’t move my whole right leg on my own, so I have to use my arms to shift my whole body around. The medical staff were moving my bad leg for me, but it caused excruciating pain, so I’m trying to do as much on my own without injuring myself more.
Also, my bad leg is my driving leg. I won’t be driving for a while :(
Ouch! Sounds familiar, since I went through much of the same. Hang in there! If they don’t give you pain meds before you leave, ask for them! I didn’t ask for any and so they didn’t give me any. I wasn’t able to get any for another 36 hours of excruciating pain.
I’ve been getting Vicodin as often as possible. I’m also using ice packs to try to expedite the swelling.
Do what they tell you, to recover. The surgeon looks bad if you get a bad outcome, so they’ve truly got your best interest at heart. Don’t cut corners!
I don’t plan on cutting corners. Gotta recover so my pets don’t suffer.
Yeah, you might need to set up some ongoing help with your pets until you are firmly back on your feet. You will start to be able to do stuff but still need someone to “spot” you in case a pet bowls you over or gets underfoot and you lose balance.
Edit to add: Purring helps heal bones, so be sure to cuddle up and scritch those little chins and ears!
My parents are helping me with my pets. I’ll be staying with them with my dogs after my surgery. My mom will be stopping by mynhouse twice a day to care for my ducks and check on my cats. My dogs (especially my beagle) love trying to make me feel better, so I expect them to give me so much attention when we are reunited. I already have a great support system. My work is even being hella supportive even though I’ll be out for a while. All of the people in charge have texted me to see how I’m doing.
Glad to hear it!
So, I’m up at 4 am with my “I’m not sleepy” kitten, how are you doing?
Terrible. The pain is so bad that morphine isn’t even taking the edge off. I’m waiting to see if I can have something different for the pain. I haven’t had surgery yet either. Not looking forward to how I’ll be feeling after that.
Actually you might feel a little better after the surgery. Your body knows the bones aren’t in their right places, everything that connects them with the rest of you is stretched wrong and screaming with every movement. Even though the surgery will cut some things, it will realign and stabilize things as well so they can start to calm down.
I’m hoping that the surgery will fix the pain a bit. I broke off the bone in the back of my ankle and I feel it moving around with each movement. It SUCKS.
Ask for the heated blanket. Tell them if you’re nervous (they have drugs for that!) and try to relax. The worst part is over (breaking the damn things) and soon you’ll have a cool scar.
I’m waiting for more pain drugs that should make me hella high, so I won’t be anxious then. I didn’t think of the scar lol. I’ve just been telling people I’m gonna be cyborg
They can help you with pain, nausea, and anxiety through meds. Scar: your surgeon will tell you what scar cream to use when the scar is ready for it. Having to ask for help post-op gets old quickly. But it’s a great way to see who your good friends and family are, and the kindness of strangers! Also, you can pay it forward in the future by giving this information to someone else and helping when someone is struggling! You’re gonna do great! 
I already have the full support of everyone in my life. My work even offered me a payout from our company accident insurance so I don’t have to worry about finances. I was hurt when I was working at home and it didn’t even have anything to do with my work. I have to wait until after my surgery to get the payout. My leg is too swollen to have the surgery today. I have to check in on Monday and see if the swelling is down enough for me to be operated on.
You’ll feel helpless for a while. It sucks.
But there will be a point in a year or two, where you actually make it a day or two without even remembering your injury. That’s how you know you made it through to the other side.
You’ll get there friend! I broke a small bone in my wrist a few years back - required many surgeries and i went a long time without being able to do the things i loved. My wrist isn’t perfect, but I have my life and activities back. You’ll get there, be patient and kind to yourself through the process. I definitely had moments where I wanted to define myself as “broken” - but your body is just a vessel. You’re gonna be OK.
Thank you so much for the kind words :)
Surgery as others have said is a quick in and out and it’s fixed. Be sure you have your therapy afterwards planned and ready to go. Not every physical therapist has appointments ready the moment you leave the hospital. Also make sure your employer, health insurance or whatever applies keeps you financially afloat while you aren’t able to work. Have a plan for reentering the workforce.
I already know what physical therapist I want to see. I had my mom call my work to update them on my condition because I was crying with pain. They’re offering me accident insurance payout once I gety surgery, even though I was hurtnwhen working at home on the clock. My parents are letting me stay with them and they are going to make sure my ducks and cats are careful for. My dogs are going to be with me at my parents’ place
Damn you got ducks, dogs, and cats??? Sounds kinda fun haha. Hope you feel better soon and have a speedy recovery
Yeah. I have a menagerie. I grew up on farms, so I have always had loads of critters running around. I can’t do any more animals now. I am at my limit lmao. Also, thanks for the well-wishes!
I triple broke my ankle last year, so let me tell you it sucks tremendously.
Depending on the severity of your fracture you will be spending a couple months on crutches, and then up to a year doing physical therapy to restore mobility and the lost muscle and circulatory function in your leg(s).
As for the surgery itself, my ankle was broken in three places and basically turned around 180 degrees, so in a first surgery my foot and leg were fixated using metal rods that were pierced through my ankle and screwed into my shin bone, to allow the swelling to reduce.
Then some days later, the external fixture got removed again and the foot was placed and fixated in an orthopedic boot, a modern version of plaster casts that can be removed intermittently.
Now, almost 18 months later I am still not completely done, because the third surgery to remove leftover metal elements in my leg has caused the massively scarred area to heal very poorly, causing a fucking antibiotics resistant infection in the wound as well.
In short, you have my sympathies, it fucking sucks so much.
Oh jeez. I really hope I don’t have a recovery like that. I expect it to be so rough though. Idek what is going to be done. I haven’t met my surgeon yet. It’s late here, so everything is being done in the morning. They put me in a special splint and have me on pain meds.
When you do meet your surgeon, don’t worry if they aren’t a people person. The skill you need is in their hands, not their personality. When you meet the anesthesiologist, (and general advice with all medical personnel) be honest about anything they ask you, like about previous drug experiences. They don’t ask to judge you, it’s to judge what and how much to give you, and how to expect you might react.
I’ve had experiences with surgeons, so I won’t be surprised if this guy is kind of an ass. Idgaf as long as he fixes me. Every anesthesiologist I’ve met have been so nice
Yeah it probably won’t be as bad, but still. Not a fun experience.
On the plus side, the pain meds are pretty fun. Through that whole ordeal I sampled a wide range of them, ketamine (ketanest) was probably the most intense. Felt like someone rolling a huge, soft but very loud boulder over me.
I had fentanyl in the ambulance and it made me super talkative. I had morphine earlier and that was fun. It has worn off and I have no idea what I’ll be getting next.
It’s completely normal to be nervous.
You have more power than you think – you can ask people to pause during the lead up and post-op times, ask questions that you want, tell them your concerns.
Find lots of good media and other entertainment that makes you laugh!
Have a great recovery !
I have so many questions prepped already. My mom brought me a book and my current crochet project. My friends are also spamming me with memes.
I triple broke my ankle in my youth. It was clean so doctor only had to pull and reposition the parts, didn’t have to operate.
Crutches for 8 weeks, you’ll never have so strong lower arms again. In winter so got ice spikes that you flipped down on the crutches when you go outside. Felt like a cool weapon. I could outrun a lot of people down the stairs and on ice.
Got all the cute girls to sign their name on the platter cast.
Wasn’t too bad! Itching under the cast was really annoying. At one place the cast had been too tight on the skin so skin was rotting. Leg was a thin slivered pathetic version of its former self. It’s insane how much you lose from such a short time. It’s fine now though.
Good luck!
I could outrun a lot of people down the stairs
lmao
and on ice
Gee wonder how op got all banged up in the first place. Probably doing gainers off the pool shed.
