I'm back....finally!

[miraclegro]

Well, after breaking my fibula in mid-January, wearing a cast for 5 weeks, a moon boot for 4, and an "air cast" type brace for 4 more, i just started back skating last week. I am excited, but a little sad as to how behind i am now. Plus, my achilles tendon and front of foot seems really stiff.

I never got physical therapy, have done some home exercises, and have been in the pool, and my sit spin now is barely there because of it everything combined.

I'm working on getting over that nagging fear that haunts me now, and look forward to working now on Silver Freestyle program, and Gold MIF. It seems like i am almost starting over now.

Any tips on more home-remedy therapy to get things back, is greatly appreciated. I also wouldn't mind some footwork sequences to work on, but don't have a coach at the moment until my foot is worth getting one again.

[dbny]

Welcome back! Can you please refresh my memory on how you broke your leg? I don't have anything specific to offer, but when I got my arm out of a cast, I also did exercises at home instead of going for PT, and I just made a point of using it as much as possible. That's probably harder to apply to one's leg, but don't cut it any slack unless absolutely necessary. IMO, normal, everyday use was significant in regaining full use of my wrist.

[NickiT]

I broke my fibula and made it back on the ice three months later. I had a bit of physio, including pushing up on my toes (heel lifts), spreading my toes, rotating the ankle, flexing and stretching the foot backwards and forwards and so on. I just got used to doing these things while watching TV.

Once back on the ice I paced myself and didn't resume jumping for a couple more months, just worked on the basics - crossovers, three turns, simple steps. I did go back on with my coach as I'd lost my confidence big time and needed the security of having someone with me at all times.

I pretty much got back to where I was about three months after getting back on the ice. It took time but I got there. I had to pace how long I skated for too. Having a metal plate and screws in my ankle hurt. I now wear a bunga pad over them to prevent them rubbing on the boot, and now I rarely get pain from them.

I'm sure you will do just fine. Take things one day at a time, don't try to run before you can walk and you'll have no problems!

Nicki

[miraclegro]

Well, i broke it doing slide chasse's - what i thought was easy since i'd done it a million times before. caught an edge or something.

Nickit - how did you break yours?

I did some spins, but cautiously, and landed my first loop yesterday! I'm afraid to try anything yet but the loop and the salchow!

[NickiT]

I broke mine skating. Just had a really unlucky fall doing nothing specific. Fell backwards, put right foot down behind me but continued to fall on top of it and broke ankle.

Did you break your left or right ankle? Obviously because it was my right which is my landing foot, I held off jumping for a while. It did take a while to get used to skating with the screws in my ankle and even now I get occasional discomfort from them, but on the whole my ankle is fine now.

Nicki

[miraclegro]

Oooh Nickit,

Bless your heart, i thought mine was rough. Broke my left foot, didn't have to get screws (thank the Lord), and i guess that's why i am able to do a few jumps as opposed to your delay in getting back to them....

At least i could drive, i guess you were really slammed when you had your ordeal. How long was your healing process?

[samba]

My injury was almost identical to Nicki and I also bear the scafolding. However my recovery was much quicker, partly due to the swift treatment and the physio that I received straight after the plaster came off.

I had to regularly soak the foot in very warm and then cold water, I had 2 large washing up bowls for this exercise and when stood in the warm one I gently bent my kneed to flex the ankel.

Another exercise the physio gave me was to stand facing a wall with my foot a few inches away from it and bend my knee so that it touches the wall, as things improve I moved further and further away from the wall so that the knee had to bend even more, therefore flexing the ankle further.

As with any recovery excercise, it must be done gradually and carefully so as not to agrevate the injury.

Rest the leg up whenever the oporunity arises, I still have the habit years later, of putting my right leg up if I am on a bench or sofa, it reduces the swelling when not in use.

I was very fortunate to be back on the ice the same week that I was out of plaster, only 5-10 minutes at a time but I was back out there, as any skater knows you really feel the need to be reassured that you can still skate and I guess my pairs partner needed that reasurance also as we were doing a lift when it happened, not his fault but he must have felt terrible.

The recovery period is down to the individual, so no real answer there, some people just heal quicker than others, besides if you give yourself a recovery goal you might push things too far, just keep a regular routine and try not to sway from it unless it's too painful.

miraclegro you look as though you are already on the right track anyway.

I am amazed that you had no physiotherapy, we dont pay for any of that over here but you sometimes have to go on a waiting list, once again I was lucky to get it straight away

Whew this is the longest answer I have given to anyone, I hope you read it and it helps!!


Best of luck
Grace

[NickiT]

Oooh Nickit,

Bless your heart, i thought mine was rough. Broke my left foot, didn't have to get screws (thank the Lord), and i guess that's why i am able to do a few jumps as opposed to your delay in getting back to them....

At least i could drive, i guess you were really slammed when you had your ordeal. How long was your healing process?

Well I was off the ice for 3 months in total. Not bad considering they told me at the hospital I'd not be skating for at least 6 months. I had to spend 5 days in hospital and was in a non-walking cast for six weeks. Once the cast was removed I had to re-learn how to walk as my muscles had "gone" but I started physio right away and continued going for appointments for a few weeks then just continued carrying out the exercises at home. So it was six weeks of cast and another six weeks to rehabilitate then I was OK to try back on the ice. Like I say I was very tentative and I had to rely on painkillers to skate for over a year, simply because of the screws. I did it though so you will too! You just have to learn to pace yourself and accept that your ankle will continue to swell after skating for several months!

I must admit I do worry that I might do it again. It was an awful time as you can most probably relate to. It just didn't put me off skating though. In a way it made me more determined since so many people expected to see me give up!

Nicki

[miraclegro]

Wow, it sure is nice to hear other peoples' stories, even though we all have a lot more empathy.

What is weird, though, is that i am thinking now more about doing everything more properly. Maybe that will make me improve even more.

I tried my camel the other day for the first time, and it was scary, but you know what? It was better than before! How hilarious!

I didn't receive p.t. because i don't have the greatest insurance; i'm getting in the YMCA pool every couple of days and then skating about every other day. i do squats and then point my toe alot.

And i can relate to you all saying swelling still happens some. I wonder why that is, when the bone is completely healed!

[NickiT]

And i can relate to you all saying swelling still happens some. I wonder why that is, when the bone is completely healed!

If you've broken a bone, think about the amout of damage done to the surrounding tissues......stretched and torn ligaments etc. Think how nasty a sprained ankle is. Well a broken ankle is much the same but with the fracture too. I guess this explains why the swelling occurs.

Nicki

[samba]

If you've broken a bone, think about the amout of damage done to the surrounding tissues......stretched and torn ligaments etc. Think how nasty a sprained ankle is. Well a broken ankle is much the same but with the fracture too. I guess this explains why the swelling occurs.

Quite so Nicki, I have heard people say that tissue takes longer than bone to heal. Just make a point of elevating the foot when not in use this should minimise the problem of swelling.

Anyway miracelgro I dont really think you need much help your positive mental attitude has already seen you through very nicely, if you see Nicki skate now you would know that it really works.

We tend to moan about the good old NHS because it depends on the area you are in as to whether you will get the best treatment for your particular problem, this is why a lot of people over here still go private but the cost is pretty scarey.

Keep up the good work
Grace

[AndreaUK]

I broke my skull ice skating. Its still a relatively n ew injry and Im back on the ice allready.
This happened 6 weeks ago, fell backwards but dont remember and apparently landed on my head. I later woke up in a cold puddle of ice with paramedics around me. Had a lovely dose of amnesia for about half an hour which started to return once I was in hospital.
it was only a very slight hairline fracture but I ended up with a grade 3 concussion which wasnt very nice. Had loads of really bad headaches and sickness but it all subsided after about 3 weeks.
I returned to the ice 4 weeks after my accident but it is surprising how much confidence one loses after an accident. I hope mine will return to normal soon but I am terrified of taking another knock on the head.

I am conidering wearing a crash helmet.

Andrea xx

[NickiT]

I broke my skull ice skating. Its still a relatively n ew injry and Im back on the ice allready.
This happened 6 weeks ago, fell backwards but dont remember and apparently landed on my head. I later woke up in a cold puddle of ice with paramedics around me. Had a lovely dose of amnesia for about half an hour which started to return once I was in hospital.
it was only a very slight hairline fracture but I ended up with a grade 3 concussion which wasnt very nice. Had loads of really bad headaches and sickness but it all subsided after about 3 weeks.
I returned to the ice 4 weeks after my accident but it is surprising how much confidence one loses after an accident. I hope mine will return to normal soon but I am terrified of taking another knock on the head.

I am conidering wearing a crash helmet.

Andrea xx

Eeek! That sounds scary. Good on you for getting back on the ice so soon afterwards. It's perfectly normal to lose confidence when you suffer a nasty injury while on the ice. Even when I broke my wrist in September, I looked at the ice and simply couldn't imagine ever doing the stuff I'd been doing before. However I was back in it at the deep end since my first time back was for a rehearsal for our Christmas show. I was terrified but it probably did me good. I soon regained my confidence and it was really just the matter of regaining my stamina.


Anyway miracelgro I dont really think you need much help your positive mental attitude has already seen you through very nicely, if you see Nicki skate now you would know that it really works.


Thanks Grace. I have to say you've done even better than I did. I think we are both an inspiration to anyone who is misfortunate enough to break their ankle although as you quite rightly say, it sounds like miracelgro is doing just fine!

Nicki

[NCSkater02]

Been there, done that. Matter of fact, Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of my getting back on the ice. I remember that day well. Dr. M. gave me permission to return to the ice (never believed that I wasn't there already.) I ate lunch, then went straight to the rink, and got on a sparse public session--no freestyles for me. Did 20 minutes of both clockwise and counter-clockwise laps/crossovers. CCW really hurt the left ankle, but I did it any way.

The ankle gives me no problems today. However, it is still a little bigger than the other, and I think it always will be.

There was some fear factor involved, especially once I was released to do what ever I wanted, because I could start attempting to spin then. If I never had to spin again, it wouldn't be too soon since it's how I broke my ankle.

[miraclegro]

You broke your ankle spinning? HOw did that happen? Bless your heart!

[NCSkater02]

You broke your ankle spinning? HOw did that happen? Bless your heart!

Stupid kid a rink sharpens my skates after I told him not too. Took off my rockers (both of them) and, if that wasn't bad enough, made my hollow uneven--tourqued it. I had no outside edge on the left skate. I could tell something was different, but not knowing better (and I know better now) I didn't know what was wrong. I was doing a spin entry and skidded off the nonexistant outside edge and broke my distal fibula. I was so proud of myself though--no four letter words in front of all the kids--even the one that offered me ice.:lol:

I kept telling both my coaches that there was something different/wrong with my blades because I'd lost what little spinning ability I had, and I couldn't hold that outside edge. Now, they listen to me. From the time he sharpened my blades until I got my new ones was about a year, including 14 weeks off ice, and 2 1/2 months waiting for my blades to come in. Low level Ultima Mirages--who knew there was such a shortage of them.

[beachbabe]

I cannot belive that!!! If I were you I would have called my laywer on the way to the doctor and sued the kid for every penny he's got. I have had my rink sharpen a set of blades that I specifically and clearly left for the pro figure skate sharpener. They were sharpened by a hockey person, ground off some of my toepick and left the rocker flat. Nedless to say I was furious. They tried to calm me down but I called my dad's lawyer and after he talked to them, they replaced my blades for free and I have not had a problem since. I actually ended up with new blades when my old ones were going to be replaced in a few months anyway.

Considering your poor sharpening led to an injury, the rink is entirely liable for all your medical bills due to performing an incorrect service that led to injury. Now go and GET THEM BACK.




Stupid kid a rink sharpens my skates after I told him not too. Took off my rockers (both of them) and, if that wasn't bad enough, made my hollow uneven--tourqued it. I had no outside edge on the left skate. I could tell something was different, but not knowing better (and I know better now) I didn't know what was wrong. I was doing a spin entry and skidded off the nonexistant outside edge and broke my distal fibula. I was so proud of myself though--no four letter words in front of all the kids--even the one that offered me ice.:lol:

I kept telling both my coaches that there was something different/wrong with my blades because I'd lost what little spinning ability I had, and I couldn't hold that outside edge. Now, they listen to me. From the time he sharpened my blades until I got my new ones was about a year, including 14 weeks off ice, and 2 1/2 months waiting for my blades to come in. Low level Ultima Mirages--who knew there was such a shortage of them.

[NCSkater02]

Considering your poor sharpening led to an injury, the rink is entirely liable for all your medical bills due to performing an incorrect service that led to injury. Now go and GET THEM BACK.

Nah--I have a really good relationship with the rink managers--they give me freestyle punch cards with skate school instead of public, and they have been known to let me skate free. We've even talked about getting me a job when my money gets tight--as it does periodically--until I get back on my feet.

I did think about it briefly, but decided the relationship with the rink managers was more important than anything I would get from a lawsuit.