broken fibula

[Morgail]

I broke my fibula today. While skating, of course. I'd actually had a great practice. I had about 5 minutes left and thought I'd work on brackets. I think I was doing the RBI bracket. I turned, started to lose my balance, and - big mistake - tried to catch myself with my left foot. I ended up with my left toepick getting stuck in the ice as I fell backwards. Somehow I hobbled over to the hockey boxes and got my left skate off. My ankle was what really hurt - I thought I'd sprained it really badly. My first thought was that at least it wasn't my right ankle (for jump landings)!
I took my other skate off and hobbled in my tights around the back of the rink to get back to the lobby. I even got in the car and drove myself home. We decided to go to the Immediate Care Center to be sure I didn't break any bones in my ankle. Ended up that my ankle is fine (though I may have torn a few small ligaments), but I have a break in my fibula:( This was not at all what I wanted to hear. So, now I'm in an air cast with orders not to put any weight on that leg. I suppose I'm going to the orthopedist on Tuesday to get a real cast.
I'm kind of depressed now. This means I won't get to test my dances later this month. And I may not be up to testing Silver Moves in November. I'm afraid I'll lose everything I've worked so hard on this summer - my camel, my sit-change-sit, and my lutz, and the flip I finally managed to fix:(
Not to mention how annoying it's going to be trying to get around with a cast and crutches. And the weight I'll probably put on, and the muscle strength and flexibility I'll lose, all because I can't skate. Ugh.

[SynchroSk8r114]

Gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that! I hope you heal really fast and that everything's not broken as bad as you imagine. :(

[jazzpants]

OH NO!!!! That's terrible news!!! Sorry to hear about it, Morgail! :(

Get well soon and stay off that leg!!! (Scary for me now. I was working on RBI brackets today...) 8O

[Scarlett]

I'm so sorry to hear that! Rest up and take good care of yourself!

[singerskates]

As soon as the cast gets off, get thee to physio and have hydro therapy to heal the bone faster. Also start working on gaining the muscle strength back.
Is the break in the same leg as the tendon injury. If not, find out what you can do in the mean time to heal that up and then gain strength back in it. Don't worry about bouncing back to the ice. You're an athlete and your muscles have muscle memory. It will come back.

[icedancer2]

Oh man, I really feel for you - that is a COMPLETE bummer - and your moves, from those videos you posted, were looking really really good!!! Arrrgggghhh!!

But the fibula... that's not really a weight-bearing bone is it? I mean, once the swelling goes down I bet you could skate on it without disturbing anything... and it's not your landing leg...

Of course I don't know anything about fibula fractures, but still... maybe there is hope...;)

[mikawendy]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Morgail. ((((Hugs)))) to you. I hope the injury heals quickly and well.

[dbny]

OMG 8O . I'm so sorry to hear. Take heart, as singerskates said, you are an athlete! Don't assume you will gain weight. Maybe you will be able to cut your calories and fats until you are back on both feet, and even if you can't, you'll soon take it off when you start to train again.

[SkatingOnClouds]

That is so terrible! I know what it is like to slog at getting elements only to have to take time off and having to start almost all over again.

Once you get through the initial stages of being upset, maybe there are ways you can help yourself and your skating off the ice. I dunno, I'm not explaining it very well. I mean in terms of mental approach, what you want to achieve, that sort of thing. And even running through the elements in your mind, as if you were about to do it on ice, just to keep the neural pathways open.

Anyone else here been through an enforced lay-off here that can suggest positive measures during the healing process?

[NCSkater02]

Leg strengthening exercises--on both legs. I lost lots of muscle mass in my leg when I broke my ankle a couple of years ago.

I broke my fibula right at the ankle. Hurt like he!! and it bruised from my toes to my knee. I must not have gotten it on ice soon enough, and I hopped on my other leg until I got to the MD the next day. I also didn't elevate or ace wrap it until after I saw the MD.

I didn't start gaining weight until about a month out, and just a little. I ended up gaining about 10 pounds across 14 weeks, but it came off once I got my skating back to where it was before.

[sk8pics]

Aw, sorry to hear this news. Hang in there. When you see the orthopedist, he should be able to tell you better how long the recovery will be. The fibula only carries 10 or 20% of your weight, so maybe you'll be able to start putting weight on it sooner than you think.

Be sure to do all your physical therapy. That will help you come back faster. Where did the fibula break? Down by your ankle? Or up higher on your leg?

Hang in there!

[Sessy]

I know exactly how you feel Morgail.

*HUGS*

is all I can really say.

[sk8tmum]

When DD did something similar, we got what they called a 'scuba boot' which is an airtight silicone cover for her cast; it's designed for people who swim with prosthetic devices. You pull it on, pump out the air, and the cast stays completely dry. She got right into the pool, swimming laps and that, kept the muscle mass and the aerobic conditioning (and the endorphins from being working!) - it really helped her recovery. Just a thought ... it wasn't that expensive, which was nice:D

[looplover]

Oh no, that's horrible Morgail...hope you get well soon...

[Mrs Redboots]

Oh, poor you. Heal fast, please!

[coskater64]

Well that just sucks!

Listen to your doctors and take your time healing. Get good physical therapy and don't rush!:halo:

[quarkiki2]

So sorry to hear that -- I hope you heal soon!

[Morgail]

Thanks everyone for your concern and good wishes:) I'm feeling better (mentally) today. A lot more optimistic and not feeling so sorry for myself. Although trying to take a bath this morning was a little difficult:lol:

Get well soon and stay off that leg!!! (Scary for me now. I was working on RBI brackets today...) 8O
Just let yourself fall if you feel like you're losing your balance:) I think that will be my motto when I get back on the ice!

But the fibula... that's not really a weight-bearing bone is it? I mean, once the swelling goes down I bet you could skate on it without disturbing anything... and it's not your landing leg...

Yes - it's the smaller bone in the lower part of the leg. So it doesn't carry a lot of weight. I'm so glad I didn't break the larger bone!

Don't assume you will gain weight. Maybe you will be able to cut your calories and fats until you are back on both feet, and even if you can't, you'll soon take it off when you start to train again.

I broke my fibula right at the ankle. Hurt like he!! and it bruised from my toes to my knee. I must not have gotten it on ice soon enough, and I hopped on my other leg until I got to the MD the next day. I also didn't elevate or ace wrap it until after I saw the MD. I didn't start gaining weight until about a month out, and just a little. I ended up gaining about 10 pounds across 14 weeks, but it came off once I got my skating back to where it was before.
Yes - I'll just need to watch what I eat. Although, after only being on crutches for one day, I feel like I've gotten tons of exercise! Those things are hard to use. I'm going to have some big arm muscles by the time I'm healed! I was feeling very sorry for myself last night. Today I'm more optimistic. It could've been a lot worse. And any weight I gain can certainly come back off once I get moving again.


Be sure to do all your physical therapy. That will help you come back faster. Where did the fibula break? Down by your ankle? Or up higher on your leg?

The break is higher up - about 3 inches or so below my knee. I'm not sure if that's good or not!

I know exactly how you feel Morgail.
*HUGS*
is all I can really say.
Thank you:) How far are you in your recovery?

When DD did something similar, we got what they called a 'scuba boot' which is an airtight silicone cover for her cast; it's designed for people who swim with prosthetic devices. You pull it on, pump out the air, and the cast stays completely dry. She got right into the pool, swimming laps and that, kept the muscle mass and the aerobic conditioning (and the endorphins from being working!) - it really helped her recovery. Just a thought ... it wasn't that expensive, which was nice:D
That's a great idea! I'll ask my doctor about that. I imagine it would be useful for taking a bath too:)

[sue123]

I am glad to hear you're feeling more optimistic today. And since it bears little weight, you may not need to be on crutches for so long, or in a cast for an extended period of time.

But, if you are in a plaster cast, I would recommend taking baths instead fo showers. When I had a cast on my ankle a while back, taking showers was near impossible, but if you take a bath, you can stick your leg out of the bathtub to keep it dry. Just put a folded towel over the edge if you have those slidey doors instead of a curtain. I actually found it much more difficult to shower with my broken wrist, which I had when I was 12ish. Showering with one hand is really hard, especially when you need to shampoo. So after my first pitiful attempt at shampooing one handed, my mom started to shampoo my hair in the sink for me.

[kayskate]

hang in there. I broke mine 7/11/06. Was on crutches for about 2.5 mo. Wore a cast 1/2 way up my thigh for a month then a shorty calf cast for another month. I recommend checking w/ your MD about leg exercises you can do in the cast. Your leg muscles will atrophy. I lifted light weights continuously (about 4-6 hrs daily) and completely lost the muscles in my rt leg. However, I recovered very quickly. Keep the rest of your body strong. Do upper body work. Crutch walking tones the abs beautifully. Look on the bright side. Keep a positive attitude. Stay busy.

My journal documents my journey through this injury starting in July06. You can read through. I hope my story helps to keep you positive. I am coming back stronger than before and have great appreciation for my body and my abilities.
You can read about the injury on this page:
www.skatejournal.com/july06.html

Kay

[Morgail]

But, if you are in a plaster cast, I would recommend taking baths instead fo showers. When I had a cast on my ankle a while back, taking showers was near impossible, but if you take a bath, you can stick your leg out of the bathtub to keep it dry. Just put a folded towel over the edge if you have those slidey doors instead of a curtain. I actually found it much more difficult to shower with my broken wrist, which I had when I was 12ish. Showering with one hand is really hard, especially when you need to shampoo. So after my first pitiful attempt at shampooing one handed, my mom started to shampoo my hair in the sink for me.

Thanks for the advice! I can't imagine trying to take a shower with only one leg to stand on. Getting in and out of the bathtub today (without even a cast yet) was hard enough!


My journal documents my journey through this injury starting in July06. You can read through. I hope my story helps to keep you positive. I am coming back stronger than before and have great appreciation for my body and my abilities. You can read about the injury on this page:
www.skatejournal.com/july06.html


Thank you for the link. I read all of the entries from 7/06 forward. I'm so glad you are skating again. Reading your story gives me a sense of what might be coming for me. It's funny how long 2 1/2 months can seem from this end of the injury (it seems like forever to me right now)...but in the long run, it's not a very long time at all.

[wasabi]

Thanks for the advice! I can't imagine trying to take a shower with only one leg to stand on. Getting in and out of the bathtub today (without even a cast yet) was hard enough!

It's doable. We don't hae a bathtub at home, so after my knee surgery I had to take showers. Not only did my foot have to be out of the water, though, but because it was my knee, my whole leg from hip down needed to be outside. Needless to say, I got tired quickly and the floor was rarely dry. :D

Good luck with your recovery. You'll get used to the crutches pretty quickly. One tip, though, from someone who was in high school on crutches for several months -- what you're carrying makes a huge difference. A big backpack or purse can absolutely exhaust you. Oh, and if you go shopping, I'd actually recommend getting a wheelchair, because when you get tired your crutching "technique" starts to go and you're much more likely to reinjure yourself (though with a cast this isn't quite as likely). You'll be off them and back on the ice before you know it!

[sk8pics]

Oh, don't forget you can buy a chair or bench for the tub/shower, so you can sit instead of stand. I used one for several months to make sure I didn't slip and fall.

[sk8_4fun]

awwww, that sucks! I hope it heals fast. :(

[cherriee]

Having gone through the whole crutches, plaster cast and air cast these past couple of months myself, I hear your pain. *HUG*

KaySkate is right. The upside of walking with crutches is you get nice abs. I lived in an apartment on the 3rd floor. So getting up and down with crutches was like the fast lane to a toned abs.

When using crutches...
- Do not rest your weight on your underarms. The nerves and muscles around will hurt as a result.
- The hand rests usually suck. Wear padded gloves to protect your wrists and hands. I really wish I have done that. By the 3rd day using the crutches, my palms were bruised.

Shower...
- Buy a waterproof cast protector from the pharmacy store. It is simply a thick plastic bag that comes with a rubber band to hold on to your leg. Having it, you can sit in your bathtub with both your legs and take quick showers. Here is a fancy one (http://www.brokenbeauties.com/comfort-mobility/comfort-waterproof.php). Your local pharmacy sells much cheaper ones.

Trapped in a cast...
- Be prepared of itchiness. I use a knitting needle to scratch when my cast is on. :oops: Be very gentle or you could break the skin.
- Don't try to walk on your cast too much. I did that because of impatience. When the cast was removed, there was a hard spot on my heel and it hurt to walk. So be patient.
- Take your anti-inflammatory medicines. I took ibuprofen. You need them to help getting rid of swelling. Taking calcium citrate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium#Dietary_calcium_supplements) seemed to help me too.

Hope you recover well, Morgail! PM me if you have questions.

[dbny]

- Take your anti-inflammatory medicines. I took ibuprofen. You need them to help getting rid of swelling.

There is recent evidence that anti-inflamatories delay healing of broken bones.

[Sessy]

Yep, I, too, got the advise from the doctor not to take painkillers. He advised heat- and ice-packs instead. Of course mine actually wasn't swollen (which is one of the reasons it took them a heckload of time to figure out what was wrong in the first place) and was a different bone all together.

Oh yeah and he had me take calcium-magnesium-kalium-zink tablets (although I think kalium is called something else in english.. potassium maybe?)


Oh yeah after a while, when the stuff had attached itself but needed to harden still, I got a cast that was uhm, well I could take it off. It was a lot of work, had to be very very careful there, but to wash it, it helped. Cuz last time i had something broken, I had sweat spots that were like somebody had just taken my skin off all over, and this time I didn't.


I didn't have a problem with the palms, but I sure had bruised armpits like nobody's business. Gosh that sucked.
Oh yeah and then there was the problem of taking stairs. Fourth floor, no elevator. At first, I just held both crutches and hopped up. That quickly resulted in a fall right on my knees. That sucked.
So after that, I'd hold one crutch, have somebody else carry the second one upstairs or downstairs, and with the other arm I'd lean on the... You know thing to hold on to on 1 side of the stairs? kind of like a flat iron bar. Almost all stairs have those.
That's WAY more stable than 2 crutches.

[Morgail]

Oh yeah and then there was the problem of taking stairs. Fourth floor, no elevator. At first, I just held both crutches and hopped up. That quickly resulted in a fall right on my knees. That sucked.
So after that, I'd hold one crutch, have somebody else carry the second one upstairs or downstairs, and with the other arm I'd lean on the... You know thing to hold on to on 1 side of the stairs? kind of like a flat iron bar. Almost all stairs have those. That's WAY more stable than 2 crutches.

A bannister:) (I think I may have spelled that wrong, though!). Reading this makes me very happy I live in a one-floor house! I can't imagine going up several flights of stairs on these crutches.


KaySkate is right. The upside of walking with crutches is you get nice abs. I lived in an apartment on the 3rd floor. So getting up and down with crutches was like the fast lane to a toned abs.
When using crutches...
- Do not rest your weight on your underarms. The nerves and muscles around will hurt as a result.
- The hand rests usually suck. Wear padded gloves to protect your wrists and hands. I really wish I have done that. By the 3rd day using the crutches, my palms were bruised.

Thanks for the advice! I was just thinking a few days ago about how I needed to do more exercises for my core muscles:) Oh, and my palms are already getting a little sore and red. I thought it might be good to wrap some sort of soft material around the hand grips on the crutches. I'm trying to use my arms rather than my underarms...but, wow, is that hard. So, my underarms are already hurting.

Oh, don't forget you can buy a chair or bench for the tub/shower, so you can sit instead of stand. I used one for several months to make sure I didn't slip and fall.

That's a great idea! Thanks:)

[Evelina]

I know it doesn't help the frustration of not being able to skate, but a few months back I tore up some ligaments in my ankle really badly, I couldn't walk for a few days at all, and it is only very recently I started doing toe jumps again. When I started jumping again I found all my jumps actually got better - the break did me well. So don't worry, the break might do you well! Your body knows the jumps and spins, you won't loose them :)

[iceskaterdawn]

I spent 9 months on crutches due to a shattered knee cap and the several surgeries it took to repair it. One suggestion I have is if you wrap a wash cloth around the crutch handles, it gives it a little more padding and makes it more comfortable to grip. It also makes it a bit more of a wider grip which took some of the pressure off. An added bonus is that the wahclothes are easy to wash and it helps for your hands to not get as sweaty.

And as someone else mentioned you can get a seat for your shower for about $10 at a pharmacy store. It was the greatest invention ever, even after I got my imobilizers off as I was still too weak to stand for a shower.

Good luck on a speedy recovery!

[liz_on_ice]

I broke my fibula today. While skating, of course. very sorry to hear it, hope you are skating again soon.

[sue123]

Shower...
- Buy a waterproof cast protector from the pharmacy store. It is simply a thick plastic bag that comes with a rubber band to hold on to your leg. Having it, you can sit in your bathtub with both your legs and take quick showers. Here is a fancy one (http://www.brokenbeauties.com/comfort-mobility/comfort-waterproof.php). Your local pharmacy sells much cheaper ones.

Trapped in a cast...
- Be prepared of itchiness. I use a knitting needle to scratch when my cast is on. :oops: Be very gentle or you could break the skin.
- Don't try to walk on your cast too much. I did that because of impatience. When the cast was removed, there was a hard spot on my heel and it hurt to walk. So be patient.
- Take your anti-inflammatory medicines. I took ibuprofen. You need them to help getting rid of swelling. Taking calcium citrate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium#Dietary_calcium_supplements) seemed to help me too.

Hope you recover well, Morgail! PM me if you have questions.

I've never actually found those plastic things to work. My casts would still get wet, and then of course start to smell. When I had my first cast, when I was about 12, and it started to smell because I would try to wash my fingertips, and the moisture and sweat, just didn't smell pleasant. So I tried to make it smell better by spraying apple scented body spray onto the cast. Then my cast smelled like apples and stinky flesh. Made me gag at night if I slept too close to the cast.

And be careful iwth the knitting needle technique for scratching, I've noticed that my skin gets really ashy inside the cast, so it becomes much easier to break the skin. And don't use a fork to scratch. I was at hte ortho office once, and a woman comes in with a fork stuck in her cast. She had to cme and have the cast removed to get the fork out.

[Sessy]

A bannister:) (I think I may have spelled that wrong, though!). Reading this makes me very happy I live in a one-floor house! I can't imagine going up several flights of stairs on these crutches.


No idea what a bannister is? Explain please?


Anyway the first few days I refused to use the crutches, so I got everywhere, also up and down those stairs, without crutches and just hopped around.
Which resulted in an inflamed achilles attachment point on the other leg, so I had to start using the crutches. Otherwise I never would've bothered with the things at all.

Let's just say I was really happy coach Elly regularly makes us hop up and down three flights of stairs on each leg, several times, in the break between ballet and ice-time on fridays... She says it's good for the jumping muscles.

[sue123]

No idea what a bannister is? Explain please?.

A bannister, or handrail as I call it, is what you were describing in your other post, the thing by he stairs that you hold onto when going up and down them.

[Morgail]

So now I have to get surgery. The orthopedist said that my fibula will heal fine, but that I tore a bunch of ligaments in my ankle. So he has to go in and fix the ligaments so they will heal properly. I'm kind of nervous about it. I decided to get myself to work today so I have something else to do other than think about surgery.

[Skittl1321]

So now I have to get surgery. The orthopedist said that my fibula will heal fine, but that I tore a bunch of ligaments in my ankle. So he has to go in and fix the ligaments so they will heal properly. I'm kind of nervous about it. I decided to get myself to work today so I have something else to do other than think about surgery.

Bummer... bad news always seems to come in bunches.

But don't be too nervous about it- fixing those ligaments is usually a fairly common surgery, and with physical therapy you'll be able to rehab back to normal- NOT fixing them would cause many more problems.

I'm sure it will all go well- it just really seems like it all piles on doesn't it!


Now my one word of advise- whatever physical therapy they ask you to do, don't quit until the doctor thinks you are completely done. I stopped a few months early, because I was too busy- and getting through normal days and back to dancing and figured if I could do everything back to normal it was no big deal- it wasn't until years later that I was able to notice the things that weren't quite up to par yet :( Shouldn't have quit early...

[Sessy]

So he has to go in and fix the ligaments so they will heal properly.

Oi, I wish they'd do that for me... I've had SO many ankle sprains and a couple of tears on that ankle over the year that it's not holding up at all anymore, but they're just like all about "strengthening the remaining ligaments". Sometimes I doubt there's much left to strengthen... Meh.

/ end depressed mode.

(no seriously, from now on, I intend to think only positive thoughts!) :mrgreen:
See? Feeling all positive already. :halo:


BTW that's very good news that it'll heal fine :!:

[sk8pics]

Now my one word of advise- whatever physical therapy they ask you to do, don't quit until the doctor thinks you are completely done.
I would go even further than this and say don't quit PT before you and the physical therapist think you are ready. The doctor is not with you on a day-to-day basis the way the physical therapists are, and they can assess pretty well how close you are to being done, and what you need them to help you with and what you can do on your own.

Anyway, sorry to hear you need surgery, but hopefully it will go well!

[NickiT]

Really sorry to hear that. I did the same thing and ended up in hospital for 5 days following surgery to fix it with a metal plate and screws. It's good that you've not had that as that was the hardest part of it for me - even now 8 years on, I am bothered by the screws sometimes. Anyway best of luck with the healing process. Keep your leg elevated as much as you can and rest up as this all helps with the healing process.

Nicki

[Skittl1321]

I would go even further than this and say don't quit PT before you and the physical therapist think you are ready. The doctor is not with you on a day-to-day basis the way the physical therapists are, and they can assess pretty well how close you are to being done, and what you need them to help you with and what you can do on your own.

Anyway, sorry to hear you need surgery, but hopefully it will go well!

I said doctor- because my doctor recommended another 3 months, and my PT said I was okay if I wanted to stop. So go with whomever keeps you there longer if insurance is still paying!

Plus my PT didn't know what my OT was doing, but the doctor got reports from both. I doubt in this case OT will be needed though.

[sk8pics]

That's a good doctor you have there. I have the impression that a lot of surgeons tend to think about stopping PT sooner rather than later. My surgeon actually gave me a lot of PT but the last time (in the first go-round of PT, before the surgery to remove the ankle screws) he was a little reluctant, but then he did it. After the second surgery, he and I were totally in agreement about needing one more month of PT. My main physical therapist told me that was common with the surgeons, and said if I thought I needed more I could go through my primary care doc, but by the end, I was happy to leave. I still don't have 100% of my range of motion back, but it's close, and I just keep working on it.

But yeah, get as much PT as you can. It's not like you'll be 100% the day you walk out of PT, but you should be to the point that you can do the rest of your rehab on your own.

[LilJen]

Oh dear, Morgail . . . welcome to the club!! I also broke my L fibula (alas, my landing leg, as I'm CW) and a tip off my tibia in April. One week exactly before I was going to take my pre-bronze moves test (ah well, easy come, easy go with those test fees, eh?)

Say it with me: TOEPICKS ARE EVIL. I did something similar to what you did--got onto the toepick, only I somehow twisted and SNAP! That was that. I've been back on the ice just once (last week) and it was definitely a weird feeling, weak feeling, and somewhat painful.

The surgery will help so much. You never think of ligaments/muscles/other soft tissues as being that big a deal when it comes to healing--but those soft tissue injuries can linger, linger, linger, like a fracture won't. My bone was healed in about 6 weeks (I also had surgery--plate & 5 screws), but the muscles, ligaments, and tendons continue to heal. And get PT--it helped me so much!

All the best to you. Do your best to keep your chin up, and make a huge deal out of every small step you make towards recovery!

ETA: I remember crying a lot the first few days--not so much because of the pain, but just because I was so frustrated! I'd been working really hard and seeing it pay off and then, BOOM! All my plans went out the window.

OH--and I was also going to recommend a cart thingy. Here's a picture (doesn't this lady look triumphant with the Turning Leg Caddy):
http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/seniorshops/legcaddy.jpg

Awesome for fending off the weariness that comes with crutches.

[sk8tmum]

Bike gloves. They work great on the hands on crutches; you get a grip, there's some padding, and they absorb sweat. Plus, the fingerless thing means that you don't have to take them off to write. And they look cool.

[Morgail]

Thanks everyone! I fully intend to do all the PT I need to do. I want that ankle and leg strong before I try to step onto the ice again.
I made it through the surgery today. Now I'm at home with a nice cast (toes to about a couple inches below my knee), a hydrocodone Rx which makes me fall asleep everytime I take one, and a husband acting as a nurse:) They also gave me a pain block, so I can't feel anything in my lower leg down to my toes. I was way too out of it to ask any questions, and my husband can't remember exactly what the orthoped. told him he put in my ankle. It's something on each side of the ankle to stablilize the joint so the ligaments will heal. I'll have to ask when I go in for my appointment next week.
My poor husband - he talked to his dad last night and his dad told him stories about everyone he knew who went into the hospital and died. 8O Husband was a little freaked out today!

Really sorry to hear that. I did the same thing and ended up in hospital for 5 days following surgery to fix it with a metal plate and screws. It's good that you've not had that as that was the hardest part of it for me - even now 8 years on, I am bothered by the screws sometimes. Anyway best of luck with the healing process. Keep your leg elevated as much as you can and rest up as this all helps with the healing process.

Oh wow - that sounds awful!! I'm glad you healed even though you can still feel the screws. But I can imagine how irritating the screws can still be.

ETA: I remember crying a lot the first few days--not so much because of the pain, but just because I was so frustrated! I'd been working really hard and seeing it pay off and then, BOOM! All my plans went out the window.

OH--and I was also going to recommend a cart thingy.
Awesome for fending off the weariness that comes with crutches.
I did a little crying. Especially the first night when I thought about all the skating plans I had for this fall that are now on hiatus. Actually, what set me off that first night was getting into bed and realizing that I couldn't reach the covers at the end of the bed! And then I thought of every other little frustrating thing and had myself a good cry. And then I teared up a little after the orthoped. told me I needed surgery (that was more out of fear!). That cart looks great! The crutches are now a little easier for me. The nurse today noticed they were set too low for me (making me hunch over) and moved them up. They're a bit easier to use now.

[sk8pics]

Now I'm at home with a nice cast (toes to about a couple inches below my knee), a hydrocodone Rx which makes me fall asleep everytime I take one
Hee, actually, hydrocodone has always kept me awake, or made me sleep fitfully. It was the oxycodone that really knocked me out. Be glad, but just make sure, if you take much of it, that you are taking precautions so you don't have problems with any of the side effects. PM me if you don't know what I mean. ;)
I did a little crying. Especially the first night when I thought about all the skating plans I had for this fall that are now on hiatus. Actually, what set me off that first night was getting into bed and realizing that I couldn't reach the covers at the end of the bed! And then I thought of every other little frustrating thing and had myself a good cry. And then I teared up a little after the orthoped. told me I needed surgery (that was more out of fear!). That cart looks great! The crutches are now a little easier for me. The nurse today noticed they were set too low for me (making me hunch over) and moved them up. They're a bit easier to use now.
Aw, {{Morgail}}. It will get better. I did my share of crying over my broken ankle, too. This isn't the last time you'll be upset, but this too shall pass. I tried the cart in my first PT, when I was in the hospital, and didn't like it, but I do know other people who really liked it a lot. I used a walker instead of crutches because I felt more stable and I could hang a bag on it and carry things around that way. Hang in there.