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.

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.

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...)

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jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
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(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

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

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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.

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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...

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

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OMG . 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.

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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?

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

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.

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!

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August 22, back on the ice!

I know exactly how you feel Morgail.

*HUGS*

is all I can really say.

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

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

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Oh, poor you. Heal fast, please!

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Well that just sucks!

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

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

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

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!

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!

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.

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

Thank you How far are you in your recovery?

That's a great idea! I'll ask my doctor about that. I imagine it would be useful for taking a bath too

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.

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

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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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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August 22, back on the ice!

awwww, that sucks! I hope it heals fast.

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Level one Field Moves......PASSED 05.06.08
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GOALS FOR 2009

• Level One Compulsary dances.......PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Elements.....................PASSED 10.07.09
• Level Two Free dance.................PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Free...........................
• Level Two compulsory dances.......

Loving it, Loving it, Loving it!!!!!

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. 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. 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 seemed to help me too.

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