Tib Fib Break

[Tarlo Farm]

It's been eight weeks since I broke my leg. I am hobbling around with a cane, occasionally feeling pretty good, occasionally in huge pain that actually feels like what I remember of shin splints. (Which is kind of odd because the plate on the tibia is on the other side of the bone and lower.) Then ten minutes later I'll be hobbling pretty well. Naproxin and aspirin take the edge off but I don't want to take them every day. Just got back on the couch after holding three horses for the farrier (Horse stuff - YAY!) with an ice pack on the leg.
Getting pretty darned tired of this routine. Someone tell me everything is going well, and by May I'll be back to near normal. I see the Doc Wednesday.

[Rhianon]

Everything is going well, and by May you'll be back to near normal.

Healing broken bones is exhausting to the body and the soul. Hang in there!

[Moutaineer]

True that. Healing major injuries knocks the stuffing out of you. I remember complaining to my doctor that my brain was putty--and (not complaining) that I'd lost a lot of weight, and her asking me what I expected--my body was far too busy using all those calories rebuilding my leg to make brain cells and store fat. Seemed reasonable to me.

Also I had lots of weird pains and odd numbness which was all put down to nerve regeneration.

But my doctor's timeline for near normal enough to get back to life as I knew it was pretty accurate. Physically, at any rate. For me, mentally was quite a bit harder, and I still have some vestigial problems that I'm only really just understanding. But, as your round bale feeder didn't deliberately and violently attack you, you should be good to go on that

[fergusnc]

Girl, you are one tough chick...you will be fine, better than fine! I bet it's just incredibly frustrating being still long enough to heal...I don't get the sense that you so "still" very well!

[heddylamar]

Bones take forever to heal. Eight weeks may as well be a day in the process. It's nothing.

Store away the small breakthroughs (able to hold 3 horses for farrier; walked to the mailbox w/o pain, etc) to remind yourself that there is improvement during the down times.

Are you in physical therapy? I badly shattered my hand (made it into a pretzel!) last March, and the therapists' reassessments were great motivation. Every few weeks they'd measure my movement, and even half a degree better was a win. Eight months of PT later, except for the scaring on my palm, the layman wouldn't know my hand was badly injured.

[Tarlo Farm]

Aghhhhhh! Thank you all. No therapy yet, other than the doc telling me to flex my foot, especially my toes toward my shin. We'll see what he has to say Wednesday. Don't know, other than walking, what therapy might be fitting, since the ankle was only involved extemporaneously via the broken tib fib. Again, thank you. That helps. (and no Ferg, I'm not a good sitter )
Heddy, how did you shatter your hand?

[Mirabella]

Taking both aspirin and Naprosyn increases the risk of a GI bleed.

[Tarlo Farm]

Good to know. I don't take them the same day, or even on consecutive days.

[Suzon]

Took DH about a year to be completely back to normal after "lowering" the top of his tibia and having a plate put in. He was back to functioning long before that, but for him to quit noticing it was about a year. You're sounds more like clean breaks that didn't involve a joint, so I'm hopeful it won't take you nearly that long.

[heddylamar]

Heddy, how did you shatter your hand?

I fell while running a trail race. The whole tuck and roll thing doesn't do crap when you land on a tree root.

I didn't have a compound fracture, but completely severed (and splintered) the base of the proximal phalanx just above the joint with the sesamoid in my dominant hand pinky. The finger was curled up and over the top of my hand. It took several pins to put everything back together.

You'll be surprised by PT. It's a huge time commitment, but a good therapist who pushes you limits is invaluable.

[Jp1]

Arghh I feel your pain. I'm into week 3 on crutches after tripping down 2 steps. Twisted my left ankle and spiral fractured my right fibula. Fortunately the fracture stayed in place so no operation but I'm over it already and only 5-6 weeks to go
its exhausting

[Tarlo Farm]

Must be the season. I did start doing a little more stretching of the muscles around the ankle and calf; squats if you can call them that, toe stretches and rotations. I'm hoping to get a few therapy sessions. From this side of the injury, I can say be patient, and don't let things get tight. It's a buggar to loosen them up again.

[Jp1]

I'm in a moon boot which I have to take off once a day and do flexes so hopefully things don't get too tight. Im grateful I don't have a cast. It's been nearly 3 weeks with temps around the 30'c mark. I think a sweaty cast would have driven me crazy