SQ had ankle surgery: daily tasks are a major challenge

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Thanks!
Still unable to walk and struggling with daily tasks, pain and exhaustion.

Since Drs don't seem to believe that I could have been walking on a broken ankle, I have a bone density test and a CT scan of my head scheduled for later this month to try to find out why my ankle broke.
 
Yikes. how do they measure bone density anyway?
Maybe explain to them how rats have an incredible tolerance for pain, and given your long term, close proximity to them, you've clearly developed some of their traits, such as the ability to walk on a broken ankle...
 
temblabamomo said:
Yikes. how do they measure bone density anyway?
Maybe explain to them how rats have an incredible tolerance for pain, and given your long term, close proximity to them, you've clearly developed some of their traits, such as the ability to walk on a broken ankle...
Click to expand...

LOL !!!
My doctor is aware that pain in my ankles, legs and feet are not unusual for me having experienced occasional pain in those areas all of my life. And I do have a high tolerance for physical pain ....
Guess I do have a lot in common with the ratties LOL

No idea how they measure bone density but my imagination is working overtime ... I'll let you know in a couple of weeks
 
dspch911 said:
:cop: How are you feeling these days? Hope all is well and the ratties are doing well too......
Click to expand...

pain, exhaustion, and extreme frustration at the limitations but continuing to heal ... more xrays of my ankle scheduled for later this week
Walking on my ankle although I am not supposed to (and it causes great pain) because I need to provide the ratties with at least minimal care.

Thanks for asking

:hugs:
 
The bone density test is easy. You lie on your back and a machine hung from the ceiling moves over your body but not touching you. Good luck with all your tests.
 
SQ said:
Thanks!
Still unable to walk and struggling with daily tasks, pain and exhaustion.

Since Drs don't seem to believe that I could have been walking on a broken ankle, I have a bone density test and a CT scan of my head scheduled for later this month to try to find out why my ankle broke.
Click to expand...


please don't be offended, but I read this post too fast and my first thought was that they decided you needed to have your head examined because who would walk on a broken ankle?!?! :laugh4:

yes the bone density test is super easy, you just lay down and let the machine scan you or whatever it does.
I don't really understand why they want a CT scan of your head though, what are they looking for?
damn you've been thru so much already.
:hugs:
 
Thanks, good to know ... I was imagining needles and bore holes ... LOL

Petunia said:
I don't really understand why they want a CT scan of your head though, what are they looking for?
damn you've been thru so much already.
:hugs:
Click to expand...

They want to see if I had a seizure ... something to explain how and why I could have possibly fallen and broken my ankle because it couldn't have been caused by the accident
 
My cast was removed today but not quite what I had anticipated.

Without the protection and support of the cast, my ankle is extremely painful.
I may need to go back on the morphine and I think it is going to be awhile before I am going to be able to do as much as I have been doing :(
I don't remember screaming in pain from my ankle until I tried to walk on my foot after the cast came off today
I start physio for my ankle at the hospital next week

oh, here is one view of my ankle ... you can only see one of the two metal plates.
I was told that I have a metal plate on both sides of my ankle, and metal bolts and pins.

 
I'd go right back and tell them they took the cast off too soon- you should NOT be screaming in pain.

I had a broken tibia & fibula when I was young (18) and a plate to hold the tibia together.
went from a full length cast to a walking cast over a period of er, 7-8 mos

they took off one of the walking casts and I was young and stupid and wanted to be done with it all and refused to let them put on another one...
but quickly changed my mind because I was screaming in pain as well.

That's nuts, I really think if you could I'd ask for a second opinion...you should not be in that much pain

I am so sorry you are going thru all this. :hugs:
 
Thanks Petunia.
Thanks for adding perspective and normalizing my experience.
I'm glad it isn't just me ... I do normally have a high tolerance for pain so I wasn't expecting this .....
They said that the pain would increase a bit after the cast came off but acted like it would be no big deal.

I have physiotherapy for my neck, back and shoulders tomorrow and I will ask about my ankle.
No doctors in their offices tomorrow but if it continues to be a problem, I will make some phone calls early Monday morning. Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since the surgery and I was given the impression that 6 weeks is when casts are usually removed.
I am wearing a pressure elastic type tube sock that goes over my foot and up as far as my knee to help control the swelling ... but it isn't enough support ....

Edit: the xray looks like all the metal bits are in my tibia & fibula
 
They probably should of at least put you in a cam walker http://www.3tailer.com/media/catalog/pr ... 88502L.JPG I fell down our stairs January of 2012 and breaking my ankle would of been better than what I did to it (it still isn't right and never will be) but I lived in one of these for about 4 months (maybe more) - without it I never would of been able to walk. My poor orthopedic could not believe the damage I did and it certainly looked broken actually they both did, but the right got the worst of it.

As for walking on a broken ankle - I broke (same darn ankle) in high school and walked on it for a week. Hurt like hell, but ER doctor said it wasn't broken and crutches are a P.I.T.A to use. Finally went to orthopedic and ended up in a cast for 5 weeks because of course, it was broken... duh, I knew that!!

Now, about a month after my fall down the stairs my mother-in-law to be went to the doctor because her ankle was bothering her and found out it was broken. She still has no idea how it happened. They wanted to go in and plate/screw it, but she's a chicken so they just casted it and so far so good. So NO, its not in your head - fractures can just happen....

Hope you feel better soon... perhaps you should get a second opinion. :cuddle:
 
Hi,

Thought I would give an update ...
I have returned to the course I was in but miss a lot of time for drs appointments etc.
I am walking with one or two crutches, and in quite a bit of pain most of the time which seems to mean that I am trying to do too much.
I'll be talking to the physiotherapist about this on Thursday as the pain has been getting worse not better .... and the doctor has not given me any more appointments since my cast was taken off.
I am now in physiotherapy once a week at the hospital for my ankle and have about an hour or more of exercises I am supposed to do daily.
I am told that things are progressing normally
 
Having never broken a bone (except maybe my nose!), I don't know what would be considered normal, but my impression is that if things are healing normally then the pain should be decreasing. Perhaps there is an issue with the plate? How long has it been since your surgery?
 
I think as we age our healing slows down. I sure hope you start to feel better. That can't be right if you are feeling more pain and not less.
 

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