Update – ORIF and Broken Ankle

Time Line to Date:
Nov 14:  Fell, broke ankle.  ER visit. AirCast on.
Nov 19:  Followup.  Family Doctor. Continue AirCast and conservative management.
Nov 21:  Ultrasound.  Made sure no DVT at the time.
Dec 3: X-rays.
Dec 5:  Family Doctor.  Referral for Ortho consult.
Dec 6:  Ortho.  Stability x-rays.  Put on surgical list as “walking wounded”.
Dec 13:  Surgery.  7 screws.  1 plate.  1 plaster cast.  Non-weightbearing.  More x-rays.
Dec 19:  Surgery followup.  Wound check.  Fiberglass cast.  Non-weightbearing.
Jan 2:  Surgery followup.  Wound check.  X-rays.  Back in AirCast.  Can now progress to weightbearing and physio, slowly.

And here I sit.  Doing weightbearing slowly (toe-touch to begin with).  First physio appointment on Tuesday.  Taking this one day at a time, slowly trying to heal.  Haven’t been on pain meds since last weekend.  Trying so hard not to do more than I am supposed to.  Keep the healing going the right way.  Not re-injure.  Three more weeks and I could be (almost) back to normal.

Major benefit of this most recent appointment – I can now FULLY shower.  No more one leg out of the tub and washing the best as possible, but fully able to wash (albeit while sitting down for another week or so).

Progress.  Everyday a little bit closer.

Lets keep it going….

Ciao!

Ankle Update

Well, surgeon follow up today.

Image from surgery – Dec 13.  Showing the screws and plates are in the right position.

Today the plaster cast was removed, and a fiberglass cast put on – to keep me nonweightbearing.

All looks good, wound healing properly.

Next appointment in the new year – then need to go into the Aircast and remain nonweightbearing.  The joys.  At least it is healing though.  My son LOVES that he got to see the imaging though 🙂

P.S.  The floating screw is holding the bone pieces together – so that they could affix the plate and screws successfully without pieces moving around during surgery.

Ciao!

Surgery Day!!

Today is the day. Surgery booked for my ankle. 

Wish my luck.  4 breaks.  Need plates and screws.  Should be home tonight!!

History:
On November 14th, I feel in my garage – trying to take my dog out.  A complete accident.  Resulted in 4 breaks, one being displaced.  Immediate visit to the local emerg room, x-rays, air cast and such.

Twenty-two days later, finally met with an Ortho team, and they took more x-rays (for the 3rd set, had also had an ultrasound earlier) and confirmed it needed ORIF surgery (open reduction internal fixation).  

I will be in a cast for a while afterwards, and a long long recovery, but the goal is to be pain free – something I haven’t been since the fall.  Slowly, with time, it will heal.  Today is the first major step in this recovery.  

Talk later – happy reading!!