Recovering, step by step

[Peterexpatkiwi]

There's always somebody posting about dropping out, or taking a break because they're injured, myself included. There seems to have been a few more than usual just lately, although perhaps that's just that I've got more time than usual to read them.
But I've noticed that whilst many of us post that we're looking for assistance or that we're dropping out for this that or the other reason, few of us actually ever then post an "I'm all better" update. Let alone the stages we've taken to get there.

I've had a few PM's lately to ask how I'm doing (which I very much appreciate I might add). So, partly for those of you that have been kind enough to ask, and partly because, let's face it, I'm kinda bored :

Milestones to recovery

4/4/24: Accident - broken ankle, operation.

8/4/24 : finally out of hospital and home - yay! Which involved a 300 plus kilometre taxi trip- fortunately paid for by my insurance company. I slept most of the way. Stopped taking the painkillers because all they were making me do was sleep more. Kept taking the extra strength 'vitamin I' I might add!

10/4/24 : first doctors visit and 750 meter walk to organise a specialist. Took me 45 minutes and damn near killed me. Well all right not literally but I have very little upper body strength, so it took my arm and shoulder muscles four days to recover from that walk. Ouch !

13/4/24: my first visitors! Boredom is an absolute killer, I think I talked the ears off my poor friends.
I love reading but as I typically read a book a day and it's not like I can visit the local library at present (not that they have many English books that I haven't already read), I'm limited to my bookshelves. Which by their very nature are filled with my favorites, all of which I have read multiple times. Plus, I'm normally an active person, six weeks or so of doing no physical activity is not going to be easy..

18/4/24: stitches out, yay! Still have to wear a dressing on the wound for three more days... Humbug. (Still not allowed to shower)

21/4/24: first shower woohoo!!!! Aside from going trekking I think that's the longest I've ever been showerless in my life. And even then I always got to swim somewhere. AND, I'm now allowed to rest my foot on the ground when stationery. With a maximum of 10% of my weight. I asked my specialist what am I supposed to do, carry a scale around with me? He responded with 'you're a hiker you should know what 10% of your body weight feels like'. There's always a joker......

7/5/24: I'm now allowed to start walking again!!!!! . With my crutches of course. After 4 weeks of suspending my foot in the air at all times, it takes a real conscious effort to put it down. It's still very swollen so super sensitive. (I'm going to have to get it drained. Bugger).

13/5/24: I walked my first kilometre!!!!
AND, I'm now allowed to start physio. First sessions are booked for in a couple of weeks ( I've got to get the lymph drainage done first).
And if that wasn't enough I've found that I can now hobble around my apartment with just one crutch. Well, part of the time - it gets tiring pretty quickly.

17/5/24: I've finally been able to take the garden chair out of the shower and stand alone. Still have to be extremely careful and washing my feet without the chair is completely out but it feels like a major achievement. It will also please my son no end! A morning person he is not and as I leave the chair in the shower to dry he then has to remove it before showering. He's walked straight into it on two or three occasions.... . Teenagers

Well that's me up to date. As there are several more of us on the forum who are currently in a similar type of predicament - @davebugg , @Valleygirlhikes for example - I hope that some of you will add your own experiences to the thread.

If you have read this far you must have been as bored as I was to start it in the first place

 

[davejsy]

Wishing your recovery continues to proceed at such a great rate @Peterexpatkiwi. It is of course all about these little milestones and above all humility towards ones self.

 

[Dani7]

You are a very kind to give us this detailed update. Like you, I often wonder how those who post injury or illness fare. Appreciate your post and your humour despite this serious setback. Big to you fellow pilgrim.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Hi Peter,
I think sharing the update on your broken ankle and stages of recovery is a great idea and hope you notice more good results in the weeks to come!

I am up early with jet lag, and my routine is to always take a look at the forum with my morning coffee to see what came in overnight while I slept.

This is my "almost better" post. My broken shoulder and recovery process exactly a year go from falling at Chamartin train station while running with my backpack, was a slow process. It felt so weird in the shower to finally let my arm hang down after six weeks being immobilized, as if it was being pulled out of the socket. I couldn't wait to put it back in its cocoon sling where it felt safe. I was unable to dress myself for quite awhile, but being faithful with my Physical Therapy finally helped my ROM and got me on the road to recovery.

 

[Barbara]

Good to hear of steady improvement for all the wounded warriors. For those who like to read, I would suggest an e-reader for instant new books! Maybe on a gooseneck stand fixed to your favourite chair, with a page turner clipped to the reader. And possibly a cat on your lap for warmth and comforting purr

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Good to hear of steady improvement for all the wounded warriors. For those who like to read, I would suggest an e-reader for instant new books! Maybe on a gooseneck stand fixed to your favourite chair, with a page turner clipped to the reader. And possibly a cat on your lap for warmth and comforting purr

Unfortunately I can't read screens for more than an hour or two , it just doesn't work for me. Plus I love the actual feel of a book in my hands. Not quite as good as a cat though.... .

 

[lovingkindness]

Thanks for letting us know.
Cheers

 

[unadara]

I love reading but as I typically read a book a day and it's not like I can visit the local library at present (not that they have many English books that I haven't already read),

Hi Peter
I hope your full recovery is quick.
Thanks for all your posts recently as they've been a great help to me. Finally another person who can read a book a day! This camino I was too tired to read my Kindle, it is not as bad as a screen but! I resorted to Audio and could not believe how well it worked for me. I started with some light BBC dramas and went on to some shorter Novels etc. The key is the Narrator. I hope you get back to your library soon.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Yes, friends of mine swear by audiobooks and I do enjoy them occasionally, but often struggle with the very slow pace. I think you're right, the narrator is key.

 

[Saranger]

You’re well on your way and making excellent progress. What a good feeling. I thank you for the update. Buena suerte!

 

[C clearly]

Thanks for your update, and I wish you a fast recovery. Now that you are past the most inactive period, it should be less frustrating. My current "injury" is boring - the ball of my foot feels bruised when I walk on it. Nothing dramatic, but it sure takes the shine off a nice long walk. I have made an appointment with a new podiatrist, in a few weeks. My previous podiatrist is in a more convenient location, but I always come away from a visit feeling that I have learned nothing, and that he has not shown much interest in my feet.

Unfortunately I can't read screens for more than an hour or two , it just doesn't work for me. Plus I love the actual feel of a book in my hands. Not quite as good as a cat though.... .

We've had this discussion before, but maybe if you got some bone conduction headphones, hold a hefty tome in your hands and close your eyes, you could overcome your aversion to audiobooks! But I agree, it is important to find the right narrator and topic.

If you like Graham Greene, there are some excellent audio versions of, for example, Monsignor Quixote and Our Man in Havana. Check on audible.com. Try one! Monsignor Quixote will give you a bit of Camino atmosphere.

 

[bullingtonce]

There's always somebody posting about dropping out, or taking a break because they're injured, myself included. There seems to have been a few more than usual just lately, although perhaps that's just that I've got more time than usual to read them.
But I've noticed that whilst many of us post that we're looking for assistance or that we're dropping out for this that or the other reason, few of us actually ever then post an "I'm all better" update. Let alone the stages we've taken to get there.

I've had a few PM's lately to ask how I'm doing (which I very much appreciate I might add). So, partly for those of you that have been kind enough to ask, and partly because, let's face it, I'm kinda bored :

Milestones to recovery

4/4/24: Accident - broken ankle, operation.

8/4/24 : finally out of hospital and home - yay! Which involved a 300 plus kilometre taxi trip- fortunately paid for by my insurance company. I slept most of the way. Stopped taking the painkillers because all they were making me do was sleep more. Kept taking the extra strength 'vitamin I' I might add!

10/4/24 : first doctors visit and 750 meter walk to organise a specialist. Took me 45 minutes and damn near killed me. Well all right not literally but I have very little upper body strength, so it took my arm and shoulder muscles four days to recover from that walk. Ouch !

13/4/24: my first visitors! Boredom is an absolute killer, I think I talked the ears off my poor friends.
I love reading but as I typically read a book a day and it's not like I can visit the local library at present (not that they have many English books that I haven't already read), I'm limited to my bookshelves. Which by their very nature are filled with my favorites, all of which I have read multiple times. Plus, I'm normally an active person, six weeks or so of doing no physical activity is not going to be easy..

18/4/24: stitches out, yay! Still have to wear a dressing on the wound for three more days... Humbug. (Still not allowed to shower)

21/4/24: first shower woohoo!!!! Aside from going trekking I think that's the longest I've ever been showerless in my life. And even then I always got to swim somewhere. AND, I'm now allowed to rest my foot on the ground when stationery. With a maximum of 10% of my weight. I asked my specialist what am I supposed to do, carry a scale around with me? He responded with 'you're a hiker you should know what 10% of your body weight feels like'. There's always a joker......

7/5/24: I'm now allowed to start walking again!!!!! . With my crutches of course. After 4 weeks of suspending my foot in the air at all times, it takes a real conscious effort to put it down. It's still very swollen so super sensitive. (I'm going to have to get it drained. Bugger).

13/5/24: I walked my first kilometre!!!!
AND, I'm now allowed to start physio. First sessions are booked for in a couple of weeks ( I've got to get the lymph drainage done first).
And if that wasn't enough I've found that I can now hobble around my apartment with just one crutch. Well, part of the time - it gets tiring pretty quickly.

17/5/24: I've finally been able to take the garden chair out of the shower and stand alone. Still have to be extremely careful and washing my feet without the chair is completely out but it feels like a major achievement. It will also please my son no end! A morning person he is not and as I leave the chair in the shower to dry he then has to remove it before showering. He's walked straight into it on two or three occasions.... . Teenagers

Well that's me up to date. As there are several more of us on the forum who are currently in a similar type of predicament - @davebugg , @Valleygirlhikes for example - I hope that some of you will add your own experiences to the thread.

If you have read this far you must have been as bored as I was to start it in the first place

You are to be admired for well you coped with all of these challenges, may I do as well when I am confronted with such a task. So, I have now found another crazy dude who re-reads certain books. Cool. All the best for your future endeavors; hope no long last effect from this ailment. Chuck

 

[trecile]

Happy to hear that you are recovering so well!

 

[Jensjaunt]

There's always somebody posting about dropping out, or taking a break because they're injured, myself included. There seems to have been a few more than usual just lately, although perhaps that's just that I've got more time than usual to read them.
But I've noticed that whilst many of us post that we're looking for assistance or that we're dropping out for this that or the other reason, few of us actually ever then post an "I'm all better" update. Let alone the stages we've taken to get there.

I've had a few PM's lately to ask how I'm doing (which I very much appreciate I might add). So, partly for those of you that have been kind enough to ask, and partly because, let's face it, I'm kinda bored :

Milestones to recovery

4/4/24: Accident - broken ankle, operation.

8/4/24 : finally out of hospital and home - yay! Which involved a 300 plus kilometre taxi trip- fortunately paid for by my insurance company. I slept most of the way. Stopped taking the painkillers because all they were making me do was sleep more. Kept taking the extra strength 'vitamin I' I might add!

10/4/24 : first doctors visit and 750 meter walk to organise a specialist. Took me 45 minutes and damn near killed me. Well all right not literally but I have very little upper body strength, so it took my arm and shoulder muscles four days to recover from that walk. Ouch !

13/4/24: my first visitors! Boredom is an absolute killer, I think I talked the ears off my poor friends.
I love reading but as I typically read a book a day and it's not like I can visit the local library at present (not that they have many English books that I haven't already read), I'm limited to my bookshelves. Which by their very nature are filled with my favorites, all of which I have read multiple times. Plus, I'm normally an active person, six weeks or so of doing no physical activity is not going to be easy..

18/4/24: stitches out, yay! Still have to wear a dressing on the wound for three more days... Humbug. (Still not allowed to shower)

21/4/24: first shower woohoo!!!! Aside from going trekking I think that's the longest I've ever been showerless in my life. And even then I always got to swim somewhere. AND, I'm now allowed to rest my foot on the ground when stationery. With a maximum of 10% of my weight. I asked my specialist what am I supposed to do, carry a scale around with me? He responded with 'you're a hiker you should know what 10% of your body weight feels like'. There's always a joker......

7/5/24: I'm now allowed to start walking again!!!!! . With my crutches of course. After 4 weeks of suspending my foot in the air at all times, it takes a real conscious effort to put it down. It's still very swollen so super sensitive. (I'm going to have to get it drained. Bugger).

13/5/24: I walked my first kilometre!!!!
AND, I'm now allowed to start physio. First sessions are booked for in a couple of weeks ( I've got to get the lymph drainage done first).
And if that wasn't enough I've found that I can now hobble around my apartment with just one crutch. Well, part of the time - it gets tiring pretty quickly.

17/5/24: I've finally been able to take the garden chair out of the shower and stand alone. Still have to be extremely careful and washing my feet without the chair is completely out but it feels like a major achievement. It will also please my son no end! A morning person he is not and as I leave the chair in the shower to dry he then has to remove it before showering. He's walked straight into it on two or three occasions.... . Teenagers

Well that's me up to date. As there are several more of us on the forum who are currently in a similar type of predicament - @davebugg , @Valleygirlhikes for example - I hope that some of you will add your own experiences to the thread.

If you have read this far you must have been as bored as I was to start it in the first place

So sorry to hear that you had to recover - but glad to hear you are. Thanks for sharing - it serves as a useful reminder to those of us who still think we are invincible ( or 35 yrs old!) Having had a hip replacement I know what it’s like to be immobile for a few months! If you are like me post treatments - you become so thankful for what ever mobility you have! Wishing a continued speedy recovery!

 

[filly]

So pleased it is mending properly.

Thank you for sharing!

All best.

 

[Shells]

There's always somebody posting about dropping out, or taking a break because they're injured, myself included. There seems to have been a few more than usual just lately, although perhaps that's just that I've got more time than usual to read them.
But I've noticed that whilst many of us post that we're looking for assistance or that we're dropping out for this that or the other reason, few of us actually ever then post an "I'm all better" update. Let alone the stages we've taken to get there.

I've had a few PM's lately to ask how I'm doing (which I very much appreciate I might add). So, partly for those of you that have been kind enough to ask, and partly because, let's face it, I'm kinda bored :

Milestones to recovery

4/4/24: Accident - broken ankle, operation.

8/4/24 : finally out of hospital and home - yay! Which involved a 300 plus kilometre taxi trip- fortunately paid for by my insurance company. I slept most of the way. Stopped taking the painkillers because all they were making me do was sleep more. Kept taking the extra strength 'vitamin I' I might add!

10/4/24 : first doctors visit and 750 meter walk to organise a specialist. Took me 45 minutes and damn near killed me. Well all right not literally but I have very little upper body strength, so it took my arm and shoulder muscles four days to recover from that walk. Ouch !

13/4/24: my first visitors! Boredom is an absolute killer, I think I talked the ears off my poor friends.
I love reading but as I typically read a book a day and it's not like I can visit the local library at present (not that they have many English books that I haven't already read), I'm limited to my bookshelves. Which by their very nature are filled with my favorites, all of which I have read multiple times. Plus, I'm normally an active person, six weeks or so of doing no physical activity is not going to be easy..

18/4/24: stitches out, yay! Still have to wear a dressing on the wound for three more days... Humbug. (Still not allowed to shower)

21/4/24: first shower woohoo!!!! Aside from going trekking I think that's the longest I've ever been showerless in my life. And even then I always got to swim somewhere. AND, I'm now allowed to rest my foot on the ground when stationery. With a maximum of 10% of my weight. I asked my specialist what am I supposed to do, carry a scale around with me? He responded with 'you're a hiker you should know what 10% of your body weight feels like'. There's always a joker......

7/5/24: I'm now allowed to start walking again!!!!! . With my crutches of course. After 4 weeks of suspending my foot in the air at all times, it takes a real conscious effort to put it down. It's still very swollen so super sensitive. (I'm going to have to get it drained. Bugger).

13/5/24: I walked my first kilometre!!!!
AND, I'm now allowed to start physio. First sessions are booked for in a couple of weeks ( I've got to get the lymph drainage done first).
And if that wasn't enough I've found that I can now hobble around my apartment with just one crutch. Well, part of the time - it gets tiring pretty quickly.

17/5/24: I've finally been able to take the garden chair out of the shower and stand alone. Still have to be extremely careful and washing my feet without the chair is completely out but it feels like a major achievement. It will also please my son no end! A morning person he is not and as I leave the chair in the shower to dry he then has to remove it before showering. He's walked straight into it on two or three occasions.... . Teenagers

Well that's me up to date. As there are several more of us on the forum who are currently in a similar type of predicament - @davebugg , @Valleygirlhikes for example - I hope that some of you will add your own experiences to the thread.

If you have read this far you must have been as bored as I was to start it in the first place

Hi Peter—I’ve just reread your recovery post and have a couple of questions for you…

I am now 6 weeks post surgery and all is going well. Two weeks ago, the surgeon told me I could put my full weight on the foot (which I think I wrote you about). I was euphoric, a state which quickly dissipated the following day, when my physical therapist disagreed. He said that the surgeon had only been referring to the strength of the broken bones, but not to the soft tissues in my ankle. He only approved 30 percent weight bearing and relegated me to using a walker. He said that after a week, I could progress to about 75 percent weight bearing, and then, after another week, up to full. I’m finally officially approved for full weight bearing by both parties. My PT wants me to continue to take it slowly, only going into shoes for about 20 minutes at a time, before putting my support boot back on. This will continue for another week.

So, I have a question for you: now that I’m spending time walking in regular shoes, I’ve noticed how stiff my ankle is, resulting in an uneven gait, and also, I continue to favor my good foot, which wreaks havoc with posture and hurts my lower back…did you experience these things? If so, how did you correct your gait? How long did it take? How did you continue to keep the swelling down? (My swelling increases every time I am on the foot for very long, which I’m assured is normal, but how long did this stage continue for you and what did you do about it?

Thanks for your thoughts, Peter. Your progress has been so inspirational to me! Cheers and all the best!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I will chime in although my break was two complete fractures in the upper humerus bone in my shoulder. I didn't need surgery but had a sling for nearly two months and afterward four months of PT twice a week. It took me nearly a year for total ROM in my arm. It still is not quite perfect a year and a half later.
That said, you need to have more patience and realize that a broken ankle that included surgery will take quite a bit of time for full healing. Both my father and sister had broken ankles with a metal plate and screws and eventually had normal walking gaits in time.
It's great to hear you are now walking without assistance, even though you worry your recovery seems be going slow for now.

 

[Albertagirl]

Well I'm not injured, just half blind and waiting interminably for eye surgery. My first and worse eye (the left) will be done this afternoon. Wish me luck. I am really getting tired of not being able to see properly.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I have a question for you: now that I’m spending time walking in regular shoes, I’ve noticed how stiff my ankle is, resulting in an uneven gait, and also, I continue to favor my good foot, which wreaks havoc with posture and hurts my lower back…did you experience these things? If so, how did you correct your gait? How long did it take? How did you continue to keep the swelling down? (My swelling increases every time I am on the foot for very long, which I’m assured is normal, but how long did this stage continue for you and what did you do about it?

Okay, first and foremost: listen to your PT!!

And as Chrissy says recovery takes time. From the beginning my surgeon told me it would take a minimum of six months but more likely closer to 12 before I was fully recovered. 8 months in, and he's clearly right. It will vary for all of us, so there is no fixed schedule - there are so many factors as I'm sure you are aware.

Some we have already covered privately, but for everyone else, here's both answers to your questions and a rough update:

At six weeks I was still not able to wear normal shoes - my foot was too swollen. I think I wore a river shoe on my damaged foot for at least eight weeks. And when I said that I went for a walk - that was with crutches. I did not go out without crutches for around 12 weeks, although I did 'walk' around the apartment without them after about eight weeks. Standing without support is one thing - walking is a whole different ball game. (I did not have a boot either, my foot was only ever bandaged).

Having crutches enabled me to walk with a slightly more normal gait. I never suffered from back issues - although my shoulders took a beating (from partially supporting my weight).
I doubt I put full weight on my ankle at all whilst walking, only ever whilst standing still - and that only for short periods. My ankle remained stiff for many months. No matter how good it felt when I went to bed each night, it was only about a month ago (seven months in) that I could get up in the morning without one heck of an ache. Stretching and movement relieved that pretty quickly most days, occasionally I had to resort to vitamin I.
I doubt that I spent more than half a day off the couch for the first four months. I did tell you that I was bored.....

As we've discussed privately I had a chair in the middle of the kitchen floor so I could easily grab it, anytime I was cooking etc I would kneel on it with my dodgy Leg. I must have done that for the first eight weeks I think. My PT was very strong on the 'take it easy' mantra.

My physio gave me various exercises and stretches to do, these eventually improved my mobility and gait - because I too favored my injured foot for many months. I suspect that's fairly normal!

As to the swelling it was probably at around the four month mark that I stopped having to elevate and ice it every day. (Sometimes multiple times a day).
Oh and I frequently took ibuprofen or diclofenac as well for the swelling - especially at the beginning.

Even today, whilst I no longer ice it, I still elevate it after a particularly hard day.

Every new type of movement shows me that it's still not yet 100%.
You may recall that about two weeks ago I told you I was going bowling for the first time in many moons. Definitely a different set of movements, my ankle hurt like stink the next day! Elevation, an ibuprofen followed by light exercise an hour or so later saw me in a much better situation.
A couple of hours gardening a month or two ago had me in a similar state.

Walking is no longer an issue for me, although I'm not yet quite up to my normal mileage. (5 - 10 km daily is absolutely fine, 20 is only possible once or twice a week). That said my ankle is still rather weak, it needs more mobility strengthening. More exercises....

As I have already said to you I think you're doing exceptionally well, just don't push yourself. It's going to take time. And any concerns like those you have raised - as nice is it might be to hear about it from somebody else's perspective, really, truly: you need to discuss this with your PT.

Anything further you're welcome to phone me on WhatsApp, you have my number.

Peter

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Well I'm not injured, just half blind and waiting interminably for eye surgery. My first and worse eye (the left) will be done this afternoon. Wish me luck. I am really getting tired of not being able to see properly.

Eyesight is so precious, I hope your surgery goes exceptionally well and that you have a rapid recovery.

 

[Shells]

Thanks, Peter--I appreciate your response and continue to wish you a full and speedy recovery. I have discussed my concerns and am listening to my PT, since I respect him a great deal. I guess I was hoping for exactly what you told me: an idea, based on your personal experience, on how long it was before you were able to walk fairly normally.

 

[Shells]

Eyesight is so precious, I hope your surgery goes exceptionally well and that you have a rapid recovery.

All the best, Albertagirl! Best wishes for a successful surgery and good recovery.

 

[Shells]

I will chime in although my break was two complete fractures in the upper humerus bone in my shoulder. I didn't need surgery but had a sling for nearly two months and afterward four months of PT twice a week. It took me nearly a year for total ROM in my arm. It still is not quite perfect a year and a half later.
That said, you need to have more patience and realize that a broken ankle that included surgery will take quite a bit of time for full healing. Both my father and sister had broken ankles with a metal plate and screws and eventually had normal walking gaits in time.
It's great to hear you are now walking without assistance, even though you worry your recovery seems be going slow for now.

Thanks Camino Chrissy. It sounds like you have had a long haul. This is my first truly serious injury or illness, so all this is new ground for me. . .

 

[CWBuff]

if you have read this far you must have been as bored as I was to start it in the first place

well... not to be bored I can make jokes (I mean you are already better and past all that, so...)

4/4/24: Accident - broken ankle, operation.

8/4/24 : finally out of hospital and home - yay!

DANG - cannot believe it took you 4 months to get out from the hospital