Fractured Tibia and Fibula (Broken Lower Leg Bones) with Fixation Surgery (Part 2) (numb, emergency)

[concerned momma]

My 5 year old broke his tibia bone and is in a cast. He will not put the leg down to try the crutches at all! How can I get him out of the wheelchair and using crutches? I need to get back to work!

[Madrid12]

Hello all , I am very new to this. I broke my tibia and finial last Thursday night playing soccer, after fighting with my insurance I finally got surgery this past Tuesday, it's Friday now and it's my first day back home. Unfortunately I don't have too much information about my surgery as my surgeon didn't follow p with after surgery and says he won't see me until 2 weeks from now. As I understand it I have 3 screws and a plate. I did not get a cast, I have a big heavy walking boot. I finally got on the phone with my surgeons assistant last night and he told me I was supposed to wear boot at all times, sleep, laying down didn't matter, told me absolutely no weight barring. The cast alone feels like it weighs a good 6 pounds and that feels like a whole lot. Upon release of the hospital the nurse said I could take he brace of to sleep. Its my first night and I'm scared to do so but it seems impossible to sleep with it. Basically I am hoping for tips on how to move forward here. My surgeon has been horrible, no communication, no indications as to how I'm supposed to handle this and this being my first time it is of course frightening.

First I'd like to know if I should be okay sleeping with out he boot. Walking around in it hurts, it's heavy so the weight of it alone feels to add pressure.

I also need to know if I should be taking any supplements, eating specific foods and avoiding others.

All I have under the brace is a bandage wrap. Is ths normal?

Currently im trying to sleep with the brace over a thin pillow but it's pretty uncomfortable. Any tips on better sleeping positions ?


Are there any exercises I can start now to help with my recovery?

Again, because I got no info from my ortho I don't know how to deal everyday things like showering.
Also when I stand on crutches as the blood rushes down I get some considerable pain which begs the question, is it healthy to stand? How can I stand for with out comprising surgery? Can I to the movies for example? How long can I have my foot down on the ground or? What are other precautions to take?

They got me on Vicodin which I'm scared of because of all the negative things I've heard so I've only taken half every few hours as opposed ton1 every 4 hours prescribed.

Can I lay on my stomach safely,? So tired f being on my back.


If there is anything else at all please share. I will read through as many of your old poss to gather info. So far the ones I've read seem to be from people a few months in to the process, because my surgeon hasn't communicated at all with me I feel a but scared with all the uncertainty.


Hope to hear from you all soon.

Steve

[srth]

Hey Steve,

I have a few comments for you ( I broke both my tib and fib 3 weeks ago)

1) Go to the hospital and get a CD of all of your Xrays. Shouldn't cost anything. Try to find another surgeon, doctor, or really qualified nurse as soon as you can if your insurance will permit. However, keep in mind that after the kind of surgery you just had the doctors are wary about telling you exactly what will happen - they just don't really know. On that note, try to understand that you will go through some strange swelling, bruising, different colors in your leg...etc...know this is normal but also try to ask about what to look out for. Infection, numbness and a really great difference in temperature between legs are most important to be aware of. You want to notice if the hurt leg becomes really cold without ice as this would indicate a circulation problem....

2) In my opinion you are going to end up moving around a bit in order to find a reasonably comfortable position to sleep in. This shouldn't be a problem. Just ALWAYS try to be aware of your knee. People spend so much time worrying about the leg and fail to realize that its much easier to tear an ACL or Meniscus because of the heavy boot and/or lateral motions you may endure while sleeping. Just be aware of your knee. With that said, you should probably do some leg extensions for your quads because when the quads get weak that weakens your knee and you could damage it. 30 extensions X 3 sets X 3 times a day with no weight should be good for awhile. Only do this when your ready and always take you exercises really slow.

3) If you want a strange bone supplement that may not be anything more than a placebo then here you go: The great mender. They are Chinese tea pills and you can buy off of Amazon for 34 bucks; you get 3 bottles - enough for about a month. I take a supplement that has Calcium and Magnesium. Some say vitamin B is good for nerve damage. However, I wouldn't worry too much about the supplements. Bananas and oranges, and all the healthy food will obviously make you feel better and aid in recovery.

4) The blood in your leg hurting...I feel you on this one, it can be horrible in the middle of the night going to the bathroom and having you leg feel like needles are stabbing you as the blood rushes down. This will go away in about 2 weeks time. I would recommend giving your leg a soft massage to get the blood moving from time to time and don't let it hang down dormant for long periods of time..this will make it swell up real bad and it will take more time for the swelling to go away...just keep it elevated when you can and move it around when you have to have it down..

5) Don't worry about taking the Vicoden but only take it when you need it.


You'll be fine man, the first two weeks are the most frustrating exactly because of all the things you have described. Make sure you find a doctor or nurse who is knowledgeable and willing to answer questions...You just need to be aware of all of the things that are happening to your leg...don't overreact but just be conscious and ready to take action if pain gets considerably worse or other adverse symptoms occur. Find a family member, girlfriend or friend to rub the leg a bit from time to time (this helps!), stay positive and just know that you will get better soon....that's my 2 cents....Good luck and god bless!!


Rob

[Madrid12]

Rob.. Thanks man. Really appreciate you taking the time.

I've been dealing with the pain, haven't taken more Vicodin. The pain I feel is worse these past couple of days , not sure how normal this is. Spoke to an assistant at the doctors office and he told me I am to wear boot at all times, no exceptions. It's hard too, I find myself needing to remove it a couple of times a day just to let my air breath a bit. When out of the cast I rub my bone just above the bandaged area and it feels weird. Seems to be swollen and when I rub it, I feel a lessened sensation to my touch.. As if I was touching my skin with a nylon n between.

I've been doing extensions but no where near that many..will try that tomorrow. I have noticed more pain and discomfort coming from my knee. Obviously due to cast and lack of mobility.

You're right, the first days are the toughest, the pain is managable. The hard thing is the being confined to bed or a couch, the uncertainty of how things will turn out and the eagerness to ,ove forward.

I have an appoint,ent next week.. Will keep you posted.

[HellBent]

All,

I'm glad we have some communications and helping each other. Just read Rob's post from three weeks ago to now and see how fast you can learn and become smart!

It's all hard, no doubt, but there are a few things that are common.

First, circulation can be tough. There is healing going on and swelling is going to happen. Gravity will pull all the blood down and if circulation isn't up to par it will hurt. I about passed out the first couple times I tried to just get vertical. When you are able to use your foot again, the ankle pump motion helps move fluids. That's something to look forward to! :-)

Temperature. Rob nailed this one too. If spots are hotter than others and/or redness seek some help. I fought an infection for a couple of months and fortunately won out. But you cannot let it get the best of you. Watch for other discoloration or coldness. i never had this problem though I did have some significant circulation problems initially.

Sleep? Yeah, this can be hard, no doubt about it. I was up to 4 pillows at some points. I would sweat because I couldn't move, etc. etc. It's a challenge. No two ways about it. Each person, however, will find their own way. Your body WILL SLEEP if it needs it.

Individuality. Every one of us is different, as are our breaks. I'm sorry I don't have all the names, but:

Cross country runner: yes, short term this is hard, but you're young. You will get there and have a great story to tell about it! It will take time, but it can heal up and you can get running again. It's not a fast thing necessarily though. patience is a virtue!

Mom: I happen to understand this well. I'm not just a tib/fib survivor, but my daughter was born with a birth defect and had four external fixators... I know how it is from a parent point of view too. Aside from the fixators she had upwards of 30 casts over the years. They made her casts so they were 'patela supporting' or something like that. The cast and then the knee and above held her weight. So she walked just fine. However, how long until they trust that? again, see the individualism above. My daughter started her surgeries at 4, but started wearing braces at 18 months. I couldn't hardly hold her down. A week after getting a fixator she was 'running around' the ortho office with her walker.

Steve, and everyone. Ask questions. Lots of them. Include your primary case physician if you have one. Often times ortho surgeons are what they are because they like to fix stuff, but not necessarily educate. I've had both. I'm sure they are well meaning. But be sure you ask your questions. They often have a right hand man/woman who is really the person to talk with. Their nurse or PA. It's their job to answer your questions.

listen to them! They know what they are doing.

Though I wrote a bunch and have a bunch of experience, please please please don't listen to me over someone who knows your case. Just take this as another small piece of information that perhaps might trigger a more directed question to those that really know your break and your condition.

I'm an engineer by trade. I wish that it was a mechanical problem. Or a chemistry problem. or something that could be written out an solved like an equation, but it isn't.

Ask questions - learn to read your own xrays, etc. I used to take pictures of the xrays on the wall before they had the digital stuff.

Oh, a couple other items. use the pain meds if you need them. They are addictive and I even flirted with it at one point. it's scary easy to do. But, at the same time, living with pain can slow the healing. You need to find that balance and it's different for everyone.

Supplements? My doc suggested some, I took them. I don't know if it helped. While in the hospital they also 'prescribed' protein shakes twice a day. I forget the exact reason, but I believe it was something about how the protein broke down to the amino acids necessary for healing, etc. something along those lines, but I followed them dang it!

i also ended up using a bone stimulator, but that's a whole other discussion!

Whew. Please, please, please keep asking questions. Here, at the doc, at your PCP, etc. listen to them. If, however, you really feel they are wrong for whatever reason, seek anothers opinion.

Mike

[Horsewoman]

Madrid12, I've been exactly where you were. I am now 4 months post-op. please read my previous posts on what I ate to help my body build bone. I can say that my healing went really well with such a terrible break. I had a compound fracture where my tibia was shattered in 5 pieces and fibula in 3. I have 3 plates and 20 screws. I was in bed 100% of the time for 10 weeks. I went to therapy starting around 5 weeks when I got the hard cast off. I could only move my toes but that was such a relief because I was afraid I had nerve damage. It still hurts today but manageable with pain meds and Aleve. I didn't start taking Aleve until my 12th week post-op because it can interfere with bone growth. You will be amazed how much Aleve helps!!! I had no problem stopping Vicodin when I went back to work. The doc gave me tramadol in its place and that worked just fine.

About the boot. I had a soft cast for two weeks then a hard cast for another two. Then they gave my the 20 pound (exaggerating) walking boot to wear 24/7. I could not sleep the first night with it on because it hurt sooooo much. My leg would swell and the stitches would rub. No way! I took the sucker off and never wore it again except when I had to go to PT. I healed just fine. I stopped using crutches around 12 weeks. My Ortho is as much is as illusive as yours. He did visit me everyday in the hospital but he never gave me enough answeres. I think they don't because they just see what the the X-ray brings.

I still have a limp because it hurts to walk but it's getting better everyday. Still have swelling but manage it with Aleve. I am getting my life back. Went back to work with restrictions (work at a refinery) at around 12 weeks without crutches. And I got back on my horse around 12 weeks. So I feel your pain and frustration. You will heal in time. I have accepted that I won't feel whole for a year. I think that is realistic. Feel better!

[Pedder]

Broken tibia not fibia, surgery, IM rod and screws either end. Non weight bearing and wheel chair for a month. Started hydrotherapy and physio two weeks after accident once staples came out from surgery. I am extremely inpatient person (lots of tears and temper tantrums)and preferred pain and mobility to no pain but no mobility. Threw crutches away two weeks later, walking cane about week later, but seven weeks in and still limping badly physio told me take panadol oesto and anti inflamm as my limp would become my normal gait if kept trying to walk with so much pain. I now thirteen weeks post op, I still limp, take mild pain killers and better in morning than evening, some swelling at times and x ray shows break still open a little at front healing better at back towards inside of leg. What can I say, learnt to be more patient, have more admiration for people with disabilities and put up with being slower to get to places as I will eventually get there. Best of luck to all think these tibias take long time to heal

[racin666]

6-16-12 I broke R tib/fib, compound open and dirty. 5 hours later I went under the knife for another 5 hours resulting in 18 screws and 2 plates. Both breaks were multiple with one section from the fib relocating to the posterior area of my leg. Obviously that piece died with no blood supply, but was placed back where it is suppose to be minus a small fragment in hopes of being a plate for calcium growth. It has now been just shy of 5 weeks and only the tib is healing properly. Luckily I am not overweight, no other medical issues and am currently walking with a boot and cane. The swelling has disappeared with the exception of around the flesh wound which was also the location of the main surgery. Every day I see improvement, even though it is very frustrating. I too have issues with my foot swelling with blood and turning "purple" when I stand still, but this will pass as the circulatory system heals as well and the swelling continues to decrease. I write this in hopes it will give others some sense of hope and understanding as I fully intend to return to my job as a Paramedic at the end of Aug. or beginning of Sept. Many of you have similar injuries as I and are curious or even worried about your outcome. To you I say, be patient, don't over do it and consider a calcium supplement such as oral calcium carbonate. Bones heal. . . eventually, lol. GL

[HellBent]

I'm very glad there is a common forum for us with similar experiences. Congrats to everyone who is working hard on rehab. It does take time. I'm a year out and am very pleased how far I've come, but it was not without work, listening to my doctors and PT and my own body.

I am limp free today, except when I over do it. I believe that will go away in time as well.

It is called 'practicing medicine'. New treatments come all the time, each doctor has their own history and are influenced by where and who they studied with. Plus, each of us are different. Our breaks are all unique (open and dirty vs. internal, etc.)

Patience
determination
find a positive support network (like this one!)
Nutrition (calcium supplements, protein shakes, etc.)
Maybe bone stimulator if necessary.

You can do this!

[racer56]

Anyone here that had the surgery done three years ago? I would like to hear how well you are doing. I had my tib/fib break 6/18/2009.