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"Stopped the meds after 3 weeks after i swear i saw giraffes out the back window (was the fall-colored trees) so i stopped that. We do not have wild giraffes in nevada."
Gave me a great laugh -- thanks! (I try not to take pills if I can avoid them)
Newbie here. Fell down the stairs and broke my tibia and fibula on December 7th. Shock of my life, when I went to get up and realized my leg was broken and severely deformed. I was home alone so had to maneuver myself by crawling over to the laptop to make a call - screaming along the way. Ambulance came and took me to ER. I was in shock. I was lucky that I didn't do anything worse tho...
I am about 11 days post op/surgery right now, pain is manageable. I am taking one pain pill before bed so that I can get a good nights rest. Didn't sleep hardly at all the first 7 days - maybe 20 minutes at a time so I am grateful that the pain has now diminished.
I had a IM rod placed and 4 screws. I go back this week to get the staples removed and plan PT. I do not have a cast and was told that I can weight bear as tolerated. I get along on the crutches okay and very slowly allowing some weight on my BL. I just get fatigued which I am sure is expected.
Hoping to follow your recovery and healing as this goes on. Today is a good day for me after having 2 days straight of crying my eyes out.
October 23rd 2010 - I landed a tuck jump awkwardly during trampolining lessons after I'd been told I would be competing. I heard a loud crack and my leg looked as if I had two knees. Had an ambulance to hospital and now have an external fixator which is being used to relengthen and realign tib and fib. Have been feeling very unstable for the past nine weeks so have had another operation last week which is where they used a wire to pull back a large chunk of bone. Legs feels better but wire feels uncomfortable so I am still struggling to fully weight bear as instructed. Was told by surgeon that might need another 8-12 weeks with the external fixator, but if the wire hasn't worked which is getting checked in 2 weeks time then I will need a plate, very worried. Finding it difficult as I'm only 15 and missing tramploling and socialising with friends.
Is it normal for it to take this long? What can speed it up? Exercising, vitamins?
It is very typical for leg breaks to take weeks and months to heal. I am almost at two years with multiple breaks to my Tib/Fib. If you have not already done so try joining the discussions at mybrokenleg.com Oh and make sure you are taking plenty of Vitamin D and Calcium with a Multi
A previous comment from a poster named Doulos, was so similar to what's happened to me that I had to share.
My story: I got knocked off my motorcycle by a drunk driver on August 26th 2010, about 21 weeks ago… but who’s counting? I also had a compound tibia/fibula fracture (and nothing else - not a scratch except on my left leg). I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and immediately put into surgery where they put a titanium rod in my tibia. Two days later they sewed me up. Three days after that I was out of the hospital and then three weeks after that I was back at work.
I travel for work and didn't take my first flight until about 4 months after the accident. Even then I was hobbling around with a cane and taking 800-mg of ibuprofen twice a day. I was able to get by, but I was EXHAUSTED after the full days on my feet.
I was concerned for a long time because the fibula was not healing. Hell, the two halves weren’t even touching one another and with minor pressure (or flexing of my ankle) I could feel the two halves click up against one another. At about 15 weeks after the accident I had a follow-up visit and the doctor encouraged me to walk on the leg more. That was the last day I wore a boot (the external cast, basically...) and with physical therapy and exercise I was getting around pretty well with just a cane. At about 18 weeks I could no longer feel the two halves of the fibula click... and now at 21 weeks I can't remember the last time I was able to move the fibula pieces. If you have had a break and are concerned about your fibula not fusing, don't be until you've walked on it for a few weeks and given it a chance to recover.
After last week's doctor visit he looked at my x-ray and heard my complaint that there was sharp pain with every step in my tibia at the sight of the break. I had a large chunk of bone missing from this area and it seems the tibia isn't fusing. This was particularly clear when comparing the progress of the fibula, which I had been so fixated upon. The x-ray showed a very dark area at the tibia break which signifies little to no bone growth.
I'm now scheduled for a follow-up visit tomorrow (January 25th) where they'll replace the rod in my tibia with a larger one - the exact same procedure you had 9 months after your accident I'm getting 5 months afterward. That gives me some hope that the doctor's aggressively treating this break. I'm a 33-year-old active male, so I hope to play volleyball and racquetball again without too much trouble.
I'll follow-up and let you know how the surgery goes. I'm optimistic after reading that you said you were walking the day after the surgery. Hopefully I won't be laid up too long either!
I have also been experiencing chronic knee pain and am comforted to know this is a fairly standard side-effect that can most likely be addressed by removing the rod.
Hearing similar testimonials really does make this much easier to prepare for. Thanks!
A previous comment from a poster named Doulos, was so similar to what's happened to me that I had to share.
My story: I got knocked off my motorcycle by a drunk driver on August 26th 2010, about 21 weeks ago… but who’s counting? I also had a compound tibia/fibula fracture (and nothing else - not a scratch except on my left leg). I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and immediately put into surgery where they put a titanium rod in my tibia. Two days later they sewed me up. Three days after that I was out of the hospital and then three weeks after that I was back at work.
I travel for work and didn't take my first flight until about 4 months after the accident. Even then I was hobbling around with a cane and taking 800-mg of ibuprofen twice a day. I was able to get by, but I was EXHAUSTED after the full days on my feet.
I was concerned for a long time because the fibula was not healing. Hell, the two halves weren’t even touching one another and with minor pressure (or flexing of my ankle) I could feel the two halves click up against one another. At about 15 weeks after the accident I had a follow-up visit and the doctor encouraged me to walk on the leg more. That was the last day I wore a boot (the external cast, basically...) and with physical therapy and exercise I was getting around pretty well with just a cane. At about 18 weeks I could no longer feel the two halves of the fibula click... and now at 21 weeks I can't remember the last time I was able to move the fibula pieces. If you have had a break and are concerned about your fibula not fusing, don't be until you've walked on it for a few weeks and given it a chance to recover.
After last week's doctor visit he looked at my x-ray and heard my complaint that there was sharp pain with every step in my tibia at the sight of the break. I had a large chunk of bone missing from this area and it seems the tibia isn't fusing. This was particularly clear when comparing the progress of the fibula, which I had been so fixated upon. The x-ray showed a very dark area at the tibia break which signifies little to no bone growth.
I'm now scheduled for a follow-up visit tomorrow (January 25th) where they'll replace the rod in my tibia with a larger one - the exact same procedure you had 9 months after your accident I'm getting 5 months afterward. That gives me some hope that the doctor's aggressively treating this break. I'm a 33-year-old active male, so I hope to play volleyball and racquetball again without too much trouble.
I'll follow-up and let you know how the surgery goes. I'm optimistic after reading that you said you were walking the day after the surgery. Hopefully I won't be laid up too long either!
I have also been experiencing chronic knee pain and am comforted to know this is a fairly standard side-effect that can most likely be addressed by removing the rod.
Hearing similar testimonials really does make this much easier to prepare for. Thanks!
surprised you were taking ibuprofen -- it was my understanding that slows the bone growth?
Like most of you, I'm making my posts in case anybody else suffers the 'big break'.
January 15, 2011 I stepped off a ladder and fell about two feet. I broke ('exploded') the tibia and broke the fibula an inch or so above the ankle. I was transported to Milton Hospital and stablized and they realized I need surgery so I was moved to Oakville Trafalger and operated on the next day, Sunday, about 24 hours after the fall. I got 2 plates and 16 screws (4 in the fibula, 12 in the tibia). Lots of morphine in Milton, Oxycodone, Percacet, Celebrex, and god knows what else the first couple days.
On Wednesday, I went to get the bandage/half cast replaced. I saw the x-ray and its burned into my mind. The foot and toes were very swollen, and there was a massive blister (imagine an egg cut down its length). They put antibiotic soaked pads and a fiberglass cast on and I went home a few hours later. Had a bit of pain, but I was fully off pain killers (except a couple Tylenol in the morning and at night) by the Saturday, a week after the break.
I went back to the clinic Tuesday about 10 days after the break. They cut off the cast, removed all the staples and stitches, and washed me up. The wounds are all healed, and there was only a bit of 'weeping' after they removed the stitches and staples. The foot and toes were still swollen, though, and while the skin was raw from one blister which had popped, I had another great big one. This is all normal, apparently.
I mentioned the near lack of pain to the OS and he said that was a good sign. However he said 'your leg will never be the same' which was kinda disappointing. I wonder what he means? I think he thought I was a construction worker, not a investment professional, because I look like a construction worker. Maybe that's why: he's saying it'll be hard for me to move concrete all day.
So they swaddled my leg up again, complete with antibiotic bandages and a diaper for the blister, and put a new cast.
In any event, I go back to see him in 9 days (two weeks from the prior appointment). I think I get an air cast then, but I will be non-load-bearing for quite some time, I am told.
The swelling in my toes has recently gone down. They are still a little chubby, but much more normal.
Sitting around in a wheel chair is not my idea of fun. I'm not a sitting around kinda guy. Fortunately, I can work from home which gives me something to do, even though I can only work sort of part time.
The other thing I hate is the Fragmin injections. I have 17 more to go, then I hope I'll be done with that.
The good news is I think I'm losing weight. I have much less appetite even though I make sure I eat enough protein and take calcium supplements.
I am so grateful for our government health coverage. I think the total cost of the ordeal has been about $100, including the crutches I bought and the phone rental. I did get a semi-private room, but my work insurance paid for that option. All the paramedics, doctors and nurses were very nice and very professional. I commend them. If you are going to break a leg, do it here!
Hello all! Some of you may remember me from last year, but for those that don't - here is my story.
December 26, 2009 I was roller skating and broke my tibia (spiral, lower leg) and my fibula in 2 places. I had surgery the following day. They inserted a plate and 12 screws. I was on crutches and in the boot for almost 7 months. My tibia wasn't fusing back together I guess you'd say, so around 3-4 months in, I started using the bone stimulator to stimulate growth in the bone. My OS started me on PT and partial weight-bearing around 6 months (i think) and at 8/9 months, I was completely free of the boot, crutches and cane.
I was still having daily pain around my ankle, but I was learing to just "live with it" or "tolerate" the pain. So, around Christmas 2010, I was at a bday party and jumped up and down a couple times (not very hard) while dancing and apparently re-fractured the tibia. :-( I felt it happen and walked around with the bone re-broken for a month before my bf made me go see the OS. I guess the plate has been the only thing holding me up for the past month.
So, now my OS has sent me to get a CT Scan and told me that he may have to go in and graft bone in. I have to go see him Monday. Has anyone had this bone grafting and what can you tell me about it? Thanks!
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Gave me a great laugh -- thanks! (I try not to take pills if I can avoid them)
Broken tib and fib
surprised you were taking ibuprofen -- it was my understanding that slows the bone growth?
