Real life fractured leg recovery
What real fracture recovery feels like
There is never a good time for accidents to happen. No one sees them coming. I am a careful, risk averse person. I care for human life, including my own. But being careful and conscientious did not matter when I fell, on a rain slicked slippery grassy slope in my own backyard and ended up breaking my fibula (the thinner of two leg bones).
It was a nice winter Saturday morning. Just out of the holidays, into the new year. Rains had finally let up, leaving everything very very wet. We had chores we had put off forever: putting away deck furniture into the shed, which was in the backyard, beyond several grassy slopes, that were now slicked by days of rain. I told my husband to be very careful over the slopes, and he as usual, told me its nothing, not to worry.
We put it all away, I went over one last time to see how things were placed and that is when I slipped, while I was carefully stepping down the slope. My foot bent precariously outward in a way I thought it would come off. There was excruciating pain and I fell on my side. My husband heard me scream and came to me, but let me sit there, because I told him not to help me up yet. I was too hurt. I was in such pain, I started crying. My hubby waited patiently. I finally got up, with his help and with a very painful ankle walked bravely to the house.
Long story short, the ankle swelled up, got painful and did not feel better after icing, painkillers, balms, binding, elevating for 24 hours. We knew this was no regular swelling. I walked around with a broken leg for 24 hours, which included a trip to groceries! Advice: if something seems wrong it usually is, go to urgent care or emergency care as soon as you notice it.
We went to urgent care where the fracture showed on Xray, I was put in a splint, given crutches, told not to weight bear and referred to an orthopedician for further treatment. Few days later the Ortho put me in a boot, told me to follow up in 2 weeks, I was told I was osteoporotic, to get bone density done. If the fracture heals, then I stay in the boot for 4–5 more weeks of not weight bearing (great!). If it doesn’t fuse, then in my ortho’s words, ‘we dance’!! Which means plating, surgery, more pain, more healing… bleh. Surgeons are so scalpel happy.
Not weight bearing on my right leg meant hopping about on one leg, carrying the weight (with boot) of the other. I cannot tell you how much of a mental restrain it took to remember to not weight bear on the affected leg. It is hard to go against instinctive conditioning. But that is the fastest way to heal and recover and avoid the scalpel, which was the most formidable reason to not forget to keep my fractured leg safe.
Crutches are not optimal, I have never felt more unstable, slow, and I almost fell twice. I borrowed a knee scooter from a neighbor but was happy to buy one, because they are affordable. My mobility was significantly improved thanks to the knee scooter, and thanks to an incredible neighbor who let me use hers.
Word of advice, don’t think twice, get a knee scooter. They are affordable. Borrow, rent or even buy used on craigslist as long as they are not broken. Life is so much better, more balanced, less unstable and certainly more convenient. Do not feel like you have to remain restricted to the crutches for 5–6 weeks.
The recovery itself has so many facets. You need help. Even with the knee scooter. You need help dressing up, taking a shower (most tricky), making meals (although I could cook and clean to some extent), shopping, and in general keeping your morale up. So best you call on someone you can depend on if you don’t already live with family.
If someone is helping you, it is best you trust their judgement on things you no longer do. Agree with how things need to be, be kind to them, and be okay with how they do stuff. Cleanliness, orderliness, how and where I want things is very subjective. I like things done a certain way, and I have to be patient with those helping me to get around to it as and when they can. I am now dependent on someone’s incredible kindness for basic activities and I need to focus on what’s important. Be patient with those caring for you and be grateful. Trust that they are doing their best.
Showering. Since it was winter and I was at home, propped up most of the time, we decided it was okay for me to shower on alternate days without feeling very icky. I changed and powdered daily though. You can decide your cadence, its a personal choice. We bought a shower stool and anti-slip shower mat. A handheld shower head would be convenient. But I made do with a regular shower head. I was looking to buy the shower protector for the splint (which was fabric) but since the Ortho put me in a boot and it could be removed in the shower as long as I wasn’t weight bearing on the affected leg, I didn’t need to get a shower protector.
We have a tub. A standing shower would be better. We placed the stool firmly in the shower, I used to gently slide into it after first sitting on the edge of the tub, with a lot of help from my husband. While I had the splint on, I left the affected leg hanging outside the shower. Now this worked for me because the splint was temporary and I could do it. Word of caution, this is rather unstable, risky and painful depending on how flexible you are, so be careful before you try it. Some people prefer sponging instead of a shower circus.
Coming out of the shower was the scariest part for me. It is best to dry yourself inside the shower, so you don’t have to do it standing on one leg. I had to haul myself up holding on to my husband without using my affected leg. Tricky, every time. I cannot tell you how much I did not want to do it. I always kept clean clothes ready on the bed and dressed sitting in the bed. Never weight bearing on the hurt leg. Styling my hair was secondary at this time, keeping it clean was enough. I used to ponytail it up keeping things simple.
Going out during recovery was restricted to doctor visits. We have stairs at home. I used to climb up on my butt using hands to haul up, leaving the affected leg hanging straight out. 10 steps was work enough for me. The knee scooter had to be loaded in the back of the car. Knee scooters are in and out door friendly. Takes a little getting used to for control. We did go out for lunch a couple times to a restaurant which had a ramp. It was fun. I enjoyed the sympathy.
The body does a lot of work at this time to heal what’s broken. Pain even with pain management is inevitable. What is more challenging is getting comfortable. No matter how I sat, how I rested my leg, it got uncomfortable after a while. Most uncomfy though was sleeping with the boot on. The ortho absolutely wanted me to sleep with it on. Taking a mild tranquilizer at night helped with sleep, pain and discomfort. I highly recommend it. I used to take half an AdvilPM. Consult your doctor about your sedation needs, especially if you are taking medications that may conflict with it. Always clear it with the doctor before you self medicate.
The leg will constantly tell you it is not ok, the muscles around the fracture will twitch and flutter involuntarily inside the cast boot. It is part of healing. Itching. Oh my God. It will itch because it is healing, it will itch because it is irritated, and more so because you cannot reach it. Best strategy, learn to let it stop on its own. Do not find an object to insert inside your boot/cast to scratch it. It will stop on its own. If anything, you can use your fingers to scratch on the surface of the soft parts of the boot, it may help. If something feels odd, observe closely and report to the doctor if things start to seem worse; like change in color of skin/toes, feeling very restricted and tight, sudden unexplained increase in pain, etc.
Read up on how to keep your boot, the sock, etc. clean. Wearing these for weeks is going to make them dirty and smelly. There are lots of articles online about keeping them clean. Most boot linings can be hand washed or gently machine washed.
Try to be active, as much as you safely can. Don’t try to reach far out while on the scooter, it is tempting, but not worth the risk. Try and workout upper body while sitting straight in a chair. Stretch. Use light dumbbells or just hand movements. Move the affected leg in ways that does not feel painful or odd, just to keep the blood moving: wiggling the toes, bend & stretch the knee, raising the leg as much as you safely and painlessly can. Your unaffected leg is doing the heavy lifting, so try and rest it as much as possible. Massaging it helps.
Do yourself a favor and try not to second guess your physician and over think, over research your condition on google. The internet is not a reliable source of help for your specific condition. Your doctor mostly likely is. Unless your gut tells you that the doctor is wrong, don’t doubt their treatment. Healing takes time and is difficult for patients. Overthinking only helps dig a deeper hole for yourself.
I am a staunch believer in pain balms: Tiger balm, aspercreme, bengay. I used them for pain on parts other than the fracture site. I suffered back pain, knee pain, headaches, during my healing. I made liberal use of surface pain balms. Use them if you like, they are largely safe. I used essential oils on pulse points to help with a positive frame of mind. Using mild aroma oils and pleasant fragrances help to calm the mind. Again, this is a personal choice. I also used heat pads for a painful back or knee, heat soothes pain. Consult your doctor for anything you use at the fracture site.
Eat a good balanced meal. Your activity levels are lower but your body is working hard to recover. It needs good nutrition and lots of rest. Eat high, good quality protein in every meal. Protein and amino acids help repair the body. Vegetables, greens, fruits and nuts are great in every meal too. Hydrate, drink lots of water, add a piece of lemon to flavor it up. Stay away from sodas, sugary drinks. Try not to load up on sugar, refined carbs, salty snacks, fast food or processed foods, although they may seem rewarding at this time. Alcohol, smoking or recreational drugs will impact your recovery negatively, I would stay the hell away from them.
Depending on what medications you are on, and based on big activity and body changes, you are likely to experience digestive issues. I experienced increased acidity during this time, which I could manage with over the counter antacids. If you have digestive issues that you cannot manage on your own, ask your doctor for a simple remedy, they should be able to help. Maintain a diet high in fiber and nutrients. I started drinking a smoothie of raw parsley, cucumber, fresh ginger and lemon juice at night. It really helped to keep things moving.
Make a plan to fill up empty time. Catch up on reading you had side tracked. Write. I find writing cathartic. Pick up a skill like a new language, singing, programming (coding), math, drawing, painting, crafting, knitting, etc. Deep breathing, meditation. Make the most of your down time. Get in touch with an old friend. Don’t waste time watching excessive TV, online shopping, or on social media. Do something constructive while you heal.
Other than writing this article, I restarted a number of projects that I had side tracked. I read articles I had saved. Picked up a book I wanted to finish. Read some Nat Geos I had not got around to. I updated my resume, created a profile on a job site, I was surprised how the job market looked since the last time I saw it. I took a free online course. I also sent my passport for renewal. Spoke more often to my mother, exchanged recipes. I started going to the gym a week after the fracture, to do upper body workouts. Most gyms accommodate disabilities and workouts certainly help you get back on track quicker. Try working with a trainer at this time.
I can work from home. But if your job does not allow work from home, they may have options for short term disability or something similar. There are lots of options for online work to keep the money flowing if that is something you need to do while you recover. There are jobs for different skill levels, as long as you are willing to do them. Try Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn for contract work you can do online.
Smile and stay positive. Surround yourself with positive people and thoughts. You will recover completely and go back to life as it used to be. It is amazing how you may not be able to see it while going through the recovery, but it is inevitable. Visualize it. Try not to get overwhelmed and anxious about the slow down. Learn to be okay with it. Recovery will be painful, when the doctor lets you weight bear, it will feel odd as hell. the muscles have atrophied, the leg has lost its orientation, it feels scary to trust standing on a leg you haven’t used for 8–9 weeks. But you will do it. Others before you did it. I am doing it. You will do it.
Fracture leg is going to test your patience, but you are going to be fine. Use it as an opportunity to upskill, upgrade your mindset. Who knows, you might learn something new about yourself, your strength, resilience, and creativity.
