afromanbob
08-14-2005, 03:13 AM
If you want to skip my rather lengthy story and go straight to my questions then don’t read the long paragraph.
Hi, I'm an unfortunate 18 year-old who abruptly ended the best summer of his life :( . On Tuesday (Aug. 9) I fell while skateboarding back to my house. I landed very awkwardly on my left foot which made it twist and produced a loud popping/cracking noise. The specific series of events that follow are unclear but I remember both quickly popping my foot back into place, since it was way to the left (rotated about 90 degrees). Then I remember either trying to walk or standing, or something; something that showed my that my foot was all floppy and I had no control over it. I knew I was injured badly and luckily was neither far from my house, nor far where I was skating from, our neighborhood cabana club. I yelled for John or Cory, the lifeguards at work at the time but they didn't hear me. Fortunately a neighbor was out. I yelled for him to tell my mom that I broke my ankle and we need to go to the hospital. Like any concerned mother, she came running down the street to see me, I calmly told her to get the car, because we need to go to the hospital. She did just that, and as her and my neighbor were trying to load me into the car (a large SUV :rolleyes:) I was about to faint. And actually, I even said to my mom, "I'm about to faint, and I hope I do." I was in the worst pain of my life, and I've suffered many other injuries in my life. She decided it would probably be easier to call for an ambulance. Luckily a fire station is located one block from my house so the firemen were there in about one minute. They proceeded to make me a little brace for my ankle while I waited for the ambulance. The ambulance arrived not much later and off I went to the hospital, my mom trailing closely behind in her car. In the ambulance I received 4 mg of morphine, although reluctantly (the EMTs highly advised me to take it). Actually the EMTs were a joy to talk to. They seemed to know exactly what I was going through and were very good in cheering me up. While unloading me from the ambulance one of the EMTs said he usually just sticks to Tony Hawk on the Playstation, and the other replied by saying he should be careful not to get Nintendinitis. I laughed and said that’s all I wish I had. I got wheeled into the ER and was put in room eight. I waited there for about five minutes until a doctor talked to me and sent me to get X-Rays. Waiting for X-Rays, I spoke to a family whose son was also waiting for X-Rays because of a broken arm due to skateboarding. When I first asked what was wrong, however, the dad said “Gun shot,” though he was only joking, I fell for it. I took three painful X-Rays, then returned to my room in the ER. Moments later the doctor returned with my X-Rays and they certainly confirmed what I had felt. A lengthy spiral fracture up my fibula, but more importantly than that, I had separated the tibia and ankle join region. I’m not completely clear on how to explain what the injury was, but actually, I did the exact same thing Terrell Owens did to his ankle during last season’s NFL game. The doctor said I’d be needing surgery, involving specifics which she was unclear on. I went home from the ER with an appointment the next morning and orders not to eat or drink after midnight, since I may be having surgery in the morning. I returned to the doctor’s in the morning with news that they could not schedule me in for today (Aug. 10), but it didn’t matter since the leg was too swollen to be operated on anyway. The next day I returned with an empty stomach, met for the first time with the doctor who would be doing the surgery and with hardly even a glance at my foot said surgery will be today (Aug. 11). I took a deep breath and said, “OK, let’s do it.” He told me what he’d be doing. First a plate with screws would be attached to my fibula, probably remaining attached for the rest of my life unless they start to bother me. Then for the ankle which more importantly needed to be fixed I am still unclear what was done, but it was the less drastic of the two methods he said he would need to do. He did not have to put a long screw through two bones, a screw that does need to be removed after the ankle is healed. I returned back to the hospital at 11:30 that morning and eventually waited until about 3:00 until surgery. To be honest I wasn’t too worried about the surgery, but the only thing I was really nervous about was the anesthesia. I have never had a surgery or been put to sleep before and was worried about having a reaction to these drugs and, well, not waking up. Before the surgery I was asked an unexpected question by the two anesthesiologists: Which type of anesthesia do I want, regional, or general. After a nearly half-hour discussion and decision I nervously picked regional (the one the anesthesiologist said that, “If it was my brother I’d give him regional.” The thing that seemed so strange about regional anesthesia was that you are conscious, to a degree, the whole time. In retrospect I’m very glad I chose regional anesthesia because I actually enjoyed surgery. It was fun. I was in the OR they gave me some calming drugs through the IV and then a couple needles in the back, not so fun, then a mask with some heavier drugs. While fully conscious in the OR with the mask I was laughing and really enjoying myself. Next thing I know, I’m awake and talking to the nurse in the recovery room. The next 30 minutes were euphoric. However, since those 30 minutes the last 54 hours (Aug. 11 4:00 to now is 54 hours) have not been so great. Yesterday was really painful, and today, while better, has not been enjoyable.
Sorry for the long story. I will now get to the questions. To summarize: I broke my ankle skateboarding, and needed surgery. Surgery involved putting a plate on my broken fibula and repairing tendons or ligaments (to be honest I’m not entirely sure how my ankle was fixed) because my ankle and tibia were too far separated. Surgery ended at 16:00 Aug. 11.
Questions: It’s been over two days now and my foot is still really swollen. While I expect this is normal, I just want to confirm that it is and also would like to know how long I could expect it to be swollen. However, I am more concerned about how my foot it numb. The blood flow to my toes is fine and my toes themselves aren’t numb, but further up onto my foot is really numb. I want to know if this is normal and how long my foot will be numb for. The pain and swolleness I can deal with. But the numbness concerns me.
An off-topic question but directly related from the surgery has to do with urination. Something that I was unaware of with the regional anesthesia was that EVERYTHING would be numb from my waist down. This included my penis. One of the qualifications to leave the OR and go home was that I needed to pee. They gave me until almost 11:00 PM, nearly seven hours after my surgery, to pee, but I couldn’t. So, I needed to have a catheter. I told the nurse that I wouldn’t need much more time to pee, but she said that this was easy and I’d get to leave now. Well, breaking my leg hurt a great deal, but this.... this was a new type of pain. Simply put, it hurt so bad. Anyway, my question involving this is that it still hurts a little bit when I start to pee. I have to let it trickle out, then start fully peeing. Once I’m peeing, it’s 99% fine, but starting still hurts. Is this normal, and how long can I expect this to last?
Thank you for your help.
Hi, I'm an unfortunate 18 year-old who abruptly ended the best summer of his life :( . On Tuesday (Aug. 9) I fell while skateboarding back to my house. I landed very awkwardly on my left foot which made it twist and produced a loud popping/cracking noise. The specific series of events that follow are unclear but I remember both quickly popping my foot back into place, since it was way to the left (rotated about 90 degrees). Then I remember either trying to walk or standing, or something; something that showed my that my foot was all floppy and I had no control over it. I knew I was injured badly and luckily was neither far from my house, nor far where I was skating from, our neighborhood cabana club. I yelled for John or Cory, the lifeguards at work at the time but they didn't hear me. Fortunately a neighbor was out. I yelled for him to tell my mom that I broke my ankle and we need to go to the hospital. Like any concerned mother, she came running down the street to see me, I calmly told her to get the car, because we need to go to the hospital. She did just that, and as her and my neighbor were trying to load me into the car (a large SUV :rolleyes:) I was about to faint. And actually, I even said to my mom, "I'm about to faint, and I hope I do." I was in the worst pain of my life, and I've suffered many other injuries in my life. She decided it would probably be easier to call for an ambulance. Luckily a fire station is located one block from my house so the firemen were there in about one minute. They proceeded to make me a little brace for my ankle while I waited for the ambulance. The ambulance arrived not much later and off I went to the hospital, my mom trailing closely behind in her car. In the ambulance I received 4 mg of morphine, although reluctantly (the EMTs highly advised me to take it). Actually the EMTs were a joy to talk to. They seemed to know exactly what I was going through and were very good in cheering me up. While unloading me from the ambulance one of the EMTs said he usually just sticks to Tony Hawk on the Playstation, and the other replied by saying he should be careful not to get Nintendinitis. I laughed and said that’s all I wish I had. I got wheeled into the ER and was put in room eight. I waited there for about five minutes until a doctor talked to me and sent me to get X-Rays. Waiting for X-Rays, I spoke to a family whose son was also waiting for X-Rays because of a broken arm due to skateboarding. When I first asked what was wrong, however, the dad said “Gun shot,” though he was only joking, I fell for it. I took three painful X-Rays, then returned to my room in the ER. Moments later the doctor returned with my X-Rays and they certainly confirmed what I had felt. A lengthy spiral fracture up my fibula, but more importantly than that, I had separated the tibia and ankle join region. I’m not completely clear on how to explain what the injury was, but actually, I did the exact same thing Terrell Owens did to his ankle during last season’s NFL game. The doctor said I’d be needing surgery, involving specifics which she was unclear on. I went home from the ER with an appointment the next morning and orders not to eat or drink after midnight, since I may be having surgery in the morning. I returned to the doctor’s in the morning with news that they could not schedule me in for today (Aug. 10), but it didn’t matter since the leg was too swollen to be operated on anyway. The next day I returned with an empty stomach, met for the first time with the doctor who would be doing the surgery and with hardly even a glance at my foot said surgery will be today (Aug. 11). I took a deep breath and said, “OK, let’s do it.” He told me what he’d be doing. First a plate with screws would be attached to my fibula, probably remaining attached for the rest of my life unless they start to bother me. Then for the ankle which more importantly needed to be fixed I am still unclear what was done, but it was the less drastic of the two methods he said he would need to do. He did not have to put a long screw through two bones, a screw that does need to be removed after the ankle is healed. I returned back to the hospital at 11:30 that morning and eventually waited until about 3:00 until surgery. To be honest I wasn’t too worried about the surgery, but the only thing I was really nervous about was the anesthesia. I have never had a surgery or been put to sleep before and was worried about having a reaction to these drugs and, well, not waking up. Before the surgery I was asked an unexpected question by the two anesthesiologists: Which type of anesthesia do I want, regional, or general. After a nearly half-hour discussion and decision I nervously picked regional (the one the anesthesiologist said that, “If it was my brother I’d give him regional.” The thing that seemed so strange about regional anesthesia was that you are conscious, to a degree, the whole time. In retrospect I’m very glad I chose regional anesthesia because I actually enjoyed surgery. It was fun. I was in the OR they gave me some calming drugs through the IV and then a couple needles in the back, not so fun, then a mask with some heavier drugs. While fully conscious in the OR with the mask I was laughing and really enjoying myself. Next thing I know, I’m awake and talking to the nurse in the recovery room. The next 30 minutes were euphoric. However, since those 30 minutes the last 54 hours (Aug. 11 4:00 to now is 54 hours) have not been so great. Yesterday was really painful, and today, while better, has not been enjoyable.
Sorry for the long story. I will now get to the questions. To summarize: I broke my ankle skateboarding, and needed surgery. Surgery involved putting a plate on my broken fibula and repairing tendons or ligaments (to be honest I’m not entirely sure how my ankle was fixed) because my ankle and tibia were too far separated. Surgery ended at 16:00 Aug. 11.
Questions: It’s been over two days now and my foot is still really swollen. While I expect this is normal, I just want to confirm that it is and also would like to know how long I could expect it to be swollen. However, I am more concerned about how my foot it numb. The blood flow to my toes is fine and my toes themselves aren’t numb, but further up onto my foot is really numb. I want to know if this is normal and how long my foot will be numb for. The pain and swolleness I can deal with. But the numbness concerns me.
An off-topic question but directly related from the surgery has to do with urination. Something that I was unaware of with the regional anesthesia was that EVERYTHING would be numb from my waist down. This included my penis. One of the qualifications to leave the OR and go home was that I needed to pee. They gave me until almost 11:00 PM, nearly seven hours after my surgery, to pee, but I couldn’t. So, I needed to have a catheter. I told the nurse that I wouldn’t need much more time to pee, but she said that this was easy and I’d get to leave now. Well, breaking my leg hurt a great deal, but this.... this was a new type of pain. Simply put, it hurt so bad. Anyway, my question involving this is that it still hurts a little bit when I start to pee. I have to let it trickle out, then start fully peeing. Once I’m peeing, it’s 99% fine, but starting still hurts. Is this normal, and how long can I expect this to last?
Thank you for your help.
Sponsor
feelbad
08-14-2005, 09:53 AM
Wow, quite the story,glad everything went well for you.I did not realize that they now actually gave you the option with having a regional block vs knocking you out to next week,with that type of surgery.I am sure it really was an interesting experience.The thing with any nerve blocks is as you have found out,since they block you from the spinal cord level and down yes, everything gets numb.This is why they work so well for use in pain control for us chronic pain patients.i would think that what you are experiencing would be considered normal for the first few times post op urinating.But this really should not be continuing for more than a day or two.I am pretty sure the reason you are feeling that burn is from being cathed.i experienced this after all my surgeries as i was cathed every time,and the last one for over four days because i had to lie flat for those four days after a surgery done into my spinal cord.sometimes you can get a bladder infection from being cathed but that would not show itself for about a week or two,most likely.If that burning gets worse or you start getting a fever and feeling more crappy than usual(for YOUR particular situation)then call your surgeon.you may need anti Bs to clear it.But keep drinking alot of fluids to keep your kidneys and bladder well flushed.I know it probably hurts like he** to get up to go to the bathroom but if that is a big problem,you can always get a urinal,the kind i am sure you had in the hosp post op?but you DO need to get up every once in a while and move around, just to stretch and excercise all your muscles.
Now, the swelling.i would say that considering the overall amount of trauma that your ankle has experienced(the initial accident combined with the surgery)this would probably be considered par for the course.The bones and tissues have been rather battered since the day of the accident and thru your sugery.If you can see the swelling,I am assuming that there is no actual cast on you at this time?As long as the ankle stays a normal color(nothing turning purple,blue or very red and nasty looking?)The swelling will eventually go down,although in your case it may just take a while.i would try and keep the ankle well elevated.this means to maintain a constant(when possible)elevation ABOVE the heart.this will minimize the blood flow a little and also keep gravity from letting too much fluid build up in the wounded area.I certainly hope that your surgeon supplied you well with some strong painkillers for when the pain gets real bad.Espescially upon movement.something with oxycodone in it would probably be your best bet for this type of pain or you may respond well with something like Vicodin,despite the fact that it is just slightly weaker than oxy.Everyone is different in how they respond to painkillers.as long as it is working,thats the key.Did your surgeon say anything about starting pt at some point?This would most likely eventually follow a surgery such as yours to help teach you how to walk with your new hardware.You will walk a differently,at least for a while til you adapt to it.If you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask.There are some very knowledgable people here who can help alot.i hope everything heals soon for you.FB
Now, the swelling.i would say that considering the overall amount of trauma that your ankle has experienced(the initial accident combined with the surgery)this would probably be considered par for the course.The bones and tissues have been rather battered since the day of the accident and thru your sugery.If you can see the swelling,I am assuming that there is no actual cast on you at this time?As long as the ankle stays a normal color(nothing turning purple,blue or very red and nasty looking?)The swelling will eventually go down,although in your case it may just take a while.i would try and keep the ankle well elevated.this means to maintain a constant(when possible)elevation ABOVE the heart.this will minimize the blood flow a little and also keep gravity from letting too much fluid build up in the wounded area.I certainly hope that your surgeon supplied you well with some strong painkillers for when the pain gets real bad.Espescially upon movement.something with oxycodone in it would probably be your best bet for this type of pain or you may respond well with something like Vicodin,despite the fact that it is just slightly weaker than oxy.Everyone is different in how they respond to painkillers.as long as it is working,thats the key.Did your surgeon say anything about starting pt at some point?This would most likely eventually follow a surgery such as yours to help teach you how to walk with your new hardware.You will walk a differently,at least for a while til you adapt to it.If you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask.There are some very knowledgable people here who can help alot.i hope everything heals soon for you.FB
kehorner
08-14-2005, 12:51 PM
I had ankle surgery to repair ligaments damaged in a bad sprain. I was really swollen for quite a while. Even 5-6 weeks after surgery, my toes would swell when I let my foot hang down. To help the swelling, you need to keep the ankle elevated. Not just on a footstool, but way up in the air, higher than your heart. So you should be laying flat on your back with your foot up on several pillows. Also, you can ice it, although if you have huge bandages on, it may not make much of a difference.
The numbness is normal. The nerves that supply sensation from your foot can be damaged in two main ways, either being cut or being squeezed. The squeezing happens from swelling, which compresses the nerves, and then they take a long time to come back even after the swelling goes down. After my surgery, some of my toes were numb from this. It took a few months to come back, but it will come back. And, of course, the surgeon cut some of the very small nerves when he cut through the skin. But that should only affect the skin right around the incision. The area about 1 inch around my incision was numb, but most of that has come back except for the incision itself.
You're definitely going to want physical therapy. They will help you with your range of motion, strength, and residual swelling. They will get you back on your feet much faster. It may be a while before you can start (I started in May), but once you get to the point where you can do it, you should be going 2-4 times per week for at least 2-3 weeks.
So, bottom line, you really messed up your foot, and it's going to take you several months to recover. I had my surgery in March, got off crutches in May, and was back to a tennis shoe and normal activities in July. Just be patient for now, take it easy, and take advantage of the opportunity to let other wait on you hand and foot.
The numbness is normal. The nerves that supply sensation from your foot can be damaged in two main ways, either being cut or being squeezed. The squeezing happens from swelling, which compresses the nerves, and then they take a long time to come back even after the swelling goes down. After my surgery, some of my toes were numb from this. It took a few months to come back, but it will come back. And, of course, the surgeon cut some of the very small nerves when he cut through the skin. But that should only affect the skin right around the incision. The area about 1 inch around my incision was numb, but most of that has come back except for the incision itself.
You're definitely going to want physical therapy. They will help you with your range of motion, strength, and residual swelling. They will get you back on your feet much faster. It may be a while before you can start (I started in May), but once you get to the point where you can do it, you should be going 2-4 times per week for at least 2-3 weeks.
So, bottom line, you really messed up your foot, and it's going to take you several months to recover. I had my surgery in March, got off crutches in May, and was back to a tennis shoe and normal activities in July. Just be patient for now, take it easy, and take advantage of the opportunity to let other wait on you hand and foot.
afromanbob
08-14-2005, 01:44 PM
Thanks for the replies. To respond to feelbad I'm on Vicadin and Ibueprophen.
As for physical therapy, I'm sure I will start eventually. I haven't talked to be surgeon since the surgery, but am scheduled for an appointment at the end of the week to talk to him.
About being able to see my toes, that's pretty much all I can see. I am in a hard, but removable splint/cast.
Also, another sidenote. My urination is almost completely back to normal. I'm just a litte scared to let it go 100% from the start. I've been kind of letting it trickle out, then I fully go, but I don't think that's nesescary anymore.
Thanks for you help.
As for physical therapy, I'm sure I will start eventually. I haven't talked to be surgeon since the surgery, but am scheduled for an appointment at the end of the week to talk to him.
About being able to see my toes, that's pretty much all I can see. I am in a hard, but removable splint/cast.
Also, another sidenote. My urination is almost completely back to normal. I'm just a litte scared to let it go 100% from the start. I've been kind of letting it trickle out, then I fully go, but I don't think that's nesescary anymore.
Thanks for you help.
afromanbob
08-18-2005, 01:14 AM
Just an update.
I'm doing better, but the ankle still hurts quite a bit sometimes. After waking up from sleep or a nap it feels fine, that is until I stand up. Once I stand up for a minute, say to go to the bathroom (by the way, the urination is 100% okay now), it hurts like crazy for 15-30 minutes. In general the pain is still pretty constant and not so subtle. I go back to the doctor on Friday to check everything.
I guess I'm just wondering is all this pain normal? I'm sure it is, but I'm the type of person who constantly needs reassurance.
Thank you.
I'm doing better, but the ankle still hurts quite a bit sometimes. After waking up from sleep or a nap it feels fine, that is until I stand up. Once I stand up for a minute, say to go to the bathroom (by the way, the urination is 100% okay now), it hurts like crazy for 15-30 minutes. In general the pain is still pretty constant and not so subtle. I go back to the doctor on Friday to check everything.
I guess I'm just wondering is all this pain normal? I'm sure it is, but I'm the type of person who constantly needs reassurance.
Thank you.
feelbad
08-18-2005, 09:43 AM
Unfortunetly pain will be the last thing to finally go.and having to walk and stand during your normal daily life will make this all drag out much longer than if you had say a broken arm or something.the best thing to do here though is to try and stay off of it as much as possible during the next few months,when sitting, try to always keep it somewhat elevated.when the pain starts to flare up(trust me, it will)use an ice pack and soaks in some hot water to relieve it.at this point, ice or heat(usually whatever feels the best?)will work.tylenol or advil,aleeve... will probably work for the pain.If at any point during the next month or two though, if your pain gets beyond what those meds can handle, you need to see the doc to have the ankle re evaluated for any possible problems.Even long after your ankle heals,you may get reoccuring achy type pain when it rains or when the weather changes rapidly.it is just kind of a 'side effect" from having that bone broken.it took alot of years for that particular symptom to finally subside in my ankle.I hope you hear good things from your doc at your appt on friday.just try and be patient and this will all just be a bad dream in hopefully just a couple of months.FB
afromanbob
08-19-2005, 10:27 PM
Well, I just back from the doctor. He said everything looks great (I guess that's a relative opinion :rolleyes: ). Unfortunatley he said I can put absolutely no weight on it for 5-6 weeks when I go back to see him. Today was the first time I've seen my foot since I hurt it, and boy did it look bad (to me anyway). Nice and swollen, combined with the fact that my leg has already started to atrophy... The nurse removed all the staples that held the incisions, about 15-20 in total. More worrisome to me than the incisions or swelling were these two big blisters I have on my ankle, each about the size of a dime. The doctor and nurse said they were totally normal and not to worry about them.. eesh. Well, the only unfortunate thing will be starting school down at Cal Poly with crutches... what fun...
feelbad
08-20-2005, 09:47 AM
Glad things went well.Yes those blisters are quite normal.they are caused by friction of someting that was rubbing against the skin.This can actually happen at the staple sites as well.They are the same type of blisters that you would get if you walked alot while wearing new shoes?The rubbing causes them.they will go away soon.just keep that area clean and you should be fine.take care and really try and stay off that leg as much as possible and ALWAYs elevate the foot when sitting to try and keep the swelling down.FB
kehorner
08-20-2005, 11:14 AM
I had some big blister-looking things around my incision. They were pretty gross, but normal. What happens when you are in a cast is that the outer layer of dead skin that normally gets rubbed off and replaced by new skin can't go anywhere. So you get all kinds of strange junk under there. Once you are allowed to bathe it and expose it to air, it will look better in a few days as the dead skin comes off.
It's probably the repair of the tendons and ligaments that is keeping you on crutches. I was on crutches for about 8 weeks after I had my ligaments repaired. They want to make sure that the soft tissue is completely healed so you don't have to have surgery again.
So for starting college... See if they have any services for you. I went through the disability resources office. They picked me up in a golf cart and gave me a ride to my classes around campus. Also, I got a temporary handicap permit from the state DMV and then a handicap permit from the school so I could park close to my classes. (It also helped with grocery shopping and all that stuff.) In classes, I sat there with my foot up on the desk for about a month after surgery, then I switched to putting it up on a chair. But don't try to sit there with it hanging down the whole time if it hurts.
Good luck. And don't worry... it may seem like forever now, but a year from now you'll look back and realize that it really wasn't long at all. Just take one day at a time, and you'll get through it.
It's probably the repair of the tendons and ligaments that is keeping you on crutches. I was on crutches for about 8 weeks after I had my ligaments repaired. They want to make sure that the soft tissue is completely healed so you don't have to have surgery again.
So for starting college... See if they have any services for you. I went through the disability resources office. They picked me up in a golf cart and gave me a ride to my classes around campus. Also, I got a temporary handicap permit from the state DMV and then a handicap permit from the school so I could park close to my classes. (It also helped with grocery shopping and all that stuff.) In classes, I sat there with my foot up on the desk for about a month after surgery, then I switched to putting it up on a chair. But don't try to sit there with it hanging down the whole time if it hurts.
Good luck. And don't worry... it may seem like forever now, but a year from now you'll look back and realize that it really wasn't long at all. Just take one day at a time, and you'll get through it.
ready2talk2000
08-22-2005, 09:11 PM
Greetings everyone.....I had my ankle surgery on July 27th. I had peroneal tendon repair and a bunionectomy, both on the left foot. I have been non-weightbearing since the surgery and have my next appointment on Fri., Aug. 26th. I still have the stitches which are supposed to be being absorbed, but I can't tell much difference.
My questions are....is it normal for the entire foot to turn dark red and almost purple when I let it hang down while I am on my crutches just long enough to walk on to the bathroom?
And, will I probably be allowed to begin weight bearing, at least partial, before the stitches are all gone, or wait probably until then?
I am an elem. music and PE teacher and have missed the first week of school already. I cannot work until I can stand all day. Anyone have any ideas how long that might be???
I had a tear in the peroneal tendon on the outside of my ankle which was about an inch long. I also have other less of a problem areas in the rest of the foot caused from the fall I took on my ankle. The other things will heal on their own, but the tendons and the bunion needed help and were getting worse.
Thanks a bunch for any info. anyone can offer me. I appreciate it!
Deb
My questions are....is it normal for the entire foot to turn dark red and almost purple when I let it hang down while I am on my crutches just long enough to walk on to the bathroom?
And, will I probably be allowed to begin weight bearing, at least partial, before the stitches are all gone, or wait probably until then?
I am an elem. music and PE teacher and have missed the first week of school already. I cannot work until I can stand all day. Anyone have any ideas how long that might be???
I had a tear in the peroneal tendon on the outside of my ankle which was about an inch long. I also have other less of a problem areas in the rest of the foot caused from the fall I took on my ankle. The other things will heal on their own, but the tendons and the bunion needed help and were getting worse.
Thanks a bunch for any info. anyone can offer me. I appreciate it!
Deb
kehorner
08-22-2005, 10:25 PM
It is normal for your foot to turn colors like that. Mine did that until I started walking on it, so for about 2 months. I had real stitches, which were removed at 2 weeks, and I was NWB for 8 weeks, so I don't know when you would be allowed to walk on it. Your doctor should be able to tell you about when you should be able to start weight bearing. They generally have a set schedule that they use for various types of surgeries.
ready2talk2000
08-23-2005, 01:39 PM
Thanks for the information. I appreciate it! This site is great. Does anyone know of a live chat area where we could all talk? I have serached, but haven't found anything online.
Ok, am going to see if I can find something to eat that I can carry with the crutches - HA!!! :dizzy:
Everyone have a good day!
Deb
Ok, am going to see if I can find something to eat that I can carry with the crutches - HA!!! :dizzy:
Everyone have a good day!
Deb
kehorner
08-23-2005, 01:54 PM
I had my mom sew a little pocket which attached to my crutches with ribbon. It was big enough to carry a water bottle, granola bar, pen, the mail, etc... Other people have suggested wearing a fanny pack.
Also, after a few weeks on crutches, I felt confident enough to be able to put both crutches on one side for balance and sort of hop from the kitchen to the table (10 feet or so) while holding a plate or glass. Don't try that unless you feel confident with your balance so that you won't fall and hurt yourself. Another option that is less risky, but also less glamourous is to crawl. When I was doing laundry or bringing groceries in, I had to crawl up the stairs because I couldn't carry things with the crutches on the stairs. It's not really attractive, but it does work!
I still found that the easiest way to get things from one place to another was to have somebody else move them.
Also, after a few weeks on crutches, I felt confident enough to be able to put both crutches on one side for balance and sort of hop from the kitchen to the table (10 feet or so) while holding a plate or glass. Don't try that unless you feel confident with your balance so that you won't fall and hurt yourself. Another option that is less risky, but also less glamourous is to crawl. When I was doing laundry or bringing groceries in, I had to crawl up the stairs because I couldn't carry things with the crutches on the stairs. It's not really attractive, but it does work!
I still found that the easiest way to get things from one place to another was to have somebody else move them.
ready2talk2000
08-23-2005, 02:06 PM
yes, those are excellent ideas and I had heard them from others as well. I have used a backpack to travel with papers fromplace to place, and I have crawled to change videos in the VCR. :D And, YES definitely the easiest is to get someone else to move it for you. However, I am staying with a friend as I recoop, and she works all day long, so there I am, figuring things out as I go. At least she was here for the first 3 weeks most of the days to help me when I needed the help more. We are both teachers. She has gone back to work, and I am missing the first 3 weeks. This is definitely a character building experience, to say the least!
Have a great day!
Deb
Have a great day!
Deb
afromanbob
08-25-2005, 01:48 AM
Update, 15 days since injury, 13 since surgery:
Well, I'm doing alright. The pain isn't really an issue anymore, I mean, it still hurts but it's no big deal. Far outweighing the pain is the insanity and frustration setting in. This isn't how my life is supposed to be. I was having the time of my life, in the last summer before I go away to college, and it was cut short. All the things I used to enjoy: swimming, driving my car (my left foot, it was a stick shift), playing tennis, WALKING!!! I'm just so disapointed, so sad that this had to happen. Though there's an innumerable amount of negatives because of this sitaution I've realized that there will be some positives. This will surely make me treasure every day after this that I can walk, and run, and be active again. My body wasn't made to sit on a couch. Since I've been on a couch for the last two weeks I've been watching plenty of TV. Here's an example of the insanity setting in. I'll see someone on TV and when they stand up and walk around, just for a second, I'll honestly think to myself, "Wait, how can they do that, where are their crutches." Honestly, then I'll realize, "Oh yeah, it's just me." I just can't wait to get back to the simplest pleasures of life. I just pray for the future to arrive. I need to be free again.
Well, I'm doing alright. The pain isn't really an issue anymore, I mean, it still hurts but it's no big deal. Far outweighing the pain is the insanity and frustration setting in. This isn't how my life is supposed to be. I was having the time of my life, in the last summer before I go away to college, and it was cut short. All the things I used to enjoy: swimming, driving my car (my left foot, it was a stick shift), playing tennis, WALKING!!! I'm just so disapointed, so sad that this had to happen. Though there's an innumerable amount of negatives because of this sitaution I've realized that there will be some positives. This will surely make me treasure every day after this that I can walk, and run, and be active again. My body wasn't made to sit on a couch. Since I've been on a couch for the last two weeks I've been watching plenty of TV. Here's an example of the insanity setting in. I'll see someone on TV and when they stand up and walk around, just for a second, I'll honestly think to myself, "Wait, how can they do that, where are their crutches." Honestly, then I'll realize, "Oh yeah, it's just me." I just can't wait to get back to the simplest pleasures of life. I just pray for the future to arrive. I need to be free again.
afromanbob
09-04-2005, 03:57 PM
Update, 26 days since injury, 24 since surgery:
The pain is pretty much gone now. I haven't taken any vicodin or ibueprophen in three days, so I guess that's a good sign. The swelling is defenitely going down, too. However, these crutches are becoming quite an inconveience. The other day I fell while using them and put nearly, or all, of my weight on my broken foot falling backwards. It didn't hurt too bad and there was really no lingering pain because of it, so I'm sure I'm okay. I still want to see the doctor before I leave for school just to get everything checked out and make sure it's all healing okay. Because if it wasn't and I had to be on crutches longer or, God forbid, have surgery again (which I can picture in my mind, the doctor saying something like, "Oh, it doesn't look like it's healing right, we'll have to go in again."), I would absolutely die. This has been the worst time of my life, I can't get over that. I ended the best summer of my life with friends who are all going away to college and will be starting college myself on crutches; it makes me cry.
Upon further research and remembering what my doctor told me I finally figured out what my injury exactly is. I suffered an ankle syndesmosis injury. However, most times when surgically repairing this surgeons will place one, usually two, long screws through the tibia and fibula, to close the gap between the two leg bones created by the damaged ligaments. Normally accompanying this injury, like mine, is a fractured fibula. My hypothesis is that when the doctor put the plate and screws on my fibula the gap was closed enough where he didn't have to put the long screws in. I also think he said he sewed the ligament back to the bone with absorbable stiches (I think he said this).
I'm just so sad right now. I need to be able to walk and run and be normal in life again. Reading about my injury has only made me more sad, as everything I've read says that this is about the worst thing that you can do to your ankle, that it will take months to heal. Every night I go to sleep honestly thinking that I'm going to wake up in the morning and it's going to be August 8th (the day before I injured myself) or that everything is going to be healed. I know that's not going to happen, but I want nothing more than that to happen. I'm so scared that my ankle will never return to normal. I feel like I'm always going to be afraid to run on it again, or jump on it again, or go down stairs. I can envision walking on it then all the sudden it losing all stability again like right after I injured it. I just wish I could hibernate for four months until its completely better, I can't take this anymore...
The pain is pretty much gone now. I haven't taken any vicodin or ibueprophen in three days, so I guess that's a good sign. The swelling is defenitely going down, too. However, these crutches are becoming quite an inconveience. The other day I fell while using them and put nearly, or all, of my weight on my broken foot falling backwards. It didn't hurt too bad and there was really no lingering pain because of it, so I'm sure I'm okay. I still want to see the doctor before I leave for school just to get everything checked out and make sure it's all healing okay. Because if it wasn't and I had to be on crutches longer or, God forbid, have surgery again (which I can picture in my mind, the doctor saying something like, "Oh, it doesn't look like it's healing right, we'll have to go in again."), I would absolutely die. This has been the worst time of my life, I can't get over that. I ended the best summer of my life with friends who are all going away to college and will be starting college myself on crutches; it makes me cry.
Upon further research and remembering what my doctor told me I finally figured out what my injury exactly is. I suffered an ankle syndesmosis injury. However, most times when surgically repairing this surgeons will place one, usually two, long screws through the tibia and fibula, to close the gap between the two leg bones created by the damaged ligaments. Normally accompanying this injury, like mine, is a fractured fibula. My hypothesis is that when the doctor put the plate and screws on my fibula the gap was closed enough where he didn't have to put the long screws in. I also think he said he sewed the ligament back to the bone with absorbable stiches (I think he said this).
I'm just so sad right now. I need to be able to walk and run and be normal in life again. Reading about my injury has only made me more sad, as everything I've read says that this is about the worst thing that you can do to your ankle, that it will take months to heal. Every night I go to sleep honestly thinking that I'm going to wake up in the morning and it's going to be August 8th (the day before I injured myself) or that everything is going to be healed. I know that's not going to happen, but I want nothing more than that to happen. I'm so scared that my ankle will never return to normal. I feel like I'm always going to be afraid to run on it again, or jump on it again, or go down stairs. I can envision walking on it then all the sudden it losing all stability again like right after I injured it. I just wish I could hibernate for four months until its completely better, I can't take this anymore...
kehorner
09-04-2005, 04:48 PM
Good to hear that you are healing well so far. I wouldn't worry about the fall, since you didn't have any increase in pain afterwards. I fell on the stairs about 4 hours after my surgery and put some weight on my ankle, and it was fine.
I know it's hard right now, but you will get through this. I know I had some nights where I would sit there crying and wanting to just rip the stupid cast off and get on with my life. It seems like it's going by really slowly now, but when it's all over and you look back on it, it won't seem that bad. It's little consolation now, though. Just try to keep going with your normal activities as much as you can, but don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
As for starting college on crutches, think of it as a way to meet lots of new people, because everybody will want to know what happened. Check into what resources the university has to help you get around. Instead of focusing on what you can't do, have fun with the things that you can do. (Oh, and make sure that you actually get some studying in, too...)
Anyway, I think that's about all of the advice I have. Just keep going, and remember that every day is one day closer to healed.
I know it's hard right now, but you will get through this. I know I had some nights where I would sit there crying and wanting to just rip the stupid cast off and get on with my life. It seems like it's going by really slowly now, but when it's all over and you look back on it, it won't seem that bad. It's little consolation now, though. Just try to keep going with your normal activities as much as you can, but don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
As for starting college on crutches, think of it as a way to meet lots of new people, because everybody will want to know what happened. Check into what resources the university has to help you get around. Instead of focusing on what you can't do, have fun with the things that you can do. (Oh, and make sure that you actually get some studying in, too...)
Anyway, I think that's about all of the advice I have. Just keep going, and remember that every day is one day closer to healed.
afromanbob
09-08-2005, 03:57 PM
Update 30 days since injury, 28 since surgery:
Whoooo!!! I saw the doctor today and received better news than I could have hoped for! Basically he said I can begin using my foot again, pain permitting. He said this week I should put 50 lbs of pressure on the foot when I walk, the next week put 100 lbs, then the week after put all my weight on it! He told me to flex my ankle up and down then about 2 weeks or so start doing the alphabet with my ankle. He said once I'm walking on it pretty well and the swelling is down I can go back to a regular shoe! I'm so happy, I'm recovering sooner than I thought I would. Finally some forward progress!
Whoooo!!! I saw the doctor today and received better news than I could have hoped for! Basically he said I can begin using my foot again, pain permitting. He said this week I should put 50 lbs of pressure on the foot when I walk, the next week put 100 lbs, then the week after put all my weight on it! He told me to flex my ankle up and down then about 2 weeks or so start doing the alphabet with my ankle. He said once I'm walking on it pretty well and the swelling is down I can go back to a regular shoe! I'm so happy, I'm recovering sooner than I thought I would. Finally some forward progress!
kehorner
09-09-2005, 11:34 AM
Great news!
Once you start walking on it and using it more, the swelling will go down a lot quicker. You might ask him if he thinks that physical therapy would be beneficial. They helped me a lot with getting my range of motion and strength back, as well as getting rid of some of the residual swelling.
Just remember not to go too quickly. If it hurts, back off a bit. But if you overdo it, then you might end up in a lot of pain. So just take it easy and listen to your body.
Once you start walking on it and using it more, the swelling will go down a lot quicker. You might ask him if he thinks that physical therapy would be beneficial. They helped me a lot with getting my range of motion and strength back, as well as getting rid of some of the residual swelling.
Just remember not to go too quickly. If it hurts, back off a bit. But if you overdo it, then you might end up in a lot of pain. So just take it easy and listen to your body.
afromanbob
09-09-2005, 02:16 PM
Yeah, the doctor said basically just do what my body will allow. If it hurts too much don't do it. I'm pretty nervous about my ankle, since it's still swollen and very stiff, and my leg has atrophied.
afromanbob
09-12-2005, 03:00 AM
Update:
Well, no pun intended but I took a big step forward today, literally. I just moved into my dorm yesterday (Saturday), and needless to say I've been nervous, mostly due to my limited mobility. However, this morning, after a few days of increasing the pressure being put on my foot I was able to (with my boot on) walk back and forth across my dorm room. My parents came by my room this morning before they left to go back home and were very happy to see me start actually making some baby steps with it. My foot's a bit sore after a long day today, but I can see now that I'm getting better. I'm still really nervous about school, but so far everyone has been very nice and very helpful. I just can't wait to lose the crutches now!
Well, no pun intended but I took a big step forward today, literally. I just moved into my dorm yesterday (Saturday), and needless to say I've been nervous, mostly due to my limited mobility. However, this morning, after a few days of increasing the pressure being put on my foot I was able to (with my boot on) walk back and forth across my dorm room. My parents came by my room this morning before they left to go back home and were very happy to see me start actually making some baby steps with it. My foot's a bit sore after a long day today, but I can see now that I'm getting better. I'm still really nervous about school, but so far everyone has been very nice and very helpful. I just can't wait to lose the crutches now!
kehorner
09-12-2005, 04:39 PM
That's good. It's normal for it to be a bit sore after you've been walking around on it. When it gets sore, go back to the crutches. Also, you can use just one crutch to take some of the weight off of it. Use the crutch on the side opposite from your injury. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it can really help when you are in this stage. Just keep taking your time and listening to your body.
afromanbob
09-20-2005, 01:03 AM
Thought I'd update, since it's been a while, tomorrow (Tuesday, 9-20) will make six weeks since I broke it:
Well, I suppose I'm doing well. The swelling is noticably better, and I'm definately done with two crutches. I use just the boot to get around my dorm and one crutch when I'm going out. However, I can, and do sometimes, use just the boot when going out, it's hurts but not too much. With one crutch I'm pretty much pain-free and up to normal speed, though it's still a bit slow.
The doctor I talked to on the phone last week told me to start moving it in all directions now and doing the ABC's with it. Honestly, I'm scared too. I'm scared I'm going to tear something or do damage. It's just so tight. I actually think tomorrow I'm going to get in the pool for the first time in six weeks, which should raise my spirits, which right now are in the gutters.
I'm having a hard time adjusting to college, especially with the crutches. It's a very hard time for me right now, and I just can't wait to be off of the crutches and fully back to normal. Ahrg, I want to go back to my old high school life... but I'm sure it will get better...
Well, I suppose I'm doing well. The swelling is noticably better, and I'm definately done with two crutches. I use just the boot to get around my dorm and one crutch when I'm going out. However, I can, and do sometimes, use just the boot when going out, it's hurts but not too much. With one crutch I'm pretty much pain-free and up to normal speed, though it's still a bit slow.
The doctor I talked to on the phone last week told me to start moving it in all directions now and doing the ABC's with it. Honestly, I'm scared too. I'm scared I'm going to tear something or do damage. It's just so tight. I actually think tomorrow I'm going to get in the pool for the first time in six weeks, which should raise my spirits, which right now are in the gutters.
I'm having a hard time adjusting to college, especially with the crutches. It's a very hard time for me right now, and I just can't wait to be off of the crutches and fully back to normal. Ahrg, I want to go back to my old high school life... but I'm sure it will get better...
kehorner
09-20-2005, 01:21 PM
Have you asked your doctor about physical therapy? It can help a lot with stretching and getting your strength back. They will be able to let you know how far is too far to stretch.
Pretty much, though, since the doctor says it's okay to start moving it, then you aren't in serious danger of damaging anything just by gentle stretching. The pool is a good thing, too.
Pretty much, though, since the doctor says it's okay to start moving it, then you aren't in serious danger of damaging anything just by gentle stretching. The pool is a good thing, too.
afromanbob
09-20-2005, 02:43 PM
I asked my doctor about getting a referal for PT down here with the doctors at my college, but I don't know the story with that right now. I go back to see my doctor at home next Friday the 30th so I'm guessing until then I'm on my own... I really don't know. All I know is that moving it in all directions is quite difficult, not to mention kinda frightening. Uhh... I just can't wait until this is all behind me.
Also, last night was the first time that I've really iced it in quite a while. Wow, this morning I woke up and my ankle was the least swollen it's been since I first broke it. Also, regardless of my icing it last night, I'm starting to be able to see tendons in my foot when I move my toes and I can begin to see a vein on the top of my foot again, so the swelling is definatley going down, which makes me happy. I'll have to be sure to ice it every night now.
Also, last night was the first time that I've really iced it in quite a while. Wow, this morning I woke up and my ankle was the least swollen it's been since I first broke it. Also, regardless of my icing it last night, I'm starting to be able to see tendons in my foot when I move my toes and I can begin to see a vein on the top of my foot again, so the swelling is definatley going down, which makes me happy. I'll have to be sure to ice it every night now.
RPMcCalip
10-08-2005, 02:30 PM
Hello, wow, this story is exactly like mine to the tee. I broke my ankle and tore ligaments on September 11th, playing football though, not skateboarding, and I had surgery on the 16th. I had a plate placed over a bone connecting my leg with my ankle, and six screws were put in to hold the plate in place. The pain the day after surgery, after I got home, was agonizing, I really almost went back to the hospital to have it checked out later that night, because I thought surely that amount of pain couldn't be normal. But surprisingly the pain subsided quickly, and probably two days after that it stopped hurting and I stopped taking the vicodin (although that was fun while it lasted), and I haven't really had any pain since, aside from maybe some minor aches when I wake up. It's frustrating because, even though it's only been three weeks since the surgery, it feels like I should be able to walk on it, and I HATE having to sit around my apt. all day doing nothing. Sadly I'm NWB until the 24th of October when I go back. I have my fingers crossed that he's going to tell me what he told you, which is that I can start putting slight pressure on it and within a few weeks I'll be able to walk again, with the boot, of course. I'd love to hear another update and hear how your doing, since our injury and progress have almost been the same and I can expect a similar recovery. I am very glad to hear though, that everything is moving along quicker than you expected.
Randy
Randy
afromanbob
11-07-2005, 04:39 PM
Wow, sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Also, RPM, hopefully you'll get to read this, as I know when I was hurt I wanted nothing more than to read about other people and their recoveries. Though by now you should be at the stage I was about a month ago.
Anyway, I'm doing much, much, much better now. I haven't worn the boot for a couple weeks now, I think about 3 or 4 even (time flies when you're not injured!). I've been wearing flip-flops, as I always do, and it's so nice to be practically back to normal.
Let's see, more detailed. I saw the doctor in early September and he told me to gradually increase weight, which I did. Then once I could put enough pressure on it, I got rid of one crutch and used that method for a while, like a cane. Then, not much longer after that I only used the boot. I was in this stage for a couple of weeks. By this time I was walking around my dorm no problem in bare feet, and I was also walking medium distances (from my dorm to get food, etc.) with a shoe and crutch, sometimes just a shoe. After a brief period where I was more comfortable in the boot than the shoe, but also wearing the shoe sometimes, I decided that I should completely ditch the boot. I could get around faster in it but I wasn't going to get any better at this point with the boot on. For a couple of weeks with just a shoe I was really slow getting around but at the same time it was amazing to finally be in a shoe and able to walk semi-normally again.
And now today, after a couple of weeks walking around in shoes and sandals, I am nearly normal! I can walk at full speed almost painlessly, and I can even run a little bit, though it's not the most normal looking run, haha. However, my foot is still pretty swollen, and as I was told this will remain true for quite some time. Though now that I have a fridge with a freezer in my room, I am determined to ice and elevate my foot as much as possible to eliminate the swelling. As for the stiffness of my foot, it still exists. My foot is still stiff, but not nearly as much as a couple of weeks ago. If I sit there and move it around and loosen it up for a while, I have almost full range of motion. It's just a matter of time now before I am fully back to normal.
To RPM, you're going through one of the worst times of your life right now, believe me, I know. But you're already past the worst of it, the crutches (hopefully). I've had other injuries, broken wrist, thumb, foot, but all these were simply, cast, wait six weeks, done. This is something entirely different. It's been three months for me now and I'm still no where near 100%. Actually, that's amazing to think it's been three months, and RPM, the time really does go quickly. Like I said you're past the worst and things will only get better from now on.
I'll make sure to keep checking here periodically, so feel free to ask me any questions, because if you're anything like me, I'm sure you'll have dozens!
Anyway, I'm doing much, much, much better now. I haven't worn the boot for a couple weeks now, I think about 3 or 4 even (time flies when you're not injured!). I've been wearing flip-flops, as I always do, and it's so nice to be practically back to normal.
Let's see, more detailed. I saw the doctor in early September and he told me to gradually increase weight, which I did. Then once I could put enough pressure on it, I got rid of one crutch and used that method for a while, like a cane. Then, not much longer after that I only used the boot. I was in this stage for a couple of weeks. By this time I was walking around my dorm no problem in bare feet, and I was also walking medium distances (from my dorm to get food, etc.) with a shoe and crutch, sometimes just a shoe. After a brief period where I was more comfortable in the boot than the shoe, but also wearing the shoe sometimes, I decided that I should completely ditch the boot. I could get around faster in it but I wasn't going to get any better at this point with the boot on. For a couple of weeks with just a shoe I was really slow getting around but at the same time it was amazing to finally be in a shoe and able to walk semi-normally again.
And now today, after a couple of weeks walking around in shoes and sandals, I am nearly normal! I can walk at full speed almost painlessly, and I can even run a little bit, though it's not the most normal looking run, haha. However, my foot is still pretty swollen, and as I was told this will remain true for quite some time. Though now that I have a fridge with a freezer in my room, I am determined to ice and elevate my foot as much as possible to eliminate the swelling. As for the stiffness of my foot, it still exists. My foot is still stiff, but not nearly as much as a couple of weeks ago. If I sit there and move it around and loosen it up for a while, I have almost full range of motion. It's just a matter of time now before I am fully back to normal.
To RPM, you're going through one of the worst times of your life right now, believe me, I know. But you're already past the worst of it, the crutches (hopefully). I've had other injuries, broken wrist, thumb, foot, but all these were simply, cast, wait six weeks, done. This is something entirely different. It's been three months for me now and I'm still no where near 100%. Actually, that's amazing to think it's been three months, and RPM, the time really does go quickly. Like I said you're past the worst and things will only get better from now on.
I'll make sure to keep checking here periodically, so feel free to ask me any questions, because if you're anything like me, I'm sure you'll have dozens!
RPMcCalip
11-08-2005, 02:59 AM
Hey Bob, thanks for the reply, and I'm glad to hear your almost back to normal! At this point I'm still not able to walk without crutches, though for the last two weeks I have been putting more and more weight on it gradually. My foot is actually in much more pain than my ankle when I try to walk. There's no pain in my ankle, but my foot throbs and keeps me from walking without crutches, but that's getting better. It's still so much slower at this point than I thought, though I'm not even to 8 weeks yet post op, so I guess that's normal. Was your foot more painful than your ankle after you started putting weight on it? I'm not walking with the boot, I haven't used the boot in two weeks actually, but maybe I would be able to walk without crutches if I used the boot. I'll try it, I hate the damn thing but better than crutches i guess. I'll check back in a few days, thanks for responding, and good luck with the final part of the healing process!
Randy
Randy
afromanbob
11-09-2005, 12:15 AM
YEAH!!! My foot was/is much more painful than my ankle. I thought this was weird, but apparently it must be normal. I've been thinking about that a lot since I got rid of the boot. It's the pain in the foot that's keeping from me being normal the most. It's almost like all the bones on top of my foot are hurting the most. You'll also, probably, notice one of the hardest things to do once you begin walking in a shoe is how hard it is to stand on your toes, or do a calf raise or anything like that. In fact, since only about a week ago have I been able to do even a little calf raise. Right now I'm actually icing my ankle, because it's still really swollen... ugh, I can't wait for this all to be over!