Fractured Calcaneous 5

KCguy

Morning everyone

Sbrew, that was funny reading about your Wal-mart adventure, I've been there a couple times shopping with my wife riding around the little motorized shopping cart. If you're not 75 years old people look at you funny till they see the air cast or my wife walking with me pushing a shopping cart with my crutches in it. I even play a little NASCAR and bang into her cart now and then. She just rolls her eyes at me and knows I'm feeling better. I get out whenever I can to lead a somewhat normal life. The worst thing you can do is stay cooped up during this thing.

Well I'm a little short on time this morning, heading for the office. Had to catch up first on new posts here. Sounds like everyone's doing great. Keep healing everyone and have a great day! Here comes the weekend!

Alex

staabo

Hello everyone,
I'm jeremiah. I just sorta stumbled upon this when I was researching my injury. I almost cried when I finaly found that theres people out there going thru the same thing I am. Only differance, I didn't have to have surgery on my heel. It is, however, in 6 or more pieces, and is definately life changing. I fell at work when the scaffolding I was working off of fell over. I fell around 20 feet. I'm lucky I got away with only a fractured calcaneus. Very lucky. I can remember thinking of my pregnant wife and 15 month old daughter while I was on my way down, I was sure I was going to be at least paralized. I, also, am having a hard time adjusting and am going thruogh a depression. I fell on Aug 18th and am still in a air cast.
As of 3 weeks ago it hasn't shown signs of heeling in the xrays, and I want to go back to work... NOW! I realize it will be a while for that but how long? My docter just says it will take time, maybe a year. Does anybody have any input, I'm going crazy.
Anyways, It was sure nice to read all of your adventures. maybe I'll share some of mine later.

Jeremiah

joe41

Hey Heelies,

went to the Doc. today, says everything looks good and I don't have to go back unless I have a problem or pain. Progress, its a wonderful thing.

Jeremiah, sorry to hear about your accident. There is a gal on here from the UK who did not have surgery also, she goes by patw27. If you look back through all the posts you will get her insight. You may or may not realize we go back to Fractured Calcaneous 1.

TC, it does seem like Ed is picking up where you kinda left of. But I agree with Ed, your posts were very insightful and appreciated.

Hey Alex, are you the kid that rode thru my flower bed?

Sbrew, I hope all goes well for you and yours.

Well its time for my excersies, remember stay strong, positive and of course

Keep Healing Heelies

Joe

triguy450

Hi Jeremiah,

I am sorry you have to meet everyone this way, but as a group we'll help you thru this ordeal and we're happy we can. Well some of us. We're all at various stages of recovery as you've read.

This is a long term injury, especially since you did not have surgery. My surgeon told me it takes 2 weeks longer w/out surgery. I opted for the hardware install.

Like Joe mentioned, Patw27 did not have surgery. She can give you the most insight from her perspective.

While you are sitting around, look into athe following boards on this site. There are more that date abck to 2004 that I have read too. This should give you a good indication of what to expect and how long it will take. Yes, a year is not out of the question to go back to work for some.

Fractured Calcaneous 4
calcaneal fracture-hardware removal?
Fractured Calcaneous 3
calcanues fracture
Fractured Calcaneus 2
heel fractures

Everyone here is willing to help pick up the next guy, so don't be afraid to ask questions. We'll do our best to help.

Ed

triguy450

Joe,

Excellent news....a little here a little there.

My PT today...normal stuff I've been reporting. Today tho, balance on the mini trampoline with one foot. Rocker board with both feet for one minute, balance on the half half rubber balls for 1 minute. 10 minutes on the treadmill and leg presses on a machine. Stretching at the end with ice and tens.

I even went out back and did some yard work today.

Carole, I won't tell Dad you are talking to strangers. We're the good kind.

Ed

The J

Hello Everyone,
Jeremiah:
I'm sorry to meet this way but as everyone else has said we work together on here. Some more than others but it feels a lot like family. We all have a similar problem and talking with people going through the same thing helps immensely. Like was already mentioned, the time frame varies from person to person. For instance Ed and I had surgery on the same day but Ed's doc let him start walking almost a month before mine gave me the okay.
Joe:
That's awesome news about your doctors appointment! A couple days ago you posted about your range of motion, that it had improved. What was your range of motion at your first visit to the PT?

Today for me is/was day number two without the crutches. It was going good till around lunch time, I was walking and felt a sharp pain in my heel. Right where the doc put a screw that goes from the heel to the top of my foot. I reluctantly went back to the crutches and am icing the heck out of my foot. We'll see how it goes.

Question for everyone:
Which part of this experience has been the most painful?

loghome1

Hello all,
Jeremiah, (another Pa. guy!) Sorry about your accident. Through these posts, you will learn a great deal about this injury and the info. is extremely helpful. About getting back to work, everyone is on their own timetable. Something that gave me hope....I called and talked with someone i knew who had the injury. He was an independent contractor. He told me it took him about 7 months to get back to work(he had an infection and a fractured leg to boot) But, the good news, he told me he had no problems unless he was on a roof all day and then his heel would start to hurt. I immediately thought...heck, even before my injury, my feet would hurt after being on a roof all day! I have been 2 months weight bearing and although i can not run, hop or skip, i can do most everything.(yea...yardwork) Everyday, there is improvement.
take care,
Stew

loghome1

ps
Jason,
The most pain was definitely hitting the concrete. As the famous freestyle skier said(forgot his name) "It felt like a bomb went off in my boot" That kinda sums it up.
Stew

mydd

The J
The hardest part is my husband this fighting the infection and now having to go get hardware taken out because is the only way infection be cured. He already had done pt and walked on it,so going back to doing that wont be to bad ,just a big setback now.
MYDD

The J

Thanks for the replies and keep them coming. My left foot is the injured one and the most pain for me was pushing in the clutch on my truck to drive home. The fall didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.
MYDD, I'm sorry to hear about you and your husband. I can imagine it's a painful exercise in patience. I wish you the best of luck.

Stew: I like the quote.
Have a great weekend everyone.

Jason

mydd

jason

i think you summed it for everyone dealng with this situation that it is a "painful exercise in patience"

i cant believe you drove home like that with a clutch thought my husband would be the only one to do that,thankfully he just sold his car that had stick-BUT when he fell from ladder he borrowed on his day off from work he was putting it back on top of storage container (was a sunday) the ladder slipped out from under him ,his right foot got caught under the rung and his body came down on that from a height of 10 ft.no one was around ,he crawled to the car and drove home to me to take him to the hospital.
you did say you dont have hardware in right? if iam right can i ask why that was the way to go?
mydd

staabo

Thanks everyone for there input. I can see where this site can give me a more positive perspective on what has happened to me and my family. Thanks ed for starting this sight. I think it is definately a positive for everyone involved. And when I get an extra minute I will go back and read all the other postings.
Thej. I've often wondered what its gona be like when I can finaly walk without my crutches. Although I got upset one day about a month ago and tried to take a step without them. It probably set me back a month and made me realize I need to be patient. By the way, has anyone had a hissy fit and threw their crutches? Maybe I'm too proud.
Stew, Your contractor friend was just what I needed to read about. For some reason my company has been doing alot of roofs lately and that was one of my scares. I'm not sure but I think I'll have a better prespective on the outcome just because of your message. It sounds like everyone is doing just fine and I know I will too. As for Wal Mart... I will still do the crutches. Even though my wife is dying to see my in one of their little old man buggys. It won't happen. Thanks again everyone. You've already helped tremendously...
jeremiah

patw27

Hi Jeremiah,
I am patw27 and I also did not have surgery. You will feel as if this injury will never get better , we all did, but it will. I am 62 next month and had my accident 8 months ago. They told me in Fracture clinic last week that my multiple fractures have healed ( I didn't know until then that I had multiple fractures, I thought it was a simple break)and they don't need to see me again. I am still using 1 crutch but it is only a matter of time, PT and patience and I am sure I will get there.
I was also told that it will be about a year to 18 months to really get better but I can look back a month ago and see how much progress I am making.
You will get better quicker than me because you are younger women lose a lot of calcium through the years.
Keep in touch with this site because you will need reassurance along the way, this site has helped me more than any doctors

Good Luck

Pat

joe41

Hey Heelies,

Jason, am not sure what my range of motion was on the first measurement but I will ask my PT next time I go. The worst pain was when I bounced off the garage floor. I knew instantly I did something real bad. I also busted my head open but I didn't feel that at all. That reminds me of something my Dad would say when I was a little kid. If I would hurt myself and complain about it, he would say "bang your thumb with a hammer and what ever else hurts will get better". Well my foot was my thumb that day.

Any how, I agree that everyone will get better at their own pace. It's great to read about everyones progress. Some days I push and some days I cruise and that seems to be working for me. Okay guys, stay strong, positive and of course

Keep Healing Heelies

Joe