Now I really did it :((

[Calliecake]

Missy, it sounds like the PT was difficult for you. I'm sure what you are experiencing is completely normal. You are only just beginning. You will get where you need to be. Don't get discouraged. Unfortunately it takes time but think of how determined you are. You WILL get there! Your are very smart to do exactly what they tell you to do. Whenever you try to do more than you should, your body lets you know and you don't want to over do it. I'll check in with you tomorrow to see how you are doing with the exercises. I'll always be in your corner cheering you on. I wish I could do more to help you Missy. Hugs

I'm so glad it was the weekend and Greg was home with you. That really helps to keep your mood up. I know it gets hard during the week when he's working. The two of you are so lucky to have each other. Is he liking the board games and card games any better?

I was at Nordstrom yesterday and thought of you as soon as I got to the shoe department. They have lots of cool boots this year just waiting for you. I know you like your boots. When we were leaving we witnessed an older woman (around 75) take a terrible fall in the parking lot. Her face and nose took the brunt of it. We stayed and helped her until they took her by ambulance. I felt so bad for her. I think she probably broke her nose and I'm sure she was going to be really sore for the next few days.

 

[missy]

You'll be back doing everything and have your health too.

Your leg pics look fantastic to me. I do know what you mean about the removed feeling from it, I do remember that.

I am so sorry the PT said that. So so rude and unprofessional and also uncalibratable. It's a sad thing, people in health care can become insensitive and coarse.

Has anyone commented on the Voltaren gel from your Pain team or your surgeon?

Hi Azstonie, thank you. I think the surgeon was pleased with the way the surgery went. I remember what you said a few weeks ago (was it really that long ago?). That there are 2 types of surgeons. Those that see you through and those that just do what they do and let the other professionals take over. I feel like Dr. Wellman might be more of the latter type of surgeon. He does excellent work and that is what he focuses on and lets the experts in the other areas do their thing.

When I asked him about the pain and nausea when I was in the hospital he said he leaves that to the pain management team. I wouldn't mind a little more input from him now and I hope he can help in this area without me making more appointments with other doctors. Taking that cab ride back and forth to HSS takes a lot out of me right now at least.

When the surgeon called me Friday night it took me by surprise and I was not thinking clearly and I forgot to ask him about the Voltaren Gel. I will not forget when I see him this Thursday. It is on the top of my list of questions that I will be bringing with me. I have an intense pain on my left (lateral side) ankle and I wonder if that is due to the stitches there.

I am going to try putting gauze over it when I take my boot off to do my flexing exercises this morning. My dh doesn't think that will help but hopefully it won't hurt and perhaps it will. Any relief from that area hurting would be great because it kept me up from 2AM even though I took my oxycodone and tylenol when I couldn't fall back to sleep because of the pain.

The physical therapist was nice enough. I don't think she realized what she was saying in that it just popped out of her mouth. I sometimes do that too and then realize oops. Of course I don't do that with my patients but more like my dh and my family but we all make mistakes. I thought she did a good job at showing me what to do and her comment didn't upset me because I already know it's a very bad break because both surgeons who examined me (at Monmouth Medical when it first happened and then HSS) told me so. The shock of that fact is over though it does continue to reverberate in my head when I cannot sleep due to the pain.

I value all your advice and info and I am very sorry I forgot to ask the doctor about the Voltaren gel. I wrote it on my list of questions as soon as you posted about it here and it's just my scattered brain that caused me to forget to ask him when he called Friday night. I won't be making that mistake again.
Thank you!

 

[missy]

Missy, it sounds like the PT was difficult for you. I'm sure what you are experiencing is completely normal. You are only just beginning. You will get where you need to be. Don't get discouraged. Unfortunately it takes time but think of how determined you are. You WILL get there! Your are very smart to do exactly what they tell you to do. Whenever you try to do more than you should, your body lets you know and you don't want to over do it. I'll check in with you tomorrow to see how you are doing with the exercises. I'll always be in your corner cheering you on. I wish I could do more to help you Missy. Hugs

I'm so glad it was the weekend and Greg was home with you. That really helps to keep your mood up. I know it gets hard during the week when he's working. The two of you are so lucky to have each other. Is he liking the board games and card games any better?

I was at Nordstrom yesterday and thought of you as soon as I got to the shoe department. They have lots of cool boots this year just waiting for you. I know you like your boots. When we were leaving we witnessed an older woman (around 75) take a terrible fall in the parking lot. Her face and nose took the brunt of it. We stayed and helped her until they took her by ambulance. I felt so bad for her. I think she probably broke her nose and I'm sure she was going to be really sore for the next few days.

Oh my, that poor woman. I hope she's OK. At that age breaking bones can be so dangerous. I mean we all know stories where older people break a bone and they go downhill from there. She was fortunate that her face took the main impact IMO. Easier to heal in that area than others. And she was lucky you guys were there to help her!

Oh did you have to mention boots?! LOL jk, I love talking about them even if I am worried I won't fit into mine ever again. Greg insists I will be able to but he doesn't know for sure. No one does. Ironic if I cannot because I don't know anyone who loves boots more than me. And I have an almost infinite (OK maybe not almost infinite but a lot of boots lol) number of them sigh. Fingers crossed I can fit into them and more importantly that I can walk and stand in them for long periods of time without discomfort (once I heal of course).

I made the mistake of googling Pilon fracture the other day and came across a forum where people were talking about not even being able to stand or walk for more than a few minutes at a time since their Pilon fracture (years ago). I immediately shut it down. I know knowledge is power but that is not going to help me in any way shape or form and that is precisely why I didn't google it long before a couple of days ago. And I can promise you I won't be googling it again anytime soon!

Greg is enjoying the board games and card games more now. I think it's just something he wasn't used to doing as he never grew up with playing board and card games. Then he was resistant to it since we've been together and I never pushed for it because there was so much we enjoyed doing together that it wasn't something I felt compelled to do. Now of course it's all different and we have less options and now that he is playing them with me he's more into it. I bought a lot of games from Amazon. Let's see if I can remember some of them. Backgammon, Chess, Checkers, Chinese Checkers and Go are some of the new games I just got.
And we already have Monopoly, Yahtzee, Cards, Clue, Life, Scrabble, Jenga, Othello and a few others I cannot recall right now. Greg is most excited about Go. It looks complicated when you get into all the nuances and it seems like a game that takes time to really learn well. Of course the same is true for Chess and it has been decades since I played Chess but am looking forward to relearning it.

My dad taught us Casino last week which is a quick and easy card game and my favorite card game is Contract Rummy which I grew up playing but we called it May I in those days. Very enjoyable and it can be challenging. It's not a good to play with 2 people but you can and when my parents visit and we play it's better because it should be played with 4.

I did do the PT exercises last night before dinner. The therapist said to do them 3-4 times every day and I question that if I am in pain but my mom said I must do them to get the range of motion back since I had over a month of not moving my leg/ankle/foot. When I see the doctor Thursday I will be making sure with him it's OK and I will be asking for a prescription for more (and I mean more not just 40 pills this time like last week!) pills. It's a pain getting the Oxycodone too. My neighborhood pharmacy doesn't carry it so we have to go across from the hospital to the Duane Reade pharmacy there and wait to have it filled after my doctor's appointment. It adds another hour to the time I am just waiting in my travel chair and it's not so comfortable but it's the best option. I cannot believe it is so hard to get Oxy around my neighborhood. I called a few pharmacies so we could fill the Rx locally but no go. But in any case I hope I can get an Rx for a larger quantity of pills because I need a new Rx each time I need to get the meds and to go all the way to the upper east side every time I need to get the meds is a huge pain in the you know what.

Sorry about the book I wrote again OMG. I cannot shut up sometimes. Thank you for listening! And please don't feel like there is more you can do for me because you are already doing so much. I feel guilty taking up your and other PSers valuable time and I cannot say enough how much I appreciate you guys allowing me to express myself freely here and listening to me, encouraging me and sharing advice and info with me so generously. I hope you and your dh enjoyed a lovely weekend!(((Hugs))).

 

[MarionC]

Missy, hi.
I wrote you a long note last night and it disappeared instead of posting : (
So here is another attempt. The short version.

I admired your strength - keep up the good work!

Do you ever do any journaling?
My art therapist friend recommends "down and dirty" journaling, which means getting a journal you like and just slapping down one picture [yours or from a mag] every day with tape or a glue stick and then writing a bit. You could document your "adventure" and even use it for drawing designs, grocery lists, complaints gratitude - the whole nine yards. You could look back on it later and find it quite interesting.

Meanwhile, here is a nice virtual Tiffany necklace for you : )

I hope you have a good day! [[[hugs]]]

 

[AGBF]

You'll be back doing everything and have your health too.

Your leg pics look fantastic to me. I do know what you mean about the removed feeling from it, I do remember that.

I am so sorry the PT said that. So so rude and unprofessional and also uncalibratable. It's a sad thing, people in health care can become insensitive and coarse.

It's a pity she didn't say what she did to my best friend (the one who had the knee replacement). It would have made my friend feel wonderful. We have known each other since high school and she still jokes that I have always said that if I tell her if she cannot be the best at something she wants to be the worst. She would have taken great comfort at being told that a nurse had never seen someone with a more painful looking knee replacement.

I am sorry that someone said it to you, however, if it dampened your hope one iota. Remember: people are idiots. Or as the T-shirt says, "If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?".

You are extraordinary and not just a face in the crowd. You will prevail!

Hugs,
Deb

 

[missy]

Missy, hi.
I wrote you a long note last night and it disappeared instead of posting : (
So here is another attempt. The short version.

I admired your strength - keep up the good work!

Do you ever do any journaling?
My art therapist friend recommends "down and dirty" journaling, which means getting a journal you like and just slapping down one picture [yours or from a mag] every day with tape or a glue stick and then writing a bit. You could document your "adventure" and even use it for drawing designs, grocery lists, complaints gratitude - the whole nine yards. You could look back on it later and find it quite interesting.

Meanwhile, here is a nice virtual Tiffany necklace for you : )

I hope you have a good day! [[[hugs]]]

Ooh Jimmianne, you are killing me here. That is *exactly* my taste! I want, no I need that necklace gosh darn it! I'd be the Belle at the Ball or at least the Belle of my living room. Sigh, just another reason I wish I was born rich or at least had a generous family member in the jewelry business who wasn't against "lending" me some beautiful baubles yanno?

Thank you Jimmianne and also thanks for the journaling rec. Is that a bit like what I am doing now? Complete with gruesome pics of my leg X-rays, stitches, incisions, and all?

 

[missy]

You'll be back doing everything and have your health too.

Your leg pics look fantastic to me. I do know what you mean about the removed feeling from it, I do remember that.

I am so sorry the PT said that. So so rude and unprofessional and also uncalibratable. It's a sad thing, people in health care can become insensitive and coarse.

It's a pity she didn't say what she did to my best friend (the one who had the knee replacement). It would have made my friend feel wonderful. We have known each other since high school and she still jokes that I have always said that if I tell her if she cannot be the best at something she wants to be the worst. She would have taken great comfort at being told that a nurse had never seen someone with a more painful looking knee replacement.

I am sorry that someone said it to you, however, if it dampened your hope one iota. Remember: people are idiots. Or as the T-shirt says, "If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?".

You are extraordinary and not just a face in the crowd. You will prevail!

Hugs,
Deb

Hi Deb, my very first thought when she said that (and both surgeons made a similar comment) was that if I am going to do something I do it all the way lol. I might have actually said that to the surgeons at the time they said it was a very bad break. I hope your dear friend is doing well these days. I often think of her and keep her in my prayers.

And thank you. Don't worry as it didn't bring me down. Well maybe for a millisecond but then it just strengthened my resolve. Thank you for having such confidence in me Deb no matter what and big (((hugs))).

 

[JewelFreak]

Yow, Jimmianne, I'll take that Tiffany necklace! I'd even break MY leg if that's how to get it! What a nice virtual gift for Missy -- she can wear it to her next virtual party & she'll be beautiful!

Hey, Missy, I see one positive thing in your posts: you are feeling good enough to enjoy games with Greg. You may still have pain, but 10 days ago, even, you wouldn't have been able to do that.

Use your impatience to push yourself toward getting better, doing your PT stuff, getting stronger, having chuckles. Instead of "I'm not whole," make impatience work for you: "I WILL BE whole again, dammit!" PT does hurt after a break. It hurts everyone who has to do it -- which is why so many people don't get their full mobility back; they do less, to avoid the pain. As I mentioned, my grandmother (she's my idol, can you tell?) worked through tears, but ended up walking again.

Good move to stay off Pilon fracture sites! People who were successful don't bother to go on forums -- it's the ones who need a place to complain who do. Downer!

Since you are my PS twin & like animals as much as I do, here's a smile for you. From a blog on burros that I follow -- I've wanted burros since I was little. Who can resist these soft sweet eyes & gentleness? Burros love to cuddle each other -- and humans and horses.


Hahaha! I wish they were in my back yard. Except my dog, Charlie, would pester them forever. Have a great day today & be silly sometimes!

--- Laurie

 

[missy]

Yow, Jimmianne, I'll take that Tiffany necklace! I'd even break MY leg if that's how to get it! What a nice virtual gift for Missy -- she can wear it to her next virtual party & she'll be beautiful!

Hey, Missy, I see one positive thing in your posts: you are feeling good enough to enjoy games with Greg. You may still have pain, but 10 days ago, even, you wouldn't have been able to do that.

Use your impatience to push yourself toward getting better, doing your PT stuff, getting stronger, having chuckles. Instead of "I'm not whole," make impatience work for you: "I WILL BE whole again, dammit!" PT does hurt after a break. It hurts everyone who has to do it -- which is why so many people don't get their full mobility back; they do less, to avoid the pain. As I mentioned, my grandmother (she's my idol, can you tell?) worked through tears, but ended up walking again.

Good move to stay off Pilon fracture sites! People who were successful don't bother to go on forums -- it's the ones who need a place to complain who do. Downer!

Since you are my PS twin & like animals as much as I do, here's a smile for you. From a blog on burros that I follow -- I've wanted burros since I was little. Who can resist these soft sweet eyes & gentleness? Burros love to cuddle each other -- and humans and horses.


Hahaha! I wish they were in my back yard. Except my dog, Charlie, would pester them forever. Have a great day today & be silly sometimes!

--- Laurie

OMG Laurie, I thought I wanted that Tiffany necklace Jimmianne posted but now all I want are those darling darling burros. And wouldn't I love to cuddle them...these 2 look like they were made for just that. How could anybody resist! Thank you for sharing the picture. Another smile today. Amazing.

And of course you are right. I will use my impatience to work harder. I am embarrassed to admit one of the reasons I am reluctant to do the PT exercises of flexing and getting my range of motion back re my toes and ankle and foot is because I cannot bear to look at it. And look I must to make sure I am doing it right. See I am weak because I am sure your beloved grandmother wouldn't have felt that way. She would have said darn it who cares I am getting my range of motion back looks be damned (pardon my language).

It almost physically hurts me to look at my ankle. The heel and ankle just meld into one big swollen calf area and it scares me looking at it. When I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall back to sleep that's all I could think of...I mean it hurts (about a 7 or 8 depending) and it hurts to look at too. I am writing this in the spirit of brutal honesty because I didn't start this thread to fool myself or to waste people's time. I am writing my real feelings in real time much of the time. I know I am bound to disappoint you guys occasionally (I hope it's only occasionally at least) but that isn't going to stop me from sharing my thoughts and fears. And as you realize I am full of those lol.

But you are right in that 10 days ago I probably wouldn't have enjoyed playing the board games as much. All I need to do if I forget is go back to the beginning of this thread and remind myself how miserable the first 10 days were before I even had the surgery! That was truly horrible. The agony of moving around with those broken bones just waiting to be repaired for 10 days. So yes, better times ahead for sure and though I know I am in for some rough times too (need to be realistic) that is to be expected so I can get through it and become whole again whatever that might mean for me.

Thank you Laurie for all your good common sense and support. And of course posting pics I cannot help falling in love with.

 

[Calliecake]

Wow Oh Wow Jimmianne! You could not have found a more beautiful necklace for Missy! Hey Missy, Can I please borrow your necklace???

Hi Missy, I hope you are feeling well today and you have been ok doing your exercises. Keep telling yourself that your ankle and foot are not going to look this way for much longer. You will heal and the swelling will go down. It is a temporary situation and it will look and feel normal again. Please try not to dwell on how it looks right now. I know that is probably easier said then done. I think after any operation it freaks you out to see the stitches and swelling. I know I've felt that way in the past after surgery.

One of the first threads I read on Pricescope was you asking if your new boots looked nice or trampy. I was a lurker back then and didn't reply. Those boots looked fantastic on you!!! I remember thinking don't you dare take those boots back. You totally rocked them and you are most certainly going to rock them again! I thought of you instantly when I got off the Nordstrom escalator and saw the boots. How about if I fly to New York and we can go boot shopping when you are healed. My sister lived in her boots before her accident and she lives in them in the winter now. Her standard outfit in the winter is leggings or jeans, long sweater and boots. High heels were the only shoes she had problems with.

I had no idea it was such a pain in the butt to get your pain medicine. Although I guess it makes sense that they closely monitor your pain. They have to know the kind of pain an injury like yours would cause. It seems ridiculous that they would put you thru so much to get them.

I'm glad Greg is playing your favorite board games with you. My husband loves playing board games as well and wishes I liked them.

 

[Calliecake]

And I forgot to tell you to PLEASE stay off forums for pilom fractures!

 

[missy]

Wow Oh Wow Jimmianne! You could not have found a more beautiful necklace for Missy! Hey Missy, Can I please borrow your necklace???

Hi Missy, I hope you are feeling well today and you have been ok doing your exercises. Keep telling yourself that your ankle and foot are not going to look this way for much longer. You will heal and the swelling will go down. It is a temporary situation and it will look and feel normal again. Please try not to dwell on how it looks right now. I know that is probably easier said then done. I think after any operation it freaks you out to see the stitches and swelling. I know I've felt that way in the past after surgery.

One of the first threads I read on Pricescope was you asking if your new boots looked nice or trampy. I was a lurker back then and didn't reply. Those boots looked fantastic on you!!! I remember thinking don't you dare take those boots back. You totally rocked them and you are most certainly going to rock them again! I thought of you instantly when I got off the Nordstrom escalator and saw the boots. How about if I fly to New York and we can go boot shopping when you are healed. My sister lived in her boots before her accident and she lives in them in the winter now. Her standard outfit in the winter is leggings or jeans, long sweater and boots. High heels were the only shoes she had problems with.

I had no idea it was such a pain in the butt to get your pain medicine. Although I guess it makes sense that they closely monitor your pain. They have to know the kind of pain an injury like yours would cause. It seems ridiculous that they would put you thru so much to get them.

I'm glad Greg is playing your favorite board games with you. My husband loves playing board games as well and wishes I liked them.

Of course you may borrow my lovely necklace that Jimmianne so graciously gifted me...any time.

And you are totally on for boot shopping! First stop, Stuart Weitzman boutique in Soho. I know the manager there and she's a peach. And she will hold any style we want for us. They sell out quickly so it's good to have an in.
We need to get you matching boots so we can be boot sisters.

And then we can make some jewelry stops. I might know a few places.

Have you tried giving the board games a chance? I know Greg didn't care for them but once we started playing them over the last couple of weeks he is enjoying them more. There are a lot of different games you can try so you might just have to find board games you like. Chinese checkers and Go are a lot of fun. Give it a try and see what you think. Oh and I promise to stay off the Pilon fracture forums. Don't need to tell me twice. Once was enough!


OK so crazy worry right now. Maybe someone can talk me off the ledge. Another physical therapist came today and he told me not to do some of the exercises the physical therapist yesterday told me to do. Because it is weight bearing to some extent due to the weight of the post surgical boot. The knee kick and leg lift. OK fair enough. Except I was doing that yesterday and today before he came and told me that.

And now I took my boot off because my leg was bothering me in a different spot (calf vs ankle as usually it is the ankle and foot that really hurts) to see what was going on and the muscle is all sunken in. My dh said it is from not using it and it's muscle atrophy. Of course my mind goes to my crazy place and I am worried that doing that weight bearing exercise (that I didn't realize was weight bearing and was told by the first physical therapist to do it) caused the metal plate to shift or break or something.

Could that be what happened and why my calf looks sunken in on one side??? Last Thursday when I saw the surgeon my calf was not like that. Greg is very matter of fact about this is not what happened but he never had plates in any body part and I am scared because I unknowingly did weight bearing on that leg albeit mild weight bearing. Am I crazy. I really hope this is just me being overreactive and hyper sensitive about the situation and not me being right.

Other than that it was a good day LOL. I started reading a good book that Baby Monster recommended in the Book Thread- What Alice Forgot. Two of my friends came over for a card game early afternoon and then the new physical therapist came over for a short while and now Greg is home. It's amazing how fast time goes when one is basically sitting at home doing nothing!

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, First of all come down from the ledge. I think you need to call the doctor if for nothing else to give you peace of mind. I think Greg is probably correct but I also have never had a plate in my leg. I would think if the plate moved or broke the pain would be excruciating. Another reason I would call the doctor is because you are being told different things by the physical therapists. You need to hear from him what he wants you to do. I also want you to know that even though I'm telling you to come off the ledge, if I was going through what you are, I would be feeling exactly the same way.

I'm game whenever you are regarding shopping. Stuart Weitzman and diamonds, sounds like heaven to me!

It was nice to hear you had friends drop by today. Friends really are the best medicine.

 

[missy]

Thanks Callie for the reassurance. I just spoke with my mom and she said it would be impossible for the plates to move unless I hit them with a hammer LOL. They are screwed in (which I know but still) and not moving and if they did I would be in excruciating pain. HA! I do have a high pain threshold I knew it!

OK I feel calmer. I am definitely going to ask my doctor about which exercises are OK and which are not. I am seeing him Thursday so I will just wait till then and do what I know I can do and leave the other exercises for his OK.

I didn't think PT was going to be this confusing and that I would be getting different opinions from the physical therapists. I need a physical therapist who I can trust. As soon as I can move on from just the passive PT stage I am going to have physical therapy (and see if I can get a physiatrist appointment there too as azstonie recommends) at the Hospital for Special Surgery. I bet their PT and Physiatry department is top notch.

It is nice when my friends can come by. It's difficult during the workweek since most of my friends work full time and everyone wants to visit me on the weekends. But I am lucky that I have friends who can move around some of their work schedules occasionally to come by on a weekday afternoon.

Callie, I am always game for shopping so it's a date. As soon as I am walking again we'll make it happen! :apple:
And thanks again for helping me off the (crazy) ledge lol.

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Missy, Glad you are feeling better. Don't worry I will always be here to talk you down!

If you want to smile go the "Random pictures/stories of our furbabies" thread and take a look at Kelinas post. The video she just posted is adorable.

Can't wait for our shopping trip!

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Oh dear, Missy! I would not swim in a pool prior to the stitches coming out (chance of infection is really high) and there is weight bearing involved in getting in and out of a pool).

I would just call the MD and show him pictures (if you have his email) about the area of concern on your leg. It could be that swelling has subsided in an area or it's edema that has some pitting in it due to the boot. This must be so frustrating for you, but you are taking it in stride !

 

[missy]

Oh dear, Missy! I would not swim in a pool prior to the stitches coming out (chance of infection is really high) and there is weight bearing involved in getting in and out of a pool).

I would just call the MD and show him pictures (if you have his email) about the area of concern on your leg. It could be that swelling has subsided in an area or it's edema that has some pitting in it due to the boot. This must be so frustrating for you, but you are taking it in stride !

Thank you Resonance of Life. I asked the PT today and he said the same thing. No pool for a few months. He said that the incision needs to be fully healed and that I won't be ready for the pool for a long while. Oh well. I'm disappointed but not surprised especially thanks to PSers tempering my expectations.

That area on my calf does look like a sunken in muscle now that I am calmer. Atrophy is beginning and I know all the muscles in my leg will be affected soon. It's OK I know I can get it back once I start working out again. I am lucky I still have my leg and that is what I am going to keep telling myself. This will pass. Patience patience patience. If I keep repeating it it will be mine.

I am looking forward to seeing my doctor this Thursday because I just need to make sure the achey feeling (feels flu like if that makes sense) is normal and that the sunken in area is muscle atrophy. I just don't want to contact him so soon after I called him last Friday especially because I am seeing him Thursday. But if it becomes something critical (i.e. infection at wound site) I would not hesitate don't worry. Thank you for caring ROL.

Callie, thank you! And I am off to check out the furbabies thread...

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Don't worry, the achey feeling is normal. I experienced it in my entire leg because of the lack of weight bearing for so long on it. Lack of movement in an area will cause that achey feeling. Funny thing is, many patients in acute care settings complain about the pain when they first start PT from a bed ridden state, but then realize that it's the atrophy that really hurts and being in one position for too long.

I got all my muscle mass and tone back after I healed up-- just take it slow, you don't want to impede your recovery. The MD is there for you to consult, any nagging feelings, just contact him.

I wish I could do more for you!

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy. My husband has the same patience level I do – that is why our Christmas tree never has tinsel. There would be about 10 strands in the middle of the tree, 10 strands high on the tree then 2 big blobs of tinsel. Done!

I did sleep well, thanks. DH got up to do a conference call at 3:30 and I didn’t even hear him.

More importantly – did you sleep well? Sorry you woke up in pain again.

That is pretty amazing the PT came by on Sunday. I am sure she didn’t mean to be insensitive by saying you had the worst break she’s ever seen. You did a great job at PT since that was the first time at moving and bending in weeks. Just think how much you’ll impress her when you surpass and exceed their expectations! You were very active before your accident and you’ll work hard to recover. Your bending and stretching will become easier all the time and I know you’ll make sure you do all of your reps and then some. I have faith in you! I remember leg lifts after my knee surgeries; I couldn’t lift even a one pound weight on them when they let me start doing PT. Unfortunately that PT also hurts what you are trying to heal and strengthen. It will get better with time.

Rats that the second PT told you do not do some of the exercises the first one told you to do. I would say call the doctor and ask or quit doing those specific ones until you see the doctor on Thursday. I think if something shifted in there you’d know it.

I hope you can get a large supply of your pain meds with one refill. It must be one of those highly controlled substances since you can’t find it just anywhere.

Voltaren gel came highly recommended to me as well. My uncle is an orthopedic surgeon and his wife is a RN and they always suggest that for pain. My sister lost her left ring finger right above the knuckle and has a lot of nerve pain in it. They suggested she try that but I don’t know if she got any to use.

I am glad Greg is enjoying board games more. I tend to win at games where you can be lucky and my husband wins at games that require skill.

Good plan to stay away from the Pilon fracture forums.

Have a good night’s rest!
Marcy

 

[missy]

Don't worry, the achey feeling is normal. I experienced it in my entire leg because of the lack of weight bearing for so long on it. Lack of movement in an area will cause that achey feeling. Funny thing is, many patients in acute care settings complain about the pain when they first start PT from a bed ridden state, but then realize that it's the atrophy that really hurts and being in one position for too long.

I got all my muscle mass and tone back after I healed up-- just take it slow, you don't want to impede your recovery. The MD is there for you to consult, any nagging feelings, just contact him.

I wish I could do more for you!

Thank you Resonance of Life. That is very reassuring that you got back all your muscle mass and that the achey feeling is probably due to no weigh bearing or movement. 2 more days and we'll see what my doctor says. He's in surgery Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays so I just want to wait till I see him unless something more acute happens and then I will contact the office.

And you are doing so much for me already by answering my questions and alleviating my fears. It means the world that you are taking the time to help me. Thank you!

Hi Missy. My husband has the same patience level I do – that is why our Christmas tree never has tinsel. There would be about 10 strands in the middle of the tree, 10 strands high on the tree then 2 big blobs of tinsel. Done!

I did sleep well, thanks. DH got up to do a conference call at 3:30 and I didn’t even hear him.

More importantly – did you sleep well? Sorry you woke up in pain again.

That is pretty amazing the PT came by on Sunday. I am sure she didn’t mean to be insensitive by saying you had the worst break she’s ever seen. You did a great job at PT since that was the first time at moving and bending in weeks. Just think how much you’ll impress her when you surpass and exceed their expectations! You were very active before your accident and you’ll work hard to recover. Your bending and stretching will become easier all the time and I know you’ll make sure you do all of your reps and then some. I have faith in you! I remember leg lifts after my knee surgeries; I couldn’t lift even a one pound weight on them when they let me start doing PT. Unfortunately that PT also hurts what you are trying to heal and strengthen. It will get better with time.

Rats that the second PT told you do not do some of the exercises the first one told you to do. I would say call the doctor and ask or quit doing those specific ones until you see the doctor on Thursday. I think if something shifted in there you’d know it.

I hope you can get a large supply of your pain meds with one refill. It must be one of those highly controlled substances since you can’t find it just anywhere.

Voltaren gel came highly recommended to me as well. My uncle is an orthopedic surgeon and his wife is a RN and they always suggest that for pain. My sister lost her left ring finger right above the knuckle and has a lot of nerve pain in it. They suggested she try that but I don’t know if she got any to use.

I am glad Greg is enjoying board games more. I tend to win at games where you can be lucky and my husband wins at games that require skill.

Good plan to stay away from the Pilon fracture forums.

Have a good night’s rest!
Marcy

Thank you Marcy. I am glad you had a good night's sleep! And I know those 3AM conference calls as my dh occasionally takes part in them too. No complaints though as they pay the bills and goodness knows I am not doing a thing toward that end these days.

I did sleep better last night, thank you for asking. I fell asleep around 11 PM and I only woke up once at 3:30 and fell back to sleep till 5:30 so I almost had an uninterrupted night's sleep. Maybe the first one since I had the accident. It was very nice. I did take an oxycodone before bed which I normally do not do so maybe that had something to do with it.

Francesca has been sleeping on top of me these last few weeks lol because of the soft blanket I have covering me since the accident because it doesn't put any weight on me unlike my usual down comforter. Now that I am sleeping on my back Francesca just sleeps right on top of my stomach. Really a sight to see haha and when I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom she just comes right back on me when return. I am not under the misguided notion that she is sleeping right on top of me because she senses I need her but rather she loves the soft blanket I am now using haha.


Thanks for seconding the Voltaren gel recommendation. It's the first question I have on my list for the doctor when I see him on Thursday. I am so sorry about your sister's finger! The poor dear. I hope she is coping well and doesn't even notice it anymore. I won't intrude and ask what happened but I feel for her.

Greg is like you in that he is pretty lucky at board games too...I wonder if you and he played who would win the games that are more luck. Hmmm, we might just get to find out depending on where you have your knee surgery.
Though my dh is very patient so I guess that is where he differs from you, your dh and me. But as I wrote I am working hard at becoming more patient.

And I am staying away from the Pilon fracture forums. You can bet on that!

Thanks Marcy!

 

[azstonie]

Hey Missy: I DID A BIG FLIGHT OF STAIRS on Friday, up and down!!!!! Did not need the rail to drag myself up either!!! So don't lose hope about what you can do after your fracture and when it'll happen. Not to thread jack here, but I did the stairs when I went to work to quit my job after filing out the I'm Outta Here from I went straight to the outpatient pharmacy to get a tube of Voltaren gel as I'm insured by the company until end of the month. The pharmacy tech says, how many do you want? I TOOK THEM ALL BUT ONE!!!

I wish I lived closer, I'd give you some. It's too hot to mail pharmaceuticals from Arizona now, 112 today.

I am now a former employee of Mayo Clinc

 

[rainwood]

Missy -

Glad you're down off the ledge. Lack of mobility and oxycodone can make you a little crazy as I learned first hand. And don't worry that you've broken one of the plates in your leg from doing PT. You'd have to do something pretty drastic and if the plate had snapped, you'd know it. For sure. The surgeon said it was a possibility for me in the first few months and it never happened so I stopped worrying about it.

And you've gotten some more great advice from others here. No on the pool for awhile both because of the possibility of infection and of injury. And welcome to the world of dueling PT advice. That seems to be par for the course as reasonable people can differ. Surgeons aren't usually of much help in that arena so sometimes you just have to go with what makes sense for you.

And no on researching your injury on the forums because it's a skewed sample. The commenters here are right that most people who post are the people for whom recovery is going poorly. Everyone else is out living their lives. We also learned that the hard way when dealing with my husband's cancer. There are some things the internet is great for and some that it's not. You just have to figure out which is which.

And looking at your leg in its present condition is going to be shocking and kind of hard. My fat ankle and my skinny little leg freaked me out. But they come back. It's possible that you won't get back to exactly the way you were, but that doesn't mean you don't get all the necessary function back. My repaired ankle works fine, but it feels different than the other one. It doesn't hurt, it just feels different. And it's also a good reminder when I've kind of slacked off on my ankle exercises.

 

[Tourmaline]

Missy, you are just the sweetest bit of bright light around! I just love how you are sharing your experience with everyone. Big hugs! <3 <3 <3

 

[missy]

Hey Missy: I DID A BIG FLIGHT OF STAIRS on Friday, up and down!!!!! Did not need the rail to drag myself up either!!! So don't lose hope about what you can do after your fracture and when it'll happen. Not to thread jack here, but I did the stairs when I went to work to quit my job after filing out the I'm Outta Here from I went straight to the outpatient pharmacy to get a tube of Voltaren gel as I'm insured by the company until end of the month. The pharmacy tech says, how many do you want? I TOOK THEM ALL BUT ONE!!!

I wish I lived closer, I'd give you some. It's too hot to mail pharmaceuticals from Arizona now, 112 today.

I am now a former employee of Mayo Clinc

Woohoo!!! That is awesome azstonie!!! Threadjack all you want. I love hearing that news! Congratulations because all your hard work and perseverance paid off and how sweet you did it at work on your way to quit your job!
And don't worry about the Voltaren gel. Hopefully my doctor will write me an Rx for it on Thursday. Wow, 112 degrees. That's hot dry heat or not. Stay cool and keep up the stair climbing. And congratulations on quitting your job and on your new adventure in life whatever that is

 

[missy]

Missy -

Glad you're down off the ledge. Lack of mobility and oxycodone can make you a little crazy as I learned first hand. And don't worry that you've broken one of the plates in your leg from doing PT. You'd have to do something pretty drastic and if the plate had snapped, you'd know it. For sure. The surgeon said it was a possibility for me in the first few months and it never happened so I stopped worrying about it.

And you've gotten some more great advice from others here. No on the pool for awhile both because of the possibility of infection and of injury. And welcome to the world of dueling PT advice. That seems to be par for the course as reasonable people can differ. Surgeons aren't usually of much help in that arena so sometimes you just have to go with what makes sense for you.

And no on researching your injury on the forums because it's a skewed sample. The commenters here are right that most people who post are the people for whom recovery is going poorly. Everyone else is out living their lives. We also learned that the hard way when dealing with my husband's cancer. There are some things the internet is great for and some that it's not. You just have to figure out which is which.

And looking at your leg in its present condition is going to be shocking and kind of hard. My fat ankle and my skinny little leg freaked me out. But they come back. It's possible that you won't get back to exactly the way you were, but that doesn't mean you don't get all the necessary function back. My repaired ankle works fine, but it feels different than the other one. It doesn't hurt, it just feels different. And it's also a good reminder when I've kind of slacked off on my ankle exercises.

Hi Rainwood, yes, lack of mobility in combination with pain and pain meds is a winning combo isn't it lol. Makes me even crazier than PMS ever did haha. My poor dh.

It makes me feel better knowing I am not the only one to receive conflicting PT advice. It's frustrating because I would have hoped something as simple as passive PT would be straightforward in what is OK and not OK to do. I hope my surgeon will be able to clear it up but if not well I guess I will just be conservative till more time has passed.

I am glad your ankle is doing all it did before the accident and though it feels different it doesn't hurt. I cannot wait till the pain is over but I know I might have a long way to go till I get to that point as I know PT is going to be painful as even the few passive exercises I am doing really amps up the pain. So I can just imagine once I get the go ahead for more aggressive PT and weight bearing in a few months. But I am still looking forward to it because it will mean I am moving forward with my recovery.

I am staying away from the forums discussing these injuries. Lesson learned. One of the statistics that is sticking in my brain is (only) 60% do well after the surgery for Pilon fracture. I would like to get that statistic out of my darn head. My dh reassures me that we don't know the age group or fitness level/health etc of said group but I wish I never came across that statistic.

Thank you so much for all your insight and advice rainwood. It is incredibly helpful to hear this from you because you have been through it and I get to hear your experience firsthand. And I am so happy you are (and I hope your dh!) doing well!



Thank you Tourmaline. Big hugs back to you!
.

 

[azstonie]

Missy, when Finn, my male Westie jumped on my leg (I was holding a rump roast) I got freaky and got an X-Ray that afternoon. I wondered every single day if the fractures were healing, were they in correct alignment, etc. Entirely normal. I did 0 surfing online to avoid any anguish.

Look how far from your surgery you are now, way.to.go!!!!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy, we definitely won’t complain about our husbands doing their jobs so we can pay those pesky bills and buy diamonds. My husband works from home or travels so he talks to people all over the world and can have conference calls at all hours of the day.

I am delighted to hear you had a decent night’s sleep. Sounds like an oxycodone helped keep your pain down enough to allow you to sleep. I took my pain meds before PT or going to bed then tried to get by with Advil or Tylenol during the day. However, I am sure you are in a LOT more pain than I was with my surgeries. That is definitely progress that you slept through most of the night.

That is too cute about Francesca sleeping on you. I’ll agree with you she likes your soft blanket but I am sure she enjoys being close to you as well.

I feel really bad for my sister. She says the pain in unbearable and she has to massage it and force bend it to try and desensitize it. She smashed her fingers between a very heavy tool chest and a truck bed. Her husband was lifting it and she was guiding it and it went to slip, he just let go and she put her hand under it. That finger was smashed to mush and almost cut off and the middle finger was cut, smashed and had nerve damage. They had to cut her ring finger off right past the knuckle and that little portion just kind of hangs there; she can’t bend it on her own. What is sad she is one of those people who are never happy and kind of bitter about everything anyway. I was the trustee of my parent’s estate and we were cleaning out their house on weekends. There are 3 of us and we were all just kind of taking what we wanted and figuring out what to do with things. On weekend she would say she didn’t really care what everyone wanted but she and her husband would take china, crystal and tools but she wouldn’t pick any of them. Then she and her husband were coming to town during the week and taking things home when the rest of us weren’t there. If they’d taken the tool chest the previous weekend there were 7 men to help load it in their truck. But she and her husband came in on a Tuesday night to get it by themselves and the only reason they called me is because they didn’t think they armed the garage when they hurried off to the hospital. It was all very tragic. I know her husband feels absolutely awful that it happened. She is pretty tough and stubborn and stepped back in to her hard life as a farmer’s wife but I know she’ll be dealing with this for the rest of her life. They say it could take a few years before her nerve pain may improve and it may never get go away. I know she is interested in a prosthetic but has to wait until everything heals before they fit her for one. Sorry for the long story but a shortened version just wouldn’t describe it all.

That is funny Greg is lucky at games too. When we play cribbage with a group of people everyone wants to be my partner. We’ve got really rainy weather here today – I may be interested in knee surgery sooner than I think.

I work at having patience all the time. Really! So far I move on to something else before I get there.

I hope you sleep even better tonight!

Marcy

 

[missy]

Missy, when Finn, my male Westie jumped on my leg (I was holding a rump roast) I got freaky and got an X-Ray that afternoon. I wondered every single day if the fractures were healing, were they in correct alignment, etc. Entirely normal. I did 0 surfing online to avoid any anguish.

Look how far from your surgery you are now, way.to.go!!!!!!

Thanks azstonie. I am being even more of a worrier than usual I think because having to go through another broken body part and the unrelenting intense pain and surgery all over again just scares the heck out of me. If it could even be fixed if the plates broke. I mean how much can the human body take? As you know it feels like being a prisoner in your own body and sometimes I just want to rip the boot off my leg and be free. But you are right. Every day that passes brings me another day closer to feeling better.

Enjoy your new found freedom. I am looking forward to hearing your plans if you care to share them. I am living vicariously through others for now but it's not so bad. Gazing at PSers gorgeous bling really helps.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy, we definitely won’t complain about our husbands doing their jobs so we can pay those pesky bills and buy diamonds. My husband works from home or travels so he talks to people all over the world and can have conference calls at all hours of the day.

I am delighted to hear you had a decent night’s sleep. Sounds like an oxycodone helped keep your pain down enough to allow you to sleep. I took my pain meds before PT or going to bed then tried to get by with Advil or Tylenol during the day. However, I am sure you are in a LOT more pain than I was with my surgeries. That is definitely progress that you slept through most of the night.

That is too cute about Francesca sleeping on you. I’ll agree with you she likes your soft blanket but I am sure she enjoys being close to you as well.

I feel really bad for my sister. She says the pain in unbearable and she has to massage it and force bend it to try and desensitize it. She smashed her fingers between a very heavy tool chest and a truck bed. Her husband was lifting it and she was guiding it and it went to slip, he just let go and she put her hand under it. That finger was smashed to mush and almost cut off and the middle finger was cut, smashed and had nerve damage. They had to cut her ring finger off right past the knuckle and that little portion just kind of hangs there; she can’t bend it on her own. What is sad she is one of those people who are never happy and kind of bitter about everything anyway. I was the trustee of my parent’s estate and we were cleaning out their house on weekends. There are 3 of us and we were all just kind of taking what we wanted and figuring out what to do with things. On weekend she would say she didn’t really care what everyone wanted but she and her husband would take china, crystal and tools but she wouldn’t pick any of them. Then she and her husband were coming to town during the week and taking things home when the rest of us weren’t there. If they’d taken the tool chest the previous weekend there were 7 men to help load it in their truck. But she and her husband came in on a Tuesday night to get it by themselves and the only reason they called me is because they didn’t think they armed the garage when they hurried off to the hospital. It was all very tragic. I know her husband feels absolutely awful that it happened. She is pretty tough and stubborn and stepped back in to her hard life as a farmer’s wife but I know she’ll be dealing with this for the rest of her life. They say it could take a few years before her nerve pain may improve and it may never get go away. I know she is interested in a prosthetic but has to wait until everything heals before they fit her for one. Sorry for the long story but a shortened version just wouldn’t describe it all.

That is funny Greg is lucky at games too. When we play cribbage with a group of people everyone wants to be my partner. We’ve got really rainy weather here today – I may be interested in knee surgery sooner than I think.

I work at having patience all the time. Really! So far I move on to something else before I get there.

I hope you sleep even better tonight!

Marcy

Oh Marcy, my heart goes out to your poor sister. How awful. I feel for her and I hope she finds relief sooner rather than later. Interesting about the prosthetic because when this first happened I was talking to my dh about Aviva Drescher on the reality show Real Housewives of New York. Watching the real housewives reality show is one of my guilty pleasures. My dh hates these shows but I find them fascinating. Anyway, Aviva lost her leg below the knee in a childhood farming accident and now she can do anything and has a prosthetic that looks so perfect on tv at least. I am in awe at what modern medicine can do. Wishing all the best to your sister and for a pain free future.

Not such a great night last night. I woke up at 1AM and basically was awake till 4 or so when I was able to fall asleep however I then woke up from a bad dream (having to do with my broken leg sigh) a bit before 5AM and that was it. So I am pretty tired and had 3 cups of coffee this morning. Fortunately I love coffee.
So tonight I am going to try out the pregnancy pillow that came yesterday. I was going to wait till the final stitches were removed but I am going to cautiously try sleeping on my side with the pillow's help. If I feel the slightest bit of an issue I will not go through with it. I know rainwood and azstonie both slept on their backs I think the whole 3 months but my surgeon said I could sleep on my side so we shall see. My leg with the boot is incredibly heavy so not sure how it's going to work but now the pillow arrived I might as well see if it will work.

When you come to NYC maybe you can teach us cribbage. I know it is complicated and will take time but maybe we will catch on quickly...I hear it is a fun card game! I also want to learn bridge but again a complicated game that takes time and neither Greg nor I ever played. We need to catch up lol.

 

[MarionC]

Thank you Jimmianne and also thanks for the journaling rec. Is that a bit like what I am doing now? Complete with gruesome pics of my leg X-rays, stitches, incisions, and all?

funny. yes, exactly. you are 'way ahead of me!
and the more gruesome the better