Wife Broke Her Ankle

[Zeedman]

Sorry to hear of the injury; I know it will be a trying time, especially with children in the home. My wife broke her lower leg badly two years ago, falling down stairs while carrying a heavy box. She hobbled to the couch, waited two hours for me to get home from work, then said - with a smile & a straight face - "honey, I think I hurt my leg". Then she wiggled it!It still makes me cringe thinking about it. Her pain threshold is unbelievably high (probably how she put up with me for all these years).

She was confined to a recliner & wheel chair for two weeks waiting for surgery, then another month after that before she graduated to a walker (with plates & pins in both bones). Our two grown daughters each took a week off to help out, and I took vacation & FMLA for the remainder. The church directed me to one of the local fraternal orders (I think it was Elks) that loaned out equipment for those with disabilities, so I was able to check out a wheel chair (and later a walker) through them. Son & I built a ramp to the front door for easier access, covered with non-slip outdoor carpet. We liked the ramp so much (especially when it snows) that we kept it.

Don't know how limited your wife's mobility will be, Sprig. The biggest challenge may be to her spirit, especially if she is accustomed to being active. Everyone is different in terms of what they will need emotionally... sometimes, with the best of intentions, we can be too helpful. It sounds like your wife is very competitive, the most painful thing for her may be having to rely on others to do things she would normally do herself. Injuries can be a challenging time, but the silver lining is that they can also deepen your relationship. Best wishes to you both.

 

[waretrop]

She must be in great physical condition to be in the roller derby. I am, not so much. I broke my elbow and ankle June 20 2016, not one year yet. We were doing the final touches in our gardens for the county garden tour. I was stepping over the hitch cringe just thinking about it caught my foot on an old grapevine. When I started falling over it I sat on my leg on the hitch then hit the ground on the other side and broke my elbow in 2 places. My foot was off the leg and sitting next to it under my skin.

With a metal plate and 8 screws added, 4 days later, I was on the lawn tractor showing off my gardens as people walked around to see them. I made them let me out of the hospital the morning after the surgery. I was in great pain but I wouldn't let anyone know that..How after 11 months I am still in great pain by the end of the day....The doctor said it would be there for 2 years after the break. It's been a hard journey but I will do this...

Now I am not in the shape that your wife is probably and everyone is different. I would say my pain is probably because I sat on my leg and foot on the hitch and separated the 2 bones in my lower leg. The doc said I really did some damage there. The pain I have now is in the inside knuckle where there are 2 screws...All the tendons and thingies in there were schredded and are still healing...

Sending your wife, good healing wishes....Hope things go well...

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Sorry to hear about that. Good luck on her healing. And good luck on the fence and cukes.

A lot will depend on her attitude. Some people want to be babied, waited on hand and foot. When my wife broke her arm it was dangerous to assume she couldn't or didn't want to do anything. Pay attention to her signals and good luck with that too.

Haha!

Thanks. Yeah, she's a tough one and her independence sounds like my wife

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Hi, Good healing to her~

When people talk about breaking an ankle it is usually a torn ligament or connective tissue~was it actually a broken bone, like the Talus?

Thanks and the very best to you both!

Richard

Fractured in the inside and outside. Doctor said it was a bad one but not terrible. I can't find the sheet that described the specific injury right now.

Well, not with roller derbies or broken ankles ...

I can say with spouse health care that it may be important for you to pay attention to the instructions from the professionals. It's difficult for people to focus on what is being said when they are ill and in pain. You can't really assume responsibility for another adult but remembering what is what while the other person convalesces may be important.

Kids can be a monumental distraction. I hope you have some help! They do need to know that they aren't the only ones with limitations and needs. Recognizing their own limits and shouldering some responsibility for their needs is a part of growing up and being human.

I have been working on a picket fence but also built a privacy fence in my backyard about 3 years ago. I got the idea from an 8' board fence between a medical building and an apartment building. The fence panels were likely to have been built separately and sandwiched between double 4 by 4 posts. I thought that it would be an easier way to build a fence and liked the looks. I didn't build an 8' fence but thought that the 6 footer could go between 2 by 4 posts. Fairly simple and it's different.

Steve

Yesterday a neighbor watched two of our kids while she had her surgery. The fourth was at school, so that helped A LOT!!

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Sprig, how long do they think your wife will be incapacitated from the surgery?
It may be difficult to be able to bend and flex around her needs. She may not be clear in her own mind as to what she wants. I know when I was in that d@%n surgical boot, I wanted to be coddled but not coddled at the same time. It was just frustrating, apart from the pain (which wasn't too bad).
Good luck. If she is normally active and healthy, she will probably heal very fast.

They said the next four days will be the worst and then in a week and a half she'll move from a splint to a harder/walking cast that will make things easier.

It's reminiscent of the recovery after a cesarean where I felt a little helpless since I wanted to help in any way but there's not much I could do since it just needs time to heal.

Remember watching roller derby on TV as a kid. Back then, you had the "good" team (both men & women) and the "bad" team. So how is it now?

Good luck being nurse.

There's no good and bad teams, at least not in her league. They're all really great and have a bunch of great names. My favorite is Delta Delta Di

North Star Roller Girls

Roller Derby! Awesome! Broken ankle! not so awesome......
I hope her recovery is quick and she can get back into the swing of things. Four kids? Oh boy, are you ever in for "walking a mile in her shoes"!! This is when you really appreciate your wife and what she does every day to keep everyone in the family going. Be sure and tell her that, it will make her feel appreciated.

Yep. I think the only place we really differ is cleanliness. But isn't that the tale as old as time? . I don't mind taking care of her or the kids, but I will be sure to show her my appreciation for what she does daily

Wow Sprig take care of her up tpo her limits and good for her derby not a easy sport there

Thanks. She's bad ass

Sounds like you are going to have a super full schedule for awhile. Hope she heals quickly good luck .

Yeah, lots of kid stuff & cleaning and less of anything else

 

[so lucky]

She must be in great physical condition to be in the roller derby. I am, not so much. I broke my elbow and ankle June 20 2016, not one year yet. We were doing the final touches in our gardens for the county garden tour. I was stepping over the hitch cringe just thinking about it caught my foot on an old grapevine. When I started falling over it I sat on my leg on the hitch then hit the ground on the other side and broke my elbow in 2 places. My foot was off the leg and sitting next to it under my skin.

View attachment 19758
With a metal plate and 8 screws added, 4 days later, I was on the lawn tractor showing off my gardens as people walked around to see them. I made them let me out of the hospital the morning after the surgery. I was in great pain but I wouldn't let anyone know that..How after 11 months I am still in great pain by the end of the day....The doctor said it would be there for 2 years after the break. It's been a hard journey but I will do this...

Now I am not in the shape that your wife is probably and everyone is different. I would say my pain is probably because I sat on my leg and foot on the hitch and separated the 2 bones in my lower leg. The doc said I really did some damage there. The pain I have now is in the inside knuckle where there are 2 screws...All the tendons and thingies in there were schredded and are still healing...

Sending your wife, good healing wishes....Hope things go well...

I got nauseous just reading this.

 

[lcertuche]

I hope she has a quick recovery. 15 years later, 4 surgeries and much pain mine was never the same. It sounds like she is determined to do well and that makes a difference.

 

[valley ranch]

Fractured in the inside and outside. Doctor said it was a bad one but not terrible. I can't find the sheet that described the specific injury right now.

That doesn't tell me much, I know a bit about sports injury. There is tissue, not exactly soft tissue, that binds the ankle bone together, while allowing them to move over each other as bearings~Like the Carpus (wrist) the binding tissue can more understandably be called torn~to me. The Talus can fracture, break or crack.

In the Ski Wars I received a ankle injury, a very bad one that required surgery~there were no bone fracture in the ankle~but further up the leg.

I've been a med tech and have worked a time in ER. I have been very into recovery and treatment of sports injury, Mostly that of professional skiers.

Doctors I've talked with, who themselves have had a sports injury, can discuss damage more mechanically.

Taking care ( therapy ) of and injury is most important and will determine the future of leg, in the case of ankle damage.

It is correct that.>>>

 

[valley ranch]

the hours, days following the insult, the injury continues to develop~the damage continues.

Swelling results in hydraulic damage, that's why she, your wife is I'm sure using Ice packs~In a few days that will change, whether of not the attending medical help is given by mechanically minded persons will determine the outcome and future of this ankle.

The very best to you and your wife~the very best!


Richard

 

[valley ranch]

Waretrop~Greetings,,My that's a nice injury~11 months~yes pain~pain that is hard to explain. When are the two long Titanium screws to be removed? You'll have adhesions to break up to regain full use of the ankle/leg, and Keloids, if you don't have an overproduction that will be a blessing, wife had keloid build up after and ACL surgery tough one.

I have learned from father old country, very effective therapies that have done well with my/our recovery.

I would like to hear how you are getting on with this repair, if it's OK with you~some people don't want to talk about those things, that I would understand.

I very much hope for you progressive improvement and lessening pain!

Richard