Five Year Update!

Lookie here!  Five years already since that fateful day.  This is the first year that I haven't had that feeling of anxiety and dread when the anniversary comes around.

The best news is that my plantar fasciitis is under control. Last summer my left foot was on the mend and then the plantar on my right started bothering me.  I couldn't believe how I battled first the left, and then the right foot for almost three years!  Having plantar fasciitis definitely put limits on how much walking I could do.  I still believe that my knee problems had something to do with it, but maybe not.

In the year since I last wrote I have had only one flare up on my knee.  I went on vacation and was standing and walking for like 10 hours a day. After four days of this my knee swelled up and I had trouble walking.  Since I was on vacation I had to resort to the RICE method, which means rest, ice, compression and elevation.  I went to the store, got a knee compression sleeve, got an ice bag, bought a folding stool, and elevated my knee as much as possible.  Of yes, I don't want to forget the Advil. (To me, Advil (ibuprofen) has always been the best with knee pain ). After a few days of RICE treatment everything returned to normal. Truth be told, I was in a panic when it happened but things worked out well. So don't panic if you have a flare up after a drastic increase in activity.  Listen to your body!

I've been doing a lot of walking now that my plantar fasciitis is better so I went out and got a Fitbit. My goal is to walk 5 miles a day and I've been on target almost everyday.  It helps to be retired.  Before my accident I really enjoyed walking, and I still do, so an I thrilled to be able to get out in the fresh air so much.

After 5 years, I feel great.  I hope everyone has faith that they will come through this.  I know we are all different, but I want everyone out there to know that you will have good days and a few bad days but there is life after TPF.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy healing, friends!

Four Year Anniversary

Hello everyone,

Today is exactly four years since I broke my Tibia Plateau.  I still get anxiety around this time of year!  In some ways the time has passed quickly and in other ways it seems like I have been dealing with this forever.

On the whole, I am pretty well and can't complain.  My biggest problems in the last year has been 1) trying to keep my plantar fasciitis under control and 2) working on keeping knee "flare ups" to a minimum.

I'm not sure how common plantar faciitis is after an injury like ours, but I bet it is more common than we know.  My problems started about 4 months after my hardware removal.  Now, whether the hardware removal caused this, or as my activity level increased after hardware removal and caused it, I'll never know.  All I know is it took me at least 18 months to be rid of it, or I should say, mostly rid of it because if I overdo I still can feel the twinge. I tried everything to get better; icing, massage, custom orthotics, rest, but the one thing that did it for me was a night split.  It looks like this:

I use the night splint every night without fail.  It has helped me so much.  I have to always be on my toes (pun intended) with my plantar fasciitis.

As far as flare ups, I noticed that if I overdo the activity and don't do the exercise bicycle I start getting swelling in the knee.  Of course, that sends me into a total panic that there is something wrong with my knee.  If this happens, I revert back to the RICE method.  Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.  It really does work, especially the ice.  Well actually, it all works pretty well.  My best advice to you all is to consistently use an exercise bicycle or a real bike, and work out with that.  It really strengthens the quads, which is super important.  For me, no other exercise works as well as the bike.  Sometimes I slack off going to the gym and don't take my own advice and I start getting the twinges.  I know its happening so I know I need to get biking ASAP.

I wish you all best of healing and try to keep a positive attitude.  All TPFs are different and everyone heals differently.  I'm now 56 years old and doing pretty much everything I want to do.  Just take it one day at a time was my motto back then and I still have to remember that old saw when I get a twinge.

Good luck, everyone!

3.5 Year Update

Hi Everyone!  Hope you all are doing well.

You know, when I started my little blog, I did so for a few reasons.

When I was told I had a TPF and had no idea what that meant.  I looked it up on the internet and didn't find much information.  Either it was too technical (as in written by orthopedic doctors and I had no idea what the terms meant) or just plain sensational (as in, "the worst thing to happen to me", or "my leg will never be whole again").

As most of us sitting with a broken leg can relate to, you have plenty of time to search the internet and frankly, I was scared to death about what I read.  Back then, I really would have liked to read about  the progress of a "normal" person.  I wanted to see what I could expect down the road at six months, one year, etc.  I had a hard time finding that kind of information.

But mostly, I wanted some reassurance that, at 52 years old, my active life wasn't over and I wasn't destine for a life of knee problems, pain, and lack of activity. So, I thought I would document my journey--as a journey of a "normal" person.  Not that I am "normal" in any way!

I really never expected more than a handful of curious, or maybe bored people to look at it.  I have so much empathy for people with this injury and know how helpful a positive outlook and outcome can have on people. I did on me!

I also know that as time passes the memories sort of mellow and what seemed like a big deal back then is soon forgotten. I wanted to be able to show people exactly what I was feeling at the time, not with the 20/20 hindsight I have now.

Finally, I wanted to recommend a resource for you guys.  A fellow TPF sufferer, my friend Sholmi has developed a great web page:  http://www.mytpf.com/  I wish this was around when I was down with my injury.  It's great to know that you are not alone while recovering.

Life is good after a TPF; Halloween Party 2013

Three Year Anniversary

Today is the day, three years ago, that I had my accident.  While this date is not something I celebrate by any means, I do take some time out of my day and reflect on it.  This is the day I spend some time saying, "what if..." and, "if only".  We know that doesn't do much good because what is done is done.

But on a more positive note, I can say that my leg has healed up about 90-95%.  I still get swelling if I neglect to do my leg exercises.  My main problem this past year is my 14 months of plantar fasciitis. I believe this is directly related to my broken leg.  I have tried every remedy but have not had much success.  I hope I can put this behind me so I can be more active.  I do love walking but don't do it so much anymore because it will aggravate the heal pain.  Other than that, life has returned to normal.

If I can give you guys any advice, that is to please do what you can to maintain your leg strength.  I have found using a stationary bike to be the best thing I can do for myself.  If you can't do that, then do lots of leg lifts and keep all the muscles in the leg strong.  It really does make a difference in your pain level, swelling, and your stamina.

I also encourage you to be positive as much as you can.  Don't be embarrassed by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. It happens to all of us.  You have had a setback and often you feel all alone.  But you are not alone.  Unfortunately, many others are in the same boat as you and have come out victorious on the other side.  It takes time.  It takes patience.  It takes work.  But you can have your life back again.

I'll get off my soapbox now.  I have such compassion for people that are going through what I went through.  You will get there!  Stay strong.

Patty
May 21, 2013
Third year anniversary

My TPF Timeline--Letters to the Forum

This is a pretty long post.  It is all my posts consolidated in one post, if you want to see my progress as time goes by. This long posting also includes emails sent to family and friends.

I was active on a broken leg forum while I was recovering and I recommend you check them out for information and real life experiences.  Here is a summary of my postings.  You can see how I progressed and what setbacks I faced.  

Forums here:

http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtalk/index.php?board=21.0
This was my preferred forum. Read ALL the posts if you have time.
I had plenty of time.

http://www.mybrokenleg.com/forums/list.php?f=2
I didn't enjoy this forum as much because many of the posters have broken legs at the ankle, which isn't the same as having a TPF.  Still bad for them, but their issues were different than mine.


Here are are common acronyms that I have used so you can follow along:

TPF--Tibial Plateau Fracture (the broken leg)
BL--Broken Leg
PT--Physical therapy
NWB--Non weight bearing
PWB--Partial weight bearing
FWB--Full weight bearing
OS--Orthopedic surgeon
ROM--Range of motion
ORIF--Open reduction internal fixation (the hardware used to put you back together)

My TPF Timeline--Letters to the Forum

I broke my leg on May 21, 2010.

May 24, 2010

I think by now you must all know that my doctor's visit didn't go as expected. Because of where the tibia broke they need to do surgery to repair it. I think I heard "pins", 'plates", and "metal" mentioned. I have a metal mouth (orthodontics) and now a metal leg.

I go to pre-op tomorrow and then the surgery is on Thursday. I believe they keep me overnight in the hospital (I'm shocked that Kaiser doesn't send you home immediately). My orthopedic doctor says my surgeon is top notch and that I'll be in good hands. I hope the recovery isn't too painful. I'm supposed to go to physical therapy after only two weeks.

I'm not in pain right now and have a very positive outlook, so don't worry about me. I really would rather be there at work getting ready for the upcoming week than lounging at home, anyway.

I'll let you know how things are coming along since I have a lot of time on my hands, now.

May 26, 2010

My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I must say that I'm a bit nervous about it but I was told by a few people that my doctor was the best, most caring, and most meticulous surgeon at Kaiser. I am predicted to stay at Kaiser for 2 or 3 nights. The first day will be good because I will have a spinal block which means no pain. After that wears off, the pain is usually very severe so I will be getting an "on demand" painkiller delivery system. I'm sure I'll be demanding it a lot! And I thought braces were bad!! They want me up and out of bed the same day! I'll be getting a brace and won't be getting a cast.

I'm glad to be on the road to recovery, but this first step will be a big one!

May 26, 2010

Just wanted to say so long, just for a while.
My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I check in at 9:30 a.m. and the surgery usually takes place 1 1/2 hour later. It is a two hour surgery so I should be done around 1 p.m.


June 19, 2010

I'm 3 weeks out of the surgery.
I'm still taking my Norco around the clock. I take 1 every 6 hours during the day, and at night I take 1 1/2 every 4-5 hours. It’s funny how my pain is always worse at night. Maybe because the leg doesn't move as much and gets stiff; I’m not sure.

June 12, 2010

I haven't written in a while so I just wanted to give you an update of my situation.

I went to the doctor for my surgery follow up last Thursday. I had my staples removed and now can take a real shower instead of those awful sponge baths!

The leg seems to be healing well. I saw my post-op x-rays and was horrified. My lower leg looks like a bionic leg. The "screws" and "plates" look horrible. It looks like they put railroad spikes in my leg! It was very disturbing to see. But all this is supposed be for my own good!

Doc said I can start putting weight on it in 4 weeks. Very slowly test the waters, so to speak. She said I could go swimming now and could start to gently ride a stationary bike. I think I'll hold off awhile on that. She told me to continue to bend and stretch it as much as I can, but to put no weight on it. I still am on the pain meds but I'm good about keeping myself pain free. My worst pain is at night when my leg hurts if I keep it in a position too long.

We are working on getting a handicapped placard so Al doesn't have to drop me off and then park the car. I don't really leave the house except to go to Kaiser, but this will be handy down the road.

I've kind of settled into a new (read: boring) routine. I actually take naps every afternoon. Thank god for my DVR shows. I haven't watched so much Barney Miller and Frasier in years! I really miss taking pictures, baking cookies, and most of all, walking. I will never, ever taking walking for granted again!

I have a long road ahead, but I'm taking one day at a time. Al has proved to be an exceptional caregiver. I am much more capable of helping myself now, which gives him time to do this own thing. Above all, you can't have a crabby and stressed out caregiver!


June 25, 2010

I was in great need for a haircut so I made an appointment with the neighborhood salon for today. They were great, helping me, and being very mindful of my bad leg.

The good news that I feel better with a new do, the bad news is I never realized how exhausting this outing would be. I was so tired when I got home, even though the whole trip was only 45 minutes long. I'm a bit bummed about my total lack of stamina. Before my accident I was a very active 52 year old and now I feel like an over-the-hill weakling. Just thinking about going to the mall or out to eat leaves me tired! I was hoping to get back to work in a few weeks, but being that a simple haircut wore me out, I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle being at work all day.


June 26, 2010

As for work, doc did give me 12 weeks off (until August 15th) but I was hoping to get back towards the end of July with 1/2 days. I work at a college and all our offices are quite a distance apart. I can certainly use the wheelchair if I need to, though. I have to laugh at my friends who are surprised that I'm "still sitting around doing nothing". My good buddies tell me, "if I was you, I would be out taking trips with the wheelchair to the zoo, the mall, the bike trail..." LOL if they only knew...I see the PT for the first time on Monday and I'm looking forward to that. They gave me some exercises in the hospital and I've been good about doing those. My leg (the injured one) is so scrawny it is downright scary, especially the calf. Yikes! I begin PWB on July8th. After being NWB for 4 1/2 weeks the last few days seem to be the hardest!!

June 28, 2010

Thought I'd stop by and tell you how things are progressing here at home.

I went to Kaiser for my first physical therapy appointment today. I have a wonderful PT. She is just awesome. I count myself so lucky to get someone so knowledgeable and competent! She measure my range of motion (ROM). This is important because me more I can move, the easier it will be for me to walk. My goal was 90 degrees at 6 weeks post op. I scored an awesome 110 degrees at 4 1/2 weeks! I have been working hard on my exercises and it has been paying off.

I got another 4 more exercises to do (homework). I'll add this to the 4 I already do, so that makes 8 exercises a day, 3-5 times a day. And then ice for 20 minutes afterward. Looks like I'll be busy. My next visit will be July 8th. This is a very important date--not only 6 weeks post op, but the first day I can put weight back on my leg. She wanted me to start my weight bearing with her to make sure I don't overdo it and get a sense of how much weight to actually put on it to start with. I'm just waiting for July 8th!!

The highlight of the last week was Al took me out for a haircut. It was nice to get a nice short do, but the 1 hour outing really tired me out. I have so much work do to on improving my stamina. I also had to go to Kaiser and get an x-ray of the leg to see how the healing was coming along. I'm happy to report that the x-ray looks good. The highlight of my typical day is taking a long and hot shower (I know, pathetic). I would love to be up to baking and trimming my roses, but that is still too much for me to do. I'm watching so much TV (ask me about the Science channel shows about Dark Stars and Black Holes or how about that "Man vs. Food". LOL I’m also reading all the Sherlock Holmes stories.  

June 28, 2010

I'm about 4 1/2 weeks out of surgery myself so this stuff is very fresh in my mind still.
I was so nervous before my surgery, probably because I had no idea what to expect because I had not found this site yet. My best advice is to make sure they give you plenty of pain relief. Don't try to be heroic! Once the pain is controlled you will find things aren't so bad. Try to rest as much as you can. If visitors overstay, tell them so. Don't refuse anything they might offer you in the way of walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, etc. I had my hubby bring my iPod shuffle to the hospital and it was a joy to be able to listen to good music and think about things. Very relaxing and comforting. Use plenty of pillows around yourself to allow your leg some support. Be nice to your nurses as they will have your back for the next few days.

Hope you are all doing fine and enjoying the summer. This certainly isn't how I wanted to spend mine!


July 6, 2010

Yep, I noticed that we were "cut down" around the same time. Mine was a real freak accident--my son's dog was running in the park with us and ran right into me. I knew I had hurt myself bad, she hit me hard, but I thought I had torn some tendons and such, not broke my

July 8, 2010

The day that I have been waiting for 7 weeks is tomorrow. I have my OS's go ahead to start weight bearing as tolerated. I have been counting down to this day and now that it's finally here I'm really starting to get scared.

My PT has scheduled an appointment with me tomorrow and she knows my fears. She says not to worry, that we were going to start out slow and easy. Guess after all I've been through (as we all well know) the thought of hurting myself or having something go wrong is in the back of my mind. I'm not sure at all how well my leg is going to react but I guess whether now or in another month I'll be in the same situation.

I'm sure these doubts are pretty normal, I just wasn't expecting them! I'll let you know how things fare tomorrow! Ah, that nasty pain monster.

I was so lucky that I was taken care of pretty well in the hospital. It didn't get past a 3 or 4 on the pain scale. I still am having some discomfort at night, six weeks out of surgery. I'm still taking one Norco at night; otherwise the pain will not let me sleep. I think it's so important to get a good night's rest. I tried doing the over-the-counter stuff before bedtime but it didn't help.
I haven't been brave enough to even try toe touches on my bad leg. I had one visit to the PT on July 1st but she most went over my x-rays in detail (something my OS didn't do) and gave me exercises to strengthen my leg. My BIG DAY is this Thursday when she will show me how to be PWB. I'm so scared, nervous, and excited all at the same time! I hope you won't be too far behind me!
How are you doing with your pain at this stage? I'm doing okay during the day but find I need some relief at night. I cut my Norco down to one at bedtime (Norco works better than anything else. I've tried Advil and Aleve) and then take 1/2 when I wake up in pain, usually between 3-4 a.m.


July 8, 2010

I had my big day today and was able to finally put weight on my broken, but now healed, leg. This is really a milestone in my recovery.
I was able to put a slight amount of weight on the left leg. The goal is to "wake up" the muscles and to get the brain to realize the leg is now part of my body.

I was very nervous about putting weight on it again, after 7 weeks of non-weight bearing. I had to "walk" about 50 feet to the waiting room and, believe me; I was working up a sweat doing it. It was like running a marathon. Like somebody once said, "one step today, two steps tomorrow, and keep going until you can walk again". My range of motion (ROM) was excellent, by the way. My goal of six weeks was 90 degrees, today I hit 132. Amanda (my PT) says I'm really flexible and she's happy that she doesn't have to work on my ROM. Many people with my injury have to work hard on their ROM before they can walk because if you can't bend your leg, you can't walk. My scar is healing well, she said.

I'm sending you a photo that my sister took of my xray with my plate and pins. The photo isn't the best, but it shows the 4 pins on top of the tibia and there is also one small one (hard to see) on the end of the plate. Hope this doesn't freak you out like it did me, at first. It was quite shocking for me to see, but now I'm used to it, I guess.


July 9, 2010 

I had my big day today and was able to finally put weight on my left leg. I was very nervous about putting weight on it again, but my PT was so patient and understanding. I brought my walking shoes and it felt very funny to use a shoe on my left foot. I'm glad I have my trusty walking shoes on and just that gave me confidence. These were the shoes I had on when I got injured so maybe I should have used a new pair...LOL

First she had me stand with my walker just tap the floor with my left foot. Then she had me hold on to a counter and do the same. Boy, did that feel weird! It was odd not having my walker right next to me. I felt a little wobbly but not dizzy. I had to "walk" about 50 feet to the waiting room putting very little weight on the ball of my left food and, believe me, I was working up a sweat doing it. It was like running a marathon. I was very proud of myself.

Got home and iced the knee. It didn't hurt, thank god. At night I wanted to see how it would feel. The leg was a bit sore, but not in the broken part. I kept having twitches in the whole leg, which I will assume are the muscles responding to being used again. Again, not painful just “there”.

Finally, I need to tell you how wonderful, mentally, it feels to be PWB. It truly is such a milestone. I no longer feel like an invalid but someone who is really getting better. NWB is just so long, lonely, and seemingly endless. If you aren't weight bearing yet, take heart! The day will come and your whole outlook will change.

July 15, 2010

I'm exactly one week into PWB. Going to the PT in an hour to see what she has in mind this visit.

I am making progress with the walking but I thought it would be easier than this, not that I'm complaining! I have a walker (dr didn't want me using crutches at all) and I am now able to put my foot completely down and walk while holding on to the walker. I have gone out on two "walks" a day for exercise. This is about, let's say 400 feet down the street, round trip. I'm really slow with my walking but it does beat NWB any day of the week. I don't seem to have any swelling problems, but by the end of the day the leg is "achy". Some days are better than others, but on the whole, I'm happy with my improvement in one week.

July 16, 2010

I went to my PT yesterday; boy did she work me hard.

Now keep in mind when I say I can "walk" I am actually using my walker and hanging on to the handles while walking forward very slow. It is nothing like really walking with the arms swinging and a bouncy step. It is more like what you would see in a senior citizen home.

But anyway, my PT was happy to see some actual definition of the quad--looks like all my exercises are paying off. She had me add some more exercises to put more weight to the bad leg. I have to do some "mini" squats now. She had me get on a weight balance machine because she said I was really favoring my right leg while walking. I thought I was walking pretty even but the machine said it was more like 40/60. She had me practice trying to go 50/50 and then to 70/30, with 70 percent weight on the injured leg. I have to get up to 100 percent on the bad leg if I am able to walk unaided. She also watched me "walk" and said I should try to bend my bad leg while walking more. Ouch, that is definitely harder! I was exhausted at the end of the session. My stamina is still not as good as I would like, but she said this would come in time. I don't have an appointment for two weeks due to her schedule being booked so at that time we will try to transition to the cane. I'll be staying with the walker for another two weeks at least.

On a side note, while I was in the rehab gym, there were about 10 young people (18-25 year olds) on the equipment. I asked my PT (sounds like prison) "what are they here for?" and she told me they all had ACL (knee ligament) problems. She told me that the ACL ruptures were way worse that my fracture and that the young folks were on a 9 month rehab plan. How sad for them! She also told me that the folks with the patella (kneecap) breaks are also in worse shape than me, with a much more difficult rehab. I never thought of my broken leg as "lucky" but it is always humbling to know that others are struggling as much, if not more. The ol' leg was really sore last night. I had to take the pain pills for sleep and then again at 2 a.m. when I woke up sore. My leg feels pretty good this a.m. and that's good.

I'm hoping to return to work the first week of August. I 'm waiting for the DO to send me paperwork so the doctor can clear me to come back.

July 29, 2010

I'm headed to PT in an hour. Today is the day we put the walker to rest and I get a cane! My leg has really improved the last few weeks, especially this last week. I am really starting to feel like my old self. Don't be surprised, though, with how slowly and awkwardly I still walk. I am definitely a work in progress. I'm happy that both my PT and doctor have been amazed at how quickly I have progressed, even though it seems really slow going while you are going through it. Maybe all those lunchtime walks at EVC over the years has contributed to my success. I encourage everyone to get out there and enjoy walking!

July 29, 2010

Went to my second PT while PWB and thought I'd give you all an update.

My PT was happy to see some actual definition of the quad this time! She had me add some more exercises to put more weight to the bad leg. I have to do some "mini" squats now. She had me get on a weight balance machine because she said I was really favoring my right leg while walking. I thought I was walking even but the machine said more like 40/60. She had me practice trying to go 50/50 and then to 70/30, with 70 percent on the injured leg. It felt pretty good, but boy, was I tired. She also watched me "walk" and said I should try to bend my bad leg while walking more. Ouch, that is definitely harder!

I don't have an appointment for two weeks due to her schedule being booked so at that time we will try to transition to the cane. She doesn't like using crutches (just like my OS) so we'll be staying with the walker for another two weeks at least. On a side note, while I was in the rehab gym, there were about 10 young people (18-25 year olds) on the equipment. I asked my PT (sounds like prison) "what are they here for?" and she told me they all had ACL problems. She told me that the ACL ruptures were way worse that my TPF and that the young folks were on a 9 month rehab plan. How sad for them! She also told me that the folks with the patella breaks are also in worse shape than TPF, with a much more difficult rehab. I never thought of my TPF as "lucky" but it is always humbling to know that others are struggling as much, if not more.

Due to the increase in exercise at PT my ol' leg was really sore last night. I had to take the pain pills for sleep and then again at 2 a.m. when I woke up sore. My leg feels pretty good this a.m. and that's good.


July 31, 2010

Just thought I would send up a post and tell you that the PT gave me the go-ahead to start FWB.
I graduated from walker to cane. It's been 3 days now and I realized that my expectations were a wee bit too high. I actually thought I would just sort of walk normally again. After all, walking was my favorite hobby before my TPF! I wanted to get back to the walker but my hubby said, "no". LOL

My dear PT gave me a list of "corrections" that I need for to work on (she really is a great gal--I love her):

Back and shoulders straight
Bend the knee
Take smaller steps
Relax
Breathe
Walk faster
Look forward

I think I might be able to work on one "correction" at a time, but not all at once. Who would have thought that walking would be so difficult? I'm headed back to work in two days so I was hoping for a more normal, less "injured" walking style. Not that I'm complaining; I am ever so thankful to be walking again.

August 8, 2010

Thought I would give you an update and some observations...

I went to the PT Thursday last. My walking (limping) really improved within the first week of FWB. I was happy to see that. My BL is less stiff and I'm walking less like a peg legged person. PT took it easy on the "tips" because she knows I'm trying really hard to walk smoothly.

PT had me walk w/o the cane. That was scary but very fun. The limp w/o the cane was really ugly but that gives me something to work on. I also learned how to get down on the floor and up. It was a very weird feeling to sit on the floor again, after 2 1/2 months! I was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to get up. Talking to my PT, she said that she works a lot with stroke victims, teaching them how to walk. She said that people like us are very similar in that respect. So when I tell people I walk like a stroke victim, I'm telling the truth!

I also went back to work last week. It was very strange being back after 10 weeks off. People were happy to see me and were very curious about my BL. Nobody freaked out when I showed them my scar! I decided to work 6 hours a day the first week and should be okay doing 8 hours starting tomorrow. Working really did tire me out, though. I was exhausted, although I just sit at the computer all day. I also did a lot more walking than at home--the restroom is quite a ways away. I think that did me some good. Going back to work is really a big milestone. It takes the focus away from the BL and makes you think of other things. It’s funny how our journeys are filled with milestones and how quickly time goes by, when you are looking backwards. When you are going through it, how slowly it goes.

August 18,2010 12 weeks!

The NWB Routine:
It didn’t take long for me to get into a routine while non-weight bearing. It seems to make the days pass faster.

Here was my daily routine for first six weeks:
• Get up and find something comfortable to wear
• Breakfast served!
• Phone calls to friends/family that are not at work
• Computer time
• TV time
• Occasional sit outside time
• Lunch served!
• Short reading time
• Nap time (woo hoo—favorite part of the day)
• Shower (THE highlight of the day)
• TV time
• Dinner served!
• Reading and computer time
• Early to bed

Funniest Not so Funny Moment: While in the hospital I remember the PA telling me that I would need to give myself a shot of blood thinners. I remember hearing, “one shot in two weeks”. I figured I could handle that. Hubby goes to the pharmacy to get my meds upon discharge and comes in with a big box of something. “What’s that?” I wonder. Hey, it’s a big box of 14 shots—and that would be one shot per day, for two weeks. Not funny at the time. Getting the shot was always the low point of the day.

Broken Leg Ambassador: I recently returned to work. I work at a large company with a lot of coworkers. Many times a day I get asked, “Oh, what happened to you”? I realize this can get tedious answering the same question over and over, but I smile and point to my leg and say, “broken leg”. This usually results in, “my (fill in the blank) broke their (fill in the blank) (fill in the blank) years ago”. Some people are really interested in what happened to me and I obligingly show them my scar and explain about plates and pins. Most people, me included, never knew that you didn’t have to have a cast on a broken bone. I’m proud of my being a BL ambassador!

Don’t Get Hurt on a Friday: My accident was on a Friday and I was directed to go to Urgent Care. I arrived at 12:30 p.m. By the time the CT scan and x-rays were done, it was 5 p.m. so they just sort of put you in a temporary cast and tell you to come back on Monday, when the real orthopedic doctors work. Oh and here are some Vicoden for the pain to hold you until then. See ya!

You Know You are Getting Better… My hubby is retired so he was a perfect caregiver. He would ask me in the beginning what I wanted for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I didn’t care if he served me canned beans every meal. I was so grateful that I didn’t have to cook myself and pick up the dishes afterwards. Sometime, around week 8 or so hubby commented that I must have been getting better because I was making comments like the food wasn’t hot enough, or that we needed more variety. This didn’t go over well, but I think hubby was happy that I was acting “ornery” again.

On Not Looking Backwards: I think everyone that has a traumatic injury spends a lot of time in the beginning thinking of “what if…” I know I did. I also was in a state of denial that something like this could have happened to me. My thought often we to, “If I didn’t visit my son, if we didn’t take the dogs for trip to the park, if I would have moved a different way…” As soon as I was told I had a TPF I really figured my life was over and that I would never walk again. I tell people it was like looking straight at a mountain and have someone tell you to go ahead and climb it. It seemed to be an insurmountable goal and I was worried that I would never be strong enough to make it. I quickly learned to take one day at a time and not think too far in the future. I focused everyday on all the good that came of my injury. Negative thoughts were and are banished. My motto became "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
I’ve been lucky my healing has progressed well, so far. Not one day goes by that I don’t think of others that have been hurt worse than I and still persevere.

September 13, 2010

I went to my surgeon doctor yesterday and she said I was doing great. She and I have the same birthday! It was nice because she didn't rush out and I had plenty of time to ask her questions. She said that my hardware might be in permanently since it's not causing any pain right now. She said if I was having problems with it, I would have known by now. My main task is to rebuild the leg muscle. This take time! She also showed me on my x-ray how my femur has "calcification" due to my being off it for weeks. What that is that the bone itself (the uninjured bone) loses calcium from non-use and develops little holes. She said as I walk more and more the holes refill with bone material.

It's surprising how quickly your leg deteriorates after 6 weeks of nonuse and how long it takes to get it back. My left quad is only 1/2 inch smaller than the right, which Dr. Reidel was very pleased about.  She told me to start being more aggressive in my walking, too. After Dr. Reidel's appt. I went to see Amanda, my PT. She told me I was doing fine and released me from PT, so I'm done with that. She was so nice and supportive; I'll miss her for sure. P.S. My fracture was displaced only 4mm! Seems like surgery was a bit drastic for such a small displacement, but who's to judge.

September 15, 2010
Ladies, I found while I was on the vicodins I drank a glass of Sunsweet Plum Juice with extra fiber--it worked 100% of the time. Just don't do like I did and drink a pint at once...try running to the toilet with a broken leg. A smallish glass will work nicely. And it tastes good too.

As far as my own HWR, my OS told me yesterday at my visit that since it doesn't hurt now, there is a good chance it will stay in. She said if I had hardware issues, I should have known by now. She did promise to talk to me at the one year mark if I was adamant about removal. Other than that, things are going well for me, and hope for all of you too!

September 16, 2010

Today is my 16 weeks post-op for my TPF. Here is an update on how I’m coming along.

I’m finally starting to get out of the “can’t do” mentality!

Here’s a list of positives:
• Walk up to ½ a mile at one time--the leg does get a little sore at night when I do this
• Go upstairs while holding on to the rail
• Getting up and down off the ground reasonably well (I never thought I would sit on the ground ever again)
• Kneel, although I’m still tentative about this—it doesn’t hurt
• Walk without the cane pretty smoothly
• Set new goals like walking 2 miles in 2 months
• I got much of the quad muscle mass back—only ½ inch difference between good and bad leg
• When I set goals and don’t reach them, I don’t worry; I just try to do the best I can
• I was lucky to have such a great PT who was always supportive and encouraging
• Every day I am thankful how much I have progressed

But, there is also a list of negatives:
• I can’t sleep through the night because the leg gets uncomfortable
• I can’t go down stairs in any sort of graceful and easy manner. This is the area that needs the most work, by far.
• The lower quad on my bad leg is so tight. I’m trying to get it loose but it’s still rock hard.
• I’m still spending too much time thinking about my leg. Can you say, “Obsession”?

September 20, 2010

I also was told by my PT to practice standing on one leg! I asked her why and she had a reasonably good explanation! She said my right side (good leg) was so strong that all my left side (bad leg) was weak in comparison. She said standing on the bad leg would get my hip muscles stronger because of the balance needed to stand on one leg. I didn't think about the hip muscles atrophying like the calf and quads.

Greta: Your explanation on going down stairs makes complete sense. It seems that my leg won't bend at all while going downstairs. I do try going up and down, though for practice. Not whole flights of stairs, but small amounts. Looks like down stairs is last thing to come back.

As an update: My PT said my patella tendon is inflamed and I need to rest it a bit. I don't think I'm going overboard on the exercise, but I'll take her good advice. I ordered a Chopat brace thingy and I'm hoping it will help. I'll update you all when it comes.

September 19, 2010

Pja8 I was most interested in seeing how you are coming along, since our operations were only days apart. I didn't have the soft tissue injuries you had (I had a type III injury) and I think that makes a huge difference in our healing rates. Once again, I was massively naive about a tpf. I thought once the bone was healed things would be fine and dandy. I'm now having a lot of pain in my patellar tendon.
My PT said I was trying to do too much and now it is inflamed. She told me to back off the exercises and slow things down. I just want to get over this thing and little things pop up to remind us how long this journey takes.

October 2, 2010

Yes, I was the celebrity of the hospital floor. People came in to see the person who broke her leg by having a dog run into it. "Did a dog really do this to you"? LOL! I wouldn't make that up! You're on the start of your rehab, Mo, so be sure to take it easy. I'm finally starting to feel like my old self. I can walk okay, but I'm working on walking longer distances. My leg no long throbs at night, which is awesome!

October 12, 2010

I, just like Mary, have pain now in the exact same place as you both. I hurt my left leg and my pain is in the medial side, right below the patella. My doc swore it wasn't hardware and showed me the x-ray showing me there wasn't any hardware anywhere close to the pain. My PT says it's a sore patella tendon and advised me to massage it and use ice. Not sure how helpful that is. I'm just hoping it will get better.

October 13, 2010

Thanks for the advice about that icky medial side pain. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. My lateral side took the hit and that probably did affect the medial side. Why don't they tell us these things in the medical offices?? I thought that once the bone was healed everything would be hunky-dory.
Two days and it will be 5 months since my surgery. Everyone is right; this rehab thing is a long road to travel.
I have some really good running shoes in the closet that I won't be using for running for a long time, if ever. I'll try walking in those to see if it is helpful.


October 17, 2010

While I was NWB I promised myself I would go back to the park where I broke my leg. I broke it while visiting my son 3 hours away. He lives in a gated community and he's moving at the end of this month. I had to go soon if I wanted to see it.

It was a beautiful spring day in May, the day I got hurt--everything was so green and vibrant. There was no one else there. While I was walking there the feelings were pretty intense. All I could remember was the suffering, the hopelessness, the hospital, the PT, not being able to walk. Once I got there, I sat on a bench and looked around. The park wasn't as big as I remembered. The fresh green vegetation was now dry and worn looking. Funny, I though, it was like the opposite of me. I was feeling better and the park was looking worse.

I saw the cute children's playground right across from where I got hurt. And there was a large number of picnic tables and barbecues there, too, that I never noticed. Behind me was a stream that was bubbling and peaceful. I started thinking how many happy memories filled this park and that my bad memory was just a fluke. I took a few pictures and walked back to my son's house. I'm so glad I went back there. I really feel like a chapter has closed and I'm moving in the right direction--forward! I'm sure I'll never see this place again but I'm awful glad that I went.

October 23, 2010

The best advice I can give you (and believe me, I've been there) is to let pain be your guide. I would go slow and easy with my weight bearing and then, maybe once a week, I would push it a little harder to see where I ended up. If my leg throbbed and hurt at night, I knew I had gone too far. In another few days I would try pushing it again and maybe this time it didn't hurt.

My second best advice is to be patient! You will get better in time. In the big scheme of things it doesn't matter if you are PWB one week, or one month. It was 3 weeks of PWB before I went FWB. Just remember, it's not a contest nor a race. Listen to your body. We are all learning to walk again on a "new" leg. Hang in there! We folks on this board know what you are going through.


November 1, 2010

I guess I reached a milestone today. My little red temporary handicapped parking placard is expired!

It’s time to park with the regular folks once again. It served me well, especially back in the days when I was NWB and had to use the wheelchair to get around. I was surprised, though, how many times we would go somewhere and all the handicapped spots were full! Especially the grocery store and for sure the medical centers--all full almost every time. My walk at work from the parking lot of the office is a long one and, you know, I am really, really glad to be able to do that walk every day now.

November 11, 2010

It looks like I reached another milestone today! Today is 24 weeks from my surgery, so we’ll just call it 6 months. I remember while I was NBW I went ahead and put my “milestones” on my calendar thinking how far, far away these dates were. I wondered, “Would I be walking”, “Would life return to normal”.
As a back story, I didn’t write a 5 month update, because, to be honest, between months 4 and 5 there wasn’t much improvement at all. My rehab seemed to hit a “plateau” (no pun intended). I was very discouraged but never lost hope that things would get better. Every day I told myself, “Never, ever give up”.
Well, between months 5 and 6 I saw remarkable improvement, I’m happy to say. It was amazing.
Here is a list of the good, the bad, and the ugly:

Good things:
I can walk 2.5 miles a day, although not all at once. I usually do ½ mile in the a.m., 1 mile and lunch time, and then 1.25 mile after work. I hope to extend my long walk to 2 miles by the New Year. I think I can do it! My hobby is walking so this injury was a cruel one for me! My fitness really, really suffered the last six months and it’s a long road back to being back in shape.
I can touch my heel on my butt when holding the foot. This is something I never thought I would do again. The left is still not nearly as flexible as the right, but I can’t complain.
I don’t seem to get much night pain anymore. This was an ongoing problem for me. Unless I push it, the leg feels pretty good most of the time.
I can do stairs fairly well. Up is not bad, just kind of slow and awkward. I don’t need to use the rail, probably because I go so slowly. Downstairs is coming along, too. I always use the rail because I sure don’t want to fall.
The scar is healing really well and starting to fade.
I spend a lot of time stretching and doing yoga poses. I think this helps the muscles get flexible.
My patellar tendon is fine now and the medial side doesn’t ache anymore.
My left leg really has gotten a lot of muscle mass back.  

Bad Things (relative):
My hip flexor muscle (left side) is still very tight. I do stretches many times during the day for the psoas muscle, so I know this will be coming along. There are good videos on YouTube for this and other stretches.
The cold November weather does make the leg feel achy sometimes.
Two months ago I started having high blood pressure issues. Not sure if this is anyway related to the injury but it is something I need to be mindful of.
I do have a slight limp when I push the distance on my walks. I still don’t feel “normal” when I walk but people say I normally don’t limp.
So, remember all you folks out there—it does it better. I’d say I’m about 80% now. If I can do it, you can too. Appreciate every victory. Never forget how far you’ve come. I still have good days/bad days, but I never fail to appreciate a hot shower (after two weeks of sponge baths) and I totally appreciate just being able to walk.

November 17, 2010

I, like you, have a type III TPF--5 screws and one plate. What a type III means that our fibula bone smashed into the tibia bone causing a depression. I guess you wouldn't say this is a "typical" broken bone where the bone is cracked in pieces. My PT told me the type III is a relatively mild TPF, but she said any TPF is a major deal.

I was NWB for 6 weeks. I foolishly thought after 6 weeks I would be walking pretty well. No way! When your muscles atrophy that long you are starting from scratch. My PT said learning to walk again after NWB is like teaching a stroke victim to walk. Without muscles to support it, your leg is very unstable, which leads to the limp. My advice is to not worry so much about the limp because as your leg gets stronger the limp will disappear.

I'm 6 months out from my injury and things are doing pretty well. I walk almost 3 miles a day, but one mile at a time. Things will get better and you'll be back before you know it. You'll have good days and bad days--I still do, but never give up.

P.S. The question on how many days it takes to walk normally--it's more like months...not days!

December 29, 2010

I'm now 7 months out of my surgery and doing well. I'd guess I'm about 85-90% of my old self. I never thought I would get here, but here I am.

At took me about 3 weeks of PWB to get to FWB. I thought I would just blast through it, but in reality, it wasn't that easy. I used a cane for the first few weeks of FTB until my leg got stronger. Until you build up muscle mass your walking isn't going to be easy or pretty.

My best advice to you now is to keep up the stationary bike (this helped me a lot with building muscle mass), go for a lot of small walks throughout the day, and push it once in a while and if it hurts back down. Never ever give up. Do what you can. You will have good days and bad days, and be proud of every new milestone. And don't forget to be patient. These things take a long time to work out. Good luck!!

January 24, 2011

I thought I’d give everyone an update on how things are progressing with me. I know all TPF’s are different so don’t be discouraged if my rehab is preceding differently than yours! This is a crazy injury and no two are alike!

For those that don’t know my story, I was run into by a dog and had a type III TPF. I was really very naive in what exactly that meant. I expected a cast and in 6 weeks I was going to “walk”, normally. Having surgery, a plate, and screws—I wasn’t expecting that at all!

I vividly remember at six weeks, in the PT’s office, I took my first steps with plenty of fear. I was petrified that my leg was going to collapse or I would wither in pain. It did neither. I took 10 steps and had to “rest”. I recall sweating profusely after those 10 small steps. My poor left leg (BL) was literally half the size of my right leg. I wasn’t really aware of what a long road lay ahead of me.

Fast forward to today and things are going really well. I’ve taken sort of a 3-prong approach to my rehab…weight bearing, strengthening, and stretching. For weight bearing I do a lot of walking. I walk about 5 miles a day now, which is awesome. I can’t do it all at once but try to break it up to at least 3 or 4 times a day. I work full time so I do this during my breaks and at lunchtime. Walking has been my hobby for many years, so I’m happy with my progress! I found that strengthening is really, really important. For me, the best tool ever was my little recumbent bike I got from Amazon.com. I use it 10 minutes in the morning and built up to 20 minutes in the evening. I can’t tell you how much better my leg has gotten since I started doing this. My legs, both of them, have bulked up and now the bad leg feels a lot more stable and solid. Stairs are so much easier now that the muscles have built up. And I do stretching exercises almost every day. I found a few good yoga websites and especially concentrate on working the legs. This can be done while watching TV so I try to do it then.

I was chomping at the bit to get the hardware removed at one year, but to be honest, it doesn’t hurt me. My leg looks kind of lumpy where the incision is and I’m thinking that has something to do with the plate and screws. The scar is healed pretty well and I do have some feeling where before it was numb.

I’d like to say that all days are good days, but I do have some bad ones, and thank goodness they are few and far between. I can tell when I overdo because I’ll be sore for a few days.

I hope that my story will inspire you to never give up hope. I remember the dark times, and in the beginning, there were plenty of them. No one really understands the hopelessness until they have been there. The ugly sponge baths, the shots in the stomach, sore muscles from crutches, and especially, the wondering if you are ever going to have a normal life. Time is your best friend, as corny as it sounds. I wish you all well in your recoveries and stay positive!

January 27, 2011

I like doing updates periodically so people can use my rehab and hopefully, a road map to their healing. I was so woefully ignorant about my TPF and couldn't seem to find any sort of positive words of hope. To me, hope was all I was interested in.

I broke my leg on a Friday and after they figured out what was wrong, they put me in a temporary cast and told me to come back Monday morning to see the orthopedic doctor. I picked out my cast color and then this is how it went.

Me--I know what color cast I want.
Dr.--There won't be any cast for you.
Me--What do you mean, no cast?
Dr.--We are recommending surgery for your type of break.
Me--Okay, that would be arthroscopic surgery, in and out in a day?
Dr.--Uh, no you will be in for a few days.
Me--In where? The hospital?
Dr.--Yes
Me--Why?
Dr.--Pain management.
Me--(Getting more freaked out by the moment) Oh dear.
Dr. How about tomorrow?
Me--(REALLY nervous now) I guess that would be okay
Dr.--(on the computer) Oh, looks like the operating room is busy. We'll make it Thursday. We'll call later to set up details.

Before my surgery I met my OS. She gave me a bunch of medical talk that I didn't understand at the time. I know what it means now, but I sure didn't then.

Be informed and learn all you can. Ask plenty of questions of us here on the board, and of your doctor and your PT. There is no such thing as a stupid question.

February 14, 2011

This weekend marks a milestone of sorts--the last of my medical equipment is out of the house. I don't know about you, but I was attached to some of it and was in no hurry to get rid of a lot of it.

Crutches--first in, first out. My OS banned me from using them after my ORIF. Just as well, they were uncomfortable and my underarms were really sore.

Velcro Leg Brace--I didn't use this much, but always had it when I went outside. It was sort of a security blanket to me. I was really nervous outside without it. It fit oh so snugly when I got home from the hospital and after a few weeks I had to cinch it really tightly or else it would slide off. Can we say "muscle atrophy"!

Walker (called a "frame" in the UK)--I was quite attached to it, since it was my constant companion for over 8 weeks. The good news is that I never had a spill or touch-down while using it. I developed arms of steel, too. It still sits, folded up, behind the couch (for good, I hope).

Toilet booster seat--best gift my hubby ever bought me, or it seemed at the time. He hated it; I loved it. He got rid of it as soon as I was PWB. I still miss it, though. He's glad it's gone.

Wheelchair--not used much, so saying goodbye was easy. Only went out a few times in it and then couldn't wait to get back home. Each bump was really jarring and unpleasant.

Cane--another item I was quite attached to. Not as much as the walker, but helped me when I couldn't hardly walk 50 feet without getting winded.

Shower chair--the last item to go (this weekend). I came home from work Friday and it was stored in the garage. Can anyone forget the joy of a real shower after weeks of sponge baths? To sit in the shower and let the water soak on you is the best feeling around. I really liked that shower chair. If hubby didn't take it out, I would have left it there forever. It was oh so comfortable to just sit and relax. Maybe the showers were getting a wee bit too long since I was a wee bit too comfortable sitting like a queen in my hot, steamy shower.

February 24, 2011

I finally got to take a "real" vacation (time on the couch with the TPF is definitely NOT a vacation!). Hubby and I went to Hawaii to visit our son. The flight was 6 hours each way and the leg was a little stiff and sore the next day. I'm thinking it was the lack of leg room and long hours of sitting still.

The surprising news that my metal works didn't set off the airport metal detector either direction. I was fully prepared for the full screening/pat down stuff and was really surprised when I sailed through. We did a lot of sightseeing in Hawaii and lots of standing made for a bit of a sore leg. The plus was the heat and humidity (high) seemed to help the leg. Now back to cold and rain...


February 28, 2011

To ice my knee I made up a couple of what I call my "slushie bags."
I took a one-quart zip lock bag and mixed up 2/3 parts water and 1/3 part rubbing alcohol. Guess you could use vodka or something like it, too. They are super cold, but slushie, so they conform to the curves of your knee. And you can re-use them over and over. I put another zip lock on the outside in case it leaked, also, so they are all doubled bagged.

April 6, 2011

My TPF was depressed by 4mm. From what I read that is sort of borderline between surgery and non-surgery. I didn't find all this out until my 3 month checkup. I think, no I know, that my OS was surprised when I asked her how displaced in mm was my injury. After I found out it was borderline I spent a lot of time second guessing whether or not she should have operated on me. I mean, wouldn't it have been a lot easier for me not to have the ORIF. Well, after reading many, many posts I have come to the conclusion that for me, I'm glad she went ahead with the surgery. I think in the long haul my tibial plateau will be much better supported with the plate and screws. I sure don't want to have a boatload of arthritis ahead of me. Of course, no one knows what the future holds but I feel confident that my OS did the right thing.

My OS also told me in the operating room than she had the option of doing my surgery arthroscopically but decided to do it the other way for greater control over the surgery. It's so funny that I remember bits and pieces of what she and the other doctors said to me, but between being on that wonder drug (morphine) and not having a clue as to what she was talking about; it's a wonder that I remember any of it. I wish I knew then what I know now.
August 9, 2010
I've been FWB for about 1 1/2 weeks and with the cane; the limp isn't too bad. It is quite noticeable to people who haven't seen me for a while. My PT suggested that I keep my left foot (BL side) on the ground longer while doing a step. I concentrate on keeping my hips forward and square. She told me to imagine my hips have headlights on them and try to keep the beams straight.

Now when I walk w/o the cane--well things are not pretty. I limp pretty badly. I have the old side-to-side lurch so I look like Frankenstein. I know it's pretty early in the game for FWB for me so I'm happy with the progress I made so far. I know I'll get better as time goes on.

One more trick I did, I have a video camera on my iPod Nano so I have hubby video me walking. You can see exactly what is going on. Trying to figure it out while you are walking it's not always clear. Of course, I try to correct what I'm doing wrong after watching the video, but am not always successful.

Part of me wants to walk smoothly right away and part of me is so thankful I can at least walk, no matter how awkwardly. I think I tend to be too hard on myself sometimes.