Lil, I am so confused because you sound amazingly mobile for a serious ankle fracture. Now granted, I had 3 breaks, not 2, but I couldn't drive a car, couldn't even transfer into a car without assistance, could only maneuver a small amt in the kitchen, etc. I had a walker but I propped my thigh up on the walker seat as I moved. IOW, there was absolutely no weight bearing! I slipped up a few times and was scared to death that I ruined the alignment.
And yes, the 6 weeks start after the surgery. I was non weight bearing for 10 weeks...one doctor said 12 and another 8, so I compromised and did the 10.
Please be careful. What you do now will determine the level of mobility ( and swelling and pain) for the rest of your life. This will be your Achilles' heel.
On a brighter note, I pretty much have full range of motion and can play tennis and live my life.
You must take a time-out of your regular life now. It's inconvenient, costly, uncomfortable, etc, but there will be positives along the way.
Now go get some rest! ( Miss IC, we need more rope here).
I need to write a Christmas letter for another client.
At first, I thought, how frickin' lazy must one person be to HIRE someone to write their Christmas letter. Then, I thought, how frickin' decadent and self-indulgent (in a good way) it would be. And finally, I thought, "can I hire her to READ all the inane Christmas letters I get?"
Quote:
I may need some help breaking up with my bf later this year.
Later this year? Geeze... 47 more days to go? Or are we talking "fiscal" year? Here's a pointer: Be eating a big, juicy barbecued chicken sandwich (with fruit salad on the side, throw him an apple, and say, "Adios, Magnum!"
Glad to hear you're independently mobile. Keep it up, sister.
hairdog, it's a Christmas FUND RAISING APPEAL letter, not one of those "we did all these wonderful things last year and you didn't" letters.
More than 47 days... at least till I'm truly mobile again.
RJ, maybe I need some advice...I don't want to be doing anything wrong. I took "weight bearing" to mean, don't put any weight on the bad leg. Does it mean that that foot should never touch the ground at all, even if there is not the slightest bit of weight on it? For example, right now, I'm sittin on the sofa, and my bad leg is stretched out to the side. The heel of my bad foot is barely touching the carpet. When I stand up, I do not use the bad foot to assist AT ALL. I pull or push with my arms and use my right leg. (I really don't want to be doing anything wrong here... but I didn't get a lot of instruction.)
When I'm moving on the walker, I'm hopping and the bad foot is bent behind me, up off the ground. When I'm in the wheelchair moving, the bad leg is dangling and not touching the ground. If I'm going to be in the chair for a while, I use the left leg rest and my foot is resting on it-- the bottom of my bad foot is touching the leg rest-- that's not weight bearing, is it?
If any of this sounds fishy to you, please give a yell.
I guess you had the kind of walker with the built in seat, so you could rest your knee on it while you navigated? That would be a lot easier than the regular walker. VERY tiring to carry 90% of your weight on your hands.
So you went to medical school, eh? What made you decide not to practice? (Or did you practice?)
Lill, I'm no doctor...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night {old commercials...never mind} It sounds like you are being very careful and should be fine. I've got plates, pins, screws...chisels, hammers, hell I think the doctor had a field say at Home Depot when he did mine
You sound like you're being a lot more careful than I was...and look how I turned out ?? {Don't answer that, and RJ quit that snickering }
I am really concerned for you. Your bf should be able to step up to the plate the little bit you are asking for and if he can't......well then I'm not sure he is worth your trouble. Now, if you had told me that you just can't seem to break up because you and he had fabulous, frequent sex then I could understand not being able to break up. However, no sex AND no assistance, caring, service while ill? Unacceptable! I wish I could be of some help to you. Would his daughter(s) be willing to help a bit?
oh good, I have Lil and IC on one thread...easier to round you both up this way.
Lil, It sounds like you are doing a good job with the non weight bearing. You really need to keep the leg elevated, though. It cuts down on the edema and pressure. The wheelchair has an attahment to keep the leg elevated. Even when you are sitting on the sofa, prop the leg up. As far as the walker goes, you really should invest in one that has the seat. I quickly looked at one on a walgreen's website, and it costs less than $200. There should be wheels ONLY in the front( with two rubber tipped legs closest to you), so the walker doesn't ever get away from you.
As for help, I have plenty of friends who are willing to help.
RJ, when I sit on the sofa with my wheelchair in front of me, can I stick my leg straight out and rest the back of my heel on the seat of the wheelchair? Is that considered weight-bearing? There is no force from the bottom of my foot up through my leg; the force is against the back of my heel, because my leg is parallel to the floor.
ETA: Our posts crossed, and of course, you read my mind. The walker with the seat sounds great!
ETA II: Check this out: $100 at amazon, AND I have a $50 birthday gift certificate waiting for me there.
