How can I best deal with a severe ankle sprain and associated recovery?
February 23, 2016 5:18 PM Subscribe
About a month ago, I had a mishap on some stairs and ended up with a third-degree sprain of my left ankle. I've got what is apparently a very long recovery ahead of me, and I'm already going insane. I need some tips and tricks to make the next few months more manageable.
I've likely completely torn one ligament (the one on top) and severely stretched/slightly torn the other two outside ligaments. Doc says I've got a long recovery ahead of me, with probably 4-6 more weeks in the boot followed by a long time in a brace. Plus gobs of physical therapy. I should be off the crutches soon, which will help, but just navigating life in this giant walking boot with a foot that swells if I'm vertical for more than an hour is maddening. It is still painful, and every single normal adult task is super hard and exhausted. I can't exercise, I can't leave the house at night (for risk of losing my close parking spot), and I can't buy more than one bag of groceries at a time.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has had a similar injury. When does it quit hurting? Swelling? Will I ever do ballet or wear high heels again? What kinds of physical activity can I attempt around the house so I don't feel like a complete bum?
For anyone who has been in a cast or similar - what tricks or physical things made life easier for you? I live alone with my cats (who thus far have not helped with the household chores), and though I have lots of friends, I feel terrible asking someone to come over every time my trash needs to go out or my Hello Fresh box arrives and I can't carry it in the house.
This has been the longest month ever, and I've got a ways to go. I'm tired of being frustrated and depressed about my current state of affairs, and I'm desperate for advice and encouragement. Thanks!
I've likely completely torn one ligament (the one on top) and severely stretched/slightly torn the other two outside ligaments. Doc says I've got a long recovery ahead of me, with probably 4-6 more weeks in the boot followed by a long time in a brace. Plus gobs of physical therapy. I should be off the crutches soon, which will help, but just navigating life in this giant walking boot with a foot that swells if I'm vertical for more than an hour is maddening. It is still painful, and every single normal adult task is super hard and exhausted. I can't exercise, I can't leave the house at night (for risk of losing my close parking spot), and I can't buy more than one bag of groceries at a time.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has had a similar injury. When does it quit hurting? Swelling? Will I ever do ballet or wear high heels again? What kinds of physical activity can I attempt around the house so I don't feel like a complete bum?
For anyone who has been in a cast or similar - what tricks or physical things made life easier for you? I live alone with my cats (who thus far have not helped with the household chores), and though I have lots of friends, I feel terrible asking someone to come over every time my trash needs to go out or my Hello Fresh box arrives and I can't carry it in the house.
This has been the longest month ever, and I've got a ways to go. I'm tired of being frustrated and depressed about my current state of affairs, and I'm desperate for advice and encouragement. Thanks!
Oh, hi. This was me a few years ago. (While moving, tripped down my own front steps carrying the very first box out the door. Ask me how the rest of that move went.) In my experience, you're juuuust making it through the hardest part. The first 4-6 weeks are a total adjustment as everything you're used to doing comes to a halt. Things do get easier. So, so, so much easier.
Honestly, do reach out to friends. People want to help you, they really do, and being given a constructive task can make it so much easier than the nebulous idea of helping you but not knowing what to do. Make a list of stuff -- taking that trash out, emptying the litter box, etc. Your friends will feel so, so good inside when they help you.
Someone can take you marketing or get your groceries for you. Have fun with it. Yes, this is the time to ride that scooter they've got up at the front of the market.
How're you doing in the shower? This may be the time to go to a Supercuts-type place and splash out on a shampoo.
You will get better. You will wear the high heels and dance and be running around not even thinking about your injury. You will!
(Also: I went on a business trip and my colleagues laughed because I brought like 8 pairs of shoes...because I only had to pack one of each pair.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:44 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Honestly, do reach out to friends. People want to help you, they really do, and being given a constructive task can make it so much easier than the nebulous idea of helping you but not knowing what to do. Make a list of stuff -- taking that trash out, emptying the litter box, etc. Your friends will feel so, so good inside when they help you.
Someone can take you marketing or get your groceries for you. Have fun with it. Yes, this is the time to ride that scooter they've got up at the front of the market.
How're you doing in the shower? This may be the time to go to a Supercuts-type place and splash out on a shampoo.
You will get better. You will wear the high heels and dance and be running around not even thinking about your injury. You will!
(Also: I went on a business trip and my colleagues laughed because I brought like 8 pairs of shoes...because I only had to pack one of each pair.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:44 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
My very active daughter broke her foot when she was 11. This sidetracked her black belt progression in Taekwondo quite severely. She was used to training every day and we found that the sudden lack of exercise really got to her. She was becoming anxious and depressed before meditation was suggested. It really helped on those days where she felt like she was going out of her skin, if you know what I mean.
So: meditation! Try it!
Oh, also, you might find a well-placed bungee cord or rope or something will help a lot with carrying packages and stuff. You know, tie the cord around the box like the bakery stores used to do, leaving a bit dangling so you can carry it and use your crutches at the same time.
posted by cooker girl at 5:46 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
So: meditation! Try it!
Oh, also, you might find a well-placed bungee cord or rope or something will help a lot with carrying packages and stuff. You know, tie the cord around the box like the bakery stores used to do, leaving a bit dangling so you can carry it and use your crutches at the same time.
posted by cooker girl at 5:46 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I had a ankle dislocation and trial fracture a few years ago. It was a complete nightmare! I posted a six month update that has links to the original injury (and x-ray) regular updates and how I coped including how to exercise with a broken ankle.
It was hard for me to ask for help too but good friends won't mind and you can spread out your requests among a few different people. What about grocery delivery? I think Safeway delivers in most places.
Anyway, I could go on but please email me if you want more specifics or just someone to complain to. Wishing you a VERY SPEEDY recovery.
posted by mulcahy at 5:54 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
It was hard for me to ask for help too but good friends won't mind and you can spread out your requests among a few different people. What about grocery delivery? I think Safeway delivers in most places.
Anyway, I could go on but please email me if you want more specifics or just someone to complain to. Wishing you a VERY SPEEDY recovery.
posted by mulcahy at 5:54 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh, I meant to add: google around for chair-based exercises. They're usually marketed to seniors or the very out of shape, and you can find some really good stuff to do that'll help the rest of your body not feel so neglected.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:55 PM on February 23, 2016
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:55 PM on February 23, 2016
Regarding your day to day living - this may or may not be helpful to you depending on your financial situation but I would sit down and work out a schedule and a budget to see how much of your critical household chores can be outsourced. Things like laundry, cleaning of the litterbox (changing litter), bed sheet changes, taking out the trash, etc. Make a list of things that ABSOLUTELY need to be done, when/how often they need to be done. See if you can consolidate the most critical chores into one or two hour blocks where you can have someone come in and take came of them in one visit. Even having someone come in once a week and hitting a checklist of the most important items to keep you functioning may be enough to get you through until the time where you can start taking over again.
Maybe ask around and see if any of your friends, family, etc have any recommendations for hired household help. You can also try caregiving agencies as well. "Elderly services" or "home care services" is a good place to start on Google. In CA, non-driving caregiving service through a licensed agency generally runs $22 to $30 dollars an hour, usually with a 2 hour minimum.
Also, does your hospital have a social services department? They might have some recommendations. Or ask your doctor. They might be able to point you in the right direction. As others mentioned above, I would also look into grocery delivery services or even meal delivery services (if, again, that's financially feasible for you) until you have more of your mobility back.
The idea here is to take as much burden off yourself as possible and keep your house livable (and your sanity hopefully intact) until you're in a better place recovery wise.
If you're not in a financial position to farm out these types of things to professionals, how about putting feelers out to your friends and family and see if anyone can come over and help you with the most critical chores for maybe an hour or two a week? With you providing some food and drinks and music? Maybe pizza or other delivery? It's ok to ask for help when you need it. I mean, it's way cliche but hell, "that's what friends are for!".
Even if you don't have friends over to help around the house, do reach out the them. Don't be afraid to lean on them for emotional support. It's completely understandable that you're feeling depressed and frustrated. Recovering from an injury like that is long and hard. Don't feel you have to put on a "happy face" all the time. If you have a close friend you can open up to, do so.
One other bit of advice I'd offer from my own personal experience is this: be diligent about doing your physical therapy when it's time and be careful about pushing yourself too fast too soon. This is especially hard because after being restricted for so long you really want to just GET ON WITH IT already and go back to a normal life. But your body really does need time to heal and you can set yourself back trying to do to much, even when you're feeling better (less pain, more energy, etc). I wasn't careful with myself after elbow surgery 3 years ago and I still feel the effects of that today.
Good luck and best wishes to you!
posted by moxiequz at 6:03 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Maybe ask around and see if any of your friends, family, etc have any recommendations for hired household help. You can also try caregiving agencies as well. "Elderly services" or "home care services" is a good place to start on Google. In CA, non-driving caregiving service through a licensed agency generally runs $22 to $30 dollars an hour, usually with a 2 hour minimum.
Also, does your hospital have a social services department? They might have some recommendations. Or ask your doctor. They might be able to point you in the right direction. As others mentioned above, I would also look into grocery delivery services or even meal delivery services (if, again, that's financially feasible for you) until you have more of your mobility back.
The idea here is to take as much burden off yourself as possible and keep your house livable (and your sanity hopefully intact) until you're in a better place recovery wise.
If you're not in a financial position to farm out these types of things to professionals, how about putting feelers out to your friends and family and see if anyone can come over and help you with the most critical chores for maybe an hour or two a week? With you providing some food and drinks and music? Maybe pizza or other delivery? It's ok to ask for help when you need it. I mean, it's way cliche but hell, "that's what friends are for!".
Even if you don't have friends over to help around the house, do reach out the them. Don't be afraid to lean on them for emotional support. It's completely understandable that you're feeling depressed and frustrated. Recovering from an injury like that is long and hard. Don't feel you have to put on a "happy face" all the time. If you have a close friend you can open up to, do so.
One other bit of advice I'd offer from my own personal experience is this: be diligent about doing your physical therapy when it's time and be careful about pushing yourself too fast too soon. This is especially hard because after being restricted for so long you really want to just GET ON WITH IT already and go back to a normal life. But your body really does need time to heal and you can set yourself back trying to do to much, even when you're feeling better (less pain, more energy, etc). I wasn't careful with myself after elbow surgery 3 years ago and I still feel the effects of that today.
Good luck and best wishes to you!
posted by moxiequz at 6:03 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh I feel you- I've had several leg injuries and I've used crutches A LOT.
Get a rolling office chair. Use it to scoot around the house, and to rest your knee on while doing dishes so foot doesn't need to be on the ground (less swelling).
Get something to sit on in the shower.
Invest in a comfortable backpack that works with crutches.
I preferred no armpit padding on my crutches, but a TON of hand padding.
I find most physical therapists adjust crutches badly- they tend to make them too long and put the hand grips too high.
I prefer the overall crutch height to be kind of short-- armpit bars not hitting my armpits, but instead hitting my ribs about 3 inches below my armpits. Don't lean your armpits on the crutches when you walk, you will squish armpit nerves and your arms will go numb. Instead have a space at the top of the crutches, so the weight goes on your hands, not your armpits. The armpit bar is meant to be pressed inwards, between upper arm and ribcage, to stabilize the crutch, not to hold your weight. I prefer no padding on the top bars, as the slippery thin plastic or wood slides better against clothing. The foamy pads made the crutches "stick to me", wrecked my clothes, and made my skin feel tender.
Next, try putting the hand bars pretty low so your elbows are almost straight when you lean on your hands. Having your arms straight when you crutch puts your weight through your arm bones instead of into the muscles- way less tiring. I liked using my crutches like this- short height so there was space at my armpits, and weight on my nearly-straight arms. Having straight elbows is better than bent elbows, which lead to sore armpits and tired arms.
Also, try to keep the crutches very vertical when you use them, so your hips almost brush your hands when you swing through. Try for a silhouette that is a long skinny rectangle, not a triangular christmas tree. This triangular silhouette is bad- these crutches are too long and his weight is splaying out to the sides, making it awkward. This silhouette (crutches vertical, bottom tips quite close to feet, not splayed far apart) is easier and faster to manoeuvre. If your hips are wide you'll have to splay the crutches, but overall keep them as vertical as you can.
As you get better with crutches aim to swing through the crutches so your foot hits the ground about 14 inches ahead of your crutch tips. It takes some practice but it's faster and less tiring.
Put extra padding on your hand grips so they are very fat. I used a second piece of padding, wedged around the first and taped in place. Fat handgrips will spread your weight across more of your palms, and compresses the nerves less. My fingers went numb after I used crutches for a couple months- they got better when I stopped and are totally fine now.
Ask a friend to come by every other day and do little things like bring groceries, bring in the mail, do laundry, take out the trash, fill some water bottles, etc. Not being able to carry things sucks and your friends probably don't realize how annoying it is. Don't be shy to ask for help! Feel better soon!
posted by pseudostrabismus at 6:26 PM on February 23, 2016 [8 favorites]
Get a rolling office chair. Use it to scoot around the house, and to rest your knee on while doing dishes so foot doesn't need to be on the ground (less swelling).
Get something to sit on in the shower.
Invest in a comfortable backpack that works with crutches.
I preferred no armpit padding on my crutches, but a TON of hand padding.
I find most physical therapists adjust crutches badly- they tend to make them too long and put the hand grips too high.
I prefer the overall crutch height to be kind of short-- armpit bars not hitting my armpits, but instead hitting my ribs about 3 inches below my armpits. Don't lean your armpits on the crutches when you walk, you will squish armpit nerves and your arms will go numb. Instead have a space at the top of the crutches, so the weight goes on your hands, not your armpits. The armpit bar is meant to be pressed inwards, between upper arm and ribcage, to stabilize the crutch, not to hold your weight. I prefer no padding on the top bars, as the slippery thin plastic or wood slides better against clothing. The foamy pads made the crutches "stick to me", wrecked my clothes, and made my skin feel tender.
Next, try putting the hand bars pretty low so your elbows are almost straight when you lean on your hands. Having your arms straight when you crutch puts your weight through your arm bones instead of into the muscles- way less tiring. I liked using my crutches like this- short height so there was space at my armpits, and weight on my nearly-straight arms. Having straight elbows is better than bent elbows, which lead to sore armpits and tired arms.
Also, try to keep the crutches very vertical when you use them, so your hips almost brush your hands when you swing through. Try for a silhouette that is a long skinny rectangle, not a triangular christmas tree. This triangular silhouette is bad- these crutches are too long and his weight is splaying out to the sides, making it awkward. This silhouette (crutches vertical, bottom tips quite close to feet, not splayed far apart) is easier and faster to manoeuvre. If your hips are wide you'll have to splay the crutches, but overall keep them as vertical as you can.
As you get better with crutches aim to swing through the crutches so your foot hits the ground about 14 inches ahead of your crutch tips. It takes some practice but it's faster and less tiring.
Put extra padding on your hand grips so they are very fat. I used a second piece of padding, wedged around the first and taped in place. Fat handgrips will spread your weight across more of your palms, and compresses the nerves less. My fingers went numb after I used crutches for a couple months- they got better when I stopped and are totally fine now.
Ask a friend to come by every other day and do little things like bring groceries, bring in the mail, do laundry, take out the trash, fill some water bottles, etc. Not being able to carry things sucks and your friends probably don't realize how annoying it is. Don't be shy to ask for help! Feel better soon!
posted by pseudostrabismus at 6:26 PM on February 23, 2016 [8 favorites]
I'm 40-ish. I dance and hike and am somewhat active, but am not particularly athletic. Summer 2014 I broke my foot, and was entirely non-weight-bearing from mid-July through early October. (hint #1: get a knee scooter, they have baskets for carrying stuff around) (me, previously)
I lost a huge amount of muscle in my calf, ankle, and foot. Talk to your doc about what isometric exercises you can/should be doing inside your boot - what motions strengthen vs what could damage. Whatever he says is safe, do lots of: toe wiggling, foot scrunching, ankle flexing/circling, as well as knee and hip exercises to keep the hamstring, quads etc okay. Once I was off crutches, I was walking wobbly for a week or so, stopped getting prematurely tired after a month or so, and could do yoga and walk dance figures gracefully by Christmas. BUT, doc didn't prescribe therapy, I stayed active but didn't do specific exercises, and by the next summer (a year later!!) my balance was still iffy, meaning very wobbly on tiptoe on one side by my own standards - basically I had a dancer-leg and a non-dancer leg. (hint #2: have therapy exercises that you are doing every day, starting now.)
May 2015, not quite a year after, I put on what had previously been my absolute most comfortable pair of heels, for my first time being dressed fancy since feeling recovered. Ow! I made it down the stairs, then i took them off and went back to my bedroom barefoot to find another option. However, that was pain in the foot, not the ankle. I bet you'll be fine. hint #3: don't rush it. Plan on wearing flats for at least 6 months, and having the ankle strength to be dancing again before you risk being on shoes that you can fall off of, because falling can definitely re-injure, and you don't want that. (also - I know it's not much reassurance to say I'm almost totally fine at not quite 2 years later, but I do wear low heels all day at work sometimes despite never having been a huge heels person anyway, and besides, I'm 40 and younger people really do heal faster, even at 25ish).
posted by aimedwander at 6:27 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I lost a huge amount of muscle in my calf, ankle, and foot. Talk to your doc about what isometric exercises you can/should be doing inside your boot - what motions strengthen vs what could damage. Whatever he says is safe, do lots of: toe wiggling, foot scrunching, ankle flexing/circling, as well as knee and hip exercises to keep the hamstring, quads etc okay. Once I was off crutches, I was walking wobbly for a week or so, stopped getting prematurely tired after a month or so, and could do yoga and walk dance figures gracefully by Christmas. BUT, doc didn't prescribe therapy, I stayed active but didn't do specific exercises, and by the next summer (a year later!!) my balance was still iffy, meaning very wobbly on tiptoe on one side by my own standards - basically I had a dancer-leg and a non-dancer leg. (hint #2: have therapy exercises that you are doing every day, starting now.)
May 2015, not quite a year after, I put on what had previously been my absolute most comfortable pair of heels, for my first time being dressed fancy since feeling recovered. Ow! I made it down the stairs, then i took them off and went back to my bedroom barefoot to find another option. However, that was pain in the foot, not the ankle. I bet you'll be fine. hint #3: don't rush it. Plan on wearing flats for at least 6 months, and having the ankle strength to be dancing again before you risk being on shoes that you can fall off of, because falling can definitely re-injure, and you don't want that. (also - I know it's not much reassurance to say I'm almost totally fine at not quite 2 years later, but I do wear low heels all day at work sometimes despite never having been a huge heels person anyway, and besides, I'm 40 and younger people really do heal faster, even at 25ish).
posted by aimedwander at 6:27 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, yes, you will probably be able to wear heels again. Start low, work up to it, and bring flats for the walk home! Not all heels will work- some vamp angles may be uncomfortable whereas others will be fine- and this is not correlated to height. Some of my highest shoes are fine, whereas some lower ones kill my bad ankle, because the angle is somehow wrong. I just used trial-and-error to find what works.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 6:33 PM on February 23, 2016
posted by pseudostrabismus at 6:33 PM on February 23, 2016
I've had two long periods on crutches for a different kind of ankle issue, have several upper body injuries, and recently came off a couple of months of pain after a coccyx injury. For much of that last one, I couldn't sit, only lie or walk, really awkwardly and painfully. I did not succeed in avoiding being at least somewhat depressed with the lower body injuries. I think it's just inherently depressing to not be able to walk or do much, and to be stuck at home. It will pass, though. It helps to remember that. (And to be aware and grateful that this injury is temporary, not everyone's that lucky.) It'll be like when you might have had a stomach flu in the past - horrific and seemingly unending while it's happening, an abstracted memory later.
I went way off the rails with the coccyx thing, it radically exacerbated existing sleep issues. Definitely get light in the mornings, and be rigorous about sleep hygiene, if that's even slightly an issue.
With the ankle, I did try to do exercises, working around the injury - didn't help that much. You can google "working around an ankle injury" for ideas, and see if you can try a few core exercises on a mat or ball, modified pushups, that kind of thing. I found they created uncomfortable pressure in the lower leg, when it was bad. I even tried crutching for cardio (as some person suggested) - exhausting! and creates pressure and friction on the wrists and under the arms... if you can afford expensive ergonomic crutches, maybe try that, would pass on that idea otherwise. Chair exercises are a better plan for now.
Try to get out as often as possible, so you can get some air and light and see people. Take taxis if you have to. If you need to take transit, avoid rush hour, get to know which stations actually are accessible (some cities are served by good apps, I hear), and add 30-45 minutes to your anticipated travel time. Prepare to be overwhelmed when you do go out - go to quieter places where you can sit for a bit without anyone hassling you. (Until these things happened, I'd seriously underestimated how shitty accessibility is in my town; have been more mindful about this issue since. Even a little extension of empathy is a silver lining, I think.)
If you're into crafts or any indoor hobbies, now's the time for that, obviously.
Groceries: go with a friend + car, or order online, to stock up on canned goods and meat; freeze the latter. Get veg & dairy every 2 days or so, with your bag. Plan to make easy things, though. Carry a light backpack with you around the house for bits you need.
2nd getting into physio, when that comes up. Find a skilled PT you can relate to, if possible. It's important to believe you will get better - it really helps to have good and encouraging people on your team. With my particular issues, some things are now out, but orthotics make it possible to walk and use the elliptical machine. (I had to have mine adjusted a few times, and again, it was helpful to have someone keen on getting things right.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 6:47 PM on February 23, 2016
I went way off the rails with the coccyx thing, it radically exacerbated existing sleep issues. Definitely get light in the mornings, and be rigorous about sleep hygiene, if that's even slightly an issue.
With the ankle, I did try to do exercises, working around the injury - didn't help that much. You can google "working around an ankle injury" for ideas, and see if you can try a few core exercises on a mat or ball, modified pushups, that kind of thing. I found they created uncomfortable pressure in the lower leg, when it was bad. I even tried crutching for cardio (as some person suggested) - exhausting! and creates pressure and friction on the wrists and under the arms... if you can afford expensive ergonomic crutches, maybe try that, would pass on that idea otherwise. Chair exercises are a better plan for now.
Try to get out as often as possible, so you can get some air and light and see people. Take taxis if you have to. If you need to take transit, avoid rush hour, get to know which stations actually are accessible (some cities are served by good apps, I hear), and add 30-45 minutes to your anticipated travel time. Prepare to be overwhelmed when you do go out - go to quieter places where you can sit for a bit without anyone hassling you. (Until these things happened, I'd seriously underestimated how shitty accessibility is in my town; have been more mindful about this issue since. Even a little extension of empathy is a silver lining, I think.)
If you're into crafts or any indoor hobbies, now's the time for that, obviously.
Groceries: go with a friend + car, or order online, to stock up on canned goods and meat; freeze the latter. Get veg & dairy every 2 days or so, with your bag. Plan to make easy things, though. Carry a light backpack with you around the house for bits you need.
2nd getting into physio, when that comes up. Find a skilled PT you can relate to, if possible. It's important to believe you will get better - it really helps to have good and encouraging people on your team. With my particular issues, some things are now out, but orthotics make it possible to walk and use the elliptical machine. (I had to have mine adjusted a few times, and again, it was helpful to have someone keen on getting things right.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 6:47 PM on February 23, 2016
Oh- when you sit, you can make your crutch into a foot rest, as seen at 3:13 in this video. I preferred to do it with the crutch armpit on my chair, not on the floor, so it didn't get dirty. Overall the lady in that video has pretty good crutch technique to emulate (especially considering her age). Her swing-through gait (2:36) is pretty good, and her elbows are quite straight once she starts walking.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 6:57 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by pseudostrabismus at 6:57 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you don't have one yet, rent a knee scooter - also apparently called a knee walker. Your doctor can write you a prescription, even - mine did, and it made it possible for me to go to work last month (I sprained my ankle and broke my foot, it's been loads of fun.) The knee scooter is an absolute godsend. Hang a bike basket on it. I also put a rolly office chair in the kitchen, pushing myself along with one leg, and that helped a lot too, as did the horrible but oh so useful old lady bath chair in the shower. Those are tons cheaper at the medical supply place than at the drugstore or even Walmart, btw. If you are nervy, you could even go to the iWalk2.0 I almost did but the price scared me off plus I could see myself really screwing that up. But crutches are just so horrible.
As for groceries, I started ordering as much as I could from Amazon. And I swallowed my pride and rode the scooter at Walmart. It doesn't go fast enough - I was really hoping for bumper car style mayhem - but it was not bad & it beat trying to maneuver around the store. I just gave up on housework, which, ok, for me is not a huge change, but I also gave up the guilt, which was. So nothing is cleaned. Oh well! Eventually it will be, but for now, your job is healing. It helped to put little stashes everywhere - a book of short stories, Kleenex, a glass of water - because getting from chair to chair was such a PITA. And my friend and I went to the movies with a wheelchair, which was freaky but oh it feels so good to get out. It is so hard to ask for help, I know, I probably didn't ask for enough.
I went from crutches to one crutch to a cane. I got the boot off 2 weeks ago and I just gave up the cane - it's surprising how much it helped but eventually I couldn't stand it either. So I'm 8 weeks in & my foot is still swollen, still painful. But better! I can almost walk! You will probably need new shoes when you get the boot off - I needed like 1/2 size bigger. it was lovely to say goodbye to the boot but a little scary, I still sort of hover over that leg if that makes any sense. Good luck!
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:01 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
As for groceries, I started ordering as much as I could from Amazon. And I swallowed my pride and rode the scooter at Walmart. It doesn't go fast enough - I was really hoping for bumper car style mayhem - but it was not bad & it beat trying to maneuver around the store. I just gave up on housework, which, ok, for me is not a huge change, but I also gave up the guilt, which was. So nothing is cleaned. Oh well! Eventually it will be, but for now, your job is healing. It helped to put little stashes everywhere - a book of short stories, Kleenex, a glass of water - because getting from chair to chair was such a PITA. And my friend and I went to the movies with a wheelchair, which was freaky but oh it feels so good to get out. It is so hard to ask for help, I know, I probably didn't ask for enough.
I went from crutches to one crutch to a cane. I got the boot off 2 weeks ago and I just gave up the cane - it's surprising how much it helped but eventually I couldn't stand it either. So I'm 8 weeks in & my foot is still swollen, still painful. But better! I can almost walk! You will probably need new shoes when you get the boot off - I needed like 1/2 size bigger. it was lovely to say goodbye to the boot but a little scary, I still sort of hover over that leg if that makes any sense. Good luck!
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:01 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I had a third degree ankle sprain when I was in my late forties. It was a (reasonably spectacular) soccer injury.
I did all the exercises my physiotherapist recommended - everyday, faithfully.
After six months I was tentatively playing soccer again, and in 9 months was playing full force. I always wear an brace now when exercising so I won't re-injure it.
posted by LauraJ at 7:36 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I did all the exercises my physiotherapist recommended - everyday, faithfully.
After six months I was tentatively playing soccer again, and in 9 months was playing full force. I always wear an brace now when exercising so I won't re-injure it.
posted by LauraJ at 7:36 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I still sort of hover over that leg if that makes any sense.
Ah yes - one thing to maybe focus on now, if possible, is doing what you can to keep the glutes on your affected side strong. They'll be weak by the time you're off the crutches; this might leave your knee or hip vulnerable to compensation effects and imbalances (it happened to me). 2nd that isometric exercises won't hurt (just clench like you mean it). That may be the only thing you can do for a bit. That's ok, you're getting better, and your PT will steer you right when it's time.
As I said, most of these were too painful until I could put weight on the ankle anyway, but if your ankle isn't bothered too much, to support glute strength, you could try doing the superman; reverse hyperextensions (on a bench; a ball might be too wobbly to negotiate at first); side lying hip abductions; leg lowering exercises, using your glutes to control the movement; and seated band hip abductions, with feet off the ground. (I tried doing bridges with my whole calves on a ball, found that too bothersome, you might not.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:57 PM on February 23, 2016
Ah yes - one thing to maybe focus on now, if possible, is doing what you can to keep the glutes on your affected side strong. They'll be weak by the time you're off the crutches; this might leave your knee or hip vulnerable to compensation effects and imbalances (it happened to me). 2nd that isometric exercises won't hurt (just clench like you mean it). That may be the only thing you can do for a bit. That's ok, you're getting better, and your PT will steer you right when it's time.
As I said, most of these were too painful until I could put weight on the ankle anyway, but if your ankle isn't bothered too much, to support glute strength, you could try doing the superman; reverse hyperextensions (on a bench; a ball might be too wobbly to negotiate at first); side lying hip abductions; leg lowering exercises, using your glutes to control the movement; and seated band hip abductions, with feet off the ground. (I tried doing bridges with my whole calves on a ball, found that too bothersome, you might not.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:57 PM on February 23, 2016
Regarding your parking space - you can get a temporary handicap sticker/hangtag if you fill out the forms with your township/county depending on where you are.
For the swelling and pain and how long that lasts - it highly varies from person to person. I've had 2 very severe ankle sprains now, and both times it took over a year to "heal", and that's with physical therapy, the boot, crutches, etc. And I put heal in quotes because for me, it never fully healed, I'm in pain every day, and my doctors have all told me I'd be crazy to wear high heels for long stretches of time ever again. I have trouble doing ballet and I can't run anymore. For the last sprain, which was in summer of 2014 - I got a bone bruise too, and that is still hounding me today, and I'm still working with an orthopedist about it, and just had even more PT a few months ago.
Anyway, I'm not trying to scare you - my point is, don't rush your recovery. Try to do everything right, do all the PT exercises as you are told, and listen to your docs. You will feel like a bum for a while but if you push yourself you could end up in a much worse situation, like mine. Feel free to memail me if you want to chat about it. I've had more ankle shit to deal with than I ever thought I would.
posted by FireFountain at 9:29 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
For the swelling and pain and how long that lasts - it highly varies from person to person. I've had 2 very severe ankle sprains now, and both times it took over a year to "heal", and that's with physical therapy, the boot, crutches, etc. And I put heal in quotes because for me, it never fully healed, I'm in pain every day, and my doctors have all told me I'd be crazy to wear high heels for long stretches of time ever again. I have trouble doing ballet and I can't run anymore. For the last sprain, which was in summer of 2014 - I got a bone bruise too, and that is still hounding me today, and I'm still working with an orthopedist about it, and just had even more PT a few months ago.
Anyway, I'm not trying to scare you - my point is, don't rush your recovery. Try to do everything right, do all the PT exercises as you are told, and listen to your docs. You will feel like a bum for a while but if you push yourself you could end up in a much worse situation, like mine. Feel free to memail me if you want to chat about it. I've had more ankle shit to deal with than I ever thought I would.
posted by FireFountain at 9:29 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I sprained both ankles and broke my right foot (ligament yanked off of the cuboid bone and took a chip with it) a decade ago, and I still experience problems. My foot and ankles will swell more readily than most people's, and start hurting if I do too much walking or weight-bearing exercise. I become unstable easily on uneven ground. Any exercise where my ankles have to be flexible is a problem (even something like squats, my left ankle doesn't bend enough for proper form), and anything that puts my feet on uneven surface, like hiking, is risky.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but ankle sprains predispose you to more ankle sprains. I would not even consider wearing standard heels given the risk of re-injury; really chunky heels that have stability, maybe. Boots are good because they support the sides of your feet and prevent rolling. I suppose you have to be the judge of whether doing ballet is worth going through this again, or worse.
I'm glad you've been steered towards physical therapy early in the game. I wasn't, and only got it years later when I pushed for it after being diagnosed with post-traumatic arthritis in my right foot. I didn't experience any lasting results from it, but hopefully you will heal better having it so early in the process.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 10:24 PM on February 23, 2016
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but ankle sprains predispose you to more ankle sprains. I would not even consider wearing standard heels given the risk of re-injury; really chunky heels that have stability, maybe. Boots are good because they support the sides of your feet and prevent rolling. I suppose you have to be the judge of whether doing ballet is worth going through this again, or worse.
I'm glad you've been steered towards physical therapy early in the game. I wasn't, and only got it years later when I pushed for it after being diagnosed with post-traumatic arthritis in my right foot. I didn't experience any lasting results from it, but hopefully you will heal better having it so early in the process.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 10:24 PM on February 23, 2016
I had a severe sprain 20 years ago - it was never officially graded, I was given a tubigrip and told to walk it off after the xray showed it wasn't broken. A physio I saw recently told me I have no ligaments left on that side of my ankle - I was walking within a couple of days though so I'm not sure if that's true (I was young so maybe I just healed fast). After 6 weeks off sports I went back and re-injured it in my first netball practice. After that I had physio for another 6 weeks and then got on with my life. So in total I was out of action for 3 months - I was a teenager though.
The good news is total recovery was only 3 months(again, youth may be a factor there), but I wear heels (I do prefer chunky ones and boots - narrow heels are risky but I can if I have to), I do sports of all kinds (not sure about ballet - if you're en pointe, that might be a bit much)
The bad news is, 20 years on, I still have problems. It aches on long walks and if I'm on my feet for too long it gets puffy and swollen. Its also a lot more mobile than the other side and I'm more prone to going over on it (although when I do there's less stuff in there to damage now!)
posted by missmagenta at 3:33 AM on February 24, 2016
The good news is total recovery was only 3 months(again, youth may be a factor there), but I wear heels (I do prefer chunky ones and boots - narrow heels are risky but I can if I have to), I do sports of all kinds (not sure about ballet - if you're en pointe, that might be a bit much)
The bad news is, 20 years on, I still have problems. It aches on long walks and if I'm on my feet for too long it gets puffy and swollen. Its also a lot more mobile than the other side and I'm more prone to going over on it (although when I do there's less stuff in there to damage now!)
posted by missmagenta at 3:33 AM on February 24, 2016
I tore all three of the ligaments in my ankle and it gets better, but it is a process. Ligaments typically take a full year to heal, and there is still some noticeable swelling from scar tissue. What I would recommend is to focus on regaining mobility and strength in the lower leg as soon as you are directed to (teeter board, yoga) and in the meantime ice and arnica (topically or internally) will help with the pain and swelling with the ace bandage. I would be careful driving in the boot as I found out I had difficulty moving from the accelerator to the brake quickly.
It might be helpful to think about getting a weight bench that inclines and then try to do some upper body exercise that will not involve legs but you will still be able to get your endorphins moving, there is even a table top exercise bike for your hands.
It does get better, this too shall pass.
posted by worlddisciple at 5:24 AM on February 24, 2016
It might be helpful to think about getting a weight bench that inclines and then try to do some upper body exercise that will not involve legs but you will still be able to get your endorphins moving, there is even a table top exercise bike for your hands.
It does get better, this too shall pass.
posted by worlddisciple at 5:24 AM on February 24, 2016
Don't have a lot of advice to add here. I broke my ankle hiking 11 years ago - tore ligaments and broke the fibula. Wasn't a bad injury but the break didn't heal so surgery and a long slow process. I was messed up for a solid year and on crutches in a boot or a cast for a good chunk of it. Did a LOT of PT.
You will lose a lot of muscle in that lower leg. It will come back and will do so pretty quickly once you're able to do weight bearing exercise again. Pt will hurt but do it assiduously when you're allowed - don't over doit though. As everyone has said you need to be patient and to ask for help. I found that extremely hard but unavoidable. I wore an ankle brace for anything active for several years afterwards but no longer need one today and was backpacking in the Grand Canyon in the fall - not the first such trip post injury! I couldn't cross country ski for a number of years afterwards because of reduced lateral mobility in the ankle but that has come back too. So be patient - it's a very long haul to come back from tendon/ligament injuries in particular and there's no way to know in advance how complete a recovery you will make.
Watch out for depression. Very easy to feel like your active life is over and to feel isolated. In retrospect I wish I had done more asking people to come over. Good luck! And if you're still on narcotic pain meds get off as soon as you can because the side effects are the worst!
posted by leslies at 5:24 AM on February 24, 2016
You will lose a lot of muscle in that lower leg. It will come back and will do so pretty quickly once you're able to do weight bearing exercise again. Pt will hurt but do it assiduously when you're allowed - don't over doit though. As everyone has said you need to be patient and to ask for help. I found that extremely hard but unavoidable. I wore an ankle brace for anything active for several years afterwards but no longer need one today and was backpacking in the Grand Canyon in the fall - not the first such trip post injury! I couldn't cross country ski for a number of years afterwards because of reduced lateral mobility in the ankle but that has come back too. So be patient - it's a very long haul to come back from tendon/ligament injuries in particular and there's no way to know in advance how complete a recovery you will make.
Watch out for depression. Very easy to feel like your active life is over and to feel isolated. In retrospect I wish I had done more asking people to come over. Good luck! And if you're still on narcotic pain meds get off as soon as you can because the side effects are the worst!
posted by leslies at 5:24 AM on February 24, 2016
You shouldn't still be in pain especially with a cast/boot. Are you sure you didn't break one of the little bones in your foot. I sprained my ankle badly one time, they x-rayed my ankle, told me it wasn't broken. After two days of sleepless agony I went back they were going to x-ray the ankle again and I asked the nurse if they had x-rayed the rest of my foot. Sure enough they hadn't and I had broken one of the little bones and they set it and put a cast on, it stopped hurting almost immediately. Make sure this is not what happened to you.
posted by mareli at 5:49 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by mareli at 5:49 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh, and I injured while dancing, I landed on an uneven bit of floor. No problems dancing after a month in the cast. That was more than 30 years ago, the only bone I've ever broken.
posted by mareli at 5:51 AM on February 24, 2016
posted by mareli at 5:51 AM on February 24, 2016
I had almost the exact same thing happen to me several years ago (am now convinced stairs are very, very dangerous). It was about eight months before the ankle could take full weight properly, and about 18 months before it stopped swelling up at the end of long walks or any significant increase in exercise. Otherwise, it is pretty much OK for most everyday things now, but that took about two full years to get to. It flares up sometimes and in general it feels much less stable than the uninjured foot--I am very careful not to do anything to stress it into another sprain. I am not sure about ballet, but heels are definitely a no. I can barely stand on one foot without toppling over, that is how unstable my ankle remains. I don't invite trouble.
Do the physical therapy work. Do it religiously. Do it far past when you think you are better--do not slack off! Ever! That is the best advice I can give you. You may also want to see if you can work with a professional in sports medicine--they may be more able to get you back to ballet than a regular PT, once you're back to being active.
Also, forgive yourself. Accidents happen. Your life may change but don't grieve too hard, things change one way or another. I spent way too much time replaying that moment on the stairs, but no amount of rumination makes it not happen.
Forgive yourself also for whatever doesn't get done. So maybe your house will be a mess for awhile. Maybe you will lose some muscle tone. Let that be OK for a little while. Don't push yourself so hard you get re-injured, that will not help anything.
Cats are useless, but I think it is OK to ask for help from people. You can spread the favors out among your friends, or see if there is someone who will help you more consistently--if anyone offers, take them up on it. Ask even if you feel ashamed. People will probably not mind. I had a coworker who gave me rides to work for months (I normally take transit, which would have been impossible). I felt bad about it, but that really wasn't necessary. People are adults and can make their own decisions about how they want to spend their time and energy, so if someone is willing to help, let them.
posted by epanalepsis at 10:39 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Do the physical therapy work. Do it religiously. Do it far past when you think you are better--do not slack off! Ever! That is the best advice I can give you. You may also want to see if you can work with a professional in sports medicine--they may be more able to get you back to ballet than a regular PT, once you're back to being active.
Also, forgive yourself. Accidents happen. Your life may change but don't grieve too hard, things change one way or another. I spent way too much time replaying that moment on the stairs, but no amount of rumination makes it not happen.
Forgive yourself also for whatever doesn't get done. So maybe your house will be a mess for awhile. Maybe you will lose some muscle tone. Let that be OK for a little while. Don't push yourself so hard you get re-injured, that will not help anything.
Cats are useless, but I think it is OK to ask for help from people. You can spread the favors out among your friends, or see if there is someone who will help you more consistently--if anyone offers, take them up on it. Ask even if you feel ashamed. People will probably not mind. I had a coworker who gave me rides to work for months (I normally take transit, which would have been impossible). I felt bad about it, but that really wasn't necessary. People are adults and can make their own decisions about how they want to spend their time and energy, so if someone is willing to help, let them.
posted by epanalepsis at 10:39 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
There's a lot of good advice here. I also had a 3rd degree ankle sprain a few years ago, from playing basketball. Yours sounds worse than mine, because I was never on crutches. My understanding is that since you haven't damaged any of the weight-bearing parts of your leg, you should be able to walk in a boot before too much longer. It takes some learning to walk without flexing the ankle, but that should make a big quality of life difference once you get there.
Everyone is different, but I made a full recovery. Before reading this question I hadn't thought about the sprain in years. It was a while before I was back on the court, and I used a soft brace for a long time.
Good luck!
posted by Horselover Fat at 8:26 PM on February 24, 2016
Everyone is different, but I made a full recovery. Before reading this question I hadn't thought about the sprain in years. It was a while before I was back on the court, and I used a soft brace for a long time.
Good luck!
posted by Horselover Fat at 8:26 PM on February 24, 2016
Response by poster: Thank you all so much for the advice and anecdotes. I've put a lot of these ideas to use and I'm getting more ok with my situation. I think the hardest thing for me to process has been just how severe this 'sprain' really is and what the long-term consequences will be, and your stories have helped me come to terms with it. I start PT today and hopefully am well on my way to recovery, even if it takes months. Best answers all around!
posted by tryniti at 8:53 AM on March 2, 2016
posted by tryniti at 8:53 AM on March 2, 2016
It is still painful
Unlike many above, after 30 days all of my severe ankle injuries were still painful. To me this is part of the normal recovery process.
My main advice is to stick with professional PT/OT. It will hurt. You may well feel like quitting. But it's the surest way I know to get through this to a healthy and pain-free long-term future, without permanent disability. Courage, and support, is what you need going forward. Focus on getting well and be kind to yourself with that goal in mind. But getting well also means pushing yourself and your tolerance for physical pain a little bit, as guided by your therapist.
pseudostrabismus has some great ideas above (the stool in the shower was huge for me).
posted by bonehead at 11:14 AM on August 4, 2016
Unlike many above, after 30 days all of my severe ankle injuries were still painful. To me this is part of the normal recovery process.
My main advice is to stick with professional PT/OT. It will hurt. You may well feel like quitting. But it's the surest way I know to get through this to a healthy and pain-free long-term future, without permanent disability. Courage, and support, is what you need going forward. Focus on getting well and be kind to yourself with that goal in mind. But getting well also means pushing yourself and your tolerance for physical pain a little bit, as guided by your therapist.
pseudostrabismus has some great ideas above (the stool in the shower was huge for me).
posted by bonehead at 11:14 AM on August 4, 2016
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In general, I'm a lot more prone to re-injury after a not-as-severe sprain. It was months before I was no longer in regular pain (ie not hobbling/limping around, could resume jogging, etc). I can still unknowingly do something, and wake up the next day with a swollen ankle and stabbing pain.
So, not to be bearer of bad news, but yes, life changes will happen from this. Hopefully PT will prepare you via strengthening the other muscles, and with time, you'll learn what your limits are. Getting there is no fun, my commiserations..
posted by k5.user at 5:41 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]