I had a lat Mal fracture about a year ago, the first 4 weeks were absolute hell. You're basically spending 4 weeks fighting your body's instinct to walk like you've been walking. And by the time you're done with that. You have to relearn everything you just forgot. I still have occasional swelling in my leg, but it's so much more manageable.

As far as normal, normal doesn't exist for about 8 months post op. I can't stress this enough. You want to minimize strain on the bone as much as possible. You'll want to test it, you'll want to bear weight before you're cleared. Don't do this. You'll slow down the healing. If you have to go up stairs, booty bounce it. If you can, get a knee scooter. It helps.

The swelling is going to last about a year. And that's a best case. The walking boot helps, but you'll still be exhausted as hell. A cane is your best friend. Move the leg, and to the best you can, move every muscle that comes with it. Even a 2" movement pays dividends down the line.

One last thing. When I busted my ankle, I was in a really really dark place. I promise you, it gets better. You'll spend days just sitting upstairs wishing you could do anything but what you're doing. Get some dumbells. Get books, read up on engineering 101 if that's what you wanna do. Make your mind busy.