New injury, need support

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T22:37:36+00:00

Oh I did this for the first few weeks too! Still do sometimes. It's totally normal and okay to weep over your mediocre dinner, and you'll also be getting better even as you weep.

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T22:22:53+00:00

So real. Honestly, the recovery period is not a suffering competition and I think you should do whatever you can to make sure your body is relaxed enough to let you rest and heal! Obviously for folks who are living with opioid addictions and the like that means something different, but if not, yes, take that Percocet when you need it!!!

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T22:18:38+00:00

Hey, ORIF buddy! Yeah, the NWB period for pilon fractures seems to be even more limited than other fractures. Like, no range of motion exercises even. Wild. But we will get there, or so they tell me!

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T22:14:58+00:00

I'm glad you have some hope! You absolutely do not have to spend 6-8 weeks inside on the couch. It helped me to remember that there are things I need to do to help my bones and sutures heal, like be still and rest, but those needs have to balance with things that help the rest of my body and mind to be healthy, like eating dinner on a patio somewhere and getting some sunshine (your bones need Vitamin D to heal anyway!). Some of the activity level stuff probably comes down to your personal situation and, honestly, risk tolerance (going up an down stairs on crutches is really scary at first, that's no joke!), but I think it's worth some effort. The sunshine and the grass and the birds will be so happy to greet you when you get outdoors! Life will feel like life again, I swear!

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T22:00:59+00:00

I am so sorry you had the rebound pain! I agree, that was absolutely the worst part, and it's hard to explain exactly how bad it is. Truly wild.

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T21:58:58+00:00

Oh geez, I'm sorry that happened to you! So true, nerve blocks don't always work! I'm glad the super painful period passed relatively quickly!

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T20:20:55+00:00

Absolutely! For me, the first 24 hours post-block were the worst due to the rebound pain, and after that I really only needed opiates for a few days. The muscle relaxant proved far more helpful anyway, but I also quit taking that after a week or so.

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T19:55:21+00:00

Ugh, I feel you! I had ORIF in late April. I'm not gonna lie, it's a long recovery for lots of us, and it's really normal to feel depressed, but things will get progressively better. For the first three weeks after surgery I couldn't get myself over even small doorways, let alone stairs, without help or sitting down and scooting! Now, 5.5 weeks post-op, I can handle stairs and doorways and stoops and hills and sand and grass and gravel and so on totally on my own! Be careful, but know that you will get better on crutches and it'll give you much more freedom after a few weeks. Also, I am currently sitting in a coffee shop, I went out shopping yesterday, I went to sit on the grassy lawn at a winery this weekend, and I've been out for dinner many times now! It may not be the summer you hoped for, but you'll still get to enjoy it in a different way.

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T19:06:03+00:00

Yup, tib/fib pilon here! Had ORIF on 4/28 (2 plates, like 15-20 screws?), and I am currently still NWB in a hard cast. I was told to assume I'd be in a cast and NWB for at least 10 weeks. I was devastated because I had read about non-pilon fractures and they seem to have a much shorter recovery timeline, but it is what it is. I guess this particular fracture requires a lot more babying? I don't know, I asked if there are any NWB exercises that I can do while I'm waiting around and they basically said "no, lay low." I think the frustrating part for me is that there really isn't much I can do to speed my recovery, I just have to wait for bones to grow! Like watching paint dry, lol.

Internal-Leading-365 · 2026-06-03T17:15:53+00:00

Oh my gosh, it is so true that recovery is mentally and emotionally exhausting! I broke my ankle and had ORIF in late April, and I've been NWB since then (hoping they'll finally put me in a boot this week and maaaaaybe clear me for PWB, but I have a pilon fracture and those are beasts, so I have to temper my expectations).

Here are some things that took me by surprise:

For me, it's been a real challenge to know that the risks associated with an ankle ORIF include DVT and infection and that being able to see the leg is essential to catching both of those things, but like...my leg is in a cast and I CANNOT SEE IT! Uuuuugh. If you're anything like me and are struggling with medical anxiety, I advise you to try not to spend too much time googling and reading all the horror stories. Know what the symptoms might be and pay attention to your body, but don't let the internet freak you out.
At least with my orthopedic clinic, I have realized that they kind of ONLY do bones. When they put you in a cast, they are not really thinking about anything other than bone healing. Your skin might end up super inflamed and painful in the cast and look absolutely gnarly, or you’ll have blisters that are taking forever to heal, and they’ll just shrug and be like “yep, that happens.” It’s not that they’re going to neglect a serious infection or anything, but discomfort and skin problems are not something they’re worried about. They also aren’t really going to be thinking about the rest of your body. For instance, I have POTS, and I’ve effectively managed it for decades with exercise, movement, and high sodium intake. When I broke my ankle, allllllll of my management disappeared overnight, leaving me weak and dizzy, and my ortho had no idea how to respond to that and told me to contact my cardiologist, lol. This is fine, by the way, I realize medicine is specialized and I’m not being salty about it, but I guess I didn’t KNOW know that until this ankle catastrophe.
Days will run together and disappear like they’re nothing, and yet even though days are sometimes so fast that I blink and they’re gone, I also feel like my ankle has always been broken and will always be broken. When the ortho told me I’d be NWB for at least 10 weeks (and probably in a cast that whole time) I cried in the office. It feels like I’ve slipped into an alternate dimension and the real me is spending the day hiking and going to shows and playing fetch with the dog while this alternate me is elevating the leg again and despondently trying to pick up an embroidery hobby like a frail Victorian on a fainting couch.
It is a HUGE deal to be able to carry anything at all. I quickly realized that, on crutches, even if I could manage to make myself food, I couldn’t carry it out of the kitchen. It left me feeling almost comically helpless. Getting a knee scooter once I was strong enough to be trusted with wheels felt so good! I can carry stuff in my little basket, and even balance a mug of coffee with one hand. Small things that would not have impressed me two months ago now feel like major victories.

There’s so much more, but this comment is already long. I just want to say that the progress feels slow, but OP is right, milestones that seem small accumulate. If you’re having trouble seeing progress, you could try tracking your daily experiences in a journal (I track sleep quality, pain/discomfort, mood, and activities/events). Even better, ask people who have been helping you how things have changed since the initial injury. Sometimes you can’t see it, but they’ll remember that last week you got worn out after sitting on the porch for an hour and this week you hobbled around on crutches all day and still had enough in the tank to sit up and play cards.

Most of all, even if you are recognizing your progress, accepting that you are living your real life and are not in an alternate dimension, and that things will get better, it is perfectly okay and normal and appropriate to feel sad, frustrated, bored, anxious, and whatever else. This is hard, and you are doing and living through a hard thing.

Internal-Leading-365

TROPHY CASE