Broken Ankle: Six Months Later

This week marks the six month anniversary of my ankle fracture: 

a trimalleolar fracture that resulted in surgery and metal plates and 

screws being put in my ankle.

If you came across my blog by searching for “broken ankle” because you have just 

experienced this yourself, I’d first like to send you warm and empathetic thoughts.  It 

hurts like hell, doesn’t it?  And it’s a bit traumatic.  But believe me when I say that things 

will get better.

Here’s my first post about my break, then there’s one here and here and here is the 

three month update.

Six months later I am walking pretty well.  I have a slight limp, but my guess is that if you 

do the physical therapy you won’t have a limp at six months.  I didn’t have medical 

insurance, so couldn’t get the physical therapy.  My limp is lessening though so I hope in 

another month or two it will be gone completely.

I used a cane from month four-five.  I don’t use it much now but I keep it around for certain 

things like shopping at the mall with my daughter or anything else when I am going to be 

doing lots of walking on a hard surface.  I’d say I am without it 95% of the time

I still have ankle pain every day - though it is MUCH, much less than the first two months.

My ankle still swells every day.  I’m not sure when that will end.  Some days it is bad enough 

that I put ice on it,  some days it isn’t that bad. My right ankle (the broken one) is still bigger 

than my left ankle.  (See photo above) Maybe it will always be this way.

If you have friends and family to help you, things will be easier for you.  (I couldn’t have 

made it without my 18 year old daughter - Thanks Del! And my dogs were my constant 

companions - Thanks Nosey and Seamus!) 

 If you don’t have much support I’d advise surrounding yourself with your favorite books 

or watching seasons of your favorite tv shows on Netflix.  During my non-weight bearing 

time I watched all of PBS’ Bleak House, Battlestar Gallatica and the first four seasons of 

Rescue Me.  I also read lots of Henning Mankill and Jasper Fforde.

The time I spent with Esther Summerson, WIlliam Adama, Tommy Gavin, Thursday Next and 

Kurt Wallander saved me from a slow death by boredom.

So things do get better.  Keep the faith.  The first three months are the hardest but then things 

look up considerably.  Warm wishes going out to you for an easy recuperation.

Now... if I could just find a job...

Ankle Anniversary

Today is the one month anniversary of breaking my ankle.  My ankle was both dislocated and broken 

in three places, making it a trimalleolar fracture.

To clarify:

The big bone on the left ankle on the left side of the foot is the lateral malleolus. The big bone on the 

inside of the left ankle is the medial malleolus. Malleolus is singular (one); malleoli is plural (two or 

more); malleolar means pertaining to the malleolus/malleoli.

 -unimalleolar pertains to one malleolus;

 -bimalleolar pertains to the two malleoli, the lateral and medial;

 -trimalleolar pertains to three malleoli. Technically, there are two 

  malleoli, and the big bone at the tip of the tibia counts as the third.

So I go back to my OP (Orthopedic Surgeon) next week and hope to hear more about how my 

recovery will progress at that time.  My OP says that it is hard to predict: my injury is complex and 

everyone heals differently.  My internet research however has me thinking that this is a long slow 

process taking anywhere from 6 - 24 months with some people never getting 100% back to normal.

I have no insurance, but I spoke with a physical therapist when I was in the hospital and he said I 

could come in for one visit and he could teach me things to do at home on my own.  Physical therapy 

seems to be critical to a full recovery.  Here are a few sites I looked at today which I found to be helpful 

regarding therapy/exercise and a broken ankle:

Chair yoga

Suggestions for ankle exercise

More exercise ideas

Yoga poses with broken foot

It's been very hard having this injury at Christmas time.  No Christmas tree this year.  No lights

up anywhere.  I greatly miss walking.  And taking my dogs to the park.  Even things like

grocery shopping and cleaning house sound good to me now.  My sympathies go out to

anyone experiencing a similar injury.