Today is my one-year "Leg-aversary".....

[lastlib]

One year ago, I fell off a truck at work and broke both bones in lower right leg. Had a metal rod surgically inserted in each bone, with screws inserted at my knee and ankle. As of today, the bones have healed, but soft-tissue damage is still a problem. Doctor says "post-traumatic" arthritis has set into my ankle, and I still have intermittent pain from upper-shin (a few inches above the fractures) to my toes. I walk with one crutch, but can walk short distances without it (albeit still gimpy and occasionally painful). Still getting workman's comp pay, thankfully, though it's not really enough to cover all expenses, and I've dipped into savings some. But still solvent.

It's been a bitch of a year.

[lark]

1. Good job hanging in under unfavorable circumstances.

Serious injuries really try your inner strength and it's so easy to just get despondent, but it sounds like you are actively working through this. I applaud your positivity and endurance. I had 2 head traumas 6 weeks apart early last year and spent the entire year disabled and was near death for 3-4 months. It was super trying not having my brain working properly, hurting all the time, and not being able to read hardly any. I had a good support system and they helped me continue to try to get better and to believe that it would happen and hope you do too. Reach out to others, you might be surprised by help coming in unexpected ways from unexpected folks. So good luck and wishing you much inner strength for the journey.

2020 sucks so bad for so many reasons but we will fix part of this on 11/3/20 so 2021 won't be as dire.

[lastlib]

3. You have my deepest sympathies my friend!

Sounds like your trauma is much worse than mine! I am sure the DU community will join me in wishing you all the best--we need you on board! Your loved ones need you even more! Good luck to you in a speedy return to health! Please keep us posted!

---

[lark]

5. Oh, how kind you are. I am so far down the path now, compared to the start, it's amazing.

I can read and write all I want to and the brain fog is gone and I'm not in imminent danger of dying, so I am happy. I can even go out in the hot glaring FL sun without debilitating headaches & dizziness now and that wasn't even true 3 months ago. I've got one more hurdle, my shoulder, and doc is ordering an MRI this week. Hopefully I'll be all repaired and ready to rock by Sept. and I can return to working for FL Democratic party like I did in 2018. I need to do my part to get rid of Traitor Tot.

[handmade34]

2. oh my...

I understand... motorcycle accident, compound fracture, week in intensive care, nerve damage, external fixator, 7 surgeries, marrow transplant, full leg cast, wheelchair and then crutches, years of healing.... today, I can hike mountains, run (if I need to ) and despite massive scar, my leg works pretty well....

be patient with yourself and hang in there

[lastlib]

4. Wow, you've been through your own hell on earth!

Very glad you have recovered, no doubt it was a trial for you, and for those who supported you! Having hiked mountains previously, I (like you) want to get back to that--but with the arthritis....IDK. i may have to do it vicariously through people like you! Stay healthy!

[Wawannabe]

6. Happy Legversary!

Progress is good, right?

I am about to have my one year wristversary. Broke the left one in 3 places Aug 23, 19. Surgery and titanium plate. Never had a broken bone in my 49 years. I had to do everything one handed for over 3 months. My right arm sometimes ached more than the healing wrist did.

I am hoping the fingers straighten out better than they currently are. Physical therapy ended too soon I think. There was nothing wrong with my hand but the surgery changed things in my arm and hand. The veins in my wrist were even rerouted.

Something you might try for the arthritis pain is CBD. The best I’ve found is a product from Ceres called Dragon Balm. For deep tissue relief. It is a roll on and works in minutes! You can get with or without THC. I use the 300/300 But one of my friends gets the 500mg CBD only and says it works great for him.

Take care

[lastlib]

7. YUCK!--that sounds excruciating!

Hope your recovery goes better from here! How did you break it in three places?

Can you continue doing what they were having you do in therapy? It has certainly helped me, and now they're going to try having me do water therapy for my ankle. I have been able to bear the pain, even though it never really goes away--I'm just able to tuck it away in the back of my mind for the most part while doing other things. But I'll bear the CBD tip in mind in case I do need it sometime--thanks for the suggest!

Take care of that wrist--and the hooman attached to it!

[Wawannabe]

8. I'm a wawannabe roller derby queen

Was at the skating rink! I do have wrist guards but had been street skating and needed to take a couple laps to see if my skates were right for the oval track. Can’t tie my skates with the guards on however.
I did a lap and retied, then did another to make sure all good (cuz I’m a speed skater). That lap was the breaker! Haha. Was coming in from that lap to get the wrist guards on and lost balance, fell and did the dummy thing and tried to break my fall. I didn’t think is was broken. Even pulled on it cuz it felt jammed! Haha!

Ended up with fractures to radius, ulna and joint hence the surgery and plate. It was considered a non stable break so needed to have the metal to stabilize. They say you can have it removed later but that is NOT happening! Who would do that?

I am about ready to get the skates on again. ...with a little trepidation. But imma do it! Skating makes my hips feel good. It doesn’t have the impact that walking does and works the hips good.

I do some of the exercises from PT and have a hand therapy ball - also some warm water therapy when I take a hot soak. The stretch exercises the therapist did I cannot do to myself. Those felt good and helped a lot. But once the doc released me I had to stop going- insurance. Would love to have paid myself but each visit cost over $300 for self pay. Can’t do that. I was saving for hand massages when the pandemic shut everything down. I had to use that money in the meantime but getting back to good now so will find a good upper body and hand massage therapist that I can afford to see for the next few months. The first year they say is the most critical time to get movement back to normal.

[Wawannabe]

9. Also, hear ya on the finances!

Out of pocket for me was almost $4k!
Thankfully I had good insurance! If mediocre ins I prob would have paid 10k out of pocket.

[lastlib]

10. Ouch! That can hurt almost as much as the injury!

I'm very fortunate that workman's comp covered everything! My hospital bill was something like $34,000, and nearly a year of therapy certainly ain't cheap!