So I had an interesting Friday. Had a corporate day out at one of these army assault course places down in Dorking and bizarrely, during the safety briefing, I said to the instructor that I 'have never broken a bone in my life'.
Until I slid down a mud bank right foot first, left foot got stuck in a hole and lower leg and ankle literally snapped behind my back. Lying in agony in the rain with my team mates goading me for 'crying over a twisted ankle', I was eventually carted off in an ambulance dreading the inevitable x ray showing no damage, and leaving me heading back to the office like a right wally.
Well, turns out I have a slight fracture in my lower tibia, but more seriously I have a displaced fracture of the talus in my ankle. The bone has moved to the point where I need to have surgery next week to pin it all back together again as my foot and leg are completely out of line. My work are already lining me up for a swift return and getting me set up for working from home from Monday.
Has anyone else experienced a similar injury, and what was the recovery like? I am googling ahead of checking in to a private hospital on Tuesday - and to all intense and purposes it seems I am in for the serious long hall with some sites quoting 12 weeks before it will be anything close to weight bearing. I am a 20 min walk from my station - and then have a 45 min train ride up to town and a 10 min walk at the other end.
Could anyone guess on:
1) At what point of my recovery would it be reasonable to expect someone to be in an office 25 miles from where they live? I am desperate not to appear a shirker and am ready to go whenever I can. But the scale of this has hit me this weekend. Christ, wiping my arse is a bloody ordeal, never mind the physiotherapy I have been told to expect to even start walking again. I know I sound like a bit of a wooss, but a combination of the pain, effect of the drugs, and exhaustion has left me feeling almost depressed!
2) Any experiences of recovery from similar injuries would be great.
3) Would I be qualified to sit in the disabled bit at the Valley as a swap for my season ticket?
4) I have never had surgery and am totally cacking myself. Any experience of similar opps would be appreciated.
The specialist was at lengths to tell me this is a bloody nasty injury, and actually said if I was a footballer my career would be in doubt. So my chances of stepping in for Yann at short notice are gone......
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2) Only ever broke me nose and was picking it again within a week each time
3) Yeah I should think so, knew a lad who claimed that he got in free with a fake cast on for years
4) Not sure if I mentioned it, but I had a kidney transplant the other day and never felt a thing, till I came round
At Mayday hospital (an apt name) in Croydon, the X-rays determined that his ankle was broken clean through. Steel pins were inserted, and after nine long days and nights he was allowed home to St Albans with the instruction that he must go to his local hospital for a check-up. The consultant at Hemel Hempstead took one look at the new X-rays, shook his head and said: "Oh no, no, no; they've done it all wrong. We are going to have to break your ankle again and re-set it."
My mate was in a wheelchair for several months; I went up to St Albans a couple of times and wheeled him along to the local pub. He was off work for six months until his sick pay ran out. He went stir-crazy at home and would have climbed the walls if he could - all because he stepped on a bit of loose earth.
It was a horrible time, but on the other hand, he is a Palace supporter.
I broke my ankle skiing at the age of 25 - took a few months to heal & to be honest I rushed it so I could get back to playing football again. Caused me untold muscular problems in both legs which really curtailed my "football career" & I have arthritis in the ankle now (not sure if this is related) - my advice is let it heal properly & don't do anything that compromises this. Its just not worth the hassle down the line.
Sorry to tell you this but I think you already know; its a very painful injury and will be for sometime. I didn't even run again for about 8 months and walked with a limp for sometime. I was 19 at the time so I had youth on my side.
Dont be tempted to rush back to work, work did this to you, not as if you have to make any excuses . I would be livid if this had happened to me during work time. Put your leg up and watch daytime telly for the next couple of months.
Have had my problems with my left ankle that I ruptured my ligaments 30 years ago. The only thing to say is:
Don't rush back, when you think you are ready, give yourself another 2-3 weeks.
Good luck.
Whatever happens, I'd make damn sure I'm not rushing back to work at the detriment of your health
Contrast I broke my back in 3 places very badly almost 3 years ago and was back at work in just under 2 weeks.
MAke no mistake you have a serious injury and you have to do what the doctors tell you, long before you even think about what "work" thinks. failing too only means more problems down the line and whilst that might seem some way off, trust me you will be there sooner than you ever thought.
Make sure you keep working on it, trying to walk if they say you can. Do your physio and then some. Recovery tends to be related to how much you are willing to do, be worth eating right too.
In terms of going under general, you'll be fine, it really isn't that bad.
12 weeks in plaster but playing football the following week. Not ideal but it was an important game
Fast forward 20 years and I get relatively infrequent arthritis and its never been right to be honest - pretty much finished my hopes of a career in the game.
Oh - and I was signed off for a month when they removed my plate 3 years later. Almost as painful as the break!
.... You will wake up in a ward, quite calm and without pain. As others have posted, the real work comes with the physiotherapy, weeks later, which is designed to build the strength in your muscles and ligaments. Years ago I broke my elbow: titanium pins were inserted, and for a while I couldn't straighten my arm. The weekly physiotherapy sessions were more painful than the original injury, but by God they do work: I'd come out of the clinic with my elbow more supple every time. You will probably be given daily exercises to do at home - don't neglect these. You'll soon be fit and back on your pins again.
How long do you get full pay on the sick
Is the longterm progronsis going to be 100 %return to how you were pre accident
Who's liabilty picks up your costs and potential loss of earnings and damages to your future health
Some time ago I battled between Surrey and North London by train with a plastered leg and crutches for a few weeks by being driven to the station. No prisoners taken on then tube in rush our so tried to work from home in the early internet days. Didn't work well, no allowances from my boss so had a row and told them to stuff their job. Hope you have a more sympathetic employer, but ask for the taxi fares if they want you at work and you have to face that sort of walk.
I've had a few minor surgeries and you will not feel a thing, you might even enjoy the sedatives, take the pain killers for more than a few days at your peril, unless you don't mind drug dependency, (from what we are now hearing). They make me nauseous so I take paracetamol with no problem.
Not broken my leg or ankle but have torn tendons and damaged ligaments in my foot/ankle. Like others have said the physio is key, even the exercises which you assume to be pointless will help sort you out quicker than you expect.
Don't rush back, although your social life and things will suffer, you have to take more time off than you need.
The intense pain will subside in a couple of days, until then pain-relievers and grin and bear it.
Don't shirk the physio/re-hab, you will need to build the muscle up gradually and strengthen the ligaments and that takes time.
Broken bones: collar bone, a couple of ribs and cracked tibia - my shin guard slipped and I managed to get kicked right on the one spot that was left exposed. Hurt like heck and looked like half an egg had been grafted on to the bone.
You might like to consider contacting your lawyer and getting some compensation. While you might not want to embarrass your employers you are the one who will be dealing with the long-term consequences of what could be another party's negligence. My shoulder has never been quite right since the collar bone break and while that was wholly my fault I have suffered some long term weakness in it. While you'll never be worrying about whether your footballing contract will be extended you may suffer some arthritis and weakness in that foot - in fact I'm pretty certain that you will even if it's just a few twinges and loss of total flexibility and that will affect you long after you leave your current employer.
Car - perhaps you should look at getting an automatic once you can drive again? It'll be some time before you can really put some weight on the foot again and if you drive a manual and need to stop suddenly...
Edit: Don't smoke!
Good luck.