Broken shin

[raving-monkey]

Hi just a question on my broken shin, My roof ladder gave way giving me a very fast ride 15 foot to the ground. Somehow i managed to land on my feet, i assume on my heels as i managed to break my left shin about 6 inches above me ankle. I can only imagen my boot supported my ankle from snapping.
I was rushed to hospital after realising i couldnt get up. A couple of days later i was to find i had a rod and screws at each end of my shin to hold it in place. I was in hospital for 10 days including the 2 days before the op.
Im still in so much pain with mainly my foot, i do get the odd pain in the side of my calf, which i can only think is the thin bone clicking about is what i can feel. I cant even weight bare my legs own weight when on the toilet its so painful. Does anyone have any idea when i could be walking without crutches again and when i could possibly move my toes. It just seems so dead down there and i thought id have more movement in my foot than what i do have at the moment. The constant tingles everywhere and throbbing is just getting me if im honest. I was not put in a cast if this helps as the swelling in hospital led me in waaayyyyy to much pain to keep it on so they had to cut it off! Any help on my situation would be much appreciated.

[raving-monkey]

sorry about some mistakes im a bit high on morphine painkillers still
Rob

[Sqad]

I am a little confused.
What is the timespan between you leaving hospital and the present time?

Are you saying that after an internal fixation of your fractured tibia, they have sent you home without a plaster cast?

[raving-monkey]

i was released on the 12/6/2010
I have a rod in my left shin. The op i think was on the 6th. Im a bit vague with the op date as i was so high on the drugs they were giving me for the pain
Rob

[ummmm]

As in the rod is sticking out of your leg?

[Sqad]

So...this is the 13th post op day?
You didn't answer the question re. letting you home without a plaster cast.

[raving-monkey]

No they had to hammer a rod down my shin's, im sure they said line up my shins then hammer the rod down and screw it in place, i got two screws at the bottom and two at the top of my shin. which is all internal, the only visible signs are where they entered in different places im stappled up.

Yes they let me home without a cast. I can only imagine because the rod does what the cast would have done if it was more minor?

[raving-monkey]

And yes i believe the op was on the 6th, and i was discharged on the 12th at lunch time with a big bag of medication and a tool for my local nurse at the doctors surgery to remove my stapples

[ummmm]

I've only ever broke my hand and fingers and I found the cast helped loads with the pain (strapping for the fingers) it prevents any accidental movement and protects it from knocks and bumps...

[Sqad]

Difficult to say as it depends on many things, but if all goes well, then you should be weight within about 6-8 weeks without crutches.

Just try to keep moving your toes and watch out for swelling in the leg and pain in the calf.

Good luck.

[merciasounds]

Go back, go back, go back! Sounds like you have a trapped nerve if it tingles, and if you're still in pain and you're on morphia based pain meds then something isn't right. GO BACK

[raving-monkey]

I have a doctors app on friday and i got a follow up at the hospital on the 29th, i might suggest a cast as i do keep knocking it. The calf pain i will mention that i feel something moving on friday but i dunno just something dont feel right. Im hoping the 6-8 week period is my time as id love to make something in the kitchen and bring it to the living room. I hate being to dependant on my partner as we got the baby too!
Im on the morphine tablets because apparently where i was on so much in hospital i cant just stop it, i got to be weened off it. which hopefully will be in the next week or so gradually downing the amount i take, then i switch to codine or something. co codamaol. (My partners dealing with it) lol
But thanks for your help so far, just i never broke a bone in my life and just have no idea what to expect!
Rob

[Greedyfly]

It can be a very slow process which requires a lot of patience unfortunately. I broke my ankle if four places and had to have plates and pins to fix it, that was a year and a half ago - I just had more surgery 3 months ago (having physio now). My break and the subsequent problems was just unfortunate, not typical.

First surgery I had was in December 08 and it wasn't until about april/may I was walking without crutches. You just have to be patient with it (hard for me, I can relate). As Squad says (and he should know) just keep an eye on the toes and get someone to press on them every now and then to see if the colour returns quickly as it should.

I cannot imagine how much pain a shin break would be, I sympathize. I would mention the amount of pain your in and difficulty your having with regards to going to the loo etc.. when you see someone - but to be honest they probably can't do more than they have for you. It won't seem like it now but I promise it does get easier to get about and they pain does ease off. I was in total agony for about a week after my first surgery - I cried non stop and couldn't do anything on my own. I shook uncontrollably for the first day or so with the pain and shock of it all I think.

Hope you feel a bit better soon, it will ease. And I am sure you will get physio for the injury after your cast is removed - its a slow process but when you do start to make an improvement you will come on leaps and bounds I am sure.

Good luck, let us know how your doing.

Greedyfly

[Greedyfly]

In reference to being dependant on your partner. I am fiercly independant and have had to rely on my partner for most of the last year to help me. Give it some time, when the pain eases you will be able to get about a bit better.

I found a long handled shoulder bag a good tool for getting things from other rooms. You can fill it, then put it over your neck and shoulder and crutch around. Not good for open food, mind you - tupperware boxes come in useful in that respect. You will figure it all out!

[raving-monkey]

i would just like to say thank you to everyone that commented, I'm walking without crutches but not far, still got aches but nothing serious. Just need to exercise more to stretch out the ligaments and get rid of this limp. In total I had 34 staples and had to have an operation to take one screw out.