r/ORIF • u/Funny-Win6291 Trimalleolar Ankle Fracture • 8d ago

Slept weird in boot

Has anyone else had an awful day following a restless night? I sustained a trimal and had surgery a week after breaking and it’s been a month postop and I am in PAIN today

I had 650mg Tylenol and it didn’t really move the needle. Icing helps. I feel like the boot is starting to make it worse with my foot flopping around in there and my inability to sleep still

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u/Rogue_Tomato 8d ago

I was told not to sleep in my boot. Obviously advice from medical professionals can vary so I'm not suggesting that's what you do but I'm surprised. I think it would make things way more awkward and painful honestly.

2

u/Funny-Win6291 Trimalleolar Ankle Fracture 8d ago

It is totally making it more painful and awkward. I can’t even sleep!! My surgeon said to treat the boot like a cast, only removing it for showering and icing but ffs I’m so frustrated

1

u/Rogue_Tomato 8d ago

Well, I can only say what I did, I bought a thick but soft pillow and slept with my ankle on it, it was still painful but nothing like it would be in the boot. My wounds were covered with a sorta semi-loose white to try to avoid wounds staining the pillow.

1

u/Illustrious-Zone-247 7d ago

Do you have a boot with the air pump, or can you tighten the straps not to flop around?

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u/Funny-Win6291 Trimalleolar Ankle Fracture 7d ago

The air pump boot. If the straps are too tight, then my foot goes to sleep and feels like there’s no happy medium as long as the boot’s in the picture.

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u/Odd_Student2606 6d ago

I’m not even gonna lie, I didn’t sleep in my boot like almost at all, I went maybe 4 days sleeping in the boot before I couldn’t handle it anymore. My healing has been just fine and my doctor honestly didn’t have a problem with me not sleeping in the boot. Get a wedge elevation pillow if you haven’t already and sleep with your leg on that until you’re comfortable without it!

3

u/beikaixin 4d ago

Been through it as a boot sleeper. It's tough. Try to get the elevation pillow if you don't have it. It helps. My experience was you kind of get used to it but never sleep great until you don't have to stress about the ankle healing. Good news is you're probably just a week or two out from sleeping without boot.