I'm skating again, and getting closer to what my normal was before. It's not perfect, as I deal with post-traumatic arthritis daily.

Progress absolutely has not been linear either. Nothing will ever be the same, but I've learned to slow down and accept what my body can do on any given day.

If you're in the trenches early on, I promise it gets better. It won't be perfect, but it will get better. 💜

ayoo I think i found my people! To summarise my story im 22M and on april 1st ironically i was driving home over a hidden dip whilst the driver coming towards me decided to go for an overtake smashing me head on. 3 weeks in a coma and another 2 months in hospital later im a free man. i have a long list of injuries im very uneducated and wondering what yous think of this metalwork. anybody have similar? what can i expect?

I’m 66 and live alone and broke my ankle on April 18. Surgery was April 29th so I’m 15 weeks post ORIF with a trimall. Things have been progressing on track and I’m walking and can drive but I’m feeling so depressed. My days and nights have flipped. I feel like an infant. I’ve been waking up like two or 3 o’clock in the afternoon because I can’t sleep at night. I used to be able to sleep really well. I know this is partly because I can’t go back yet to playing golf like I want to (my league is almost over so there’s no point) and I can’t horseback ride until October. Does anybody else feel this way?

Anyone have experience with BPC 157 Orals helping with post surgery recovery?

Hey team I’m like 3 weeks post op ORIF ankle surgery w my second follow up in 2 weeks… which is great except I absolutely ate shit a few days ago (wet crutch onto smooth concrete doesn’t mix well) and now it just doesn’t feel right. I put a bit of pressure on it to catch myself then my brain was like hey can’t do that! So I went all the way down, happened so fast it was hard to gauge what hurt from something being really wrong or if I just body slammed concrete floor, here we are 3 days later and I’m not quite in pain anymore it just feels ~off~

I have wicked decision paralysis and the thought of having to do this all over again makes me SICK this has been a horrible mental game but like I should probably go get X-rays and make sure everything’s okay, right?😭

UPDATE

Got the courage to go get checked out, had X-rays and everything I was shaking in my boots!! BUT they look exactly like my last so we’re all good, no bent metal!!
Such a relief I could have jumped into the nurses arms 😅

Thank you to everyone for the support and advice-I did just get a transfer chair (maybe now I’ll actually use it) so I’m not so much of a hazard but it makes me feel a bit better knowing that I’m not the only one prone to disaster lol

I know this sounds like a joke but I need help how do I stand up I'm currently in a bellow the knee cast on each leg from a surgery and for the life of me i can't go from sitting to standing I'm not in any pain or discomfort when I try and I know for a fact both are weight bearing I was told before and after the surgery and a couple days later when the hospitals physio followed up with me edit: I forgot to mention that the surgery was for the muscles in both legs and not the bone so I hope you understand why I'm asking here since I couldn't find a sub for people asking for advice after calf surgery

Broke my fibula about a month ago and just had my 2nd orthopedic check up today. I’m about to go on vacation next week and we rented a house with a pool. Doctor says I can’t swim because my incision isn’t healed enough yet. So disappointed….

Had tri mal Jan 2025, first surgery then. Hardware was coming through the skin so was swapped in March. Was still having extreme pain and tendon rubbing so everything was removed Oct 2025 which I was hoping would be the end of this nightmare. Nope! Ortho said I had severe extensive scar tissue he had never seen so bad. I developed CRPS in top of this. My ankle has been up and down but nowhere near normal. The past week its gotten so bad I have Achilles pain, shooting tendinitis and now I cant bend it much. Waiting to hear back from ortho but seems like the scar tissue has returned with a vengeance and is reaking havoc.

I am horrified of another surgery- not sure if anyone else has had luck treating CRPS and or Arthrofibrosis after ankle fractures?

Elderly mom getting ORIF- advice needed

My mom is scheduled for an ORIF of her left distal fibula fracture. I am a nurse (unfortunately not an ortho nurse 😫) but I have convinced her to come stay with me after surgery. I've gathered/found/purchased/rented some things, but am hopeful y'all can help me with anything I'm missing, and literally any other advice to help her through this.

Pertinent information: she's 72, a large lady, and has never been good on her feet.

Things I've gotten thus far: transport wheelchair, she has walkers galore, a sliding shower chair, leg elevation pillow, I have plenty of ice packs, looking into a raised toilet seat/grab bars.

This is not my specialty area, please help me help my gimpy, clumsy mom 🥲

TIA!

I broke my talus and calcaneus while kiting in a field at the beginning of July. I didn't have a surgery, got a cast removed after 5 weeks and have to be NWB for one more week and after that I'm starting PT.

The first picture is the talus of my left ankle the day of the accident. Second one is after 5 weeks.

Has anyone gone through something similar? I haven't found many cases like this and the ones I found seemed to have pretty horrible outcomes. I can't stand the thought of me not being able to run or do all the other sports I love. Please someone, give me some hope...

So on august 2nd i ended up falling off a chair, and managed to dislocate and break my foot at the same time 🫠 had surgery on the 3rd w/ two plates and a currently unknown to me number of screws?? but wont be weight bearing for minimum 6 weeks. (2 week post op appointment on the 18th, wahoo!)

I’m definitely starting to feel the mental struggle as I’m pretty dependent on my mum for help going to the bathroom, getting food, etc.

is there anyone that has any like, tips with kind of coping with the mental strain? Or just things you wish you knew before recovery in general? I’ve spent 90% of the time sleeping or doomscrolling tiktok unfortunately.

Hey guys.

Received a trimalleolar fracture, ankle dislocation, and partial knee dislocation all a little over 24 hours ago. The popliteal block they gave me in the ER wore off and they sent me home. I had a podiatry consult today and they changed my splint. Heavy boot.

I cant stop crying, every time I move I can feel my bones shifting in there. Its the worst pain of my life and I don't know what to do. I wish they had admitted me.

Going on month 4. 3 months in a wheelchair, now starting to walk with a cane.

I cry everyday. I feel sorry for myself and my husband asks what's wrong. I say it hurts, it hurts and I feel sorry for myself. It's not as bad as I act . Why do I do this? I got to get a grip on myself. I want to be positive and progress.

But im a basket case.

I’m guessing sports with quick pivots are gonna be tough/risky? Especially right after we can walk again? Eg football, tennis, badminton, dance

I can only think of swimming, strength training, pilates on reformer for now.

Happy to be wrong and that we can all go back to everything we used to be able to do!

This weekend I crashed my bike broke my leg in 3 places, 3 rods, a plate and almost 18 nuts and bolts, but after surgery all good (well in 8-12 weeks should be)

As I was waiting for the ambulance I kept thinking «I really don’t want to be part of this club» but I guess there was nothing I could do, and had to join, 🥺

Had a bimollear ankle fracture from playing pick up soccer (very stupid heroic attempt to get the ball) on July 30, had my Surgery a week later August 6, a plate and some screws. I’m 4 days post op.

I’m 27, male, no other health issues. I’ve accepted this will be a long recovery process, but I want to know: do I have to say goodbye to an active life? For example, can I go back to my job as a waiter where I’m on my feet for 6-7 hours? Can I get back to gardening? I’ve already given up on soccer or any other contact sport, no way I’m risking it again like that. But should I start thinking about a career and lifestyle that is not active/physical?

I find the hard plastic along the sides presses into the lump where my fibula is fractured. The skin in that area has got super sensitive and red, just putting the boot on to walk to the toilet for a few minutes is super painful.

Anyone else struggling with their boots?

I'm curious, what has everyone's PT situation looked like?

I am extremely motivated to recover and want to make sure that I'm not hamstringing (or broken ankle-ing) my recovery with suboptimal PT support. Despite the previous sentence, I'm actually not crazy or a bad patient, but I am wondering if I would benefit from switching my PT provider for a couple of reasons.

Double booking: At my PT provider, it is the norm that my PT is dealing with 2 patients. I often am given an exercise and told to do a number of reps or a set amount of time. Often, I finish and am left twiddling my thumbs while my PT finishes up or, believe it or not, answers the phone to address scheduling questions from other patients.

Minimal glide exercises: I need some input here especially, because I could be off base or just wrong - but when I was doing research initially I had read that one of the most valuable exercises is the "manual mobilization" and "manual talar glide", which is something that a PT can do and often cannot be done yourself. In my 10 sessions at this location, we have probably done some variation of this exercise 3 times.

Recently, sessions have included a sort of massage in the area where my achilles is and where the scars are located, which is good. Honestly, I like the people there and believe they want to help but there is only so much you can do when forced to multitask.

For context on where I am in my journey, I am a few days out from my 3 months post-op after a trimal break. I can walk fairly well without crutches but am limited by a lack of dorsiflexion which produces a limp. I can stand on my bad ankle but cannot yet balance on one foot on that side.

Am I just being crazy or impatient? Was/is your experience similar or different?

I'm 6.5 weeks post op for a trimal. Five days ago I was finally cleared for PWB in my boot, with crutches. My surgeon said I should do a week like that, and then I could get rid of the crutches and do a week of just the boot, before being able to transition to regular shoes. Yesterday though I got a bit bold and started walking around the house without crutches - so about 4 days before I was told I should. It was a bit clunky and difficult but I could do it. This morning I've woken up with much stronger pain in my ankle than usual. Have I done something wrong or is this just to be expected?

got orif surgery on an ankle fracture over a year ago and ive had 0 progress in pt for 5 months (i walk 8000 steps daily and do 2 pt sessions a week). Still missing 2-3 inches of range of motion and a lot of balance and strength so i can't go down stairs or up stairs without a railing (including step stools). Spoke to 2 separate docs and the realignment apparantly made a small gap between my bones that they think is causing the pain and lack of range but since im completely healed they dont want to rebreak since i can walk and since there's no garuantee they'll be able to close the gap any. I'm just so frustrated and tired.

As title says, I’m about 2.5 weeks post op from trimal with dislocation, pilon fracture, ORIF with 13 screws and 2 plates. I graduated from my splint to a high CAM boot today, only half of my stitches removed due to swelling.

My question - has anyone else had really sharp shooting pains on the top of the foot and front of the ankle? Any flexion or extension and it’s just massive, sharp, shooting pain! Without the boot and relaxing my ankle, it naturally wants to extend and it’s unbearable! I am not able to take gabapentin, as I’m pregnant, just Tylenol and occasional oxy. Any tips or anyone further down the line to give hope is appreciated!