Bucked off! Broken bones advice?

[Dressage Art]

I got bucked off a horse and flew right in to the arena wall and my leg hit the arena support beam = and I fractured my leg bone, tibia plateau, right below my knee.

I.m in bed for several weeks and on crutches for several months, unable to drive as well per doctors orders. Life is not as comfortable as before. Pains at night and from even a slight movement... and so many new challenges like taking a shower and washing my hair, picking up stuff, carrying stuff with crutches...

Hoping to hear your broken bones stories. What helped and what to avoid? How long did it take to recover? Did you recover fully?

[Polydor]

Yikes!

No broken bones here * knock on wood* but massive jingles from me!

P.

[mroades]

I hope you heal quicker than expected! But you might want to edit "on crotches" from your original post...its not nice to laugh at hurting people!!!!

[appychik]

OUCH! Glad to hear you're okay though. My good friend at my barn was tossed this past Memorial Day and is still on crutches (torn her ACL, again, along with her MCL I think) and the end isn't insight, as far at crutches go. But she is down to one crutch again for the time being, until her next surgery.

But, I suppose I shouldn't have said that. Sorry! ;)

I wish you the best of luck though. I've only busted my tail bone, and that was bad enough (fell off my boy while jumping... what a blast, not!). Other then taking a week or so off, I was back in the saddle.

I'd follow the doctors' orders though. it's worth it in the long run. Hopefully you have a speedy recovery and everything heals just fine.

[Bluey]

I was starting a three year old in our indoor, that is an oval with slanted sides.
Trying to canter around the end, the horse rushed, climbed the wall coming out of the end, slipped and fell against the wall, my foot turned back and one bone snapped.

I was on crutches, swollen and torn much in the ankle and the green stick break below the knee.
Don't remember how long it took, but not too long, I remember, although my ankle was swollen and sore for long time.
After it healed, I never looked back.

Sure hope you heal fine.
With physical therapy today, I bet you will regain use quickly.:yes:

[Dressage Art]

After it healed, I never looked back :yes:Boy, that sounds great!
I broke fingers, toes, and my tailbone before, but its the first for my leg!

[ellem]

I actually just had a run-in last week involving a frisky youngster and the wall of an indoor arena, so I'm interested to hear the responses to this.

All in all, mine was not a bad fracture, though (upper femur, wasn't all the way through the bone) - the doc said it should heal up in about 8 weeks, but it'll probably be late January before it's 100%.

Any advice on how to make the transition back to riding easier would be much appreciated...

[SFrost]

How terrible! I hope you feel better soon.

I don't have any horse bone braking war stories to share. I did, however, break my wrist throwing a back handspring. Broke it, got up, threw one more, and went to the hospital. I then proceeded to tell the doctor that I was refusing a soft cast as I wanted to ski. After much argument I was fashioned with a super thick "skiing cast", equipped with a special curve in the hand to hold my pole. :lol:

Needless to say, don't listen to me. I am a terrible patient. I had my gallbladder removed and rode my horse the next day.

My best advice, don't over do it. You don't have to follow your doctor's advice to a T, but take it easy.

Again, I hope you feel better!

[Lone]

Ouch! Sorry to hear that.

I've broken my ankle twice and had two surgeries on it. So, I've spent a fair share of time on crutches!

Here's what I found that helped me
Sleeping- Use lots of pillows! I liked to have 3-4 pillows around my leg that I would use to support and prop it up in a comfortable position. I'm usually a big fan of thick comfy quilts and comforters, but I found that an electric blanket was the way for me to go. It was so much lighter in weight that it was more comfortable. If you're having problems with swelling you can prop up the bottom of your bed (I put big, thick books under it- like a phone book) to make the bed slant a few inches so you're leg will be slightly elevated all night. Though I always liked having pillows under it more.

Showers- If you have a shower with a detachable shower head that is really ideal! If not, you can still make do. My mom bought me a three-step, plastic step ladder that we put in the shower, the handles were helpful for getting up/sitting down and I could prop my leg up on the side of the tub (I always covered it in a garbage bag when it was still in the walking cast- I would put a rag up above the cast and then duct tape it down securely- the tape wouldn't go on my skin, and the rag would absorb any water that might have leaked into the bag).

I have a sensitive stomach, so I had a hard time with my pain meds, I found that keeping a box of wheat thins near was very helpful. A few of those whenever my tummy got upset always fixed things!

For entertainment, I'd suggest finding a new TV show to watch and then renting/borrowing all the seasons :) for surgery #1 I did Gilmore Girls and Scrubs, Surgery #2 was Lost, Boston Legal and Friends.

Mine took quite a while to heal, and unfortunately it still gives me a lot of trouble

[kewpalace]

No broken bones here either, but tore my ACL, part of my meniscus and strained my MCL when mis-judging from jumping from the back of my truck. Had surgery three weeks later, was on crutches for about 6 weeks, in PT for two months and now have to go back to have a knee manipulation as my knee is not flexing/extending nearly enough. I'm not looking forward to it.

While it's not horse related, it really impacted on my horse life. I was off my horse for three months. Finally got on last Wednesday but now don't know when I'll be able to get back on. Hopefully soon .... it totally ruined my year of "really" showing (I started doing reined cowhorse); I'm hoping to be able to start again next year when the new season starts, but we'll see ....

Wishing you quick & complete healing with NO complications!!! Get out those videos and books you've put aside and have at it! :-)

[PNWjumper]

I broke my ankle and fibula right below the knee when a horse fell with me after a jump.

I was kind of disgusted at the lack of options for human injuries considering how many things you can perform on horses :lol: Of course my options were also limited by the fact that I was pregnant, meaning that my doctors didn't want to do anything unnecessary and/or untested.

After going through surgery I had an acquaintance perform shockwave therapy on both the ankle and the fibula. My doctor was surprised at how quickly it healed, and I'm not one who tends to heal quickly from anything. But aside from that, I found that the single most important thing for my recovery was staying up on my pain pills for those first three weeks.

I was back on a horse at 6 weeks post-break (the day my cast came off!) and back in the show ring at 12 weeks post-break. My ankle hurt, but the fibula break felt perfectly fine from about 3 weeks on and never gave me even the slightest problem. The ankle took about 1 year before it was back to normal (meaning that it wasn't getting swollen after walking on it), and now at the 2 1/2 year mark it feels great with the exception of if I torque it and can clearly feel the 2 screws they left in it.

Sorry to hear that you're on the injured list and I hope you get better soon!

[saddleup]

I broke my tailbone once coming off a bucking horse.

I broke my shoulder blade when I came off a stride after the fence. That one really hurt, and I had to sleep sitting up in a LaZBoy chair for six weeks. To this day if I can't sleep at night, I can sit in the same chair and go right to sleep.

I couldn't take the pain killers, so lived on Advil and Excedrin.

I'm sorry....it's no fun at all.

[Simbalism]

I got bucked off a previous horse and broke my hip and cracked an elbow, and in addition my elbow soft tissue/skin split about 1/2 way around the circumference of my arm and degloved about 1/2 way down my forearm.My elbow crack did not require any surgery, but I required two surgeries to clean out the soft tissue wound before they could close that up. For my hip, I required three screws and was on crutches for 3 months( non-weight bearing 1.5 months and partial weight bearing 1.5 months) The bad thing was that I am right handed and it was my right arm that was messed up and I had to have several months of therapy because I could not bend my arm enough to feed myself or brush my hair or teeth. A few weeks before I got off crutches, I signed up to take a water aerobics class at the local YMCA. They have a handicap acess pool. I would hobble out to the ramp with my crutches, put those down and hold the rails to get down into the pool with minimal weight on my injured leg. At first, I mainly just balanced on one foot and sort of bobbed to the music and did the arm exercises. I took the classes for 3 months and it really helped my strength. I started riding the day I got off crutches, but I was fairly weak and could only ride for a about 10 minutes at a time for about the first 2-3 weeks.

[mypaintwattie]

I broke my arm in late August 2003. My orthopedic surgeon thought it would heal without surgery, so I found myself in a cast until late October. During this time I would have my brother tack up my horse and lunge her just so that I could enjoy being in the saddle for a few minutes. In late October x-rays showed that the bone hadn't healed, so off to surgery I went, and got a lovely plate, 7 screws, and an awesome scar. Was completely laid up until early December when I could start physical therapy, which lasted until the end of February. My arm was still not strong enough so I ended up staying out of the saddle until that summer. It was hard for me to get to the barn so I filled my time reading every horsey magazine that I could get my hands on.I'm currently debating having the plate removed, but the layup time that is required scares me. I don't want to be on 'stall rest' for the 2-3 months that the doctor told me it would take for the arm to heal and to get through physical therapy. Maybe next year after the show season is over...

[smilton]

3 major knee surgeries on crutches for a total of a year. I discovered I could still carry things around in a back pack while on crutches. As far a rehab for riding went, exercises that worked on balance and stablizer muscles seem to help me the most getting back in the saddle.

[SkipHiLad4me]

So sorry to hear of your injury. Hope you're back in action again soon! I've broken an arm and a collar bone but neither were anything special. They healed in the average 6-8 weeks that the docs tell you and I was back in the saddle as soon as possible (actually BEFORE my cast came off for my arm!). I've had some nasty spills but fortunately no serious injuries.

[winfieldfarm]

wow, my carpenter brother just broke the same thing falling off a second story wall and landing on his feet! He felt fine, finished workign the day but by next morning his knee was very swollen and painful. Turns out his plateua break crossed into the marrow and his knee filled with blood, causing the pain and swelling. Went to doc, said lucky he didn't really stress the break, continueing to walk around on it.

He is currently still on "stall rest" so I can't tell you much about recovery yet but they did tell him NO walking on the leg or it will stress the fracture = surgery.

He says it hurts a lot and he is bored senseless. He only had one incident where he was hobbling up the steps at home and slipped, stepping full down of that foot. Sister in law said he screamed like a little girl!

Having recovered from a bone bruise to the knee from a carriage accident, I can only give you this advise. Follow doctors orders aggressively! If they say rest only, DO IT! If they say physical therapy, get thee to the gym!

The best chance you have to recoup your body is to not slack on the aftercare. That holds true in both directions, rest or therapy.

Be vigilant on following doctors orders and you will have the best chance of recovery! Good Luck!

I also got my brother lots of funny little goodies like oragami books and mind bender puzzles to keep him from going totally nuts.

[chunky munky]

I did a tibial plateau in 1981. This is not a break to take lightly because the healing process will directly affect the stability of the joint forever. I had a full length cast and was not allowed to put weight on it for quite some time. I did not have surgery. There was talk of taking a piece of bone from my hip, etc. Never happened. The bad news is that it took a pretty long time because i followed the Dr's orders. The good news is that after the first 2 years where there was still periodic discomfort and overuse caused some regret many times, this many years later it has not been any problem. I fully expected to have chronic issues with it but that has not been the case, and I rode professionally for many years after the injury. So get some good books and movies, take up knitting, learn a foreign language, paint or draw, take an online course, in some ways being hurt is a great time to do the things that you never have time to do. And don't try to be a marter and take no drugs. The drugs will help decrease the inflammation and ultimately keep the swelling down which will help years from now. Good luck.

[Dressage Art]

He felt fine, finished workign the day but by next morning his knee was very swollen and painful. Turns out his plateua break crossed into the marrow and his knee filled with blood, causing the pain and swelling.

He only had one incident where he was hobbling up the steps at home and slipped, stepping full down of that foot. Sister in law said he screamed like a little girl!

Yes, I also felt OK after a fall. I checked all of my upper body, neck, head, arms, fingers and though I was made it out OK. Then when I stood up and tried to put the weight on my leg = I couldnt b/c it was really painful. My knee also was filled with blood and swollen. First week was a nightmare, I would wake up from hearing myself scream from pain. But the second week was a bit better. Im on muscle relaxes and also on oxycodone narcotic.

My doctor forbid me to go up and down the stairs with out supervision. And also she said that
I should sit on stairs and push/pull myself up or down on my butt, rather that using crouches.

I hope that your brother will feel better soon. Say hi to him from me.

[Dressage Art]

The good news is that after the first 2 years where there was still periodic discomfort and overuse caused some regret many times, this many years later it has not been any problem. Wow, that is a long time of discomfort... how soon your were able to post the trot and mount with the broken leg?

[Dressage Art]

3 major knee surgeries on crutches for a total of a year. I discovered I could still carry things around in a back pack while on crutches. As far a rehab for riding went, exercises that worked on balance and stablizer muscles seem to help me the most getting back in the saddle.wow, 1 year on crutches is a very long time! Sorry that you had to go thu that.

Exactly what exercisers did you do? Any Web Links to them?

[Dressage Art]

currently debating having the plate removed, but the layup time that is required scares me. I don't want to be on 'stall rest' for the 2-3 months that the doctor told me it would take for the arm to heal and to get through physical therapy. Maybe next year after the show season is over...Oh this is such a hard decision! Sending good thoughts to you

[Dressage Art]

A few weeks before I got off crutches, I signed up to take a water aerobics class at the local YMCA. They have a handicap acess pool. I would hobble out to the ramp with my crutches, put those down and hold the rails to get down into the pool with minimal weight on my injured leg. At first, I mainly just balanced on one foot and sort of bobbed to the music and did the arm exercises. I took the classes for 3 months and it really helped my strength.That is a great idea! Ill have to find an indoor pool in California! We have an open pool right next to me, but its winter time...

[Dressage Art]

After going through surgery I had an acquaintance perform shockwave therapy on both the ankle and the fibula. My doctor was surprised at how quickly it healed, and I'm not one who tends to heal quickly from anything.

Interesting...Is there a human shockwave? or did you use the equine shockwave?

[ZiggyStardust]

Broke my right arm (horse-related) this summer and had surgery on it. It was my first broken bone. I'm right-handed. Things I learned:

-Take your pain meds. They will help you sleep, which will probably help you heal faster.
-Ask for help when you need it. I have a hard time with this, but it was very liberating when I finally gave in :)
-Related to asking for help, I let myself relax and gave in to being gimpy for a while. I found that the more I tried to do with my body while it was in a compromised state, the more I was developing bad habits of posture and balance in trying to protect my arm. I decided I'd rather be lazier in the near term and not have to undo a lot of bad habits later.
-Prop things up when you sleep. This helps reduce swelling and reminds your body not to move the broken bits too much while you sleep. I got a skinny, narrow memory foam pillow at the drugstore that came in very handy.
-Ice several times a day. I took off my arm brace as much as possible and iced liberally.
-Keep things moving if you are in danger of having reduced range of motion from your injury. I started doing slow little stretches as soon as I could and I have 99.9% of my range of motion back. My surgeon had a similar injury and lost some of his range of motion, so I feel very pleased with myself :)
-Find a good physical therapist if you need one. Ask for recommendations from people you know.
-When bones first mend, typically they lay down new soft tissue which turns into cartilege before it replaces with bone. L-Lysine helps your body make collagen to build the cartilege. I took lots.
-Take your calcium. I got the Viactive chews and took them regularly.
-Thought of another one - avoid foods/drinks that inhibit calcium absorption. Cola sodas and certain foods can interfere with absorption.

I've healed really well, and like to think at least some of these things helped...

Good luck, the time will pass faster than you think!

[Dressage Art]

Ouch! Sorry to hear that.

I've broken my ankle twice and had two surgeries on it. So, I've spent a fair share of time on crutches!

Here's what I found that helped me
Sleeping- Use lots of pillows! I liked to have 3-4 pillows around my leg that I would use to support and prop it up in a comfortable position. I'm usually a big fan of thick comfy quilts and comforters, but I found that an electric blanket was the way for me to go. It was so much lighter in weight that it was more comfortable. If you're having problems with swelling you can prop up the bottom of your bed (I put big, thick books under it- like a phone book) to make the bed slant a few inches so you're leg will be slightly elevated all night. Though I always liked having pillows under it more.

Showers- If you have a shower with a detachable shower head that is really ideal! If not, you can still make do. My mom bought me a three-step, plastic step ladder that we put in the shower, the handles were helpful for getting up/sitting down and I could prop my leg up on the side of the tub (I always covered it in a garbage bag when it was still in the walking cast- I would put a rag up above the cast and then duct tape it down securely- the tape wouldn't go on my skin, and the rag would absorb any water that might have leaked into the bag).

I have a sensitive stomach, so I had a hard time with my pain meds, I found that keeping a box of wheat thins near was very helpful. A few of those whenever my tummy got upset always fixed things!

For entertainment, I'd suggest finding a new TV show to watch and then renting/borrowing all the seasons :) for surgery #1 I did Gilmore Girls and Scrubs, Surgery #2 was Lost, Boston Legal and Friends.

Mine took quite a while to heal, and unfortunately it still gives me a lot of trouble

Great ideas. thank you. I love the idea of the plastic step ladder. I tried the plastic patio chair and special stool for showers that my hubby bought, but none of them worked so far - my leg is in pain sitting on them. So far Im unable to get a full shower yet. I do sponge baths and use baby whipes on my body. My hubby washes my hair above the sink. Im dreaming of taking a shower soon.

[Widget]

I spent 5 weeks on crutches from a broken hip in March of 2008 because I didn't stay on the horse. Luckily it was a stable fracture and I didn't need pins, but it still sucked. The first couple of weeks weren't too bad because I was hopped up on pain meds. When I was more or less conscious, I was bored. But my boss and a couple of friends got me set up so that I could work from home so that helped. After about 3 weeks I started to get jealous of people enjoying the nice Spring weather and being able to go for walks in the neighborhood.

Also wanted to say that I second the recommendation of a backpack to get stuff around while on crutches. I did a lot of hopping on one foot because I just didn't feel like grabbing my crutches.

[ZiggyStardust]

Im dreaming of taking a shower soon.


I have to say, the first shower I was able to take several days after surgery was one of the highlights of my life!

[Widget]

I have to say, the first shower I was able to take several days after surgery was one of the highlights of my life!

Yeah, it's a great feeling! Especially if you're still sporting ring dirt. :D

[mbm]

DA - sorry you are hurting. When i broke my ribs it hurt more than i can believe. it was impossible to lay down, sit up, walk, stand etc etc..... however, within a few days - maybe a week - i had figured out how to do many things without creating too much pain.

so your body will adapt, and you will find things a bit easier as you learn to negotiate life with crutches.

just be sure to keep the pain meds up - don't try to be a hero without them..... and dont eat too much! i gained 10lbs during my layup..... i am still trying to get it off!

take care, okay?

[Nipntuck]

I broke my left wrist (radius and the stylus of the ulna ~collus fracture) in a fall on July 28. Ended up having surgery after two weeks because the radius was coming out of alignment. I was in an odd cast/splint for 4 weeks after the surgery and began occupational therapy right after that and am still in therapy! I've followed directions almost to a "T" because this needs to work long term. Almost, because I did get 150 bales of hay a couple of weekends ago and that probably was a bit much, but no damage done.

As others have said, use the pain meds! I used them to sleep even when I didn't need them during the day. There is nothing like the dark of night to magnify every ache and twinge.

Thank goodness for my 12 and 14 year old kids. I don't know how I would have run the stable without them. Can't clean stalls with one hand! I can now do pretty much everything, but figure I will always have some loss in range of motion. One thing my therapist said that made sense: They work on flexibility before strength because they do not want to make the wrong muscles strong which might interfere with the rehab. So don't do too much too soon!

Best of luck!

[clint]

My daughter did that fracture just over a year ago. She had surgery and a full leg cast for several weeks; I think she was released to go to work in mid-November after the accident over labor day. She tried riding last spring but it was very uncomfortable. However, this fall she tried again and it was pain free. She hasn't been in riding mode for much of the past year, and I'm guessing if she had been highly motivated she would have made more of an effort earlier than this fall to push through the knee discomfort.

[tarynls]

Wonderful advice below. Especially the importance of calcium intake; make sure you find a calcium supplement that contains Vitamin D (Oscal and Citracal are good brands). Feel better soon!


-Take your pain meds. They will help you sleep, which will probably help you heal faster.
-Ask for help when you need it. I have a hard time with this, but it was very liberating when I finally gave in :)
-Prop things up when you sleep. This helps reduce swelling and reminds your body not to move the broken bits too much while you sleep. I got a skinny, narrow memory foam pillow at the drugstore that came in very handy.
-Ice several times a day. I took off my arm brace as much as possible and iced liberally.
-Keep things moving if you are in danger of having reduced range of motion from your injury. I started doing slow little stretches as soon as I could and I have 99.9% of my range of motion back. My surgeon had a similar injury and lost some of his range of motion, so I feel very pleased with myself :)
-Find a good physical therapist if you need one. Ask for recommendations from people you know.
-When bones first mend, typically they lay down new soft tissue which turns into cartilege before it replaces with bone. L-Lysine helps your body make collagen to build the cartilege. I took lots.
-Take your calcium. I got the Viactive chews and took them regularly.
-Thought of another one - avoid foods/drinks that inhibit calcium absorption. Cola sodas and certain foods can interfere with absorption.

I've healed really well, and like to think at least some of these things helped...

Good luck, the time will pass faster than you think!

[Dressage Art]

Thank you to everybody for warm thoughts.

I actually just had a run-in last week involving a frisky youngster and the wall of an indoor arena, so I'm interested to hear the responses to this.

Its the darn walls, I tell you! If I wasnt launched in the wall, I bet I would be just fine! I swear next time Ill be riding only in the center of the arena in a small circles.

Lets heal fast together.

[Thomas_1]

Get well soon.

I had an open fracture of the tibia and ankle about 15 years ago and now have metal pins and plates in it to hold it all together.

A horse reared up and came down on top of me!

The nurses at the hospital pinned L plates on my PJ's when I first got crutches.

Had the usual collar bones (3 times!) and nose broken but that was decades ago.

Broke my big toe when I ran the carriage house door over it .... whoops!

[cloudyandcallie]

I hope that other boarders at your barn will step up and help with your horse's rehabilitation and care while you are laid up.

[FineAlready]

I broke my femur when I was 14. Had just gotten on a horse (not mine) that had been "acting up" at the mounting block. The minute I got on, he reared, backed up into the barn aisle (I had mounted using a mounting block just outside the aisle), reared again, and slipped/flipped into the side of the barn, crushing my leg between his side and the barn. Femur was broken in half, with one small piece broken off and floating around. Yeah, I'm pretty picky about where I will get on a horse now...and I just generally WON'T ride across or near concrete - too slippery!

Ended up having surgery to insert a metal rod inside the bone from hip to just above the knee. Two screws above the knee and one screw right below the hip to keep the rod in place. I was supposed to get the rod and screws removed about a year later. That never happened. Basically, when a year later rolled around, I was back to riding, had just bought a new horse, and wanted to show him. That, coupled with the risk of them re-breaking my femur when removing the rod, led me to forego the surgery. I still have the rod in there. I tried to get it removed when I was 18, but no surgeon would do it. They said it was too risky, as bone grows over the screws, etc. Of course, now there is a HUGE risk if I ever have another accident involving that leg. Basically, the bone could shatter off the metal rod, which would be horrible, obviously. If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the rod removed. I wish my parents had forced me to do it, but I was a convincing kid.

I think I was on crutches for something like 4-6 months. Then I had to pass a bunch of physical therapy strength tests to be permitted to ride again. That took a while. I think I was riding again maybe 8 or 9 months later? I definitely limped for more than a year.

I'm almost 30 now and the leg is really doing quite well. I have arthritis in the knee from the impact, twisting, etc. of the fall. The ligaments and tendons around the knee are loose and sometimes sore. That leg is not quite as strong and solid as the other one (harder to balance on one foot with that leg, that sort of thing). Occasionally, I will get major swelling in the knee along with some pain, but that usually goes away in about a day. A few years ago, I was running 3-5 miles every day, and had no problems. I don't have as much time for running now that the reality of a very demading job has set in, but I think I could still do it if I wanted to.

As far as riding goes, I don't feel limited at all. Some of my horses bend better to the right (injury was to the left leg), but I can normally fix that if I pay attention to it.

Anyway, good luck. It's surprising how well a person can heal if given enough time. A broken femur is considered a life-threatening injury (something to do with the major blood vessels in the area or something), but, honestly, I'm very happy with the outcome of my injury so far. My advice is to get the best possible orthopedic surgeon you can find. That's what I think led to my good outcome.

[Lone]

I'll also second a few other people's thoughts on following dr's orders and being careful about doing too much too fast.

I didn't and really regret it. Once I was into my walking cast I got much too ambitious, I ended up walking slightly weird and messed up my knee (major bone bruise, looking at a year + to completely heel)

So- do what the doc says, it sucks in the short term but you'll be much better off in the long run!

[smhlin110]

No advice, just sending warm thoughts you heal fast. I got tossed yesterday too. Nothing broken, but I sure did jam up my SI on the right side. Can't walk, can't stand, can't sit, can't lay down. Bloody hurts, so I can imagine how uncomfortable you are. I will hopefully be better in just a week or so, says my chiro/PT, so I sure hope he's right! Hope you feel better soon!

[threedogpack]

I got bucked off a horse and flew right in to the arena wall and my leg hit the arena support beam = and I fractured my leg bone, tibia plateau, right below my knee.

I.m in bed for several weeks and on crutches for several months, unable to drive as well per doctors orders. Life is not as comfortable as before. Pains at night and from even a slight movement... and so many new challenges like taking a shower and washing my hair, picking up stuff, carrying stuff with crutches...

Hoping to hear your broken bones stories. What helped and what to avoid? How long did it take to recover? Did you recover fully?

In '95 I came off my mare, dislocated my heel, shattered my ankle and broke 2 long pieces off my tib. 4 hours of surgery put a permanent screw in the ankle and an appliance with three pins holding the leg/ankle together. I was off work for 3 months, then used a walker for another 2 months. Today I can still tell you exactly where that screw is if I walk on concrete too much. However, the leg healed fine, the ankle is stable and I move/ride fine. It took about 2 weeks for the pain to subside, during that 2 weeks I moved as little as I could. Once the pain subsided it really subsided....like all of a sudden and unless I caught the pins on something or banged the appliance it didn't hurt much at all. However, during that time, I found out how much upper body strength I did not have trying to hoist myself along with a walker. My arms and shoulders groaned and were very sore till I got stronger.

Good luck to you, follow the doctors advice and if he sends you to therapy immediately...go! I firmly believe that is why I'm so mobile now.

[PNWjumper]

Interesting...Is there a human shockwave? or did you use the equine shockwave?

Yes, there is human shockwave. IIRC it was originally a technology for breaking up kidney stones in humans, but turned out to have a positive impact on injuries and breaks. Human doctors wouldn't touch me with it because I was pregnant, though, so it was not the route I went. But it would certainly be worth asking your orthopedic specialist about.

[Puglet]

Major ankle/tibia/fibula fracture here...
I too did water aerobics as soon as i was cleared for partial weight bearing, followed by a stationary bike. The week following ankle surgery, I started doing pilates. I couldn't do exercises that required any sort of weight on my leg, but you will find there is a lot you can do! I'm sure it was amusing to watch, as I had a huge cast on my leg :D

Take your time and follow your doctor's instructions. My leg has healed miraculously well. My ankle is still a bit stiff when riding, but it has been only 4 months since my last surgery (to remove all of the hardware).

Most importantly, take care of yourself!

[smilton]

When I broke my arm I still rode. Actually the very next day in a cast from shoulder to finger tips on the horse that fell on me and broke it. I just worked on balance and leg position. I waited till I had a shorter cast before jumping again. It actually really helped me to go back and just work on basics again for a little while.

With the knee injuries I rehabbed alot. Standing on one leg on a mini tramp while someone plays catch with you. It seamed that exercises that did not require a machine helped me more with riding than those on a closed circuit. Single leg box squats aren't fun but they helped me with posting and isolating muscles that I needed to work on.

[Dressage Art]

I went to the doctor today and she said that the fracture looks good. I asked about shockwave, about any other possible therapy and the answer was no, you just need time to heal. Its really boring to just lay in bed ... My PT will start only after 6 weeks, when Ill be in partial weight bearing... bummer!

Yes, our horses have much more options of faster healing than we, humans do!

[Isabeau Z Solace]

Got launched by a youngster, broke 9 ribs, collapsed a lung. No health insurance. It is not fun to be seriously injured and uninsured. Couldn't afford to fill the prescription for pain medication when I got home, it would have been almost $300 !! Luckily my employer let me continue to live at my barn apartment, or I would have been REALLY sorry... (I came off of someone else's horse.) Six weeks of sleeplessness, pain, and very difficult to deal with RLS as I dealt with very unfamiliar immobility. I didn't see any other doctors after I left the hospital, though I went back for a follow up xray.

Sorry to hear about your injury. But, if you've got insurance, and own the right to live under your roof, then you're a couple of steps ahead of where I was at the time. There's not doubt about it, it just sucks to be hobbled with broken bones.

[Laurierace]

I went to the doctor today and she said that the fracture looks good. I asked about shockwave, about any other possible therapy and the answer was no, you just need time to heal. Its really boring to just lay in bed ... My PT will start only after 6 weeks, when Ill be in partial weight bearing... bummer!

Yes, our horses have much more options of faster healing than we, humans do!

No, if this happened to a horse he would be dead. A horse can not lay in bed for any amount of time or use a wheel chair or crutches. Taking the weight off and giving it time will get the job done, try to be patient.

[KateandKc]

I'm 4 weeks post breaking my tibia (3 places) and fibula (2 places plus a spiral fracture) in my ankle. :( Not fun, I now have metal plate on both bones in my leg with a ton of screws and pins. Completely non-weight bearing for at least another 3 weeks, probably longer. I'll then spend a month with gradually increasing weight bearing and slowly work my way to an ankle brace. Ortho said that I'll be (probably) be riding again by summer time. :(

No driving and no work for me until early January (a nurse). So I'm stuck at home alone. I'm going crazy. LOL

I hope you keep healing quickly. Follow what your dr said to make sure the bones are 100% before you try walking or riding.

[Frank B]

Broken hip here, but they put it back together with enough stainless steel to start a small scrapyard. They had me in PT doing stairs in 48 hours and home a couple of days later. I had a friend bring my work to me and was was back in the office for half-days three weeks after that.

While I was in the ER half blown away on Morphine (Hey, that's good stuff when you're hurting!), my wife said I should give up jumping. It sounded like a damn good idea, although I still sneaked in the occasional X-rail.

The OS said I shouldn't ride for a year, but my GP (who's horsey) said 3 months. At ten weeks I was back on Normie. Nine months after the accident I enrolled in a night dressage class at Virginia Intermont.

I used an equestrian exercise book (Fit For Riding?) to rebuild muscles and coordination. Work with your PT. A good one will work with you toward your goals. If they don't, find another one.

It's a good time to catch up on your reading!

[smilton]

If I had been a horse I would have been shot along time ago.

Even though you are not weight barring there are definitely exercises you can do to keep your muscles from attrophing more than they need to. quad sets, straight leg lifts in all four directions. Also excersizing the uninjured leg can help maintain muscle in the uninjured leg.

[Tootsie]

I'm almost at 12 weeks from falling off and getting a radial fracture of both the tibia and fibula in my right leg. I was out riding in a field and the horse met a groundhog and things did not go well. I have a plate on the fibula but because of swelling in my leg they couldn't plate my tibia so I had an external fixator in for six weeks. I'm hoping to get a walking brace when I go back to the doctors next week but it will still be a good while before I'm whole again.

I was lucky that I was able to move back home with my parents for the first 10 weeks. My dad set up a tv and my tivo in my "sitting room" and I had my computer, books, and anything else I might need within arms reach. I found I slept at least 12 hours a day for the first two weeks after my surgery so that took up a lot of time. I've moved back to my own house but I still spend a good amount of time online and watching tv.

As for showers, I recommend www.drycast.com. I have one and it works well. Originally I couldn't stand on one leg long enough for a shower so my dad got an old white plastic chair and drilled holes in it. I just sat on that will my legs sticking out the side of the tub and the showerhead came off the wall and I just sprayed myself down.

When I get my walking brace I think I'm going to take some lunge lessons on my mom old schoolmaster. It will be a while before I'm strong enough to ride by myself, but at least I will be getting my core back in shape.

[Dressage Art]

Broke my right arm (horse-related) this summer and had surgery on it. It was my first broken bone. I'm right-handed. Things I learned:

-Take your pain meds. They will help you sleep, which will probably help you heal faster.
-Ask for help when you need it. I have a hard time with this, but it was very liberating when I finally gave in :)
-Related to asking for help, I let myself relax and gave in to being gimpy for a while. I found that the more I tried to do with my body while it was in a compromised state, the more I was developing bad habits of posture and balance in trying to protect my arm. I decided I'd rather be lazier in the near term and not have to undo a lot of bad habits later.
-Prop things up when you sleep. This helps reduce swelling and reminds your body not to move the broken bits too much while you sleep. I got a skinny, narrow memory foam pillow at the drugstore that came in very handy.
-Ice several times a day. I took off my arm brace as much as possible and iced liberally.
-Keep things moving if you are in danger of having reduced range of motion from your injury. I started doing slow little stretches as soon as I could and I have 99.9% of my range of motion back. My surgeon had a similar injury and lost some of his range of motion, so I feel very pleased with myself :)
-Find a good physical therapist if you need one. Ask for recommendations from people you know.
-When bones first mend, typically they lay down new soft tissue which turns into cartilege before it replaces with bone. L-Lysine helps your body make collagen to build the cartilege. I took lots.
-Take your calcium. I got the Viactive chews and took them regularly.
-Thought of another one - avoid foods/drinks that inhibit calcium absorption. Cola sodas and certain foods can interfere with absorption.

I've healed really well, and like to think at least some of these things helped...

Good luck, the time will pass faster than you think!

Great advice. thank you

[Dressage Art]

I'm 4 weeks post breaking my tibia (3 places) and fibula (2 places plus a spiral fracture) in my ankle. :( Not fun, I now have metal plate on both bones in my leg with a ton of screws and pins. Completely non-weight bearing for at least another 3 weeks, probably longer. I'll then spend a month with gradually increasing weight bearing and slowly work my way to an ankle brace. Ortho said that I'll be (probably) be riding again by summer time. :(

No driving and no work for me until early January (a nurse). So I'm stuck at home alone. I'm going crazy. LOL

I hope you keep healing quickly. Follow what your dr said to make sure the bones are 100% before you try walking or riding.So sorry to hear about your fractures. Im also will be not weight bearing for another 4 weeks. So you are ahead of me. My doctor told me that it will feel like you are stepping in the hole when we will be walking again, but I cant wait!

When you are sitting, do you put your leg on the floor or do you still have to hold it in the air? I cant do it for a very long time, so I ran back (ok I hobble back) to my bed

[Dressage Art]

I used an equestrian exercise book (Fit For Riding?) to rebuild muscles and coordination.Putting it on my Christmas list! Thanx!

[Dressage Art]

Got launched by a youngster, broke 9 ribs, collapsed a lung. No health insurance. It is not fun to be seriously injured and uninsured. Couldn't afford to fill the prescription for pain medication when I got home, it would have been almost $300 !! Luckily my employer let me continue to live at my barn apartment, or I would have been REALLY sorry... (I came off of someone else's horse.) Six weeks of sleeplessness, pain, and very difficult to deal with RLS as I dealt with very unfamiliar immobility. I didn't see any other doctors after I left the hospital, though I went back for a follow up xray.

Sorry to hear about your injury. But, if you've got insurance, and own the right to live under your roof, then you're a couple of steps ahead of where I was at the time. There's not doubt about it, it just sucks to be hobbled with broken bones.[/QUOTEWow, you had it hard! What a story! I hope the owner of the horse helped you with medical bills. How/when did you decide that it was OK for you to move and such?

[JSwan]

I'm sorry you're on stall rest. It sucks. There it is.

I've broken my back, had back surgery, and am most likely headed for more back surgery soon. (cross my fingers that's not so).

Anyway - the first time I was truly laid up I taught myself to crochet.

Sounds silly but Good Lord what else are you going to do? Anyway - years have passed with several periods of stall rest - and I turned into a pretty good crocheter. It's something that you can pick up and put down - and helps alleviate boredom.

Here's a catalog for you to look through. http://www.herrschners.com/

You'll be ok soon - don't fret. You just have to get through the stall rest without going insane. :)

[sid]

Haven't read all the repies, just your OP. You asked for advice and experience. Here's mine.

I don't know how old your are, but I would recommend that you do everything you can do heal up well. Follow dr's orders and do whatever therapy they recommend religiously.

I'm in my late 58's now and didn't take care of all the things I broke or damaged over the 2 decades with horses. I often skipped the professional advice.

I was too impatient getting back to the farm work and the horses which is my love and passion...BUT I am paying the price now for not heeding drs orders.

Best wishes for a full and uneventful recovery...:). Hang in.

[KateandKc]

So sorry to hear about your fractures. Im also will be not weight bearing for another 4 weeks. So you are ahead of me. My doctor told me that it will feel like you are stepping in the hole when we will be walking again, but I cant wait!

When you are sitting, do you put your leg on the floor or do you still have to hold it in the air? I cant do it for a very long time, so I ran back (ok I hobble back) to my bed

Its been a long 4 weeks, but slowly improved after I had surgery (bones would constantly be shifting/moving before they plated it). I'm not allowed to let my foot rest on the ground because it can displace the plates. So I sit on the couch with it on a pillow and elevated. Hubby bought me a laptop while I was in the hospital post-op....so there's a faint silver lining here. :p

I got read the riot act today by the ortho and told "If you can't move your ankle by the next visit, we have to move it for you". So, I'm loaded up on painkillers and trying to do some range of motion. He seemed somewhat optimistic that in 3 weeks I'd be able to start putting 25% weight on my foot. I will (hopefully) start PT at that time and want to do pilates and/or water aerobics to start getting some strength back.

I can't imagine the people who don't have health insurance and get hurt. My hopsital bill (not counting the surgeon and anesthesiologist) was $8000! I'm sure the remainder of the bill will be another $4k - $5k.

My new metal leg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/kateandcoco/leg-1.jpg?t=1258766684

Hope you (and all the other injured peeps) are feeling better soon.

[Jeannette, formerly ponygyrl]

Tibial plateau fracture 4 1/2 years ago. Had surgery w 2 screws - interestingly, the only real after effect I have is each winter the screws rub the inside of my boots when I ride. Doesn't happen the rest of the year. Haven't figured out why...

After a number of PT sessions where I paid a significant copay for a fellow to flex and straighten, flex and straighten my knee, I demonstrated what posting looked like to him, and he agreed it looked therapeutic. At first I had to use flex-stirrups, which normally I dislike, but posting on a trustworthy horse totally suited my budget and psyche better than traipsing to the rehab center. I did do plenty of pool exercises in the (hot) ,months after my fall, and that helped lots too.
Once I was really cleared to return to play, I also found friend who has been sensei at a dojo, teaches ballroom dance, and is a personal trainer. She was great at watching me do things like go up and down stairs, or do little squats, and tell me when I was doing them evenly and when I was compensating in some way. Very helpful for regaining some semblance of symmetry in my body.

Interesting sidenote - there were two babies who I had started prior to my fall. When I went back to riding them, I had, no other way to put it, quite assymetric buttocks and thighs due to muscle loss. Figuring how to ride them forward and straight was REALLY interesting. One wanted me to sit with my bones level, which meant there was uneven pressure in my seat. The other went straight better when I managed to distribute my weight evenly, even though that meant having my bones off kilter....

[DLee]

A very timely thread for me as I just had my tibia broken on purpose today as part of my knee surgery. :( I'm so sorry about your accident, all I could think about this afternoon was this pain uncontrolled in those who accidentally broke it.... ugh.
So I guess we can commiserate (sp?) as we heal. I sure hope this is worth it.

[anabug]

Oh man! I will never feel bad again about my recently stomped on and broken toe. No advice,but best of luck and fast healing to you!

[Dressage Art]

Interesting sidenote - there were two babies who I had started prior to my fallYou still started babies right after your broken leg? Wow!

[gdolapp]

My horse dumped me in nov. 07 broke lower back in three places
displaced my spine by 1/2 inch and messed up my hip. Had surgery
to repair what they could. In may 08 I started riding again even
getting back on my horse that dumped me. I will live with
major pain the rest of my life. I just try to deal with it as best I can.
When I was down I couldn't lift anything for almost two months,
I plate of food and a can of pop. I spent alot of time watching tv.
reading, and switching from my computer chair to the couch. I also
slept alot.

One huge lesson I learned was when I started to feel good and
Dr. took my weight limits up I started doing more, I found that if
I did more than what I was supoosed to I paid for it ten fold in pain.
So the best advise I can give is to do exactly what your DR tells you.

As far as carrying things while on crutches if you have to canvas bags
I would tie them to your hand handles on your crutches depending on
how heavy you shouldn't have a problem moving your crutches with
things in the bags. this leaves your hands free for the crutches.
You can carry cans of pop, bottled water or pop, snacks,
books, ect in the bags and go from room to room.

With winter commin on and with having bad days I picked up a few
hidden object computer games and have been playing thoose they
really pass the time and are alot of fun to play.

Another thing I did to help pass time was I kept a daily journal on
how I felt, what I did, the things I accomplished that day.
With each dr visit I set up a new goal for myself. I didn't make
my goals something that I couldn't handle. Like standing in front
of the sink and doing dishes for ten minutes soon turned into longer
for me.

I hope you get to feelin better soon.

[cajunbelle]

I have had many broken bones in my lifetime from this sport.. Pins in my ankle, broken fingers, wrists, ribs and even my hips now hurt.. May I suggest stocking up on Aleve and perscription Mobic. You will need plenty of meds later in life..... just to deal with eveyday pains.
Heal soon!:winkgrin:

[pharmgirl]

Here are my two recent experiences. They are upper extremity, so I am not sure how much they will help you but I can at least provide some reading entertainment :).

In 2001, I fell off and broke my left shoulder- broke the humerus just below the head with lots of displacement. My orthos said often it will realign on its own as the trauma subsides, so they took radiographs twice a week until they were satisfied (the alternative would have been if it seemed to stop moving to realign the bones, I would have had to go to surgery). The downside to that was that arm was basically immobilized for 5 weeks and shoulders do not like that at all!! :eek: I was in PT for several months after that, and while it was extremely difficult I got most of my range of motion back. Actually, because of the angle it healed, I got extra internal rotation than I had pre-injury :).

After my shoulder, I think I started some riding around 12 weeks post injury but it was lunging where I didn't really need my arms too much. I didn't have lots of strength at first to help pull me up, and needed a very tall mounting block for a couple of weeks.

In Feb 2009, I had an incident turning my horse out. Nothing exciting, just a klutzy human combined with a very large and equally klutzy horse ;). This resulted in a dislocated right elbow with it fractured in 3 places (Monteggia Bado Type II with a full coronoid fracture and lateral epicondyle fracture for those medical types) . While the pain factor wasn't nearly as bad as with the shoulder (I was in much worse shock after the shoulder incident), this one was far worse. So bad, in fact, that my ortho sent me up to Shock Trauma in Baltimore for surgery (I guess anything that an ortho refers to as a "terrible triad" is not a good sign :eek:). Surgery went very well, and with an amazing therapist I currently have most of my range of motion back (lost maybe about 10 degrees of flexion but I think that might be partly due to hardware impingement). Every time the surgeon sees me he is truly amazed at how well I have done! My elbow currently looks like this (http://www.flickr.com/photos/merdely/3388635725/in/set-72157617215642847/).

After my elbow, I was allowed to weight bear at 8 weeks, so around that time I started riding. It was pretty light, but it was something. I find right now that it's still harder to stabilize when riding xc than in a ring, so I need to up my strength training and core exercising.

I am going to have the hardware out in January b/c one of the plates is now making the tissue unhappy. I am not thrilled with the 6 weeks of no riding, but I know I will be happier with this stuff out. I know I will probably feel better to ride sooner than that, but I don't want to risk a re-fracture. At least this time I get a chance to line up stuff for my horse ahead of time ;).

Both times taking some meds before therapy were extremely helpful. With my shoulder, I remember feeling like I had been run over by a bus after the first couple of therapy sessions.

Ziggy gave lots of good advice that I concur with. I have to admit, surgery aside, the elbow was much easier to deal with (and it was my dominant hand!). I think legs are much harder. Things that were my best friend- pillows (for everything!), a shower seat to put in the tub, a pull down shower head, bras that closed in the front (you don't need to worry about this since you have both arms!).

When my DH was on crutches for his ACL repair, he used a backpack to carry things from one place to another.

Sorry this is so long!!

Oh, something I forgot to add that sucked but I think is good to know- my surgeon said no anti-inflammatories for 6 weeks post-op! (a friend I know who also had surgery for a broken tib/fib recently had her surgeon say the same thing). NSAIDs can inhibit the bone healing, so while I really hated only taking Tylenol for that long, I do think it can matter in some cases.

[Dressage Art]

Thank you for sharing your stories and advice. Some of the photos or xrays are quite shocking. Its amazing what we do to be able to feel ourselves on the back of those beautiful beasts called horses!

[sketcher]

My small but of advice. Should you get to the point, like I did, where you just MUST have a nice, hot, relaxing bath:

A. Only do it of you can rest the broken parts on the edge of the tub (as opposed to resting against the wall
side). Otherwise, it is very difficult to get out of said tub without wetting your cast.
B. Wait a suitable amount of time for the pain to subside as you never realize how much you still hurt until
you try get yourself out of the tub. At least two weeks.
C. Do not try this when you are home alone or-
D. Bring your cell phone.
E. Make sure you have someone available who would would not cause you serious embarrassment should
you need them to help you hoist yourself out of said tub.
F. Make sure rescuer does not have digital camera in their possession.
G. Jury is still out as to whether it is easier to get out with tub full of water or emptied. Empty tub can lead
to shivering while awaiting for rescue - shivering hurts broken parts. It also contributes to the pathetic
sight that your rescuer will laugh at for the rest of their lives. Hence the caution about the camera.

True story.

[redkat]

No advice, just sending warm thoughts you heal fast. I got tossed yesterday too. Nothing broken, but I sure did jam up my SI on the right side. Can't walk, can't stand, can't sit, can't lay down. Bloody hurts, so I can imagine how uncomfortable you are. I will hopefully be better in just a week or so, says my chiro/PT, so I sure hope he's right! Hope you feel better soon!

Oh! Oh! Me too. I did this exactly, just yesterday. Nothing broken, thank goodness. Well, nothing except my helmet, which I would like to write a thank you note to.

I don't have any advice, DA, except to follow doctor's orders and rest. I hope you're healed soon.

Its amazing what we do to be able to feel ourselves on the back of those beautiful beasts called horses!

I don't think it's something we can explain. After my ER visit yesterday, my father wants me to take up knitting.

[KateandKc]

I don't think it's something we can explain. After my ER visit yesterday, my father wants me to take up knitting.

My husband is convinced I'd be the first person to injure myself with knitting needles. I'm not known for being the most graceful person.

[Arizona DQ]

Broken hip here, but they put it back together with enough stainless steel to start a small scrapyard. They had me in PT doing stairs in 48 hours and home a couple of days later. I had a friend bring my work to me and was was back in the office for half-days three weeks after that.

While I was in the ER half blown away on Morphine (Hey, that's good stuff when you're hurting!), my wife said I should give up jumping. It sounded like a damn good idea, although I still sneaked in the occasional X-rail.

The OS said I shouldn't ride for a year, but my GP (who's horsey) said 3 months. At ten weeks I was back on Normie. Nine months after the accident I enrolled in a night dressage class at Virginia Intermont.

I used an equestrian exercise book (Fit For Riding?) to rebuild muscles and coordination. Work with your PT. A good one will work with you toward your goals. If they don't, find another one.

It's a good time to catch up on your reading!

Thanks for the info. My friend just broke her hip at a dressage show this past weekend and your note may help cheer her up. She is very concerned that she may never ride again...:sadsmile:

[Dressage Art]

I read that there is a diet for people with broken bones:

Food that is good for healing broken bones:

Fat Free Milk
Orange Juice with calcium
broccoli
carrots
oatmeal
chicken breasts
Salmon
Sardines
Apples
Red Grapes
Mineral Water
Dried Prunes
Fat Free yougurt

[lizathenag]

I shattered my ankle a few years ago, had some hardware put in and some of it taken out and ended up with one of those nasty resistant infections but am back in the saddle again.

getting off the oxycotin was hard.

I found a walker to be way more stable than crutches.

[Dressage Art]

What were the side effect of getting off oxycotin? And how much of it daily did you take?

[pharmgirl]

I've never taken oxycontin, but have had numerous other narcotics. They gave me dilaudid after surgery, and I would get serious withdrawal headaches weaning off of that.

I have a question for anyone with major fractures (I say major b/c I don't recall this happening to my minor fractures like my fingers)- did you guys have any food cravings while you were healing?

With both my shoulder and my elbow I would have cravings. It seemed to be things high in fat, protein, and calcium b/c what I wanted were dairy products (milk and cheese, specifically- I ate cereal a lot and don't normally), and things high in fat and protein (I craved McDonalds weekly and normally eat that on rare occasions!). I assume it's my body telling me what it needs to heal (and have been told by doctors that I heal very quickly), but was curious if this was me or it might be more generalized to the fracture healing process.

[luckyducky]

I fell off this summer, and broke my right proximal radial head ( crushed it actually, necessitating a new radial head), and my left shoulder ( at the humeral tubercle) right where the rotator cuff attaches, I also suffered a partial tear to my rotator cuff. I feel your pain!!! I am lucky, it could have been so much worse... My recovery has been great, I am back to work full time ( I work in surgery), and have gained almost full range of motion back in my right elbow... loads of PT/OT though... Never thought I was going to be able to wash my hair again with that hand... Now, I can not only get my hand back to my hair, I can also hook my own bra!! You have no idea what feeling of accomplishment that is until you can't do it! Still working on strengthening both limbs, I was off work over 2 months.
I was on the pain pills you describe, couldn't wait to get off them, they made me totally forget who I even was! Found out I made a lot of phone calls in my drug induced stupor... Hopefully, I didn't offend anyone I wasn't trying to offend in a phone call.
Side effects of narcotics of course include constipation, ( that was my worst problem, since I could not go to the bathroom by myself... totally sucked!). and for me, I was totally in a fog, couldn't have told you my name and remembered telling you.
That being said, I am thankful I did not have any soft tissue injury, because in my experience, they actually take longer to heal than a broken bone... I was kicked in the hand once and the soft tissue injury I sustained took over a year to subside enough for me to comfortably put a latex glove on ( back in the day when we in the OR used latex gloves...), I had to actually move up a glove size in order to continue to work.
Hope your recovery is uneventful!! Read Twilight!! LOL, that is what I did, over and over.... along with some horse books, and other light reading thrown in, Pillows are your FRIENDS!!!!
Keep us posted with your recovery! Praying for you!

[luckyducky]

P.S. I was told by a physical therapist, that our metabolism goes up during a healing phase, so the best time for losing weight is during recovery of an injury... Didn't work for me, but, the doc also put me on cortizone so my hunger probably canceled out my metabolism rising...

[lizathenag]

oxycotin.

I would have to look up my dose (several years ago). I think it was 10mg extended release 2x a day and 5 mg instant for breakthrough pain.

I have had some recovery experience so I knew I just had to white knuckle though the severe headache when I stopped taking it.

I was on the lowest dose and just had to stop. I was slowly weaned off but it still was difficult.

About as difficult as an hour run hunting or a 45 minute lesson with deKunffy!

[Isabeau Z Solace]

The question of when to move and how much is a hard one. I had a very hard time dealing with sitting around. I couldn't lay down. My legs would start shaking I wanted to just move so badly (That can improve your empathy for equine's with the same problem.)

I did more than I should have sooner than I should have. Took a walk on my favorite horse before I was really stable enough to do so. And he spooked for me just to prove to me how unstable I was. It was really difficult to be patient. Now, I would say if I can't do a regular yoga work out I probably should not be getting back on a horse.

[Dressage Art]

I started to slowly stopping myself from painkillers and I actually feel better every day! I dont know if you do feel dramatically better after 3 weeks of bone fracture, but I'm actually able to to stay focused more and more every day. Pain is still there, but maybe I got used to it and it doesnt bother me as much as before.

The limitations of crutches and non weight bearing is still very annoying.I tried to take a shower and slipped on my fractured leg = not fun at all. However, I'll be brave and tomorrow will go out to our friend's house for Thanksgiving (our tradition).

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope we will be pain free!

[mbm]

Happy Thanksgiving !

If you can stop taking narcotics and try to use motrin or other NASIDs - you might feel better. I found that once i didnt need to sleep all the time the Motrin worked better for pain than the percocet.

i am trying to remember... but i think 3 weeks was when i was able to start moving around - cleaning stalls etc (i had broken ribs).... i think at 6 weeks was when one day i said "hey! my ribs don't hurt!!" I started riding at 4 weeks but man it hurt! and i only did a little bit.... i was back riding full on at 6 weeks.

just remember that while it is boring and a pain in the tush, let your body heal so that it is good and strong so you don't re-injure.

I hope Miss Z is doing well too. have the vets given you any indication of her future? has she settled into her new home?

[luckyducky]

I don't know what anyone else's ortho doc said about the NSAIDS (ibuprophin, Advil, naproxene, Alieve etc), but, the ortho PA I am friends with told me NOT to take them as they interfere with bone healing, I would check with your doctor before taking any of them. Now, acetominophin, is alright ( not that it really helped my pain level). I was only on the Oxycontin for the first 7 days, quit that stuff cold, hated it. I did stay on Percocet for at least 2 weeks, maybe 3...that at least allowed me to sleep. I hope you continue to recover uneventfully! Careful in the shower!

[pharmgirl]

I don't know what anyone else's ortho doc said about the NSAIDS (ibuprophin, Advil, naproxene, Alieve etc), but, the ortho PA I am friends with told me NOT to take them as they interfere with bone healing, I would check with your doctor before taking any of them. Now, acetominophin, is alright

Ditto. :yes: My surgeon said the same thing to me, as did another friend's surgeon when she had surgery for her tibial plateau fracture.

Now I did break down and use a NSAID a couple of times during my recovery, but I healed so well that I'm not going to argue whether it's lack of NSAID use or genetics or a bit of both ;). I just know that I will likely not use any NSAIDs for awhile after I get my hardware out while the bone fills back in the holes :).

[HorsesinHaiti]

Bump and Happy Thanksgiving to you too DA!

[marta]

You've had a rough couple of month's girl. Sorry to hear about this. Jingles for a smooth recovery.

[Lieslot]

Hugs to you, hope you heal soon. You're having some bad luck lately.

I came off my big boy last week too. I had a swollen hand, didn't think it was all that bad, but luckily husband insisted I had it checked out. Turned out a spiral fracture of my middlefinger.

I kept thinking on the way home, no big deal, it's just a finger. But actually it's much more frustrating then I had hoped, especially since this doctor gave me some kind of splint that goes halfway up my arm and takes in my fingers. Only got index & thumb free and keeping things going around the horses is cumbersome. Trying to ride is even more grrr, thank goodness for reinbows.
So I can only imagine the pain & frustration you're going through.

Jingling you heal quickly!!!
And thanks for posting the healing bones food suggestions, I'll get started too :cool:.

[Dressage Art]

Thank you guys for your kind words. I can't even dismiss it, yes it's been rough and I'm in survivor mode now (my horse fractured her neck just a month before our PSG début, then I fainted and ended up at ER, then I broke my knee… ENOUGH! PLEASE!!!)

It's amazing how we can be fine one moment and another moment it’s changed and pain/uncomfort goes on and on... you are not the same person anymore, you think different thoughts and you have different desires (when I watch TV now, I'm jealous of people who can walk.) However, I do feel better, much better since my leg spasms are minimal now. I take only one pain pill per day now - the narcotic to be able to sleep at night, since yes, anti-inflammatory does slow down the bone healing, so no aspirin, Aleve, or Tylenol for me)

I feel so bad for all of us who got the bad fate of breaking the bone(s). Please know that I think of all of you and wish us all a speedy recovery and a pain free future. Let’s be grateful for what we still have.

[Dressage Art]

I kept thinking on the way home, no big deal, it's just a finger.I broke my finger before. It's very limiting and it’s an injury that you should not take very lightly. Bones should heal fine, but the mobility is what you should worry about. Ask for the PT as soon as you can. If they tell you to do cold and hot sinks for your finger every morning - do not skip on it = do it to avoid the limited mobility and possible arthritis. Do not push yourself to do anything that is painful = that will slow down the healing time. Try to learn how to do stuff with your other hand for now. Heal fast!

[Dressage Art]

I hope Miss Z is doing well too. have the vets given you any indication of her future? has she settled into her new home? Moving her this weekend. Her future is still unknown, but she still is getting better very, very slowly.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

Wishing all of you speedy healing!!

[Tazzie]

My small but of advice. Should you get to the point, like I did, where you just MUST have a nice, hot, relaxing bath:

A. Only do it of you can rest the broken parts on the edge of the tub (as opposed to resting against the wall
side). Otherwise, it is very difficult to get out of said tub without wetting your cast.
B. Wait a suitable amount of time for the pain to subside as you never realize how much you still hurt until
you try get yourself out of the tub. At least two weeks.
C. Do not try this when you are home alone or-
D. Bring your cell phone.
E. Make sure you have someone available who would would not cause you serious embarrassment should
you need them to help you hoist yourself out of said tub.
F. Make sure rescuer does not have digital camera in their possession.
G. Jury is still out as to whether it is easier to get out with tub full of water or emptied. Empty tub can lead
to shivering while awaiting for rescue - shivering hurts broken parts. It also contributes to the pathetic
sight that your rescuer will laugh at for the rest of their lives. Hence the caution about the camera.

True story.

Oh my goodness, you poor thing! I have this visual of you sitting in an empty claw footed tub shivering! I'm so sorry that I'm laughing hysterically at your expense! ;)

[ZiggyStardust]

The downside to that was that arm was basically immobilized for 5 weeks and shoulders do not like that at all!! :eek: I was in PT for several months after that, and while it was extremely difficult I got most of my range of motion back. Actually, because of the angle it healed, I got extra internal rotation than I had pre-injury :).


In Feb 2009, I had an incident turning my horse out. Nothing exciting, just a klutzy human combined with a very large and equally klutzy horse ;). This resulted in a dislocated right elbow with it fractured in 3 places (Monteggia Bado Type II with a full coronoid fracture and lateral epicondyle fracture for those medical types) .

Wow, pharmgirl, I am so impressed you got all your mobility back after being immobilized for 5 weeks with your shoulder injury. I had a Monteggia fracture this summer and had my elbow immobilized for only 1 week and flexing it the first time for the x-ray after they removed the splint was the most painful thing I experienced related to the whole injury and surgery. Your x-ray is amazing, mine is just 1 plate and 8 screws. I do have a bit of trouble I think because of the dislocation with some popping in the joint occasionally. Anyway, was just wowed and interested that you had a somewhat similar injury to mine.

DA, glad you are feeling better. I just started yoga classes and think they are going to be fantastic for finally getting my fitness back, esp now that it is winter and being outside is sometimes not so fun.

[pharmgirl]

Ziggy- I won't lie, the PT for my shoulder was brutal! I remember calling my best friend who is a PT telling her how awful I felt after the first couple of sessions, and she said "yes, you will feel like you've been run over by a Mack truck. Take pain meds before you go." Of course, that would have been good to know beforehand! :eek: During the process, I also got some bad muscle spasms that weren't fun. But, it is amazing what can happen with a lot of consistent hard work.

Very interesting that you had a Monteggia fracture as well! How long ago was yours? If it's recent, it could be from things still settling (my shoulder did that a lot for awhile). If not, they may have some things they could do if the instability is a problem for you.

With my elbow, my surgeon was relentless about making sure I moved my shoulder a lot so that didn't freeze up. He also let me start taking my elbow out of the splint multiple times a day to gradually start gaining range of motion back (he was very picky about how far I could let it go each week, though, so I didn't undo anything while it healed). I made sure I took it out to stretch 3-5 times/day, heated before, and iced afterwards. Doing that gave me kind of something to focus on while I was recovering, and I think it really helped me in the long run with my overall recovery.

[ZiggyStardust]

Very interesting that you had a Monteggia fracture as well! How long ago was yours? If it's recent, it could be from things still settling (my shoulder did that a lot for awhile). If not, they may have some things they could do if the instability is a problem for you.

My fracture happened on June 21. The surgeon said the radius popped back in as soon as he moved the ulna over, and he wasn't able to re-dislocate it by just pushing on it, so it's pretty solid - I do think the occasional popping now is things still settling as I use it more. It seems to happen sometimes when I straighten my arm after it's been bent and weight-bearing for a while. It seems pretty stable, I guess I can't expect it to be totally normal yet! I started a "should I get the hardware taken out?" thread on the Halloween off topic day, and there were a couple of other people here who had very similar Monteggia fractures, one from a kick, like mine. I thought it was kind of funny, because my surgeon geeked out a little bit when he explained that my injury had its own name. And it's nice to be able to relate with other horse people on this major experience!

I totally agree, moving my elbow bit by bit early on really helped so that by the time I started physical therapy, I had a lot of range of motion back already. I was using a neato (but big) brace with an adjustable dial at the elbow that set the range of motion. Now I'm working on getting the last bit of flexibility back and getting that arm strong again. And the rest of my squishy muscles back in shape again, ha!

[citydog]

Ziggy- I won't lie, the PT for my shoulder was brutal! I remember calling my best friend who is a PT telling her how awful I felt after the first couple of sessions, and she said "yes, you will feel like you've been run over by a Mack truck. Take pain meds before you go."

Hmm. The two PTs who I've been working with (shattered/pilon fracture of tibia and fibula, 2 plates and 14 screws in mid Oct.) specifically said *not* to take the meds beforehand, because feeling pain and knowing when to stop was important. They emphasized that I should take them afterwards, though. :yes::lol:

Speedy healing, all!

[411]

I'm sorry about your accident. It sucks being on crutches and in pain. I know because I spent about 4 of the past 14 months on crutches, first for torn ligaments in my foot and this spring for multiple hip and pelvic fractures.

The pain and isolation were the hardest to take. I hated being stuck at home.

I resisted getting a handicapped parking permit but you can get temporary ones (just go online and get form for your doctor to sign). This made it much easier for me to get out. Also, find out which stores have motorized carts. There is a Target near my house and I would get there right when they opened. Carts are fully charged and the store wasn't crowded so I could get out and do a little shopping.

If you get armpit pain from the crutches try adjusting them so the padded part doesn't press into your armpit. You will have to squeeze them against your body with your upper arm but this was much more comfortable for me and I never had the chafing people complain about.

If you get muscle pain, which I had very bad through my shoulders and back, there is a cream called Traumeel that is amazing. It is an antiinflammatory and did wonders for me. You can order it online. I can't say enough good things about this. I also fractured a rib when I broke my pelvis and I would rub this over the rib area. Made me more comfortable than percocet even.

Good luck with your recovery!

[pharmgirl]

I started a "should I get the hardware taken out?" thread on the Halloween off topic day, and there were a couple of other people here who had very similar Monteggia fractures, one from a kick, like mine. I thought it was kind of funny, because my surgeon geeked out a little bit when he explained that my injury had its own name. And it's nice to be able to relate with other horse people on this major experience!


Man, I wish I had seen that thread!! (I wonder if the mods still have it somewhere :)). I am getting my hardware taken out Jan. 8. I would have kept it in, but the plate for the lateral epicondyle fracture really sticks out and is now aggravating soft tissue (it gets stuck on the hardware and I can't straighten my elbow. Ouch!) I didn't have that cool brace thing. I only had a molded splint that I could take on and off for 4 weeks. The cool thing was that since I healed so well, the surgeon said I didn't have to wear it at all after 4 weeks. It was like Christmas! :)

As for pain meds before PT, I think it depends on the injury and the joint involved. By the time I got to PT for my shoulder, the fracture was healed pretty well. Shoulders you can push a lot, and apparently sometimes need to in order to get ROM back (my husband has had two shoulder surgeries, so I've seen his recovery as well). Elbows are not like that- if you push them too much, they go backwards.

So far, most of my bad injuries have been upper extremity. Lower extremity injuries may be a totally different story! ;)

[Dressage Art]

And the rest of my squishy muscles back in shape again, ha!oh, that just jumped out at me! My broken leg muscles already gone... it is absolutely shocking that just after 3 weeks of not using my leg, it,s 2 times thiner than my healthy leg. Muscles on hurt leg just don't behave in the same way, they kind of flab, instead of hugging my leg and contracting.

I would lover if we can share the PT that we got from our broken bones. I wonder if there is a similarity of bone PT with legs,arms, etc...

and yes... bone fracture is not only limiting physically, but emotionally as well, so Im really glad that we have Coth to share our various broken bone experiences.

[Dressage Art]

esp now that it is winter and being outside is sometimes not so fun.I'm lucky to live in California where we dont have snow and winter is actually when the grass is green (it dies out in the summer and goes dormant, just like the grass is dormant in the winter in places where it snows. Our planting season is actually fall, since if you will plant in spring or summer - plants likely will not survive as well' I was in the middle of planting my California Natural plants garden and bought about a dozen of plants, that now will probably die ...)

But I'm amazed how a little movement makes such a big difference. My very first time out out of the house was at Thanksgiving and I was shocked to find out that I actually felt better during the day (yes I paid for it at night, but I went right back and saw my mare for the very first time in 3 weeks - thanks to my hubby who drove me. It's like somebody switched a switch, all this movement really makes me feel better. Im so exited about it, as much as I dont like to ask for favors, Im planning to call/email my friends and ask them to take me out during the week... and I don't even care where to, now I just want to get out of the house! and this is a good thing!

[Dressage Art]

I resisted getting a handicapped parking permit but you can get temporary ones (just go online and get form for your doctor to sign). This made it much easier for me to get out. Also, find out which stores have motorized carts. There is a Target near my house and I would get there right when they opened. Carts are fully charged and the store wasn't crowded so I could get out and do a little shopping.Great idea! Standing is quite painful now, then walking on crutches: it's quite hard on my hands' but I can sit all day long just fine! I asked for a wheelchair from my insurance company, but they said that Im too fit for it and can do with crutches.

[Dressage Art]

:eek: During the process, I also got some bad muscle spasms that weren't fun.Muscle spasms were by far the MOST painful experience of braking my knee. I had them for the first 10 days at nights only and it felt very much like a baby delivery cramps. It was so bad that I would wake up at night from my own screaming and I was screaming from pain from those horrible leg cramps. It was only my broken leg that would cramp and it felt like those cramps were moving my broken bone. I was told that its my muscles telling me to move around, while my doctor was telling me not to. I had to take muscle relaxes for it and they finally went away. After that pain, the constant pain from the broken bone seems much more doable.

Warm pad and some leg movement also helped with those cramps. Cold packs made them worse!

I really, really hope that I will not have to re experience those cramps when I'll start PT!

[pharmgirl]

DA- muscle spasms already?! Ouch! Hope that you are done with those as well!

If it's any consolation, I didn't have them with my elbow. Just had them with the shoulder. But, I don't have any lower extremity experiences to share so it might be different.

Glad to hear you got out and about! After a certain point, it really helps! Just have to make sure you don't overdo it ;). I thought I could handle a decent work day, and after 5-6 hrs I ended up with a fever! Clearly my body said I wasn't ready for that yet and I promptly listened to it so that wouldn't happen again :).

[KateandKc]

Muscle spasms were by far the MOST painful experience of braking my knee. I had them for the first 10 days at nights only and it felt very much like a baby delivery cramps. It was so bad that I would wake up at night from my own screaming and I was screaming from pain from those horrible leg cramps. It was only my broken leg that would cramp and it felt like those cramps were moving my broken bone. I was told that its my muscles telling me to move around, while my doctor was telling me not to. I had to take muscle relaxes for it and they finally went away. After that pain, the constant pain from the broken bone seems much more doable.

Warm pad and some leg movement also helped with those cramps. Cold packs made them worse!

I really, really hope that I will not have to re experience those cramps when I'll start PT!

Muscles spasm sucked. I woke up from surgery with the worst muscle cramp in my calf....and it stayed like that for 3 days. I convinved my ortho to prescribe muscle relaxants, they worked better than narcotics. It did feel like the muscles were pulling all the broken bones around.

Moving around does help you feel better. Definitely don't over do it...I'm still paying for my car ride/family visit over Thanksgiving. The swelling is finally going down and my leg isn't black/purple anymore. One thing thats helped me a lot is forcing myself to take a shower every day, get dressed, eat regular meals, etc. The first month I laid around in sweatpants and ate whatever I could hobble into the living room with.

I'm glad you got to go see your mare :) Is she recovering from her broken neck?

[redkat]

Have any of you ever injured your pelvis badly in a fall? That was the most banged up part of me after my swan dive a week ago Sunday. X-ray in the ER showed nothing broken, but over a week later all of my sort tissues feels like they're recovering but my left hip still hurts to sit and walk and...well, move. It doesn't feel any better. I'm limpy.

My doc glanced at the ER discharge papers, gave me muscle relaxants and sent me on my way, but ER had also said to get an MRI if the pain didn't go away to see if there were cracks that wouldn't show up on the X-ray. I really don't want to pay for an MRI, but stabby pain in the behind-al region isn't so great either.

I mean...would I KNOW if it's broken? I don't feel any grating. It just hurts.

[sketcher]

I cracked 4 ribs and bruised my pelvis. The pelvis was worse than the ribs.

[Dressage Art]

I mean...would I KNOW if it's broken? I don't feel any grating. It just hurts.Sorry to hear about your swan dive. Mine also just hurts and even not in the correct spot, but about 10 inches lower than my fracture. My doc tells me that it's the pain resonating thru the bone.

I had a lot of bruising and swelling. After 3 weeks, 99% of bruising is gone. Y

If MRI will find the fractured, do you know will it change your recovery and treatment or it will stay the same?

[citydog]

As for pain meds before PT, I think it depends on the injury and the joint involved. By the time I got to PT for my shoulder, the fracture was healed pretty well. Shoulders you can push a lot, and apparently sometimes need to in order to get ROM back (my husband has had two shoulder surgeries, so I've seen his recovery as well). Elbows are not like that- if you push them too much, they go backwards.

So far, most of my bad injuries have been upper extremity. Lower extremity injuries may be a totally different story! ;)


Thanks for that. Interesting stuff.

I asked the PT I dealt with today about what you said, but she was still adamantly in the no pain meds beforehand camp and emphasized what she said was the current thinking by a lot in the field (the big Boston hospitals, anyway) that "less is more"--they see better long term results with folks going slow. She did then qualify it somewhat and said that if a patient had a lower pain tolerance to the extent that it would interfere with reasonable work then it would make sense to take them before.

Dunno.

In any case it's working well for me (my ROM is coming back in leaps). They have one PT there who is horsey, but I haven't been able to work with her yet.

[redkat]

If MRI will find the fractured, do you know will it change your recovery and treatment or it will stay the same?

I think so...possibly even being on crutches for a few weeks, depending on location and severity. Some physical therapy could be involved. On the other hand, a doctor friend (not the doctor I saw,) said that pelvises are hard and they "can't really do much for them except tell you to rest and don't do anything until it stops hurting," especially since I *can* walk around.

I want to go back to being a kid when I bounced when I fell...(and didn't end up with $1,000 dressage lessons.)

[pharmgirl]

Interesting about the PT citydog. My shoulder was several years ago, so thoughts may have changed. I only thought about serious pain meds in the beginning, but did take advil for awhile beforehand. Glad to hear you are doing so well!!

[Heart's Journey]

not many broken bones, but several bad injuries. Popped my AC joint when a horse fell on me while trail riding in Australia in '95. The Ozzies pretty much only know one speed and that is Mach 1..... too long a story, but my shoulder will never be the same, aches terribly when riding sometimes and it the bones moves sometimes which makes me scream, then push it back into place... not fun, but I don't let it stop me from riding.

Jan '05 my young TW gelding who was rather spooky threw me violently and knocked the wind out of me, broke 3 ribs. He took off back to camp and I had to walk 3 miles back. My friend called for help, but they went the wrong way and there was no way I count mount her horse. I was camping, so I had to pack all my stuff up (had help from friends) drive back home, drop off my friend and her horse.
I kept calling my BF but he was out golfing, so his phone was turned off. The hardest part was unhooking the GN from the truck. Made it home and spent a bad night, I was too stubborn to go to the ER. The next afternoon I woke up and knew something else was wrong as my breathing had changed.
I finally got smart, called 911 and they took me to the hospital with lights and sirens going. One of the ribs had punctured my lung, which collasped and I was having trouble breathing. I spent 9 days in the hospital with a CHEST TUBE! worst pain I've ever experienced. Think of a large long plastic tube sitting in your lung - you just can't get comfy and the drugs don't last long enough and I am not a wimp when it comes to pain....
I wasn't able to ride for 8 weeks and after about 2 months of riding, the *&&^^% horse threw me again and I broke 2 more ribs, but no punctures. I finally decided that the two of us were just not meant for each other and was able to sell him back to his previous owner. The two of them have done well and I now have a much quieter safer saner mount.
Time, ice, good drugs, and let people wait on you, you deserve the rest. take care

[DLee]

Great idea! Standing is quite painful now, then walking on crutches: it's quite hard on my hands' but I can sit all day long just fine! I asked for a wheelchair from my insurance company, but they said that Im too fit for it and can do with crutches.

Crutches are killing my hands right now. :( Does anyone have any remedies? Even moving myself around on the mattress hurts my hands now. Pathetic. Went to PT yesterday, I have at least three more weeks of crutches to let the tibia heal. Sigh.

[KateandKc]

Crutches are killing my hands right now. :( Does anyone have any remedies? Even moving myself around on the mattress hurts my hands now. Pathetic. Went to PT yesterday, I have at least three more weeks of crutches to let the tibia heal. Sigh.

It took a few weeks for my hands and arms to not hurt with the crutches. It does get better now, I hobbled around Lowes and Target this weekend without too much difficulty.

You could try padding the hand holds to add a little more cushion too. I have a layer of super plush fleece wrapped around mine...not sure if it helps, but it makes me feel better. :)

[Dressage Art]

I bought the sheepskin crutches covers and also wear padded "bionic" gloves: http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:unofficial&hs=0rc&q=bionic%20gloves&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=sheepskin+crutches+covers&spell=1&oi=spell

Also my doc told me NOT to put any weight on the crutches under arms. but it still hard to walk with them.

[Dressage Art]

I finally got smart, called 911 and they took me to the hospital with lights and sirens going. One of the ribs had punctured my lung, which collasped and I was having trouble breathing. I spent 9 days in the hospital with a CHEST TUBE! worst pain I've ever experienced. Think of a large long plastic tube sitting in your lung - you just can't get comfy and the drugs don't last long enough and I am not a wimp when it comes to pain....
I wasn't able to ride for 8 weeks and after about 2 months of riding, the *&&^^% horse threw me again and I broke 2 more ribs, but no punctures. I finally decided that the two of us were just not meant for each other and was able to sell him back to his previous owner. The two of them have done well and I now have a much quieter safer saner mount.
Time, ice, good drugs, and let people wait on you, you deserve the rest. take care
OMG!!!!This Im so sorry to read this, this must off been so hard! Good for you to sell that horse. This is not right to end up with broken bones time and time again! I can take a light fall, but when a horse wants to launch you in to space so you hit the ground sohard that you brake bones ... its not worth it.

[cgray0983]

Ugh, I am sorry.

No super broken bones here yet *knock on wood* just three consusions and a fractured nose (I land on my head a lot...), many soft tissue injuries, and a lot of Percocet.

Hulu.com - for entertainment, get hooked on some new TV shows.

I wish you a healthy recovery.

[ellem]

Have any of you ever injured your pelvis badly in a fall? That was the most banged up part of me after my swan dive a week ago Sunday. X-ray in the ER showed nothing broken, but over a week later all of my sort tissues feels like they're recovering but my left hip still hurts to sit and walk and...well, move. It doesn't feel any better. I'm limpy.

My doc glanced at the ER discharge papers, gave me muscle relaxants and sent me on my way, but ER had also said to get an MRI if the pain didn't go away to see if there were cracks that wouldn't show up on the X-ray. I really don't want to pay for an MRI, but stabby pain in the behind-al region isn't so great either.

I mean...would I KNOW if it's broken? I don't feel any grating. It just hurts.

I did this a couple years ago - the fracture didn't show up on the x-rays, but was visible on the MRI. There wasn't really much they could do - if it doesn't show up on the xray, then most likely the bones aren't displaced, so surgery shouldn't be required (caveat: I definitely do NOT have a medical degree). I used both crutches for about a week, went down to one crutch for two weeks after, then was limping around by the time a month rolled around. Orthopedist just told me to avoid any abduction/adduction with my leg - meaning, don't break out your old Jane Fonda workout videos. FYI, the MRI was about $2500 for me.

As far as your question about how you would know it's broken - it HURTS. I couldn't get into a car, couldn't twist, and was just about bedridden for about 5 days afterwards. I had to hop out of the arena, even with just a minor fracture.

The best part is when you find yourself saying, "Oh, it was totally my fault. I should have spent more than a just three years working on 'whoa'..." or "well, those purple flowers were new, and they are very scary in this light..."

[citydog]

Also my doc told me NOT to put any weight on the crutches under arms. but it still hard to walk with them.

Fuss with the height a bit. The original hospital I went to sent me home with crutches that were adjusted to the wrong height for me, and I couldn't use them. At the first home PT visit they tut-tutted and adjusted them and it made them considerably easy to use. :yes:

Scroll down to crutch adjustment video here: http://www.kaisersantarosa.org/video

[twofatponies]

Wow. I hate broken bones. I have only done an ankle and a couple toes (not HR). But DH did a head plant off his mare Saturday and has little snippets broken off of 5 vertebrae, and a lot of torn up soft tissue. And four teeth (eta: missing). Nothing they could do anything about surgically, and no risk to any nerves. They called him "miracle boy" at the hospital, as most people who land that way never walk again. I take it as a good sign that on day 3 he is asking about PT. :D

It seems like the muscle spasms are subsiding today, too - despite the meds for that they were causing more pain than the injuries in and of themselves.

I found with my ankle the first week was excruciating, even when I wasn't doing anything. Again I think it's partly a spasm thing. But after that pain tended to only happen if I changed positions or put a little weight on it. That transition is a big deal, and its a real relief to move to "stage 2".

I have a friend who started listing body parts when I asked her if she'd ever broken anything. Most everything! And about 1/2 horse related.

[citydog]

Whoa, twofatponies, your husband is a lucky guy!

[redkat]

As far as your question about how you would know it's broken - it HURTS. I couldn't get into a car, couldn't twist, and was just about bedridden for about 5 days afterwards. I had to hop out of the arena, even with just a minor fracture.

The best part is when you find yourself saying, "Oh, it was totally my fault. I should have spent more than a just three years working on 'whoa'..." or "well, those purple flowers were new, and they are very scary in this light..."

Thanks, this was really helpful. I have a high pain tolerance (former serious ballet student) but it was enough to make me tear up on the walk into work this morning. I find myself talking to people and putting in 'ow' mid-sentence.

So, I did make a doctor's appointment for tomorrow, but asked for a different doctor. The fall was 9 days ago and this part doesn't seem to feel any different than when they were carrying me off on a stretcher. I guess I'll know soon if I get to join the broken bones club.

I'm totally doing the whole, "That was totally my fault -- If I'd just SAT and ASKED HIM to collect properly and stop ignoring my outside rein, he wouldn't have thought he could get away with crazy 'it's-cold canter' that I should've been able to ride anyway if I weren't in somebody else's saddle and had been more careful about my center of gravity..." blah blah blah. *sigh*

[schimmel]

When I broke my ankle I found that those crutches that wrap around you arm just below your elbow and have supports for your hands were really helpful. More comfortable and less cumbersome than traditional crutches.

They looked like this:
http://www.allegromedical.com/crutches-c5009.html?x_page_number=2

Hope you feel better soon!

[DLee]

I just ordered fleece for my crutches. Maybe I need to decorate them for Christmas as well. Sigh.

[Dressage Art]

I just ordered fleece for my crutches. Maybe I need to decorate them for Christmas as well. Sigh.Hey, that's a great idea! I'll do it as well and post the photo here ! Lets have some fun, or should I say the very little fun that we can have ;) ?

[redkat]

They still think I only have a contusion. Saw a different doctor today. No MRI yet, just 4 weeks of physical therapy. If that doesn't help, then MRI.

Whew.

[Dressage Art]

Redkat, today its 1 month from the time that I got bucked off. I broke the bone,but also I had some really bad bruising on my leg. Most of it already is gone, but one bruise is still there and quite painful even to a light touch. It can take a while for a deep bruising to heal. And if the bone is bruised, that will take even longer.

Im rooting for you that your bones are not fractured.

[Dressage Art]

I'm totally doing the whole, "That was totally my fault -- If I'd just SAT and ASKED HIM to collect properly and stop ignoring my outside rein, he wouldn't have thought he could get away with crazy 'it's-cold canter' that I should've been able to ride anyway if I weren't in somebody else's saddle and had been more careful about my center of gravity..." blah blah blah. *sigh*I kept thinking about that and I dont think that there is such a thing as a distribution of the blame solely on one side. Try to be so hard on yourself, sh%$& happens, we just need to try to move on.

[Dressage Art]

Things to avoid in your diet if you have broken bones: sugar, salt, alcohol, caffeine, red meats, carbonated drinks, etc.

Aspirin And Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Can Retard Bone Healing
When you break a bone or tear a muscle and are on pain medication, you may want to try to stop taking the pain medication as soon as possible so you do not delay healing. A study in May 1995 issue of The Journal of Orthopedic Trauma shows damaged cells in a fracture release large amount of chemicals called prostaglandins. These chemicals cause the pain and are blocked by the pain medication. However prostaglandins are also very important in the first stage of tissue repair. So decreasing the use as soon as possible is helpful to the healing process. Furthermore a study in the October 1995 issue of the Journal of Rheumatology found that continued use of anti-inflammatory drugs over several months can increase the rate of cartilaginous breakdown in joints of people who have osteoarthritis. The drugs mentioned in the studies include Aspirin, Anaprox, Lodine, Meclomin, Motrin, Naprosin, Pensile, Relafen, Toreador, Tolectin, Indocin and Ibuprofen.

Smoking Slows The Healing Of Broken Bones: Many studies have shown that broken bones tend to take longer to heal if the injured person has been smoking. Cigarettes can also increase the risk of blood clotting, which may further reduce blood flow. Breakdown products of cigarette smoke include carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrosamines and benzenes which can damage the cells that form the bone itself and can interrupt the healing process after a fracture or bone injury.

High Calcium Foods Good For Bone Healing:
Type of food Amount Milligrams of Calcium

Non fat yogurt 1 cup 415
Sardines (Atlantic with bones) 3 oz 372
Collard Greens 1 cup 355
Pink Salmon (canned with bones) 6oz 334
Skim Milk 1 cup 302
Calcium Fortified Orange Juice 1 cup 302
Bok Choy 1 cup 250
Almonds 3 oz 198
Turnip Greens 1 cup 200
Soy Beans 1 cup 180
Broccoli 1 cup 180
Mustard Greens 1 cup 150
Black Molasses 1 tbsp. 140
Great Northern Beans 1 cup 140
Non fat Baked Beans 1 cup 130
Tofu 1 cup 130
Navy beans 1 cup 130
Corn Tortilla 1 tortilla 120
Kidney Beans 1 cup 115
Okra 1 cup 90
Acorn Squash 1 cup 90
Spinach (Cooked) 1 cup 74
Orange 1 med. 60
Raisins 1/4 22
Peanut butter 2 tbsp. 18

Lysine To Increase Calcium Absorption: Lysine is an amino acid that helps in the absorption of calcium. Lysine a protein building block, can increase the amount of calcium absorbed into the matrix according to Peter Furst, M.D.,PhD. in the Jan./Feb. 1993, Nutrition (9: 70-2). It is an essential amino acid necessary for the regeneration of tissues, and the building and healing of broken bones. Research studies show that lysine can increase the amount of calcium absorbed into the bone matrix. The amount in one particular study was 800 mg. As lysine promotes the formation of muscle protein, it may be important in healing after operations and injuries. There are a number of foods that can add lysine to your diet, such as low fat milk, fish, yeast, and soy products. I find that defatted soy flour is the best source of Lysine because there are 3300mg of lysine in 3 1/2 ounces of defatted soy flour. This is an important reason to use defatted soy flour in the foods you eat.

Vitamin C As A Bone Healer: Vitamin C is essential nutritionally to make the collagen that helps the body form healthy bones. It also promotes wound healing. You also can get numerous additional benefits from Vitamin C. For example, researchers at New Mexico Medical School found that adults with high blood levels of vitamin C scored higher on mental tasks than those with low levels of vitamin C.

Vitamin K To Promote Bone Healing: Vitamin K, also called Menadione, is a very important fat-soluble vitamin that plays a key role in the regulation of normal blood clotting functions. We get vitamin K from several sources in our diet including dark leafy vegetables. Vitamin K also assists in converting glucose into glycogen for storage in the liver. Numerous studies indicate that it plays a role in forming bone formation and preventing osteoporosis. If you want to help bones heal faster, consider increasing your intake of Vitamin K rich foods.

Boron's Role In Bone Healing: Boron is important in bone healing because studies how show it reduces urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium and significantly increases blood levels of both estrogen and testosterone. The are many food high in boron. Apples are the highest.

Role of silica and zinc: Both silica and zinc are important for the repair of tissues. Silica is also important also in helping the calcium to be absorbed. Ensuring that these are in you diet is a another way to potentially decrease the time it takes to heal from a fracture

[Renn/aissance]

Ouch! I wish you a swift recovery!

I'm on crutches right now for a broken foot, lugging my tote bag everywhere I go and looking for a rolling chair so I can carry food from the counter to the table. I've been handling bathing by taking bubble baths with my bad leg out of the water. Getting in and out is interesting.

Ice and elevate your leg as much as possible. Don't be too alarmed when the muscles atrophy; you'll gain it right back. (After only 3 weeks with a broken foot the first time I broke it, my right leg looked like a noodle. Three weeks later it was just fine.) I have fleece on the shoulders of my crutches, and am going to dig out the biking gloves. A friend of mine suggested good foam instead of fleece. Maybe you could vetrap it on?

[redkat]

Redkat, today its 1 month from the time that I got bucked off. I broke the bone,but also I had some really bad bruising on my leg. Most of it already is gone, but one bruise is still there and quite painful even to a light touch. It can take a while for a deep bruising to heal. And if the bone is bruised, that will take even longer.

Im rooting for you that your bones are not fractured.

I think I might be good, actually...a couple of PT visits and I'm starting to feel better. Exciting!

Here's hoping you're progressing!

[Widget]

Have any of you ever injured your pelvis badly in a fall?

Yes, I had a stable fracture (as in no surgry) of the left iliac crest in March '08. An hour after the fall, I still couldn't put weight on my left leg and a friend insisted I go to the ER. While I was getting my x-rays, the screen that shows them was inadvertently turned so that I could see it. I saw the fracture and then I started panicking.:eek:

Of course it was also shortly after that, that the pain set in and drugs were given. I honestly didn't think anything was broken because I didn't feel like I was in 'enough' pain.

This is what the fracture looked like:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/rusty62178/fracture1.jpg

[Dressage Art]

Gosh that Xray does look scary! So sorry about your injury. Hope it healed well! I also didnt think that my leg was broken, since my pain was manageble for the 1st day... after that, oh yes... I was convinced that it was broken! Adrenalin is an amazing thing!

I went to my doc and she gave me 60% of motion in my knee so I can actually sit now as a human! So I went out for a lunch and had a good meal that wasnt just microwaved.

She also told me that I would be weigh bearing by Christmas! YAY!!! I cant wait to be able to move around!

Hope that others are also will have some good news by Christmas!

[FillyMe]

DA, just catching up on the posts and am sorry to hear about your accident, ugh!! I hope the month went by fast and that you can see the silver lining now. At least you're off of stall rest, lol. Wishing you positive thoughts for your continued healing and hope you take this time to create more gorgeous art work.
Robin :-)

[KateandKc]

I got great news at the doctor's today. Fractures are healed (barely visible on x-rays). :)

So I get to start weight bearing (as tolerated) and work my way out of crutches. Then I get to slowly work my way into a regular shoe instead of a huge walking cast.

Am I the only one who was laying there and said "I broke my leg" and screamed despite massive IV pain meds? I feel so special now. :lol:

Hope everyone else is healing and feeling better soon! Glad you are getting to move your knee around and eat real meals again. :)

[DLee]

I got great news at the doctor's today. Fractures are healed (barely visible on x-rays). :)

So I get to start weight bearing (as tolerated) and work my way out of crutches. Then I get to slowly work my way into a regular shoe instead of a huge walking cast.

Am I the only one who was laying there and said "I broke my leg" and screamed despite massive IV pain meds? I feel so special now. :lol:

Hope everyone else is healing and feeling better soon! Glad you are getting to move your knee around and eat real meals again. :)

Wow that is awesome!! :yes: Congrats! I am 3 wks post surgery this Friday, today I started slight weight bearing while on crutches. Not a lot, but it felt SO good to feel my foot on the floor. I'm determined not to lose any more muscle than I already have!

[Dressage Art]

Thank you FillyMe. Things are looking up in a better direction!

Congrads for weight bearing to both of you D. and K! Does your feet tingle when they touch the floor? I can place my toes on the floor now - and even that little thing makes a huge difference in ability to get around

[KateandKc]

Thank you FillyMe. Things are looking up in a better direction!

Congrads for weight bearing to both of you D. and K! Does your feet tingle when they touch the floor? I can place my toes on the floor now - and even that little thing makes a huge difference in ability to get around

Yup, my whole foot goes pins & needles tingly when I put weight on it. Hopefully that will get better. Surgeon said its because all the nerves are still swollen/damaged from the break.

Congrats on being able to put your foot down. I hope you keep healing well. :)

[DLee]

Yep, definitely tingly feet, I feel like I can actually feel the blood being pushed back up my leg. My quad also tingle (and hurts), I didn't understand why, PT says possibly from the tourniquet used during surgery. Probably did too much on it yesterday, today the knee is swollen, so I'm back to icing. Sigh.

[KateandKc]

Yep, definitely tingly feet, I feel like I can actually feel the blood being pushed back up my leg. My quad also tingle (and hurts), I didn't understand why, PT says possibly from the tourniquet used during surgery. Probably did too much on it yesterday, today the knee is swollen, so I'm back to icing. Sigh.

I overdid it too. :( Was way to excited to be able to drive....so I went to the store, picked my dog up from daycare, and went to (very briefly) visit Coco.
Super sore and swollen today.

Hope your knee is feeling better tomorrow.

[DLee]

I overdid it too. :( Was way to excited to be able to drive....so I went to the store, picked my dog up from daycare, and went to (very briefly) visit Coco.
Super sore and swollen today.

Hope your knee is feeling better tomorrow.

Ha, I see a trend here! :lol: Hope your swelling is going down too!

[411]

Have any of you ever injured your pelvis badly in a fall? That was the most banged up part of me after my swan dive a week ago Sunday. X-ray in the ER showed nothing broken, but over a week later all of my sort tissues feels like they're recovering but my left hip still hurts to sit and walk and...well, move. It doesn't feel any better. I'm limpy.
I mean...would I KNOW if it's broken? I don't feel any grating. It just hurts.
When I got bucked off they took Xrays in the ER and said all that was wrong was a sprained knee and broken rib. I literally could not walk for 4 days, the pain was so bad. Saw a GP who said I was fine, just deal with the pain. Three weeks later saw a specialist who sent me for MRI and called the next morning to tell me I had 5 hip and pelvic fractures and I needed to be in a wheelchair or on crutches.

If you are having pain, get the MRI. I was on crutches for a while and then had a month or so of PT. Good luck, and feel better!

[chai]

My advice is to follow the doctor's orders and don't push yourself when you start to feel a little bit better. When my son broke his leg in 2 places in a skateboarding accident he was wheelchair bound for a month. One of the most difficult things was the boredom. I highly recommend the entire Harry Potter book on tape series to help pass the time. We also followed through with physical therapy for him and it made a huge difference in his recovery, so please make sure you keep that in your recovery plan.

Sending jingles for a full and speedy recovery.

[Dressage Art]

Yea, it's so easy to overdo it!

I got exited that I can sit like a normal person now and went out for a lunch and dinner with my friends in the same day - and it's been 2 days ago already and I'm still in bed with pain in my knee. I'll have to cancel on the Holiday Party today that I was hoping to drag myself to.

But how do you guess when you are overdoing it? I felt great! It's wasn't until the next day that everything started to be difficult to do again... and the pain returned... though, I'm happy that I did it, since I had a great time... I just wish that I would be strong enough to go out every 2nd day? But may be not yet...

Please keep me on the tingling/needle situation, I'm wondering when that will go away? You both are further than I am: I'll be weight bearing in a week = will be able to drive!!!! YAY!!!

[DLee]

Omg I can't WAIT to drive! I am supposed to have 40% but I'm sure I'm doing more. And you're right, it doesn't feel bad until much later.

[Dressage Art]

I am supposed to have 40% but I'm sure I'm doing more. 40% of what? weight bearing? ... hmmm and you are not driving yet? I'm kind of hoping that I'll be able to drive with 25% of weight bearing???

[KateandKc]

40% of what? weight bearing? ... hmmm and you are not driving yet? I'm kind of hoping that I'll be able to drive with 25% of weight bearing???

I'm technically "weight bearing as tolerated"....so anywhere from 0% to 100%. I can only drive with my walking cast off (easy to take off and slip on a clog to drive).

My body can handle going out every 3-4 days right now. And those are short trips (run to the store, go give Coco a hug, etc). I made 1 long shopping trip for Christmas gifts....took way too much out of me.

Hope you're feeling better and get the ok to drive soon.

[DLee]

I guess it's the surgery on my knee that's the issue here. The broken tibia can handle it, but the thought of having to lift my leg and press on the brake... couldn't do it. :(

[charlieo]

Just saw this -- I managed to fall off while my horse scratched his nose (I was sort of in the process of dismounting) and sustained the same type fracture. Now 1 month, 2 plates and 14 screws later, I've been told it will be 4-6 months before I'm weight bearing. That is discouraging, but at the same time I am so incredibly grateful that I still have the leg, as the orthopedist at the first hospital, a "trauma center" (regional, to be sure) told me I would lose the leg. Fortunately, my sister, an equine vet, took matters into her own hands and informed me that I was getting a second opinion, and within hours (although it seemed like days) I was on the way to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, where the surgeon was not fazed by the mess I'd made of the tibia and operated (so far successfully) on the leg. Life is more complicated now, as I am a lawyer, and since the leg is set in full extension, and I cannot even get into a car, I am doing what I can from home.
Knowing I could not take care of the 12 head who depend on me for food, and care, my sister contacted several of my friends, who arrived and I watched (sobbing) from the kitchen window as my boys loaded quietly on trailers to spend the winter with other people. I know they will be back in the spring, but I miss them terribly. My competition (2nd level dressage) horse is going to Kim Meier's daughter for the coming season, as, realistically, I am looking at 6-9 months off.
My one boarder is caring for the 2 horses left here, and I am greatly in her debt. This Thursday I return to the surgeon to find out where we go from here. Whatever he says, it will be so much better than losing the leg, but 4-6 months seems like a long long time right now. Hope you are up and around much sooner.

[DLee]

Oh WOW. :( I'm so sorry, that sounds very bad. AND very long, you're right. :( Hoping that everything continues to go the best way possible for you!

[Ridley]

hi there -- I had a (well, four) tibial plateau fractures on May 10 this year (kicked in the knee by a brood mare). 4 screws in my knee, now. No driving for 10 weeks, non-weight bearing for 15 weeks. The day he said I could go partial weight bearing, I was terrified to put my foot down on the ground. But, a few days later, I was rocking the crutch assisted walking. Contrary to my usual approach, I followed all the doctor's orders and I beat all his predictions. He told me I would have a severe limp for 6 months after I went full weight bearing and would be significantly restricted in my activities. I lost my limp in a week (that was something I just wasn't about to accept -- and taught myself to walk again) and was on a horse 3 weeks after going full weight bearing.

I'm taking it easy and have had trouble getting myself legged up again, in part because my horse has been intermittently lame. The biggest issues with riding, for me --
-- my half chaps end right under a screw that sticks out of the front of my knee. When I post, it pushes the screw up -- yowza -- so I bought the velcro half chaps and leave the top fastener undone -- no pain at all.

-- dismounting a 17 hand horse is scary and I try to land on my good leg -- not always successful and have bounced back on my behind a couple times, or I do a painful slide off his back that drags my shirt up around my ears and leaves stirrup burns on my belly :)

-- I'm on a young horse who is still getting his balance and tends to hug the arena wall. I live in fear of bumping my knee on the arena wall -- but so far, hasn't happened.

So, the takeaway from this is -- follow the doctor's orders and get back on that horse as soon as he lets you (and you feel comfortable). You'll find ways to work through the problems the break causes you -- GOOD LUCK!!!!

PS -- getting permission to drive was the biggest lift to my spirits. But, I was afraid I'd not be able to hit the brakes when I needed it. So, I took a few test drives on quiet afternoons on quiet streets -- built my confidence in my new knee immensely. Hope you get to drive soon!!!!

I just read some of the other posts -- things that helped:
- I had forgotten the mechanics of how to walk. I got in a pool and "walked" up and down the pool, increasing the "laps" every day. Also did leg lifts and squats in the pool -- all helped tremendously.
- I had to do the butt stair climb for 10 weeks. A big bag with a long strap hung around my neck so I could carry things up and down.
- Sippy cups, or something similar -- carrying a glass of water from the kitchen on crutches is tough. I've had a sippy cup full of wine many nights (no pride, at all)
- My Gator became my wheelchair around the farm. It was so nice to go out to see the horses every day. Of course, the first few days, they freaked out at the walker setup in the bed of the gator, but they got used to it.
- I actually mowed all summer long. I'd put a book on tape on my ipod, drive the gator to the riding mower and be perfectly happy to mow the lawn and small paddocks. I think it helped me not feel so helpless.

[citydog]

I've had a sippy cup full of wine many nights (no pride, at all).

*high fives*

[Dressage Art]

ok, I hate to be a party pooper, but wine is not good for healing bones, just like smoking it can slow down the healing 1/2!!!
I know how hard it is to say no to margaritas, but lets try to limit ourselves with wine so we can heal faster :)

[Dressage Art]

charlieo,
I'm so sorry to hear that you will be out of the saddle for 6 months. b ut I'm so happy to hear that you still have your leg! So you can count yourself lucky, right? ;)

Please do post your experience here, it just might help you to pass the time faster. And we are very good listeners!

[charlieo]

Well, the accident/fall/aborted dismount was all a question of timing. Half a second either way and I might have been thinking, "close call". Pretzel (the horse ) and I had finished our work - we were in the indoor, and, fortunately, so was my boarder. This was under the lights, about 6:45pm. I was getting ready to dismount. Kicked loose of both stirrups and started to slide off, when, at that exact second, Pretz decided he just had to scratch his nose on his left foreleg. I was in the air on the way down, and suddenly swung forward when his left shoulder dropped out from under me as he put his head down -- I had a hand in his mane and I guess I instinctively reached for the left iron. I was now facing his rump. My right leg was already on the ground, and I was hanging off the horse close to his left shoulder. The very tip of my left toe caught in the iron and for a second I thought I'd break the left leg. I let go of the mane, trying to get my left toe out, yanking the left rein in the process, and Pretz turned left, towards me, twisting me with all my weight on the right leg. Simultaneously I heard the right leg snap and my left toe came out of the iron. Thank God one of my barn rules is that you don't ride indoors unless there is someone with you.The indoor is in the field behind the barn, and no one would miss you for hours or days. Anna (boarder) collected the horses, (Pretzel was frightened when I collapsed in a heap and got loose) put them away and managed to call 911 all at the same time.
There are multiple fractures of the tibial plateau, all of which were displaced, which is what seemed to scare the first orthopedist out of his mind. He kept saying he'd never seen a worse fracture -- to which my sister the vet responded "Yes, and that's why we're leaving" . The Baltimore surgeon managed to cobble it all together neatly (my xray resembles Barbaro's) and told me that on a scale of one (least severe) to 10, (most severe) I was an 8+.
I am incredibly grateful for his skill, and, you are 100% correct, 4-6 months in a wheel chair is a very small price to pay for the use of the leg.

[Dressage Art]

What a story! I'm hoping that you will start to feel better soon. It does get better!

I had a co-worker who one day was standing in his cubicle. Someone called him, he turned around and collapsed on the floor - he broke his leg just like that! Young guy may be 25-35 years old!

Ok, now another learned advice:
Get your disabled sticker for your car ASAP! Not for you to drive, but when other people will drive you so they can park in the disable zone and you can walk closely. All this drop off and stand in pain while waiting for them to park and come back - does not work as well ;)

[shea'smom]

Hey all!
I was you guys in 2000. I broke my tibia plateau, my surgeon said I "pulverized" it. Not what one wants to hear.
I wasn't weight bearing for 6 months, got directly on a horse. I also could have lost my leg. I was lucky that there was a fantastic surgeon on call that afternoon.
I am now back to eventing! Yeah me!
I also had the screw that stuck out. They took that out after a year. Could not jump with it. If you hit it on something, especially when it is really cold, WHOA!
I taught riding, so had to be driven around at first, but was able to resume a fair schedule after about 6 weeks.
Best wishes to everyone!! Time, that is what it takes.

[Ridley]

trust me -- wine is essential to the healing process (your mindset is just as important as your body) and I think my results prove it! Good nutrition should be followed, and while I drank tons of milk during my recovery, my surgeon just rolled his eyes when I told him i thought that was a big part of my faster than expected recovery. Someone here (and, wow, you guys really had some tough falls!) said that time is the most important thing and that is quite true. If the doc tells you to stay off of it for X weeks, no cheating -- those bones need those weeks to knit without interference from your weight. Don't take the time and you'll be in recovery much longer.

shea's mom -- the screw that sticks out -- isn't that the creepiest -- you're right, with the cold...... *shudder*. Mine comes out in February (hopefully) and I can't wait -- I've had to forego yoga since the break because I can't kneel on it -- there's a healing process I so wish I could have undertaken! I love your approach -- 6 weeks after, you found a way to be out there, rather than sitting in bed feeling sorry for yourself! Good on you!!!!

[Dressage Art]

Oh yes, the mind set is upmost important and if wine that keeps it up - then it's better than depression. And depression is often where many bed-driven patients will go.

I know that it was very hard for me for the first 3 weeks. I wanted to dig a hole and didn't care to come out.

I try to substitute alcohol and soda for mineral water. Mineral water is very good for you and has lots of vit C in it. There is something in the natural mineral water that makes me feel better. But the most important thing is to get a good night sleep. I still have to use painkillers to do that.

[Ridley]

I keep thinking of things to tell you to make it a little easier. Your comment about depression reminded me. I'm not normally a "down" person -- I can usually find the funny side of any situation, but the TPF (Tibial Plateau Fracture) really put me in a spin. I was feeling totally sorry for myself, and also looking for answers, and stumbled across a website out of Britain with a bulletin board that was quite helpful

http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtalk/index.php?board=21.0

They have a section for just knee breaks and the people on there were really nice and helpful -- just reading thru the archives gave me a lift.

And ditto to the comment re: the handicapped sticker on your car. I, initially, felt really guilty for using it -- certainly there were people who needed it more -- but it was a lifesaver. Once I did that, I was willing to accept invitations from people to go to horse shows or other events because I knew it wouldn't be too horrible getting in. My friends loved driving me around with that tag hanging from the rearview mirror!

Also, its absolutely humiliating, but use the motorized cart in the grocery store when you can finally get out. Grocery shopping became something I looked forward to -- it was kind of fun to zip around in the cart -- and I only took out a couple displays in the process. But, just know that every elderly person in the place will stop you to tell you the story of their hip or shoulder surgery!

[Dressage Art]

great resource. than you!

Today is 6 weeks since I broke my knee and can start the weight bearing of 25 pounds. I was told to go to the scale and push with my leg up to 25, then remember how it feels.

I cant even push above 18 pounds - it's quite scary and painful as well! How did you do the weight bearing?

[shea'smom]

Can you get some sessions with a physical therapist? My doctor kept telling me I didn't need one. I could not weight bear at ALL after 6 months. I insisted on the PT. Angel PT found out I had plantar faciitisisisi can't spell that. That was causing the pain. I could walk in 2 days.
As far as the depressions, I taught myself to do websites while I couldn't walk. I think that saved my sanity, such as it is... :)
Also used the motorized cart, once, until I ran into a display in target.
I would get a wheel chair when I went somewhere like the mall, you can rent them.
Have you been out to see your horse? I know you weren't able to at first.

[DLee]

Went out with girlfriends last night who were very careful with me, decorated my crutches with jingle bell red and white dog collars. :)

[KateandKc]

Definitely try to get to physical therapy. If your orthopaedist won't send you, get your primary care doc to write the referral. I had my first visit yesterday and already have more mobility in my ankle. Hurts like hell, but at least they were able to stretch out some of the ligaments.

I don't have any good advice on getting up to 25 lbs....maybe work up to it slowly? I went from being non-weight bearing to being weight bearing as tolerated. Can you balance over the scale on crutches and slowly lower yourself down on the broken leg until it says 25 lbs? I can't imagine having to push down that hard, but just putting the weight on it while walking is a lot easier.

I'm off to find some Christmas decorations for my crutches. Good idea. :)

[citydog]

Get your disabled sticker for your car ASAP!
:yes::yes::yes:


Also, its absolutely humiliating, but use the motorized cart in the grocery store when you can finally get out.

Absolutely! And many stores (Target and such) have regular wheelchairs you can use while you're in there. Just ask at the customer service desk.

[BuddyRoo]

Take good care of yourself, follow doctor's orders and do your best to be well...mentally and physically in all other ways.

That said....these screws are BS. Seriously. Have most of you all had them removed? They really do interfere w/ my day to day stuff. My tendons hit the screws (which hurts), the cold is ridiculous, and frankly, I hate the fact that I can see hardware poking out.

[pharmgirl]

BuddyRoo- I have a bunch of hardware in my elbow, and am having it removed Jan. 8. I will update on how that goes.

Most of it doesn't bother me except one plate that REALLY sticks out (you know it's bad when the therapist kind of cringes everytime she works on you). That plate has angered lots of the soft tissue, which now frequently gets caught on the plate making straightening my elbow impossible (or just excruciatingly painful :eek:). I thought something might be coming loose so I went to my surgeon. He said the hardware looked the same, but then promptly asked "So how soon do you want it taken out?" (I think he knew this would be coming :lol:).

So if things bother you, they can usually be removed. Check with your doc.

[DLee]

great resource. than you!

Today is 6 weeks since I broke my knee and can start the weight bearing of 25 pounds. I was told to go to the scale and push with my leg up to 25, then remember how it feels.

I cant even push above 18 pounds - it's quite scary and painful as well! How did you do the weight bearing?

I know what you mean. After stepping on it accidentally a couple of times early on, that pretty much seared into my brain DO NOT BEAR WEIGHT!!! Ugh, that was awful.

I started by just touching the floor for balance. Even that was a relief. Then I just increased it little bits at a time, sometimes subconciously, sometimes on purpose. My scale is digital, and was kind of difficult to use for that. I just kind of had to make myself let it slowly take more weight and see how it felt. It truly takes time, and now my crutches (crutch, I'm pretty much down to one mostly) I think are more for my security because my knee (and muscles) can still give out, which is scary. But I know I'm slowwwly getting stronger again. Hang in there, it really does get a little better every day.

[Rosie]

wow. I'm sitting here recovering from a Tibeal Plateau break that occurred at a horse show 2 weeks ago.
Got in a bit tight to a fence, horse jumped it anyway pulling rails and twisting to get over it and all I remember is my knee just .....exploding.
I thought a rail had bounced up and hit me - but apparently not. EMT said nothing seemed broken - but I've had numerous broken bones and just knew something serious had happened. Managed to get off my horse, remove my boot and head to the closest ER.

After xrays and CTs they told me that i would definitely need surgery and they bandaged me up well enough for my hubby to come collect me and head back home (couple of hours away).

I had surgery last Thurs which orthos say went well. I've got screws and a plate and about 15 metal staples making a nice line down my knee. :(
Using a walker and crutches to get around - not really too mobile yet. Getting off the pain meds as quickly as possible as they make me really sick - down to just using one at night to sleep and only Tylenol during the day for pain.

Worried about missing work. Worried about missing my horse. Worried because I keep breaking bones....and I'm 52 - so wondering about bone density, etc.
Really, really want to take a shower, but haven't figured out how to accomplish that yet.

DA - hope you are continuing to do well. I was glad to read that you are on your way to being "weight bearing' again. If you have any additional words of wisdom re: making it thru this injury - please let me know.

I did just finish my Xmas shopping on line. Who knows, I just may continue to do my shopping that way from now on - it was pretty painless!

[KateandKc]

Worried about missing work. Worried about missing my horse. Worried because I keep breaking bones....and I'm 52 - so wondering about bone density, etc.
Really, really want to take a shower, but haven't figured out how to accomplish that yet.

DA - hope you are continuing to do well. I was glad to read that you are on your way to being "weight bearing' again. If you have any additional words of wisdom re: making it thru this injury - please let me know.

I did just finish my Xmas shopping on line. Who knows, I just may continue to do my shopping that way from now on - it was pretty painless!

Sorry about your leg. :(

If you have a walk in shower/shower stall its pretty easy to take a shower. Send hubby to Home Depot to get a handheld shower wand and a plastic lawn chair or metal step stool (my choice). Put the chair/stool in the shower, wrap your cast in a big garbage bag with lots of tape, and use the shower wand. Its trickier with a regular tub, but some people I know have used a shower bench thats half in and half out of the tub. Then you slide over into the tub.

I never thought of a shower as being an exhausting task....but when I first broke my leg it took me a good 2 hours to recover. I always felt so much better after a shower, so it was worth it.

I hope you're feeling better soon. I had to wait 8 days for surgery due to swelling, but thankfully the pain started to get better about 5 days post-op.

[Ridley]

sorry for the delay -- I've had to tunnel through 24 inches of snow the last 2 days -- here's a TPF recovery story for you -- on May 10, I shattered my Tibial Plateau. On December 20, I could shovel for 6 hours in thigh deep snow -- you'll recover too!

just reading back -- looks like you already got this advice -- sorry it took so long! the 25 pound weight bearing thing -- luckily for my personality, my surgeon was pretty pragmatic about stuff. I asked him if we'd be doing the 25 pound, 50 pound thing (he used to hate when I'd spend all my time on the internet trying to guess what his next move was going to be). He told me there was no way that I'd be able to tell, so he just sent me out, "weight bearing as tolerated". But, on that bulletin board web site I referenced, someone had a good recommendation -- put your foot on a scale and push until the needle reaaches 25 -- that's what it will feel like to be 25 pounds weight bearing.

Rosie, so sorry to hear about your accident. I also had an ambulance driver who was convinced that nothing was broken -- so she couldn't give me morphine. I didn't know there were so many bumps in the road between my house and the hospital. The ER doc kept saying he thought it was just bruised. But, when the Xray tech exclaimed "oh my" when she was checking to make sure the Xray took, I knew it was really broken. They wouldn't let me leave the hospital from that point on, it was so bad.

good recommendations on the shower stool -- it really made me feel so much better to be clean!

Good luck to all of you -- I promise, you will come out the other side and be happy to shovel snow!

[Dressage Art]

wow. I'm sitting here recovering from a Tibeal Plateau break that occurred at a horse show 2 weeks ago.
Got in a bit tight to a fence, horse jumped it anyway pulling rails and twisting to get over it and all I remember is my knee just .....exploding.
I thought a rail had bounced up and hit me - but apparently not. EMT said nothing seemed broken - but I've had numerous broken bones and just knew something serious had happened. Managed to get off my horse, remove my boot and head to the closest ER.

After xrays and CTs they told me that i would definitely need surgery and they bandaged me up well enough for my hubby to come collect me and head back home (couple of hours away).

I had surgery last Thurs which orthos say went well. I've got screws and a plate and about 15 metal staples making a nice line down my knee. :(
Using a walker and crutches to get around - not really too mobile yet. Getting off the pain meds as quickly as possible as they make me really sick - down to just using one at night to sleep and only Tylenol during the day for pain.

Worried about missing work. Worried about missing my horse. Worried because I keep breaking bones....and I'm 52 - so wondering about bone density, etc.
Really, really want to take a shower, but haven't figured out how to accomplish that yet.

DA - hope you are continuing to do well. I was glad to read that you are on your way to being "weight bearing' again. If you have any additional words of wisdom re: making it thru this injury - please let me know.

I did just finish my Xmas shopping on line. Who knows, I just may continue to do my shopping that way from now on - it was pretty painless!

Rosie, I'm so sorry to hear that you are hurt. It seems that the worst part for you is behind you. My first 3 weeks were hell and I wasnt even able to communicate with anybody, since it was hard to even talk. But after 3 weeks it gets better and better quite fast.

The first thing that you should do is to arrange for your horse care for the next X months. If you have crutches in your hands, you cant do much with horses, even to put halter on. Just make sure that your horse has blanket, feed, farrier and etc.

Also, call/email all of your friends and ask them to drive you to the barn. That was/is a life saver for me. I asked 5 friends to do that for me on rotation of 3 times per week. I would buy them lunch as well. Try not to pile up everything on just 1 friend, it may be hard for one. But to drive you to the barn 1 time per week is doable for most and you will not feel supper obligated.

Do not decline any help, try to think how your friends can help you if they offer.
various friends help in different ways.

As others said, fridge in your room, thermos for decaf coffee, small bed table, bath chair, light blanket, lots of pillows, small cooler with lots of ice packs, belt pouch for transfering stuff, baby wipes for your daily bath.

Call and ask your friends if they have any medical equipment laying around - you might be surprised so many do and are willing to loan you that stuff, since it's collecting the dust in the garage anyway.

Try to take care of your mental health as well. Bone healing is painful and boring. Watch funny programs, try to make yourself laugh! Try not to think about, what if or why? What happened is done and there is no way back. Life gave us some lemons and the only thing that we can do now is to try to make a lemonade from it. Its hard, but there is just no other option.

Keep posting your updates for us to see. It helps to talk.

[Dressage Art]

As for my weight bearing - I decided to hop with both legs now on crutches and put weight on 1/4 and 3/4 on both legs when I'm hopping. I cant figure out how to walk with those crutches yet - its much more painful than hopping.

[Rosie]

thanks to all who responded.
DA, glad to hear you are hopping about and that there is light at the end of this tunnel!
Ridley, I LOVE hearing that you are doing well and are shoveling snow. :) Hope you are enjoying it!

I want everyone to know that although I am going thru some emotional ups and downs with this injury - overall, I am VERY very lucky. I have good insurance. A bunch of unused sick /vacation time (although the timing is not the best....) a hubby that is taking great care of me - and my horse is in a full board/training situation so there is no stress there.
Mostly, I'm bummed at once again being sidelined by an injury. Having some problems with the pain meds and feeling hurt, bored, mad and sad all at once!

I'm going for my first PT session tomorrow, so hopefully that will give me something to focus on and feel good about.

[DLee]

This is an emotional journey to be sure. I think I have always been empathetic, but my empathy just skyrocketed towards those with worse, and especially permanent, injuries.

[EqTrainer]

Rosie, so sorry to hear about your accident. I also had an ambulance driver who was convinced that nothing was broken -- so she couldn't give me morphine. I didn't know there were so many bumps in the road between my house and the hospital. The ER doc kept saying he thought it was just bruised. But, when the Xray tech exclaimed "oh my" when she was checking to make sure the Xray took, I knew it was really broken. They wouldn't let me leave the hospital from that point on, it was so bad.



This seems to be a common occurence w/horse people. They never think we are broken until they see the xrays!

For everyone who is on stall rest, I hope you figure out how to shower and feel better soon.. you will indeed recover and ride again :) my xmas wish for you is that it is SOONER rather than later... hang in there!

[KateandKc]

This seems to be a common occurence w/horse people. They never think we are broken until they see the xrays!

For everyone who is on stall rest, I hope you figure out how to shower and feel better soon.. you will indeed recover and ride again :) my xmas wish for you is that it is SOONER rather than later... hang in there!

I want to send a Christmas card to the EMTs that showed up for me. Pain meds to get on the stretcher, more pain meds to get to the ambulance and get my boot off, then another dose of pain meds to get to the hospital. I was still crying, but at least they didn't argue that it wasn't broken.

But, my leg did look like this (after my ankle was un-dislocated).
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/kateandcoco/?action=view&current=leg.jpg

I can't imagine someone not believing your leg was broken....not like it's something anyone would lie about.

[dontcallmepat]

Ouch!! I hope you heal quickly!!

I should send my PT's a Christmas card. I owe them big for helping me get my ROM back after dislocating my left elbow on Labor Day weekend when horsey was bitten by a horse fly and I fell off on my elbow. (also broke the tip of the elbow and wrenched my lower back). I had a brace on it for 3 weeks and when they took the brace off, I could hardly move my arm. I wasn't told to move the arm as much as possible...I thought I wasn't supposed to move it...oops!

PT was no fun (I dreaded it so much that I took my Vicodin before sessions as much for the anxiety as for the pain) but it really worked. My therapists were amazed at my progress.

It's been about 3 1/2 months and I can do most things now, but it still hurts. I guess it will for a while.

At least I could walk and go to work! I'm a librarian so the hardest thing I had to do was type one-handed.

The worst thing now is the fear when I get on a horse. :( I've only been on horseback twice now since the accident, and my daughter has to walk alongside me or I panic. (It doesn't help that I was thrown off of a horse a year ago too and injured my knees...) Yesterday was the 2nd time. My daughter was leading the horse on a lead rope while I rode; horsey flinched when he saw a cat run by and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. :(

I'm thinking that lessons with a group (safety in numbers) on an old reliable horse would help, if I can find time. I hope. It's hard to will yourself not to be afraid.

-Patti

[KateandKc]

[QUOTE=dontcallmepat;4570002]Ouch!! I hope you heal quickly!!


The worst thing now is the fear when I get on a horse. :( I've only been on horseback twice now since the accident, and my daughter has to walk alongside me or I panic. (It doesn't help that I was thrown off of a horse a year ago too and injured my knees...) Yesterday was the 2nd time. My daughter was leading the horse on a lead rope while I rode; horsey flinched when he saw a cat run by and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. :(

I'm thinking that lessons with a group (safety in numbers) on an old reliable horse would help, if I can find time. I hope. It's hard to will yourself not to be afraid.

-Patti[/QUOTE

Do you have a super-quiet horse to ride? Like maybe one thats got 1 foot in the grave type quiet? Or try to take some lessons at a therapeutic riding center or super beginner barn, those horses are usually pretty bombproof.

Another idea is to start really slowly (ie, get on horse, walk for 1 step, dismount and call it a day) and work your way up to being comfortable. It took me 5 months to get comfortable jumping again after a bad fall in the spring. And then just after I said "This is fun again, and I'm not nervous at all anymore" (literally was saying this as I started the gymnastic line)......I fell off and broke my leg. Not looking forward to getting back on in the spring, I'm thinking I might switch to western (thank god for QHs). After my fall this spring I think my first 10 rides totalled about 15 minutes. I tried to always end the ride when I was comfortable and before my horse would have a chance to do something foolish.

There was a really good article a few months back about overcoming fear in Equus magazine. I'd be willing to send it to you if you want.

Are you anti-medication? Part of anxiety is a physical process that anti-anxiety meds (short term) can help your body not react like its in grave danger for every little thing. Beta blockers have been used to reduce anxiety too. Sometimes it not a matter of being able to convince yourself not to be afraid.....you might need some extra help.

Hope you're able to get some confidence and ke mariding is fun again soon.

[EqTrainer]

I want to send a Christmas card to the EMTs that showed up for me. Pain meds to get on the stretcher, more pain meds to get to the ambulance and get my boot off, then another dose of pain meds to get to the hospital. I was still crying, but at least they didn't argue that it wasn't broken.

But, my leg did look like this (after my ankle was un-dislocated).
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/kateandcoco/?action=view&current=leg.jpg

I can't imagine someone not believing your leg was broken....not like it's something anyone would lie about.

When my collarbone was broken and completely displaced, I was holding that arm up w/my other hand.

The ER doctor did not believe it was broken because "I was not crying and in obvious pain". His colleague did not, either. It was not until the xray tech said "Don't put your arm down!" that anyone one took it seriously. I knew damn well it was broken, I felt it, I heard it, I pushed it up into place when I stood up and I wasn't going to let go of it :lol:

You hear stories like that a lot from horse people.

When I dislocated my shoulder and broke my ribs where they connect to the spine I stood up, pushed my shoulder back up (minor dislocation) and got back on the horse. Rode him home, untacked, drove home, took a shower, decided perhaps I'd best go to the ER as my range of motion was severely limited and breathing was not easy. Same story. Can't be anything broken you are not in enough pain. That one took a few weeks to sort out.

Next time I am going in SCREAMING so I can get some morphine stat!

[KateandKc]

When my collarbone was broken and completely displaced, I was holding that arm up w/my other hand.

The ER doctor did not believe it was broken because "I was not crying and in obvious pain". His colleague did not, either. It was not until the xray tech said "Don't put your arm down!" that anyone one took it seriously. I knew damn well it was broken, I felt it, I heard it, I pushed it up into place when I stood up and I wasn't going to let go of it :lol:

You hear stories like that a lot from horse people.

When I dislocated my shoulder and broke my ribs where they connect to the spine I stood up, pushed my shoulder back up (minor dislocation) and got back on the horse. Rode him home, untacked, drove home, took a shower, decided perhaps I'd best go to the ER as my range of motion was severely limited and breathing was not easy. Same story. Can't be anything broken you are not in enough pain. That one took a few weeks to sort out.

Next time I am going in SCREAMING so I can get some morphine stat!

We must have nicer EMTs and ER doctors up here. I was told (by EMTs, ER nurse, and ER doctor) "We assume that any horse person has a serious injury. Otherwise you would've just gotten back on and kept riding." Of course, the generousness of pain meds could explain why so many there are so many methodone treatment centers in Maine.

Or, maybe I just cried and screamed a lot more than everyone else. Being tough when injured isn't one of my strong suits.

[EqTrainer]

We must have nicer EMTs and ER doctors up here. I was told (by EMTs, ER nurse, and ER doctor) "We assume that any horse person has a serious injury. Otherwise you would've just gotten back on and kept riding." Of course, the generousness of pain meds could explain why so many there are so many methodone treatment centers in Maine.

Or, maybe I just cried and screamed a lot more than everyone else. Being tough when injured isn't one of my strong suits.

Your tactic clearly worked better than mine and I will be using it if I ever find myself in the ER again w/an injury :lol:

I don't think they were really listening too well. I said THROWN I think they heard FELL. It was not until I passed out that the ER doctor gave me any pain meds for the collarbone. When I told him I had cracked my helmet he just looked confused. It sounds like your ER people have a better idea of what riding is all about!

[La Gringa]

Well, no broken bones yet, knock on wood.. but I did have a full knee replacement last year. Pretty major. Within a few months i was walking normal enough...although it took a full year for it to finally feel completely well.

I am sending all my jingles and best wishes for a full recovery. Will you have to do PT? If so, do it.. it will speed up your recovery time so much.

Hang in there.. drugs are your friends.. don't let yourself get into too much pain before taking your perscribed meds. Some people try to tough it out.. and then suffer a lot when the pain meds don't work because they didn't take them when perscribed.

[KateandKc]

Your tactic clearly worked better than mine and I will be using it if I ever find myself in the ER again w/an injury :lol:

I don't think they were really listening too well. I said THROWN I think they heard FELL. It was not until I passed out that the ER doctor gave me any pain meds for the collarbone. When I told him I had cracked my helmet he just looked confused. It sounds like your ER people have a better idea of what riding is all about!

It worked pretty well for me. I lost count of the narcotics I got (and I'm always the one refusing pain meds and asking for motrin instead). :lol: Screaming when I woke up from having the plates/pins/screws put in helped. Not sure what they gave me, but when I woke up again after another hour (with all sorts of new monitors and oxygen tubing on my face) I felt a lot better. Not my fault the local nerve block didn't work and my entire calf was a giant muscle spasm (and I tend to wake up from anesthesia quite emotional anyways.

Our ER would not have been impressed with a cracked helmet being blown off...I was asked uncountable times if I hit my head, or thought I hit my head, or felt dizzy/nauseated/etc.

Maybe you just need a new ER. :lol:

[Ridley]

Amen to the comment to take the drugs. I naturally avoid the narcotics, but my doctor convinced me it wasn't "drug seeking behavior" to ask for a refill a week after surgery. The drugs let me rest, which so many of you here have mentioned, is the most important part of the healing process.

I took my ambulance driver cookies when I could finally drive, and must admit it was, in part, to show her that I was indeed injured badly. We horse people are a hardy bunch -- I had to drag myself for 2 hours to get to a barn with a phone in it -- literally lying on my stomach with my left foot under my injured knee, grabbing clumps of grass and pulling. Once I told them that story, they decided I couldn't possibly be that injured!

DA, one thing that will make you feel IMMENSELY better..... shaving your legs! I learned that for most women, it was that first doctor's visit that inspired them to take on the task, and heard some hilarious stories about not being able to reach all the way, so they had "bangs" around their ankles. However, the leg shaving and self tanner application seemed to be a common theme before the first post-injury visit to the doctor.

[Dressage Art]

/And patience.
Glad to hear from you Rodawn. Yes, about that patience... the one that spans for MONTHS!!! :lol: Allow me to paraphrase an old song:

"When I'll grow up, I want to be an ***independent*** old woman!"

[Dressage Art]

Mostly, I'm bummed at once again being sidelined by an injury. Having some problems with the pain meds and feeling hurt, bored, mad and sad all at once!

I'm going for my first PT session tomorrow, so hopefully that will give me something to focus on and feel good about.

The acceptance of being sidelined came to me after about 1 month in bed... I accepted that I'm sidelined, I'm not angry anymore that the horse was misrepresented to me as a safe horse that doesn do anything bad... I have no idea why it happened, but there must be a reason and I'll try to learn my lesson from that fall with a broken bone and being useless for 3 months...

Once I accepted that, my mental health got much better. I hope that you will do that as well.

PT sounds great! I'm still many weeks away from PT. I dont know why, but patients after surgery get PT sooner than those with out surgery.

How do you get to your PT?

[Dressage Art]

This is an emotional journey to be sure. I think I have always been empathetic, but my empathy just skyrocketed towards those with worse, and especially permanent, injuries.
Oh yes! Same with me.

[Dressage Art]

This seems to be a common occurence w/horse people. They never think we are broken until they see the xrays!Yep, I tried to soldier on and walk to the car and to the ER... I wonder how much more additional damage I made by doing that? Stupid me!!!Next time I am going in SCREAMING so I can get some morphine stat!
I'll follow that plan as well + I'll demand for MITs not the strangers car to take me to the ER and let me walk on my broken leg and such, just b/c I wasnt scraming and crying from sheer shock of it!

[Dressage Art]

The worst thing now is the fear when I get on a horse. :( I've only been on horseback twice now since the accident, and my daughter has to walk alongside me or I panic. (It doesn't help that I was thrown off of a horse a year ago too and injured my knees...) Yesterday was the 2nd time. My daughter was leading the horse on a lead rope while I rode; horsey flinched when he saw a cat run by and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. :(

I'm thinking that lessons with a group (safety in numbers) on an old reliable horse would help, if I can find time. I hope. It's hard to will yourself not to be afraid.

-Patti

I thin Jane Savoe has a series of books/tapes how to overcome a fear. Might be worth in looking in to. And yes, a safe horse is a must at first! Good luck!

[Dressage Art]

DA, one thing that will make you feel IMMENSELY better..... shaving your legs! I learned that for most women, it was that first doctor's visit that inspired them to take on the task, and heard some hilarious stories about not being able to reach all the way, so they had "bangs" around their ankles. However, the leg shaving and self tanner application seemed to be a common theme before the first post-injury visit to the doctor.
Yep... partially shaved leg is quite a hoot! But it does make me feel better, I thought it just my weird self :lol:

[Dressage Art]

Merry Christmas to all of my "broken" buddies! I hope you are able to enjoy those festive days!

I decorated my crutches and got lots of compliments on my last check up with my doctor!

[Indy-lou]

Hi Dressage Art: just caught this thread, wishing you a full recovery. Looks like you've gotten some good advice and a lot of support, and I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Hope through it all, your love of horses and riding will remain intact, sometimes hard to do when smacked with broken bones and vulnerability, I do understand. Time will heal, patience has to be learned again and again with horses. My own beloved "bombproof" gelding tossed me sky-high one day, and I caught a hoof to the face as he ran off bucking. I wasn't injured, but my relationship with him was shattered. As I lay on the hospital gurney in the E.R. (just for exam and safety sake since I took a kick to the head...) I started to sob (semi) hysterically. Since I was an employee at the hospital and knew all the staff in the E.R., there was suddenly staff at my side asking "Are you in pain? Do you need pain meds?" All I could do was sob: "Nooo...sob, hiccup, sob, ... it's just that my horse let me down!!"
Got a lot of quizzical looks. ("she doesn't want pain meds?")
Nobody but another horse-person understands the process of getting hurt by a horse and the recovery process that is both physical and emotional.
Best wishes to you.

[Dressage Art]

Hi Dressage Art: just caught this thread, wishing you a full recovery. Looks like you've gotten some good advice and a lot of support, and I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Hope through it all, your love of horses and riding will remain intact, sometimes hard to do when smacked with broken bones and vulnerability, I do understand. Time will heal, patience has to be learned again and again with horses. My own beloved "bombproof" gelding tossed me sky-high one day, and I caught a hoof to the face as he ran off bucking. I wasn't injured, but my relationship with him was shattered. As I lay on the hospital gurney in the E.R. (just for exam and safety sake since I took a kick to the head...) I started to sob (semi) hysterically. Since I was an employee at the hospital and knew all the staff in the E.R., there was suddenly staff at my side asking "Are you in pain? Do you need pain meds?" All I could do was sob: "Nooo...sob, hiccup, sob, ... it's just that my horse let me down!!"
Got a lot of quizzical looks. ("she doesn't want pain meds?")
Nobody but another horse-person understands the process of getting hurt by a horse and the recovery process that is both physical and emotional.
Best wishes to you.

Happy holidays to you as well!

Oh yes, Indy, My love to horses will survive, since I tried to quit one time already and it didn't work... I thought I was out, but they sucked me right back in!!! :lol: I just NEED horses in my life. My mare and I both have broken bones now. It will be hard for me to replace my mare. I was looking/riding other horses when I broke my leg. That really gave me a large pause... I honestly don't want to ride bucking/rearing monsters anymore, even when their owners don't think that they are NOT dangerous. I just can't sit a handful of bucks anymore. And it's not worth it for me to take a chance at my age. I'll be over the hill quite soon.

Yet in this economy people are desperate and will not disclose a problem horse. I witnessed it first hand, but I knew the horse, so I declined to ride him, and yet went to ride a strange horse and walked in to the same exact trap.

That really cut my desire to buy a horse that I do not know, to even try to ride it. So I just need to figure out how to safely find my new horse. Actually thinking of may be buying a 3 year old from a breeder: from my experience, some unbroken babies are easier than some problem horses.

[Whisper]

Hi, DA,
I hope you heal up quickly and completely! My 99-y/o grandma broke her hip a few months ago, and it took about 4 months to knit. She's still using a walker to help her get around. My dad broke his leg when I was a kid, and it took about 3-4 months to heal, but he still had problems with the soft tissue (ligaments and tendons) for years afterward. Good luck with finding a new equine partner.

[Dressage Art]

Hi, DA,
I hope you heal up quickly and completely! My 99-y/o grandma broke her hip a few months ago, and it took about 4 months to knit. She's still using a walker to help her get around. My dad broke his leg when I was a kid, and it took about 3-4 months to heal, but he still had problems with the soft tissue (ligaments and tendons) for years afterward. Good luck with finding a new equine partner.
Sorry to hear about your dad. The story of your grandma is quite amazing. 99 years old and she recovered from hip fracture? What a trooper! Hope that her spirits are high!

[JumperFun]

Hi DA! I'm late to the party (haven't been hanging around COTH much since I got into triathlons) but wanted to let you know that I had surgery two years ago to repair a tibial plateau fracture. They had to drill thru my tibia to push the broken part back up into place! Then secured it with a screw. Oh, and did I mention that it happened when a horse fell on me. And no, I wasn't even riding the horse at the time. It was one of my old rescue horses. I was bringing him in from pasture when he started to stagger around at the end of the lead rope. I turned to yell to my hubby to come help me with him, and when I turned back to the horse he was next to me and teetering over on top of me! I was like a deer in the headlights... couldn't even get out of the way. He fell on me (I heard a loud POP as I went down) I yelled to hubby "Help! He fell on me and I can't get up!" (Seriously) Then I managed to wiggle out from under (thank goodness we were in a snow drift.) So, next morning (I didn't go to dr. right away cuz I didn't think it was THAT bad) I almost passed out when I put my foot down. Day after that was surgery. And 8 weeks later got to start PT. But I had a great PT and got back full range of motion and minimal residual pain. I even managed to take up running after that (because of the crazy triathlon idea)! No knee pain (well, not from the break anyway...) So here's hoping you recover as easily as I did! (Well, the PT was intensely painful at times, but worth it.)

[Dressage Art]

Thanks Jumper Fun, my Doc still refusing to sent me to PT. I can't wait... I'm actually thinking of buying a book or video on TP for knee injuries...

I'm at 90% now, but can't bend my knee any more yet = painful. Doc said that I can start weight bearing as tolerated, but I don't really tolerate much than 30 pounds as per my scale test with one leg.

It's so great to hear that you are doing triathlons! This is huge! Congratulation!

[pharmgirl]

DA- I probably posted this before, but I am such a believer that I will give another shameless plug :D. I highly suggest the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook (http://www.triggerpointbook.com/). My therapist did a lot of this with my elbow, and I truly believe it was the main reason I had such a successful recovery (even the surgeon still raves about how no one with injuries like mine does this well).

It was great to me b/c I could do these things at home (or wherever, honestly) and I felt more active in the recovery process.

[charlieo]

DA, PT is both wonderful and awful. They started me the day after surgery. I flunked PT101 because I could not even balance on the one good leg, so they referred me to the inpatient PT unit, where, to everyone's great surprise I stood on the 2nd day post op (on the one good leg). One week later I had graduated to walker exercises by the time of discharge (15 days later) I could transfer from bed to walker to chair. My hospital PT had me trying straight leg raises (couldn't be anything but straight, as the leg was set in extension) which I couldn't do, even lying down and supported. Now, looking back on that, those, while not precisely easy, are things I do without much thought -- they were merely a precursor for all the stuff since. The surgeon has now given me the option of bending the leg by setting the (Bledsoe) brace at 45 degrees, so I can theoretically bend to that level. NOT. I have been working and working, and I can maybe do 40 (on a good day) . I have to return for a follow up this Thursday, and I am sure that if I don't have the full 45 degrees I will hear about it. What I can tell you is that my PT told me to think of the progress not by day but by week. Looking back, I can see exactly what he meant. I see improvement (sometimes incremental, sometimes substantial) when I "measure" the progress every Sunday. With the increased movement has come pain, but all movement is good, and the pain is not unbearable. PT is hard on the pain scale, but great for the soul!

[Dressage Art]

DA- I probably posted this before, but I am such a believer that I will give another shameless plug :D. I highly suggest the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook (http://www.triggerpointbook.com/).Thank you for the double plug, since I must off forgot about that book. Ill order it and try it.

Charlieo, now Im starting to think that my Kaiser insurance must suck since I can bend 90 degrees and yet my doc refusing to sent me to PT. I'll see my doc tomorrow and will demand to go to PT.

I for some reason forgot that I have a broken leg, anI decided to squat to pet my cat (I wasnt wearing my brace) and I fell over with huge pain since my leg refused to bend over 90 degrees. It was almost comical if it wasnt for some cracking noise that followed swelling. It was quite a challenge to try to stand back up, I had to crawl to a chair and lift myself backwards with my arms to the sitting position on that chair and then I was able to stand up. I dont think that I re-injured my bone, must of strained some soft tissues? Ill check with my doc tomorrow.

By the way, do you wear your walking brace in bed? I dont do it anymore and its more comfortable to sleep now. I hope its OK to do, since with out the brace, I can sleep on my side and I missed that so much!

[rmh_rider]

Since you are able to get to the computer, go to this link.


www.mybrokenleg.com


They helped me alot with my compound tibia.

Been there done that, got the hardware in my leg. Well, I am screwless now, but still have the IM rod.

Go to discussion and start checking out what others have to say. You can read the diaries of what happened to others. Not many horse related ones, mine was though. Lots of nasty karate stories though, apparently there are lots of pictures too. I still have my pictures too of my leg.

PM me if you want more info, or want to chat. Be happy to help out if I can. Goodluck sweetie! Remember, ice ice baby. Ice is YOUR FRIEND. Oh and put the ice in a ziplock, then in another one, then use a dish cloth.

Ice ice baby.

[KateandKc]

Since you are able to get to the computer, go to this link.


www.mybrokenleg.com


They helped me alot with my compound tibia.

Been there done that, got the hardware in my leg. Well, I am screwless now, but still have the IM rod.

Go to discussion and start checking out what others have to say. You can read the diaries of what happened to others. Not many horse related ones, mine was though. Lots of nasty karate stories though, apparently there are lots of pictures too. I still have my pictures too of my leg.

PM me if you want more info, or want to chat. Be happy to help out if I can. Goodluck sweetie! Remember, ice ice baby. Ice is YOUR FRIEND. Oh and put the ice in a ziplock, then in another one, then use a dish cloth.

Ice ice baby.

I was just about to post that site. :) I'm KateinMaine on there.

[dontcallmepat]

I thin Jane Savoe has a series of books/tapes how to overcome a fear. Might be worth in looking in to. And yes, a safe horse is a must at first! Good luck!

Thanks...I'll look into those! I've tried self-hypnosis before for other problems with good results.

Right now it's just too cold/snowy/icy to do much anyway. But I can't put it off forever!

[Dressage Art]

Thanks for the link to brokenleg.com - I read it but its not easy to get around it! This is what I found about the PT

1. Use an ottoman and put your bad foot on a foam roller or rolled up towel underneath your ankle and press down with your knee. You can do it for 3 - 5 minutes or you can do it 30 secs on and 30 secs off 6 - 10 times.
2. You probably already do quad sets -- tightening your quad 3 sets of 10 in the same position.
3. Then use the foam roller to bring your knee as close to you as possible -- again 3 sets of 10.
4. Sit on the ottoman. Extend your leg to as stragiht as you can get it and then try to bend it back as far as you can -- eventually to 120 degrees.
5. Wall sit. Stand up and lean against the wall with your legs straight out diagonally from the wall. Holding onto your crutches slowly bring your bum down the wall and let your knees bend but not too much and then straighten up. 3 sets of 10.
6. Mini-Squats., You may need to wrap a theraband around your legs and attach it to something solid to give you some more support. Bend your knees a little (not like a real squat) and then straighten. 3 sets of 10.
7. Standing Hamstring Curls. No weight, just stand and curl your leg as much as you can.
8. Calf raises. Try doing 3x 10 calf raises.
9. Prone Hang. This is my favorite for straightening your knee. Lie on your belly on your bed. Let your leg hang off with your knee off the bed. Relax until you can straighten as much as you can. After about 30 secs, bend your leg as much as you can towards your bum. Do that 10 x. Repeat the whole series 10 x.

* When sitting I hang my leg off and use an ankle weight, an extended bend for at least 20 minutes or as long as you can stand. Also you can push the leg down with the other leg for more pressure.. as many times a day as possible

*countless heel slides and holding foot with hands and pulling towards me and holding as long as I can stand up to a minute or two.. do this as many times a day as possible

*I get on a bike and pedal in one direction and push and reverse the other direction and push(I can't turn a revolution yet)... If you can turn a revolution, then spin your leg as much as possible.

*When watching tv/reading & laying on the couch.. I put the leg in the air and let gravity pull it down.... and also straighten leg and just passive bending

*massage the scar area(mine was an open fx), kneecap and the whole knee area.. I try and do this all the time. It helps break up the scar tissue.

[rmh_rider]

Hi KateinMaine,

I haven't posted for a long time. It was an emotional time for me. But they still have good info.

Dressage Art

You need to do the PT that the PT say to do specifically for your leg. Don't do what others are doing. Your PT is specific to your injury, and healing.

Not sure how long it has been on your broken leg. Or what the specifics were of the injury. Mine was cracked all the way across, and then compound, ya. About 3-4" from my knee. According to the doctors, if you grow bone, and I do, it will take a minimum of 4 months for the bone to heal. It has to heal a bandaid all the way around the outside. Then it will start healing on the inside. If you upset it, then it has to heal all over again. My pain was directly due to the the bone moving on the other part of the bone. (I feel a tad faint typing this actually from remembering). My pain was enough to make me feel faint, hyperventilate, get sweaty palms, make me stick to my stomach, and afterwards you get waves of that pain, and it takes time for it to calm down, and I DO have a high threshold for pain, heck I ride endurance and you have to be tough, it is not a sport for sissies. It was in horrible waves. I had to stay motionless for long periods of time. I had muscle spasms too. Memories, ug. I am very happy to be better. Your leg will never be perfect, it will be different but much better. I have a rod in my leg, and then a screw at the top and bottom. My once PERFECT knee was straight, and it had about 15 staples vertically on it where they had to cut the skin, and move my knee cap aside to get the rod in. It was the MOST difficult to get that knee to bend over time. I literally had to teach myself how to walk again, and that can not be rushed either, but watching yourself in the mirror helps, and get others to watch how you track, just like a horse. If you overdo, it will prolong the bone healing. It is like when you get say a cut, and then you keep aggravating it so it doesn't scab over and get well, and then other things can happen over the course of its healing. This is your leg, you do not have an extra leg to plug in there for new. Trust me, I begged the nurses for a new leg, or even a trade. No deal. I was there for 5 days solid before I was sprung.

You have to be patient grasshopper. It was a very emotional time for me. I had a perfectly conditioned, in peak conditioned horse I had worked for literally all summer long in record heat temps. Then, I had this happen, and there my horse stood in the pasture. sigh.

Once again, do NOT do those exercises. Do the ones that the physical tortures say to do. I had specific ones I did. Don't over do. You will pay for it the next day(s). Oh. On my first day of PT, I rode a bike. Still do. I have a trainer in my house. Amazing that it didn't hurt to ride a bike. So yes on a bike. That will get everything moving. Knee will get better that way. For some reason it is little to no impact on the leg bone.

Be prepared for others things to go out of whack down the line. Like, your back for example. Your body is not correct, and your body will adapt to your new "handicap". I went through shoes alot. My feet would hurt due to the new way I walked, then I got better, then had to get different shoes. Go for walking shoes.

Take calcium everyday, do not smoke. I watched tons of Court TV.

So Kate, what happened to you? I am cringing at the thought. You can PM if you want, if I can help.

[Dressage Art]

You need to do the PT that the PT say to do specifically for your leg. Don't do what others are doing. Your PT is specific to your injury, and healingThank God that you posted that. I was ready to do all of that PT today at the morning! I love to stay active and hate just sitting around.

I'm so sorry to read your emotional story and that you had to go thru that hell, but thank you for sharing it! I can almost taste your pain in my mouth. I'm glad to hear that you do feel better.

[KateandKc]

Thank God that you posted that. I was ready to do all of that PT today at the morning! I love to stay active and hate just sitting around.

I'm so sorry to read your emotional story and that you had to go thru that hell, but thank you for sharing it! I can almost taste your pain in my mouth. I'm glad to hear that you do feel better.

Have you asked why you can't start PT yet? It may be that the fracture isn't stable enough yet or they want you to be more weight bearing? I was able/forced to start so early because my ankle is all metal now....so the fractures can't displace or move.

Definitely don't go it alone for PT. My first PT visits consisted of them very gently moving my ankle, doing some massaging over the incisions, and electro-stim for pain. Now that I'm on my 4th appt, I'm up to a few minutes on the bike and more ROM. I'm still only allowed to do mild exercises on my own, and this is my 3rd run thru PT for this ankle (2 bad sprains).

If your OS really won't give you a referral, can your primary care doc do it? I'd hate for you to not get any PT, but it would be just as bad to do damage trying to figure it out alone.

[DLee]

I was in PT three days after surgery. Not that we really DID much (thank God), but measured swelling, ROM (or lack thereof), etc. I was afraid of that first day. It has consistantly gotten better, although always painful after.
I loved whoever said measure your progress week to week. That has been very helpful. Daily can be really frustrating.
I am five weeks post surgery now, and am without crutches. I am really, really slow, very careful, pathetically timid, but I guess that's okay. The last xray showed everything as it should be at this stage.
I still can't drive because I can't lift my leg and step on a brake. I don't need to go anywhere badly enough to try learning with my left leg.

This thread has been really helpful to me, to know I am not the only one out there, and, frankly, to hear stories and injuries so much worse than mine! Speedy healing to us all. :yes:

[charlieo]

DA, I wear the bledsoe brace pretty much constantly. I take it off for bathing, PT (some of it) and (although I don't have "permission", every day I try sitting without it for a couple of hours. When I get warning pain from leg twisting laterally or medially, I put it back on. Have finally learned how to sleep on my side with it on -- not for very long, to be sure, but it relieves the back! I agree with whomever said PT is designed for your particular fracture. MY OS said if one doesn't get the ROM early, one doesn't get it back. Consequently I have been working hard at bending 45 degrees, but am still short. The ROM gets better (a bit ) daily, but it isn't until I look back on Sunday that I can see measurable progress.

[DLee]

Do any of you have the CPM machine for your ROM? I got sent home with that after three days and kept it until I could bend 90 degrees 3 days in a row. I can't say enough good thngs about it as it bends your knee for you with no muscle involvement on your part.
I realize all of our circumstances are different, but wanted to throw that out there.

[Rosie]

My surgery was 12/10. Today was my second PT session with my third scheduled for Thurs.
I came home from the hospital with a couple of exercises to do and the PT has added more each time. Some of the exercises that DA mentioned are similar - but as others said - I think it's extremely important to be supervised the first couple of times doing them. I've gone from 30% ROM to 52% in the couple of weeks since surgery.....still a LONG ways to go before I can really bend the knee and loss of muscle is a continuing concern.
Good healing to all.

[minor detail]

Hi there,

I am sorry to hear about your break, I had the same thing happen at the end of february 09. I ended up having surgery and had two screws put in to lift the part of the bone put that had been crushed, thankfully a bone graft was not needed. I was incredibly lucky in that as far as tibial plateau fractues go mine was not overly severe. I was back riding within a month and half and showed from June on with no pain. I do think I was very lucky that it healed so quickly. I wish you a quick recovery and agree with everyone else don't push yourself to much.

Take care

[Dressage Art]

Minor Detail, I'm gglad to hear that you healed fast and well. There is hope! Its interesting to read the variation in time of healing, weight bearing and ROM. It seems that with surgery people heal faster. My doc told me that since I have only 1 mm displacement I dont need surgery, but I will forever will have this 1mm displacement on the top of my tibia in my knee. That's kind of freaky...

Anyway, my regular doc is out for Holidays and I went to the new OS and boy I'm glad I did! He told me that I'm behind the ball in my healing and we have a lot of catching up to do. He took off my brace permanently, told me that I can drive ((YAY)), sent me to PT ((YAY)) and told me that my goal is to put as much weight as I can and be with 1 crutch as soon as I can.

I tried to walk with one crutch now, and my broken leg just folds under me, cant seem to support the weight and pain at the same time. So I'll have a lot of work to do, but I'm so happy that my regular doc was on vacation! This one is a sport medicine OS and seems to be more proactive.

Off to PT! I'm so exited!

PS: be back latter with complains of pain if judging from your feedbacks :lol:

[rmh_rider]

I was in PT about 1 month (I think) afterwards.

I rode a bike when I was there, made me cry because I was so scared of the pain. That pain can be bad. I drove myself there. I drove my truck with a step side on it. I had to go through a gentle rural community, with very few stop lights. I was terrified I would wreck and get stranded. Or I was in fear of being chased or something like that. I felt very vulnerable. I was scared of others dogs, and any place I went I said lock the dogs up. I didn't want to get knocked down, scratched etc. I love dogs btw, have dogs. I felt safe in the truck. I was happy to see it was easy to get into the office of the PT (physical torturer's -giggle).

Ok, rode a bike. And then I sat on a bench and he would have me lift my leg. Ok, I tried HARD. At home I sat on the kitchen table and would lift and kinda swing my leg under the table. I literally couldn't LIFT my leg, at the knee!

Then he had me sit in a chair, and pull my foot towards me, sliding it on the floor. This was horribly painful. OMG. I sat in the bathroom, with a tiled floor, had a dish towel under my foot so it made it easier. Oh no, I couldn't wear socks. Had screws in my ankle and I couldn't handle the pressure of a sock. I wore flip flops if I had to wear footware.

Try taking magnesium if you get muscle spasms. You can yahoo health it up, and it will tell you it helps muscle spasms. Further down the line I had issues with my back, and would get horrible spasms at night. So I took 2-3 about 30-1 hour before bed. Worked. It is a muscle relaxer.

Oh, so you can practice safe walking go to the mall and walk. It is flat, indoors, temp controlled, sitting areas if you need it, no hills, no rocks, no inclines, etc. No people to run by you, except for the old folks who zoom by. Mall walking is a really good and safe thing to do. Hey, isn't that what a mall is for? Mall walking! Not shopping. Get new walking shoes, ones FOR walking. That way you will have good support. Hope I am not repeating myself. Oh, ice ice baby. I iced a couple years afterwards. Ice is wonderful. If there is heat, ice ice baby! If you haven't listened to that song lately, you should do a search and listen to it. Funnnnny. ice ice baby.

Good luck.

[rmh_rider]

Dressage Art

Have the PT people show you how to walk with one crutch.

PM me and let me know how they tortured you!

Remember, ice ice baby. Ice is YOUR NEW FRIEND.

I did over time buy a frozen thingy from wal mart. But sometimes it wasn't enough, so did ziplock bags of it.

I was not allowed to ride my horse until after the xray proved my leg was healed. I rode bareback, and I was ok. My leg dangled, nothing touched it. My horse was so sensitive to my leg pressure. He knew. I am not scared of him ever, just of others horses. I am better on being scared of horses I do not know. But both my horses know how to "get in the bushes off the trail NOW" when I tell them. We bushwack off the trail when we possibly have to pass people. Also my friends were nice to provide a horse barrier so I was blocked from other horses getting near me. I also wear half chaps. I have a numb part of my leg muscle that runs along the tibia on the outside. I had a chunk of stick stuck in my leg through my tights, and I never knew it until I took my tights off that evening. So I rode a trail, drove home 1.5 hours, hung out and did barn chores for a couple hours, then went in to shower and change, and there it was. UG. I wear ariat terrain half chaps now so it doesn't happen again.

You are on your way to healing! Get with it on the one crutch thing. Once you do that, you are then on your way to WALKING!

[charlieo]

So, DA, how did it go? Yes, there is pain, but "no pain, no gain". Larry (my PT) just ignores me when I say it hurts, but he does let me take a break, and then, since I want to walk and ride again, I suggest we keep going. He just simles and starts counting reps again. His system works!

[DLee]

DA,
So glad you got a new OS. Mine is very sports minded as well, I think that's why his program is so proactive. I know I am doing well because of it. Hope your PT went pretty well!

[amastrike]

I started PT for my finger on Monday. It seems so wimpy compared to all of you with broken legs! Now I have exercises to do on my own, and it's awful. Not because it's that painful, but for some reason the PT makes me feel extremely claustrophobic and it's really distressing to do it :no:.

[Rosie]

DA,
Glad you got a second opinion! My Ortho is a sports med guy also - the entire practice is composed of doctors who treat sports injuries. I think that they appreciate and encourage a more "aggressive" approach to rehabbing than some doctors.
My PT is really pushing me - in a good way.

Hope your session goes well.

[pharmgirl]

Yes, DA, keep us posted on how PT goes :yes:. Don't be alarmed if it's really rough the first couple of times. I remember after my first PT session for my broken shoulder, I felt like I had been run over by a bus!! I spoke with my best friend who is a PT and she said "yup, you will feel like you've been run over for a couple of sessions. It will get better." And while it was still rough, it was much better than the first times.

[rmh_rider]

Amastrike

If you do NOT like your PT (physical torturer) you need a different one. They can make you angry, but they should not make you feel the way you do. Switch, there are MANY out there. You have to find the right one. Go!

No pain no gain. No, don't think that. I do not believe that with regards to broken body parts. You go out and do something when you have a broken limb, you will PAY dearly for days, if not a week or more. All things in a gentle way. That "payback" can be a night of horrible pain no drugs will touch to relive you, or you could really damage things that must be fixed again. You have to know your limit, and not to go over. It is ok to be on the little bit of the wimpy side. Just like your horse, you know your horse and you know you, and it is better than any body else. Be cautious and gentle, but don't be a whimp. I have a pain threshold in labor woman would be proud to have! So don't get me wrong. It is just a way different thing when you have a broken limb. We are not in training for a triathlon. So different. You absolutely can't rush your healing of your broken limb. All in good time. If not, you will pay dearly for it down the line.

Ok DressageA, what happened?? How did it go? Remember . . . Ice ice baby, ice ice baby. If you can't remember that then go here!! and turn it UP!! iiiiiiiccce icccce baby! Hey listen to the lyrics if you haven't lately. ha ahhahahahahahah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp-is6S_b_g

[rmh_rider]

OK this one is better!!!!



ice ice baby!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxN_pbMOFk0

Hey the lyrics are SO funny.


giggle.

Still ice it. When in doubt ice ice baby! really!! haha

[amastrike]

Amastrike

If you do NOT like your PT (physical torturer) you need a different one. They can make you angry, but they should not make you feel the way you do. Switch, there are MANY out there. You have to find the right one. Go!


It's not the person, it's the exercises. I don't get why it bothers me so much. For some reason, trying to bend and work it just makes me extremely uncomfortable.. claustrophobic, or like the feeling you get when you're holding your breath too long and your chest gets tight and you want to escape. The PT is more unpleasant than breaking it and having surgery was :rolleyes:. It sucks because I have a feeling it's a vicious cycle... the exercises are unpleasant, so I don't do them, and then when I try to do them they're even more unpleasant, so I'm even less inclined to do them... Urgh.

[ZiggyStardust]

Anyway, my regular doc is out for Holidays and I went to the new OS and boy I'm glad I did! He told me that I'm behind the ball in my healing and we have a lot of catching up to do. He took off my brace permanently, told me that I can drive ((YAY)), sent me to PT ((YAY)) and told me that my goal is to put as much weight as I can and be with 1 crutch as soon as I can.

I tried to walk with one crutch now, and my broken leg just folds under me, cant seem to support the weight and pain at the same time. So I'll have a lot of work to do, but I'm so happy that my regular doc was on vacation! This one is a sport medicine OS and seems to be more proactive.

Off to PT! I'm so exited!

PS: be back latter with complains of pain if judging from your feedbacks :lol:

Congrats DA, that is great news getting the brace off. Definitely a hallelujah time for me when I realized I was ok to not have mine on in public (on my arm/elbow). Good luck with your PT, feeling like you're accomplishing something will be great!

[Dressage Art]

Thank you!

Yes Ziggy, taking the brace off and being told that it's mostly the muscle pain by now - and this is a "good pain of healing" - did made a huge difference. I am pushing myself more and not afraid of the pain as much.

I went to my PT and they just measured me and gave me a not weight bearing exercises to do at home for now. They showed me some exercises when I need to lay on my stomach and stretch my leg straight. Wow ... talk about claustrophobia! I wasnt able to lay my leg flat in this position, so I kept on holding it up! That was the hardest exercise for me

The easiest one was the "clamp" when I need to lay on my side, keep feet together, but do a "clamp" with my top knee: open/close/open/close.

Very cool stuff! I'm exited! So far, since I'm doing them myself, it doesnt hurt much. Next week I'll be back fro more ;)

What are your favorite and least favorite PT exercises?

[Dressage Art]

It's not the person, it's the exercises. I don't get why it bothers me so much. For some reason, trying to bend and work it just makes me extremely uncomfortable.. claustrophobic, or like the feeling you get when you're holding your breath too long and your chest gets tight and you want to escape. The PT is more unpleasant than breaking it and having surgery was :rolleyes:. It sucks because I have a feeling it's a vicious cycle... the exercises are unpleasant, so I don't do them, and then when I try to do them they're even more unpleasant, so I'm even less inclined to do them... Urgh.Oh my, we have to find the way to get you out that cycle! What is your very favorite exercise out of the ones that you have? May be you can do one time one of your least favorite exercises and then "reward" yourself with doing one of your very favorite exercises?

Or what about any other reward? chocolate? Wine? Shopping? TV? Coth? but only after 5 minutes of PT exercises at home?

[Dressage Art]

This thread has been really helpful to me, to know I am not the only one out there, and, frankly, to hear stories and injuries so much worse than mine! Speedy healing to us all. :yes:By all means please post your updates and your concerns here as well! We are all in the same boat and yes, its been great to be able to share it with somebody who understands and able to help with advice + its horse people!

[JackandMo]

Nothing major here - I've broken all my toes due to not learning that flip flops around horses = bad news.

Also broken my nose and got a concusion when bucked off.

[charlieo]

Went bacK to the OS today for an almost 8 week check up. I can start partial weight bearing in PT! He also opened the brace to 90 degrees, and told me not to try to do it in one day. (As if I would. I am a wuss at heart.) DA, my least favorite exercise is the one that requires me to pull my knee up while I am lying on my back. I can get it up maybe 5 inches, when I am warmed up, then the PT has to help me, and I still have to quit short of the where he wants it. My most favorite, calf stretches -- I can do those all day, and all that heels down stuff from riding makes them a snap. Glad to hear your PT went well. As it stands now I am almost 8 weeks ahead of my earlier (recovery) projections, and I intend to keep it that way. Happy new year all.

[Dressage Art]

Ahead of my earlier (recovery) projections?!!! You go girl! Unfortunately, Im about 1 week behind, but hoping to catch up.

Happy new 2010 year! Wishing you all a pain free, fracture free 2010! Cheers!

[rmh_rider]

Wow ya'll are doing great!

Just because there is a schedule, doesn't mean it applies 110% to you. Everybody is an individual, and you have to apply to your situation. You know yourself best. But the schedule is a very good guideline.

Now, Amastrike . . . If you do not help yourself get better, nobody will or can. You have to get your rear in gear and git ir dun! Ok sorry for the cliches, BUT if the shoe fits . . .

You have to do the exercises to get better. You will not get a magical download from somewhere and the magic wand will be waved, and you will be perfect again and it will all be over. Sorry. I tried to talk many of the very nice nurses into giving me their perfect leg. I wanted them to email it to me in an attachment to my body, that way there would be no pain to just swap legs. Ok, maybe I was on too much drugs, but, I just wanted a magic wand to wave over me and it be done. The nurses (I was there for 5 days) kept asking if I needed anything, and I would try to negoitate a new leg from them. One nurse laughed and said her leg would not match my other leg one, I said that is ok. She was not the same race as I, and she was a bit larger than me. I still said ok. She was so nice. They were good to me there. I wanted to swap legs with somebody just like the mr. potato head. Remove and replace, easy! ha ha.

I found out, it is a heal thyself because nobody can do it for you. Easy concept, but hard to do, and hard to accept for some.

Go to the broken leg link I gave earlier for more support. Go to the discussion area. You can do the exercises. You have to or you will not get well and move along in life. this is what life has given you, get going, you can do it.

Don't get me wrong. I cried my eyes out along. Self pity? Yes. I had a perfect 50 miler plus endurance horse ready for a really tough mt ride that was to take place 2 weeks from my break. Not many really understand, but horse people do. Even people who do triathlons would understand. We both were in peak condition and then some. Then, I laid in bed, motionless, and he stayed outside my bedroom window, wondering what I was doing inside and not outside. My compound tibia was a really really BAD break. But I came back. You can to. So get going. If muscles sit too long it makes things hurt more.

You can take a warm bath, then do the work. It does help to warm things up.

Good luck, you CAN do it. And that applies to everybody! GO!

[Dressage Art]

Amastrike, how are you doing with your exercises?

I see baby progress, but with starting to walk with 2 legs, I noticed that my foot is bending crooked now... and I didnt even have any injury on my foot. I guess everything is frozen and painful to bend now.

[KateandKc]

Amastrike, how are you doing with your exercises?

I see baby progress, but with starting to walk with 2 legs, I noticed that my foot is bending crooked now... and I didnt even have any injury on my foot. I guess everything is frozen and painful to bend now.

When I first got my first cast off post-surgery my foot was really crooked. It was rolled outwards quite a bit from being immobile and I had to do a lot of stretches to get it back to "normal" again. Ask your PT for exercises to help stretch your achilles tendon, thats what made the biggest difference in getting my foot to look straight again. Also, take small steps and make sure you are walking correctly, not twisting your leg or foot when you put weight on it (easier said than done).

The inside of my leg still collapses somewhat when I walk on it. The biggest issue with my leg now is all the ligaments and tendons are still healing, so I'm at a really high risk to roll my ankle and rebreak everything. As it is, I have to go for x-rays tomorrow because I twisted my leg (went to pivot and turn, but my foot stayed still) and something popped. We're all hoping its just scar tissue or a tendon...not my fibula rebreaking. :(

PT has been brutal the last few days because all the scar tissue around my incisions is breaking up. My ankle is still really swollen and bruised, and now I have a bruised spot above where the plate ends on my fibula (from twisting). But, I know that I have to push myself to get function back. I love the broken leg forum....its full of people who know exactly what you're going thru.

Glad to hear everyone is healing and slowly getting back into walking. :)

[Dressage Art]

As it is, I have to go for x-rays tomorrow because I twisted my leg (went to pivot and turn, but my foot stayed still) and something popped. We're all hoping its just scar tissue or a tendon...not my fibula rebreaking. :( Oh NO!!! I'm so sorry to hear that! I really hope that it's just a soft tissue frozen that gave you a pop. Let us know how X-rays will go.

[JackieBlue]

well, I've had 18 surgeries on my left leg, 3 tibial plateau fractures, a completely shattered and crushed tibia and fibula, 2 broken femurs, I have no meniscus in either joint compartment, no ACL shortened patellar tendon....the list goes on. And on. I'll post more details tomorrow, but suffice it to say for now that I feel your pain!! :eek:

[Dressage Art]

OMG! When/how did that happen?