Ankle Sprain?

Bob,

recovery from such injuries is dependant on many things including age, as it takes longer to recover as we age.

i am 59, and in March twisted an ankle while skiing. Thought nothing of it as it was sore and hard to bear weight, but again little swelling, so just put up with it .

i limped around for a couple of months and then decide to get it xrayed to be sure.

Found I had broken a bone in the ankle.

silly me.

suggest get it checked to be sure.

Bob - borne of advices re the various sports injuries I've had (ankles and knees), I suggest plenty of icing e.g. 2 bags of peas, one in freezer and one on - cycle them every say 20/25 mins and let the joint get some warmth/blood back between times. The goal is to draw out any deeper bruising, remove inflammation and stimulate blood flow. My medico tells me that I should get very close to having ice burns - or else I'm not doing it right!

You can try an elastic compression bandage for support but don't leave this on all the time, as the joint needs natural movement to recover, and if it is seriously injured, a bandage won't provide much relief and could give you a false sense of security. The primary cure is, of course, rest but not usually complete immobility - be careful to be honest with yourself. Your statement around not being able to bear (any?) weight suggests A&E and an X-ray is required.  

Healing time is personal and, of course, injury dependent - ligaments generally being slow to heal. On-line sites suggest that the recovery time for a sprain is anything between 6 weeks and 4 months, with some longer term instability possible. I suspect that subject to adequate joint support you can work but such would extend the healing process.

You could be lucky and have just badly 'rolled' it - here's hoping.

Thanks for the help and advice it's a weird one because I have very little swelling and next to no bruising and no pain unless I try to stand on it but and it is a very big but I cannot put any weight on it at all.

I suppose a trip to A&E is on the cards for tomorrow  

Back from A&E I have broken my heel a Calcaneus fracture 6 - 8 weeks recovery time at the very least to say I'm gutted is the understatement of the year in old fashioned terms it is a real kick in the teeth.

Sorry to hear of this. Hopefully a quick, and more important full, recovery, and also hppefully no loss, or significant loss, of income if you can’t work.

On the bright side, you have an excuse to sit with your feet up listening to music...

And then the question, why did the ladder give way? As you know, had that happened at work, with H&S requirements re working at heights that should not have been possible, and the H&S inspecors would be in there now deciding who to prosecute. The trouble is a tendency to be less rigorous with such things at home -and this is not assigning blame, just stating fact (of which I, too, am guilty). Sadly more people are injured at home that in the worplace, by a very large factor, and mostly avoidable. And hindsight doesn’t help! But this reminds me, and hopefully others, to maybe be more aware. I’m just glad that 2 months  ago I threw out the 40 year old extending steel stepladder on which a second rung broke off at the weld at one end (luckily the tubes forming the rungs were in pairs) - yes, it took a second one to fail before I chucked it, because it was such a versatile and useful ladder, with some nostalgia attached to it).

Best wishes

Bob,

 glad you decided to attend ED. at least now you can get the correct treatment and minimise any long term issues.

Thanks again CBR600 for the advice and good wishes and thank you to Happy Listener and Innocent Bystander for taking the time to offer both advice and commiserations.

Only just noticed this thread, you have my sympathy, in the last 4 years I have had the misfortune of having two leg breaks, one of which was very serious.

The best advice I can offer is to accept the situation and make sure you don’t weight bear until instructed by the medical people.

As I work for myself I became very inpatient and decided to weight bear too soon and set the healing process back considerably... in hindsight not worth it...

The second break, I did exactly as instructed and although a more serious injury was up and about sooner than expected...

Best of luck on a quick recovery 

Thanks W 

I'm awaiting a CT scan but the consultant seemed very positive after the initial X-rays that it could be left to heal without the need for any surgery and that the CT scan was precautionary.

Even after only just over a week I'm very frustrated and the daily anti coagulation injections are particularly unpleasant. Like you I'm self employed and being not weight bearing is keeping me from any type of work for at least another five weeks which I will find very, very difficult.

Your advise is gratefully received and is very, very sensible thank you again.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Bob!  

Things heal slower as we age, so hopefully your still a very young man!

Body (bones) heals faster with less stress and tension. Folks who try to rush it usually extend the healing/recovery process. Best advice is to follow the physicians orders and if physical therapy sessions are in your care plan try not to skip them. 

Also if you have any books you were hoping to read, now may be the time to catch up. Don't waste the down time that is forced on you, make the best of it while you can. When you do get back to work you most likely we to trying to make up for the down time. 

Thanks SEAKAYAKER 

I'm 48 and still fit and active so hopefully my recovery time will not exceed 5-6 weeks. I am very, very lucky that my partner is a nurse and she doesn't stand for any nonsense.

Yes my Kindle has a few books already downloaded for me to read and I expect I will also be spending a lot more time on the internet!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Six weeks later to the day and I'm walking well hobbling on both feet without crutches for the first time. I had an appointment with the consultant on Wednesday and my heel has healed and was told to start slowly putting weight back on it and to slowly start walking again and have been doing a little more each day I'm still using the crutches in-between and wearing the air boot if I go out but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I asked when I would be able to return to work with light duties and the consultant said a week on Monday. 

That's good news Bob.

Sounds like your nearly there now and itching to get hands on with your work again.Hope it hasn't hit you to bad being self employed money wise.

Sorry to go slightly off topic but did you see the documentory on House Music on BBC  4 last Friday night ?

  It was superb.Its on I Player.

Loving reading about your vintage audio happiness and sidewise steeps rather having to keep going up the upgrade ladder......good luck with Watford today......expect City to score against Brighton  

Wishing you a good weekend enjoy the sun and some tunes

Great News Bob, The worst is over as they say.... just try not to over do it when you do go back to work.

Just take it carefully, especially running up and down ladders, hope all goes well.

Bob the Builder posted:

Back from A&E I have broken my heel a Calcaneus fracture 6 - 8 weeks recovery time at the very least to say I'm gutted is the understatement of the year in old fashioned terms it is a real kick in the teeth.

This kind of injury is often seen when the lover leaps out via the bedroom window to avoid the wrath of the spouse who has returned home prematurely!

Glad to hear it's improving.

Tabby cat posted:

That's good news Bob.

Sounds like your nearly there now and itching to get hands on with your work again.Hope it hasn't hit you to bad being self employed money wise.

Sorry to go slightly off topic but did you see the documentory on House Music on BBC  4 last Friday night ?

  It was superb.Its on I Player.

Loving reading about your vintage audio happiness and sidewise steeps rather having to keep going up the upgrade ladder......good luck with Watford today......expect City to score against Brighton  

Wishing you a good weekend enjoy the sun and some tunes

Thanks Tabby cat and all the very best to you too and you've just reminded me about the House Music Documentary on BBC 4 a very good friend has also recommended it. 

wenger2015 posted:

Great News Bob, The worst is over as they say.... just try not to over do it when you do go back to work.

Thanks wenger2015 very good advice.

I'm starting to take to Unai Emery as a person it was very strange not seeing Arsene on the touchline but of course it was time and Emery's methods are starting to come through another two transfer windows and we may be back in contention. Very good times.

Gazza posted:

Just take it carefully, especially running up and down ladders, hope all goes well.

Thanks Gazza and thankfully the site I'm going back to has stairs not ladders.                                                                                             

Alley Cat posted:

Bob the Builder posted:

Back from A&E I have broken my heel a Calcaneus fracture 6 - 8 weeks recovery time at the very least to say I'm gutted is the understatement of the year in old fashioned terms it is a real kick in the teeth.

This kind of injury is often seen when the lover leaps out via the bedroom window to avoid the wrath of the spouse who has returned home prematurely!

Glad to hear it's improving.

 

Thanks Alley Cat

Unfortunately though nothing so exciting caused my injury but I could adopt that story for when I'm at work it wouldn't be half as tall a tale as most that you hear on site.

Bob the Builder posted:

wenger2015 posted:

Great News Bob, The worst is over as they say.... just try not to over do it when you do go back to work.

Thanks wenger2015 very good advice.

I'm starting to take to Unai Emery as a person it was very strange not seeing Arsene on the touchline but of course it was time and Emery's methods are starting to come through another two transfer windows and we may be back in contention. Very good times.

I have not seen the game but on my match news feed it seemed to suggest the result could have gone either way? 

Hopefully Emery is starting to get his ideas across ... I know we have had a good run of results but has it been through quality play or have we had the rub of the green?? Not sure?? 

Bob the Builder posted:

Six weeks later to the day and I'm walking well hobbling on both feet without crutches for the first time. I had an appointment with the consultant on Wednesday and my heel has healed and was told to start slowly putting weight back on it and to slowly start walking again and have been doing a little more each day I'm still using the crutches in-between and wearing the air boot if I go out but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I asked when I would be able to return to work with light duties and the consultant said a week on Monday. 

It is great to hear that yo’re starting to be mobile. This is probably something of which you’re aware, but worth saying just in case not: unless you've been able to do a lot of exercise without  putting weight on your foot while ‘laid up’, you will now have to rebuild muscles - I know from experience how quickly they waste when not used or only used very limitedly - having and heeding advice from a  physiotherapist is important, as is not overdoing things when you do first retuin to work in an environment requiring a good level of  physical fitness.

all tge best with it!