Accident and recovery

On September 10 of this year, I missed a step at work, fell, and messed up my foot. It hurt a lot, but I didn't think it was broken since I could still move my toes, so I made an appointment for the next afternoon and stayed home, following the RICE technique. Believe it or not, it took a week to get the results back, and only because I was calling literally every day- and then every hour- to ask why it was taking so long. Results: multiple chip fractures on the outer side of the ankle bones. Another 4 days went by before I could get to a podiatrist, who promptly put me in a walking boot and told me not to put any weight on it for at least 3 more weeks. After two weeks in ace bandages and not touching anything, I looked like a zombie sausage.

The doc wanted me in a knee-high boot, but apparently they only had low boots, which suited me fine cause the dang thing was still ridiculously heavy. I didn't get a picture, but in the last few days of not being able to put any weight on the foot, my "bad" calf was quite literally a half an inch larger than my good one, just from lugging that weight around. Thankfully, 4 weeks after the injury, I was able to start physical therapy.

Unsurprisingly, after 4 weeks of non-movement and no weight-bearing, my foot wasn't too happy about things. I could bend it maybe an inch in any direction, and the first day of walking (still with crutches) in the boot, it felt like it was being electrocuted with every step. Think pins and needles after your foot falls asleep but a couple magnitudes more zap. For once, though, being a trusting person came in handy, and I was able to get past the "it's failed me before, I can't trust it to take my weight again!" issue fairly quickly. Also, movement helped lessen the swelling and bruising, though it's still not gone completely.

It's now been 6 weeks since the injury, and two weeks of pt. I can't quite make it through an entire shower standing up, but I'm getting close! I have been off the crutches for about a week, and am starting to walk a little without the boot. Stairs are still one-at-a-time only, but I can do them, and they had me doing "mini-squats" on Thursday to start building leg muscles again. No word on driving yet (very sad), but I'll get there!

Since I realize that photos of injuries are not everyone's cup of tea, I'm putting these down here. Progression photos of the first six weeks:

Inner side. Less visible damage here.

Outer side. Bone chips were right below and above the ankle bone.

Top view. Oddly, the toes didn't start bruising til week 2.