Ankle Ankle Injury Recovery encouragement

[Stephplum]

Another periodic update and a little pity party.

I am now 8 months post surgery. ADLs and average everyday walking on paved surfaces, it is all fine. I have very little to no pain or swelling. It actually has me feeling like I am almost back to normal.

I'm keeping up with my home exercises. They are helping both my ankles as well as my knees.

Here comes the pity party. My happy place is hiking. I plan several trips a year to the national parks to get out into nature. I am prepping for my trip in March to New Mexico. I realize that it will not be exactly like it was before but I don't know what to really expect. I have walked on pavement/sidewalks/stores/... with no problems. I've been in my yard but that isn't really hiking.

Two weeks ago I attempted a hike in the metro park with my hiking boots. They go up over my ankles and I normally wear if I am hiking in mountainous terrain. I made it about 100 steps before I turned around and went back to the car. The boot is rubbing my ankle against the screws. It is painful and irritating and I can't make it the length of the trail. I am sobbing on the trail, not really from the pain but more for the disappointment and frustration. I can't take it. I know I need to wait and it might get better with time but that is so hard.

So hiking boots with a compression sleeve and normal sock doesn't work. This week I try again with my hiking shoes (don't cover my ankle). I no longer have the same irritation as the boot. But as I go over the uneven ground the edge of the shoes rubs the bottom of my plate/screw and irritates me. I liken to to having a pebble in your shoe. Annoying but not devastating. Though I realize it is causing me to limp and my right hip starts aching. Uggh. Next day still some swelling and aching.

I am looking for something to cushion at the bottom of the plate. I found some molefoam - moleskin but thicker. I am going to try that next test hike and maybe some other type of wrap.

Here is my x-ray where you can see the screws and how close they are to the skin. I know most say wait and after a year or so the hardware doesn't bug them. Pity party over.

 

[benne68]

Aww, @Stephplum, I totally get your frustration. I'm not a big hiker, but I remember the first time I tried to wear boots after my ankle surgery.

The molefoam sounds like a great idea. I hope it works, but if not don't give up. You will find a solution.

And remember that this discomfort is temporary. The sensitivity does eventually go away (just not as quickly as we'd like!)

Sending hugs

 

[FCBayern]

Wondering how the mole foam worked for you @Stephplum, I have very similar screws and plate on my fibula, I can feel them under the skin but they don't bother me in shoes, but I'm pretty sure I was at least 18 months before I tried my hiking boots. Hopefully you'll find a temporary fix and the issue disappears in the long run.

 

[Stephplum]

Another month (plus a week or so), 9.5 months from surgery.

@FCBayern , the mole foam helped but not enough to wear the hiking boots. I did use it with just my hiking shoes, since when I moved over uneven ground, the tops of my shoes rubbed the bottom screw and plate. That provided some extra protection. I’ll keep trying the boots later as things continue to improve.

At 9 months, I’m pretty good. Up and down steps, standing, even some hiking. I am doing everything I want in the average day without limitations. Except for the odd day every now and then. Like last week, I had a lot of swelling, stiffness and pain. If I had overdone it, I could see the reason. But nothing like that. Maybe it was the weather change. We got a lot of rainy weather. I know some people really feel it in their joints. I just haven’t been that sensitive to weather changes before.

I’m regularly sleeping with the compression sock and that seems to really help with the swelling After a flare up.

Just two weeks until my trip to New Mexico and hiking. I’m taking the compression socks and the mole foam. I’m ok taking it easy since it is the first trip and I’m not quite at 1year from surgery. My expectations are lower than normal. I have 3 more trips after this one planned this year and my goal is to see incremental improvement between each one.

 

[Jaycey]

@Stephplum Sounds like you are doing really well! Taking the conservative approach with this first trip is a great idea. Who knows, you may be able to do more than you plan. But the slow and steady route toward longer and more complex hikes is definitely the way to go. Enjoy!

 

[benne68]

My expectations are lower than normal. I have 3 more trips after this one planned this year and my goal is to see incremental improvement between each one.

That's a great approach! A little better/a bit more each trip. Where are you headed after New Mexico?

 

[FCBayern]

I agree that you have a great approach to your hiking @Stephplum. Looking forward to an update after you return.

 

[Stephplum]

Today is the day! The ankle has been a little bit swollen this week, I think due to all the weather changes. 70 one day and 30 the next with snow. Im excited to travel but nervous. I have my compression socks, knee brace, mole foam and ziplocks for ice packs at the end of the day! I feel prepared.

@benne68 the next trips are Banff, Canada in June; Nova Scotia, Canada in August and Oregon in October.
I’ll recap the trip when I get back.

 

[benne68]

Enjoy, @Stephplum!

 

[Stephplum]

Mid trip check in.

Airplane ride was uneventful. I did wear the compression socks and they must have helped. Full day of flights and two hour drive to get to the final destination. No swelling or pain.

second day. We went to Bandelier NM. This consisted of about 1.5 mile hike/walk. Difficulty was it was up and down steps, some steep parts and optional ladders. I skipped the optional ladders. In the morning I prepped by putting mole foam on the plate side of my ankle and then an ankle sleeve. I don’t think that worked great. I was able to complete the walk and go up and down the steps but the ankle felt very stiff at the end of the day. We also had some scenic drives this day where we were able to get out and stretch a few times.

third day. This was the long drive day, 4.5 hours. We did break it up with a stop at Pecos NHS. There we did a 1.25 mile walk through the Indian/Pueblo ruins. This day, since I blamed my stiffness on the mole foam, I skipped that and I skipped the ankle sleeve mostly because I forgot it! The walk was fine but the drive was not great. I should have stopped more and stretched. More Swelling and discomfort at the end of the day

fourth day. Today we went to Carlsbad Cavern. My set up today was just the ankle sleeve, no mole foam. Again it was a 1.25 mile walk through the cave. It was paved the whole way a few steep parts but pretty easy. In the afternoon we went to a zoo and another 1.25 mile paved walk. Felt tired but pretty good. Some swelling.

wrap up: I’m 10 months since surgery. for me the support from the ankle sleeve helped. I’m not convinced the mole foam helped. I’m pretty happy with what I could do and the lack of any significant pain. I lowered my usual expectations and wasn’t disappointed. I have experienced swelling each day but I fully expected that. Not directly my ankle but my overall stamina is much lower than it was prior to the injury. That surprised me the most though not sure why. I had limited movement for a good part of 2022. I have to build back to where I was. I’m overcoming the ankle and general aging.

 

[CricketHip]

Overall, a very good update to your trip! Especially since you aren't even a full year out in your recovery.
Good for you!
I had a badly shattered elbow years ago. Hands down one of the most painful things I've experienced.
It felt like it would never heal and be "normal" but eventually it did. It happened so slowly that I'm not sure I even knew when it wasn't as worrisome with doing the things I wanted to do.

I'm curious, do you still ice after hiking? It's a great way to control the swelling and inflammation from the new activities.

 

[benne68]

Sounds like a great trip so far, @Stephplum! I remember climbing those ladders in Bandolier back in the days before any of my surgeries and the were awkward even then!

I'm really glad you've been able to enjoy the trip and to do so much walking with too much pain. In my experience, my ankle continued to improve well into my second year until one day I just stopped thinking about it. You will get there too!

 

[Stephplum]

@CricketHip , yes I am still icing after hiking. It does help. thanks for the encouragement.

@benne68 thanks for the encouragement. Thinking back it is almost hard to remember when I couldn’t walk at all. I know it will continue to improve and one day, I’ll just be walking and not have issues.

remainder of trip.
Day 5. A bit of a drive from Carlsbad to Alamogordo. We spent the afternoon at White Sands. The ankle did fine on the sand and even climbing up a dune. no issues.
day 6. Another drive this time to Albuquerque. Some hiking at Petroglyphs NM. This was the worst for the ankle. The ascent was ok, but coming back down uneven areas and some tall steps was hard. I didn’t feel steady on the bad ankle. And there was more twisting of the ankle than any other trail.

final wrap up: not normal but still able to have an enjoyable trip and do most of what I had planned. Still need to continue with the balance and strengthening exercises. The future looks good And I feel confident the remainder of the year will continue to improve.

 

[FCBayern]

All in all a pretty successful trip @Stephplum and even better days ahead. Glad to hear things went well.

 

[Sprill]

Really glad to hear you achieved so much of what you wanted to do on the trip! You're an inspiration!

 

[Stephplum]

Just checking in on the one year anniversary of my accident. A year ago today... I slipped in the backyard and broke my ankle. Success today! I was managed the annual gardening/planting without any problems.

As most of you said, time can cure all. The hardware is less bothersome. I still can feel it but it doesn't bother me like I complained about early in my recovery. I still don't wear hiking boots, but the hiking shoes and all my other shoes are fine.

I can do everything that I want, just not as fast or as long. Part of that is the ankle, part of that is just getting another year older. I have hiking/vacation planned for end of June that I am feeling really great about.

Anyway time and patience have won out. It is very hard in the moment to remember that and wait it out when you want to just get back to how you were.

 

[Jaycey]

Great update @Stephplum ! Thanks for checking in! Sounds like you are really getting back to living again. As most of our members in this forum report, I'm sure you will continue to see progress. Well done!

 

[benne68]

So happy to read this, @Stephplum!

I'm glad the hardware no longer hurts and think you will find that your awareness of it will disappear with more time. (It took a couple of years but I eventually was able to "forget" that I even had the surgery!)

Give us an update after your hiking vacation next month!