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Calcaneus Surgery ORIF Success Stories?

Brad Ward · · New Hampshire · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 200

Hey James,

Our calcaneus fractures are somewhat similar. My doctor opted for double the amount of screws, but same type of fracture. My heel went into the subtalar joint. I was in a hard cast for 40 days and started PT immediately after. I’d recommend calling your doctor and advocating for yourself, get a referral.

The subtalar joint is responsible for walking on uneven surfaces, so you may want to find a PT who understands how important it is to get ROM back for your life style. That side to side movement is the responsibility of the subtalar, so there lies your problem. Good exercises I was given was plantar-dorsal flexión, stretching with a strap, toe curls, and side-to-side movement. That said, having a PT to coach you on what muscles to engage and do manual work as you run into a wall has been super helpful.

Also, don’t plan on weight bearing anytime soon. I just went to the doctor for my 6 week x-rays and it’s not even close to healed. Another 6 weeks NWB. I’m a young, fit, non-smoker. I’m only 7 weeks in, but reach out if you have any questions. 

Quinn Hatfield · · Los Angeles · Joined Oct 2018 · Points: 0

First off-

What a great thread! I don’t think there is any collection of this many people with Calcaneus fractures anywhere. The fact that so many people with zero connection to climbing have chimed in speaks to how lucky us climbers are to have this group within the climbing/Mountain Project community. I’ve been following this thread for years! It’s great. 

I’ve been meaning to post my story for a while. And some recent action on this thread motivated me to get on it. I am a 30yr+ member of the Calcaneus Club- and I thought I could bring some senior perspective to the conversation.. 

I shattered my heel in 1991. I was a senior in high school and obsessed with Rock climbing.. for some reason I bought a Soloist and decided when I couldn’t find a partner I’d still get to climb.. my first solo belay pitch was a 5.5 access pitch at Moore’s Wall in N.C. I’d free solo’d the pitch so it seemed like a good place to test out the soloist.. the second pitch was also 5.5, but I’d never climbed it.. I’m guessing I got off route- or just lost focus- but I ended up taking a pretty good sized fall. I knew I’d Broken something- but didn’t really know how serious it was. I lowered off my gear to the “crows nest” and rapped down to the ground. 

    Luckily some college students from UNC Chapel Hill were hiking and found me. They carried me down the trail and one of them drove me in my car to a hospital in Greensboro. 

  At that point there was no standard Calcaneus surgery- the approach was “let’s let it Heal and see how bad you Limp”

   Fortunately for me- someone in my family found this prognosis unsatisfactory- and did some research. Turns out a Doctor named Steve Benirschke had a grant to develop a surgery for rebuilding fractured Calcaneus. I was immediately flown to Seattle’s Harbor View Hospital. 

   If you have an “L” shaped scar on your heel, you can thank Dr Benirschke for your surgery.. it is certainly modeled after the techniques he developed, likely done by a former resident, or maybe done by him!? (A friend did a residence with him last year). I’ve had X-Rays passed around by the techs, laughing- amazed at my hardware, before a doctor came in and was able to pinpoint the year of my surgery- a sort of carbon dating based on number of plates or screws and subtle changes in configuration.  

  It had been over a week since my accident when I went in for surgery- 9hrs later they had re-broken the Heel and reassembled it with 11 screws, 5 plates and 3 pins.. 

I spent 2 weeks there in a ward that was only patients with fractured Calcaneus’s.. every day I’d meet a couple new guys who had just had the same surgery as me.. they were usually construction workers who had been hurt on the job- I remember a lot of “I fell off a ladder” stories.. all of them talked about how they’d be “retrained” for a new “Desk Job” 

As an 18yr old that only wanted to climb up and ski down mountains- this was pretty hard to hear.

Back in N.C. I bumbled through my recovery and rehab like a short sighted kid. I did almost none of the “draw the alphabet with your toe” exercises I’d been prescribed, I remember going to 1 crutch before I was cleared for weight bearing. My workaholic parents thought finding the doctor and getting me to Seattle was all that needed to be done- so they didn’t really push me to rehab during or after. I went to a PT once.. I thought it was bullshit and never went back. 

  As soon as I was cleared to walk I was back at Moore’s Wall hobbling to the wall with a cane. I climbed with fervor. When The accident happened I was a fledgling 5.8 trad climber, now I was out of high school, working a night job as a dishwasher, and climbing 4 days a week. Two years after the accident when I moved to San Francisco I’d red-pointed a couple 5.12a sport climbs and was a solid 5.10 trad climber. 

I went off to San Francisco to start my career as a chef. 10-12 hour days on my feet, climbing a ton.. still hobbling on approaches- but climbing pretty well despite zero inversion/Eversion mobility in my subtalar.  For 25yrs I did zero rehab work on my injury. I just used and abused the shit out of it. I’d take a little Advil some times- but basically I just dealt with the pain. 

Every morning for the past 30yrs has gone exactly the same way. Wake up, put my feet on the floor- put some weight on my busted foot and asses if the trip to the bathroom was going to be a 4 or a 7 on the pain scale. When I was working a ton- six 12hr days a week, I might have to hop on one foot to the toilet. 

 I’ve had this injury so long- significantly longer than I didn’t have it- it’s just part of my life- it’s shaped me- it’s probably made me who I am- shattering my Heel was a massive turning point in my life, and I don’t know how things might have gone if it didn’t happen.. this injury sucks! If yours is like mine, you're fucked.. let’s not sugar coat it- but. Shattering your Calcaneus is a Life Sentence, Not a Death Sentence! I’ve managed to never let it hold me back- besides probably not being able to climb straight in desert cracks I’ve done just fine!

In the 30yrs since my injury I’ve redpoint a half dozen 5.12d on both coasts, I’ve sent V7 in Hueco, I’ve climbed El Cap over a dozen times. I’ve worked 100hr weeks on my feet. Ive run 30K trail races in sandals, I've run a sub 24min 5K barefoot on cement. I’ve hiked Mount Whitney multiple times and done a handful of other long day 14’ers in California… this isn’t some Humble Brag (ok it totally is) it’s just me trying to say your life as a climber isn’t over! Your life as a bad ass who does whatever they want isn’t over- you just do it with a Limp now- like Fifty Cent. Plus if your injury is recent, you still have the opportunity to maximize your recovery by taking recovery and rehab insanely serious- if I had it to do over again, that’s the only thing I’d do different.

In the past 5 years as I approach 50, I’ve actually gotten more interested in how to reduce pain and get the most out of this fused clunker or an ankle. I’ve made some progress- and I think I will share what I’ve learned in some future post- otherwise this one might go on forever. 

But i will say this:

Your post surgery heel is a clunky immobile piece of crap- but, it’s damn near indestructible as far as I can tell- nothing I’ve done to it has ever made it worse. Miles and hours today might make it hurt tomorrow- a hard week will leave you limping more all weekend, but my general pain and function has not changed in 30yrs. It hasn’t progressed, or gotten worse. It’s just always the same. 

I recently saw a rehab chiropractor guy that helps high level athletes with injuries, and he speculated that if I’d not lived the active life I have, despite this injury, that I’d actually probably be in much worse shape now.
“if you rest you rust”

I’ll say it again- It’s not a death sentence! 

Good luck to all of you that are newly post injury!! We are all brothers! 

-Quinn 

   

James Anderson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2021 · Points: 0

Quinn, what a story. We are gonna call you the Calcaneus Godfather. It’s awesome to hear that you have pushed through and made the most of life after that injury. I really hope my days of packing in on foot to Elk hunt aren’t over, but I can live with that if I had to (hunt on horseback). As long as I can still run around with my kids as they grow up and still climb up in a 20’ deer stand, I will be a happy man. I have had a pretty good week so far this week at work. We are going to the beach tomorrow for an early Halloween at Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach. It’s gonna be tough since our house is on stilts, but when I talked about not going my daughter hit me with the sad eyes so I’m gonna go give it a shot. Anywhere we go we can take the golf cart so that part will be easy. Just up and down those stairs is gonna wear me out. 

pizza sheet · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2021 · Points: 0

Wow, Quinn. Thank you so much for that detailed write up. That’s not a humble-brag, that’s an inspirational-brag. As a 29 year old with lots of climbing planned for his future, you give me a lot of hope. I’m going to take rehab / physical therapy seriously. Like you, I didn’t take it seriously when I was 18 and tore my acl and meniscus. This time, I’m going to do everything I can to help it heal.

Seriously, good write up. Very inspirational. I’m proud of you! Thank you. 

Michael B · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2021 · Points: 0

Just got back from my 3 month appointment (more like 3.5 months), and I've been given the all clear to walk.

In any other place, if I said being able to walk from a bed to the bathroom made a grown man cry, I'm sure it'd raise some eyebrows. But I'm comfortable sharing that I bawled like a baby. A very happy baby. I was able to actually walk with only my aircast and no crutches about 40 feet round trip, and it didn't hurt.

The doctor said I don't have to worry about the heel itself any more - it's probably stronger than before it broke now, but I do need to pace myself and make sure I don't injure myself in other ways. Having no muscles in my lower leg kinda makes it easy to pace myself.

He said I probably won't need physical therapy, and would probably feel fine walking in regular shoes with no crutches within two weeks. Hard to imagine, especially after 3 months of not walking.

I'm so grateful to everyone who posted updates during their recoveries. It really helped me get through a really challenging time. I'll continue to post updates myself and offer encouragement when I can. For new club members, I'm sorry, but at least you're here now.

pizza sheet · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2021 · Points: 0

Congrats, Michael! I remember seeing your progress posts and I’m so happy it’s all turned out alright for you. Those first steps must have felt amazing. I remember feeling that when I ran for the first time post ACL surgery. Was crying tears of joy. What a success story. Thanks for sharing. Hoping to be in your shoes someday soon 

Robert G · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2021 · Points: 0

Well, I just found this site while searching as a feel down with how long my rehab has gone. I broke my heel at the end of January in three pieces that were displaced. Had a plate and seven screws put in about 10 days later. Was non weight bearing until early April and started PT. All was going well and was full weight bearing by Mid may. Come mid June having more pain in my foot , now shooting up my leg. After a CT found that two screws had come loose and need to be removed. Dr. Reccomended only the screws come out but all the rest of the hardware stay. After another few weeks of partial weight bearing I was back at PT.  Did about a month of PT and was forced into a work conditioning program by workers comp. this was fine as I needed to push more, but it did not seem to go well either, lots of pain and soreness, more than what was normal according to my PT. Few weeks off by DR along with a cortisone shot to calm my muscles/tendons. Now back in PT and seems to be the same issue. Guess we will just keep working and see how it goes. Dr said 12 months MMI for me, looks like I’ll use every bit of it. Just sitting here stretching my foot, frustrated as can be.  Thanks for the vent, reading all your posts gives me hope. 

Vlad S · · San Francisco, CA · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 842

Quinn, that's a great and very motivating post! Thank you! 

"Wake up, put my feet on the floor- put some weight on my busted foot and asses if the trip to the bathroom was going to be a 4 or a 7 on the pain scale" - that's funny because that's exactly how my mornings go as well!

By the way, I've been running a little since my 2nd (hardware removal) surgery and my ankle is holding up ok. I was visiting my sister a week ago, went on a short run, got lost and accidentally did a 9.5 mi run, which is my longest in about 10 years (I only broke my heel 3 years ago). I was surprised that my level of pain was kind of average next morning.

Michael B · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2021 · Points: 0

I've been weight bearing for about 20 days now, which warrants an update.

My doctor's advise when I saw him a few weeks ago was that I could start putting weight on the foot, staying in an air cast the first two weeks. For the first week, he said I should just "pretend" to walk while using crutches. Then during the second week, I could start actually trying to put a lot more weight on it while wearing the air cast.

He also said that if I could start adding weight if my foot would let me whenever I wanted.

Which is essentially what I did. I was able to start putting most of my body weight on my foot on day 2 without wearing the air cast. The air cast actually seemed to make things worse. It locked my foot into a specific position and just hurt. When I switched to a normal shoe, it was a lot better. Not pain free, but the kind of pain felt justifiable given what I was asking the foot to do.

By day 3 I was able to walk without crutches or a cane. Not easily, or fast, or pain free, but still - I was actually walking.

One thing that was obvious right away was that while my foot could technically support my weight, I had no muscles in my lower leg to help it. Because of that, walking put a greater than normal amount of weight entirely on my heel. Without the muscles to do it, my toes and the ball of my foot couldn't help spread the load. I suspect this is where the "pretend to walk" advice comes into play. Without muscles, it's hard walk. And without walking, it's hard to build the muscles needed for walking.

So around day 4 I started riding a stationary bike. I've been riding for an hour a day on that bike at a resistance that's challenging enough to actually give my leg a chance of getting some more muscle.

I think it's been helping, because at day 20 now, it's clear that I'm building muscle in my leg again, and that in turn has been helping a lot with walking. I've seen obvious improvements every day, and have been averaging about 4000 steps per day now (6000 steps yesterday).

It's not all good though. Like others, my foot is not happy first thing in the morning. Same goes for the end of the day. Or put more accurately, when my foot decides it's done. There comes a point where my heel feels like I've done a 30 mile hike and just wants to be done. When it's done, it's usually pretty swollen, so I elevate it. That's when it's time to ride out the weird cramps, random sharp spikes of pain (which seems like issues with nerves).

My current goal is to focus on making sure I'm thinking about how I'm walking as I'm doing it. I'm making sure to focus on making sure my posture is good, that I'm not doing anything weird with my foot, or limping. I'll have to post an update in a few weeks to see how well I've done.

Quinn Hatfield · · Los Angeles · Joined Oct 2018 · Points: 0
Michael B wrote:

.

One thing that was obvious right away was that while my foot could technically support my weight, I had no muscles in my lower leg to help it. Because of that, walking put a greater than normal amount of weight entirely on my heel. Without the muscles to do it, my toes and the ball of my foot couldn't help spread the load. I suspect this is where the "pretend to walk" advice comes into play. Without muscles, it's hard walk. And without walking, it's hard to build the muscles needed for walking.

Michael- congrats on getting to the next phase of rehab!!

This quote from your post is the Truth!!
it’s funny- I’ve been a proponent of “Strong is always better” for a long time- but for some reason I went 20yrs without focusing on strengthening my my injured foot.. 

the big change for me happened maybe 10yrs ago. My daughter started school down the street from our house- and I started walking her there with my wife, and then doing 3 hilly miles after.. “Minimalist Shoes” were newly en vogue at the time and I gave them a shot.. by this time I had quit wearing custom orthotics all the time- but I was still working on my feet 40hrs a week in Birkenstocks. After some adaption-  I started to notice improvements in my pain and my ability to walk.. I ended up going way deep on minimalist and barefoot.. after a bit I was exclusively in Zero Drop, Wide Toe Box and Zero Arch shoes.. at this point the only exceptions in my closet are a couple pairs of Old School Vans a full size bigger than what I used to wear (they are low drop/low arch) and one pair of Scarpa Alpine Boots for when I need crampons.. (arch insole removed) 

Strength is critical for regaining your foot function- and putting your foot in a cast, whether it’s over built high top shoes, or orthotics will only make your foot and lower leg weak.. 

go Barefoot as much as possible!!!


At some point soon I’ll post up some of my strength and mobility work I’ve been doing

Quinn Hatfield · · Los Angeles · Joined Oct 2018 · Points: 0
Vlad S wrote:

Quinn, that's a great and very motivating post! Thank you! 

"Wake up, put my feet on the floor- put some weight on my busted foot and asses if the trip to the bathroom was going to be a 4 or a 7 on the pain scale" - that's funny because that's exactly how my mornings go as well!

By the way, I've been running a little since my 2nd (hardware removal) surgery and my ankle is holding up ok. I was visiting my sister a week ago, went on a short run, got lost and accidentally did a 9.5 mi run, which is my longest in about 10 years (I only broke my heel 3 years ago). I was surprised that my level of pain was kind of average next morning.

switching to minimalist shoes, learning how to run correctly (no heel strike) and learning how much running volume my foot needs/can handle has played a huge role in decreasing pain and increasing function in my ankle.. it blows my mind that something I was told I might never be able to do, and was terrified of for 20+Yrs has played such a big role in my recent progress .


me running a 30K trail race in Huarches!! 



Michael B · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2021 · Points: 0
Quinn Hatfield wrote:

I ended up going way deep on minimalist and barefoot.. after a bit I was exclusively in Zero Drop, Wide Toe Box and Zero Arch shoes.. at this point the only exceptions in my closet are a couple pairs of Old School Vans a full size bigger than what I used to wear (they are low drop/low arch) and one pair of Scarpa Alpine Boots for when I need crampons.. (arch insole removed) 

Funny you should mention Vans. Shoes made specifically for skateboarding are really the most functional for me currently. They're very low profile and flat (which is desirable for being able to "feel" your board) with minimal arch support. A few pairs I own also have various fancy cushioning in them around the heel and ball of the foot while still being flat. That said, I have crazy high arches. The doctor said he and the team working on my foot during surgery had to triple check my other foot to make sure they didn't try to correct my arch. Having high arches basically means all shoes have no arch support. And honestly, I wouldn't have a clue what having supported arches is like. It's never been a thing for me. I can stand on a garden hose and hardly touch it if it's running under my arches.

One consequence of having high arches is that really only the heel or the ball of my foot support my weight. I suspect this isn't making things easier for me, but I'll never really know. I don't have a "flat" foot to go and break to find out.

I am able to walk barefoot on tile and wood floors, but not for very long. I begin to really feel it in my heel. I bet that'll be less of a problem as the ball of my foot comes back online to support the entire weight, but until then, it feels identical to what a very bruised heel feels like until I get off it.

I actually did ask my doctor why he suggested wearing the air cast, and it had nothing to do with my heel recovery specifically. He was worried about other injuries related to not having a fully capable foot. Less muscles supporting things means less muscles preventing rolled ankles and similar. So while the skateboard shoes or going barefoot might help, I think they open the door to other risks as well. Risks I'm willing to take if it means I get back to normal quicker.

James Anderson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2021 · Points: 0

Update on me: today was 8+ weeks post accident, 6 weeks post surgery. X-rays showed that I was healing great and MD started me on partial weight bearing with boot only. Told me to start light with crutches and work into walking on my full weight by next appointment in 6 weeks. He also said that he felt like I would be ok without PT but if I was still having trouble by next appointment that we would do that next. I was eager to put some weight on so I did a few “trial runs” with very little weight but it was quickly evident that I have a long way to go! I will post more as I progress. Quick background for those that don’t want to read back thru…..I fell 16’ shattering my calcaneus and shoving it way up into my ankle bones and joint. Had 8 screws and a plate put in to pull it back down into place and piece it back together. 
Diane D · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2021 · Points: 0

I’ve been reading through all of the comments on this site to see what to expect from this injury since July 12, 2021. Here’s my story. I am a 61 year old woman- not a rock climber- but am pretty active biking, hiking, walking etc.  We have a cabin in the UP of Michigan and while playing with my dog this summer, I was accidently knocked off of our dock by him into the water. My left foot landed directly onto a goodsized rock and instantly broke the subtalar joint and the calcaneus bone. Had ORIF surgery about a week later with  a plate and 11 screws used in the repair. Was in a splint for 10 days,then went into a fiberglass cast for the next month.No weight bearing. Used a knee scooter which was harder than it looks. Very tippy and hard to get around on uneven terrain at the cabin.  I had pain but surprisingly it wasn’t that bad-Tylenol helped most days but 1/2 a Vicodin was needed at times as well. The worst part while wearing the cast was an intermittent rubbing directly on my incision. It burned like fire especially by the end of the day and it seemed to be positional. I take Gabapentin for migraines and it actually helped with the incisional pain.The cast came off on Aug 30 then I went into a boot, still NWB. Still using the knee scooter and a walker- crutches were too hard for me. Was in the boot for another month. Still had the incisional/nerve pain which was helped with the Gabapentin. Boot came off on Sept 30 and I was put into a custom brace-see photo. Able to put weight on as tolerated. The brace works by not allowing weight to be put on the heel. Your leg bones, front part of your foot and toes absorb the weight. I had to use crutches at first but progressed to walking without them in about 2 weeks. Another X-ray on Oct 30 showed that things were healing well, but I still have to wear the brace until November 30. I am allowed to take it off and walk as tolerated inside the house but when outside, I have to wear it. Went to Boston last weekend and walked 8 miles each day we were there- used a cane- without too much difficulty. My biggest issue has been the nerve pain.it mainly hurts along the lateral aspect of my foot and can be quite intense at times.It’s not debilitating but I do need to take an Aleve twice a day along with 400 mg Gabapentin at night. I don’t seem to feel much pain in the heel itself, mostly around the perimeter. Also, in the instep at times. I have been going to PT since Sept 30 twice a week for ankle ROM,strength training, and balance. Anxiously awaiting my next doctor’s appointment to see if I can ditch the brace completely. Fingers crossed!

James Anderson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2021 · Points: 0

Update since I’m frying a turkey and got time to kill……I’m not sure if this is a positive post or a not. It’s been about 2 weeks since Doc put me on partial weight bearing with boot on. I can get around great with 1 crutch (and even a cane). I can even do short trips with no support. Done a few tests without the boot but it’s definitely not time for that yet. In the morning my ankle and foot are almost normal sized but by evening when I get in from work it looks hideous and feels even worse (see pic). Pain is still terrible at times. Seems to go hand in hand with the swelling. I’m not taking any prescription drugs for pain but I will admit to a Jack and Coke a little more often than normal. I can’t wear a sock for more than about 30 minutes or so. It gets uncomfortable to the point of an annoying pain. I was super excited when I was told to start putting some weight on, but I was really hoping for faster progress. It’s definitely going to be a slower road than some of you had. I did forget to say on my last post that at my last appointment, the Dr did mention something about removing my hardware and doing a bone fusion after everything has completely healed and I am full weight bearing. I think he is not thrilled about where my plate had to go since it’s so close to some moving parts. Anyway, I am progressing although very slowly I feel. Happy Thanksgiving!
Tzilla Rapdrilla · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 970

One thing I discovered that helped me from a calc fracture (broken into 3 pieces and repaired with 12 screws) and after having DVT and pulmonary embolisms was to do CV workouts. Once I got to where I could crutch it into the gym and get on the rowing machine it cut the swelling in half in just a couple of days. I just pushed with my good foot, but got my heart rate up. After that I did stationary bike and that helped too. Getting the heart rate up as soon as possible to get blood flow through the part of the body that has the lowest natural flow is key for healing and reducing swelling. 

David Pneuman · · All Around Colorado · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 0

So, approx. 5 years post Heel break. Admittedly being a sideways fracture rather then an upward fracture that involved my ankle.

100% mobility. 1 % soreness now if working it pretty hard. Don't notice anything most of the time. Sometimes even forget which heel it was.

Steel '8' still in there. No sensitivity to it at all.

Harry Moore · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2021 · Points: 0
James Anderson wrote:

Update since I’m frying a turkey and got time to kill……I’m not sure if this is a positive post or a not. It’s been about 2 weeks since Doc put me on partial weight bearing with boot on. I can get around great with 1 crutch (and even a cane). I can even do short trips with no support. Done a few tests without the boot but it’s definitely not time for that yet. In the morning my ankle and foot are almost normal sized but by evening when I get in from work it looks hideous and feels even worse (see pic). Pain is still terrible at times. Seems to go hand in hand with the swelling. I’m not taking any prescription drugs for pain but I will admit to a Jack and Coke a little more often than normal. I can’t wear a sock for more than about 30 minutes or so. It gets uncomfortable to the point of an annoying pain. I was super excited when I was told to start putting some weight on, but I was really hoping for faster progress. It’s definitely going to be a slower road than some of you had. I did forget to say on my last post that at my last appointment, the Dr did mention something about removing my hardware and doing a bone fusion after everything has completely healed and I am full weight bearing. I think he is not thrilled about where my plate had to go since it’s so close to some moving parts. Anyway, I am progressing although very slowly I feel. Happy Thanksgiving!
Harry Moore · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2021 · Points: 0

James had a similar situation as you climbed in to a tree stand on 10/30/21 as soon as I got in the strap let loose platform dropped out from under me causing me to fall 16 ft on to my left ankle. I suffered a head contusion and a commuted heal fracture into the joint. I had a plate and 9 screws put in. I am currently 3 weeks post surgery pain is still pretty intense and the skin on my foot is as dry as can be looking to see when your pain started to subside. It is tolerable all day long but gets pretty bad at night still. Hopping for light at the end of the tunnel.

James Anderson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2021 · Points: 0

Harry I’m probably not the person you want to hear from on that! I still have that tolerable pain all day that seems to progressively get worse towards the end of the day. By 5:00-6:00 I just want a stiff drink and to get my Aircast off and get that foot elevated. But, keep in mind, I only missed 1 day of work the day after I fell and I missed 5 more days the week of my surgery. But other than those 6 days, I have worked 8-10 hours a day during my whole 13 week ordeal so far. I have also been on the go a lot outside of work. Did a vacation with my family and have even climbed up into a few of my short box stands that are only about 6’ off the ground with a little help. So I haven’t exactly followed doctors orders. The best advice I can give you is something that others on here have already said: this injury will only drag you down as much as you let it. It hurts, it’s aggravating and it’s depressing. It would be easy to just give up and let it consume you. But, if you push through and keep active, you can still live a little while you travel this long road to recovery. 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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