Fractured fibula & dislocation - this blows

[Dekonick]

so much for riding for the next 4 months. I am sitting in the hospital doped up on a ton of narcotics and a dislocated ankle with a fibuka fracture.

I am told 4-6 month rehab timeframe.

well - back to lala loopy land...

:crap:

[dogdriver]

1 Percocet isn't enough. The nurses give you two so you'll fall asleep and leave them alone.

My ER Doc buddy's secret solution: 1 Percocet and 1 beer.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

[Gothard]

Ouch. That's gotta hurt. The good part is that the tibia (main load bearing structure) is not broken- these are tricky to repair correctly wrt the joint surface. The bad news is that ligament injury takes looong to heal.
Good luck!

[Lifelover]

That Fn sucks!

What happened?

Maybe take a little refuge in the "A little Help please!!!!" (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=59564) thread.

[chuckroast]

Best wishes for a speedy and hassle free recovery. When you are lucid again, how about telling us what the h happened.
And, major props for posting from the hospital. What a connected world we live in no?
Be glad you are ok enough to be mad.

[merckx]

I am sorry to hear about your misfortune. However, when you get back on the bike, it will be the sweetest moment. Something to look forward to. Here is to a speedy recovery!

[thwart]

The only good part of all this is you may be able to spend more time with us on the Forum... :D ;)

Seriously, hope that predicted recovery time is for 'average' folks. We know you're way above average.

[chuckred]

Heal well!

[Dekonick]

Serious props to the fire department and ER staff. They were FANTASTIC! I was in and out in under 4 hours! Not bad for an overloaded ER! It helps that I obviously know everyone there...but even so they went above and beyond.
The story behind the fracture is silly - I wish I could say I was sparring with William, or wrestling 5 thugs, or saving a child from a burning house... but...

What happened was I got out of bed. Thats it! I tripped and twisted my foot, only foot stayed, my body did not. Snap!

Gotta say it hurt like hell. Soft tissue injuries are painful. MSO4 sucks - 12 mg didn't even touch the pain - It took a 'heavy, full' 1mg dose of dilaudid and some fentanyl along with 2% lidocaine in the joint (block) to reduce the pain to a tolerable level. I was looped - kept falling asleep, but still had (and have) pain!

I am fairly tolerant of pain - and usually don't complain much. Wait until I post a pic of the contorted limb... gotta wait for the medic to return from another trip to the trauma center so he can email me a copy (I had him take a picture because it was so contorted it will be good for teaching)

Anyway, still drugged up - in pain, pissed because it is a beautiful day and I JUST put a new cassette and chain on the Hors Cat....

Demmit!

:crap:

I just need to keep things in perspective. It could always be worse. There are many people who are much worse off. I will just have to remember how fortunate I really am - I have a wonderful wife, 2 fantastic boys, an understanding job (I had a constant stream of co-workers visiting me including the assistant chief - not bad for a Sunday!) and will be able to get back on the bike in the future.

Thanks for all of the support!

Dek.

[93legendti]

Wow. Sorry to hear about your injuries. I hope you heal quickly!

[Smiley]

Get well soon, And a speedy recovery.

[gasman]

Oh man what a bummer.

I hope you heal well soon.

No surgery even with a fractured distal fibula ? Dislocation only ? be sure to see a good sports orthopod, even if it is ligamentous you sometimes will do better with a surgical repair.

[malcolm]

The dislocation part will probably be more troublesome than the fracture. Good luck and I hope all is well.

[MRB]

Be on the mend in peace. Your bike will be there when you're ready.
Sorry to hear of your accident, but time will heal you up.

[Elefantino]

D:

That first ride back is going to be something magical, memorable and definitely worth looking forward to. Experience talking here.

Take care, stay sane and give us regular updates.

E :beer:

[Kurt]

and you prob already know but you are in for the long haul. I broke my tib and fib 10/07 and had a full dislocation - left foot @ 9:00, not good. totally beside myself in pain, on the full heath ledger deal for 6 weeks, and 2 weeks to get off the drugs I got hooked on. did not feel the top of my foot for 8 months. to fast track the recovery use the stick and either two tennis balls lashed together with 25' of seg tape or the rollers that the stick company markets. I had a cast on for 6 weeks and it took 6 weeks to start walking again correctly. left leg had total atrophy and will always look a little smaller which is too bad as my calves were one of my better features, lol. as others have said, the soft tissue and nerves are the drag, they can take years, I am still heading - putting the bones together are not as big an issue but you still should get the best dr you can find in the area or travel to get to one, its makes a huge difference. the good news is you will surface again and you might be as good as new - I can do anything on my bike, ride the old ducati, ride karts, drive a stick, the works but it takes some time. send me an email if you want further details. take care, I feel for you - this is one of the very worst and most painful injuries a person can get.

[zap]

Damn, freak accident.

:beer: to a speedy recovery.

[Peter P.]

I ask because I sprained my ankle today and took a trip to the ER. I thought for sure it was broken but the X-Rays came back negative.

All I was doing was kneeling on the driveway sharpening my chainsaw. I stood up, swung to the right and my right foot seemed to stay planted. I heard he SNAP! and had all I could do to keep from blacking out.

And what were my first thoughts?-What will I do about the time trial series?! D2R2?! My season is ruined!

Dekonick gets it, too. My problems are minimal compared to MANY others; I'm almost ashamed at my good fortune.

[ThasFACE]

Not awesome.

Speedy recovery! Give that rehab hell.

[Dekonick]

Oh man what a bummer.

I hope you heal well soon.

No surgery even with a fractured distal fibula ? Dislocation only ? be sure to see a good sports orthopod, even if it is ligamentous you sometimes will do better with a surgical repair.


Oh, there will be surgery. I see the surgeon tomorrow. Surgery to be scheduled this week.

:crap:

[Climb01742]

best wishes and heal quickly.

[Sandy]

Sorry to hear about your accident. I have lots of inefficiently used extra time. If you need any help, please let me know and I will drive up. Will be glad to come over and take Truckie out for some walks if you want.


Sandy

[rpm]

Your accident is just awful. I hope you have a faster-than-expected recovery. And I was feeling sorry for myself for missing May because of a stress fracture in my ankle that I got climbing stairs with my bike. My problem is trivial compared to yours. I may be back on my bike this week (Hope, hope!)

Actually, I took my relative immobility as an opportunity to develop some aspects of myself that I had neglected. I read more, and worked on practicing some meditation and cultivating my spirituality. I had more success this time being quiet and contemplative than I've had before.

Since you're going to be laid up for quite a while, maybe you can find some self-development opportunities during that time also. If you have some directions in mind, I bet Forum folks could help you put together some good reading lists. I wish you all the best.

[slowgoing]

Can’t speak to the fibula break, but I did dislocate my ankle a few years back. Tore everything plus bone bruises, felt very discouraging and like it would take forever to heal and tighten back up, but it didn’t. Stay off it for as long as they say, then follow the physical therapy schedule religiously, including doing exercises five times a day if that's what they say. Those work extremely well, it was amazing how much tightness and strength I gained a matter of days when it was time to start them. So don’t get discouraged, just do what they say and you’ll be good as new in proper time. From what I have heard, the people who have the real problem are those that don’t do proper PT the first time around, set themselves up for re-injury later.

Godspeed.

[sokyroadie]

Speedy recovery, It would be good therapy to build a new bike while you are recovering.

Jeff

[soulspinner]

Heal quik bro! :beer: The beer percocet sounds like a solution :p

[William]

Look, I told you that would happen if you planted your foot when my low kick comes in. Raise the leg and shield with the shin. Next tim……………Um…..yea…..DK fell down….that’s it….yes he fell down. ;)


DK, that sucks man. Wishing you a speedy recovery, and Mr. Brunk will send over my nurse when he’s ready. Jack? Jack? :confused:

Take care and wishing you a pain free as possible recovery. :beer:





William

[djg]

That sucks -- hope that you mend well and that you're feeling ok in the meantime.

[Songline]

Wishing you a speedy and easy recovery.

[pbbob]

such tragic bad luck.
Get someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours or so while in the hospital after surgery and you are still stuporous so they can be your advocate, to keep the hospital staff on their toes. you know, to make sure you get pain meds in a timely pattern, get that extra blanket for you, empty the damn urinal etc, all the things that may or most likely won't get done in a timely manner and keep you in a proper mood and shorten your stay.

here's to an uneventful recovery.

bob

[Kevan]

So I read your first post and I'm thinkin' "that's it...I'm riding from now on with a mattress tied around me! I mean day-yam!" The roads up here are in terrible shape and NY's nonexistent budget to repair anything means our roads probably look something like those in Iraq or Romania. So I'm out there Sunday (a glorious day by the way, tho you might argue different) in blinding brillance and deep shade charging down hills, finding religion. Then first thing I read...is your post and I'm thinking this coulda been me! Then I read this happened getting out of bed??? Day-yam! We're all doomed!

Dek, seriously...know that we all feel for you and wish you a speedy return. Let us know when you're out of bed, I might need that mattress.

[Dekonick]

:crap: LOL - finding religion....

Love it!

There is something special about flying downhill...I can hardly wait untl I am allowed to get back on the bike. My guess is I will probably be riding long before I am running. I assume cycling will be part of my PT - non wt bearing, good for strength gain for the atrophy... etc.

Bob - excellent advice about having an advocate.

Get this:

I talk with a friend today - he is the head of ortho at Shock Trauma. He sets it up for me to have surgery today or tomorrow morning, helps pick the knife who is gonna cut etc... I am all ready to go - call to set up pre op etc... and find out they don't take my insurance. A major trauma center abd they di=ont take Aetna...

Had to scramble to find another doc with a good reputation etc... but now I wont be cut until thursday at the earliest - I want this chit over demmit! It still freaking hurts and even with advil on top of percocet I am miserable.

:crap:

[Kurt]

:crap: LOL - finding religion....

Love it!

There is something special about flying downhill...I can hardly wait untl I am allowed to get back on the bike. My guess is I will probably be riding long before I am running. I assume cycling will be part of my PT - non wt bearing, good for strength gain for the atrophy... etc.

Bob - excellent advice about having an advocate.

Get this:

I talk with a friend today - he is the head of ortho at Shock Trauma. He sets it up for me to have surgery today or tomorrow morning, helps pick the knife who is gonna cut etc... I am all ready to go - call to set up pre op etc... and find out they don't take my insurance. A major trauma center abd they di=ont take Aetna...

Had to scramble to find another doc with a good reputation etc... but now I wont be cut until thursday at the earliest - I want this chit over demmit! It still freaking hurts and even with advil on top of percocet I am miserable.

:crap:

nobody is going to cut into you until the swelling goes down, like 4-6 days, it would be like doing a ripe tomato. if they are not advising you to keep you leg elevated look for someone else. I am not kidding. this can be a life changing injury if not done the right way. ask around, anyone smart will verify this.

[ericspin]

Reviving this thread because I'm interested how your recovery was Dekonick. I just created a thread asking for some experience, strength and hope and your injury sounds somewhat similar to mine except it was the tibia for me. Haven't reached the point of weight bearing yet but the doc says it should happen around Oct 15.

[cnighbor1]

ask and look into laser healing has a tooth out thrusday dentist used a laser beam to stimulate healing worked fine

[rounder]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

I am trying to get my new K. Bedford built up so i can ride it. Woke up the other morning with my hand in pain...i think i wacked it the night before while working in the basement. It was pretty swollen. Went to the neighborhood clinic. Xrays were taken and was referred to a bone doctor, who referred me to a therapist to make up a splint. Looking to 4 weeks of recovery. This time of year is beautiful and riding is great. New bike...can't ride it. Bummed out.

[lzuk]

Good Luck with you recovery!

[Ahneida Ride]

The only good part of all this is you may be able to spend more time with us on the Forum... :D ;)

Seriously, hope that predicted recovery time is for 'average' folks. We know you're way above average.

Amen !

to a speedy recovery !

[mike p]

That sucks Dek! Hope you have a speedy recovery. Try to put the time you would have been riding to good use.

Mike

PS......Make up a better story about how you got your injury! Did you forget to use the clapper to turn your lights on before getting out of bed? ;-)

[ckamp]

Ouch! That sucks! It sounds familiar though, I broke my fib and fully (+100degrees rotation) dislocated my ankle. Just 6 months after I did a triathlon. Hope you have a speedy recovery.