A Fractured Fibula :-(

I broke my leg in Sicily.

Walking.

Just walking.

I took a step with my right leg and slipped on a little lava rock and rolled my left ankle underneath me as I went down on one knee. I don't really remember it, but all of my friends say I just gracefully went down in slow motion. I do remember hopping back up and taking a few minutes to test out my leg before realizing that I could walk on it, so I didn't break anything (ha!), just really twisted it. 

We had just arrived at our first vineyard on our first day in Sicily. I tried to put my ankle out of mind, and turned my attention to the wine at hand. We walked all around the vineyard, then made our way to the veranda for some tasting. I got a nice seat, some ice, and my friend's scarf to wrap around the ice and ankle and I figured all would be well. (Note: my foot is dirty from the tumble, not bruised…yet!) 

At Terrazze dell'Etna wine tasting

That first day there was no swelling and no bruising, but I walked with quite a limp. The next day we went out to explore the volcano. I took it easy, forgoing the walks, and tried to rest my sore (and only slightly bruised and swollen) ankle. By the third and last full day in Sicily, my ankle was really letting me know it was unhappy. A really good bruise showed up overnight and I had a hard time walking around in the heat of Taormina. Thankfully, the next morning we would be flying and driving home, and I didn't have much on my plate for the next several days so I decided I'd rest my ankle for a while so that it will heal. Only… it just got more swollen as the bruise abated.

I had an existing doctors appointment a few days after we returned home, and by then Bill and I both thought I should have the doctor take a look at it. My doctor didn't think anything was broken by palpating it, but she wasn't sure so she printed out an x-ray form for me to take to the hospital the next day. 

That night was our 10th Wedding anniversary, so Bill and I walked into town for dinner. I was *that* certain the x-ray would reveal nothing major. 

On our last day in Sicily, bruised, swollen, and mosquito bites

In fact, I went to the hospital the next morning wearing skinny jeans and cute ankle boots. I drove myself and walked into the x-ray department. After the two x-rays, the technician said, "Yes, your fibula's broken. Wanna see?" I hopped off the table, inducing a sympathetic wince from the technician as I limped over to see two very clear, clean-through breaks creating what looked like a pie wedge in my fibula. The tech offered to wheel me down to A&E (accident and emergency - UK's ER), but I'd been walking that long, what's another 100 feet? 

I waited about 1-1/2 hours before I was walked back to a little cubicle. The A&E doctor asked me to confirm my DOB a second time after getting to the cubicle. She left me for a minute before coming back to say, "I had to make sure I had the right person with the right x-ray. How are you WALKING?" I rolled my eyes and said, "I don't know!" 

I received a soft cast to allow the swelling to go down.  This cast was mostly gauze with some serious plaster of paris around the sides and back of my ankle to prevent any movement. The A&E team were kind enough to give me a pair of "surgery trousers" and let me change out of my jeans so they didn't have to cut them off. I really didn't think that one through - D'oh! 

My soft cast and crutches

Five days later, I went back to the fracture clinic and got a fancy, light weight, fiberglass plaster the color of my choosing. I went purple! I was not allowed to put any weight on my foot for the foreseeable future, so I spent 5 weeks hopping around on one leg and crutches. 

Crutches suck! You cannot move anywhere and carry anything with you. Bill outfitted me with a small backpack so I could take my kindle, iPad, and water bottle to various rooms in the house. Oh! And we have a wonderful, old, rickety Victorian with rooms situated over three floors. The stairs are tall and skinny, so after attempting to navigate them on crutches that first day and realizing I would end up breaking my neck in the process of moving from floor to floor, I took all of the stairs on my bum. For 5+ weeks, I was scooting up and down stairs, dragging my crutches and backpack up and down as I went. 

The NHS (UK's national health service) no longer distributes armpit crutches because they can do a number on your lymph nodes, so I had to use 100% arm upper body strength to move from place A to place B using bicep-cuff braces. Unless I was scooting on my bum, that is :-) 

My dandy plaster!

After 5 long weeks that were made infinitely better thanks to Bill and all of you who visited, texted, messaged, emailed, picked up our groceries, and brought food for us,  I went in for the dandy plaster removal. 

The cutting of the plaster

I had never had a cast before, and was surprised that the saw just vibrates and won't cut you even if it touches your skin. It was pretty remarkable, really. 

So happy!!!

And it's off!!!

The fracture clinic doctor I saw sent me home with a velcro leg brace that I was instructed to wear for the next 4-6 weeks. While I was glad to have some extra support, I thought that 4-6 weeks seemed a bit excessive. In all of my sports massage training, I learned that the quicker you can get moving, the quicker you heal, and the faster you'll be back to normal.  

Thankfully, I had my first physiotherapy appointment the very next day. The PT could not understand why, if I was not given a return appointment at the fracture clinic, I would be so restricted for so long. The PT is going to call the fracture clinic to see if there is any real reason why I need the brace for so long. In the meantime, he suggested I wear it while outside of the house, but take it off at home, where I am safe. 

My new leg brace 

In the last 48 hours, the swelling that remains is slowly going down. My flexibility and strength is already improving. And my overall happiness of being able to re-join the human race has put a perma-grin on my fact so wide, I'm sure I'll break my cheeks!

Thank you for reading this long post / rant. 

And here's to never breaking anything, ever, again! 

Cheers!!!