Foot fracture & mental health decline

[Summerinvincible]

I fractured my right foot 6 weeks & 3 days ago and it has been the hardest thing I’ve gone through which completely took me by surprise (I’ve gone through hard times before and was on antidepressants for over a year 5 years ago).

I didn’t get the best care from the public hospital here in Perth so I spent a lot of time worrying if what was happening was normal, or if it was nerve damage. I’m a single parent of a primary school aged child which was added stress as I couldn’t drive (right foot!)

I can’t walk by myself yet but can at least drive now as of this week. So my mood perked up for a bit until I started the slow process of learning to walk again with crutches and moon boot. I was told it would take 6-8 weeks but it’s slow going. I wonder if I’ll ever feel completely normal again.

I’ve tried posting in Facebook groups but they won’t approve me as they say I’m asking for medical advice (I’m not!) I just need to be heard.

I wasn’t told anything specific about recovery except to “play it by ear” but luckily there’s lots of resources online from orthopaedic surgeons. I have crutches which cause pain in my wrists and squash the nerves in my hand so I have padded the handles with foam and got a wrist splint for support.

Last night I felt really down as I felt like I’d caused damage after a walking session. It doesn’t hurt at the time, just sharp twinges afterwards which is worrying so I’m just lying in bed now.

I feel like no one cares because I’m not dying and it’s not a long term condition even though when you suddenly can’t walk, the days are long. I feel really alone as only a couple of friends have provided practical help. One “friend” in particular disappeared completely.

Thanks for listening.

[The_Bro]

Gidday Summerinvincible.

It's The Bro here, new to these forums.

Your broken foot condition sucks. Sounds like you have tried lots of stuff to help the healing - so good on you for being tenacious.

Have you been watching the Olympics at all? There are so many examples of athletes who built their world on achieving a medal for many years, only to have their hopes and dreams come tumbling in an instant with an injury.

'I'm not OK yet but I will be" - Wow that reply impressed me. It came from Genevieve Gregson, who snapped her achilles tendon completely in the 3000m steplechase within sight of the finish line. Her running career is destroyed for at least a year. She went on to say how sad she was but together with her partner, is already planning a recovery programme that she cannot wait to start, after surgery on both her achilles tendons!

So it seems its perfectly normal to feel bloody pissed off when you have a long time injury like yours. Friends leaving you? Maybe the weren't very good friends to start with?

Stick with positive people and positive advice. Have you tried water based stuff like swimming or water running? At least it will get your heartrate up, some endorphins into your body and might make you feel a whole lot better.

Being a distance athlete, I have suffered quite a few long term injuries. The latest required a shoulder operation which put me out of action for 6 weeks. The surgeon said 6weeks to 6mths but I thought Bugger that, there is so much I can do to help myself recover sooner that that. Yes, he was very impressed with my recovery rate. Kept telling me to 'take it easy' but no one knows their body better than you do.

I sincerely hope some of this might help. Great to hear that you are driving again!

Please say so whatever you think - I am very happy to discuss further.

[Summerinvincible]

Hi The Bro 😊

thanks for replying to me.

You’re right, I guess they weren’t a good friend to begin with. I think I was just making myself feel extra sad by thinking about how other people have support and help from their family (I have none).
I’m single by choice because I love it, but the downside is there’s limited options to help when you need it. But I also realise that just because someone has a partner doesn’t necessarily mean said partner will be happy to provide support either.

I haven’t been watching the Olympics but thanks for the positive story. I’m not a great swimmer and to be honest the thought of hobbling to the pool on crutches sounds terrible. Maybe if someone put me in a wheelchair and took me there it’d be okay. I saw The Rock on TV and started wishing I could hire him to just carry me around all day! Haha.

I have been doing my best to try and stay positive. I’ve been keeping up my healthy cooking which I always do (haven’t resorted to Uber eats once). I’ve been keeping up my regular vitamin d and iron supplements and making sure I get 1200mg calcium a day.

I watched videos of a guy on YouTube who got polio when he was 6 and has spent his whole life in an iron lung. He’s in his 70s now but got a law degree and most importantly he absolutely loves life. What a champion. I felt like a very poor specimen after watching that, whinging about my condition which will most likely heal completely in time.

I’m also trying to think about positives that will come out of this situation, and things I can do differently. I don’t want things to return to how they used to be before this happened.

Anyway. Thanks for helping me find a tiny bit of hope.

[Elizabeth CP]

I fractured my foot a few years ago and it didn't heal as quickly or as well as it should. I'm used to being very independent and walking a lot so struggled. My husband is totally blind and had other serious health issues so I am his carer. This meant I couldn't rely on him to help. I share this to let you know i understand how difficult it is for you but based on my experience it will get better. I struggled getting back to walking as I'd attempt a walk but end up really struggling to get home or back to the ar. Even shopping trips would be aborted as I'd be struggling too much. After feeling really disheartened thinking I'd never get better I set myself a program to recover. I went for a short walk every day. Rather than pushing myself I walked a very short distance and increased this each day by a very small amount so I always succeeded. This allowed me to recover successfully both physically and mentally

[Summerinvincible]

Thank you. I’m hoping mine won’t be as bad as I need to get back to work in the office at some point. I’m working from home but won’t be able to do so forever. My fracture was undisplaced (bones lining up) and closed. I didn’t need surgery either. So in my doctor’s opinion it’s “not very exciting” but still so hard to get back to normal! The numbness and stiffness in my toes gets slightly better every day but such a slow process.

[geoff]

Hello Summerinvincible, isn't it awful when you aren't able to do what you could yesterday or the day before because now you have a fractured foot, your capability and your desire to do what you once were able to do, can't happen because you're incapacitated, something we never think could possibly happen until it does.

People we know as friends change their minds as quickly as they need to, because some don't want to be called upon when you need help, all they want to do is their own activities, work, enjoyment or social events without having to look after another person.

From all that's happened to me, each day you can achieve something you couldn't do the day before, and wait until the cask is taken off and the reaction from the nurse, I won't tell you just wait.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[The_Bro]

Gidday Summerinvincible

Your post made me laugh out loud - the image you painted about hobbling to the pool!

You have a great sense of humour that will be of tremendous help in your path to recovery.

Being alone would certainly be hard for you at the moment. But the "Funk" you are in will disappear soon and the strong person inside will follow your sense of humour and emerge larger than life!

Get that bloody foot to heal soon!

Cheers, The Bro

[Summerinvincible]

Just had a really bad day. 7 weeks today and it feels like it’s not getting any better. I’m also dealing with a child who has severe anxiety, low self esteem and emetophobia. She’s washing her hands excessively and won’t touch things properly because of germs. It’s so hard to deal with on top of everything else. I’m so sick of this right now.

[The_Bro]

Hi Summerinvincible

Really sorry to hear yesterday was pretty bad. Like anxiety, physical recovery can be like waves that wash over you and come and go, some with more power than others.

I hope you are on painkillers of some sort and getting the best advice you can.

It must be so taxing to have to care for your child as well. Sounds like you have had it diagnosed and are getting advice on that too.

I guess all you can do is look to the future which will me brighter - everyone on this forum thread has your recovery in mind and are sending positive thoughts.

The Bro

[Summerinvincible]

It’s a rollercoaster of emotions. This morning I felt good as I had to pick something up from the post office - haven’t been anywhere for 7 weeks and 2 days (apart from 2 clinic appointments). It went well, got good parking and walking with moon boot and crutches was actually fine.

Practiced some more at home and even started walking with one crutch on the opposite side and moon boot. So 100% of my weight and no pain. It gets my hopes up, but then after I rested for a while and then tried to do the same thing again, electric shocks in my heels with the first few steps started and scared the hell out of me. The first few steps are always hard every time - either electric shocks and/or feeling like there’s crunchy little lumps in my moon boot. I could’ve sworn there was something in my socks or moon boot but definitely nothing there! I guess it’s my nerves getting used to waking again?!

It’s frustrating because the orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital didn’t tell me any of this - would’ve helped to know what to expect and what’s normal. My toes seem to get less stiff every day but they’re still pretty stiff and the balls of my foot are still swollen - I tried doing an exercise where you put a towel on the floor and use your toes to pull it towards you - well my toes don’t even touch the floor - can’t make contact because the bottom of my forefoot is so swollen! I’ve started doing exercises where you pick up marbles with your toes and put them in a cup. Took a few attempts but I can do those at least.

I’m not in any pain thankfully, it’s more worrying that the doctor was so blasé about my injury (“not very exciting”) is how he put it. “You’re cleared to go and get back to normal over the next 1-2 weeks” was what I was told on 2nd August, with zero direction on how to accomplish this. And yet 11 days later I still have sore spots on the top of my foot, and swelling and am nowhere near weaning out of the boot. I’m worried about permanent nerve damage.

I’ve made an appointment with my GP for 19th August, so I hope she can help allay my fears or help in some other way.

Thanks for replying to my message. It helped.