Broken Bone

Hi, folks!

I'm posting partly to whine, and partly to ask for advice, so please forgive the whining part. ;)

Today I was at a corn maze with my family, and stepped in a hole and broke my ankle. This is my first broken bone. Not being able to navigate stairs, do my usual chores, go places, look after myself and my child and pets and gardens.... It's very triggering after so many years bedbound by chronic illness. I know this is a different thing, but I have heard enough people say that their chronic conditions began or reactivated with a trauma to the system, such as an injury....

What would you recommend I do to keep my system chill and strong while I deal with the physical and mental stress of this? I'm looking for ideas to help a broken bone heal, but also to keep remnants of infections and thier associated conditions from flaring.

Thanks in advance for help brainstorming!

saraeli said...
What would you recommend I do to keep my system chill and strong while I deal with the physical and mental stress of this?

I'd say avoiding this forum and any other health-related websites, except for initially getting some practical suggestions.

Perhaps this isn't an issue for others, but I find that excessive thinking about "health" usually leads me to worse mental health. If that continues long enough, my physical health will suffer as a consequence, through a variety of means.

If you're a regular consumer of news programs on television, radio, YouTube, Reddit, podcasts, or elsewhere, I'd consider a news fast for a period of time. Fasting isn't just for food...

Anyway, I posed the following question to two different AI programs:

Is there anything that can help heal a broken ankle? That is, anything to help reduce inflammation and/or anything to speed up healing?

Following are the two answers I received. As expected, there's a lot of overlap.

Bing AI Chatbot: Yes, there are several things that can help heal a broken ankle:

1. Rest and Elevation: Rest your ankle whenever possible and raise it to reduce swelling⁴.

2. Ice Application: Apply an ice pack to the injured area to decrease soft-tissue swelling¹.

3. Compression: Use an elastic wrap to reduce the swelling¹.

4. Medication: Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be used to reduce pain². Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any medication¹.

5. Physical Therapy: After your bone has healed, you may need physical therapy to improve flexibility, balance, and strength².

6. Diet: Consuming foods rich in calcium such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and plenty of vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and kale can help strengthen bones¹.

7. Lifestyle Modifications: Avoid or limit alcohol and engage in mild to moderate regular exercises¹.

Remember, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice and treatment options. Healing times can vary depending on the severity of the fracture and individual health conditions³.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 10/13/2023
(1) Broken ankle - NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-ankle
(2) Diagnosis of Broken ankle and what are its different treatment options? https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/condition/broken-ankle/hp-broken-ankle?source=conditioncdx
(3) Broken ankle - Diagnosis & treatment - Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/broken-ankle/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20450038
(4) Broken Ankle (Ankle Fractures): Symptoms, Causes & Treatment https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21644-broken-ankle
(5) Sprained ankle - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sprained-ankle/symptoms-causes/syc-20353225

~~~~~

Docus AI Health Assistant: Yes, there are several ways to help heal a broken ankle, reduce inflammation, and speed up the healing process.

1. Rest: It's important to keep weight off the injured area to reduce pain and prevent further damage.

2. Ice: Apply ice to the area for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours for the first 24 to 72 hours. This can help reduce swelling.

3. Compression: Elastic bandages can help prevent additional swelling and provide support.

4. Elevation: Prop your ankle up above the level of your heart as often as you can. This can help reduce swelling and pain.

5. Pain Medication: Over-the-counter pain relievers can help manage pain and reduce inflammation.

6. Physical Therapy: Once your doctor says it's safe, physical therapy exercises can help restore your ankle's strength and flexibility.

7. Adequate Nutrition: Consuming enough protein, Vitamin C, and calcium can help speed up bone healing.

Remember, it's crucial to follow your doctor's advice and treatment plan. They may recommend a cast or boot to immobilize the ankle, and in some cases, surgery may be necessary.

Please note that while I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date medical information, this advice is general in nature, and your personal health situation may be different. Always consult with a healthcare provider for advice suitable to your specific circumstances.

~~~~~

I'm sorry for your mishap and hope you heal quickly and without incident!

saraeli said...
Hi, folks!

I'm posting partly to whine, and partly to ask for advice, so please forgive the whining part. ;)

Today I was at a corn maze with my family, and stepped in a hole and broke my ankle. This is my first broken bone. Not being able to navigate stairs, do my usual chores, go places, look after myself and my child and pets and gardens.... It's very triggering after so many years bedbound by chronic illness. I know this is a different thing, but I have heard enough people say that their chronic conditions began or reactivated with a trauma to the system, such as an injury....

What would you recommend I do to keep my system chill and strong while I deal with the physical and mental stress of this? I'm looking for ideas to help a broken bone heal, but also to keep remnants of infections and thier associated conditions from flaring.

Thanks in advance for help brainstorming!

Sorry for this, saraeli!

I have recently had a symptom very similar to one of my first Lyme symptom - and I had a little panic attack. I went up to the bedroom and cried it out.

Soon after it subsided - my husband pointed out that is prob from us not turning the furnace on when it was cold.
(The symptom was internal vibrations / shivering)

Hang in there !

saraeli I've broken bones relatively often when I was younger. I can vouch for the things Dude mentioned. Especially physical therapy can be very helpful, if needed.

Also, I don't know if they still transfer from a big cast to a smaller cast but if they do, don't forget to ask if you can quickly wash your ankle in between, even if it's just with a wet cloth. Because it can get pretty itchy and gross after a while.

Thank you, everyone! It's nice to have some commiseration and some ideas for ways to speed things along safely. I know I am one to do too much too soon....

Everyone might find it interesting (by which I mean infuriating) that at urgent care (which was attached to a full hospital) I was left in a room by myself for 5 hours with nowhere to elevate my ankle. No one gave me ice, water, or ibuprofen, and I could not go ask anyone what was going on because I couldn't walk! A nationwide shortage of radiologists meant that the hospital had to send my x-rays to Boston (despite having dozens of closer hospitals) to have them read, and then wait for a report to be generated. When I left with an air cast, no one recommended I ice my ankle, elevate it, take breaks from the air cast, etc. They just said to follow up with an orthopedist next week (because of course the break was confirmed after 5 on a Friday). I always thought that medical facilities were bad at the weird conditions I have but that they would be good at stuff like broken bones!!

Astroman - Not being able to do the things you depend on yourself to do each day is terribly frustrating! Especially now that I'm self-sufficient again and do more caretaking for others than vice versa. Fortunately these days my child is 12 and can help me in some ways she could not when I was similarly disabled by tick-borne infections. Thanks for the reminder to just do less and accept it.

Dude - You mean reading about chronic illness and war are not good for me?! Honestly I should be doing media fasts at least once per month. The lists of broken ankle tips seem straightforward, and I'm doing those, so it eases my mind to know I'm doing the right things so far.

Garzie - Thanks for the Buhner post. As it happens, I cut down my enormous elder plant for the year (it always grows back to 12 feet tall every year) just last week, so I have no elder leaves to use! Bad timing for herbal medicine, but good timing for getting fall yard work done while I still could. ;) Do you think elder leaf would have the same immune-stimulating properties as elderberry? I ask because in the past elderberry extract has been overly immune-stimulating for me.

Rainy - Gah! Yes, the smell and itch inside a cast is foul. I had a cast for eight weeks as a kid when I tore three sets of ligaments in this same ankle. Curiously, in 28 years, I never had a single twinge of discomfort in that ankle since it healed, until now. If I end up with a regular cast, then I will take any opportunity to mitigate those interior cast issues! Good tip.

Girlie - Panic is such a terrible feeling! I'm glad your panic moment was minor and passed quickly. It's no fun when these obnoxious symptoms arise, especially when we've been feeling fairly good! (Really psyched for you about the concerts!)

Lynnwood - Thanks for sharing your experience! It's very encouraging. After a long time feeling bad and having things not work as well as they seem to for other humans, it's easy to catastrophize and think that my ankle will never heal, I'll have problems with it forever, I'll ruin other joints by compensating for it, it broke because I have feeble bones I didn't know were feeble or some other surprise condition, I'll get blood clots from this, etc. So encouragement is really helpful! Sometimes things do just heal up fine!

I have an air cast right now, just because that's all the ER people offer, apparently. (?!) I'm supposed to see an orthopedist next week, and I'll call Monday for an appointment whenever they can get me in. (No idea why the orthopedics department at the hospital where I was could not have weighed in or why i could not have been given an MRI there!) The orthopedist decides whether I get a hard cast or need surgery. They might also do an MRI first to check on ligaments, which might have torn alongside the bone break. The ankle is definitely swollen, but not too badly.

Maybe I missed this, but any Lyme type reactions after the stress of breaking as you were asking about?

And sorry you had the misfortune of the break.

Update:

I saw an orthopedist, who showed me my x-rays, and apparently the break is small, and just feels a little tender when pressed on directly. All the pain and swelling is coming from loads of torn ligaments. For both the break and the torn ligaments, I was told to put weight on my ankle and use it as soon as it doesn't hurt to do so. This was interesting to me, as it's a departure from the advice given about such things when I was younger; back then, you were supposed to immobilize it as long as possible.

My ankle is still swollen and painful, and is one giant bruise. I'm supposed to use the air cast and have more x-rays taken in four weeks. Not being able to move around is driving me nuts.

If anyone wants to send along ligament healing suggestions, then that's welcome, too....