Broken bones.

I was just wondering about other peoples stories about breaking bones. As I broke my first bone at the age of 57 just 8 weeks ago.

I was coming downstairs, and thought I'd reached the bottom, stepped out, then realised I hadn't, as I crashed down the last step. Anyway, I went to A&E, and it turned out my ankle was broken, and needed a plate in it, so I was admitted, and had an op the next day. Then the physiotherapist came  to see me. I was no weight bearing on the foot, and I have arthritis in my knees, so I couldn't use crutches, I had to have a zimmer frame. And I couldn't go upstairs, so my son bought a camp bed, and for 6 weeks I lived downstairs, in our little house, with no downstairs bathroom, and my hubby being commode monitor, hair washer, cook.. etc etc. And he's a man that has OCD, and doesn't cope well outside his routine.

But, we survived, I had the cast off 2 weeks ago, the camp bed has been packed away, the commode has a throw over it, and the cat has claimed it as his bed. And I'm getting about ok with the help of a crutch.

After 27 years in my job with only a couple of days off sick many years ago, I've been off on the sick for 8 weeks now, andin 2 weeks I had anual leave booked anyway, so I might not be going back till after that. Depending on the doc next week, and occupational health at work. My workplace is up 2 flights of stairs, and if I'm still needing the crutch on the stairs, I'm a liability in a fire. There's only 2 of us in the building when i'm on shift (I work nights)

For all that, it's never been terribly painful, it's very stiff, but, it's caused a flair up of the arthritis in that knee which is more painful than the foot. 

Sorry  to waffle on my first day back after rediscovering you, but this has been my life for the past 2 months, and become a focus point. I'd really be interested in hearing other peoples stories. 

I feel for you!!!

I'm 51 and had my first broken bone on March 20, 1990. Yes! It was so traumatic that I remember the date!

I was on my way home from my second job, at 8:30 pm.  It was freezing rain (sleet) outside. I wore my new rain boots.  I got off the bus and was crossing the street. I got to the centre of the street and I wiped out.  Streets tend to slope down towards the curbs so that the water doesn't puddle in the middle of the street. It seems that this street sloped more than normal. Anyway, I slipped and fell. I got that horrid feeling of having zinged my knee. I stood up and took a step and fell again. I knew something was wrong, so I managed to crawl/drag myself to the curb. I was about 1 block from home.  I didn't know what to do.  The next thing I know I'm being picked up off of the ground by some big guy and he's demanding that I stand. I kept telling him that I can't. The next thing I know I'm being shoved into a car and the driver is driving literally 10 miles per hour. 

I was feeling so nauseated from the pain. I had never felt pain like that, ever!  Eventually we got to the ER. Turns out my ankle was broken completely around. I was told that if I didn't have surgery I would never walk again.  After they temporarily set my ankle and put a removable 1/2 cast on my leg, they transferred me to the only bed available, on a floor of the rehab hospital.  Which isn't good, because the nurses there don't do anything for patients.  They didn't even want to help me turn over in bed!   I was in such horrid pain that they had no choice but to help me.

I was not allowed to eat or drink anything for 3 days, even late at night when the OR closed. I made such a fuss that they eventually brought me a sandwich. I had my surgery on day 4 in the hospital.  Plate, 6 screws and a pin.  All of which are still in today.

I had a cast on for 6 weeks, during which time I was not allowed to walk on the leg. I did not manage will with crutches at all. I lived in the upstairs of a house that was 100% carpeted throughout, even in the bathroom.  There was a claw foot tub, no shower, and the stairs were narrow and steep. I ended up falling 2 days after I got home and I had to go back to get an xray to make sure I didn't break anything because I heard a loud pop and felt severe pain in my ankle inside the cast.

The cast came off 6 weeks later. I was in physiotherapy for about 1 year because I had zero range of motion in my ankle.  I was eventually discharged from physio. The most movement they could give me back was 5%, which isn't a great deal. I have a hard time going up and down stairs because of it. I have to do one stair at a time, and go sideways and hang onto the railing. I can't ride a bike because I can't do the pedal movement with that ankle.

The next bone I broke was one in my foot while at work in late 1990's.  Someone stepped on it in an elevator and literally crushed my foot. No cast and I kept working.

In 2005 I fainted in my apartment and broke my right foot in 3 places and dislocated 2 toes. Again, no cast, but I was told to stay off the foot and was given crutches. I couldn't use the crutches because I am not steady on my feet since I broke my right ankle in 1990.  There was so much nerve damage to that ankle that my brain doesn't register that I have a foot on that leg, so I don't know where my right foot is at any given time. So it isn't safe for me to use crutches.  I was literally a prisoner in my home for 6 weeks and used an office chair to roll around my apartment.

In 1995 I had 2 back surgeries. In 2008 my husband was driving on the freeway and he had a seizure

and we crashed. I broken my right leg  and neck and he crushed his right heel bone. I was  in the hospital for a long time then went to a nursing home for 1 month.

When I was 11, I was running home from school, all excited that it had been cancelled due to a blizzard that had just started. 2 houses up from home, I slipped on a little patch of ice that was maybe a foot wide. My leg actually twisted and I fell on top of it, causing a spiral fracture on the lower part of the fibula. I had a cast that went up almost to the top of my leg but the fracture was getting bigger, so my second cast went right up to my hip. It was brutal. Then when I finally got my third cast off, I wanted to see if I could walk without the crutches and fell again, spraining the ankle on that leg. 

Only other broken bone was my middle finger. I was going back to school from lunch and it was bitterly cold out. My hands were numb. My friend met me at the door, opened it, got blasted by the cold wind and let the door go as I went to grab it from the side. The wind forced it to slam shut on my finger. Yeah, big steel door and cold fingers...Wasn't nice!

Ouch! That even sounds painful! I'm glad you're doing better now.

The only bone I've broken (*knock on wood*) was my little toe. I was coming out of a convenience store and I had sandals on. I hit the corner of the parking cement curb and broke the toe....it stood out at a lovely angle from my foot. Doctors will do nothing for a broken toe, but tape it to the toe next to it. So I went home. Rick saw my foot and took me to the ER. And sure enough, it was broken (well, duh!!). Doctor yanked it back into position, I screamed like a banshee.....well, that hurt!  He taped it and I came back home.

i'm 55 and have never broken a bone. which is amazing since i'm Klutz #1. if there's something to trip over i will

Ouch! Glad you are on the mend. :nod:

I broke my first bone just last year. I slipped on some ice and broke my finger and lost a little of the tip off of it as well.

I have never broken a bone that I know about :tongue2:. I probably have broken a toe or two, but my dad has EMT training and he said they don't do anything but tape them, so that's what I did, never went to the doctor. I fall on the ice a lot and I am clumsy, so I get tons of bruises, though.

Once in my 40's I thought I was ok.but when I had my car wreck,things got worse. Leg,neck were broken. If you get passed your 40's without a broken bone you maybe ok till your 80's when you fall in the shower or down the stairs. when you get old ( older).

I have never broken a bone. I am so thankful.