Lee (Longblade)

[whitebuffalo58]

Room service, a comfy bed in a room with a view, all the TV you want, plenty of reading material?!! Three months is a long time, but short term...?


WB

[RobesonsRme.com]

Glad to hear the surgery went well.

The lower 1/3 of the tibia has a notoriously poor blood supply, so it heals slowly. Be patient.

Follow dr's advice re' blood clotting or thrombosis preventives and precautions. Don't lay abed all day and while you are laying there, dorsi-flex and hyper-extend both feet episodically to work the calf muscles. That works the "venous pump" in your lower legs.

I'm a bit surprised they haven't put intermittent compression device on your legs.

Charlie

[LongBlade]

Thanks for the kind words Tom, Glen,WB and Charlie ... Yes my wife is a keeper ...

Glad to hear the surgery went well.

The lower 1/3 of the tibia has a notoriously poor blood supply, so it heals slowly. Be patient.

Follow dr's advice re' blood clotting or thrombosis preventives and precautions. Don't lay abed all day and while you are laying there, dorsi-flex and hyper-extend both feet episodically to work the calf muscles. That works the "venous pump" in your lower legs.

I'm a bit surprised they haven't put intermittent compression device on your legs.

Charlie

Charlie -

It was the fibula and not tibia but nonetheless both do not have good blood supply..... nor do ligaments and tendons...

Importantly and with all due respect Charlie as your heart is in the right place and you give great advice - Thank you! ---- BUT I need to note the following which I never discussed on AAPK for different reasons -

I have my doctoral degree from the Medical College of PA - I went into research (R&D) and not clinical practice - my area of expertise was Neuropsychopharmacology - my career was focused on drug development for psychiatry and cognitive disorders where there is indeed great medical need... while my work focused on understanding the complex organ called the "brain" I am very familiar with the medical physiology/biochemistry of the body as a whole... I was the Therapeutic Area Head for Psychiatry and was inducted into the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology for significant research contributions to the field. I am now retired - I still consult on occasion & when necessary with major pharmaceutical corporations and start-up companies ...

I never noted any of this regarding my career because I did not feel it was pertinent to knife discussions .. All this is fairly ironic because my father suffers from severe progressive dementia (similar symptomology but in a sense worse than Alzheimer's as he additionally lost his ability to remember how to speak...)....

Charlie - I appreciate your concern on possible clotting - I discussed it with my surgeon as well -

First I am on 81 mg of aspirin BID (baby aspirin) - I do need to get up at least 3 times a day and while I am in bed with leg up I do need to dorsi-flex and hyper-flex both legs as one should do on long airplane rides (but absolutely no weight bearing on broken leg so it is difficult and need to be gentle moving that leg in terms of inducing venous pumping).. My cast over my incision extends from my toes to my knee on my injured leg - the cast is very solid & heavy for protection and to keep all from not moving... that is important to recovery...

In addition the possibility, though low, for infection is also being watched closely....

Again I appreciate all the kind words and concern from all... My chin is up and I will get through this...

I will continue to update all on this thread - and appreciate everyone's support!!

[doglegg]

Thanks for the info, I always enjoy hearing about the members here. I had some advice from when I broke my ankle but I think now I will keep it to myself. I will still pray that all heals well and that you get back on your feet. I think wives are about the best thing the Lord ever made.

[LongBlade]

Thanks doglegg

Please do share the advice you were given if you like - it is always interesting to me to hear how Dr's advice can differ ... I am only lucky in the sense that I know when the advice given is sound or nonsense but please know I do not have the expertise or knowledge base of the specialized physicians such as cardiologists etc but can converse on the same level as psychiatrists and neurologists... I am lucky to understand more when I see a physician for personal health reasons because of my education and career... it keeps them on their toes too

Importantly I really had mixed feelings about sharing my career on this forum as it makes no difference what our backgrounds are - and I have great respect for every member and their background though we can differ dramatically - I too find backgrounds interesting but not important in the long run here ... On AAPK we are all the same "brothers from another mother" - we all love knives and the best part to me is the wonderful friendships we all have made just based on knives - knife people are caring and generous folks with few exception - a great culture of people ... Honestly my best friends throughout my life were not those who had similar careers to me ... I have no ego but unfortunately many I did work with had large egos which is not something I look at fondly.... Those with the egos give the rest of us bad press .. Those who know me personally would never have guessed my background in a million years

Thanks for the prayers of healing and indeed wives are about the best thing the Lord created - I agree 200% ..

[FRJ]

The Doctor is in.

[RobesonsRme.com]

5 C's

Charlie

[KAW]

Lee... I just discovered this thread. I'm sorry to hear about your situation.
I hope all is going well as can be during your recovery & that it will a speedy recovery as can be.
I always enjoy your posts here. I guess one silver lining is you have more time to visit the board which will be a benefit to us here.

[RalphAlsip]

I have my doctoral degree from the Medical College of PA - while my work focused on understanding the complex organ called the "brain" I am very familiar with the medical physiology/biochemistry of the body as a whole

Lee can you tell me if I have Knife Fever?

Seriously, well wishes and prayers for a speedy and comfortable recovery.

[LongBlade]

Thanks very much Ken and Jerry - I truly appreciate the well wishes!!! ...

Ken - I'll be online when I can for sure - and thanks for the kind comments!!

Jerry - Yes indeed the knife fever is approaching dangerous levels ... I'm doing my best to find something to score given I missed the NCCA show last week - I need to get the fever under control ...

[gsmith7158]

Lee I suffered a broken ankle many years ago and I do not envy you. It's not a serious sounding malady But it is quite debilitating and even after the doctor gives you the okay for cast removal it just doesn't feel right. Well wishes for your recovery!

[LongBlade]

Thanks very much Greg ... you know from which I speak given you had the same long ago - "debilitating" - no doubt as I'm going pretty stir crazy but doing my best to keep distracted... I am getting pretty good on crutches and my knee scooter ... but I am on my back with foot elevated 23 1/2 hrs a day....

Next week I get stitches removed which are under my cast (so haven't seen the incision yet ) but a new cast will be done again after the stitches come out - RE: -your comment about feeling not right eventually with no cast - I guess that is why the orthopedist said Physical Therapy will strengthen and teach me how to walk again ... and I thought I learned how to walk when I was 2 years old ... PT still doesn't start for another 3-4 weeks but will have a walking cast at that time...

(PS - My orthopedic surgeon has sports medicine as his specialty and a good reputation (very compassionate and a nice guy - that separates good from bad physicians in many cases) - given athletes often break ankles etc in contact sports and he has alot of experience - I have complete faith in him to get me back on track - and the PT rehab center only deals with patients such as myself recovering from broken ankles etc which is important ... I actually am looking forward to working hard in PT to get myself on the road again ...

[FRJ]

All the best, Lee!!

[philco]

Lee I've been able to predict snow ever since I broke my ankle in 1972. Unfortunately I've never been able to figure out how to market that skill.

[Quick Steel]

Wishing you a quick recovery LongBlade.

[LongBlade]

Thanks Joe, Phil and QS ..

Phil - if you figure out a way I would be glad to go in on that venture - we couldn't be any more inaccurate than the weather men and probably more accurate in the long run ... the orthopedist did warn me of the possibility that I may develop some arthritis in that ankle which of course can be sensitive to weather.. I was thinking the metal plate and screws may be an internal barometer for weather prediction ... Cheers buddy!!!!

[jerryd6818]

I was thinking the metal plate and screws may be an internal barometer for weather prediction ... Cheers buddy!!!!

No, it's an antenna so the aliens can contact you.

[LongBlade]

No, it's an antenna so the aliens can contact you.

"E.T. phone home" - ...

[Eustace]

Now I see this. What did you do, man?
I sincerely wish you a recent recovery!
How did it happen? Do you slip on a stone in the river?

[LongBlade]

Thanks Eustace ... Thankfully it didn’t happen in the river though I have heard of many that have broken ankles wading in a river... Truth is it was done stepping onto a wooden plank leading to my shed in the pouring rain at night - the plank was slippery as ice as I unfortunately found out which resulted in a severe twist and fall... Hard to explain but given the intense pain I knew it snapped my fibula - the smaller of the 2 bones which go from your ankle to knee... the rest is history and now recovering from surgery and in another month Physical Therapy for a few more months... thanks again Eustace for your wishes for recovery!!

[bighomer]

Hang in there Lee this too shall pass.wishing you the best pal.

[LongBlade]

Thanks BH - much appreciated ...

Well - last week I had the stitches removed and now have an air cast though still no weight bearing... I can take the air cast off when I am seated and wiggle my toes - and gently try and move foot in an up and down motion but it is not going very far at the moment ... Physical Therapy starts next Wednesday - it will be a long road with the plan to increase weight bearing slowly week by week - motion, strengthening, gait and essentially learning how to walk on it again... no doubt abit of atrophy in my lower leg muscles from lack of use... at this point lots of the swelling is gone, surgical scar looks pretty good but no doubt the ankle does feel strange being so stiff which is why I am slowly just doing some slight motion with toes etc... at the end of day I no doubt have that ache which is common with many injuries at night... I'll have to say the simplest things become a challenge with one leg at the moment - I just focus on the fact I will be getting back to normal eventually slowly but surely ..

I wil say I got a great 2 knife "bomb" from Glen today - Thanks so much Glen - Two very cool boys knives that I will photograph and post asap - SwanWorks (with a "Boys Friend" etch on the master and a punch blade - and a classic The Young Co Germany 2 blade beauty - I'll probably use my iPhone camera which is easier right now once I figure out where I will get the best light - my usual light box won't be accessible until I am more mobile... Thanks again Glen - Very kind & generous and a real spirit lifter

[djknife13]

Lee, I still have you on my prayer list. I was close to being in a similar boat years ago with a busted heel but I got really lucky because my heel wasn't displaced and I had little pain. I had doctor's appointments twice a week and specialist appointments once every week or two. They would both spend about 20 minutes ach appointment trying to scare me out of doing something stupid which would put me closer to your situation with pins and months of physical therapy. I just had to not bump it or fall down or forget and try to step on it for several months. The problem, mostly for the doctors, was my lack of pain and zero ability on my part to sit still and let it heal. Two of my daughter-in-laws caught me up on the scaffold where I got hurt in the first place helping my brother cutting rafter tails on the garage I was building for him when I got hurt. This was several weeks into the healing process. I was being careful but they threatened to tell my wife so I had to climb down until they were gone. I fully recovered and can't even remember which heel was broke. Yours is much more complicated than mine was, but I still can relate to your having to sit with so many things just out or reach. Hopefully you are a better patient than I was.___Dave

[wlf]

You’re tough ,you’ll do fine,because age makes you tough . Grin’n

[LongBlade]

Thanks Dave ... yes indeed we are similar in one sense - I am not one to sit still long but in this case I was warned and not only from the Drs but others that experienced similar injuries to keep off the leg and really had no choice - mainly because in contrast to what you noted about no pain the ankle was quite abit of pain and can be quite uncomfortable at times though it lessens by the week - definitely not a day to day difference... some days are better like everything else in life

Lyle - .. I need to contemplate that one - I don't know if age makes us tough... or more irritable ... I will say one thing I think you heal faster when you are younger - I love it when the Drs and nurses say "you know you're not young any more so it may take abit longer"