Stupid Broken Ankle: Week 9

I seriously have no idea where this week went.  Once I started working again these weeks have FLOWN by.  Next week I go in for my 10 week appointment.  I was told by my doctor he expected me to be in shoes by that time, and I have been diligently working towards that.  So much that I started going to work in shoes 3 days ago.  No boot.  I gave the boot the boot! Ha-ha!  I wore it to work 2 days, then it was the weekend and I wore it a few hours each day, an the past 3 days back at work have been w/o the boot all day long.

Bimalleolar fracture and right ankle dislocation on X-ray (anteroposterior). Both the end of the fibula (1) and the tibia (2) are broken and the malleolar fragments (arrow: medial malleolus, arrowhead: lateral malleolus) are displaced. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I don't walk very well.  My ankle doesn't have enough mobility or strength to allow me to walk normally, so I walk with a ghastly limp and get asked all the time if my ankle hurts.  Surprisingly it hurts very little, it's more of a dull uncomfortable sort of pain, not a sharp hurting pain. I know I look like I am in pain when I walk, but I don't walk funny from pain, simply the lack of joint mobility.  It gets sore as the day goes on, primarily the outside ankle where the plate is.  Unfortunately today it was more sore than the previous two days. I'm guessing because I got unexpectedly thrown in the lab for most of Monday and Tuesday - so lots of standing and walking. It also meant I didn't even have time to take a lunch.  I had not planned on this, but I guess when you show up to work in shoes you are suddenly normal and expected to work normally. Unfortunately I am so slow and walk at a snails pace everything takes 2x or 3x longer and eats away your lunch hour and hour breaks.  To make up for it I left an hour early today.  I also resorted to using my crutch during the morning hours today.

I get asked all the time about physical therapy, and I keep telling them my doctor doesn't think I need it at this time.  I'm not sure he'll ever suggest I go to physical therapy. I'm not sure if it is because he thinks I'm active enough to rehab on my own, or if he just doesn't ever suggest it for people in general.

I still get body aches most days.  It comes and goes most days, some days are worse than others. And occasionally I have no aches.  Today was a body ache free day, but my ankle made up for that.  I take naproxen and loratadine every morning.

My ankle is super stiff first thing in the morning, but after my workout it's fairly loosened up for the rest of the day.  And by fairly loosed up, I mean I can move it about 2".

I feel like I'll never walk normally. It's strange to not be able to move your ankle because it just won't move. I'm losing hope that I will race next year.  I just got an invitation to do an indoor triathlon in Mid February and I know that's a lost cause.  It's so disheartening.  I won't be adventure racing either.  I'm going to have to find a new hobby.