 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi all,
I've just come back from a long weekend in Porto where I managed to slip on a cobblestone and damage my ankle on Friday.
The Portuguese A&E told me that there was no obvious break and that they think that I've damaged my tendons and that it would take between 2 & 10 weeks on crutches before I recovered.
I've also lost sensation in the top of my foot - they told me not to worry about it as it would come back "eventually".
Now that I'm back I'm making an appointment to see my own doctor but I'm concerned about my annual skiing trip in February.
As long as I can get my boots on (I just tried and can't at the moment) I think I'll be ok as my ankle should be supported.
Can anybody give me some reassurance that I won't need to cancel skiing and/or exercise tips for my ankle once I can move it without too much pain?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@CiderBoy, sorry to hear that. I would be straight down to A&E and/or a private physio. A GP isn't really going to be able to give the best advice. 2-10 weeks is a huge range!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
@CiderBoy, Agree.....but from experience getting boots on, and OFF are 2 completely different things, one is a relatively painful push and the other, ie taking off can be very painful with tendon damage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@CiderBoy, I would go to your GP first, A&E may not want to know several days after you did this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Have you started to bruise? I had a Grade 2 sprain (partial tear, hence the bruising) of ankle ligaments at the end of February the winter before last. I was non-weight bearing for about 5 weeks, and very sore for some time after that when walking (running was not possible). I did a little bit of very gentle skiing about 10 weeks after the accident, and felt that was probably a bit too soon. Simply putting my ski boot on was very sore, and while it did feel supported inside the boot it was painful afterwards. I think I should have waited for another three or four weeks recovery time. It was 12+ months before I felt I had come close to a full recovery.
Ligaments take ages to recover, would have been better to fracture a bone if that had avoided the soft tissue damage.
Good luck with you recovery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| rjs wrote: |
| @CiderBoy, I would go to your GP first, A&E may not want to know several days after you did this. |
What concerns me is that the Portuguese A&E said there was no "obvious" break and they only "thought" it was damaged tendons. I would want a proper diagnosis, which the GP won't be able to give. The worst that can happen is they send him away from A&E
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I had similar injury at Easter (damaged tendon). After having it checked out by A and E for a possible stress fracture (by X-ray, not being told) I was then able to go immediately to a private Physio armed with the correct information since the appropriate treatment can/does (?) differ significantly.
Sadly, for me, appropriate treatment included complete rest (except for elastic band stretching) until feeling and some mobility returned. Even then, one had to be careful. It took my foot about 8 weeks to recover(but I'm not young...). Good news is that feeling returned. Bad news I'm not convinced it's truly right..but i can trail run and fully intend skiing.
I also skied coming back from damaged ligaments and a broken fibula. That did make me very tired and it was a painful. i just switched to blades - better than nothing and I had fun.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 19-11-18 16:03; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks all for your extremely quick comments.
The bruising started Saturday and was at its most spectacular yesterday 
I've managed to get an appointment at my GP's for this afternoon so will be heading there shortly.
Thankfully my trip is at the end of Feb so hopefully there will be enough time to get it sorted.
I only discovered skiing about 5 years ago (I'm in my 50's) and was instantly hooked - hopefully I'll be ok in time, even if it just means pootling around on some gentle blues for the week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| suec wrote: |
| Bad news I'm not convinced it's truly right..but i can trail run and fully intend skiing. |
Give it time (and plenty of strengthening exercise - I did a lot of band stretching before eventually progressing to balancing on a wobble ball). I got my injury in February, wasn't able to run until August, and didn't feel it was close to 100% until about 12 months after the initial accident.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Which tendons do they think you've damaged?
I ruptured (complete break) my Achilles tendon in July and was in an air boot for 12 weeks and am now walking (with pain) carefully and having physio every couple of weeks. I've been advised that the recovery is long, approx. 9 - 12 months to get back to somewhere like I used to be. I'm not planning on skiing in winter 18/19 due to this unfortunately 
Best of luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Quote: |
Which tendons do they think you've damaged?
|
Unfortunately that was something which was lost in translation. Whilst their English was far superior to my Portuguese there were a few things which were impossible to translate between us. It's the inside of my ankle which hurts most if that helps.
Not that I can knock the hospital in any way - within 30 minutes of arriving I'd seen a doctor and had an X-ray. Within 90 mins of arriving I had been strapped up and was back out again (it only took that long as we had to wait for a second opinion on the x-ray).
All I had to pay for was a pair of crutches - my EHIC covered everything else
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
Thing with a (sports) physio is that they are more likely to be interested in identifying the “exact” tendon and focussing your rehab around that. Rather than just rest and general stretching advice (which can inadvertently exacerbate things if not careful).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@CiderBoy, keep the weight of it until it’s fully healed. A Physio will advise you on maintaining mobility. I got back on mine too soon and still struggling with swelling and discomfort 4 months later... Although have managed to shove it in a ski boot and it’s just about manageable
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Give it a few days - NHS won't do anything while it is still inflamed. Ligaments and tendons heal very slowly. 10 weeks is on the 'hard as nails' side. The thing is...you won't damage them any more while they are healing. It just hurts a lot to use them.
I would give it a week and go see a sports physio...should be back in top form after 8 or 10 weeks with the odd grimace.
As posted above....broken bone would be easier
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Thanks again all.
My GP has actually recommended a sports physio to me and I've got an initial appointment for the end of next week.
As long as I can ski in Feb (even if only for a couple of hours a day) I'll be happy
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Just to give an update to this: went back to see the doctor last week as the physio was concerned how swollen and painful it still was after 4 weeks.
Had another x-ray - my ankle is broken after all. Both sides! (not quite sure how it's been missed previously).
Will be having a CT scan on Thursday to see if they need to operate - I've pretty much given up on skiing in Feb now Time to start planning for 2020!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@CiderBoy, oops! hope it heals well (shoulda gone to A&E  )
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Very disappointing, @CiderBoy. Hope it goes OK from now on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@CiderBoy you're not alone with that happening. The comment to me once back in UK was basically "its started healing, we could rebreak and set it, or wait and see". I chose the latter. That was two years ago.
Last season my ankle ended up with a huge swelling on the inside, but I was skiing most days all season. It took until June to subside. Went to GP, then various scans incl MRI, finally referred to a specialist who sent me to a leg specialist.
Basically my foot was collapsing inwards by 16 degrees, tendons had stretched, some shortened, and the rehab is now quite painful.
I now wish I had got it reset as am still in a lot of muscle / tendon pain in whole left leg as things sort themselves out.
Gentle skiing this season for me, and a lesson learnt that my 50 yr old body doesn't heal like my 20 yr old body did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@holidayloverxx, He had gone to the A+E in Portugal, who missed it. Why do you think an English A+E would have done better? Truth is non displaced ankle fractures can be missed on Xray initially and that is why we have follow up.
Trolling someone I jured is rude.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@motdoc, not trolling at all. My earlier post referred to the indecision by the Portuguese. Good that it is now diagnosed...perhaps it might have been diagnosed earlier by any 2nd opinion (not UK especially). He asked for advice. I gave my view, it was partly taken ...along with others who suggested the same..to go to a physio. He decided not to go to A and E and is now 4 weeks behind in diagnosis and treatment. I admit it might have been a bit insensitive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@motdoc Thanks for your concern but I took no offence whatsoever to holidayloverxx's post.
I just wish that I'd gone back to my GP (or A&E) sooner!
Having said that, I've never been much of one for "what if's" so I'm just hoping that the CT scan doesn't show anything bad tomorrow.
The x-ray certainly looked like it was all positioned correctly and healing well to my untrained eye so there's still a slight chance I'll ski in Feb. If not then my wife will still have a good time with our friends & I might finally get to read some of the books that have been on my tablet for ages.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The healing process for fractures involves first cleaning up the edges of the fracture site which makes it wider and so more visible after a couple of weeks. A hairline fracture can be invisible at first so don’t be too hard on the portuguese A&E!
*I’m not a medic, just remembering how it was explained to me when a horse I trained fractured a tibia - the follow up x-rays were horrifying!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
