Broken tibia/fibia :o(

[Cameraine]

More Progress

Hey everyone. I haven’t posted in awhile, just too much going on, and job swallowing me whole.

The good news is I AM CRUTCH FREE! I can walk in and out of the air boot, almost normally. My surgeon cleared me to start physical therapy this past monday, which I took to mean, have horse will ride.

I have to wait for the ground to dry out from all the flipping rain we’ve had over the last two weeks, but I am sooo close I can smell the horse sweat.

Anyway just wanted to drop this note. Love all around.

C.

[Cameraine]

In which the High Queen’s hiatus comes to an end.

It has been over five months since I was in the saddle. Five months of brokeness, three kinds of casts, a surgery which put my leg back together with a plate and a whole lot of screws, months of having the full load of the housework and farm work falling on my husband who also has a full time job.

Five months of staring longingly at my horses lazing about out in the pasture. Five months of mentally kicking myself for doing something so stupid and ending up with a broken leg.

But yesterday on a balmy early fall day, after not so patiently waiting for my husband to get home from work(I made a promise not to ride unless he was there watching me), I was finally able to get back on my mare. She was a tad disgruntled to have my husband’s western saddle put on her, or any saddle for that matter after I’d almost convinced her she was a pasture pet. But I got on, and it hurt a little, but no more than walking around too long on my injured leg.

I only did about five minutes of walking and a little bit of trot just to see what my comfort level was. My mare was decent, a little up as it was cooler, and her pasture mate was hogging the good grass in the next pasture over.

We ended it by loading and unloading my mare from the trailer a couple of times. Her loading issue, I should say non-loading issue is what contributed to my broken leg. I was doing groundwork to try and convince her the trailer was a good place and she frickin needed to get in. But that is a whole different story.

Anyway, I just had to share the joyousness of being able to ride again. hugs and love all around Thanks for helping me get there guys.

C.

[amastrike]

Woohoo, congratulations! There’s nothing like finally getting back in the saddle to brighten your day (or week). I’m glad you had a good first ride back and hope they keep getting better!

[petesperson]

Congrats on getting back into the saddle, OP! I read your story and everyone else’s with interest, as someone who’s now in the same boat.

On Sun, I slipped trying to lead new mare through a stream, then she slipped and knocked me over, and as she went to stand up she stepped onto my leg… resulting in tib-fib fractures (dislocated).

Had surgery Monday to insert a rod and 3 screws and came home Tues night… Doc said I could put weight on it as soon as I could bear to, as the weight would promote healing. But I think I overdid it this morning because the foot, lower leg, and knee are now horribly swollen. (Called doc, who said to keep it elevated over heart till the swelling goes down.)

I asked Doc how long till I could ride, and he said it shouldn’t be long, since I “just have to sit there and squeeze a little sometimes.” Uh huh…

I’m pretty bummed and fear it will be a long, hard winter. But it’s good to know that others have gotten through this ordeal and are riding again.

[shea_smom]

Yay for riding!
I was off 6 months after shattering by tibia plateau. that was 11 years ago. I have been riding, not what I used to be, but better than nothing!

[rmh_rider]

It will be a shocking 10 years come august of this year for my compound tibia.

It has been a rough ride. Life was not the same. Different. The “site” still causes problems for me.

I did go gaited and I can ride alot easier with less pain in my body.

Yes, not like I used to (endurance), but now I trail ride. Way easier with the right gaited horse btw. I wish I had gone gaited long long ago.

[akor]

I am not sure what would keep me from riding. An injury like carolp’s when I was 40ish changed what I did for a bit, it took about 2 years before jumping was not VERY painful, but I rode about a month after being able to weight bear (again, I can’t imagine not riding, I hope I don’t have to face that anytime soon).

I also guess I am blessed by great mares in my life. My normally way too spooky, quick to shy mare was a ROCK during my recoveries. With the collarbone, she learned to put her head nearly on the floor to help me bridle, and I would stand above her on a stool to plop the saddle on her (I was one handed when I started riding again that time). She actually sucked IN her gut to help me girth. With the ankle, she was 100% behaved, we even had a rabbit leap out and hit her broadside while I was mounting and she didn’t move. She lined me up at the mounting block (she would adjust where I told her too if she thought I was a bit off and she was always right) and let me really “lean” on her to mount and dismount. I swear she “knew” how my ankle/leg was on any one day. Of everything though, I think the cutest thing was that she walked SO slow and with such tiny baby steps when I would lead her when I was just walking. It was the cutest thing - she is a huge mare and to see making this tiny steps was almost surreal. This is a mare that is NOT affectionate 99% of the time and is not known for her compliant nature. The better I got, the more her own personality came back.

Now, to be fair, the leg/ankle injury was from a dog attack. I have had one somewhat annoying riding injury (shattered clavicle) but I was 10 years younger and I was back to jumping 3’+ bareback about 8 weeks after…

I guess I am one that doesn’t get the I’ll never ride/drive etc thing after a horse injury- after a bad car accident, I drove again. Lots. Yes, to be honest, I am more aware of when I see someone come up fast behind me again when I as stopped/turning, but I don’t panic.

I have become much less tolerant of loose dogs, however, or owners proud of their “guard dogs.” I do get an extra shot of adrenaline when I perceive a dog might be barking at me or “chasing me” but, I haven’t shuttered myself in the house because of it either.

My trick during my recovery was to “wallow” in depression and negative thoughts about what I couldn’t/wouldn’t for half an hour a day while I ate a 3 musketeers bar. The rest of the time was positive thoughts. The one change I will make next time I am badly injured (and did make when I sprained that ankle badly and strained my rotator cuff in a horse fall) is actually try to get physcially active MUCH earlier than I did before. There is a time to totally rest and then a time to get back into things again. I worked out with my personal trainer 3 days after the ankle sprain (which is NOT worse than a break, btw…). He even thought I was nuts! But, I was able to ride in a clinic a month after that fall!

[Cameraine]

Update:

Started easing back in to riding in early October. Usually I don’t ride much during the winter, too cold and hauling to an indoor seemed like a hassel. But this year along with some unseasonably warm weather I am riding through the winter. After having to be sidelined and not even able to walk or drive myself all summer I am not going to let riding time go to waste.

I am not 100% yet. I am still working with a physical therapist twice a week because while I am walking, using the exercise bike, riding, jumping(little stuff my mare is barely doing intro), I do not have full range of motion in my right ankle. I can’t get the flexion(heel down) I used to so that I can have a truly secure leg and seat.

It’s so frustrating, even the physical therapist is a little stumped on why my ankle will not stretch and give in. It’s not the bone damage, its the soft tissue damage to the muscles, tendons ect… Anyone have this issue? Anything that helped?

[JackieBlue]

I didn’t see this thread until just now, but that’s probably a good thing. My entire left lower leg was crushed in an unfortunate car accident in May of 2008 (tib/fib and tibial plafond “severely comminuted”, multiple tibial plateau fractures). I’m afraid to even share details because it would scare the bejeezus out of those still healing from their own injuries, but in quick summary, I had compartment syndrome, nonunion, hardware failure, osteomyelitis (MRSA and Staph. epi), sepsis, 10 surgeries in total including 1 to remove 1/3 of my necrotic, squished tibia, rods, plates and screws, ex-fixes, cement implants, was non-weight bearing for more than a year and have all kinds of complications still.
Maybe if I did tell my whole story it would help make a lot of other people feel really lucky? :lol:

[Graymaresrule]

@Cameraine;6110468

<SNIP>
I am not 100% yet. I am still working with a physical therapist twice a week because while I am walking, using the exercise bike, riding, jumping(little stuff my mare is barely doing intro), I do not have full range of motion in my right ankle. I can’t get the flexion(heel down) I used to so that I can have a truly secure leg and seat.

It’s so frustrating, even the physical therapist is a little stumped on why my ankle will not stretch and give in. It’s not the bone damage, its the soft tissue damage to the muscles, tendons ect… Anyone have this issue? Anything that helped?

Does your PT try to break up the scar tissue and adhesions manually? It’s not at all pleasant but I think it really helped with my ankle.

Can you do the classic calf stretch, stand with the ball of your feet on a stair and stretch your heels down then raise up on your toes…it will be 7 years in April and I still do that.

[MunchingonHay]

I did a tibia/fibia/soft tissue/dislocated ankle clusterf$*k. I wore a back on track bandage on my leg to help the healing process and get rid of swelling.

And the being able to drop my ankle for riding. No Can Do.:no: but its lonely been 6 months since I have been weight bearing.

[Zu_Zu]

JINGLES & AO ON THE WAY FOR YOU AND MunchingonHay

YIKES ```but

SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE MAKING REMARKABLE PROGRESS ```

JINGLES FOR MunchingonHay too !

you two must be tough as nails ```

[Cameraine]

[QUOTE=carolprudm;6110729]
Does your PT try to break up the scar tissue and adhesions manually? It’s not at all pleasant but I think it really helped with my ankle.

Can you do the classic calf stretch, stand with the ball of your feet on a stair and stretch your heels down then raise up on your toes…it will be 7 years in April and I still do that.[/QUOTE]

Carolprudm: Yes to both. That’s the first thing my PT does is the manual manipulation of the joint. We just started the calf stretchs yesterday, I actually impressed her with that one. There is an exercise where its sort of like a mini-teeter totter. You stand in the middle of the board and rock the board up and down stretching out your calves.

She was demonstrating for me and told me “You won’t be able to go all the way down when doing the heels down side. It gives me a good stretch that I can definitely feel.” Of course I get on and because I have rider’s legs I went all the way to the floor and didn’t feel it stretching.

So I was actually trying it out on my steps at home where I get a sharper degree of heels down and felt the stretch so I may continue to do that as long as I don’t feel like I’m damaging anything.

[Just_My_02]

Jingles.

[dreaminOTTB]

Hi -

New here, but I am in a very similar boat. I am recovering from tib/fib fractures to both legs - left in July 2011 and right in November 2011. Both horse related accidents. First was a nasty pony who bucked me off. It helped my confidence that my instructor told me I did nothing wrong and that they removed him from the lesson program immediately after my accident. My second one was my own horse spooking at a sudden gust of wind/dark night/another horse bolting in the field/etc. and hitting my leg with his.

I was able to get back on and ride again for a few weeks between accidents and I started out slow (not as slow as my friends and family would have liked!) and I rode only horses I was VERY comfortable with and trusted. It helped a lot. With the second accident, there really were no feelings of anger or anxiety since I know my horse wasn’t trying to hurt me and because I have a strong bond with him. He is also typically very, very lazy, sweet, quiet, etc. and I know that the spooky behavior he had that night was not typical.

Physically, I am still feeling a lot of pain, even though I’m cleared for all activity. My gait is off and I can’t run. My legs are pretty much always in pain and I usually have some sort of swelling/disfigurement, but I’m learning ways to cope. The surgeon says it will get better so I guess I will have to trust that it will!

[rmh_rider]

JackieBlue, wow, oh wow. What a story. So sorry. You are so brave! Yes, it has scared me silly to read the highlights, and lowlights of your accident.

How are you know?

Yes, my compound tibia is nothing compared your leg. After an accident like we have all shared, life is different.

Are you riding?

So what are you driving these days on the road? A tank?

Stupid me, a month ago, working the horse in the rp, and with my other knee, the previously perfect one, really popped loud, I had to catch my breath for a long time afterwards. Then it kept trying to slip out if I didn’t walk carefully for the next few weeks. Well, I thought it was ok, now have “twinked it” a few times, just in the past 2-3 days. Ouch. I have to be more careful. As you know on a compound tibia, they move your knee cap to the side and put in a rod. I have no more screws but still have the rod.

Bless you. Hope you are doing well.

[Cameraine]

[QUOTE=dreaminOTTB;6123831]
Hi -

New here, but I am in a very similar boat. I am recovering from tib/fib fractures to both legs - left in July 2011 and right in November 2011. Both horse related accidents. First was a nasty pony who bucked me off. It helped my confidence that my instructor told me I did nothing wrong and that they removed him from the lesson program immediately after my accident. My second one was my own horse spooking at a sudden gust of wind/dark night/another horse bolting in the field/etc. and hitting my leg with his.

I was able to get back on and ride again for a few weeks between accidents and I started out slow (not as slow as my friends and family would have liked!) and I rode only horses I was VERY comfortable with and trusted. It helped a lot. With the second accident, there really were no feelings of anger or anxiety since I know my horse wasn’t trying to hurt me and because I have a strong bond with him. He is also typically very, very lazy, sweet, quiet, etc. and I know that the spooky behavior he had that night was not typical.

Physically, I am still feeling a lot of pain, even though I’m cleared for all activity. My gait is off and I can’t run. My legs are pretty much always in pain and I usually have some sort of swelling/disfigurement, but I’m learning ways to cope. The surgeon says it will get better so I guess I will have to trust that it will![/QUOTE]

dreaminOTTB,

May 2011: Broke my ankle in two places, surgery, and permanent hardware.

May-August 2011: Three different kinds of casts and crutches.
August-October 2011: Walking with air cast/walking cast, and without, no crutches.
Early October 2011: Started getting back on my mare for short rides(10-20 minutes of her walking, 1-2 minutes of total trot broken up)
February 2012: Fully back to riding to include stadium jumping, dressage, xc, and trail riding. We just finished our first baby Horse Trial, and coming up on the next one at the Beginner Novice(2’7") level in another week.

Number of times I didn’t think I’d ever walk right again or ride? infinity x 100 If you want it badly enough you can get there. Does it still hurt to ride? Sure sometimes, hell it still hurts to get out of bed on some days, but its getting better every day.