My recovery time for my more recent non-op ankle / leg injury has been slowish (since Nov 17 2012), but the ortho said to expect a 1 year recovery time . . . which has been extended because I re-injured. Frankly, my post-op recovery (right knee lateral release) was much, much faster. I’d love to go sans stirrups but can’t right now because my horses are all seriously green. When I FIRST first injured the ankle 15 years ago, I was able to ride stirrup-less in a cast without issue. I also spent a lot of time training bareback which seemed to place less stress on the knee and ankle.
I’m in medicine myself, so am acutely aware of time frames being vague nonoperative musculoskeletal conditions. I still hate it though! Can’t believe you rode in a cast though, DancingFoal. Eeek.
I told my trainer to give me a fat pony who wouldn’t dump me vs a few of the other hot-heads I’ve been riding, so I get not wanting to ride a green bean. Too much could go wrong!
That’s what my ortho at the time said too, La Chasse 
My agony index went up this week, so I made the decision to send the babies off to a friend / excellent trainer next week.
[QUOTE=DancingFoalFarms;6979041]
That’s what my ortho at the time said too, La Chasse
My agony index went up this week, so I made the decision to send the babies off to a friend / excellent trainer next week.[/QUOTE]
haha. when i did ortho, i couldn’t believe half of the stuff athletes told me they did in casts. i was the one whose eyes bugged out.
the injuries do wax and wane, don’t they? hope you are ok with sending the little ones off-
[QUOTE=La Chasse;6979719]
haha. when i did ortho, i couldn’t believe half of the stuff athletes told me they did in casts. i was the one whose eyes bugged out.
the injuries do wax and wane, don’t they? hope you are ok with sending the little ones off-[/QUOTE]
Thanks It actually makes me a bit sad to send them off because I feel (incorrectly) that no one can work with them like I do – I bred two of them myself, and got the other as a little guy. But . . . I’m not doing them or myself any favors working injured. And I need to heal so that I can be in good shape to ride them when they’re ready! Luckily, they’re not going far, so I can still be there daily.
I am so happy that Coreene is back up on a horse and moving around better now. Keep up the good work. And remember, those aches and pains from rehab mean that you are getting better and will soon be back to normal.
Thank you Rode for a second time on Saturday, again in the big brace, but will ride in the smaller one moving forward. Have now been officially released from the surgeon’s care and hopefully I will never have to see him again … which is great, but he is soooooo good looking lol.
I have accepted the fact that the one fateful misstep I took back in November 2011 has changed my life forever, but at the same time it could have been so much worse. I look at those poor people in Boston and thank God that I got off easily in comparison. And so far I am pretty pain-free, which is a blessing.
The drop foot still has a way to go, but hot damn if I didn’t get a pedicure and wear red sandals! :sadsmile:
Looks like I belong here now. Wow so many serious injuries on this thread, I hope whatever is wrong with my knee is straightforward.
So I’m sitting at home, icing my knee instead of going to work today, because I really can’t walk. I stayed home yesterday too and went to my GP. GP is sending me to an orthopedist at some point. And why yes, I have made a few OT Day threads on my knee, finally got so bad as to go to the Dr. Ugh hard headed horse people!
What happened - I dislocated my lower leg last year, which popped back into place, and it hurt for a few months but got better. Then I slipped on ice in February and it’s been bad since then. I have been in a fair amount of pain, but I have been able to walk so I’ve just been dealing with it.
As of Sunday night, I can barely walk, so it was Dr. time. I would have gone this week anyway, even if walking wasn’t such an issue, because my knee has been hurting bad enough to wake me up at night, and I’ve been having dreams in which my knee hurts LOL.
Dr. seemed to think it wasn’t my ACL, but was cartilage/ meniscus, but I won’t know until I get into an ortho and have an MRI. Iceing helps a lot, I’ve been using my Ice horse inserts that I bought when I had a horse with a bow.
Coreene, what a long journey you have had! I am so happy you are back in the saddle!
Hey, Coreene, when is the next ride? Maybe I can get our little buddy Nancy to come cover it for TV.:lol: If she ever finishes with Jodi Arias.
I still think it is great that you, and others who have had serious injuries, are getting back on your horses.
Ooh ooh I didn’t realize there was a club! I qualify - last August, I came off for the first time in 8 or 9 years, despite having spent most of them breaking youngsters and training greenies. Unfortunately, it would seem that also meant I forgot how to do it - I decided to bail from a horse at a flat-out gallop on cement hard ground (think Texas, mid summer) while I was dangling from his neck. I landed with all my weight on my right ankle, and pop goes the ankle.
The accident was followed up by surgery and months and months of rehab, but though they’ll tell you its “a bad break”, they don’t explain that there’s a good chance its going to permanently inhibit your riding.
I’m finally back riding, jumping, and training, (have a 3-yr-old I’ve started working with in earnest in particular) but I now know I’ll never ride quite the same. It has limited flexibility in the joint, and they shortened a tendon between the inside ankle and the heel - a combination that has meant fighting for even flexibility between the two ankles. Honestly though, nothing has proved better therapy for it than riding. Well. Actually, Iyengar yoga runs a close second.
At any rate, if any of ya’ll are recovering from surgery or a break, I just want to say - it does get better. And keep riding through the pain ya’ll - that’s the key to having that magical day when have a whole ride without noticing any pain. It does fluctuate for me too though - good days and bad days.
Judysmom, definitely get an MRI. I ruptured my ACL, lateral collateral ligament, and meniscus in Feb and I was still able to walk around. Those riding muscles kick in and sometimes it means the doctors don’t take the injury as seriously as the guys who get carried off the field. I’m six weeks post reconstruction surgery and things are starting to look up. I can bear weight, ride the exercise bike, and my ROM is looking good.
vali- wow. You know, every one else that’s seen me hobbling around (including the fabulous sport horse lameness vet) seems to think whatever’s going on w/my knee is more serious than torn cartilage/meniscus.
I definitely want to get an MRI, I’m just waiting on a referral. Seems like everything takes forever.
It feels somewhat better today, I’ve been resting and icing since Monday. I can walk faster than a shuffle and driving wasn’t agony. Yesterday it was so swollen that I had no ROM, today still swollen but I can bend it some.
When I saw the Dr on Monday, I had to restrain myself from punching him when he bent my knee. OMG that was painful. Oddly enough, he didn’t think it was swollen. I am looking forward to seeing an orthopedist instead of a GP.
Well, guess I am joining the club. I twisted my knee in Feb. and heard a pop. Took me to the ground and couldn’t walk on it for several days. Also, had the flu at the same time, and as crazy as this sounds, I didn’t go to the Dr. I was too sick and didn’t want to wait in the office for two hours.
My knee felt better with icing, resting etc. so thought I could get through this on my own. OK, so I hate going to the Dr.
I am now convinced that it’s not going to get better any time soon, so I have an ortho appointment next Wed. I have a swelling on the top of my shin bone and it looks weird, so who knows. I haven’t ridden my horse since January. It is hard enough to lead my guys in and out. Thank Goodness I have barn help 4 mornings a week.
UGH got Celebrex today and it sucks. The ketorolac worked much better, but I guess it causes bleeding problems so I could only take it for 5 days. Now I am back to not really being able to walk, and the knee is crazy swollen again.
I have an appointment with an orthopedist on June 5th, that was the earliest they could take me.
Hpilot I hate going to the Dr too. I hope you get some answers on Wed.
I got to the barn today! Didn’t ride, but got to see a few work. Traffic sucked so it took me 3 hours to get there - the first thing I did when I got there was break out the squeezie ice-pack.
It was a pretty pathetic sight down there - me on my crutch and the BO/TR with his walker (gout attack). Looked like he was opening a therapeutic riding place. But he was able to ear up his walk trot mare by shaking the walker as she went by.
Plenty of entertainment though, the afternoon show was moving the partition out of 2 stalls to make a foaling stall. Amazingly I could do something besides laugh. I held the rope that was rigged up to keep it from falling over. I may not move much or quickly, but I can stand and hold a rope.
Judysmom - the last time I took ketorolac (Toradal) I broke my fingers and didn’t even feel it. :eek: That stuff is awesome!
Went to the Ortho today. I fractured my tibia 3 months ago and kept on hobbling on it. He said that most people go right to the Dr. when they have broken their knee! Now it is pretty much healed, but arthritis is settling in. Cortisone shot was all he could do today. Back in a month and if still painful will order the MRI to see what other damage I may have done.
It took me a couple months to figure out I broke my ankle so don’t feel to bad.
Had the 3 month check on the ankle today. What a waste of time. I asked about running & riding. I got answer on the first one, the second - if it hurts don’t do it. No Sh!t. Any suggestion to avoid hurt? Boots? Brace? Tape? Bueller? Bueller?
At least the PT has a clue. Not a huge one, but some sort of clue.
i always find the perspectives from PT interesting when compared to ortho. depending on your state, many PT’s are direct access-- meaning you don’t need a referral from your primary or specialist to see them. I think they can offer good care though i personally have always rec’d patients use them in conjunction with their regular clinician…some PTs specialize in certain areas and may not be as well versed in other.s
I asked the PT today. He doesn’t want me on a horse for 2 more months. 
He isn’t super well versed in horses, but is pretty athletic himself and has worked on my foot for 18 mos, on & off. He’s heard me answer the Monday how’s-the-foot question “Meh, I rode on Saturday, so it kind of sucks” enough times to have a decent education in stupid, masochistic, horse people.
It was kind of busy today, maybe on a slower day I can negotiate for no-stirrup-putzing-around later. If I can’t, then I wait until August. I’ve been lame for almost 2.5 years, another 2 months wont kill me.
I am in a direct access state, unless you’ve been treated by a doc within 6 months for the complaint. The 6 month thing gets me.
I totally understand red mares-- i hate being on stall rest too
