Compound Fracture Calcaus
Hi all, I stumbled across this thread the other night when I couldn’t sleep (withdrawing from the oxy) and thought I’d share my recent experience. I overshot a table top and landed in the flats the last week of February ‘16, I am in my 16th week of recovery.
I’m a 41 year old male, used to compete at freeskiing events in my 20’s and recently got back into skiing the past 2 years after a 10 year hiatus. I was planning on going to the qualifier at Big Sky this past March, but I got a bit sidetracked with having to learn how to walk again.I go to the gym 4-5 days a week and was running 5K every other day up until my wreck.
I’ve had six ski related surgeries, and this was by far my biggest. I tore my left rotator cuff in my last freeskiing event in Snowmass 14 years ago and re-tore that same one last summer when surfing when I came down on my board…I had my second rotator cuff surgery last fall in Sept ’15, and wasn’t cleared to be back on snow until March, my first day back was January 10th. I mention this because when I was looking down and knowing I was overshooting the LZ I knew I had to protect my shoulder, thus I basically pushed down and was trying to make the skis absorb as much as possible, but it was a quick double eject, it was just way too much force.
I sustained a compound fracture of my left calcaneus (six screws – bone popped out the side and back), snapped my wrist (plate and 3 screws), and added a moderate to severe concussion for good measure. Funny thing is I can’t recall the pain, I went into shock and just reacted right away calling a kid to come over and take my boot off, I knew it was swelling fast. I bit down on my ski pole when he took it off and when I saw the blood I knew it was a compound. I immediately packed snow around it and turned my body around to elevate it as much as possible. Getting the boot off was the only pain I can really recall. I was taken to trauma and was in surgery within 5 hours.
At first I thought I messed my shoulder up again, but I am happy to say I shielded it from the crash and didn’t tear it again…the doctor said he wouldn’t operate on it a 3rd time - so mission accomplished, but I did put all the force into my foot, wrist, and face (planted the pole on impact). It could’ve been a lot worse.
Like a few others mentioned on here, my doctor told me the day after surgery that I needed to prepare myself to accept the fact that I may never ski again. It didn’t really upset me, because I knew he was wrong. I was in the gym two days after my surgery and did anything that I could - lots of legs lifts while laying flat on my back, moving my legs like riding a bike as long as I could while laying on my back, ab work, back work, and lots of stretching.
Weeks 1-3 Wheelchair
Weeks 3-8 Walker
Weeks 8-12 Walking in boot
Weeks 13+ Tennis Shoes
I received a full release on my left wrist at 7 ½ weeks, the doctors were amazed and actually brought in other doctors to show off a new type of plate they used on me for that, I had 90-95% rotation at that time and said I was going to make a full recovery on it. It’s at that time they mentioned I was making one of the fastest recoveries they’d seen on these injuries.
I’ve been going to the gym 2-3 hours at a time 5-7 days a week since the crash. At 8 weeks (once the scabs fell off) I was in the pool. At 10 weeks I began swimming a mile every other day. At 12 weeks, the days I don’t swim I am able to push myself as hard as ever on the exercise bike, typically going for 45-60 minutes and doing 15-20 miles. I began light lifting at 8 weeks on my wrist, and at 12 weeks I stopped and realized I am doing everything with my upper body that I was able to do prior to re-tearing my cuff last fall. I am in the best shape of my life, other than my foot.
I received a full release at 12 weeks on my shoulder – I did extensive PT post-crash work on both shoulders and continue to do so, and I now have better rotation in my left than my right where I have a minor tear.
I am doing everything that my PT doc tells me to do and then some. I can’t stress to others how important it is to stick with the PT, get into the gym, and get in the pool as much as possible.
I just saw the doctor three weeks ago for my calcaneus. At 13 weeks he said that I should try to begin walking without the boot...I carried my boot to my car that day and haven’t had it on since.
I think the biggest reasons I am making such a fast recovery is that I am in really good shape and didn’t allow this to slow me down. Just getting around was the tough part, all the little day to day things you take for granted, I had to lean on others for help which can be tough for me to do. The first three weeks were hell tho, the constant throbbing and it was just so incredibly tender it kept me in the wheelchair. I had to bounce around on one foot then in my walker for another 5 weeks, and my right calf got huge…while my left disappeared.
The doctor told me to do anything that I want to do now since the bone is healed and if it hurts, then simply don’t do it. He said that I had more rotation on my foot at 14 weeks then he sees some have after they have plateaued…He said I won’t plateau for another 3-6 months and he thinks by the way it’s going I am going to make a full recovery and even said I can probably job again in the future, he said I can ski again too ;) but no more table tops...so I best stick to the west and deep snow as opposed to the icy Midwest where I live now. I am planning on doing a triathlon the first week of August, although I may be a little slow on the run.
The other thing I am about to mention doesn’t get talked about a lot, and it’s going to be my biggest struggle on all this for the next few weeks. I wouldn't be where I am at now without the oxy, and I am currently being weaned off it and trying to stick to the doctors’ orders for tapering since I already have had a couple hellish nights where I have run out and gone into withdrawals. In the early weeks, up until about week 8 I had run out several times for 2-4 day stretches and had no issues other than I was in pain. But now I am at the point I've been on it for 4 months and going cold turkey isn't very fun.
I typically would take 20-35mg before the gym and then 10mg after the gym. I try to keep off it as long as I can each day until I go to the gym, and without it – I know there is no way I’d be at this point in my recovery.
I was prescribed 40-60mg/day in the first 3 weeks and they took me off fairly rapidly at that time, and tried to have me off it by week 8. I went to a pain clinic at that time and I was surprised they just asked me how much I wanted to start with had me sign a contract for my pain plan to taper. I kept it realistic and began at 50mg’s a day at week 8, I am now down to 27.5 mg’s and really all it’s doing now is keeping me from withdrawals more than anything due to my tolerance going up. I usually take my full daily allotment in one dose right before I go to the gym. I have to admit though some days I take more which cause me to be out in the last few days before I can refill. It wasn’t until the past 2 weeks that I noticed the withdrawals though, I vomited last night, had the bugs and tingling feeling all over my body, the aches, there is no doubt I have become dependent on it. I can’t fall asleep no matter how tired I am without it. I have asked the doctor for an Ambien script so I can at least sleep on those nights and not drive my GF crazy, I’m filling that later this week, and suspect that should help a lot, since the only time the withdrawals really suck is at bedtime. They tried morphine sulfate, hydrocodone, and Tramadol on me, but percocet has been the most effective one for controlling my pain and allowing me to do the things I could do pre-crash.
The doctors are saying that its best for me to still be on it so that I can walk boot free and rebuild my calf. When I don’t take the oxy I do favor it and walk with a limp, but when on it I try to walk exactly like I would normally and am able to do so. They say that’s helping me to not develop a bad habit of walking with a limp.
I discuss it all with my GF and keep my doctors informed and am 100% up front and honest with them all since I know this isn’t something to mess around with. To be honest, this is the toughest part of my rehab, basically learning how to live without the oxy. I have gone to the gym several times without it, and it is hell to do the things I can do when on it. I can swim and bike so much harder when on it than not taking any. That’s the scary part to me that it is having the same effect to me that body builders probably get from steroids.
My swelling is almost gone now at week 16, I put my ski boot on two night s ago, and it fits :) I see the doctor again in 2 months and at that time I will hopefully know if I want to take out the screws. Right now my pain is centered on all 6 screw heads, but that pain may dissipate in next two months. I really don’t want to do another surgery, since it would be 6 more scope holes I imagine, and would then be off it and back in a boot for 4-6 weeks. If I take them out, it would have to be this calendar year due to reaching my deductible, free surgery basically…I guess after half a dozen I get a free one. I only have the pain coming from 2 mainly, where the compound occurred.
So there isn’t much to it other than do your PT, go to the gym, get in the pool, ride the exercise bike, stretch, and use the PK’s as needed but be mindful they can become a problem, like they are now to me.
I’m planning a couple trips already to BC and CO next winter. I put all that effort I have for the love of skiing into my rehab, the doctor telling me to prepare myself for the fact I may never ski again was alarming when he mentioned it, but it was much needed because I immediately was motivated to prove him wrong.
Over six months after fracturing calcaneus, & foot & ankle still swollen!
When is this swelling finally going to go away for good? I can't even stand on it for any length of time b/c it swells so badly! I also now have pain on the top of my foot, & on the outer side about 1 1/2 inches below pinky toe. Is this related to the injury?
