Broken leg

[hillt3000]

Destroyed my fibula, some ligament damage inside my foot, gonna need pins and a plate. I have surgery on the 18th, my question is has anyone dealt with something like this? Any tips for staying strong? I'm going to miss squatting for the next 6 months.

Was able to get to the gym today and bench press and some assistance stuff.

[davisj3537]

The worst part is the ligament damage. The bones will heal up in about 6 weeks and stop aching after a few months. The ligaments will hold you back for much longer. I've had several dozen ligament issues from riding my bike and they take a long time to heal. It will take a solid year with no subsequent injuries to get back to 100% IMO. Doctors always told me 3 months...that is complete BS. Being that you don't constantly hurl yourself through the air like I do going a year without reinjuring it wont be as hard.

As for staying strong you can get some bands and do stuff at home if you can't get to the gym and do some exercises. You'll be walking good again in 8 weeks at most I'd say, but squats may be 4-5 months or longer. Muscle comes back pretty quick so I wouldn't worry too much about losing strength or size.

[hillt3000]

The worst part is the ligament damage. The bones will heal up in about 6 weeks and stop aching after a few months. The ligaments will hold you back for much longer. I've had several dozen ligament issues from riding my bike and they take a long time to heal. It will take a solid year with no subsequent injuries to get back to 100% IMO. Doctors always told me 3 months...that is complete BS. Being that you don't constantly hurl yourself through the air like I do going a year without reinjuring it wont be as hard.

As for staying strong you can get some bands and do stuff at home if you can't get to the gym and do some exercises. You'll be walking good again in 8 weeks at most I'd say, but squats may be 4-5 months or longer. Muscle comes back pretty quick so I wouldn't worry too much about losing strength or size.

Thanks. Supposedly the ligament damage is why I need the pins and plate to hold some bones in my foot together so it can heal. Doctor gave a timeframe of 4-6 months for full recovery. I cant wait till I have a walking boot this plaster cast is pissing me off.

[davisj3537]

You'll have a lot more freedom to wash and get around once you have the boot. Your body will tell you how the recovery is going. After 3-4 dozen sprains and a bunch of broken bones I can tell you that waiting a little while longer to make sure it is healed is worth it. For me that meant waiting an extra 6-8 months. Since you aren't doing something nearly as dangerous (I'm assuming) then you might just want to wait a few extra weeks or month, but it is worth it. Good luck with the recovery.

[hillt3000]

You'll have a lot more freedom to wash and get around once you have the boot. Your body will tell you how the recovery is going. After 3-4 dozen sprains and a bunch of broken bones I can tell you that waiting a little while longer to make sure it is healed is worth it. For me that meant waiting an extra 6-8 months. Since you aren't doing something nearly as dangerous (I'm assuming) then you might just want to wait a few extra weeks or month, but it is worth it. Good luck with the recovery.

Thanks again. I'm going to take it relatively slow, but I can't stand being out of the gym for an extended period of time. Going to the gym was tricky today, I couldn't help feel in the way at times and somewhat putting myself at risk of reinjury, but since I'm out of work for at least 2 months or more I can choose to go at times where my gym is practically deserted and with a buddy to help load plates, etc.