Hi Elaine! I dropped a large landscape timber on it 2 Christmas' ago. I broke 4 toes, tore the achilles tendon, and the tendon that runs down the outside of the right ankle. The tendon pulled the bone away from itself. They treated me for 2 months, and released me. About every 3 - 4 months since the original injury, I would step down and feel "bone-on-bone". Then, this past spring, I felt the leg go again. I was put into a boot cast and sent on my way. I worked outside in the yard a little in the Spring, but I just couldn't get comfortable. Finally - I simply started staying inside and not walking on it. Then - in July, I was walking to my car and the leg gave out. Back into the boot cast. It didn't get better. Finally my doctor sends me to a surgeon to have my "tendon re-attached". The surgeon looks at my films and says, "You've got a broken leg!" Sure enough - clearly on the films 2 years ago and on the new films - there's my broken tibia, clear as can be! I had to go through tests for bone cancer and MRI's to try to find out "why" it didn't heal. The answer: Because they didn't immobilize it! Anyway - After 10 weeks in a pretty fiberglass cast - the cast came off today, and I'm back in the boot cast until 12/22. Then they will allow me to walk without any support. If the tibia breaks again - I will need surgery to put plates in me leg. What pains me the most about the whole situation? My gardens look AWFUL! LOL...

You need to call and talk with your doctor ASAP. He will no doupt want to see and examine your ankle, do some xrays and see what's going on. Sounds like you will also need some professionally done physical therapy. Guidance as to the correct exercises to do, how much to do and when to do them. Swelling of your ankle is an idication of several different things and only your doctor can tell you what they are. The fact that by evening your ankle is swollen and "throbbing in pain" says that something is not right. Could be too much pressure on the ankle to soon, not the correct exercises being done, additional damage to the bones from walking to quickly on it, and it could be that some or any of the hardware is coming out of the bone. Remember that the ankle takes much of the weight of your body on it every time you stand on it. If it isn't healed enough when you put full weight on it, you can rebrake or hairline fracture the bones again. As for the plate hurting in cold weather, that's not uncommon to happen. It may be possible in a few months to a year, to have the plate removed, but it's too soone to do so right now, I would think. Talk to your doctor about all these problems ASAP, before anything gets worse. You should explain to him/her about your finances and see if your charges can be reduced. The same goes for physical therapy. There should be some arrangements you can make to lower the cost quite a bit, based on no insurance. It's worth a try, because it sounds like you will need some. Good luck

Thanks all....I'm actually doing well and go back to the Dr. on Friday to make sure nothing has "shifted". I did have an eye opener today. I went grocery shopping with my husband and I rode the motorized cart while he pushed a normal cart. I have NO CLUE how people can shop with these motorized carts. You can't get close enough to the shelves with all the crap they have in the isles and you are only able to get foods that are on the next to bottom shelf...unless you actually stand up. I have a very new respect for people who have to shop alone and use an electric cart!! Have any of you used one? What did you think of the experience? Eileen

I have laughed until I have tears in my eyes! Everytime I think about ML exercising her ARMS while driving, Chris driving with one eye, and Nancy with her leg accross the hump - well! I drove around the bloc a few times to get the feel of it, then went to get my hair done! (Its only 6 blocks). I won't do that everyday, but it's nice to know I can get around if I need to. Steph, there is no chance of me doing extra house work, sick or well! It took me a long time to figure out if I kept my house tidy it would not be such a pain to clean up! But still, I know my mom would be so dissappointed in me, lol. She was a neat freak. I have a question about medical care, so I think I'll ask it here. Have any of you heard of Concierge Care Physicians? They limit their patients, charge a yearly 'wellness fee' and are more accessible to you for care. My primary care doctor is going this route. His yearly fee is $1500! I read a disscussion about this on another board, and this seems to be the going rate. Even though I have high blood pressure and cholesterol, I have had great success with the very first meds I tried, so I only go to the doctor once a year for my physical. I just cannot see paying $1500 a year. So I guess the search is on for a new doctor. Ok the rant is over, lol