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I knew I'd been enjoying lockdown too much! Been shielding for the duration because I'm on the CEV list, no worries as work is paying full pay so using it as an opportunity to get loads done. Lots of DIY at home including getting well under way with converting an outbuilding into a decent workshop/bike storage area. Started a bit of training program to try and boost fitness, mainly on indoor bike so far this year, lots of good walks as local trails haven't been so good for riding so far. Got out on the bike on saturday, on the moors really enjoying the ride in crisp snow with plenty of grip. Just sent my forks and shock off to J-Tech for a custom tune which I was really looking forward to trying out.
Anyway, went up on the moors yesterday with OH for a good long snowy walk, lots of drifts to battle through on a really lovely sunny day. A few slippy areas but all quite do-able with care. Started to descend and got below the snow line, walking on grass now so let my guard down a bit, forgetting the ground was still frozen under the soft surface. Started down a bank and leading right leg slid away, left leg folded at the knee and was dragged down the bank underneath me, foot caught a rock, bent back, twist and snap! Oh bollox said I!
Tried to stand and realised something was very wrong(could have been the pain that gave it away 🙂 ). At this point we were about half a mile from the main track where a vehicle might be able to get to. A little earlier we had bumped into a friend who was heading down that track back to the village about a mile below. She had spotted us heading slowly back towards the track and rang OH to see whats up. So she starts to hot foot it back to the village to bring a farm vehicle up for us while I slowly and painfully hobble across rough moor back to the track, took about an hour to get to the track and no sign of friend when we got there.
Now, just to complicate things. About a week ago I was diagnosed with a cortisol defficency( a side effect of my Immunotherapy treatment affecting my Adrenal gland) and prescribed Hydrocortisone tablets. I was told that if I got seriously ill or injured I should call 999 to get a cortisol injection as my tablets wouldn't be enough and I might go into crisis. So all the while I am hobbling across the moor I am wondering if this is a serious enough injury to call 999, don't want to waste their time after all, is it broken or just a sprain? I feel ok apart from the pain.
While waiting at the track I call my GP for advice, just get yourself to A&E I am told. OH rings friend who says she is on her way with farm buggy. Great, she will get us down and we can drive to A&E.
At this point my breathing starts to feel a bit odd, hands go a bit numb and I start to feel like I'm going to pass out. Time to ring 999 I say. OH rings 999 and tells them the situation and that they may need fell rescue to get me down off here. Straight away they ask for what3words location which OH is able to give. I am now leaning on a wall in a crouched position with my head down getting ready to lie down but start to come around again and feel a bit better.
Friend turns up with buggy and gets us down to village(we owe her a huge thanks!). A few minutes later ambulance turns up and local Paramedic car. Paramedic is a bit dissapointed that he isn't going to get to try taking his car up the track but happy that we are down and leaves us to Ambulance crew. Crew look at my ankle and think it's broken, give me the cortisol injection and strap me up in a splint. They advise that we go to local hospital Urgent treatment centre as they would have to take us to A&E at a further away hospital which is a bit of a Covid hotspot, fine by us.
Hospital x-ray reveals stable fracture to tibia just above ankle so no cast just a moon boot to wear and probably damaged ligament down outside of ankle.
So, no gnar involved but a simple slip and all plans go out the window for the near future. Anyone else had simillar? and how long before being able to ride properly again?
Not done anything similar, but bad luck and heal fast!
My mate did something similar on the bottom of the Slab at Dalbeattie. That was in early Sept. Don't think it was broken but definitely VERY torn ankle ligaments.
From memory he was off the bike for about 3 weeks, then very gentle cycling on road/tracks for another three, then eased himself back into proper MTBing after that. Still wearing an ankle brace inside his shoes now.
I did something similar (but again nowhere near as bad, 1 lig basically) and it took me 7 weeks to get back on the bike. First two weeks it was so swollen, I could barely get it in a shoe! Then the process of putting a boot on (so articulating the ankle) was horrible for a few months.
It did fully recover tho. I had private physio and did all the exercises.
I broke my tib and fib (tib and bottom, fib at top) with a similar sounding twisting motion. Like you I was moon boot. Off crutches in a week (I was surprised) and back on bike gently after 6. Full send probably took a further 8-10 weeks. It's 2 years now and it still gets a bit sore sometimes, but I can ride no problem and do multiple days in a row etc. So, in my experience, 6 weeks before gentle riding.
In case you're interested, I broke mine doing a manual. Was doing Gypsy Glen with the dog, pulled a manual on a fire road and looped out. Stepped off the pedals but somehow forgot to bring my left foot. Literally sat down on my bum hard, but my leg twisted leading to a large cracking noise and significant regret about life choices.
Any pain near your knee? When I got x-rayed, they told my I had likely torn ligaments in knee as it was very sore. Went to see doc a week later for follow up was told I should have been x-rayed at knee also, as these twisting fractures often lead to a break in the opposing end of the fib, which I had broken in two places. Not that it made any difference to be fair!
Good luck!
I think you will heal in slightly less time than it took me to read your post 😉 !
Just kidding - I'm in a cast and crutches for the next six weeks here too, so I can sympathise...
Haha! Yes it was a bit long winded. Can you tell I hadn't told anyone the story yet 🙂 just started typing and it all came out.
@militantmandy yours sounds a bit more spectacular than mine.
@Alex It's probably the ligament damage that worries me most. That ankle has had some hammer in the past. About twenty five years ago that foot got bent under in a timber yard accident and tore the big front ligament, I remember that one taking a while to heel. Was told at the time that I would probably suffer with it in later life and just lately I have started to feel it again. Nurse told me last night that it is probably arthritis and I will likely get more of it from this injury. No pain around knee thankfully, they checked that last night.
Fabio Wibmer was doing no foot manuals with his moon boot. What’s your excuse? 😛
I remember that one taking a while to heel.
I see what you did there 😉
Get better soon.
Healing vibes dude. I had double fib fracture and full ankle dislocation. Fib was plated and then I had complications as I subsequently snapped the syndesmotic screw. Anyway, I think ligament damage and restoring decent range of motion in the ankle would be priority. The bone will heal quick enough as everyone above says. Depending on covid restrictions make sure you get the physiolab rehab sorted as that came a bit too late for me and my ankle is fairly fused now.
@Superficial so, wearing a moon boot could finally enable me to do a manual eh? A plus side to everything I guess 🙂
@hamishthecat inadvertant pun brought on by poor spelling abilities 🙂
@cjr61 they are talking about telephone physio consultations in around six weeks. Not sure how thats gonna work.
Think I was off for nearly 3 months but then I rode trials so quite a lot more pressure on the ankle!
Could jump on a trainer for steady sessions after about 6-8 weeks though.
I bought one of these https://www.healthandcare.co.uk/ankle-braces/02MXSR.html?gclid=CjwKCAiApNSABhAlEiwANuR9YJWd3iNAyxWor8SQEvjgt62Ohf9lTRrODD1MOsacmXcOY33ICPF3dBoC9wwQAvD_BwE when I started back on the bike (Andy Murray used to wear one on each ankle for playing tennis, fantastic braces) and I still, very occasionally, wear it when I get ankle pain. This is 8/9 years later mind.
@isitafox yes, my son pointed me towards one of those braces too. It helped him a lot with a bad sprain. Cheers!
Update, just had a few minutes trying back on the indoor bike. It's doable even with the boot on so that's ace, at least I can get my legs spinning again.
Interestingly, after being told at the hospital that I had a tibia fracture I received a letter from hospital telling me it is a stable distal fibula fracture.
Just under seven weeks since the accident and got back out today! Felt fantastic to be back up on the moors, especially with the weather we have today. Starting to feel alive again!
Just a steady 10.7K circuit to start with but starts out the door with a 2.8K 218m tarmac climb. Was very slow on that. Legs and lungs could tell I've done nowt for a while, even had to push a few bits but ankle hurt more pushing than pedalling which was mostly painless.
Somehow managed to score a PR on a 1.6k mostly downhill segment (tailwind assisted) just got me into top ten which I'm quite pleased about as that is mostly populated by the young local fast lads, was previously just outside top ten but no.1 for my age group. Small jump on that segment which I couldn't resist trying, certainly felt the landing, maybe avoid jumps for a while longer.