Twisted. Really, truly twisted.

Yep, that's what I did all right. Twisting force, stretching or possible tearing of something or other. I would show you a photo of my own ankle, wrapped in an Ace bandage, but my camera is not within reach and there ain't no way I'm gonna go get it.

I got home kinda late last night after the monthly county board meeting. There had been one or two controversial issues to be decided,and the public comment section of the meeting, usually limited to 30 minutes, went on for over an hour.So it was nearly midnight when I got home.

Anyway, I got home, parked Smokey's van -- he was installing a different stereo and a cruise control in the new Aveo -- and attempted to dismount from the driver's seat. Since I had parked as far as I could toward one side of the slab in front of the garage in order to leave him as much room as possible where he was working, the van was right at the edge of the slab. There is a slight drop-off/washout there, and I stepped right on that edge. Twisted my ankle, fell, and managed to wedge my shoe and foot in an extreme position -- left foot twisted outward from my lower leg at least 90°.

I freed the foot and just lay there and yelped like a Kat™ in pain. Which I was.

Luckily Smokey was still working on the other car and so was just a few feet away. He is naturally ultra-calm in these situations, in addition to having 35 years of nursing experience. He had me just lie there for awhile; brought me a blanket and a Vicodin and some pillows. And a stuffed animal and my iPod. When, after 30-40 minutes, the Vicodin had taken effect, I managed to get myself upright, but I couldn't put any weight at all on the ankle. He brought his wheeled walker -- purchased several years ago when his rheumatoid arthritis was worse than it is today -- and we used that, plus our quasi-elevator, to get me upstairs and into bed.

It's definitely better today, although I still can't put enough weight on it to walk unaided. We will give it one more day to see how much more it improves, then go to the doc if it seems advisable. (Even if it were broken, which we are about 99% sure it isn't, a doc would have waited 24 hours to set and cast it anyway, in order to let some of the swelling subside.) I borrowed a pair of crutches and another, smaller, walker from our neighbor who shattered her ankle a few years back. We are all just one Oops! away from disaster.

In the meantime, whatever shall I do during this time when I am chairbound? Too bad I don't like to read and don't have a nice, sedentary hobby that could keep me amused...

Comments

[Carrie]

OOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[elizabeth]

What Carrie said! And also - yay for Vicodin and Smokey!

[Christy]

ooh, ouch!

you know, I've heard knitting is a nice sedentary activity... ;)

[Erika]

I concur - yay Smokey!

I sucked air in through my clenched teeth when I read about how you fell. Ai! Feel better soon!

[Cathy-Cate]

Do go in to get it X-rayed, my dear. No one can tell the difference between a bad sprain (which it sounds like) and an avulsion fracture (a bad sprain where some of the bone pulls off with the ligament). But if not properly treated, there is a huge difference in time to healing (and full healing). As long as you keep it up, keep it iced, and don't weight bear, OK to wait a day, but don't assume because it feels a bit better tomorrow that it's all right.

My father had an exactly similar injury -- sprain and chip fracture, actually, combined (he wedged his foot under his car when he went down).

Read! Knit! Rest! Ice!

[sophanne]

wow- vicodin, a stuffed animal and an ipod. I think that is of Klondike proportions as well!

[tut-tut]

having a husband who is a nurse: priceless.

[Carole]

Oh you poor thing! I hope it feels better really soon but I'd probably get that x-ray just to be safe.

[Carrie K]

Ouch! Yikes. This might be the time to give reading a try again - I hear it's a fun hobby. And there's this stick and string game you can play almost anywhere.

Hope it feels better PDQ.

[Amy]

Ooowww! Is my injury-proneness rubbing off on you through the internets???

[Big Alice]

OW. Ow ow ow ow ow. I hope you feel better soon and it heals quickly.

Heh, WHATEVER WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME!???

Obviously you need some more yarn in your confinement.

[lisa]

Youch! Yowl! Yikes! Yeah, I'd say get it checked for sure... but, hmmmmmm... What if you have to stay off of it for, like, 6 weeks or something??? (when I had the acl surgery years ago-when I did NOT knit, gasp!, I had to crutch it around for 6 wks... I'd fling the laundry down the stairs with the crutches... and a vest with lots of pockets is a good thing... you can stash yarn and needles and such). Oh, and the phone, in case you fall and Smokey isn't nearby!

[gayle]

OWWWW!!!
I have a long history of ankle/foot injuries, so I flinched big-time at your description. (As a matter of fact, I ONLY get ankle/foot injuries. I could fall down 3 flights of stairs and end up with only a broken toe or two...)
And it's now rubbing off on my husband - he's sprained his ankle big-time 3 times in the last couple of years. Last year he ended up clumping around in a big Frankenstein boot.
Enjoy some down time, and here's hoping you don't get a Frankenstein boot...

[Suzanne V. (Yarnhog)]

Oh, ow ow ow ow ow!

I'm so sorry.

I missed the bottom step on the stairs a couple of years ago while I was carrying a chair down. My sister, who was visiting, heard the "snap!" from the other room. My ankle, not the chair. Not broken, but badly sprained. Awfully painful, too.

I hope you feel much better soon. Too bad about the lack of a nice sedentary hobby, though. ;)

[deb]

Does he deliver? I'm thinking of the next time my migraine doesn't respond to traditional therapy and I'm in desparate need of the "V"!!

[Cindy]

Oh no! Take good care of yourself.

[Cursingmama]

I always keep an extra pain pill or 2 in the cupboard for just the same kind of problem....although I do hope that we never had to use them and am sorry you had too. You are right though, it is very sad that you don't like to read or have a hobby that is best practiced while sitting with ones leg(s) elevated....
Maybe you should take up knitting ;)

[Julie]

Is it bad that I'm jealous of your twisted ankle? ;-) Okay, so it's not the ankle I'm jealous of but the extra knitting time.

Seriously, I hope it gets better real soon. In the meantime - milk it for all it's worth!

[Miss T]

Owie! Take good care of yourself, and definitely go and have it looked at.

[Ryan]

I did what both Carrie and Erika did, said "Ooooooooooooooooo," in a pained voice AND sucked the air in between my teeth.

So, have you ever thought about taking up knitting? Or how about starting a blog? :-)

[Chris]

Ouch!!! Glad Smokey was so close. Hmm, WHATEVER will you do as you convalesce? ;)

[Sheepish Annie]

There is something about a twisted ankle that gives me the willies! I'm so very glad you had Smokey there to be the voice of reason and to deal with things so well. And vicodin can be a very handy thing to have around in a crisis, too!

Rest up and feel better soon. No need for photos. I'm good!