Went out to check our property line to find out how a neighbors cattle kept escaping.

Was about 1.5 miles into the woods when I stepped into the hole. Rolled up on my foot breaking the ankle, foot, two toes (torn tendons in both), a partially torn Achilles and 4 stitches in my head.

Broke out the first aid kit and took care of the head wound, splinted the ankle and rolled up in the space blanket. Radioed the Mrs. and she got help rolling.

They got to me in about 50 minutes. Got me in a litter, pain meds on board and carried me out.

Got to the ER and the ortho surgeon scheduled surgery for the next morning at 0600.

10 hours worth. Pins, plates, screws, staples, 7 or 8 different incisions. Splint for a couple of weeks until the swelling goes down and they can remove the sutures then 6-8 weeks hard cast. Then a boot.

I must be getting old, this one hurts.

Ouch! Hope you heal up quickly

Fortunately you were very well prepared for an accident.
Hope you make a speedy and 100% recovery.

Holy smokes. Like msfzoe said, glad you were well-prepared.

I hope you heal up fast.

You go into the woods by yourself, better be as prepared as you can to get out of the woods by your self.

Your description makes my foot hurt.

My brother broke his ankle/foot at a C. Reds baseball game. Medic told him it was broke and the Dr. said it was just a sprain. That was at the ball park. He had surgery and a plate put in. Years later he complains about the pain from the plate. Hope you have better luck my friend.

You're preparation and self reliance is admirable. I hope you recover quickly.

Thanks, it sounds smoother than it went.

Anyone who spends anytime outdoors alone needs a basic first aid course. If nothing else, go buy a Boy Scout First Aid Merit Badge book and read it.

having had more foot surgeries than I care to recall, I grew to hate crutches and not being able to have my hands free to do anything.
Then I discoveredTHIS and fell in love with it. Works great with the boot too.

I much preferred this to the damn scooter. Can actually manage stairs with it, as well as moderate terrain.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zoom6zoom,

I've had that happen many times on my property. "mountain beaver" holes. Not sure who digs them but they can be treacherous as they get covered up with leaves and debris.

Hope your foot heals up OK. Hang in there.

I am flat on my back and will be so for the next week.

The doctor ordered a knee scooter but said I cannot, nor will I, use it until the nerve block wears off and I get full feeling back into my leg. He said a lot of people screw up good ortho work by falling off those when they have no feeling in their legs. I have two pain balls in the leg also.

Sounds pretty bad. I wish you a speedy and full recovery. I shattered my heel bone in college and ended up with a couple of plates and a bunch of screws in my foot as well as a bone graft from my hip. Not very fun.

I believe that I can speak with some authority on this issue.



Definitely get a good scooter once your block wears off and ditch the crutches. From 8/15 to 9/16 I spent more time on a scooter than off. Now I kind of miss it.

I have this one and I highly recommend it. It's less expensive than some of the alternatives, but it is very maneuverable and light enough to toss around. The only drawback is the hard rubber tires. They WILL catch on any little thing on the ground (pieces of gravel for example) and have the potential of sending you ass over teakettle if you're not careful. I thought that I'd get around that and ordered one up that had inflatable tires, but it was too big, bulky, and un-maneuverable to make it worthwhile. It was also almost twice the cost. I donated it to my local physical therapy department and went back to my linked one.

Definitely do your PT. You'll be amazed at how fast your leg will wither away. PT will get you back in no time, but it won't feel good.

Also, avoid ibuprofen if you're able. While some will dispute it, there is evidence that it impairs healing. I, trying to avoid narcs at all costs, was doing 800mg of Motrin three times a day. I kept the pain under control just fine, but my outcome was piss poor. The joint collapsed and after two additional surgeries and many screws and plates, ultimately required a total joint replacement.



You don't want to go there.

Best of luck to you. Recovery is a long road, but you'll get there. And, if you need a recommendation for the best ankle orthopedic surgeon in the US, let me know.

Thanks but mine did a very nice, precise job. They brought out a scooter but it didn't have limiters on the turning radius. I've been on them before and that's on the list of must haves.

Take narcotics as prescribed and you'll be fine.

Pain balls come out this afternoon. The Mrs. is a RN and knows what to look for when they come out.

"Then you get a bed bath, hubba, hubba."

quote:

Broke out the first aid kit and took care of the head wound, splinted the ankle and rolled up in the space blanket. Radioed the Mrs. and she got help rolling.

Get better and props to you for being prepared and handling that as well as you did. I flinched reading that and looking at those x-rays. Hurts bad - I broke my foot in half across the metatarsals in a fall (foot was locked under a bar). Cannot imagine this one - and yes, as you get older the injuries ache more.

Get better - lots of positives in this outcome vs alternatives

Damn! Sorry that happened. Get well soon. My wife broke her's a few years ago walking in the woods in a county park and had to call 911 to come get her out.

quote:

Originally posted by FlyingScot:

quote:

Broke out the first aid kit and took care of the head wound, splinted the ankle and rolled up in the space blanket. Radioed the Mrs. and she got help rolling.

Get better and props to you for being prepared and handling that as well as you did. I flinched reading that and looking at those x-rays. Hurts bad - I broke my foot in half across the metatarsals in a fall (foot was locked under a bar). Cannot imagine this one - and yes, as you get older the injuries ache more.

Get better - lots of positives in this outcome vs alternatives

Those aren't my xrays. Mine looked similarly gruesome though.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
Damn! Sorry that happened. Get well soon. My wife broke her's a few years ago walking in the woods in a county park and had to call 911 to come get her out.

The squad from DNR and volunteers carried me out also.

Ouch!


I sprained my ankle walking out of the woods last fall with a tree stand and a pack on my back - heard a snap when my foot went out from underneath me. Nothing broken, but that hurt like a b****. I can't imagine what yours felt like


Foot injuries suck. Glad you were prepared. Hope your recovery goes well.

Good luck, and I'm glad, all things considered, that the outcome wasn't worse

Do the PT

Take the meds

Heal as best you can

I've had 13 surgeries on my left foot and ankle all stemming from a crush type injury 20+ years ago. Do everything they tell you to that can minimize getting on that road