Broken ankle healing....advice?

[cobright]

[...]He broke his ankle in September 2016, requiring a metal plate, screws....you get it.

He has done so well with the healing, and is walking unassisted, but still experiencing some pain or tenderness.
[...]
Has anyone had a similar experience? And how did your trip go? What did you do to help prevent pain? Any tips or ideas are appreciated!

First, congratulations. Here is my experience, as someone who has been broken most possible ways (including broken ankle) to the point where I hurt when the weather changes in most parts of my body. I also tend to continue working (or playing) through my recovery because ... well it's going to hurt whether I'm getting anything done or not.

So... a few suggestions (I tend to itemize everything so please pardon the list):

1. Let him set the pace in the parks as much as you normally would. Nothing is worse than being paired up with a slow-walker who's only dawdling because she thinks I'm pushing myself too hard. He may prefer to push himself harder than you would, he may not, but at this stage he's not going to worsen his injury by not taking enough breaks. (Yeah, it's technically possible to do just this but not without your body giving you ample warning. On a similar note, if he even casually suggests a break or a change of plans towards a less strenuous activity, take him up on it. I don't normally coddle self-indulgence like this (the face-saving machismo, not the wanting to take a break) but there's a lot of pressure on everyone during a vacation.
2. Medicate. Go to the doctor, tell her-him-whatever that under normal circumstances his current pain management strategy has been doing fine but would a bit of something stronger be appropriate for the week you are on vacation. If nothing else, for after a day in the park to help sleep. Night time is when all my aches catch up to me.
3. Medicate some more. By this I mean liquor. Before the temperance puritans corrupted us, so long ago, medicinal alcohol was commonly prescribed during the recovery from illness and injuries. As a source of calories, liquor needs the least processing by the human body to turn it into energy. Liquor is a potentiator for most analgesics (motrin, tylanol, narcotics). Contrary to the old wives tale, as commonly consumed, liquor generally correlates with better hydration not worse as most people drink it with a mixer, as beer or wine, or with a chaser. There's even a handful of studies showing that even heavy drinking (not to encourage it) has little if any diuretic effect. In any case, what works for me on our WDW trips is to dial in a low level buzz, just above the threshold where you can feel it, and maintain that all day.
4. Get the deluxe dining plan and schedule long sit down meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This has got to be the best way to get someone off their feet for 3 or so hours (combined) each day. Buy the plan so it's a spent cost and no incentive to 'press on' in order to avoid paying for the expensive meal. And getting enough to eat and drink will go a long way toward his overall comfort.
5. If transportation is standing room only, take an Uber. I find this happens the most at the end of a long day in the park and I'm tired and sore and the bus is packed ... forget it. $10-15 tacked on to the end of every day is a pittance compared to getting back to the resort in 10 vs 60 minutes.
6. Walk on his lame side. If a distracted toddler or someone with a stroller or in an ECV is going to bump his ankle they should have to plow over your still twitching cadaver to do so. I'm not hating on people with strollers or in mobility devices (I've been both) but I get thumped or scraped in the ankles at least a couple times each trip. It's just one of those things and normally I'm all 'there but for the grace of god go I' about it. But when the injury is recent and with a metal plate no less... ugh.
7. Get him a stylish walking stick. Not a cane. Something like maybe Sherlock Holmes might have carried and occasionally bapped errant criminals therewith. The stick is held in the hand opposite the injured leg and shares some of the game leg's burden on that step. Over the course of a day walking it's astounding how much of a walking stick helps. And ... maybe a Victorian ne'er-do-well comes along to menace you two and needs a bapping.
8. Signature dining and charcuterie boards. I'm not at all sure how a selection of forcemeats and sweetbread helps, but I'm certain that it does just the same.

There's 8 things that help me. Your mileage may vary of course. I hope for the best, good luck.

 

[Stefecatzz]

I broke my ankle pretty bad & also had screws & plates. Granted everyone heals differently but it took me 3 months before I could walk with the orthopedic boot. I went to Disney 5 months after the injury and rented an ECV which was a pretty good experience. My next trip was 10 months after & I was able to walk taking plenty of short breaks (I count attractions as a break also) & was fine. I brought empty gallon size baggies to fill with ice in case I needed to in the parks but only used them once in the resort room at the end of the day.

 

[LisafromIndiana]

Awesome advice! He loved it. I think you are his spirit animal. Lol

First, congratulations. Here is my experience, as someone who has been broken most possible ways (including broken ankle) to the point where I hurt when the weather changes in most parts of my body. I also tend to continue working (or playing) through my recovery because ... well it's going to hurt whether I'm getting anything done or not.

So... a few suggestions (I tend to itemize everything so please pardon the list):

1. Let him set the pace in the parks as much as you normally would. Nothing is worse than being paired up with a slow-walker who's only dawdling because she thinks I'm pushing myself too hard. He may prefer to push himself harder than you would, he may not, but at this stage he's not going to worsen his injury by not taking enough breaks. (Yeah, it's technically possible to do just this but not without your body giving you ample warning. On a similar note, if he even casually suggests a break or a change of plans towards a less strenuous activity, take him up on it. I don't normally coddle self-indulgence like this (the face-saving machismo, not the wanting to take a break) but there's a lot of pressure on everyone during a vacation.
2. Medicate. Go to the doctor, tell her-him-whatever that under normal circumstances his current pain management strategy has been doing fine but would a bit of something stronger be appropriate for the week you are on vacation. If nothing else, for after a day in the park to help sleep. Night time is when all my aches catch up to me.
3. Medicate some more. By this I mean liquor. Before the temperance puritans corrupted us, so long ago, medicinal alcohol was commonly prescribed during the recovery from illness and injuries. As a source of calories, liquor needs the least processing by the human body to turn it into energy. Liquor is a potentiator for most analgesics (motrin, tylanol, narcotics). Contrary to the old wives tale, as commonly consumed, liquor generally correlates with better hydration not worse as most people drink it with a mixer, as beer or wine, or with a chaser. There's even a handful of studies showing that even heavy drinking (not to encourage it) has little if any diuretic effect. In any case, what works for me on our WDW trips is to dial in a low level buzz, just above the threshold where you can feel it, and maintain that all day.
4. Get the deluxe dining plan and schedule long sit down meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This has got to be the best way to get someone off their feet for 3 or so hours (combined) each day. Buy the plan so it's a spent cost and no incentive to 'press on' in order to avoid paying for the expensive meal. And getting enough to eat and drink will go a long way toward his overall comfort.
5. If transportation is standing room only, take an Uber. I find this happens the most at the end of a long day in the park and I'm tired and sore and the bus is packed ... forget it. $10-15 tacked on to the end of every day is a pittance compared to getting back to the resort in 10 vs 60 minutes.
6. Walk on his lame side. If a distracted toddler or someone with a stroller or in an ECV is going to bump his ankle they should have to plow over your still twitching cadaver to do so. I'm not hating on people with strollers or in mobility devices (I've been both) but I get thumped or scraped in the ankles at least a couple times each trip. It's just one of those things and normally I'm all 'there but for the grace of god go I' about it. But when the injury is recent and with a metal plate no less... ugh.
7. Get him a stylish walking stick. Not a cane. Something like maybe Sherlock Holmes might have carried and occasionally bapped errant criminals therewith. The stick is held in the hand opposite the injured leg and shares some of the game leg's burden on that step. Over the course of a day walking it's astounding how much of a walking stick helps. And ... maybe a Victorian ne'er-do-well comes along to menace you two and needs a bapping.
8. Signature dining and charcuterie boards. I'm not at all sure how a selection of forcemeats and sweetbread helps, but I'm certain that it does just the same.

There's 8 things that help me. Your mileage may vary of course. I hope for the best, good luck.