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Re: [RC] fractured tibia - Lysane CreeHi,
I'm a little behind in reading Ridecamp, but I just wanted to say that following instructions of your doctor and really taking the time for yourself that your body needs to heal is probably the best advice overall. Last year I fractured several vertebrae. After two weeks in the hospital I went home but had to wear a brace for 6 months and could barely do anything for the first two months. I would get exhausted really easily, any little bump or false step would *really* hurt and I to stay in bed almost all day long. I had compression fractures so the doctors had some fear that they could "settle" or compress more (in the first month).
Being the "Type A" kind of person, staying in bed and watching t.v. was very difficult. I tried to take as few painkillers as possible though because the pain is what kept me quiet. If I had taken all the pain away with pain pills, I would have been doing stuff I shouldn't be doing. :)
I did read alot - I always loved to read and had not had time to sit and read a novel in years - too busy reading law books. I also read all those gossip magazines that friends brought over. So funnny.
I watched t.v. of course and developed a somewhat strange interest in that crazy soap "Passions" - maybe because it is so "out there", it makes it light and funny and interesting to see what other crazy scheme they will come up with. I also caught up on movies that had been on the video store shelves for a long time but that I had never had the time to watch.
Drawing, arranging photo albums, sorting through papers are all possible from a chair or bed if you have some help in getting the stuff to you.
While I must say I was very frustrated at times at not being able to do very simple things without assistance, perhaps the best lesson I learned was that it was o.k. to take care of *me* and say I can't do "x" right now. It was very liberating, as I have always been a person who is going at a hundred miles an hour, working as a lawyer, multi-tasking, meeting obligations and responsibilities, making time for my spouse, my horse and my riding, learning about endurance/competitive trail, learning how to trim my horse's hooves, etc.
Also, I committed myself to follow all directives from my doctors diligently. Now a year later, I have almost zero problems. My back is as close to 100% as it can be. I found physio to be very helpful and worth the effort and time.
I know that when you are in the middle of it, the recovery time seems endless and cabin fever sets in, but being pain free (or as near as possible to that) for the rest of your life is deifintely worth it, right? You'll have many years of riding ahead of you.
Good luck in your recovery.
Lysane
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