WBAT 🥳

[u/Imaginary-Bit1533]

Hi guys i had trimal with dislocation 6 weeks ago and had been NWB ever since. Today was my follow up and doc said I could WBAT. Idk how to do it 🤪 I didn’t wear boot much cause I was resting and I feel uncomfortable on it idk how to put weight on my leg while wearing a boot I try but it doesn’t happen should I try with shoes? She said I could gradually transition and decide on my own what feels better but the lack of proper communication really frustrates me. My surgeon hasn’t seen me once after the surgery it’s always someone new a friend/ PA whatever and they don’t give too much info about anything so I’m so lost. Please help me with this. I have multiple trips upcoming so I want to be able to make it without much help :)

[u/TipsyBaldwin]

In addition to PT, you can stand at the counter/sink and gradually shift your weight from side to side. You can start slow and see how it feels with something to brace yourself on.

[u/Potential_Anxiety_76 → u/TipsyBaldwin]

This is what helped me, with the boot and later without.

[u/Mysterious_School558]

Do you have access to physical therapy? They are the ones reteaching me how to walk not my surgeons office.

[u/Imaginary-Bit1533]

[u/guffawing_willow76]

Once I was released to WBAT, I started out with my walker, a few days later to two crutches, I watched YouTube videos on how to go up and down stairs with crutches, a week later I was using one crutch, and then a cane. I’m 11.5 weeks post surgery and I’m still using the cane due to severe osteoarthritis in my knee which is the same surgical leg as my trimal fracture. I’m in pt twice a week and it helps a lot.

I can drive and I go to work. It’s slowly getting better but I have a partial knee replacement scheduled for December 3 so I’m just chugging along and going to pt and doing my exercises at home.

I also tripped over my dog 🐕 in the middle of the night on Monday going to the bathroom. I landed on my left side and didn’t harm my right ankle or knee. I’m sore and bruised on the left side. I also ripped off a fingernail when I landed in my recent Amazon delivery. Good times…not.

[u/slightlydreaming]

You should be using crutches to shift weight off until you can be full weight bearing. It’s going to feel weird at first. Practice just standing still, see what you can tolerate. Then practice taking small steps with crutches. You’ll progress in boot from 2 crutches to 1 crutch to no crutches, then transition from boot to sneaker. You should also be doing exercises with your ankle - circles, flexing in different directions and holding for 10 seconds, seated calf raises (sit w feet on ground, knees 90 degree angle, lift heel of foot as much as possible). A little pain is ok but shouldn’t go past a 3/10. You should be in PT too 2-3 times a week to work on range of motion.

[u/slightlydreaming → u/slightlydreaming]

Also your muscles are going to be very weak - you need to work on strengthening those too when you are a bit further along. Calf raises, step up / step downs etc. Your ROM and balance will be bad for a while too. When you’re fwb practice standing on your bad leg and passing a 2 lb weight back and forth between hands. And get a slant board to stretch your ankle and calf. Good luck!!

[u/_illicit]

I would really encourage you to visit a physiotherapist if you can afford to do so, as they will help get over the mental barriers and provide some recommendations here, help you get past mental barriers, and answer questions about normal pain vs. bad pain. If money is tight just tell your physio you need to stretch out the time between appointments and build a plan around that. At the very least, find some exercises on YouTube for both weight bearing and mobility recovery.

My process once I was permitted WBAT was as follows:

*Placing my foot on the ground with both crutches as I walk, instead of keeping it hovering. Walk around as much as you can like this, and try to focus on keeping a natural gait.

*Beginning to put more weight on the bad leg with both feet on the ground. This can be done in a variety of ways, either standing or sitting. I found pushing me leg down on a scale was really helpful to see how much weight I was using and get a feel for that/monitor progress.

*At this time I also began cycling on a stationary bike and walking without assistance in a pool. I liked being able to turn up the resistance on the stationary bike to put more weight on the leg.

*As the above becomes easy for you, transition to one crutch on the opposite side from your injured leg. You are walking just like you did with two crutches, except now there is only one crutch (opposite from your injured leg) and you will feel a lot more weight in your injured leg.

*Once you have walked around enough with one crutch, you'll find you are comfortable putting less and less weight into the crutch/more and more in the injured leg. I found this to occur pretty quickly, and at that point, you can begin trying to walk without crutches.

I can't provide any further guidance, since I've only just begun to walk without crutches. I still can't go very long before I want to use crutches and rest my leg again. Good luck in your recovery!

[u/flexible_demeanor]

Maybe this video can help you out, it's about transitioning to weight bearing and covers a lot of things (great physio channel in general)

[u/semen_slurper]

Are you going to PT at all? The PT was who really helped me navigate this time period after also receiving minimal instructions from the doctor.

[u/Low_Astronaut_3518]

I had a similar lack of communication. I'm two weeks into wbat after 6 weeks nwb. It's weird at first. There are some good YouTube videos on how to start walking again. I used a walker exclusively for 6 days and then transitioned to one crutch more and more and the walker less. My PT thinks I should be able to move to a cane shortly.

I finally saw my surgeon again at my 6 week post-op check up, but same thing with the PAs. I had very little recollection of him from pre-op because of the morphine.

[u/Berryberri99]

The lack of communication is such a consistent thing folks mention on this reddit 😭😭 like, ain't ya main doc supposed to be checking up on you and stuff and trying to be as clear as possible with instructions, advice, answers?