Ouch, a Broken Ankle!

Ouch, a Broken Ankle!

For a year, I've been trying to exercise as much as possible because of spending so much time sitting at a desk. 

We both have used the stairs whenever possible, even trudging down/up 11 flights of stairs to & from our apartment at least once a day. I've done Zumba in the apartment, Ken rides a stationery bike. I've thoroughly enjoyed walking with a group of the Sisters for an hour at noon four days a week in the nearby beautiful forest, I mean cemetery. 

However, sometimes even doing good things for good reasons doesn't turn out the way you'd planned!

On Tuesday, March 15, 2016, I went with a group of Sisters for our usual walk, but I felt out of shape as I had to try hard to keep up with the walking pace. My left ankle began hurting when we returned to the office which I thought was a little strange because I hadn't had an accident.

My ankle swelled a little so I thought it was sprained. For two weeks I faithfully iced it, wrapped it, and kept it elevated. Still I limped, probably a tiny bit more each day.

That Saturday, we visited Speyer, a town just over an hour away, with E/S Caracena. After a very enjoyable day seeing the museum and ancient synagogue, their pedometer read nearly 10,000 steps.

By Monday, I realized that I should get an x-ray but the Easter 4 day holiday was coming up and I'd heard that most doctors were out of their offices already. The Germans take their holidays seriously and I was determined to not miss out on our long weekend either.

We left early Friday morning, March 25, taking E/S Rueckert with us headed north for our first visit to Berlin. On the way, we stopped in Saalfeld to see the famous Easter egg tree, then in Potsdam to tour the palace, then to our hotel in Berlin. After checking in we walked a couple of blocks to an Italian restaurant.

At the hotel, this looked like just what I needed. Little did I know this was a omen of things to come!

On Monday, we walked around enjoying the sites in Berlin and started on the return trip about noon.

Elder/Dr. Ryser was able to get me an appointment with an orthopedic doctor on Thursday. 

Finally! 

After the x-ray, Dr. Seeger walked into the room, looked at the x-ray on the computer, and, before he even sat down, he exclaimed (in English), "You have a broken fibula!" 

I don't know why I was surprised, but it was nice to have an explanation as to why my ankle wasn't healing!

Dr. Seeger, doctor for the Frankfurt Pro Soccer team,  just couldn't get over the fact that I had had absolutely no accident to cause it and the fact that I had been walking on a broken bone for two weeks!!!! 

I'm sure it was due to the osteoporosis that I've had since I was in my 20s. 

An MRI showed that it is a stress fracture.

At the next doctor's visit I got a removable cast; the original one is to be worn at night. 

Crutches are so difficult so we started looking for a knee scooter, like we'd seen at home. Not to be found, so the next week we ordered one from Amazon.de. It must have come from America because the instructions were in English. 

Even most of the medical people we've come in contact with haven't seen these scooters before.

It is sure more convenient to get around on than crutches. 

Who knew I'd be a trend-setter in Europe? Even with a seldom-seen knee scooter!

This is our daily routine. Ken is right there with me every "step" of the way, in order to prevent an accident.

I feel like I'm a parade everywhere I go! 

We've been to lots of stores getting yarn and supplies to take to the refugee camp.

The scooter works great on smooth surfaces, but it definitely does not like cobblestones. 

Don't let the smiles fool you...it is dang hard! My left knee gets so tired and has developed a callous. 

I was referred to a specialist to investigate the osteoporosis. He recommended several tests including a bone biopsy.

Friday, April 15 we went to the Medical Clinic at the University of Frankfurt for the bone biopsy...yikes! I was sooo nervous. 

The bone sample was sent to a lab in Berlin (funny, it had just been to Berlin). 

We are still waiting for the results.

Everyone in the waiting room had to wear a mask. I was not a happy camper at this point, so Ken was trying to keep me amused.  

Taking the biopsy turned out to be not nearly as bad as I'd expected. The doctor doing the procedure told me that men's bones are typically much harder and she has to occasionally call for help in getting the sliver of bone. Women's bones are softer than men's, and my bones are softer than most women's bones. In that respect, that made it easier for both the doctor and me!

My trusty caregiver is with me every minute, doing double duty in the apartment and waiting on me hand and foot. He wants to prevent me from falling or slipping and causing more problems.

We thought we were together a lot before this happened, but we're velcroed now! 

Believe me, I certainly appreciate his efforts, but it is truly husband abuse!!! 

Our travel plans have had to be rescheduled, for at least the SEVEN weeks of wearing a cast. This is because Europe just isn't very well prepared for the handicapped: most old buildings just don't have elevators or ramps, rest rooms are usually in the basement.

Frustration. 

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction!!!

That's my story and I'm sticking with it!