So the question is… has anyone started limited/light weight bearing in the boot sooner than the doc said you could? I’ve got 2 weeks to go before I’m cleared for weight bearing in my boot and I’m considering starting a week early but limited. Anyone listen to their own bodies and go rogue ? And what was the outcome ?
i have a complex lisfranc injury due to being in a collision with a car while i was on a bike; i have 2 fractures, dislocation, nerve damage, vascular damage, tendon damage and soft tissue damage.
i've never really been that much of a high-intensity active person. i've always just biked and walked around a lot to burn calories. my surgery should be next thursday and i'm trying to be optimistic, but i'm becoming extremely depressed thinking about the long-term effects of this injury. they listed "sequela" on my discharge chart alongside complex lisfranc injury, and i saw that can denote chronic stiffness, arthritis and pain even post-recovery. should i invest in a cane once i'm able to be weight bearing again? could i still go on long walks after this injury?
I had ORIF on May 15th! And have the option to have the post op on May 28th or on June 1st.
I feel like the splint they have me in is SO heavy it’s genuinely hard to move my leg. Was everyone else’s so heavy???
Anyways I’m leaning going in ASAP but am wondering if going on June 1st is a higher chance of for sure getting out of the splint and stitches for sure.
Thanks in advance!
I had my fusion surgery 3 years ago. My foot still hurts a lot and I am wondering if it is the screws. I was told to keep the screws in. I don't have a plate, just the 3 screws. The top of my foot is always in pain and I also have nerve pain.
i've never taken any hard medications or had any surgeries besides a frenectomy, which really only required anesthesia. my mom told me about her experience on oxy's post surgery and she said she got off because it made her feel soulless. what have your guys' experience been? i just want to prepare myself (and i acknowledge it affects everyone differently)
Finally out of the itchy cast and onto a boot! Doc says I’m healing beautifully and wants me to start walking heel-toe a few days before I see him in a month. Screws should come out in three months barring any complications. Past two weeks have been taking a toll on me mentally, but today gave me some hope of returning back to normalcy.
How long did you all wait before going back to the gym? Before my injury I was lifting 3/4 times a week along with some cardio, so I’d like to return to upper body only and maybe some light machine work with my good leg.
Anyone have any questions they wish they had asked at their discharge appointment? Only one I can think of is "how do make this repair last as long as possible while getting back to my normal life".
to be clear, this is the final follow up appointment almost 1 year post surgery.
more edits since it isn't immediately clear:
surgery July 2025. insurance covered PT through December 2025. this appointment would this be 10 months after surgery. I've largely gotten back to activity but not without some level of pain albeit manageable.
for those who have "successfully" completed their process, wondering if there's any questions that came up after the fact you wish you had asked? that's where I'm at.
Update: repair is good to go after 5 months of testing it gym climbing, biking (mtb, gravel, and road), running 4 miles at a time, weight training, hiking, and skateboarding once a week. Gonna be going back for check-ins once a year. Got a PT script to help with the plantar fasciatis that has crept in, and a rec for orthotics for heavier days.
i've never broken a bone in my life before biking and getting into a collision with an SUV last week. i now have a complex lisfranc injury with fracture, dislocation, nerve injury, vascular injury, tendon injury and soft tissue injury. thankfully my right foot was the only part of my body injured.
i've known my small city absolutely sucks when it comes to cyclist safety, but i'm still trying to grasp how long i'm not going to be able to bike. i've been biking since i was a toddler and i have never once even gotten into a bike crash with another person. but the drivers in my town clearly don't know how to drive around cyclists; they switch lanes to avoid me, have to pull back out of the bike lane so i can get by, and i can't even remember how many times i've observed driver negligence. i've gotten metal wires from the street tangled in my tires and seen more potholes than i could count. but i can't afford a car and don't know how to drive, so i've just been dealing with it biking all over town.
how long should this whole recovery process take? i know it will definitely be painful and i will take longer to recover due to the complexity and severity of my injuries, but i'm starting to feel really depressed thinking of all this. i barely turned 19 two months ago. i start my sophomore year of college in a little under 3 months. they listed sequela on my diagnosis chart regarding my foot; how bad has sequela affected you guys? i know it's more likely to be worse for me and varies amongst everyone, but i'm just feeling so hopeless. it's such a mess trying to navigate all this medical bullshit especially during my finals week.
on a positive note though i've been handling my pain really well. after the crash, the ambulance didn't even rush me to the hospital because it kept getting downplayed as a sprain. thankfully i advocated for myself enough to not get it brushed off. i'm keeping my foot elevated to manage with the pain
anything positive, hopeful or helpful would be nice. lisfranc injuries absolutely suck but i know i will overcome it
i am a chronic weed user who's been partaking in it daily for a little over 4 years now (primarily for anxiety, pain and recreational). a few days ago, i got into a crash that caused a complex lisfranc injury with 2 fractures and dislocation; it's not for sure if i need surgery according to the podiatrist, but i most likely do and i'm not getting my hopes up that i don't need it. i know i can't be mixing opioids with weed and i won't be smoking for a bit before the surgery. but will it harm me to start smoking again once i'm off hard pain meds?
what has smoking weed done for other stoners during recovery? has it harmed you during your healing process?
Hi all, I hurt my foot March 28th, and had surgery the next day. I’m starting my 8th week NWB with an aircast. Everything seems to be progressing nicely and I’m pretty sure that at my next appointment in a week and a half I’ll be PWB. I’m a champion worrier though and I just don’t know what to expect? Will I forget how to walk? Will it be so painful that I will never walk again? I’m not an athlete. I’m a middle aged librarian who does work out and bikes (at least I did 8 weeks ago). I’m stubborn though and determined not to go gracefully into old age hood. Any words of encouragement would be helpful. I don’t want to climb mountains, I just want to be able to ride my bike with my husband and garden in my backyard. And go back to work too, I guess. 😊
I am now 16 weeks post-op, and my hardware removal is scheduled for this Friday.
I’m still doing PT twice a week, slowly but surely improving. Still limping when I don’t think hard enough about using my foot correctly. Working on building back foot strength but also hip and ankle. But it’s been so nice being able to walk without the boot. I’ve just started taking the dog for walks, feeling steady enough on my feet to handle a 70-pound golden doodle who doesn’t have great leash manners (or any manners, as evidenced by him being in my lap, that’s the cream fluff in the photo.)
I know the hardware needs to come out to finish the process but ugh, going back under the knife again, I hate it. Doc says it’s quick and easy and won’t be the ordeal it was to put it in and I’ll leave in a boot. I told him I have concert tickets for the next evening and asked if I could still go. He said “Can you go in a boot?” I said yes, it’s a seated event. “Then you’ll be fine.” Will I though? I’m not sure I trust it.
How were y’all with your hardware removal?
As you can see, I had a pretty severe lisfranc dislocation where I ripped all of the tendons in my foot and also fractured one of my bones (not fun) and so I have had 2 surgeries so far, 1 after I was first injured and 1 a few months later. Unfortunately I am not an athlete or anything impressive like some of you, I simply tripped and fell while trying to catch the bus.
I would really really love to say I recovered so well and everything's great but highkey this did absolutely ruin my life and I lost my job and now I live with my dad :)))) and it hasn't returned to normal. I do feel like I wasn't properly warned by my doctors that this could last my whole life but it's whatever at this point. I also have been dealing now with severe joint pain in my arms and legs and am practically bedridden (guys, go to the doctor if something feels wrong! This happened to me slowly overtime because I wasn't getting proper help after I finished my 'recovery') so now my doctor thinks maybe I have gotten rheumatoid arthritis or a similar chronic inflammation condition from this whole stressful experience (awesome and very fun new development)
I'm not sure exactly why i am making this post, I feel very isolated because I don't know of anyone else like myself. I didn't know there was even a subreddit like this. I guess I would like to talk to some of you, especially if you had a dislocation like mine and/or are experiencing full body chronic joint pain too, but if you had a minor injury or have some questions about mine that's okay too.
I hope anyone reading this has a great day and your recovery goes well!! I hope hearing that I am not feeling the best all this time later isn't too discouraging, I am only one person and though I did physical therapy I am sure l didn't keep it up at home as much as I should have. Plus it has only been 2 years! Who knows what can happen.
Ive been dealing with foot pain when twisting, pushing off, etc since an injury in 2014. I had a stress fracture 4th metatarsal from a twisting injury. No MRIs were done and the break was missed for 8 months. Doctors finally sending me to a sports medicine orthopedist to see if an mri is necessary. They say its possible I had a lisfranc but I never really had a lot of swelling. Is there anything on this x ray that looks suspect?
Hi all! (28F) I fell and took a really bad lead fall outdoor rock climbing and hit a ledge, broke my first and second metatarsal in my right foot. This was my first major injury. I got surgery within the week and am about 1 month post op. Currently non-weight bearing using an iWalk and a scooter to get around and cannot drive!! I feel as though I have hit a new low in recovery. Being normally an extremely active person, the sudden switch to the sedentary lifestyle has been really hard to handle. For instance, I am constantly tired, I don’t feel excited to contribute to any conversations, and I feel like I am getting left behind, especially as the weather gets nicer. When do things start to improve? I have done some upper body strength exercises and hang boarding to keep some form of strength, but that only does so much.
Do folks recovering get back to full strength? Any climbers or runners part of this club that can chime in? In my current social circle it has been hard to find people who relate to this, does speaking to a therapist help?
To keep myself busy I have been reading, watching some TV, and doing crafts but I miss being active. I feel as though I am getting SO antsy. My boyfriend has been a saint and driven me places and family has been so wonderful bringing food over, but I just want to gain my independence back! Okay rant over. :)
In April, I tripped on some cool pants and hurt my foot — vomiting/pass out/severe pain. At the time, the ER dr thought it was just a sprain, but mentioned that it could be broken. Had pretty severe bruising even a week later (bruise photos).
Followed up with the podiatrist 2 weeks later and he confirmed there’s a break — official diagnosis was a partially displaced, closed fracture at the first metatarsal base (peroneus longus insertion) and a closed, nondisplaced avulsion fracture at the first tarsometatarsal joint.
Treatment right now is conservative — 6 weeks in the boot, follow up XRay at the end of the month, CT scan if needed. Surgery might be needed — he mentioned removing the bone fragments and reattaching the tendon from the perennial lingua muscle. It definitely still hurts most of the day and I’m sleeping in my boot (but not using crutches) and taking gabapentin at night.
Surgery recovery is 4 weeks nwb, 2 weeks in a boot, and another 6-8 weeks in a brace, based on his estimates.
Based on all the research I’ve done, this might qualify as a Lisfranc injury, but it’s hard to tell without other X-rays and CT scans.
What’s the likelihood of surgery? What’s it mean by “partially displaced”? How absolutely fucked am I?
Sorry for the rambling! I’ve been stuck in my boot except for driving and showering, am having big ole feelings, and am not excited for hot boot summer.
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Got my stitches out today after my hardware removal surgery on May 4 (had 4 screws and 2 plates removed from the midfoot fusion fusion I had a couple years ago). My foot feels so much better after getting the stitches out, it was like almost instant relief. Today feels like the best day :)
Sadly joining the club tomorrow- have ORIF scheduled...I am genuinely freaking out. Mostly about the anesthesia. While doing pre-op clearances, my EKG came back super weird and showed some LBBB which is brand new. I have still been cleared for surgery but can't stop shaking the feeling of how scary anesthesia is.I do feel like my foot is infinitely better since day of injury (May 2nd), can't help but wonder if I really do need the surgery. Anyone have any thoughts/learnings from their anesthesia?
I busted my foot on April 19th, and I wanted to share a real, honest update on where I’m at now.
I’m 3 weeks and 2 days since the injury and exactly 2 weeks post-surgery. The surgeons put metal plates and pins in two separate places in my midfoot (pics attached — warning, they’re pretty gnarly).
The First Week (Pre-Surgery)
Straight into a cast while we waited for the swelling to drop enough for surgery. Pain was manageable with meds, and I could still get around on crutches.
Post-Surgery – The Tough Part
After surgery I moved into the living room. We put a single bed in the lounge (thankfully we have the space) so I could stay close to everything.
Elevation was everything. For nearly two weeks my foot was up 23 hours a day — only down for bathroom trips. The pain when the foot hung down on crutches was next-level. It felt like it was going to explode. There were multiple times I’d get back to the bed, prop it up again, and scream into a pillow. It was brutal.
I quickly learned to minimise movement. The pain meds helped but also blocked things up (wind was painful on its own), so I used a pee bottle while lying down to avoid unnecessary trips. The golden rule: the more time you spend with your foot elevated, the better.
One side note: the stronger pain meds can cause serious dizziness — I felt sea-sick and vertigo at the same time.
The Turning Point
After 10–12 days I ditched the painkillers completely (no codeine, nothing). I wanted the side effects gone, but I also noticed the pain actually eased when I moved a little. Less pressure, more room in the cast, and I could wiggle my toes better.
Then came Day 14 post-op — hospital check-up. They took the old cast off, removed the stitches, and put a new one on.
Instant relief. Zero pressure. It was like night and day.
Where I Am Now
I’m now 5 days with no pain meds at all. I’m still non-weight-bearing and on crutches, but I’m elevating less — only when my foot tells me it needs it. I can work from home again without that constant painful distraction.
Best of all, I can meet my kids at the front door when they get home from school. It’s the simple things that hit hardest.
I’ve got 6 more weeks in this current cast before moving into a boot. Then, in about 7 months, another operation to remove all the metalwork.
It’s a long road ahead, but it really does get better. That initial “holy crap, will this pain ever go away?” stage does fade. (Thank god lol)
If you’re going through this yourself — hang in there. Small wins add up.
A bit of background: I slipped on slush on January 28th and was originally told that I had just sprained my ankle when I went to urgent care, but was given a referral to ortho. I had a call a few days later to tell me my foot was actually broken. When I went to my ortho appointment a week after my injury that’s when I first heard of Lisfranc injury. I was then told I tore my lisfranc ligament and broke my 2nd metatarsal. He told me I would need surgery as soon as possible. I wanted to put it off since I’m a full time electrical engineering student and had a bunch of midterms coming up and wanted to wait until my winter break. My doctor said that wouldn’t be the best plan of action so I trusted him. I had surgery on February 13th, it was a Friday so a bit extra scary lol. My doctor didn’t clear me for PWB until I was 9 weeks post op and referred me to PT. I’m now 13 weeks post op and just started FWB.
I have travel plans for the summer and hoping to be able to go at almost normal pace. I’m going to Montreal for osheaga in july/august and to the UK August/September. What should be my expectations? Last year when I went to a music festival I did about 15k steps a day for 4 days and went to London and Paris last year as well and did around 25k steps a day for 8 days. I know not to expect to be at my normal but hoping to still make the best out of the trips.
I'm walking on it now as it was mild and didn't require surgery but its still painful from time to time which I heard is normal, its more like a tightness if anything. Also it did break a tiny fragment of bone so thats lovely