My dh broke his ankle Friday, July 17th when he slid into 3rd base while playing softball. Went to local ER, nurse splinted it, told him to see an orthopedist the following Monday for casting. The doc they referred him to could not see him for another week, and we leave for WDW just 2 weeks after the initial break. So, I called MANY orthopedic surgeons to get dh an appt that day, the Monday following the initial break, as the ER had told us to do. Found a doc, dh went that afternoon, he said he needed ORIF surgery to fix the ankle bone (spiral break, 2.6 mm separated) and his ligament was also damaged, and said that's why dh was in such pain. He manipulated his leg quite a bit, and dh was in incredible pain (he didn't take any pain med that day--hadn't really needed it before he left home). Surgeon said he would have a nerve block during surgery, and would be discharged by 1 pm the next day, Tuesday July 21st.

For whatever reason, surgeon didn't know why, the nerve block couldn't be placed. Dh returned to the room in incredible pain, as he was given nothing for pain relief in recovery. My dh could only say "pain pain pain" over and over when he returned 1 hr after surgery, and nurse took at least another half hour to get him a lortab. Pain was not at all managed, and then the physical therapy came into his room and said his surgeon wanted him up and weight-bearing 30% of his weight on his ankle--right then-1.5 hrs after surgery ended--when dh stood up, he nearly passed out from his completely mis-managed pain. PT got the nurse, nurse again refused to call the doc, and said he had to "act like a man and deal with it [the pain]" The PT said she's not seen other patients pushed to walk JUST AFTER having ORIF surgery, and dh was discharged with instructions to weight-bear at 30% (60 pounds) daily. Dh goes to doc Wednesday, 8 days post-surgery, to have the stitches removed and to finally have his ankle cast put on.

Is this normal, weight-bearing at 30% 1.5 HOURS after surgery? We had a really hard time getting into a doc to begin with, should we fight the uphill battle of finding a new orthoped? Again, we leave for WDW--now, 6 days from now. I'm going to order a ECV for dh, so he's not on crutches while on vacation. Doc said he can most certainly transfer using both feet and a crutch--since he wants him weight-bearing at 30% of his body weight daily already. Oh, and when I called the orthopedist's office the day after surgery, I told the receptionist about dh's pain still being at a 10, the day AFTER surgery, and that he had been in searing pain since just after surgery, and doc wrote another pain med script for us to pick up. Dh has been miserable this week, thinking he's not doing all he should be doing. He used the stationary bike at our fitness gym (we own 2 gyms), as that involved a little bit of weight-bearing--maybe 20 pounds of pressure--and was in exquistite pain afterwards--that was 2 days post-op, but he hasn't returned to work out. I had my neighbor (a former post surgical/recovery room nurse at the same hospital where dh had surgery)come over and look at dh, as I've been worried that he looks a little dehydrated, but not bad. She said the same thing--his skin is tenting, his face is wrinkled around his ears, (just since surgery), and I'm trying to force him to drink all I can. He's eating a little bit, but that's not so troubling. I think he's just be overwhelemed with this week's events, as I know I have been for sure!