You broke your leg, now what?

Maybe by the title, you can tell that I broke my leg. Having never broken anything before (that I know of) I had no clue what to expect and what to do. Now that I have three weeks of recovery under my belt I felt like sharing some important finds that have made my life a little easier.

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So, I’ll start at the beginning. I broke my leg on July 13th. I was wearing wedges and took a spill on the threshold of my front door. At first, I thought I had just sprained it. But it was a pain I haven’t felt before.

I don’t have insurance so I put off going anywhere. Just so happens that the day before, I impaled my hand and had stitches put in that needed to be removed, so I scheduled an x-ray for the same time. Needless to say, the x-ray showed an oblique fracture of the Fibula.

GREAT!! Now, what do I do? I assembled a bunch of different items that have helped me and want to share them in case you are facing a long recovery like me. FYI, I am 100% non-weight bearing, which means I can’t put any weight on my leg.

Products to use if you broke your leg.

Invest in a good pair of crutches: I had no clue what this meant until I used them. Make sure to have the crutches fitted to you. the handholds should line up with your hip. And don’t put all your weight on your underarms. They are not meant to carry that much.

Crutch underarm cushions are a must!! I have so many bruises under my arms from the crutches. These pads are a Godsend.

Because I don’t have insurance and my fracture didn’t require surgery, my Orthopedist let me use an air cast I purchased on Amazon. Just make sure to purchase one for your leg size!  Take your cast to your appointment if possible. This will allow your doctor to evaluate your needs and decide if you need a conventional cast or an air cast. I was told that the air casts that my doctor sells are over $500.00. Finding a plus-size cast is not easy and frankly, I didn’t. I made do with one that was a little too small around my leg. Thankfully it came with extension pieces and fit just fine. Notice the pump on the side. If you want to ride a knee scooter you must find a cast with a flat front.

I love this cold pack. It is easy to wrap around my leg without much discomfort and it’s large enough to accommodate for the swelling.

Guess what, if you’re like me you can’t stand in the shower. You need a shower chair. I’m not too sure if this is TMI but you need to know! And a bath mat.

I don’t have a fancy cover for my cast when I shower. I just cover it with a trash bag. But they do sell covers. I have never used one.

Get yourself a knee scooter if you are cleared by the doctor! I was cleared and so I am able to use one just fine. BUT BE CAREFUL!!! I already fell once on the damn thing.

A grabber tool. Don’t make fun, you will be upset the first time you drop something and can’t pick it up. I didn’t know how many times I drop things on the floor. It’s actually kinda ridiculous.

Some sort of bag or purse for transporting everything. I use a backpack or crossbody purse for this. I literally take it EVERYWHERE I go. After I fell off the scooter and couldn’t get up, I was so thankful I at least had my cell phone on me so I could call for help. Just make sure that whatever you choose won’t cause you to be off-balance.

A bike trainer…that’s right a bike trainer. I asked my doc if I could try getting on a bike trainer during recovery and he was ecstatic that I even asked. I opted for a fluid trainer. THIS IS 100% up to your doctor, so don’t just go out and buy a trainer unless you have gotten clearance from your medical professionals!!!!!

Take it easy!

Make sure that you are following your doctor’s orders to the T. Depending on how you broke your leg, the bone/bones broken and your genetics it can be a long road to recovery! Give yourself time to acclimate to using all of the new tools you need to make life a little easier.

Have you ever broken your leg? What kind of products did you find the most useful?

I am not a doctor. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.