Gutted......and lots of broken bones

you might need to play around with your analgesia. sometimes the pain relief makes you feel worse than the pain itself. I cant take co-codamol. It makes me so sick (and constipated!). When I was in hospital with my smashed up wrist they dosed me up on it. It made me so nauseous I couldn't eat, was dizzy, ended up constantly asking them to jab me with anti-sickness drugs. I cant have gas and air either - that makes me vomit, as does morphine. Strangely enough I can take tramadol ok but it made my mum violently sick despite the doc giving her anti-nausea drugs to take at the same time. Everyone is different so you just need to play around with what works for you. I'm a fan of staggered ibuprofen (or diclofenac if I need something stronger) and paracetamol with tramadol thrown in on top if needed.
 
It is entertaining there is a whole community where everyone knows the ins and outs of pain relief and their own personal favourite cocktail. :)
 
Hi everyone, well the pain became so bad at the end of last week that I called the consultant and went into see him. 8 Tramadol, tons of other stuff just didn't even touch the sides. Couldn't stop crying which just isn't me. Explained to the consultant what I was feeling and he immediately removed the cast. Turns out the cast had been put on too tight after surgery which meant it was pinching on the wounds and not allowing the swelling to go anywhere. So nice, felt a lot better once removed. He said that the wounds looked reasonable but overall too much swelling for his liking.

That all happened Friday last week - but last night the foot just went crazy and became really puffy. Took a picture and emailed to the consultant this morning and have been told to remove the aircast. Gotta ring him in the morning if still swollen and puffy, will then need to go into see him as he is concerned for DVT. Just hope it goes down.

He also took an xray of my knee on Friday and he thinks I have damaged the cruciate ligament and might need an operation. I need to have a MRI scan this week. This would mean some more time off which is gutting.

Am keeping my pecker up - did have a good cry Saturday morning. My horse was taken to a show by my trainer to jump the newcomers, obviously should have been me and I felt a bit sorry for myself. I couldn't get there to watch as my son had a football match and my poor husband had the horses to do as well as taxi the kids around. On a positive note my trainer is massively experienced and will educate my horse well whilst I am off so that's good.

Thanks to everyone for the many kind messages. Will keep you updated on progress.
 
crikey, that must have been seriously painful. fingers crossed that the swelling has gone down and the MRI scan results are good. better to get your cruciate sorted now while you're off your foot anyway. big sympathy and vibes that it's good news from now on.

TS, good point... we seem to know as much, collectively, about pain relief as we do about horses...
 
I am another fan of paracetamol diclofenic (the slow release ones) taken with lansoprazole to protect the tummy topped up with tramadol when necessary. I spent four years having surgery and always went in to hospital with my own pain relief as I knew what worked for me I hate taking codeine it makes me ill.
After my accident they sent a pain nurse to see me she took me though all the drugs how they work the combinations you can take them in and we made a plan based on that it was great because I understood what I was taking and why.

if its any comfort I think you are about the worse time at first you are in hospital being brave then you are home glad to be home glad to be alive then you get a down that's were you're now it hurts the boredom and inconveince hits home OH is running around you feel bad about that and as the pain sort of goes from acute to more long term you get tired and run down by it .
All I can say is you will get though I am sure you are but experiment with pillows to get the best position if your bum or heels get sore sit and put your heels on sheepskin rugs ( gives great relief) Argos is a cheap place to get them.
Healing vibes coming your way.
 
Really feel for you OP, I'm recovering from a broken collarbone and have had so many comments of how quickly other people have ridden again, it seems almost like a race of who has had least time out of the saddle, and I'm sat here in week 15 feeling like a complete failure and still not feeling right about getting back on yet!!! It doesn't help when people around me who've never broken anything hear about jockeys racing 2 weeks after a broken collarbone, I couldn't even dress myself at that point and was still in excruciating pain!!! Jockeys are complete nutters pain-killered up to the eyeballs but non-horsey people dont have any conception of that! (plus the fact that I'm *****ting myself about getting back, literally nightmares, waking up sweating etc!!)
I was on a strong dose of co-codamol for weeks and struggled to go to the loo properly, and found out rather too late that when that type of painkiller is prescribed it is best practice to also prescribe something to help in the poo-regularity department, so you should ask your consultant or GP about it.
The best thing you can do is listen to your body, however frustrating that might be. Short term it might be great to be back walking and riding ASAP but long term you are better off taking it slowly and not pushing yourself too quickly, although when you do start physio, the more you can do the exercises the better. Good luck :o)
 
trottingon is absolutely right. there seems to be a culture of 'beat the time period the medic said', sort of 'they said 6 months but i was back in the plate after 6 days!!!!' heroics, and it is crazy. a few people on here have posted that they rushed things and didn't let themselves heal properly, and are still paying the price now, with chronic problems... you have to listen to your body.
YummyHorses, i hope you're feeling better today, that the swelling has gone down, that you don't have any circulatory troubles (are you on an aspirin a day just in case?). please keep us posted.
 
Hi ya - well the swelling has reduced a little so the consultant wants me to stay without the cast which is fine but means the broken ankle and leg are not supported which is really painful. Have worked out the pain relief so am sorted as long as I eat plenty of prunes and custard!!! You all understand....

I am in no rush....not gunna compete with anyone on the timing. I so want to get back on but my non-horsey husband will control those urges. If it was up to him he would sell the lot of them!! He has been through it bless him coz last year I had a fall from the same horse out hacking (he reared, slipped and went backwards) and I fell off landing on my head onto concrete. Had a suspected bleed and suffered with post concussion syndrome for 9 months or so. Wasn't a good time. This is partly the reason why I aimed to land on my feet so not to hit the head again!! Heh ho....

Will keep you all updated. Am off to the hospital on Friday for more check ups, xrays, wound checks etc.
 
The only advice I would give as an ex-physio is to do any exercises/movements that you are told to do, otherwise you could end up with a permanently stiff ankle or other problems. Also do them as regularly as you are told to do! (most of us would dream of not doing things with our horse we are told to do but always skimp when it comes to us!).

xx Feel better xx

L
 
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