I am a 59 year old female and fell down the back steps where I work. I knew my foot was hurt badly because I couldn't even put any weight on it. They took me to the hospital and my ankle and the top of my foot is broken. I was off work for a week and have it in a boot with crutches. I have been back to work for a week and I thought setting at a desk would not be bad, but by the time I go home in the evenings I am nearly in tears. I am wondering how long it takes for the pain and swelling to ease up. I don't go back to the doctor for six weeks.

Hi, I'm a caregiver and a patient. I live in an old house that has five large concrete steps on the front porch. I was leaving for work when my overloaded hands and packages wobbled, then I wobbled and thus began my downward spiral down the front steps. I was grabbing for the rail, and the large shrub next to the rail, to no avail, my left foot wrenched downward to the outside, I hit the first step with it bent and then another, and another. Foot scraping all the way down. I finally landed on the concrete walkway and into the grass. It took a bit before I could get up, no one anywhere in site to help. I finally got up and managed to hobble to the car. I thought it would be okay once I settled down in my office and rested, but it didn't and the pain and swelling just got worse. I went to the emergency room to have it looked at. Hours later, I was finally seen and they determined there were no beaks, but they couldn't tell about fractures because of the swelling. It's now three weeks later and I'm still swollen, pain has been pretty bad. I'll see my primary. After reading about fractures on this site and what causes them, I could easily see it being a fracture and understood a little more about my dilemma. I didn't get this much information from the emergency room doctor. When I see my primary on Friday, I will have my list in hand so that I don't forget to tell him any of the signs from the list that I feel apply to my situation. The straight forward layout of information was so helpful.

After 20 years of not being in a pair of skates… I was only on the skates 15 minutes when I fell backwards twisted my ankle and landed on it! I have torn two ligaments on the inner ankle and broke the outer bone of the ankle. I will need surgery to repair the damage I did. That means a metal plate and two screws. I ordered a knee scooter because I cannot bear any weight on my ankle for three months.

I fractured my ankle walking a dog. At 55, this is my first broken bone. Thought I was being careful by wearing my heavy duty snow boots since I knew the area would be wet and muddy. While my right foot 'gracefully' slid in the muddy grass landing me on my right side (without any bruising), my left boot stuck in the mud, didn't move. I thought I just sprained my ankle - I could bear weight & walk on it - it was just sore. At home I did the R.I.C.E. and limited my walking. At first the swelling and pain went down, so I started working the ankle as rehab. After a week from the fall, the improvement had stopped, so I saw my doctor. The X-ray showed a fracture of the fibula near the ankle. Now the specialist has my leg in a hard cast & I have orders to be non-weight bearing cast for six to eight weeks with the goal of avoiding surgery. My doggies are not happy!

I fell down the stairs from the third step from the bottom. My left ankle slipped off of step and rolled. I guess I shifted my weight to the right and went off of the side of the steps (there was no rail) and my leg snapped and ankle dislocated. I have three fractures in my right ankle that required two plates and screws and a long screw through inside of ankle. The left one had two fractures with one plate and screws and another long screw. My right one was also dislocated. It has been 13 weeks. I was in a non-weight bearing on the left ankle for four weeks and a non-weight bearing on the right for almost eight weeks. I expected to be able to do more and have less pain by now. It seems to get worse. I am hoping physical therapy will change this and I can put this behind me.

I slipped on black ice. It has been a little over a month since my surgery. I have a plate and six pins. The first two weeks I was extremely sick from pain meds. Now swelling is a problem. I'm having a problem sitting still too. I hate not being independent. I'm so bored. The waiting to heal is the toughest part now. Hopefully the worst is behind me.

My horse slipped and fell while I was riding. She landed on my right leg, and have broken ankle and lower tibia fracture.

I did this at work, I was prying some cement/stucco from a side of the window and started pulling with my bar when I slipped and fell straight down about five feet very hard. I thought I was fine until lunchtime when I couldn't walk that well. When I got home and took off my right side shoe it swelled like a balloon. The next day I couldn't even walk so I went to the doctor and was told it was fractured.