A sorry tale

[Jop123]

Hi, sorry to have to say I have run my last run for quite a while. 2 weeks ago today I had a sore knee after completing W4R3, I rested it and wore a brace on it intermittently for the next few days. After a while it felt better so last Sunday after 9 days off it felt better, I thought I'll try week 4 again and see how I get on. I debated whether to wear the brace to run or not and decided it wouldn't do any harm to wear it...how wrong I was! As I was approaching the end of the first 3 minute run (jog in my case) I was just thinking something isn't feeling quite right I think that's enough for today, after this I'll just brisk walk the rest of the session. With that my foot slipped out to the side on some mud, I heard and felt something give, next thing I was on the ground, in a great deal of pain, unable to move my leg. I had broken my femur, the biggest bone in my body! Unfortunately the paramedics who arrived (eventually, as I was at the furthest point of from the entrance of a local park and they couldn't get the ambulance through), thought I had dislocated my knee cap and attempted to 'pop it back in' twice just with gas & air for pain relief, not something I would recommend but I'm very glad they were there and they were doing their best, all the pain I had was to be in my kneecap. Anyway, to cut a long and painful story short, I had an operation on Monday to put a rod up through the middle of the femur and hold it all back together, I had 5 days in hospital and am now on crutches not allowed to weight bear on my right leg for at least 6 weeks, then starts the physio! The pain was in the knee because the bottom section of my femur had dropped in there!

The A&E Dr, Consultant and Surgeon all blamed the brace for the severity of the injury. Apparently the brace held the knee still instead of it being able to rotate and disperse the energy from the little slip, which meant the energy travelled from my ankle through my lower leg and knee until it reached the femur and the top of the brace, where it couldn't be released and resulted in a rotational fracture of my thigh bone (femur).

I just wanted to let people know that this can happen and think carefully about how and where you run if wearing a knee brace. If I had stuck to road running it probably wouldn't have happened. I was avoiding a puddle on a path in a park when I slipped. The consultant did say that had I not been wearing the brace I could have damaged cartalidge and ligament which are even harder to fix than bones, apparently. So he wasn't advising against the wearing of a knee brace, just of taking extra care when doing so.

I am so very disappointed, I was enjoying running very much more than I ever thought I would and I don't want to put anyone off. I'm sure I would have completed the programme, which is still think is brilliant if it hadn't been for this freak accident. There are so many inspirational posts on here, I shall be keeping an eye on the forum as I hope to remain positive through my recovery and see that older, unfit, people just like me can achieve success in running.

Maybe I'll even get back to it in the spring if I mend in time.

All the best to everyone on here and look after your bodies, we are a lot more fragile than we realise.

X

[poppypug Graduate]

Oh Jop ! I am sooo sorry to read this, what a nightmare for you . That sounds so painful it mustve been such a shock when you fell .

I am paranoid at the moment about how slippy the leaves are . A lady at our Running Club on Tuesday, slipped and jarred her knee. It only takes a slight slip or trip and then who knows what can happen.

You must be so gutted . Please keep posting with updates if you feel up to it , just so we know how youre doing . I wish you a full and speedy recovery.

Good Luck xxx

[Jop123 in reply to poppypug]

Thanks Poppypug, I am absolutely gutted and feeling really sad right now, I felt it go before my foot hit the ground for the next step, which was when it just buckled beneath me. I think possibly without the brace I might have got away with a jarred knee, which would be bad enough but preferable to what I've ended up with. Never mind, I'm trying to be positive and look forward not back.

I'll post updates along the way, even getting up the stairs with exhausting myself will be progress!

X

[poppypug Graduate in reply to Jop123]

Big hugs Jop (((( ))))

I can only begin to imagine how you must feel, its truly soul destroying isnt it xxx

[Hidden]

Oh dear, poor you ! Well do what the doctors tell you and I do hope you make a full and speedy recovery.

[jojo57 Graduate]

Oh you poor thing! I hope you are feeling better soon.

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

What a horrible thing to happen, I am so sorry. As others have said, do check in to update us on your progress. Sending lots of healing vibes your way.

[Bananabanana3 Graduate]

I hope you feel better soon. What a dreadful thing to happen! Thanks for the warning, I will heed it

[susie_bourne Graduate]

Gosh, so sorry to hear your news. I wish you a speedy recovery .

[Norni Graduate]

Sounds horrendous. Wishing you lots of good luck over the coming months so that you heal quickly. Thanks for posting, good warning for the rest of us.

[AvatheGardener Graduate]

Ooowwwccchhhhhhh! That sounds traumatic- take care of yourself you need pampering and lots of cuts to ensure your bod can heal 🤕

[Jop123 in reply to AvatheGardener]

Thank you, I think it was equally traumatic for my poor daughter who was running ahead of me at the time and turned round to see me flat out on the ground! She was an absolute star, as were all the passers by including many fellow runners who all stopped and asked if we needed help. I am being very well looked after by my brother and sister-in-law for a few days until I'm a bit more steady on my good leg! 😄

[Fran6500 Graduate]

Really sorry to hear of your injuries. I broke my knee cap on 2 July (and wrist) in a non running accident and had similar recovery times to those that are expected for you. the good news is .... I did Week 4 Run 1 this morning so am back on the programme! The knee still doesn't feel like mine when going up and down stairs and on sloping ground but for all other things all is working well. Wanted to share this to help you know that you will be back and enjoying running again. I am 64 so an older lady but I was so fit because of the C25K programme when the accident occurred in July I am sure it was what helped me get thru everything with a generally positive attitude and "cannot wait to get back to running" pysche!! Best wishes to you. Frances xxx

[Jop123 in reply to Fran6500]

Thank you Frances, that is really encouraging! And well done to you! I will certainly have improved my upper body and stomach muscle strength by the end of this, which must be a help with running too! 😀 Xx

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Oh that sounds truly awful, any runners nightmare. I'm so sorry. I hope sticking around the forum might help cheer you up, you will read of many runners here who have made a come back after broken limbs - we're a hardy lot us runners!

Big hug XXX

[Jop123 in reply to Curlygurly2]

Thank you, I will stick around, I only made my post to try to stop anyone else doing what I did, but all the lovely comments have really cheered me up. 😄

[Helein Graduate]

Oh my that must have been painful. I wish you a speedy recovery. I broke my knee years ago and made a full recovery although it aches when it is cold. Do the exercises religiously that are set for you, set yourself little goals.

I did get quite depressed at one stage of my recovery thinking all sorts of irrational thoughts, when those pop in your head post a note on here as friendly support wipes away irrational thoughts.

Look after yourself.

H

[Jop123 in reply to Helein]

Thank you Helein, I am feeling a little 'fragile' at the moment but it's early days. The support I have already received on here has been amazing and had really helped already.

Thanks to everyone xx

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate]

Sorry to hear what happened to you, that must have been really scary. I hope you make a quick and full recovery. Best wishes

[fimcbe Graduate]

You poor thing! Hope you mend soon x

[ancientrunner Graduate]

Oh I am so sorry to hear that. I hope you are feeling more comfortable.

[Hidden]

Oh dear. Good luck on the Injury couch and let us know how things evolve. Sounds like it'll be a while but not forever

[RachelLewes Graduate]

God! Bless you, what bad luck. Hope you recover quickly and don't feel too disheartened.

[Susu4 Graduate]

Wishing you a speedy recovery and definitely keep us posted. This is a brilliant forum with lots of wonderful support so any time you feel you need your spirits lifting post a note. Take care and best wishes. x

[Jop123 in reply to Susu4]

Thank you, everyone has been so kind. 😀

[Ellarunstoo Graduate]

Hi Jop, how are you getting on? Hope the stairs are proving less of a problem now. Have a good Christmas and let us know when you have your running shoes on again. You were doing so well so will soon get back into it. Jill x

[Jop123 in reply to Ellarunstoo]

Hi Jill, I'm doing ok thanks, the stairs are a bit easier now, I still go up in reverse on my bottom, just a bit quicker now! 😀

I'm due to get the stitches and staples from the op removed today, something I'm a bit nervous but also excited about. Nervous because I'm not sure how the staples are removed...and there's a lot of them but excited because it means things are progressing. The swelling and bruising have both gone down significantly so I'm hoping that the I'm a quick healer and the bone is mending too, but I won't know that for another 4 weeks. I'm still on the pain killers but pain seems to shift to a different area each day??? Which seems odd but I guess it's all readjusting

I'll let you know how I get on when I get home on Saturday and hopefully start to regain some independence, no doubt a new set of challenges. 😀

Thanks for asking Jill, Enjoy your running and your Christmas. Jo x

[Ellarunstoo Graduate]

My chiro always says that if pain is moving, that is good, something is happening. Its when you get a chronic pain in the same place that you have to worry. Might be all gobbledegook but hopefully not.

Good luck with those staples and take care over Christmas. You don't want a set back.

Jill x

[Jop123 in reply to Ellarunstoo]

Well that's good news on the moving pain. Staples all out, just a bit stingy when they were coming out but all good, all clean and no sign of any infection. 😀 Onwards and upwards!

[Ellarunstoo Graduate in reply to Jop123]

Hi Jo, how are you getting on with your physio? Hope recovery is going well. Jill x

[Jop123]

Hi Jill. It's not going very well! I haven't been allowed to even start any physio's yet. I had my 6 week X-ray and check last week, and unfortunately they weren't happy with the amount of new bone growth knitting the 2 parts of bone back together. So another 4 weeks of minimal weight bearing for me! I saw the X-rays for the first time and was shocked by how bad the break was, I was expecting to see something like a line across the bone - not the bones completely separated and sheared apart! Yuk!

So I'm still in square one, although I am getting a bit better on the crutches now!

It's all very frustrating, being practically housebound and surprisingly exhausting!

Thanks for asking. I'll let you know how the next appointment goes.

Jo X

[boptillyoudrop49 Graduate in reply to Jop123]

Sounds like a very bad injury Jo. Really hope the bone mends well and you won't have longer term trouble with it. Let us know how you get on.

[LisaGuy-Cowes Graduate]

Thats horrible so sorry for you. Ive been out of running for 6 months with planta fasciitis. Mainly caused by wearing very flat shoes. Not related to running at all. Just restarted the program from scratch. Im sure you'll be back ... quick recovery

[Jop123]

Thanks all, I was hoping for better news at the 6 week check and was expecting to be into physio and back driving this week. I just wish I hadn't worn that brace, I think when we are just starting out running we are so excited and happy to be making progress that we don't want to stop, next time I will listen to my body, particularly my knees, which are there to protect my femur! 😷

I'm trying to stay positive and keep the thought that it must be getting a bit better everyday in the forefront of my mind. It might take a lot of days, but it WILL get better at some point in time. 'This too will pass'. 😄

I just have to learn not to put a time expectation on recovery and take it as it comes.

Thanks for the kind words, it makes a difference. 😃 X

[LauraLouP Graduate]

oh no i feel your pain. November 2014 my husband and I stopped to help someone pushing their car on a main road. My husband slipped and fell and did exactly the same. Take it slow and do not do too much. bikes and swimming before you even attempt to run! Take it easy x

[Jop123 in reply to LauraLouP]

Really? it's crazy that such a big bone is so easily broken, but takes so long to mend! I hope your husband is back fit now. X