Days 2-7 - External Fixator

I was taken to surgery the next morning, December 29th, 2022 after the doctors felt confident I wasn't at risk for compartment syndrome. The first surgery was quick- 30 minutes to place an external fixator (although it is fast, you are still intubated and it is performed under general anesthesia). This is a common element of a tibial plateau fracture recovery. The fixator allows your swelling to peak and subside without risk of the bones shifting more. Some people have external fixators for up to two weeks. Some people fly across the country with them. Others are discharged from the hospital with them. Those people are warriors. I couldn't be farther from that. My experience with the fixator was awful. The pain was almost unmanageable. It took me four days to even get from the bed to a chair (which was about 30 inches of movement). Five days til I could use an actual toilet (not a bedside commode). Seven days until I had surgery. Every second of those seven days was difficult for me in terms of pain tolerance and anxiety. I was at a Level 1 trauma center and therefore wasn't able to get a guaranteed spot in operating room schedule. Anybody who came in with life threatening injuries would rightfully bump my case. This happened for a few days until I finally had my open reduction internal fixation surgery on January 4th, 2023. 

Things I learned during my time with the external fixator:

1. The safest way for the nurses/physical therapy to help you move your leg is for them to grip the bars of the fixator. Mentally this was brutal for me so I would have them cup their hand under my calf just to help my brain process moving the leg.
2. Stay on top of the pain medicine. Pre-medicate before physical therapy comes to work with you. Stay on top of your bowel regime. Being constipated and having to deal with the fixator is incredibly not fun.
3. You can ask for your leg to be wrapped (see photo) if external fixators are hard for you to deal with visually. 
4. Before agreeing to be discharged from the hospital with the fixator, ensure that you have a safe way to be transported with your leg being completely straight. You will not fit in a car normally.