This is mainly for me to keep track of progress. It seems like it got worse over the first couple of weeks!

Day 1 – August 29

Wheelchair, crutches, walking book, splint, ace bandages – you name it, I’ve got it. I am mostly in bed with my elevated.

Week 1

Week 2

Bruising along the foot and up the leg.

Day 18

Week 3

Finally seeing some real improvement – swelling down quite a bit, bruising has lightened up.

Week 4

SIDENOTE: My husband went back to where this happened in Troutdale, OR – they have painted the curb and put up “Watch Your Step” signs.

Week 5

Week 6

Healing has been very slow. Swelling has gone down quite a bit but comes back with a lot of pain after I’ve been upright for a while. There is still light bruising and the scrapes are just now healing.

October 13 – COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME

New twist. The orthopedic told me 1 in 100 patients have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). I’m the 1.

It can be triggered by Lyme+.

Symptoms include:

• Continuous burning or throbbing
• Sensitivity to touch or cold
• Swelling
• Changes in skin temperature — alternating between sweaty and cold
• Changes in skin color, ranging from white and blotchy to red or blue
• Changes in skin texture, which may become tender, thin or shiny in the affected area
• Changes in hair and nail growth
• Joint stiffness, swelling and damage
• Muscle spasms, tremors and weakness (atrophy)
• Decreased ability to move the affected body part

The ortho recommendation is to continue to keep my feet elevated and use pain as my guide to when I should be using them. Basically just wait it out. But it’s not uncommon for healing to take a year or more.

I’m trying to get into a foot specialist who has several tools that could help – but they are booking 6 weeks out. My Lyme doc has some options: IVIG and prolotherapy.

Week 7

Still lots of pain, using the wheelchair. Both still have some color changes (bluish) and wrinkly/dry skin, more on the left – symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome. Some light bruising still there – especially near the toes on the left foot.

Week 8

This is getting old. I can walk a little but pain and numbness are still overwhelming when I do. Still swollen – more so if I don’t keep them elevated. Light bruising, wounds are healed but still visible.

Left foot changes colors and texture – that’s the CRPS.

What Happened?

I stepped off a curb and rolled my right ankle – tried to catch myself with my left foot and stepped rolled my foot forward so my toes were bent under my foot.

Left foot fractures:

• Calcaneus
• Navicular
• Cuboid

I also think the left ankle is sprained, not as bad as the right but definitely bruised and swollen.

Right ankle:

• Tiny fracture of lateral malleolus
• Sprain