Buy it
Good news! There are so many great things you can buy to help you out on this journey — and they’re only just a few clicks (and a credit card number) away!
Clothing & footwear
When non-weight-bearing, but even after that, I pretty much wore the same few things every day, because comfort is key in those beginning weeks and months.
Pants: In those first few days and weeks, unless you’re going with shorts, you’ll need a really wide-leg, flimsy pair of comfy pants that fit easily over the cast. And you’ll probably wear them every day and then never want to see them again so don’t spend too much. I went with something like this. I can’t over-state this enough: wide. leg.
Hospital warmth: After I had surgery, as the drugs wore off and I slept at the hospital, I was FREEZING. In case you are too, bring a cozy sweatshirt or sweater to wear over the hospital gown.
Slides or flip flops: Once you get to take the cast off, you’re going to want an easy shoe to slip in and out of. Either the non-injured foot, or the injured one, or both, depending on your stage. I found this especially true for physical therapy. I’m a fan of Nike’s.
Sneakers: When you’re able to start weight-bearing in the boot you’re going to need a good sneaker on the other foot. My favorite was the Roshe. The soles are like clouds, they're so cushiony and soft and light. Also, the entire shoe is really flexible, so for walking practice — going from heal to toe and really articulating every part of the foot — they're awesome. Maybe most importantly, the sole is pretty thick, so when you're walking with the boot, which has a relatively tall platform, you won’t be TOTALLY lopsided.
Getting around
Ease. It’s the name of the game, baby.
Crutches bag: When you're on crutches, you really can't do anything with your hands — especially anything that involves carrying. This little bag is great for a water bottle, or a phone and wallet (for doctor's visits) —really anything reasonably lightweight and small that won't totally offset your center of gravity. I used this one.
Go for the scooter. Just do it. I know, I know…just do it though. Even if you don’t want to be “that guy” — it definitely adds an element of convenience. Mine was partially covered through my insurance and I got it from the medical supply shop.
Bathing
We always took washing ourselves for granted, didn’t we? Well now you’re a baby again and will need all the help you can get. Don’t worry, I’ve got you — eh hem — covered.
Cast cover: I didn’t have one of these but I found out about them once I didn’t need one anymore. I just used a trash bag and rubber band to cover my cast in the shower, but this looks way more efficient.
Shower chair: When the cast came off and I just had the boot, I could finally take it off and take real showers. Well, kind of. Sitting showers. This one isn’t the exact one I got, but it’s similar and looks great. Regardless of which one you buy, this part is important, get one without a back. Trust me.
ICE (Ice, Compression, Elevation)
If you succeed at NOTHING ELSE, focus in on this.
The real deal ice pack: OMG is this contraption worth it. I was messing around with those blue gel ice packs for the first few weeks, but they get un-cold so fast and they don't cover much surface area at once. This thing straps on and comes with two old school ice bags (fill each half-way with water and add a half-row of ice cubes). There are two holes on the sides of the strap thing that hold the packs in place, but rather than using this contraption conventionally (with one bag on each side), I place one on my incision side and just place the other one right on top. These things stay cold for legit like 2 hours — COLD cold. Back in the day I bought mine for $45 (and it was still worth it), so consider yourself lucky that it’s basically half that now.
Compression socks: For circulation and swelling. I got these and they were good. I’m sure there are fancier or better ones but these got the job done. If your foot and ankle are still super tender and it feels achy to put them on and take them off, there are tons of YouTube videos with tips, but here’s a good one. You can also listen to Dr. Gellman talking about why these are good here.
Elevation pillow: Don’t do what I did and just stack a bunch of pillows from your couch to elevate your leg. It’s not sturdy and requires a lot of constant messing with. I was in bed for almost 2 months elevating, and there was a lot of icing/elevating throughout my journey any time I felt swelling. Do yourself a favor, get the real deal.
Pooping
What’s that, you say? You had no problems pooping after surgery? Well aren’t you royalty. No seriously, good for you. Personally, I didn’t have my first poo until 6 days post-op.
The best supplement I’ve ever found for pooping hands down is Intestinal Movement Formula.
Another super movement-promoting supplement is Oxy-Powder.
If your intestines aren’t as tragic as mine were, you can go the natural route with ground flax seeds, chia seeds in smoothies or pudding, psyllium husk, or simply magnesium (I love this brand, they also come in gummies).
Foot/toe tightness can hinder ROM! One great thing for foot/toe tightness is toe spreaders. Just throw them on while you watch TV. I still use them to this day. If you want to hear more about toe tightness, watch my chat with Ellen, the Physical Therapist.
These cupping cups are essential for keeping fascia supple. Tight fascia = tight muscles!
I love gua sha as a way to work on the fascia as well — check out my IG for a few demonstration videos.
Keep your calves stretched with this slant board. I stand on this during meetings, after a workout, whenever.
Range of Motion
First of all, if you haven’t already, check out my video on ROM.
Miscellaneous
A GIGANTIC eco-friendly water bottle: You have to drink a lot of water when your body is trying to heal and regenerate. And even though your crutches bag can help you carry it, crutching to the kitchen to fill up a glass that will probably spill on the way back isn't great. Not to mention, you don't wanna be asking your loved ones to constantly replenish your cup. Having a water bottle makes everything better for everyone. Bonus if it fits into your crutch bag. (I got this water bottle. Pro tip: bring your water bottle with you to the hospital for surgery. My surgeries made me so thirsty and all they had were those little paper cups).
Coconut oil/shea butter: I kept mine by the bed in an old parmesan cheese container because the jar it comes in is hard to get your fingers into. Dude, broken ankle/cast/surgery skin gets so gross — it's scaly and dry and it peels and gets scabby around your incision. Coconut oil and shea butter are great for nourishing the skin, not to mention for self-massaging the area. I put it on a few times a day.
Arnica: Before and after surgery for a few days. Speeds up healing — you can learn more here. Start with the oral kind, and then once your skin is in good shape, you can also get the topical kind to rub on your ankle (don’t use on broken skin).
