[Blog] How a Kitesurfing Accident Changed My Life

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 240 - 246 Days after the accident
• 138 - 144 Days after the surgery
• 019 - 020 Days of EOP (finished)
• 004 - 005 Days of PEMF therapy (finished)

Overall situation

• Twenty hours after taking my first Alendronate 70mg pill, I woke up with severe back pain. At first, I didn’t realize it could be related to the Alendronate. However, when nearly every muscle in my body began cramping, I started to suspect it was the cause. I was aware that Alendronate could have serious side-effects , but the experience was overwhelming—I had to stay in bed for an entire day. After 24 hours, the symptoms started to subside and 48 hours later they disappear.
  
  
• The pain level was 0-2 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

• Session 21 - Manual therapy followed by various exercises to strengthen the foot muscles (Walking with 8kg extra weights).

Pictures / Videos

Even though I have now managed to increase my pace to 4 km per hour, my stride is still not even. My left foot continues to take a shorter step to relieve my right foot more quickly.

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 247 - 253 Days after the accident
• 145 - 151 Days after the surgery
• 019 - 020 Days of EOP (finished)
• 004 - 005 Days of PEMF therapy (finished)

Overall situation

• Overall, the situation started to improve. I was able to perform throughout the day without issues or severe pain. I trained for about 2 to 4 hours every day in the gym to strengthen the muscles in my right leg and improve the mobility of my ankle. The biggest challenge is still walking downstairs and focusing on walking normally.
• The pain level was 0-2 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

• Session 22 - Warmup, Massage and various exercises to strengthen the foot muscles (Walking with 8kg extra weights).
• Session 23 - Elliptical Trainer, Massage and various exercises to strengthen the foot muscles (Walking with 8kg extra weights).
• Session 24 - Elliptical Trainer, various exercises (Walking with 8kg extra weights) and icing.

Pictures / Videos

I still have a lot of stiffness in my forefoot. I found that the leg movement during rowing is perfect for regaining mobility in it.

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 254 - 260 Days after the accident
• 152 - 158 Days after the surgery
• 019 - 020 Days of EOP (finished)
• 004 - 005 Days of PEMF therapy (finished)

Overall situation

• The elliptical trainer has become my new best friend because it benefits me in two ways. First, it helps restore normal movement in my knees and ankles. Second, compared to biking, it gives me the feeling of actually doing a sport and allows me to train in higher heart rate zones.
• The pain level was 0-2 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

• Session 25 and 26 - Elliptical Trainer, various exercises to strengthen the foot muscles (Walking with 10kg extra weights) and walking analysis.

Pictures / Videos

That’s the current situation. It may be hard to understand, but video analysis has become extremely important for me because I don’t realize that I’m not walking normally. I still put more pressure on my left leg and unconsciously try to protect the injured one.

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 261 - 267 Days after the accident
• 159 - 165 Days after the surgery
• 019 - 020 Days of EOP (finished)
• 004 - 005 Days of PEMF therapy (finished)

Overall situation

• This week, I had the next check-up on my fracture. It showed a significant improvement in bone density and further progress in the healing process. I am personally very pleased with the results, as the hard work of the past weeks seems to be paying off.
  
  The mobility of my foot is improving steadily, and I can put more weight on it. At the same time, the pain continues to decrease. I am also slowly starting to regain some trust in my leg. However, I know I must not overdo it now. I will continue my daily exercises and, most importantly, keep taking my supplements to provide the best possible foundation for bone regeneration.
  
  The only change is that I will stop taking Alendronate 70mg. Multiple tests have confirmed that I have inactivity-induced osteoporosis, meaning my bone density will improve even without the medication. This is the best news for me, as alendronate caused significant side-effects in my case.
  
  
• The pain level was 0-2 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

• Due to the monitoring of the healing process at the hospital this week, no physiotherapy sessions were conducted.

Pictures / Videos

BeeSnapshot_2025-02-21_20_15_32.jpg

BeeSnapshot_2025-02-21_20_14_35.jpg

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 268 - 274 Days after the accident
• 166 - 172 Days after the surgery
• 019 - 020 Days of EOP (finished)
• 004 - 005 Days of PEMF therapy (finished)

Overall situation

• I didn’t have much trouble with my leg this week. The only annoying thing is that I can’t sleep on the outside of my leg. After a couple of hours, the screws start to irritate my skin, causing pain.
  
  
• This week, I actually had to hold back a few tears. Nine months after my accident and three months after the doctors told me there was a real risk they might have to amputate my lower leg, I was back on my bike. Even though I only rode ten kilometres and my foot hurt afterwards, it was an incredibly wonderful feeling.
  
  
• The pain level was 0-2 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

• Due to several checks at the hospital this week again, no physiotherapy sessions were conducted.

Pictures / Videos

IMG_2473.jpeg

IMG_2472.jpeg

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 275 - 281 Days after the accident
• 173 - 179 Days after the surgery
• 019 - 020 Days of EOP (finished)
• 004 - 005 Days of PEMF therapy (finished)

Overall situation

• Healing is a continuous journey with ups and downs. I don't know why, but at the beginning of the week, I experienced pain in my foot. I hadn't felt that kind of pain before—it was a burning and stabbing sensation. I'm still not sure if the pain was caused by the screws and the implant or if it came from one of the ligaments or tendons. Even though I experienced the pain, walking felt easier.
  
  
• The pain level was 0-5 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

• Session 27 - Due to the pain, we used ultrasound and the massage gun to loosen up the muscles along the fibula, followed by a manual massage. At the end, we taped the outside of my ankle to relieve tension from the tendons and ligaments.

Pictures / Videos

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 282 - 288 Days after the accident
• 180 - 186 Days after the surgery
• 019 - 020 Days of EOP (finished)
• 004 - 005 Days of PEMF therapy (finished)

Overall situation

• The pain along the scar and, most of all, the burning sensation in the ankle have eased. This is most likely due to the fact that the nerves around the ankle are slowly beginning to recover. In addition, I still have the feeling that, even though I had increased pain for about a week and a half, the mobility in my foot has improved. I noticed this earlier when I was able to walk down the stairs normally again without having to hold on to anything.
  
  
• The pain level was 0-5 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

• Session 28 -29 - Elliptical Trainer and various exercises to strengthen the foot muscles (Walking with 10kg extra weights) followed by the massage gun to loosen up the muscles along the fibula.

Pictures / Videos

IMG_2557.jpeg

IMG_2566.jpeg

IMG_2560.jpeg

IMG_2559.jpeg