[Blog] How a Kitesurfing Accident Changed My Life

[Fabian]

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Message from: Fabian

I have decided to write about my injury in a blog because this type of injury is not uncommon among water sports enthusiasts. Personally, it would have been helpful for me to have had such an account of someone’s experience. Of course, each injury is unique, and this is important to remember. This uniqueness affects the treatment, pain, and duration of the rehabilitation phase. Please be aware that I may have uploaded pictures that show blood or could be disturbing if you are sensitive to injuries. Unfortunately, the recovery process didn’t go as expected. After 14 weeks of conservative treatment, surgery became necessary to stabilize the bone. It’s up to you whether you skip the conservative treatment and focus directly on recovery after the surgery. 179 days after the accident, I received a life-changing diagnosis that turned my world upside down. If you’ve never heard of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, take a few minutes and listen to the videos I attached to my post, because this condition can affect anyone. Since I plan to maintain this blog in the long term, feel free to post your questions in this discussion topic. Highlights: Day 002 - CT Scan Day 040 - Removing of the Cast Day 073 - Removing of the Aircast-Boot Day 099 - CT Scan Day 104 - Surgery to stabilize the Bone Day 179 - Complex Regional Pain Syndrom (CRPS) Day 185 - Begin Extended outpatient physiotherapy (EOP) Day 196 - First Steps Day 205 - Supplements Day 220 - Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Day 230 - Evaluation, CT-Scan and finished EOP Day 239 - Alendronate to treat osteoporose Day 265 - Evaluation and X-Ray Day 273 - First Bike-Tour Day 309 - Motion improvements Day 316 - Nearly normal walking Day 333 - Physio-Exercises Day 348 - Second Surgery the removal of Implants

Accident
On June 1, 2024, all our plans changed abruptly when I broke my ankle at [Netherlands] Ouddorp Strandtent Bula. I wish I had an exciting story to tell—like breaking it on a 4-meter wave—but the truth is far less dramatic. During the water start with my directional board, a shore break pushed me off the board. Despite having nearly no speed, I stepped into the water with my full body weight on my right foot. I don't recall if the ground was uneven, but I twisted my ankle 90 degrees inward and heard two loud "cracks." I knew immediately that something was broken.

Fortunately, two Germans on the beach saw what happened and helped me out of the water since I couldn't move on my own. My foot started swelling right away.
In the parking lot, five people helped me out of my wetsuit because I was worried the paramedics would have to cut it off.

My Ankle 15 minutes after the accident:

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Hospital
After ambulance picked me up from the parking lot and took me to the nearest hospital in Dirksland, the diagnosis was swift. A two-level X-ray confirmed my suspicion. I had broken my fibula and my Tibia (a Weber B fracture) and torn some ligaments, but thankfully, the bones weren't dislocated.
The initial treatment plan was a one-week cast followed by a control X-ray to ensure the bone remained aligned, with a total of six weeks in a cast expected.

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How to Classify an Ankle Fracture


Did I mention this happened just four days before our parental leave was supposed to start? You can imagine our mood during that time!

To give you an idea of the pain I experienced, I will rate it a 10 out of 10 (with 10 being the highest).

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 002 - 008 Days after the accident

Overall situation

• I needed two new casts (on Day 2 and Day 5 after the accident) due to swelling, causing immense pain.
• An CT was performed to check the bone alignment, and I was given a new open cast.
• Fortunately, the bones were still properly aligned.
• It was extremely difficult to sleep because my foot would start to swell every evening
• Swelling happened whenever my foot wasn't elevated.
• The pain level was 9

The first cast had to be changed after two days because it was too tight due to the swellings

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The second cast had to be changed after 5 days because my toes started turning blue and white and becoming swollen when my leg was elevated, indicating that the cast was too tight again.

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Third cast: Not beautiful, but at least there's enough space for my swollen ankle.

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 009 - 015 Days after the accident

Overall situation

• Sleeping was very hard because my foot swelled every night.
• An X-ray checked my bone alignment again, and I got a new synthetic cast.
• Luckily, the bones were still in the right position.
• Swelling happened whenever my foot wasn't elevated.
• The pain was intense, around 9 out of 10.

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Here are some impressions of how my foot looked after 11 days.

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 016 - 022 Days after the accident

Overall situation

• It was very hard to sleep because my foot still swelled every night, causing pain.
• I had more cramps in my calf, toes, and instep.
• My foot swelled when it's not elevated.
• The pain in my metatarsal area got worse.
• By day 17, I needed a new cast (Cast 5 in 2 1/2 weeks) because of swelling, which hurt a lot.
• There was extreme pressure and pulling at the breaking point.
• The pain was still very bad, reaching 8/9 out of 10.

Off Topic

I learned an important rule about how to elevate my leg properly. In the first few weeks, I made a serious mistake: I elevated my leg most of the day, but I also elevated my upper body to watch TV. This impaired circulation and hindered blood flow back to the heart, leading to swelling of my foott and eventually causing pressure on the bone and pain.

It is crucial to keep the heart as low as possible for several hours per day. Whenever I felt pressure in the cast, I immediately lowered my upper body to improve blood flow.
(It would have been helpful to receive this tip on the first day and not by chance from an friend who had a similar injury a few years ago)


Source: MEDFIN

Here are some impressions of how my foot looked after 17 days.

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 023 - 029 Days after the accident

Overall situation

• Sleeping got easier because my foot didn't swell as much at night, so there was less pain.
• It became harder to sleep on my back every day.
• After more than three weeks of sleeping on my back, my back started hurting in the morning.
• My foot still swelled when it wasn't raised.
• If I didn't keep my foot elevated, it would turn blue, which is normal for this injury.
• There was increasing pain on the side of my foot.
• I felt a lot of pressure and pulling at the fracture points and the Achilles tendon.
• My foot was out of alignment in several places.
• The cast made my skin itchy and uncomfortably hot, especially in warm weather.
• Overall, the pain slowly got better, reaching a level of 5 out of 10.
• Unfortunately, pressure on the tibial nerve caused very painful discomfort.
• Sadly, the cast required reopening due to unbearable pressure on the tibial nerve.

Toes still started to turn blue if the foot was not elevated

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Day 28 after the accident

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 030 - 036 Days after the accident

Overall situation

• Sleeping on my back became increasingly difficult and painful over time.
• After more than four weeks, my back hurt every morning.
• My foot still swelled and turned blue if not elevated, which was normal.
• I had issues with the tibia nerve, causing discomfort and numbness in my toes and heel.
• Overall, the pain decreased to a 3 out of 10.

Have I mentioned how annoying a cast is? I'm so done with it!

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 037 - 043 Days after the accident

Situation with Cast:

• My foot still swelled a bit and turned blue if not elevated but after 5 weeks I found a way to manage it quite well.
• Instead of pain, I experienced more of a pulling, stabbing, and very persistent itching at the site where the fibula is broken.
• The pain with the cast decreased to 0-3 out of 10.
• Overall, the situation has improved significantly compared to previous weeks.

Check-up in the Hospital:
Exactly 40 days after the accident, it was time to remove the cast and get a check-up X-ray. Unfortunately, I had hoped for better results, but the X-ray showed that while my tibia is fine, my fibula is still damaged and not properly healed. Instead of the cast, I was given an aircast shoe, which allows me to start walking slowly, but I'm still far from walking without support. The next check-up X-ray will be done in four weeks, and until then, I have to start physiotherapy to regain mobility.

The strangest moment for me was when the doctor moved my foot up and down. Because of the cast, every ligament cracked like loosening fascia in your back. It's hard to describe, but it sounded super strange and was quite painful.

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Situation with Aircast Shoe:

• The shoe is much heavier than the cast, and sleeping was very uncomfortable for the first few nights.
• The rehab process and moving the ankle caused new pain.
• Walking with crutches worked quite well.