I'm on the sidelines for at least six weeks, probably thru all of July due to a trail injury last week. After an absolutely awesome ten mile, 2700' gain hike in the Gorge, the trail gave way below my left foot, sending me off the side of the trail, and breaking my right fibula.
I actually heard the snap as I was falling. As a nurse, my brain went into assess and plan mode. With three other hikers in my group, it made the situation less frightening. My fella pulled me back up to the trail and then headed off with Gauge doggy to fetch the truck to the trailhead, I immediately elevated my leg on my backpack and took something for the pain and inflammation, and then I assessed if I could move my ankle. It moved stiffly and painfully, so I kept my boot on (fully laced to compress my ankle), figured out just how far it was to the trailhead (50yds!), and figured out if I could make it that far. My other two hiking partners helped me stand, gave me a hiking pole, and then took my advice to stand back.
The folks at Multnomah Falls Snack Shack gave my fella ice, I kept my foot elevated and iced in the back seat, and we went directly to Urgent Care. And ... the x-rays showed an oblique nondisplaced fracture of the distal fibula. They set me up with a temporary brace, we picked up some crutches at the pharmacy and I sat around all weekend with my foot elevated until I could see a specialist after the weekend!
I saw the specialist on Monday, repeat x-rays indicated the fracture was bad (actually three breaks) but it remained nondisplaced so I escaped surgery and will be in a walking boot for six weeks.
I'm hoping to go back to work in six weeks or shortly thereafter, but I'm not sure how long it will be before I'll be doing my long out-n-back 12-14 mile Trail Angel day trips.
My hope is to be able to do a lot of shorter out-n-back hikes and/or short midweek overnight trips by early August as the herd approaches mid-Oregon.
Until then I am doing everything I am told to do, not pushing it to much, reading blogs and books. For those who know me ... I don't sit still really well. This will be a long six weeks.
