Broken Leg!

justsuzie

I broke my leg last week and just completed surgery Monday.  Recovery time is unclear right now because it is so early in the process. (In case this helps....8 pins and a titanium plate).  It may be 8 weeks, or it may be much longer. If I have to get the hardware taken out of my leg then I will be in a boot for the wedding.  I am getting married June 25th.  I just bought my dress (procrastinated). How long can I wait before altering it?  I don't know if I will be able to wear heels or not, or if I will be wearing the boot.  Should I just go with flats and have the dress altered while I am on crutches in the next couple of weeks?  I cannot stand for more than 5 minutes at a time though before my leg begins to get very painful and swell.  What should I do?  I know this post is all over the place, sorry in advance. 

ShesSoCold

justsuzie said:

I broke my leg last week and just completed surgery Monday.  Recovery time is unclear right now because it is so early in the process. (In case this helps....8 pins and a titanium plate).  It may be 8 weeks, or it may be much longer. If I have to get the hardware taken out of my leg then I will be in a boot for the wedding.  I am getting married June 25th.  I just bought my dress (procrastinated). How long can I wait before altering it?  I don't know if I will be able to wear heels or not, or if I will be wearing the boot.  Should I just go with flats and have the dress altered while I am on crutches in the next couple of weeks?  I cannot stand for more than 5 minutes at a time though before my leg begins to get very painful and swell.  What should I do?  I know this post is all over the place, sorry in advance. 

Okay, that sucks. But you have three months. I would wait at least another 6 weeks or so to think about altering the length of the dress and what type of shoes you'll be able to wear. You don't know now how you'll be recovering or how you'll feel.

I'm so sorry - this must be so stressful! But try to focus on other things and not stress too much.

justsuzie

What is the very last minute I can safely have alterations done? I 

OurWildKingdom

Ouch! When I broke my leg several years ago, I was able to ditch the boot after 7 weeks and wore an ankle brace for a couple weeks after that. But I also had a clean break and no hardware.

Sending healing vibes your way!

ShesSoCold

justsuzie said:

What is the very last minute I can safely have alterations done? I 

Do you have a seamstress? I would ask her. I got pretty extensive alterations (changed the shape of the dress from an A-line to more fitted through the hips and upper thigh, removed the train altogether and brought in the bust) and I believe it only took 2-3 weeks from first fitting to when I took it home.

But that's obviously not a rule so I would explain your situation to your seamstress and see what she recommends.

justsuzie

I had 8 pins put in.  I have very tiny ankles.  If I have lack of mobility they will need to be removed in a couple months which will put me in a boot for my wedding.  So it is a waiting game now!

jacques27

Honestly, with that much hardware and surgical intervention (looks like it's more your ankle than leg, right?) I would be very surprised if even a miraculously healed in 8 weeks ankle is going to feel strong and stable enough to wear heels that soon after.  And if the hardware stays you will likely experience some degree of loss in range of motion potentially making heels uncomfortable as well.  I would probably just plan on flats or a small kitten heel that would put you even with what the boot might elevate you up to.

Maggie0829

From the sounds of it, I would just plan to wear flats regardless if it is fully healed or not.  The last thing I would want to do is take a chance on wearing heels on my freshly healed ankle.

OliveOilsMom

My sister had a plate and screws put into her ankle when she dislocated and broke her ankle while playing softball.  At the time, the doctor said he typically leaves the plate in permanently, but since she was so young (still in high school) he didn't want them in her body long term.  When it was time for removal, she was given options of when to do it.  Her and my parents picked the best time, so that her schooling was not interrupted too much.  She had the plate in for about a year total.

Speak with your doctor, its possible you could wait until after the wedding to have the plate removal done.  That way you can just stick to the walking boot for the wedding itself.

I also doubt that you would be able to wear any sort of heel on that foot so soon, especially since its so close to the ankle.  But when it gets closer to your alterations, I would purchase a few pair of shoes in varying heights from Zappos.  You can then return whichever shoes won't work for you.

I wish you a speedy recovery!

LondonLisa

This is also just a hem you are talking about. The complicated alterations are the bust/waist/hips If you have a thick fabric my seamstress told me about how she can put magnets/ snaps in the hem so I can go from heels to flats and pull up the hem when I change.  But that being said, I think you should just plan for flats. No one remembers the bride's shoes!

[Deleted User]

One, I'd wait to determine your shoe selection until after you get the boot.  With the height of the bottom of the boot, you might actually feel more comfortable with a heel of some sort on the other foot so you're not uneven.  A woman at work currently in a boot is wearing clunky shoes on the other foot in order to stay even.
Two, get everything Except the length altered now.  You'll feel like you're accomplishing something if you get it taken in or otherwise make it fit better.  Then you can leave the length for the very last thing.
Three, if you're allowed with whatever drugs you may be on, drink a margarita.  This sounds like a lot of Not Fun.

glasgowtolondon

Eek, that x-ray!

@justsuzie that sucks big time, I guess the silver lining is that it's not any closer to your wedding day. I echo everyone else, I couldn't imagine wearing heels after an injury like that so I'd probably just plan for flats. Sounds like your dress is floor length anyway so they are unlikely to be seen.

ILoveBeachMusic

So sorry this happened. I agree with PPs, just plan on flats.

MobKaz

My daughter broke her foot 8 weeks prior to her wedding.  We were just hoping she would be off crutches for the wedding.  She was in a boot until the last 2 weeks prior to her wedding, which weakened the muscles enough to make her feel unstable.  It also altered the balance between the two feet.

She felt it safest to find a shoe that would keep her comfortable and supported.  They were fairly unattractive but she was steady and was able to do some dancing.  I don't think one person even noticed what she wore on her feet.

justsuzie

what shoe did she wear?

justsuzie

I hear tieks are comfy but don't know how well they do for support.

CMGragain

You poor dear!  At least you will have some healing time between now and your wedding!
I had some leg surgery last week, and my legs will be wrapped up like The Mummy until late April.  Frustrating, but not as bad as what you are dealing with!
Just take it one day at a time.  Only the front hem would need to be altered, not the whole thing.  Just a few hem pins or marks would tell the seamstress what she needs to do.  You wouldn't have the train altered.
At my daughter's wedding, I took an alternate pair of shoes to wear at the reception because I knew my feet would swell when traveling.  You might think about changing into super comfy white athletic shoes for the reception.  It is understandable, and nobody really will care.
If you are really having trouble walking by your wedding day (doubtful), you can use a cane, decorated with ribbons and flowers.

charlotte989875

That so sucks. If you need to commiserate I had knee surgery in December (not before my wedding, but right before my sisters). I felt really unstable still so I went with flats. Id recommend Tieks or Toms. They stayed place well and has cushioning in the heels. But might not give you ankle support. 

Also so I had my wedding dress altered in about a week and a half. My dress was in a different city and I didn't get there until two weeks before. She knew my timeline and worked with me. 

Good luck on the recovery, I hope it goes smoothly. 

levioosa

Im so sorry about your leg. You need to be realistic about your recovery though. You will most likely need to wear flats for a very long time. My coworker had ankle surgery a few years ago, and she still can't wear heels. Even when you get the boot off, you will still have a good amount of physical therapy to do. I'm sending you warm thoughts for a speedy recovery! 

justsuzie

Thanks for all the well wishes!  I am most definitely going with flats.  I just hope I don't lose too much muscle along the way because my dress fits perfectly right now. 

MesmrEwe

Recovery is the first order of business!  If there ever was a bride that I'd say should wear a pair of Chucks or tennis shoes - it's you!  Comfort and support is more important than a pretty pair of shoes!  And, it's pretty easy to "dress them up" a bit. 

I'd find a great seamstress and plan on paying extra for last minute alterations.  You won't know until about the 8w mark in the healing process what's going to happen, so for the time being drink your milk and get those bones built back up stronger than ever!!!

justsuzie

I actually found some wedge chuck taylors.  I can bedazzle the shit out of them!

levioosa

As far as the muscle loss goes, there are plenty of exercises you can do that involve the core and upper body, and your physical therapist can help you with modified lower body exercises. The routine might take you a little longer with modifications, depending on what they are, but if you stick with them it will help your recovery along much quicker and you'll keep your muscle. 

CMGragain

justsuzie said:

I actually found some wedge chuck taylors.  I can bedazzle the shit out of them!

I am not a fan of brides wearing Chuck Taylors to make a statement, but in your case, you have my full blessings to wear them!  Bling them up!

justsuzie

Thanks again for all the thoughtful responses and suggestions.  I am going to keep positive and keep my eye on the prize (marrying my hot soon-to-be husband) and that will hopefully make the recovery fly by.  In the meantime I plan on getting alterations done aside from the hem in a couple weeks, and try to adopt a sitting-in-chair workout routine to avoid muscle loss or weight gain so I don't need more alterations. And, I will most definitely be buying shoes based on comfort and ankle support.  

MesmrEwe

levioosa said:

As far as the muscle loss goes, there are plenty of exercises you can do that involve the core and upper body, and your physical therapist can help you with modified lower body exercises. The routine might take you a little longer with modifications, depending on what they are, but if you stick with them it will help your recovery along much quicker and you'll keep your muscle. 

As a lifting buddy of mine says "It's only one limb - there are still three others!" ... and when he was down for hernia surgery, it was "there are still three limbs, just can't do belly work!"...  He's one of the strongest guys out there, but the mindset is the rest of your body isn't down right now, so keep that part healthy so you aren't starting over with the rest too!

SP29

Ouch! You did a good job there. Hopefully a quick recovery for you!

I agree to stick with flats. The ankle will be weak and unsteady once you're out of the cast/boot because of the muscle loss, but hopefully you can get into a walking boot in not too many weeks- that will at least help with the ankle.

Lower extremity breaks usually take 12 weeks to heal- of course your follow up with the ortho doc and update Xrays will tell you exactly how well it is going. While you may remain non-weight bearing, or weight bearing in the boot only for the 12 weeks, towards the end, your doc may give you clearance to do range of motion exercises out of the boot, which will help. Once you are allowed to weight bear and get out of the boot, get yourself to your friendly neighbourhood physio ASAP!

You are free to exercise the rest of your body.

Good plan on doing all the alterations minus the hem. I am sure your seamstress will be happy to workout a schedule to get all your alterations done for you. I can't imagine needing to do it more than a week or two before the wedding.

When I had my dress fiasco, a bridal salon owner offered to sell me a dress off the rack for cost. It fit great except the hem. The owner of the salon has a seamstress she regularly works with who agreed to hem it for me the evening before my wedding, if that's the route I took.

Jen4948

Sorry to hear about what happened.  Wishing you a speedy recovery!

In the meantime, I would talk to your seamstress and explain your situation.  Hopefully she can get you properly sized within a couple of weeks of your wedding.

As far as shoes go, flats are probably going to be the most comfortable for you.

OurWildKingdom

CMGragain said:

justsuzie said:

I actually found some wedge chuck taylors.  I can bedazzle the shit out of them!

I am not a fan of brides wearing Chuck Taylors to make a statement, but in your case, you have my full blessings to wear them!  Bling them up!


SITB

You can get them already bedazzled in some models, but I'm not sure about the wedges. Have fun with the customization!

ETA: They have fringe and other cool embellishments too!

http://www.converse.com/us/en/products/converse/all-sneakers?prefn1=gender&prefv1=Women&nav_fo=lightweightnav-women-categories-sneakers

justsuzie

OurWildKingdom said:

CMGragain said:

justsuzie said:

I actually found some wedge chuck taylors.  I can bedazzle the shit out of them!

I am not a fan of brides wearing Chuck Taylors to make a statement, but in your case, you have my full blessings to wear them!  Bling them up!


SITB

You can get them already bedazzled in some models, but I'm not sure about the wedges. Have fun with the customization!

ETA: They have fringe and other cool embellishments too!

http://www.converse.com/us/en/products/converse/all-sneakers?prefn1=gender&prefv1=Women&nav_fo=lightweightnav-women-categories-sneakers

Who knew there were so many options!  I really like the florals.  You really won't be able to see my shoes with the dress anyhow so I am basically using this as an opportunity to buy a pair of shoes that I may actually wear again.  This way I can justify the splurge on a pair of sneakers.  Although, will I actually wear bedazzled converse again?  Well, I am an art teacher so anything is possible!

MesmrEwe

justsuzie said:

OurWildKingdom said:

CMGragain said:

justsuzie said:

I actually found some wedge chuck taylors.  I can bedazzle the shit out of them!

I am not a fan of brides wearing Chuck Taylors to make a statement, but in your case, you have my full blessings to wear them!  Bling them up!


SITB

You can get them already bedazzled in some models, but I'm not sure about the wedges. Have fun with the customization!

ETA: They have fringe and other cool embellishments too!

http://www.converse.com/us/en/products/converse/all-sneakers?prefn1=gender&prefv1=Women&nav_fo=lightweightnav-women-categories-sneakers

Who knew there were so many options!  I really like the florals.  You really won't be able to see my shoes with the dress anyhow so I am basically using this as an opportunity to buy a pair of shoes that I may actually wear again.  This way I can justify the splurge on a pair of sneakers.  Although, will I actually wear bedazzled converse again?  Well, I am an art teacher so anything is possible!

They're GREAT as lifting shoes!!  You'd be amazed at the bedazzled Chucks I've seen on powerlifting platforms!!!