That Time I Broke My Ankle in China and Needed Surgery

My first summer here in 2014 I was walking along a path with amazing views of the city and fell in a tiny but incredibly deep hole.

Walking on a small path not many take, as usual, one of my legs suddenly dropped all the way into a narrow crevice with no bottom as far as the eye could see in that dark deep hole. The weight of my body pressed down on my right ankle and with the pressure my ankle that did not go into the hole and broke it in 3 places.

That's the spot approaching. I took this photo the summer after

The gap is not as big this time. Someone must have come and re-shifted the cement slabs to make a narrower hole.

The weird thing is that as much as it hurt I didn't think it was broken. I had broken bones and twisted joints before which were much more painful. So I continued to hobble on it all night and then got really drunk, though I was stationary most of that night, outside.

Well I woke up and it was hurting something awful. I called my GF at the time to take me to the hospital. Then I called work and canceled my lessons for the day. said I would be in the next day still in denial of the extent of the injury.

So after some quick X-rays it was pretty clear it was broken in a few places. The doctor said I would need surgery to insert pins to keep the bones in place.

I have never had surgery before, three prior broken bones and stitches a few times, maybe some other times when I should have but didn't get and proper diagnosis but figured I'd walk it off.

(more cool scars unfortunately not in a sexy spot like on the face going over my left eye)

Without a doubt I was rather nervous going to a Chinese hospital to be "put under" and stay there 10 days. What would I do after the procedure? Where my home was located was the last place anyone with crutches should be. Top of a hill with a small rough road leading up to a very quiet area. Not much chance of catching a taxi there and walking down or up it would surely lead some falls.

Well the hospital room was private, it was a rule for foreigners to use the VIP ward. I was not allowed to be in the "public"incredibly busy areas. The nurses here could speak some English and so could my doctor. He was the best in the hospital for this type of injury so I was told. I paid *'guanxi'. Small bribe/tip for preferential treatment, wich is criminal here but some how exceptable. It was really cheap considering so I just paid and my GF gave the nurses treats and tips. haha

Happily I was mostly covered by employee insurance through the company I worked for. Even to be in the VIP ward, which to be honest was pretty nice for the price, I could have lived there. The hospital made it an obligation so insurance had to cough it up.

Ten days in the hospital followed by 3 months on my back most of the time at my GF's home. her mom took good care of me and fed pork knuckles and ankles almost everyday. Very delicious bone marrow soups because in Chinese medicine its widely believe if you injure a part of your body you should eat that part of another animal, like pigs. Very sweet lady I will always remember even though I will probably never see her again. She didn't speak much English and my Chinese was much less than what it is now but we managed. haha

This was the make shift half cast I got when i was taken in. I was given the exact same on on the way out and forbidden to remove it for any reason for 3 months.

I also damaged my nerves by not resting it in proper position so after a 2 months I could no longer move or feel my foot. It freaked me out to wake up one morning unable to crunch my toes as I was instructed to do 100 times a day after the first 1.5 months or so.

I was recommended to do Acupuncture. I do believe Acupuncture works for some things like blood flow related issues, not all but some. This had nothing to do with blood flow so I was skeptical but figured I had nothing to do and it was an excuse to get out of the house.

I got 10 pins 20 mins a day for 10 consecutive days. It did nothing. the doctors recommended another 10 days but I declined. Nerves just don't work this way and should ever have put a needle in my nerve I'm quite certain it would have caused more damage. lol

(I consider it all part of the adventure and my life journey.)

I was my first summer here and it was spent indoors sweating not enjoying the city I was desperate to explore. I made up for it the next summer and the next and a couple others. Maybe more, at least one though I will be taking a trip back home to Canada this summer.

The pins are still in there but they don't set of the airport metal detectors thankfully. I don't walk funny but i fell my dancing days are not the same as they were but hell, i'm 36 years old, those days were coming to close anyways. sniff sniff.

All in all it wasn't the worst thing imaginable. It probably could have been much worse. I did not have my family here but I did have some friends and people who cared. Won't be forgotten.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Please stay tuned.