52. Overpronation and a broken leg

14/02/2024 /

Mile 49 – An easy mile until it all went wrong at the end.

There is a whole industry to deal with problems with your gait while running. Ideally your feet should be parallel, the toes should not be pointing out, and specialists will sell you shoes, insoles and orthotics to help.

This week’s blog had been prepared during the week, including some trivia, but on Sunday it all changed. You can guess that my foot shouldn’t be sticking out at that angle.

Overpronation? No, broken leg!

On Sunday morning I finished my physio squats and bridges then set out for an idyllic Couch to 5K run, saying hello to a surprising number of friends from the village, the church and the running club before returning to the bus stop in the High Street after two miles. Then I chose to step onto the grass, where I slipped on a muddy patch and went down with a crack. When I tried to sit up my right leg was just flopping around and I knew something was wrong.

Looking on the bright side, I fell over in the presence of a GP and her husband (and dog) who stepped up, helped me with the 999 call and have offered support to Sue since (thanks Susanna and Ian). People arrived from all directions to cover me with their coats, and the dog grooming studio on the other side of the road came over with blankets. Two ambulances arrived and the crew dosed me up with morphine and gas and air, then off I went to the Royal Sussex County Hospital A&E, to sit in the corridor before heading for an x-ray. It confirmed a broken leg with the break at the top of the femur, near the hip bone. Then almost back to the corridor — I actually joined four other patients on trolleys squeezed into a single cubicle — before I eventually went to a cubicle then a ward at 3am (so 14 hours later). In case you don’t know, that’s what it’s like.

The treatment plan was for my leg to be held in traction, pulling the break apart so that it didn’t knit, before operating to insert a metal pin in my femur and secure it at each end. There is a risk of future problems with the metal and the Multiple Myeloma but there is no alternative for now. The pin will allow me to put weight on the leg again very soon.

The operation was planned for Monday but delayed until Tuesday, I guess because some more urgent cases came in. I have become accustomed to the ache and haven’t needed morphine for nearly 24 hours but I really don’t enjoy being confined to bed again.

I haven’t received much information yet but it seems likely that I’ll be in hospital for a while for physiotherapy after the op.

I can’t say I’m not disappointed: we had been discussing what will happen next after the remaining month of consolidation treatment but now that all seems up in the air and I’m not likely to be back to normal by March after all. We have an appointment with the consultant next week when we can explore that further. In the meantime, some friends have suggested their own solutions.

Hip protecting shorts.
I wonder if they do this in adult XL?

So all the normal things that made up our week pale into insignificance, but since I had already written about this one, I will leave it in. 

Friday night was quiz night, at the Guide Hut raising money for the village’s St Lawrence Fair in the summer. We went with Tim, Sarah, Chris and Alex. Only at the last moment did Tim notice that we should have a team name and a table decoration. My creative juices flowing, and with a tight deadline, I thought of something.

The Bunch of Spanners.

Thankfully the younger generation knew most of the answers, Sue and I helping with just a handful. They managed full marks on the celebrity couples round where we would only have recognised Will and Kate. We came second overall, losing by just one point. Close, but no bottle of Prosecco.

Thanks for reading and take care — I didn’t and look where i am.

24 Comments

  • Isobel

    14/02/2024 at 7:15 pm

    Oh, Benny! I’m so sorry about your fall! I hope the break heals soon and you’re back on track with your consolidation treatment.
    Love the ‘bunch of spanners’!

  • Rob Walkley

    14/02/2024 at 7:22 pm

    O.M.G. Benny!!!! I cannot believe it!!

    I am so sorry, this is really rotten luck and so completely undeserved. Especially given that you have worked so hard to get back on track.

    My thoughts are with you. I hope to see you in the summer.

    All the very best

    Rob

    • Benny Coxhill

      15/02/2024 at 10:27 am

      It will be great to see you in the summer, I’ll try not to do any more damage before then.
      Thanks!

      • Ian

        16/02/2024 at 10:45 am

        FFS Benny. How can this possibly happen to such a good man ?
        Now you’ve got some extra downtime so …
        Pop yourself into that baby mobility thingy, get those spanners out and service all the bearings on your bike.
        PS. Try not to stab yourself with the bearing pick 😲

      • Mark Hill

        18/02/2024 at 11:59 am

        Have to stick to board games but just wear a hard hat and safety glasses. You never know.
        Just get well soon chap.
        Prayers for you.

  • Alistair Hull

    14/02/2024 at 9:11 pm

    Oh, Benny. “If it’s not one thing, its another” as “they” say. Good luck with this unexpected bump in the road. I know what you mean about the NHS… Just went through similar holding patterns with my 90 year-old mother. Keep yer chin up matey.

    • Benny Coxhill

      15/02/2024 at 10:31 am

      Hi Alistair,
      Good luck with your mum in hospital.
      Now I’m in this trauma ward I realise that all the others have been through much worse injuries than my little broken leg.
      Thanks for getting in touch.

  • Helen Eyre

    15/02/2024 at 8:02 am

    Mud, mud glorious mud nothing more like it for slipping us up!!
    Ouch!! Benny so sorry this has happened when you are working so hard to get back into your running. However it was lovely to hear that the community of Hurstpierpoint helped you. Sending you love, hugs and a good recovery.
    Helen xx

  • Margie

    15/02/2024 at 9:16 am

    I’m so sorry to hear this news Benny. Not what you need!! I hope you progress well and are soon home. It was lovely that you had so many people to help you at the bus stop. People are so kind.
    Lots of love to you and Sue, and I hope you will be home soon. xxx

    • Benny Coxhill

      15/02/2024 at 10:33 am

      Thanks Margie, yes, it happened in the best spot and so many kind people helped out. It might have been different if I was at the top of the hill!

  • Oliver Day

    15/02/2024 at 11:18 am

    Sorry to hear about your leg. Best wishes for a speedy recovery Benny.
    In hindsight the latest blogs were like an episode of Casualty where you felt something was going to happen to the main character; ‘Take your mobile in case you fall’, ‘overcoming obstacles’.
    Longer, brighter days are coming so hope you’ll be on your bike and back on your feet before too long.

  • Geraint Williams

    19/02/2024 at 12:42 pm

    Hell Benny, it never rains but it pours. In fairness, your recovery was going pretty well so the weather analogy doesnt really hold water (apologies for the liquid pun). I’m so sorry to hear about this setback. I hope that you can face the new recovery goals with your usual positivity and good humour. On wards and upwards, albeit with a slight limp for a while.