Unplanned Break

On New Years Day, we woke up at Lava Lava Beach Club in the end cabin. It was another glorious day on the Big Island and we set out on the semi-private beach to a spot where we usually found sea turtles. We settled at the spot but no turtles were around. Leisa wanted to stay on the beach a while longer and I returned to the cabin to get in a quick jog. I headed down the road toward the Kings' Shops mall. When I reached Waikoloa Beach Drive, I turned around and jogged back to the cabin. I checked my distance and it was only 0.9 miles. I decided I needed more steps so I started back down the road for another lap. Before I reached the turnaround, I stopped jogging and decided to cross the lava field between the road and Waikoloa Marriot. The black lava was soft but broken and sharp. I hopped over the field easily, not the slightest challenge compared to the boulder scrambling I typically do in the mountains. I got across the lava in minutes to a 2' dirt barrier between the field and the Marriot parking lot. Feeling energetic, I jumped on top of the barrier with my left foot and landed on my right.

When I landed, my right foot must have been turned slightly inward. The running shoes I wore had zero lateral support. My ankle rolled under my foot and I heard a pop. A bolt of pain shot from the right side of my ankle about 4 inches up the side of my leg. I muttered explitives I can't even remember, then started limping from the parking lot back to the road. With each step, I tried to access how bad the injury was. Every step was painful and after a dozen or so steps, I realized this was more than a simple ankle roll. I limped a half mile back to the cabin and immediately iced it. Swelling had already begun. When Leisa got back, I showed her the damage. We found an urgent care in the afternoon, but it was closed since it was New Years Day. We were half way through our vacation, but our activities were going to be limited the next few days. A double drag.

On January 2, we went back to urgent care and they sent me to the ER of Queen's North Hawaii Community Hospital. After x-rays, I was diagnosed with a closed avulsion fracture of the lateral malleolus of the right fibula. They put me in a boot and sent me on my way. The fibula is the smaller of two bones that runs between your knee and ankle. The tibia is the larger bone and a break in the tibia would have been much more serious. The fracture was at the bottom of the bone, so the ankle was stable. After a second set of x-rays, and a second review by my doctor at home, no surgery was needed. Rehab would consist of 4 weeks wearing a boot, and 2-4 weeks of physical therapy (overlapping the last week in the boot). When I wrote this, I was wearing the boot, two weeks and two days after the accident. Physical therpary starts tomorrow.

This was my first ever broken bone. I plan to rehab the hell out of it and be back in the mountains in the second half of February.

Aloha
Update 1/30/2024
I abandoned the boot for a flexible brace. I am in week 2 of physical therapy and it hurts so good. I do PT at home every day and I'm working in hip and ham machines at the gym to keep my legs from withering completely. Yesterday, I bought a pair of Saloman Ultra X 4 Mids with better ankle support than my Merrells. The ankle brace fits into the boot without fuss and I took them to an easy local trail for a two mile break in. I was feeling some minor pain on the way back, but consider it a success. I have another month or so of physical therapy, followed by a few more weeks to fully heal. Beyond that, I have to overcome the psych issue of trusting the ankle again. I am planning an off trail hike with my San Gabe friends at the end of February, but might have to take the road and meet them on top if I'm not feeling it. That will be a true test in multiple dimensions.