Life After a Tibial Plateau Fracture: Staying Active and Adapting Through Recovery

When I fractured my tibia plateau, everything in my life stopped at once. 

I took a fall while bouldering at the rock climbing gym, and when I heard loud pop and crack, I knew something terrible had happened. After several hours in the ER, a trauma orthopedic surgeon finally came into my room to explain to me that I had a very serious fracture. He said that my best bet at walking comfortably and unassisted again was to have emergency surgery, that my recovery would take at least a full year, and they needed my decision pretty immediately.  

At that moment, I felt crushed and confused. I broke down and cried, and after taking about 10 minutes to process it, I agreed to immediate surgery. Following surgery, I was hospitalized for about 3 weeks. The pain was unbearable and I had nonstop muscle cramps for the first couple of months. Following surgery, I pushed through the discomfort and did ankle pumps as often as possible with hopes to maintain some of my muscle. 

One thing I learned early on is this:

A wheelchair, rollator, cane — none of it means your active life is over. It just means you need to be adaptable.

I stayed active however I could. The recumbent bike, upper-body workouts, resistance bands, pool therapy, stretching, PT homework — and honestly, a lot of creativity. Every phase of recovery required me to learn something new and stay open to trying whatever kept me moving safely.

Being adaptable saved me. Being willing to start over, slowly but surely, saved me.

There were mornings when I woke up, cried a little, pulled myself together, cried again, prayed for strength, and tried to find one small thing to smile about. There were many nights I stared at my leg and wondered how the hell I was ever going to walk normally again.

More importantly, there were good moments too. 

• Getting into a pool and finally standing without pain for the first time.
• Riding 20 miles again at just 16.5 weeks post-op.
• Walking Toula by myself after 3.5 months of not being able to.
• Being able to stand up and put my pants on.
• Pedaling standing up again at 9 months.
• Running again for the first time (and crying afterward).
• Jumping 12 inches on a leg they said might never handle impact again.
• Running 7.5 mph… then 12 mph.
• Climbing stairs hands-free.
• Walking unassisted for miles.
• Feeling 95% like myself again.

I have celebrated every milestone, no matter how small. Recovery isn’t linear, and it isn’t fast, but it is possible even when it feels like you’re starting from zero.

If you’re navigating an injury, chronic pain, disability, or a season where your body feels unfamiliar, hear this:

You can still live an active, fulfilling life. You just might have to do it differently for a while.. or forever.. and that’s okay.