Ooooh, been there, done that, got the T-shirt (or the hybrid external fixator, aka Ilizarov device: Ilizarov device)
First of all, what kind of crutches are they? This kind, or this kind? If the former, I ahve the following tips:
– Don’t rest your weight on your armpits on top of the crutches. You want most of the weigth to be balancing on your wrists. Your wrists and shoulders will probably be sore, but that can’t be helped.
– My mom had a genius solution for handgrip perspiration: wrap the handles in cotton bicycle handlebar tape.
– It will take some practice to get the hang of it; don’t worry. After a year on crutches (damn fractures wouldn’t heal), I could almost outrun my physical therapist.
– You will be amazed what you can do standing on one leg if oyu try hard enough.
Can’t give you much advice on the forearm crutches, though.
Some general advice:
– Blood circulation is very important to bone healing. Make sure that if your doc tells you to wiggle your toes, etc., that you do it, even if you are sore.
– If they send you to physical therapy, you are going to be sore. But maintaining long-term function is worth it. And as soon as that cast comes off, make sure you move as much as you are able. 9 years after my accident (given, mine was freakier than most, and I had 4 rounds of surgery and almost every commplication known to mankind), I still haven’t regained full joint mobility or muscle mass, and probably never will, plus I have arthritis in my ankle. If I’d regained mobility sooner instead of spending so long on crutches, I probably wouldn’t have nearly the degree of long-term loss of function.
– Read up on your treatment options; one good place to start is the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
If you have more questions as you go along, please post again.
