This photo shows some of the things you should do and some you shouldn’t in the days following tibial plateau surgery. I have my leg elevated but not nearly enough. It should be higher than your heart, if possible, to allow fluids to drain. Notice the swelling in my foot. Not elevating enough was one of my big mistakes. I’m not icing the leg. This helps with swelling and general healing. I tried it but with bandages on it didn’t seem to do much. I should have taken the bandages off and put the ice on. The wound, under the bandages, was dressed so this wouldn’t have been a problem, the bandages can always be reapplied. I had access to Catherine’s icing machine, which she used all the time during her re-hab. I didn’t use it, mainly because it was too awkward to get up and get the ice out of the fridge. No excuse. Should have done it. Catherine was much better at icing and more disciplined in this regard with her injury than I was with mine. At least I have the brace on and it is done up properly. It has to stay on for the whole six weeks between surgery and weight bearing. The bandages were very hot as it’s the height of Sydney heat and humidity. Very itchy. Note the trusty wheelchair close by.
The Journey Begins…

Australian skier Kieran Kelly awaits transfer to hospital at Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada.
On January 19, 2015, in the first couple of hours of a planned, one-month, skiing holiday, I smashed my tibia after skiing into a hole. What followed was a journey through the medical systems of three countries, numerous expert medical opinions, surgery requiring a plate and screws and a long period of rehabilitation. The latter I’m still enduring.
During this process I’ve learned much about the reality of skiing injuries, about doctors and medicine and about pain and trauma. I’ve learned about how we cope as we age and how suffering affects us mentally. Sadly, I’ve also learned that in this information age, there is no one place where a patient can access advice on the various aspects of surgery and treatment, including skeletal, lymphatic, soft tissue and venous implications. Moreover, there is no timeline that an injured sportsperson can go to check on the progress of their recovery.
To overcome this deficiency I have started this site which is dedicated entirely to the implications of tibial plateau fracture, surgery and rehabilitation. It is aimed at people 50+ but much will apply to those who are younger.
I hope you find it useful
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