Some potentially bad news.

[takethisbread]

My ankle injury is not healing. I leave in 7 days for Georgia and it has not improved.
I injured the ankle falling down the steps of the hostel at the pa ruck last week.
I assumed the sprain would heal over time.

A week later, we still have significant pain when landing, and minor pain with every step. And it has major joint weakness.

I am leaving in 7 days regardless, make a go of it. I am cautiously optimistic. It's lack of improvement is just scary.

I just been telling myself that old folks thru-hike this trail, and maybe me with a bum wheel is still stronger than they might be ( in body anyway).

Well, I vented, thanks for listening.

[Pedaling Fool]

A lot will tell you to cancel, but that's a decision only you can make. I can only say that I have walked through many injuries and came out stronger for it. I almost feel immune to "twisted ankle" type injuries, because of the injuries I've walked off on the AT.

However, I didn't plow through the pain, did easy days and never took advil or anyother type of "medication".

[Helios]

Take it easy and listen to your body. I know of one hiker who continued on with a stress fracture. He hiked easy, took many rests, and over a few weeks totally healed. All possible, just know when to quit to avoid unecessary long term injury!

[GeneralLee10]

NP man, Sorry to hear that dude. This mite allow for me to catch you now (speedy) hehe. We can eat Frito's and drink some soda together now.

I really do hope you get better. What have you been doing to help the healing process?

[Spokes]

..... I can only say that I have walked through many injuries and came out stronger for it. I almost feel immune to "twisted ankle" type injuries, because of the injuries I've walked off on the AT.

.......

John, that comment brought back memories and made me chuckle. I walked off my share too and found almost any ankle injury got better after 10 days worth of pain.

As Ann Trason (100 mile ultra run veteran) once said:

"It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse".

[SawnieRobertson]

What's the hurry? Assuming it has been "imaged" and that no fracture was found, it will heal and stay healed if you give it a little tincture of time. RICE now, ankle brace later. Have you read AWOLs account of his sprained ankle, which was apparently a pretty severe one? Do. Good luck, Kinnickinic.

[takethisbread]

I really do hope you get better. What have you been doing to help the healing process?

Getting drunk and eating! Isn't that prescribed care? Doctor? I haven't seen one nor do I plan on it.

[Colter]

"Listen to your body," as Joe Cross said, is a bit of wisdom more of us should listen to. It helps prevent and heal injuries. People get sprained ankles often. It will likely be no big deal if you react sensibly. Take good care of it and start slow.

Also, 42 isn't even close to old in the hiking world!

[Sailor (The other one)]

Forgive me if I'm telling you what you already know or have been told. I'd hate to see you miss your hike. I'm a massage therapist and personal trainer. Assuming you don't have a break or a torn ligament or tendon, you can do a lot of healing in 7 days. Like SR said, RICE now. Rest it. Get off of it. Put it up on a foot stool. Use ice. 20 minutes on, 40 minutes off, repeat as much as you can stand. Do NOT use heat. It'll feel good but not help the healing. When you start hiking, wear a brace, use your poles (if you don't have them, get some) rest it as much as you can and keep icing it (What? On the trail? Use cold spring/stream water, leave some water to freeze outside your shelter, take a zero at Mountain Crossings and get some ice from them.) Eat well, really well. Lots of vitamen C. No junk food, no alcohol, no caffiene, good protein, lots of raw vegetables. Your body needs the good stuff to heal and the bad stuff will just slow it down. Lots of water. Gentle massage can help move blood to the area and that can help to.
Good luck.

[GeneralLee10]

Getting drunk and eating! Isn't that prescribed care? Doctor? I haven't seen one nor do I plan on it.

The best thing ever, Doctor what's that? I think you will be Okay dude. Like Colter just posted "Take good care of it and start slow."
**** who knows, it mite happen again on this Great Journey. Wimps sit, Men get up and continue on. Adapt Improvise Overcome, Suck it up! no.... not the Beer

[Buckeye Hike]

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

Buy a ankle brace that keeps it nice and tight...not an ACE bandage! Some ankle sprains can take 1-2 months to fully heal. So go easy on it or it will get worse. Best of luck!!!

[burger]

Take it easy and listen to your body. I know of one hiker who continued on with a stress fracture. He hiked easy, took many rests, and over a few weeks totally healed. All possible, just know when to quit to avoid unecessary long term injury!

Bones are easy--you just have to give them time to heal. Tendons can be much more fickle. That's why bad sprains sometimes take months to heal completely and sometimes never quite heal 100%. My advice would be to put off your hike for as long as necessary to get better. Even if you feel better before you go, you could easily have a setback that ends your hike or makes it less fun than it should be.

[sasquatch2014]

I hope it gets better for you. I am sorry that you the tumble and even more sorry that I wasn't there to laugh and take a picture. You know that even if you have an injury you are still required to carry all your own beer for the Duncannon 24! At least if it's really cold you can use it to ice your ankle.

[garlic08]

Best of luck to you. Don't worry about making an illogical decision--what's a thru hike if not an illogical decision? You will make many more questionable choices on a thru hike. If you don't, you won't finish the hike, ever. Definitely, listen to your body, and don't medicate yourself to toxic numbness.

[Spirit Walker]

Given the weather forecast for this week (two snowstorms) you might want to wait a bit before heading out. Walking in snow, slush and snowmelt is hard enough when you have two good ankles. If you've given up your apartment - can you find a friend to host you for a week or two?

That said, the day I started my PCT thruhike I sprained my ankle, 1/2 mile into the hike. It wasn't a bad sprain - no bruising, just swelling. I decided that rather than hang out in Campo for a week, I'd hike slowly. It took about two weeks to stop hurting, and there is some permanent damage to the ankle, but I was able to continue my hike. But that was a desert hike, where it was easy to sit down and rest when I needed to. In cold and snow, rest can be a real problem.

[The Flatulator]

I am in the same camp as "Burger" I would suggest postponing the hike for at least a month or so. The extra strain of your pack weight, thre trudging through the snow you will encounter and the slips on the ice you will invariably take will only agravate your condition. Been there. Done that! A strain is one thing; a sprain is much more serious. You may be leaving in seven days, but you will be back seven days after that. The Trail takes its toll even on the healthy. I am leaving in April. You may do well to do the same. Wishing you the best!

[Jack Tarlin]

Spirit Walker beat me to it.....in addition to the wise advice from so many people telling you to rest up and heal (i.e. do NOT leave for Georgia in a week!), keep in mind that there's about to be a tremendous storm in the Southeast. This will make for tougher hiking for folks who AREN'T nursing a bum leg, plus if the weather is really awful, you won't be travelling much anyway, so if you're gonna be holed up and not moving for several days in Neel Gap, Helen, or Hiawassee or wherever, you may as well spend this down time at home. The Trail isn't going anywhere. I'd wait at least 2-3 weeks and start out at the end of the month or early March.

[weary]

I read a piece recently -- I think it was Outside Magazine -- that claimed the latest medical research suggests that such mishaps heal faster with a bit of exercise.

I know that I have had a lot of such mishaps over the years. But I can't remember taking time off for any of them to heal. Now I have most of the pains and ills -- a couple incurable, but not life threatening -- associated with old age. But I walked through the snow and ice up hill and down a couple of days ago, and plan another walk on the ice over an ancient canal Sunday afternoon. The long abandoned, Revolutionary War era, canal connects an ocean embayment with the Kennebec River. History buffs like to walk it every year about this time.

My wife is a volunteer income tax aide for AARP. Tomorrow she'll spend the day at the local senior center. When she told me, I thought to myself. "Senior Center? I wonder how people find time to go to such places?"

My Wednesday walk was partly to see if I could still do five miles in the wind and cold at a reasonable pace. I frequently do such walks by my self, but I don't like to slow other people down on such excursions.

Weary

[dgaf169]

I will be at amicalola lodge on the 12th. My mom decided she wanted to see me off so she will be there also...she just happens to be a phyisical therpist with over 30 years experience, if you would like her to take a look at it and give you some advice on how reduce the chance of more damage I'm sure she wouldn't mid doin that. PM if that's something you would like and we can figure out where/when to meet.

[JJJ]

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

.....

I'd ixnay on the Ice part at this point in favor of heat to increase circulation, assuming swelling is mostly gone.

You can do this if you go easy, you're already in decent shape, and it doesn't get worse after a few days to a week.
But to be honest, my last bad sprain took a couple of months to finally clear up. Partly I guess because I didn't take the time off to let it heal early on and I'm over fifty.
YMMV