Last summer while enjoying a wonderful holiday in the South of France to celebrate my 50th Birthday I fell/slipped down ONE tall concrete step. Fortunately it was two days before we were due to drive home so it didn't spoil the holiday, but having never broken a bone before I was probably a bit over optimistic about how quickly the whole thing would be sorted and mended!

We were staying in a beautiful holiday cottage in the middle of the countryside, and as I was the only fluent French speaker in our family I phoned the Ambulance who turned out to be three very kind Firemen. I was taken to Avignon Hospital where after some morphine (phew!) they discovered I had a spiral fracture of my tibia and had broken my fibula too.

After a temporary overnight cast I had surgery the following morning and the tibia was plated and pinned. Then after four more night in hospital my husband drove me home with a lovely hotel stopover near Arras in a ground floor bedroom. The first practise of crutch use in and out of the hotel (although probably about 30 paces) was comical and exhausting!

On arriving home I saw an Orthopaedic Consultant for follow up care who also arranged my physiotherapy and unfortunately after 4 months I was diagnosed with non-union. My Consultant recommended I try Exogen® ultrasound treatment in the hope of avoiding further surgery.

After 4 months of ultrasound every night for 20 minutes I have got significant healing showing on my x-rays. So I am continuing with the ultrasound treatment for the next 4 months not only to finish healing the tibia but also using it for a further 20 minutes on the fibula break site too.

With the scars healing so well on my leg and my walking improving I'm so pleased to be more mobile and particularly happy that I will not need further surgery! Mel

My broken leg!