I never in a million years dreamed it could happen to me nor did I have any idea how serious "a broken ankle" could be. I took a step down and the next thing I knew I was facing back up the stairs looking north and my left foot was looking due west. I was abroad and had to spend 10 days in the hospital and 12 days before I could fly home. I had surgery about 18 hours after it happened - a 9" plate with 8 screws on the outside and a 2 screws on the inside. The news just kept getting worse and worse. I still have trouble believing it happened. To top it off I broke my right foot also, but nobody xrayed it until 7 days later. I was in 2 casts for 6 weeks, then 2 walking boots for 6 weeks, all the while it that awful wheelchair. Then I got to stand on my right foot -- hooray !!! and use a walker. After 4 months I can now put weight on my ankle, but it still swells easily. I am faithful to my PT and exercises, but I have this sick feeling deep inside that I will always limp. Now I read these postings and now I am afraid that I will fall again and break it once more. I fight depression every day. My children are grown, I have great respect and admiration for young mothers who have gone through this. This is one of those things you don't know about until tragedy strikes. How I could get such a severe injury with such a slight fall is amazing. Do others suffer from fear that it will happen again?