The best thing i can say is to strengthen you shin and calf muscles a lot. This can help prevent future injuries. Start doing calf raises and if you have some sort or wrist or ankle weight (or a dumbell if you can balance it) that you can put on your foot and bend your foot up and down to work your shin muscles. I do not know the extent of your injury so this may not be the best idea if it causes too much pain, but if you do this start off VERY easy.
Another thing i can suggest is stand on one leg, switch legs to keep your muscles even, but standing on one legs can strengthen the fibers on your foot and ankle. You will get your form back in time. More muscle will provide protection from future injuries and lessens the impact you get in your ankle.
With your side kick, do you mean you can no longer twist your foot on the side to strike with the blade of your foot? It depends on the metal plate, but it is unlikely you were given a plate that hinders movement, so you will probably get this ability back in time.
When you train, i would suggest going through what you know very slowly to find out what you can and can not do, currently. Do not think of this as a game ender, just a setback.
My mother once broke her ankle and had a plate inserted, she got it removed a month later and had no lasting damage, so consider it. However i suggest speaking with a doctor about whether this would be possible with your injury and what the lasting effects might be.
