Well, after my doctors appointment on Oct 21st it seems like it took a day or two before I got the call to schedule surgery and when the nurse said "how about November 2nd" reality came crashing down on me.
Scheduled surgery date: Nov 2nd 2011 at 1pm
It's just under a week until my surgery and with each day I get more and more freaked out. I keep telling people it's like being told someone is going to break your leg next week and it's going hurt really bad. Which makes you over think everything, especially the fact that you will be in pain and wont be able to walk for 6 weeks. Usually when I tell people this, it shuts them up and gets them thinking and puts perspective of what it's like preparing for surgery like this.
So yeah, today I'm feeling scared not about the surgery itself, but more about just being disabled. My husband always asks me why I need to be in control of things and I need to learn how to let go sometimes. Well, this will be letting go, but it doesn't make it any easier.
All day at work today I began making this huge list of things I need to do before I'm disabled...i mean surgery. You see, all i keep thinking about is not being able to stand on two feet for several weeks and it freaks me out. I will deal with it, but yeah I got a long list of things to do in the next five days and the mission is to not stress. Luckily the Internet sells just about anything and I have ordered alot of stuff. I got a memory foam wedge pillow, a OnlyOne Crutch (just google it), a Shower Chair, began creating a bedside stash, and i definitely need to get a pedicure asap!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
MRI = Surgery
MRI Report
Initial Injury Date - March 2011
MRI Date - 10/14/11
There is mild intermediate signal intensity in the anterior talofibular (ATF) ligament particularly near the fibular insertion site compatible with a moderate grade partial thickness tear. The calcaneofibular, posterior talofibular, deltoid, syndesmotic and spring ligaments are intact. The is no marrow edema. The subtalar joint and talar are unremarkable. There is a small to moderate sized ankle effusion. The sinus tarsi, tarsal tunnel and planter fascia are unremarkable.
Doctor Says:
My doctor says he noticed some thickness around the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) which he suspects could be a partial tear. Also, he noticed a possible Osteochondral (OCD) Lesion on the top of the Talus.
Oct 21st 2011- MRI follow-up
After my doctor reviewed my MRI he made an easy decision and that decision was surgery. I will say this, it actually wasn't an easy decision for him. He actually sat down and stared at my MRI images for what seemed like a solid ten minutes and then he examined my ankle again. After all that then he said "I think we have tried everything we could, we did 4 weeks of PT, we did a cortisone shot and after all of this I am just not seeing any improvements. I think it's time we go in there and see what's going on. Your MRI clearly shows your ATF is partially torn and your CFL appears to be thickened as well. I would like to do an Ankle Ligament repair definitely of your ATF, and I will take a look at the CFL when I'm in there and if it also needs repair I will take care of it as well. Also, I noticed on your MRI the appearance of a possible OCD (this is loose cartilage on the talus). With that, I would like to do an Athroscopy procedure in addition to a ligament repair."
And the Answer is - He wants to do an ankle scope and ligament repair surgery. Great, this just gets better and better.
Wow surgery, I should ask questions: I asked the doctor alot of questions about my chances of living without the surgery and it definitely seemed possible. However, it would limit me a lot and could be painful and definitely boring. Yeah so, there is no way I can live like that. I think I was sold on surgery when my doctor did a demonstration of how floppy my left ankle was compared to my right ankle. That was all I needed to see to make the easy decision. Let's do it.
Of course as I walked out of the door with my surgery papers I made tons of phones calls with family and friends to see if this would be the best decision. I actually have a close family friend (Dr. John R. Hawkins III) who is a podiatry surgeon and has been in contact with me throughout this process and has always been there to explain things and just give me his opinion as I dealt with my ankle issues. Actually, he reviewed my MRI and we talked through my issues and his input was extremely helpful in making decisions or just understanding what might be going on with me. Thanks John John for being my great medical consultant :)
In the end, the final decision was mine to make and I signed on the dotted line...ohh boy what have I done.
Back to the Doctor
October 2011
My follow up doctors appointment after PT was exactly what I expected. He wanted to try a Cortisone shot. He had mentioned this as the next option after PT so when he mentioned giving it a go I had already given it some thought and was ready to give it a try.
I will probably never get a Cortisone shot again, it was painful and it made everything worse and created a monster who we shall call....Crankle (see image below)
Swelling, swelling and more swelling. What the efff did they do to me. I mean I had some swelling before, but after the Cortisone shot my ankle had all this fluid in it and would painfully swell whenever I was on my feed for 10 minutes. I would have to soak it in Epsom salt and ice it at night to keep the swelling down enough to wear shoes. What the eff! Ok, i said that already...yup i did.
So, I guess the Cortisone shot didn't work and my doctor did mention the risks of the injection. I considered the risks, but thought that the benefit of a pain free ankle would be worth it. So, after my ankle became Crankle, I quickly made another appointment with the doctor and I already knew this was gonna end up with me on the operating table at some point. Damn everything, I just want to walk without a limp.
The next doctors appointment was quick and to the point. He basically did a few instability test, felt around my ankle a bit and said lets order you an MRI and to prevent any further injury we will get you fitted for an ankle brace. I said, sounds good doc. Of course there was a lot more to it, but why bore you with the basics. So, off to get an MRI.
My follow up doctors appointment after PT was exactly what I expected. He wanted to try a Cortisone shot. He had mentioned this as the next option after PT so when he mentioned giving it a go I had already given it some thought and was ready to give it a try.
I will probably never get a Cortisone shot again, it was painful and it made everything worse and created a monster who we shall call....Crankle (see image below)
 |
| Meet "Crankle" aka my swollen ankle |
Swelling, swelling and more swelling. What the efff did they do to me. I mean I had some swelling before, but after the Cortisone shot my ankle had all this fluid in it and would painfully swell whenever I was on my feed for 10 minutes. I would have to soak it in Epsom salt and ice it at night to keep the swelling down enough to wear shoes. What the eff! Ok, i said that already...yup i did.
So, I guess the Cortisone shot didn't work and my doctor did mention the risks of the injection. I considered the risks, but thought that the benefit of a pain free ankle would be worth it. So, after my ankle became Crankle, I quickly made another appointment with the doctor and I already knew this was gonna end up with me on the operating table at some point. Damn everything, I just want to walk without a limp.
The next doctors appointment was quick and to the point. He basically did a few instability test, felt around my ankle a bit and said lets order you an MRI and to prevent any further injury we will get you fitted for an ankle brace. I said, sounds good doc. Of course there was a lot more to it, but why bore you with the basics. So, off to get an MRI.
PT was not for me
August 2011
After finally deciding it was time to do something about this ankle of mine, I got online and searched for a good sports doctor who knew his way around the ankle. My search led me to a sports orthopedic surgeon who also happened to be a team physician for the Maryland Terrapins. Honestly, he had me at sports doctor, but as a UMD alumnus my doctor being a Terp doctor did make me happy.
How do I explain to the doctor what's wrong with my ankle? You know how when you car is broke, but when you take it to the mechanic you or they can never replicate the problem. Yeah, that's usually how I feel when I walk into a doctors office with pain or some weird symptom. Overall, I just felt uneasy about my doctors visit. I had all these things floating around in my head. Will I like my doctor, will he dismiss my concerns and if he does maybe what i'm experiencing is not that bad.
Doctors Visit #1
Yay, my doctor seem great. When he walked in my exam room I instantly felt at ease. He had a great approach and I could tell he was listening to my concerns and it really seemed as if he cared and not for one minute did he dismiss what I was feeling. He immediately sent me next door to get an x-ray and yeah of course the results showed nothing out of the ordinary. Either way, he recommended 6 weeks of Physical Therapy (PT) and he prescribed some anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxers to help with pain. This was not exactly what I wanted to do, but it was what I knew I needed to do and I was game to do whatever was necessary.
I went to a Physical Therapist recommended by my doctor, and they actually had an office on the first floor of my office building which made getting to 2 appointments a weeks easier to fit into my schedule.
I'm not going to bore you with the details of my PT, instead I will make it simple, I did PT for 4 weeks and it was helpful at managing my pain but it did not reduce my pain and at times my pain actually increased. I had a great physical therapist named Kenny who worked hard to reduce my pain and strengthen my ankle. He used a combination of stability, tens therapy and strengthening exercises in combination with cold and hot treatments. It was after about 10 sessions that Kenny had a talk with me in which he made the recommendation that we should stop PT until I go back to my doctor. I wasn't getting better and he didn't feel like PT was helping. Yup, I agreed with Kenny and in fact I had already made a follow up appointment with my doctor because the pain was getting worse and although I though PT was helpful it just wasn't doing enough.
Back to the doc I go!
After finally deciding it was time to do something about this ankle of mine, I got online and searched for a good sports doctor who knew his way around the ankle. My search led me to a sports orthopedic surgeon who also happened to be a team physician for the Maryland Terrapins. Honestly, he had me at sports doctor, but as a UMD alumnus my doctor being a Terp doctor did make me happy.
How do I explain to the doctor what's wrong with my ankle? You know how when you car is broke, but when you take it to the mechanic you or they can never replicate the problem. Yeah, that's usually how I feel when I walk into a doctors office with pain or some weird symptom. Overall, I just felt uneasy about my doctors visit. I had all these things floating around in my head. Will I like my doctor, will he dismiss my concerns and if he does maybe what i'm experiencing is not that bad.
Doctors Visit #1
Yay, my doctor seem great. When he walked in my exam room I instantly felt at ease. He had a great approach and I could tell he was listening to my concerns and it really seemed as if he cared and not for one minute did he dismiss what I was feeling. He immediately sent me next door to get an x-ray and yeah of course the results showed nothing out of the ordinary. Either way, he recommended 6 weeks of Physical Therapy (PT) and he prescribed some anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxers to help with pain. This was not exactly what I wanted to do, but it was what I knew I needed to do and I was game to do whatever was necessary.
I went to a Physical Therapist recommended by my doctor, and they actually had an office on the first floor of my office building which made getting to 2 appointments a weeks easier to fit into my schedule.
I'm not going to bore you with the details of my PT, instead I will make it simple, I did PT for 4 weeks and it was helpful at managing my pain but it did not reduce my pain and at times my pain actually increased. I had a great physical therapist named Kenny who worked hard to reduce my pain and strengthen my ankle. He used a combination of stability, tens therapy and strengthening exercises in combination with cold and hot treatments. It was after about 10 sessions that Kenny had a talk with me in which he made the recommendation that we should stop PT until I go back to my doctor. I wasn't getting better and he didn't feel like PT was helping. Yup, I agreed with Kenny and in fact I had already made a follow up appointment with my doctor because the pain was getting worse and although I though PT was helpful it just wasn't doing enough.
Back to the doc I go!
How it happened
Well, where do I begin. I guess it's best to start with the fact that I have had a history of very bad sprains to my left ankle. In fact, they have been so bad that I can distinctly remember each sprain.
1) My first time ice skating
2) My first time skiing
3) Randomly fell down the steps running for the phone
4) and of course the last and final sprain happened March of 2011 when I missed the step coming out of my house chasing after my dog.
So yeah, I have had a few sprains to my ankle and if you were to tell me years ago that it could all lead to where I am today then I am sure I would have done things a whole heck of alot different. I digress, so I was chasing my dog and I missed the step. I heard a pop and my ankle bone was kissing the pavement (which is a weird feeling, I do not recommend). Anyways, I initially thought for sure I broke something but after a visit to the ER it was confirmed that it was just a sprain. I was advised to get around by crutches for a few days and do the RICE thing. I did as I was told and within a week I was back on my feet. Now here's where I should have taken notice. Within the first 3 weeks after my injury I rolled my ankle at least once a week. It's funny how with each sprain week after week, the pain was actually not as bad as the first one. I guess my ligament was like a rubber band that has been overstretched and that initial tight pop hurt a whole lot, but after several more pops the laxity was just not there anymore and lord knows what will happen if I keep spraining the thing. Either way, I guess the major damage is done. So, eventually I did stop rolling my ankle after my March 2011 sprain and I seemed to be on the healing path again. The soreness and swelling started to fade, life was good...so I thought.
As time went by I did feel improvement and it was almost like the injury was healing...very slowly. Walking became easier and i even got ahead of myself and signed up for some marathons. I guess things were to good to be true because in what seemed like no time at all everything slowly started to go downhill very quick and very painful. Thinking back I've tried to pinpoint what I did wrong or maybe I was just doomed from the start. Who knows, all I know was that by August of 2011 I was limping again and my ankle throbbed most nights which was not only a bad sign, but was the beginning of many sleepless nights. It was then that I realized things were no longer improving and I needed help. It was time to find a good orthopedic sports doc who could do ankles, yup cause this thing hurts!
1) My first time ice skating
2) My first time skiing
3) Randomly fell down the steps running for the phone
4) and of course the last and final sprain happened March of 2011 when I missed the step coming out of my house chasing after my dog.
 |
| I blame the dog! |
So yeah, I have had a few sprains to my ankle and if you were to tell me years ago that it could all lead to where I am today then I am sure I would have done things a whole heck of alot different. I digress, so I was chasing my dog and I missed the step. I heard a pop and my ankle bone was kissing the pavement (which is a weird feeling, I do not recommend). Anyways, I initially thought for sure I broke something but after a visit to the ER it was confirmed that it was just a sprain. I was advised to get around by crutches for a few days and do the RICE thing. I did as I was told and within a week I was back on my feet. Now here's where I should have taken notice. Within the first 3 weeks after my injury I rolled my ankle at least once a week. It's funny how with each sprain week after week, the pain was actually not as bad as the first one. I guess my ligament was like a rubber band that has been overstretched and that initial tight pop hurt a whole lot, but after several more pops the laxity was just not there anymore and lord knows what will happen if I keep spraining the thing. Either way, I guess the major damage is done. So, eventually I did stop rolling my ankle after my March 2011 sprain and I seemed to be on the healing path again. The soreness and swelling started to fade, life was good...so I thought.
As time went by I did feel improvement and it was almost like the injury was healing...very slowly. Walking became easier and i even got ahead of myself and signed up for some marathons. I guess things were to good to be true because in what seemed like no time at all everything slowly started to go downhill very quick and very painful. Thinking back I've tried to pinpoint what I did wrong or maybe I was just doomed from the start. Who knows, all I know was that by August of 2011 I was limping again and my ankle throbbed most nights which was not only a bad sign, but was the beginning of many sleepless nights. It was then that I realized things were no longer improving and I needed help. It was time to find a good orthopedic sports doc who could do ankles, yup cause this thing hurts!
Intro
Welcome!
So, here's the deal I initially decided to begin this blog for the simple pleasure of wanting to share my experience dealing with an ankle injury. After dealing with ankle problems over the last few months I was annoyed that no one had blogged about their experience. I did find one or two blogs out there and I thought "wow this is great!". I really enjoyed reading about their day to day experiences. It was great, I got to read about the day to day from how the initial injury occurred, doctors visits, physical therapy and eventually surgery. As you know blogs can be addicting and if you can relate to what the person is blogging about I think they can also be very helpful. So, with that it was an easy decision for me to begin my own blog in hopes of helping others who are going through similar experiences. I also thought this would be a good way for me to share the daily updates of my injury with family members who lived out of town and who could appreciate reading something like this to keep up with what was going on. Well, I hope you enjoy and who knows maybe this will morph into something more, but for now its all about my ankle. A friend once told me that if an injury is around long enough then it deserves its own name and my ankle does have a name, but we will let you read on before the big reveal.
Cheers and enjoy!
Shannon (aka Shenanigans)
ps- please disregard spelling and grammatical errors, this was usual due to pain or pain meds. I will try to edit entries when I can, but just know that there might be a lot of errors in entries that I have not edited. Thanks!
So, here's the deal I initially decided to begin this blog for the simple pleasure of wanting to share my experience dealing with an ankle injury. After dealing with ankle problems over the last few months I was annoyed that no one had blogged about their experience. I did find one or two blogs out there and I thought "wow this is great!". I really enjoyed reading about their day to day experiences. It was great, I got to read about the day to day from how the initial injury occurred, doctors visits, physical therapy and eventually surgery. As you know blogs can be addicting and if you can relate to what the person is blogging about I think they can also be very helpful. So, with that it was an easy decision for me to begin my own blog in hopes of helping others who are going through similar experiences. I also thought this would be a good way for me to share the daily updates of my injury with family members who lived out of town and who could appreciate reading something like this to keep up with what was going on. Well, I hope you enjoy and who knows maybe this will morph into something more, but for now its all about my ankle. A friend once told me that if an injury is around long enough then it deserves its own name and my ankle does have a name, but we will let you read on before the big reveal.
Cheers and enjoy!
Shannon (aka Shenanigans)
ps- please disregard spelling and grammatical errors, this was usual due to pain or pain meds. I will try to edit entries when I can, but just know that there might be a lot of errors in entries that I have not edited. Thanks!
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