Ankle Surgery at Last!

[B1ondeange1]

So this might sound like a very weird thing to put into the bragging rights section, but it is of particular importance to me.

Those who have been around Saberforum as long/ longer than I have, know I have been whinging about my ankle since the start. I have had an injured ankle since I was 13 (more than half my life since I am now 28), when I hurt it at high school  by landing on the side of my foot with all my weight on it down a flight of stairs. Have rolled it more times than I can count or remember since then, but 6 or 7 years ago rolled it turning around on the spot and since then it has been weakened and I have suffered chronic pain that has been steadily increasing. Rolled it a few more times since, and 2.5 years ago after my last roll my GP said that surgery was probably the only option to fix it. My specialist agreed with this after my MRI showed that my ligaments were well and truly buggered, one was apparently torn through. My ankle has been getting worse and worse since then, to the point that over the last few months I have been constantly in a lot of pain that's affected my whole left leg, not just the ankle, and has been worsening existing knee problems. I've had to drop my work shifts down to the minimum I need to get by just to make it through a work week and being put on increasing stronger doses of painkillers.

Since that last roll I had been waiting and waiting and waiting for the appointment let alone the surgery itself (thank you slow public health system of Australia!) and last Thursday I FINALLY had my surgery done! Technical terminology was arthroscopy and lateral stabilisation- in other words they stick a camera into the joint to check it out and clean up any damage, then they stick some screws in my bone and tighten my damaged ligaments into place with some additional synthetic bits to hold it all.

All in all, the result is rather painful, but surgery itself went alright according to my surgeon and I was discharged same day. Had some complications with pain the next day but that's under control now. I am doped up on so many painkillers at the moment though we seem to have found the right balance thankfully. I have a few new fashion accessories and from the sounds will do for at least 6 weeks- a moonboot and crutches are just all the rage at the moment  Currently stuck at home, sleeping most of my time away to recover and being waited on by my very patient and very loving husband. It is annoying just how little I can do for myself right now given that I'm usually a fairly independent person 

While it is not the most pleasant thing to go through I'm feeling pretty positive and I'm very relieved this has finally happened: if all goes well then once I have fully recovered I won't suffer the pain like I did before and I'll finally be able to do things again which I haven't been able to for the past decade and basically get on with my life, get the job I want but couldn't because of my ankle, go back to uni to do a post grad which I've been putting off waiting to find out when surgery was etc. It's going to take a while to fully recover but I don't care. Slow and steady wins the race, at least I am on the right road now 

And as a convenient bonus, my workplace wont allow me to return to work while still on crutches or in my moonboot- so I have 6 weeks off work that is covered by my sick leave and annual leave, and may need a further few weeks on top of that. Since I don't particularly like where I work I'm not going to complain about that particular aspect.

[Prowl 1701]

That's excellent news!  You can finally get rid of that ankle pain and you get some time off from the parts store, double win!

[Lord Sidious]

Thanks for sharing. Wish you a speedy recovery. 

[Drahcir]

Glad to hear you finally managed to have the surgery, I know you'd been waiting for what seemed like an obscene amount of time. I wish you a speedy recovery and extra luck with your post grad prep!

[KraytDragonPearl]

Glad too hear that you finally have gotten the medical attention that you needed.  Sad to hear that it has taken so long to correct it.  Wish you a speedy recovery and enjoy the time off from work

KDP

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

Great to hear you won't suffer chronic pain any longer. Here's to a speedy recovery, Blondie. 

[Vivectius]

About zarking time!!!

As with all things like this, it sucks now, but once all the recovery is done with, you'll be a million times happier.

Here's to a speedy recovery.  Just don't rush it too much and end up damaging something else.

[B1ondeange1]

Thanks all.

No i don't plan to rush. I plan to follow what the doctors tell me to the letter and take it slow and easy. Saw my GP today and she had a look at my leg under the boot (huzzah there is a foot attached to those little red toes sticking out! ) and she was happy with how I am going. After visiting doctors and chemist though I am thoroughly exhausted and ready for more sleeps. Recovery will indeed be slow but its the only thing I have to worry about at the moment so yay for being able to sleep as needed!

PS- crutches and steps SUCK. So does trying to get in and out of a larged jacked up ute (truck to the non Aussies). Is gonna have strong arm muscles at the end of this!

[Dauntless Seven]

How are you doing ?  Please share an update as we all are sending wishes for a speedy and successful healing and recovery.   I have broken a fib and tib in the middle of winter and the fear of slipping with those crutches wasn't pleasant. 

[B1ondeange1]

How are you doing ?  Please share an update as we all are sending wishes for a speedy and successful healing and recovery.   I have broken a fib and tib in the middle of winter and the fear of slipping with those crutches wasn't pleasant. 

Sorry I gave an update in the RP section and forgot to transfer it here and yes that definitely doesn't sound like fun! My cousin managed to smoosh up everything inside his ankle doing stupid teenage stuff jumping off a second storey... he has plates and screws and rods keeping his ankle together. Apparently there are complications so hes gotta go get them removed in a month. Makes my surgery and recovery look like a walk in the park!

Currently my ankle and foot are aching and I am rather sick of this moonboot, which the doctor says I have to wear for the next four weeks before weaning off it. At least I get to remove it occasionally and no longer have to shower with it. Doc does seem happy enough with my progress though my ankle is swollen to like twice its normal size and I have a rather ugly looking scar from the main surgery site an have a grand total of about an inch and a half movement in my ankle- at the toes . That battle scar will be with me forever me thinks! I had to tell work that now I have to be off for 8 weeks not 6, they weren't happy! I think by the end of that I will be itching to get out of the house and finding any excuse I can!

At least now I have learnt how to successfully raid the fridge while on crutches it involves leaving my office chair right in front of it.... 

On Tuesday I saw my specialist and he was happy with it and what not. I have one nerve on top that has suffered a little damage, the one that runs down to the 4th toe. makes the top of my toe and foot this funny slightly tingly numb sensation and it is a little sore to touch- one of the arthroscopy wound sites is right on top of it so when they cut the ends of the sutures off omg, it was very much not pleasant!!

I get to wash it and all now (carefully of course) for which I was very grateful- hot Australian December weather plus moonboot= not fun. I'm just thankful it hasn't gotten as hot as normal, in fact at the moment its attempting to be winter again  Slowly building up a small amount of movement in my ankle, and im off the oxys all together and dropping down my other painkiller amounts. I can put a small amount of weight on my moonbooted ankle without problems and I can get around on the crutches easier. My hands are telling me that they have had enough though, they want a few days break from them I should also return to driving this week, since I have an auto and it's my left ankle that was operated on. And I don't need to keep my ankle elevated for pain relief as much now which is nice.
 
All in all its not too bad and not too painful, the discomfort and not being able to do things myself are what are annoying. And being stuck inside all the time. But I've been seeing just enough friends and family to keep away the cabin fever so far by the end of eight weeks I really will be screaming for someone to let me out though.

[Dauntless Seven]

Hi Blondie.  Everything is sounding good and it won't be so bad if that nerve needs some tending to later on.  Glad to know that you won't have to be in that Oxy and other pain killer fog.  Just don't overdo it and let others pamper you for a while longer.  It takes a long time to fully heal.  Hopefully you are getting some ultrasound over the injured areas and scar tissue.  Wear that moon boot for protective support and to keep your ankle and foot in proper alignment.

Regarding your cousin, my getting the plate and some screws out in another surgery was the best thing.  Got my range of motion back in my ankle and was carefully ambulating by myself without any physical aids right after the surgery.  As far as I know, just have one internal screw supporting everything.

Thanks for the update and an encouragement point for you.   

[B1ondeange1]

Hi Blondie.  Everything is sounding good and it won't be so bad if that nerve needs some tending to later on.  Glad to know that you won't have to be in that Oxy and other pain killer fog.  Just don't overdo it and let others pamper you for a while longer.  It takes a long time to fully heal.  Hopefully you are getting some ultrasound over the injured areas and scar tissue.  Wear that moon boot for protective support and to keep your ankle and foot in proper alignment.

Regarding your cousin, my getting the plate and some screws out in another surgery was the best thing.  Got my range of motion back in my ankle and was carefully ambulating by myself without any physical aids right after the surgery.  As far as I know, just have one internal screw supporting everything.

Thanks for the update and an encouragement point for you.   

Thanks. The specialist doesnt want me going to my physio for another few weeks :/ I have very loose joints, which is part of the original problem quite likely. He said as a result it can be harder to judge just how much the ligaments can be tightened up but so far he hasn't had an issue with other patients. He also said that in most people they get the moonboot off as soon as they can to reduce stiffness in the joint, but because of the way my joints are thats not ultimately gonna be a problem and they actually want the joint to stiffen up a bit more so that it is more stable after recovery. So recovery will be a long slow process in my case sadly. I've only at 2.5 weeks now, proper physio is meant to start weeks 5/6 on average for most (before that its just increasing the range of motion in the joint), but for me he wants it to start weeks 6/7.

I will likely speak to my physio about it in another week or so. I've been seeing her for years so she knows my condition better than anyone and should be able to advise me. If nothing else we really want the wounds healed over nicely before going to physio anyway From doing years of physio I have some idea of what I need to focus on, so I get the boot off a few times a day and slowly work on increasing how much I can move it, need a bit of mobility before we can do much else! And yeah, that nerve should supposedly heal up fine (occasionally nerve damage can be permanent but it usually isn't). I'm not too worried about it at this point, so long as it doesn't get worse that's what matters to me:)

[B1ondeange1]

update: thankfully dropping more painkillers, pretty much at pre surgery painkiller level now. So while its still a bit, I am actually in less pain now that I was before surgery while working and just doing stuff in general. Course, about all I do is sit at home, though the last three days I've been very busy and discovered my ankle doesnt appreciate being left down for hours on end, it would like to be elevated a bit more thank you

But I can now drive again, sew and do more active crafty things again- I've made half of my new jedi undertunic and a few floral Xmas wreaths with the enormous piles of fake Australian native flowers and greenery I had left over from my wedding- and I can put all my weight momentarily on my ankle. It's enough I can shuffle on the spot, and I can use one crutch to take a few steps so I have one hand free. That makes carrying things around the kitchen soooo much easier! And getting out for the hubby's work Xmas party and then Xmas shopping all day yesterday with my family has beaten away the growing irritation at being stuck at home. Riding around the shopping mall on a complimentary electric scooter definitely makes Xmas shopping more of a novelty!