3/19/12 - Day 67 Post-Op

So, my cast finally came off on February 28th - what a relief! Don't think I could have waited much longer. I found out real quick, like as soon as I stood up from the Doc's Chair, that everything in my left leg felt weak! Not just the ankle, but my knee and foot too. My leg was not a pretty sight after the cast came off either - besides all the dryness and dead skin that couldn't be cleaned away the entire time I was casted (sorry for the disgustingness), it looked like I had a man leg! Literally my leg hair was as long as my husbands and he has very hairy legs! (Again, sorry for the disgustingness!) You couldn't even really see what the surgical sight looked like under all that mess!

The minute I walked in the door of my house, I was upstairs running water to take a shower to clean everything up. About an hour later I was finally able to get a good look and I wasn't surprised by what I saw...I was still a little black and blue (brown & red I guess u could say, I had 2 scars, one that was only about 2.5" and the other semi-circle scar about 4-5". Both highly sensitive to any touch - I get an electrical shock every time something even barely brushes up against it.

The Awesome New Brace I Wear

About a week later, I decided Wawa would be good idea for lunch, especially since I was getting around a little better, so I hoped in my car at lunch time and headed to good old Exit 10 - got out of my car, got my food, got back in the car, and decided I needed to toss some trash, so I gathered it and got back out of my car to walk to the trash can....BAD IDEA! The curb was a little higher than normal and I tripped on it with my right foot (the good one) and then lunged my left foot (the bad one) out to catch myself and smacked it to the pavement....yeah, ow! Lots of pain! So, I called my doctor, headed over to see him in fear I might of damaged something. He wrapped my ankle in tape like they do with football players and I was told to get some xrays and see him the following Tuesday. The tape was so tight around my ankle that it didn't last till Tuesday like Doc requested... Luckily, I did no serious damage, but due to the strain I caused, Doc decided to push my Physical Therapy off for another couple of weeks...couple days after the incident, there was more bruising appearing on my ankle...doc thinks I maight have made a little tear in the peroneal tendon that they grafted from.

X-Rays - The White Piece in My Heel is the Anchor

So today, I am getting around much better, almost walking normal again. I am still having some movement and rotation problems but doc says that will go away with time and PT. So, this is where the stoy of my Left Ankle ends for now, unless more news occurs. Doc says I will need work done on my right ankle, maybe just not as big of a job - so I guess until that time comes...

I sign off for now! Thanks for listening!...well reading! LOL!

BTW - Joe is Doing Awesome!

2/5/12 - Day 24 Post-Op

OK - so I know it's been a while since I have posted - a lot has been going on. I am now 3 weeks-3 days in and a little less than 3 weeks to go. Last week was my first week back to work and everyday the pain got worse and at the end of the day I just laid down with my nice frozen towel wrapped around my cast and relaxed. I did make it to the hospital a few times to see Joe - and guess what.....HE IS FINALLY HOME AGAIN!!! He was released from the hospital last Friday. I am so happy to have him at home again even though he still has to sleep in the recliner.

I went to the doctor's on Tuesday - good ole Dr. Kraatz - had to go in because my cast has started to crack near the toes and at the heel - he thinks I am walking around too much - oh, I forgot to mention that this is my first weekend completely crutch free! I have been learning to get around in my cast with the surgical shoe - the stairs still cause a few problems. Anyway, he says its normal wear and tear in a cast when you walk in it since they are not really made for that....yeah same question you have on your face is what I had on mine - then why the hell am I walking in it!???? So he says everything is good and to come back and see him in 2 weeks - he will give me a script to get an xray so that maybe we can take the cast off the following week. So we are getting there - but it can't come soon enough....I am itching like crazy and it is starting to make me feel really dirty having a leg that I haven't been able to wash in 3 weeks...

So, these past 3 weeks have been a giant never-ending roller coaster that doesn't seem to ever stop, with the pain of the surgery, the cast that goes up to my knee, the itching, the uncomfortable bed I have to sleep in for now, never being able to get comfortable, and Joe being in the hospital. But now that Joe is home, I think we can finally start to see the light at the end of this tunnel - and it has made us realize a lot in our lives that we want to start changing and doing differently so that we can start moving forward and move out of this holding pattern.

So, until next time, enjoy a few pics of my time over the last 2 weeks.

Elevating With My Fellow Gimp - Sister Kelley...

...And Her Little Dog Too - Jade

My Hubby Home From The Hospital

Joey Before & After - Home From the Hospital

Watching the Super Bowl with the Hubby From Our Recovery Room

1/19/12 - Day 7 Post-Op

So it's been 1 week since my last surgery...cast is already getting on my freaking nerves! 1 week down, about 5 more to go.

I went to the doctor's - really for no other reason than for him to tell me what exactly they did to me. And the winner is.....drum roll please.......something in between Plan A and Plan B....ok.... Apparently I have ruined all 3 of my ligaments, so he said he had to do a little of both.

This is how it was explained to me....I think...

STEP 1: They cut out 1 third of my Peroneal Tendon (yellow) to use as the replacement of my ligaments.

STEP 2: Then they put an anchor in my heel bone (black), a larger than normal one...I am allergic to nickel and apparently the small one they normally use has a small trace of nickel in it so they didn't want to chance it - but the bigger one does cause more pain....then, they drilled a tunnel through my fibula (the small leg bone) and tied the piece of the Peroneal Tendon they abstracted to the anchor, through the tunnel and then back into my foot (orange).

STEP 3: They used an engineered ligament to suture a blanket over the whole thing to make sure everything stayed in place (red).

So no my ankle is all chopped up and put back together not in the way it was originally made - but maybe I will be able to stand and run and dance and not fall down...only time will tell. At least my cats are keeping me company! :)

Joe Update: Joe is still in ICU after his surgery last Monday. They found 2 small pinholes in his lung so they sealed them up and used talc to glue his lung to his chest wall. They put in 2 chest tubes this time to assure all air could escape. Doctor says he will not be moved or let go until they know for sure that everything is sealed and the lung is completely attached to the chest wall. As always, we take it Day by Day.

1/15/12 - Day 3 Post-Op

So, another day sitting around feeling useless and feeling like I am being a bother to everyone who has to run up and down the stairs to help me. Today was a better day, the pain wasn't as bad, but it's still bad...maybe I am just managing the pain better. Last night was the best sleep I got since the surgery, but I keep having these dreams that I am falling, I am sure everyone has them...they are the ones that literally make you jump in your bed like your trying to catch yourself...yeah. Now imagine jumping in your sleep after just having surgery, not fun at all...very painful.

I finally convinced my mom to let my cats into my "recovery room" so that I could see them and they could see me. My cat Archie is such a momma's boy that if he knows that I am in the house but he can't see me, he whines and cries and pounds on the door until I finally come to see him. That was getting pretty exhausting. The cats sat with me all day keeping me company, the most company I have had really since the surgery...

I never imagined how taxing spending 3 full days in bed would be, but it is exhausting...I can't get comfortable any more, no matter how many times I move pillows and flip over...I am ready to be in an up right position again...my neck and back are cramping and I am still getting those damn muscle spasms under my cast....my leg is freaking out from the surgery. But I have been managing.

My husband's surgery is tomorrow, hopefully sometime in the morning so he doesn't have to wait for forever like he did the first time. I am really nervous for him and stressed...worried... I want to be there so bad but still don't know if I can handle being up and about like that yet. I know his mom and her boyfriend drove up from Myrtle Beach to be with him and his dad will be coming in tomorrow to be with him as well. But I hope that I can be too...I might have to push myself a bit to make sure my butt is there...I can't let him go through this without knowing that I am OK too...

Wow, I think these meds are really affecting my thought process...I feel so incoherent and illiterate right now...maybe we will try again tomorrow...right now we will try sleep and thinking good thoughts for the love of my life tonight.

1/14/12 - Day 2 Post-Op

OK - so I am finally starting feel ungroggy enough to update the ankle blog - surgery went well, but it sucked...lots and lots and lots of pain...and it didn't even start the way it was supposed to - let me go back to the day before the surgery...

On Wednesday the 11th, as I was finishing my last day at work until I recover from surgery, my husband Joe was supposed to get his chest tube taken out after lugging it around for a month. When the doctor went to pull it, my husband started to get dizzy, short of breath and started having chest pains. His doctor decided that the best thing to do would be to take him back to the hospital to make sure everything was OK as they thought maybe he was just having a bit of a panic attack or in shock of the tube being pulled. Well, turns out, air got in his chest somehow and his lung fell again. So the doc decided to put in a small pic tube and put him back on suction until they could figure out what was going on and they could get it fixed.

So I spent the night before my surgery by my husband's side knowing I would have to go into the next day without him, again.

On Thursday the 12th, I checked into the hospital at 11am and try to keep my spirits high knowing the my husband was being taken care of and that the only thing I can do for him is to get myself better. By 12:30-1 pm I was being wheeled into the OR getting prepped for my ligament reconstruction of the left ankle. I was probably asleep within 5 minutes of being put on the table...

The next thing I knew I was waking up still in the OR, I think they were still putting my cast on (the thing is freaking huge)...all I knew for sure was that I was in excruciating pain. They took the tourniquet off my thigh, which was placed to prevent bleeding during surgery, thinking that was causing me the pain. Then I was wheeled into the recovery room, crying as I could not handle the pain...they tried giving me a couple different pain meds through the IV but nothing was helping. So finally, someone got smart and gave me a nerve block...and let me tell you, that was not a fun process. They have to shoot electric shocks into your muscles to try to find the right nerve, when they hit the right nerve, I almost jumped out of the bed and punched the anesthesiologist. I was already at a 10+ for pain - the shocks sent it blowing through the roof! But about a half hour later, the pain finally subsided to something that was MUCH more tolerable. Now I just felt completely drugged and sick to my stomach (the pics aren't pretty, but because I want to be truthful and honest about my experiences, I guess I am willing to share...ugh...).

The ride wasn't fun, the bag became my shield to protect my car from disaster...I got home and very slowly inched my way to my recovery bed in my brothers room with the help of my mom and brother. My dad was at the other hospital keeping my husband company and keeping him updated as the went day on. I don't remember if I talked to him that night or not. I got through the night...OK...the nerve block definitely helped but all the drugs made it hard to sleep completely so I woke up with every little noise that creaked through the house... And I was having the strangest dreams and feelings - like things that were going on around me but weren't really happening - people poking at me, the house shaking, all kinds of weird things...but I managed to get some sleep.

Day 1 Post-Op

I woke up feeling really swollen, not just my foot, ankle and leg, but my face too - yeah not the best picture I have ever taken. My guess is it was the hours of crying in pain before I finally got the nerve block. The nerve block managed to hang in until around 11:30am even though the anesthesiologist said it should wear off around 6am....but when it wore off, I definitely knew it...I was, yet again, in excruciating pain. As much as I tried, I could not handle it. So my dad ran to the pharmacy to fill my prescriptions. Ofcourse, not even this could be an easy process because I have to wait for them to get approved by my insurance company before I can get them because of their addictive nature or something, I don't know.... So, I am stuck taking what I have until Tuesday, which is not working too well at all. It's amazing how my doctor can write a script for this medication, basically telling them that he approves my use of them, but my insurance company can hold it up causing me to be in more pain...FUN!

The Nerve Block Site

So I have been trying to manage my pain with elevation, frozen towels wrapped around my leg and the pain meds I do have. It has not been a fun process...I can't move without being in pain, I keep getting these muscles spasms near my ankle which are just killing me...and i am so shaky that even trying to make it down the hall to use the restroom calls for someone to be standing by my side so I don't fall over. All my senses became so intense that I couldn't even stand the sound of someone clipping their nails behind 2 closed doors or my parents having a normal conversation downstairs... So eventually someone brought me a pair of thick headphones to try and drown out the noise which finally let me sleep.

Day 2 Post-Op

Well, that was a better night of sleep, and the anti-inflammatories definitely helped. I woke up early, feeling more pain and took some more meds and then fell back to sleep for a long time...I don't think I was actually awake until 12:30 when my mom came in to let me know they were headed to the hospital to see Joe. It wasn't until later that I found out that his lung collapsed again! Apparently, the doc thinks he may have yet another bleb (air blister) under the surface of his lung so they want to operate on him again on Monday...this time they will actually open him up (last time was scopically) and then actually use talc to glue his lung to his chest wall...this is all just not seeming fair right now...and just not right. We shouldn't both have to have 2 surgeries each within a months time...if it has to happen why can't it be when one of us is healthy enough to take care of the other, like it's supposed to be??? But, my mom says he seems to being doing better than he has in a month, and his spirits, despite everything, seem pretty high...in fact she says he's doing better than I am right now. I mean, I know I am in a lot of pain, and people just spent 3 hours digging around in my ankle and moving things around and drilling holes in my bones and everything....but he's the one about to have his chest opened up and put back into ICU with yet another chest tube....how am I the one who is doing worse right now???

The Huge Cast

So, now hear I sit, Day 2 Post-Op....about an hour away from Day 3 Post-Op, still in pain, still not being able to get up from my borrowed recovery bed, still wanting so badly to be able to go see my husband in his hospital bed, and feeling quite hopeless... As much as I want to see him, I know I can't because I know I can't handle the pain....I can't even handle the trip down the hall without being in excruciating pain...how am I supposed to be able to handle going all the way downstairs and get into the car, take the 40 minute drive to the hospital and sit, leg not elevated, next to his bed, knowing I still can't be of any help to him....but it does ease my mind to see him and know for sure he is OK...

This whole ankle process sucks to begin with - this whole situation that surrounds my particular experience, really makes me wish that this was all a really bad nightmare and that I would wake up... But, I have to keep telling myself that it could always be worse, that we don't have it THAT bad (I guess) and that I have to be grateful for the things we do have...our love, my family to make sure we are taken care of, and hopefully that our youth make this easier to heal from, in more than one way...

As we will every day, we will see what tomorrow brings...

1/10/12 - The Countdown Begins...

So - 2 days to go...everyday I get a little more nervous and find a few more things to rack my brain with worry. "Will my ankle be too tight after this.." - "Will I be able to properly teach my color guard girls how to jazz run/walk, sashay, releve, plea???" - "Will I ever get my normal gate back.." - "Will my 'good' ankle now feel too loose in comparison to my fixed ankle..." - "What problems will this cause down the road..."

The list of questions continues running like a ticker tape through my mind - sometimes I wish I had a direct IM to my surgeon so I could ask him as these questions when they arrise....I mean everyone knows how it works; you try to remember everything you want to ask while you are in front of the doctor, but you never seem too and then you kick yourself after you leave and say "shit I forgot to ask about..." and then even more questions come up.

Now I just keep telling myself that it has to happen - there is no way around that fact - if I don't go through with it, I could end up destroying my bones and not just the ligaments (which the Doc is surprised I haven't done yet!). So I have to try to stop wondering about all these questions and just try to keep myself busy....well...I don't really have to try, other people are kind of doing that for me...let me ellaborate...

KEEPING ME BUSY NUMBER 1
So, my husband Joe who has had a tube in his chest since December 15th will be going to get yet another Xray tonight. Last week, his Doc decided he wanted to stay on the safe side and leave the tube in for another week just to make sure everything on his lung had sealed up nicely....if you have been keeping track, that means it has almost been 1 whole month this pour guy has had to sleep in an upright position on his back with a 1/2" piece of plastic tubing sticking out of his chest. This, of course, means he can not, and has not been able to do a whole lot for himself, so that became my job. Getting him this, getting him that, change his dressing, help him bathe - and don't forget that I just had surgery myself so I have been doing all of this while I am supposed to be wrapped up and on crutches with no more activity other than getting up to pee and go to work....guess I didn't follow the doctor's orders word for word...no wonder I am still hurting and it looks like they implanted a gold ball in my ankle.

Please understand that I don't mind doing things for my husband at all, especially when he really needs me - I love him more than words can describe - this is just kind of a play by play to note that I am being kept very busy, just busier than I had hoped while I was recovering from my own surgery. Like I know he would be for me - I will always be there for him willing to help and hold his hand through all of this.

Anyway, Joe's Doc said that he would definately be taking the tube out this Wednesday...but as I recall, the Doc's definition of definately differs from how I learned it...

On Dec. 15th we were told he definitely would be out by Christmas and it was highly unlikely he needed surgery, usually these things heal on their own if it's the first time....on Dec. 20th he had surgery and we were still being told that he should definitely be home for Christmas....on Dec. 23rd we were told he would definintely be out of ICU and into a regular room by Christmas - WE SPENT CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE ICU WITH JOE!!! On Dec. 24th we were told he would deinitely get the tube out in a couple days...on Dec. 26th we were told the tube deinitely could not come out yet...on Dec.28th Joe was sent home with the tube still in his chest and so ofcourse by then we stopped listening to his definitely's. Though I am pretty sure they will take his tube out tomorrow (Wednesday, 11th) - I will always remain a tad bit skeptical until he his back to his normal self once again.

KEEPING ME BUSY NUMBER 2
My cat Precious decided during this whole mess, that she needed some medical attention too....she as evolved some sort of allergy to something in her indoor environment that no one has changed (besides cleaned) in almost 2 years...this allergy is causing her to build really thick dander and scabs which when the fall off take her fur with them and leave a sore (it's not mange)....so, it looks like she has really mean parents that have taken thining sizzors straight down her spine...she's basically going bald....so to the vet we went and now I have to make sure she gets an allergy shot and antibiotics to keep the sores from getting infected...

KEEPING ME BUSY NUMBER 3
My siblings are all younger than I am - and as it always has been since the beginning - I get to be the hipocrite who says what they should and shouldn't do after I have already been there, done that, paid the consequences, or had the time of my life....they don't listen...

About 2-3 weeks ago (right after my ankle journey began), the oldest of my sisters rolled her right ankle while wearing high heels during a night on the town with her girls...the next day she came over with a bulging ankle that was all kinds of pretty colors...I told her that if she didn't break it then she definitely tore/damaged atleast 1 ankle ligament if not more than one. I told her that she had to go see SOMEONE to make sure that she got it properly braced and put on crutches to keep her weight off it for a little bit so that the ligaments had time to heal properly so she didn't end up like me....Did she listen??? NO - OFCOURSE NOT! So what happened do you ask?...she rolled her ankle again this past Sunday night walking down or up the stairs...

This time she can't bear weight on it at all and though it doesn't seem to be bruising, it is super swollen. She waited to go to the emergency room until last night and though they took a lot of xrays they say there are no cracks so they put her in a boot and gave her crutches - told her no weight bearing for while and to find an Orthopedic and schedule an appointment....hey I know a pretty good one...haha...

They never want to listen, just like I didn't, and still don't sometimes (I KNOW I AM A HIPOCRITE!!! - but only for a good reason) - and look where that's putting us...up shit's creek for sure...

...and in casts, and boots, on crutches, with chest tubes, in OR's, ICU's, and hospital beds...

Now that's time well spent! Yay Family!

1/6/12 - Ankle School

So - being who I am - I have to go and find out everything I can about these procedures that I will be enduring - would you like to see some info I found? Here ya go...

Tenodesis Procedures
Other procedures, are mainly tenodesis procedures. Four have been extensively used and described in the literature: the Evans, Watson-Jones, Larsen, and Chrisman-Snook procedures. These procedures focus on harvesting all or part of the peroneus brevis and then rerouting the tendon through various bone tunnels, thereby creating a tenodesis of the ankle or reconstructing the ATFL or CFL. Indications for these augmented types of reconstruction are as follows:

•The ATFL and CFL are so disrupted and frayed that they cannot be repaired primarily.
•Hypermobility of the subtalar joint is present.
•The patient has had previously unsuccessful reconstruction of the ankle.

The technique for the overall approach for each of these procedures is essentially the same. A longitudinal incision is made running just posterior to the prominence of the lateral malleolus. The incision is then extended to allow harvesting of the peroneus brevis tendon. Before harvesting the tendon, the joint is inspected and debrided if necessary. Occasionally, the ATFL and/or CFL are avulsed from the fibula with a piece of bone. This so-called os subfibulare should be excised.

Maintain the integrity of the superior peroneal retinaculum upon exposure of the peroneus brevis tendon. The anterior one third of the tendon is isolated distally and split from the distal position to the musculoskeletal junction. This tendon portion is transected at its proximal aspect. A drill hole is made through the distal fibula, and the split portion of the peroneus brevis is passed through this hole. The tendon is tensioned with the foot in mild plantarflexion and eversion.

The Evans procedure provides stability that is a result of the ATFL and CFL but not anatomically or mechanically. The peroneus brevis tendon is anchored to the fibula, indirectly limiting inversion of the ankle and anterior talar translation, while also limiting motion of the subtalar joint.

The Watson-Jones procedure (remember Plan A) reconstructs the ATFL but not the CFL. This technique makes use of the Evans tenodesis. One important addition, however, is that the peroneus brevis graft is routed anteriorly through the talar neck to reconstruct the ATFL.

Larsen rerouted the peroneus brevis tendon from the fifth metatarsal base into the fibula and then back down into the calcaneus. The proximal part of the tendon is sutured to the peroneus longus.

The Chrisman-Snook procedure, (remember Plan B) most commonly used for subtalar instability, involves using half of the longitudinally divided peroneus brevis tendon to substitute or reconstruct the CFL. In this procedure, the peroneus brevis graft is brought through the fibula from anterior to posterior to reconstruct the ATFL. It is then brought posteriorly and inferiorly to the calcaneus in a weave pattern to reconstruct the CFL. The Chrisman-Snook procedure, although technically demanding, has been repeatedly demonstrated to produce satisfactory stability to those patients who have a talotibial and combined talotibial and talocalcaneal instability.

Hey wait a minute....this is starting to sound like a Frankenstein movie...

Chronic Instability Operative Repair Outcomes
These procedures vary greatly in the ability to correct subtalar instability. A review of the literature shows that the Watson-Jones procedure is associated with subjective instability 20-90% of the time, and the Evans procedure, 20-33%. In addition, with the Evans procedure, a persistent anterior drawer sign is found in 45-60% of patients. In the Chrisman-Snook procedure, 13-30% of patients had subjective persistent instability. Decreased inversion is common with all these procedures. In each procedure, a specific weave pattern (referring to the manner in which the peroneus brevis tendon is routed through the drill holes) is used.

Surgical therapy: According to a 1999 review by Safran, Zachazewski, and Benedetti, more than 20 different delayed surgical procedures are available for chronic ankle instability and sprains. Most of these procedures are reconstructive in nature and frequently involve tenodesis between the lateral malleolus and calcaneus, talar head, and/or the fifth metatarsal. All of these procedures use the peroneus brevis and/or longus, Achilles tendon, or fascia lata [a covering on a muscle in the thigh]. None really restore true anatomy.

Hey I get to be even more different than others! - and maybe I will have super springs for ankles after all of this - LOL - hey you never know...

Well - atleast now I feel a little more in the know...

1/5/12 - The Wraps Are Off!

Went to the doctor again and finally got the wraps off from my arthroscopic surgery. I think I am actually walking better now without the wraps than with them - they were so damn bulky! But at the same time, I don't have the support without them so I am feeling really unstable and by the end of the day my ankle is really swollen - even my toes look huge! And I found out that not having the wraps on makes it really hard to sleep - every couple hours I wake up in pain and have to readjust myself - leaving my foot in one position for too long causes pain. Walking hurts, but it feels better that just sitting in a chair which causes my ankle to pulse - when I do sit, I can't get it comfortable with it down or with it up...it just seems like a no win situation all the time right now...sometimes I think I would rather just be in a cast because then I wouldn't have to deal with the involuntary movements that send shock waves through my foot because of the nerve damage (they are still trying to heal).

And because of the nerve damage, I still have 2 numb toes, at least numb to the touch, ever since the surgery. Will I ever get the feeling back in them??? The incision on the inside of my ankle, the one on my tattoo, doesn't bother me at all...but the one on the outside hurts like an SOB, probably because that's where all the damage is...all I have to do is walk and the simple act of my pants brushing across the incision cause massive painful shocks to go through my foot all the way into my 2 numb toes....

Man if this is how I feel after this simple, not too invasive surgery - how the hell am I going to feel after the big one next week??? I don't think I am just going to be relaxing and catching up on my shows and a good book - the way I feel right now...I'll be lucky to even get a cat nap in unless I am so doped up on pain killers that they knock me out...well, I guess we will soon see...

Here are some "pretty" pictures post 1st surgery and after the wraps came off...mind you, I haven't been able to shave yet...

Outside of Left Ankle

Inside of Left Ankle - barely see the incision in the black of my tattoo...

Incision on Outside of Left Ankle

Incision on Inside of Ankle

Ankle Comparison - Super Swollen...

Big Freakin' Ankle!!!

1/4/12 - How This Story Began

After a few months of dealing with a lot of pain in my left ankle, especially after a band packed weekend (I am a Color Guard Instructor for PHS Marching Band), I finally decided to go to an Orthopedic Doctor to have it evaluated. The last thing from my mind was that I would walk out of the Doctor's Office having found out that I need surgery....

My Orthopedic Doc diagnosed me with Chronic Ankle Instability:

"A condition characterized by a recurring “giving way” of the outer (lateral) side of the ankle. This condition often develops after repeated ankle sprains. Usually the “giving way” occurs while walking or doing other activities, but it can also happen when you’re just standing."

People with chronic ankle instability often complain of:
•A repeated turning of the ankle, especially on uneven surfaces or when participating in sports
•Persistent (chronic) discomfort and swelling
•Pain or tenderness
•The ankle feeling wobbly or unstable

In some cases, the foot and ankle surgeon will recommend surgery based on the degree of instability or lack of response to non-surgical approaches. Surgery usually involves repair or reconstruction of the damaged ligament(s). The surgeon will select the surgical procedure best suited for your case based on the severity of the instability and your activity level. The length of the recovery period will vary, depending on the procedure or procedures performed.

Check, Check, Check, and Check.....So, he said go see my Buddy the Orthopedic Surgeon (OS)...the first thing the OS said after inverting my ankle was "HOLY MOLEY!" ....apparently my ankle turns further than it naturally should...actually, much further.

The second thing the OS tells me - you need surgery...great! He says I have so many things wrong with my ankle, we might as well switch to a bionic leg (it was just a joke, the bionic leg part) I have chronic ankle instability caused by genetics and repeated ankle sprains, synovitis (basically scar tissue), peroneal tendon sublaxation, shown below, (where the peroneal tendon pops up and over the malleolus, the knob on the outside of your ankle) which is causing tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis which is just damage to the tissue under your foot......


So he scheduled me for a diagnostic surgery on December 22nd, 2011 called arthroscopic surgery for my left ankle so that he could go in, clean out as much synovitis as possible, and try to figure out exactly what is going on in my ankle and how he can fix it.

After 2 hours in the OR and then 1 hour in recovery, he tells me that I have done so much damage to the ligaments in my ankle that they basically don't even exist anymore - which means we have to go in a replace those ligaments so I don't further damage my ankle and the bones - and by the way, we have to do it soon!

(Oh, and did I mention that on December 15, 2011 - my husband Joe was rushed to the emergency room with a collapsed lung - they call it Spontaneous Pnuemothorax - he had to get surgery on the 20th to get it fixed, 2 days before mine, and while I was on the table, my mom in the waiting room, he was in the ICU with a chest tube....awesome Christmas right? No....)

Apparently there is a Plan A and a Plan B with this next one - Plan A is called the Watson Jones Procedure, shown right, involves 2 incisions (according to my OS) and if there is enough of the ligament left, they will graft an engineered ligament over the destroyed one and then drill a tunnel through the Fibula, the small leg bone at the malleolus and thread a piece from my achilles tendon through the hole and then connect it to my foot and to my heel bone. He says that this is the easiest procedure and a lot less invasive - but apparently, my OS is a betting man and believes we are going to have to go with Plan B...


Plan B, pictured right, will happen if there is not enough of my ligament left to work with - it is called the Chrisman-Snook Procedure which requires a much larger incision where they will graft a piece of my peroneal tendon through a tunnel they will drill in the fibula and through the ankle/heel (Calcaneus) bone in order to tie everything down - apparently this is a much more labor intensive surgery but it kills 2 birds with one stone (according to him - I don't know if I quite understand yet????).

So the next surgery is sceduled for January 12, 2012 - we will spin the wheel and put our finger out to land on the procedure we will perform that day (J/K!) and when I wake up I will be in a cast from below my knee down to my toes - it has to stay on for 6 weeks and then I will be in a brace and going to physical therapy to try to regain strength in my ankle and get the movement back in my ankle.

So, since I will be out of commision with this for a little while - I thought I would keep a journal going about it and share my experiences - pics and all.

The journey has already begun...

P.S. My husband Joe was released from the hospital on Dec. 28th but he still has the chest tube - should find out today if he gets to get that out today - fingers crossed!