A repeat member who is looking for some help or suggestions... ?
Posted , 5 users are following.
******Hi everyone,
I used to write a while ago. I am 55 yrs old. I had a fall in late 2016. Hurt my right ankle badly. Of course I was told , "its just a sprain." Just a sprain turned into 2 surgeries! And the right big toe took a hit also when I fell and that ended up with 2 surgeries also. Now I have a plate in that joint/bone. Lovely.
So, I had my ligament and tendons repaired and some arthritis taken care of also. That was last year.
Here is my question: I am still feeling quite a lot of pain in that right ankle. Like something has undone itself or is torn even more. Especially when I go down on that foot.! The only way I can describe it is like my insides are being ripped apart when I walk.
I went back to my surgeon beginning of 2019 to let him know that something was just not right in there. He said... "I'm not going to do anything drastic with that ankle"3 minutes ! That is what I got from him. Three minutes. He couldn't be bothered.
Fast forward I found a surgeon who I thought was going to be wonderful for a second opinon.
She listened to me and my problems. She actually sat on a chair and gave me her attention! Wow! That doesn't happen often. She said that she would never have done surgery on the ankle and would have seen if it would have healed itself.Also told me to get better shoes and and told me to get a exercise bike , which I did to start really moving the ankle.
Second opinion was going great! Until ..... the second appointment. She couldnt be bothered. Appointment at 3:20 pm. They took me in at 3:47 Pm and they close at 4 pm. So you know how this went.It didn't go well at all. She dismissed me and said this was my life.... her quote...
"Your not alive if you aren't feeling pain." ... not even lying.
So, now I'm stuck. I damaged the ankle yesterday again from stepping off the last stair and it hurts badly.
So after a long story, has anyone had this type of injury , surgery and it didn't work? And what are you doing now?
Thanks,
Rose
0 likes, 4 replies
Sweetpea1 rose71920
Posted
Rose,
I feel like you just described the last 3 years of my life. i fell at work and landed hard on my right ankle and was told It was a bad sprain and would heal in a few months but it never did and I started rolling my ankle when I would walk. Finally went to see a specialist who did an MRI and turns out my tendon was torn in half and to have good quality of life surgery was needed to repair, surgery was done by a great surgeon but never really healed and I lost feeling in the side of my foot, after going back numerous times he had me see his associate who confirmed that this is my life, try orthotics and it may help but didn't so I just called another surgeon and am waiting for him to look over my records to decide if he will see me, really? after talking to several friends in the medical field they all agree another doctor will not go in and repair someone else's work so they were right this is my life, I cant walk for more than 30 minutes because my ankle swells so bad and my nerve throbs all the time. none of my shoes fit they all hurt so unless I am wearing flip flops or wide slippers i am in pain.
I am not sure what direction to go in or if there is anything else that can be done.
rose71920 Sweetpea1
Posted
I am so very sorry you are going through this. And for this long. I literally feel your pain. It seems from what people are saying that there is nothing that can be done at this point. You describing being in shoes for more than 30 minutes is me. I've tried soft shoes, hard shoes, sandals and bare foot, it all hurts. Trying to act like there is nothing wrong sucks because its an every day struggle to do what everyone does with out thinking! We have to think about where we are going, how long it will be, hard surfaces or soft, grassy or rocky. Its mentally exhausting.
I have applied for SSI because my whole adult life I have been working on my feet and I just can not do it. And because of the pain I have now developed major arthritis in my right side of my back/ shoulder area along with DDD .. Fun times.
Good luck and let me know if you find anyone that will take you and help you.
Rose******
MSK2017 rose71920
Posted
I have had 4 surgeries to repair a terrible break. My tibia was coming through the skin in my ankle. I'm 18 months in now and I still have to think about everything differently. I'm in health care and your experience is common, which is why I have just suffered and hoped time will help. I am an administrator so I can sit a lot and work.
These breaks are all a little different and no one wants to work on another surgeon's repairs.
The tendons were torn in my other ankle when i fell and thank goodness they healed during the three months of wheelchair use. The only shoe I can wear and walk in with some balance and little pain is a BLONDO boot. They are costly but have been well worth the cost.
I have multiple screws and a large rod in my ankle and did have one plate removed that stabilized the Lisfranc area.
Lets hope in time there will be advances in treating severe ankle injuries. Good luck to you both.
rose71920 MSK2017
Posted
MSK... Thank you for your reply. Although it stinks that you are going through a lot also, it helps to know there are people are out there that experence the same pains we've got.
Thanks for your kind words! ****