Ankle Injury

Oy!! That's exactly what I am afraid of!! I'm a former soccer player so I'm used to spraining my ankle. But this time is different and it's just been awful! Did you have surgery or pt?

The surgeon said I could wait and see if it healed on it own, but that doesn't always work so I decided to have surgery. 

I am recovering from surgery on 3 Sept. Snapped tendons, ligaments and bottom of fibula. Luckily they gave me fentanyl so pain wasn't bad and went home 3 hours after coming round. Still non weight baring and in plaster, going back in just over a week.

Yikes!! I've never had surgery so I'm extra nervous. I'm thinking an osteochondral lesion or torn cartilage. I think that's what my ortho is thinking too.

This is the 2nd time I've had this done. Now they have put an internal brace in my ankle so shouldn't happen again. Last time I was in plaster for 6 weeks and back at work at 8 weeks (with 2 x 20 minutes walks and a 45 minute train journey).

You wil just have to be careful in the future because once an ankle is weakened...

So something new has appeared. My ankle is extremely sensitive to anything touching it. Hot, cold, towel, anything. The pain is so excruciating. My PT noticed it today and is going to try and desensitize it. But what could this be?

please call them tomorrow and ask about CRPS/RSDIf they phoo-phoo it, ask around in your community to find someone who has worked with this. Extreme sensitivity (pain) to touch and discoloration are hallmarks, but it is not common so many haven't worked with it. If they have, the condition is often further down the road and them much more difficult to control. So it may be worth exploring to be safe. Sending healing thoughts.

Did you have a Brostrom procedure? My ortho wants to do this with internal brace. Can I ask you how you're doing since the surgery?

No , I have not had surgery. Just a cortisone shot and some PT. My foot/ankle are hyper sensitive to touch and heat. It will swell up and I'll have a burning feeling while standing in the shower. Pain extending into my calf. And a lot of pain in the front of my ankle since my injury.

How long did it take for you to walk comfortably?

Oh, a long time. Surgery was December. Was in boot about three months. I had a horrible time walking in the boot; in fact, I never could go without crutches. I used at least one crutch till beginning of May, but I haven’t used any since. 

Honestly, I bet I’ve only just started walking normal the last two weeks - that’s 9 months! If I’m on it too long, I start limping again. I’m still struggling to go barefoot without a limp or pain. I wear Brooks tennis shoes basically all the time. 

About four months ago, I started acupuncture, and that has helped tremendously. I also see a trainer specialized in isometric training for muscles every week. My calf is still very weak. My insurance wouldn’t cover more than 25 PT sessions, and they were up in May.  So I built my own healing tribe. . 

When was your surgery? 

Surgery was July 20. I am just hoping to be able to walk further with a boot and walker soon. That will make my life sooooo much easier. It is reassuring to hear from so many people who struggled for a long time but still improve and recover. 

Oh my goodness!! It's been over a month for me and I still cannot put to weight on my left ankle and foot. I'm a teacher so I spend my days on my feet. I'm in so much pain.

Bless your heart. Have you started PT?  That will help. Yes, you will get through this! Just be patient and persistent, which are so hard to do together

No I haven't done any PT or anything yet. I guess once I find out the MRI results, we will decide what to do next. I'm trying so hard to be patient, it's just hard to keep this runner down! Thanks so much for your help 😁

I know!  Hang in there. Be sure to post an update when you get the results.