Ankle pain is worse 4 months post op than before surgery!!!

*VERY long post but could use some advice!!**

Ok, so here's my deal. I'm kicking myself for ever having ankle surgery and unsure if anyone else has felt the same or if there is a light at the end of the tunnel for me. Any help/advice would be appreciated!

I fell down a mere 2 steps spraining my ankle last May. It only hurt for a second but swelled up. The Urgent care took xrays that were normal and sent me home with a little velcro ankle brace. A week later I went back to same place because the swelling was getting worse. Again, no pain. They referred me to a month of PT. When the month was over and the swelling was not as bad, I resumed my daily activities...including working out 5 days a week , using the elliptical etc. The only discomfort I experienced for some reason was the feeling of my ankle giving out whenever I would go down a flight of stairs.

Months later, in September, at my routine physical my doctor noticed the swelling and wanted to get me checked out. Referred me to an ortho surgeon who ordered a round of Xrays and an MRI.

Again, the Xrays were fine. But did show I have hypermobility syndrome. .which would explain why I didn't really feel pain. Everything just stretches out and moves around. The MRI however, showed not only inflammation on the inner side of ankle but the lateral ligament was so frayed and thin it was barely holding on ! Surgery was a must.

The surgery was on November 30th..called Lateral Ankle Reconstruction. .with the use of Arthrex Internal Brace implant to act as a ligament. No metal or screws. Fibers with two anchors that within 2 years will dissolve into bone.

I was told that while performing surgery, the ligament was in much worse shape than surgeon thought and my non-weight-bearing time went from 2 weeks to a 4 week span.

After the 4 weeks I was able to finally stand on that foot in the boot. Mid January I could begin to slowly ditch the boot, and crutches. I used the boot at night only and a velcro brace during the day and begin PT. In February I was told to wean off the brace during the day, using it at night, during light exercise or whenever I'm going to be out and about walking for awhile.

Then came the real pain! I was diagnosed with post-op Plantar fasciitis. I was told that would go away but didn't start getting better until just recently. Now it comes and goes, mostly in the morning or if I'm sitting for awhile. My body was rejecting the internal stitches that would open the wound just enough to spit out a stitch here and there. Both physical therapist and surgeon said it happens, so long as it heals up after. Which it does. Mid February the surgeon put me on a week of prednisone to jump-start my recovery since it had slowed down and I was still sore. It helped, but was a temporary fix.

We are now in April. PT is done, I wear orthotic inserts in my sneakers, the brace whenever i workout ( which is only 30 minutes on bike or slow treadmill) surgeon says everything looks good. Yet, still have ankle pain. Worse than I ever did before surgery. Rainy days kill me. I limp. I also recently am experiencing ankle pain on that inner part that showed inflammation...800mg Ibuprofen prescription 2x a day doesn't even touch it. Sometimes just walking is difficult. Between the end of November till now, I lost muscle and gained 15lbs. I'm so discouraged!

Last week I had an appt with my regular dr and explained it all to her. She ordered an xray abs did bloodwork to see if my SED rate was elevated. If the inflammation level was up then I would see a Rheumatoid arthritis dr. But xray and bloodwork was good.

So there's my very long story and I'm so discouraged at the moment. I just want to feel normal again!

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