I'm afraid that I haven't been very good when it comes to keeping this thing updated. I did have a chance to look at the MRI after I returned from my recent trip to CO/UT/ID (some great hiking and backpacking!) and I learned that my ankle is pretty well toast.
I hardly have any cartilage left in the main ankle joint, and the bone surfaces are showing significant signs of deterioration and bone loss (both tibia and talus) - which I gather is typical of serious arthritis. Even my uneducated eye could see that thing do not look good. The subtalar joint is showing signs of wear, but looks pristine compared to the main ankle joint.
My doc was very surprised at just how well I'm getting around, given what he could see in the MRI. He's advised me to just keep on keepin' on for as long as I can. While surgery is in the future, I'm hoping that I'll be able to put it off for another year or more.
Two weeks ago (actually, the very day I got to see my MRI), I got out rock climbing for the first time since the accident. Since then, I've been out three more times. I've definitely developed a bit of a fear of heights (something I never had before) which has been interesting to work through. But it's been fantastic to be back on the rock.
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It's so great to read how well you are doing now. I'm sorry about the MRI though.
ReplyDeleteYou have beacon of hope throughout my accident & recovery process. I am only 2 and a half weeks into my recovery. I came across your blog during my first night in hospital. I have 2 broken ankles & am finding it difficult to see the light a the end of the tunnel. It's nice to see how far you've come. Thank you for all of the hope you have given me.
Hi Gem! There is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. Stay positive! Things were pretty bad with my right ankle (almost lost my foot), but I've gotten back to cycling, hiking, snowshoeing, climbing, and backpacking this year. And while I'm probably facing another surgery this winter, I plan to be back to it again next summer.
ReplyDeleteHang in there!
Hi Jim
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog and i have read the whole thing without stopping from start to finish Of course, apart from your family and friends, only someone who has also broken two ankles would be so avidly interested in your situation.
On October 27, 2011 I was climbing an embankment next to an ancient Roman tunnel in an obscure archaeology site in Turkey. I lost my footing and fell ten feet on to rocks the size of bowling balls. I broke two ribs and both ankles. At the emergency room none of the five doctors spoke English so the American counsel in Ankara was triangulating via cellphone translating what the doctors were saying. It was wild!
I live in Greece and had the operation in Athens. My right foot, like yours, was fractured at the talus, but it is not near as bad as your "devastating injury." My doctor called mine a "nasty injury" which sounded grim enough to me. My left foot is worse than yours with two fractures (fib and tib). Sitting in this wheelchair for weeks on end I feel like a couch potatos on steroids.
Yesterday (Winter Solistice!) the doctor said I can start PT with the goal of putting weight on my left leg but not on my right leg which must remain in a cast. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around that concept of trying to put weight on my left foot with no right foot for support. I don't think even that nifty little scooter you had will be possible for me right now. Any tips you can pass on? I have my first PT appt on Tuesday.
Thanks so much for your blog. So many things you said, even little comments, resonate with me. And I feel a solidarity with you that you are also an outdoor person. It's harder for us athletically inclined people. I operate a cycle tour company here called www.CycleGreece.gr (One time I gave a slideshow presentation on cycling in Greece at the REI Seattle).
Please continue to keep us posted with your progress.
Regards, Colleen McGuire
Hi Colleen!
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry to learn about your fall! I definitely feel your pain. And it must be hard to be off both feet as such an avid cyclist!
Fortunately, cycling usually isn't considered weight bearing, so you can be back on a bike (at least a trainer) sometime soon.
The main tip I have is just to do everything your PT tells you, and then do it again, and maybe once more for good measure. Obviously you don't want to over-do it, but successful PT definitely depends on the work you do outside of the PT clinic/office. And I sorta learned that PTs tend to prescribe exercises for the lowest common denominator - not really for those of us that are athletically inclined.
Good luck with your recovery! Let me know how it goes, ok?
Cheers!
Jim