Ankle surgery, reconstruction

[Nightshadow]

Hey people
I havent posted in AAAAAGES mainly due to ill health, busted hands, fingers and medication for other busted joints...so far, very cleverly this year I have dislocated a kneecap and ruptured a tendon in my left ankle - both happened on stairs and the latter has my surgeon annoyed...u see...I have had physio for many years to 'try and strengthen my ankle joints' and whenever I have requested a splint or any sort of external support, I have been told that while my ankles are weak enough to require extensive physio, they arent weak enough to need splinting....well...that decision has led to the permanant damage of my ankles to the point where my surgeon has shook his head and told me that once my "short term injury is fixed, we will work on permanantly fixing the damage done to both ankles"....he has mentioned both fusion and semi fusion (shortening of the outside ligaments to a "normal" position so that I will have SOME movement in my ankle, but not an awful lot)

I am concerned about the surgeries as I dont heal well at the best of times and I expressed my concerns to my surgeon and he holds some concern too but says that unfortunately the only way I will ever be able to walk properly again is if he repairs the damage done....Ho hum

[hannah]

Oh Grrr nightshawdow! I really hope it heals as well as possible. that doesn't sound an easy choice to have to make.
lots of love
Hannah

[tireesix]

Funnily enough, I have a shoulder problem too (I broke it pretty nastily, don't ask how lol and then dislocated it a few months later, again, you really do not want to know how). I was considering talking to my surgeon about it when I went in for my ankle op.......

My ankle op is in 3 weeks 6 days I think and I am bricking it.......... They are trying to get me in and out the same day....... They don't even know what they are dealing with. Shall just wait and see.

[Nightshadow]

HELP!

Long story short...I have strained my ankle so severely that 3 weeks after the injury I still cannot walk on it (all scans, MRI's etc have been done...normal except for minor widening of tibiofibular or something like that)...I can turn my ankles 90 degrees inwards without even trying and the orthopedic surgeon is wanting to operate to correct this troublesome problem as it causes my ankles to roll (hence the strain lol)...he wants to shorten the outside ligament and add an extra one in to stabilist BOTH my ankle joints as they are quite unstable....he is a wonderful, friendly, confident surgeon who is sympathetic to the fact I have a pre existing joint condition which he feels is more EDS III than HMS but they seem to be pretty much one in the same lol...I am concered about healing as sometimes it takes me a little longer to get over things (hence why 3 weeks later I still cant walk on a simple ankle strain) and he says he has had great sucess with past and present EDS patients with this type of surgery - he says it is less invasive and has a lot less recovery time as a total ankle fusion (which thank god he doesnt want to do - says it doesnt fix the ligaments which are causing my ankle rolls)....My question is has anyone had this TYPE of OP done and if so, How did it go....

[tireesix]

I am having my surgery in 3ish or 2ish weeks..... I worried pantless about healing but I have suffered after a bad ankle injury for 6 years. They are going to shorten my ligaments and add in a new one too........... My other ankle isn't so bad but while I am there I might justt ask about my other problematic joints.

I have been told that I will probably be in overnight and that I will have around 6 weeeks in plaster if all goes well.

I think, maybe you should see whether a trial of physio might help first but saying that, I have had 2 or 3 trials of physio, none helped me so I don't know. I think it is often betteer to just give the less invasive things a go first but set a date witth you and whoever is treating you that if things haven't improved by the time they should have done you look intto other routes.

However, you know your ankles better than I do and your surgeon knows more than I do.

I know when I first did my ankle in, it ballooned but due to fears of hospital, I refused to go (I also had concussion from being bottled and a severe hangover, hospital was the ast place I wanted to be). So we still do not know the full extent of tthe damage but when peeople saw my ankle (friends and family) they were horrified by a) the state of it and b) that they had being rude to me for complaining so much about it when they hd never seen such a gross sight in all their life. (Maybe I should demand an xray before I go in? Or scans etc?0. I was unable to walk on it for weeks and it kept rolling on itself, crunching, causing numbness and pins and needles down the side of the foot. Finally, a doctor referred me last year to a surgeon (I sat down in the office and said that there is no way I am seeeing another physio, got into the surgeons office, he took one look at my ankle and a brief history and said that I had bettere come in for surgery).

Anyhoo, I will leet you know how it goes if you like........

[nonyanomemory]

Please click on the link to see others stories of ankle surgery ankle surgery

[tireesix]

They have moved my op forward..... Its on Monday coming so cross your wee peggy fingers for me....

[Retro]

Good luck with the op Katie.

Lindsey

[Shadowlady]

Oooh, best of luck Katie!!! I shall indeed be keeping my fingers crossed, but they're neither wee nor peggy you cheeky little munchkin!

Lets hope that they can get you in and out within the day - but that does not mean you get to go home and carry on like normal you hear? Yes, there will be all sorts of things screaming loudly for your attention, but you're just gonna have to rest, rest, rest while it heals! OK? I look forward to reading your posts of frustration about what you can't do that you want to do whilst you're resting!

Huge , best of luck, and take good care of yourself!
S

[hannah]

Good luck Katie

I really hope that it all goes well, but as shadowgirl says - remember to rest! Most essential, and also most difficult

All the best,
Hannah

[tireesix]

Thankyou!!!!!!!!!!!!

I shall try to remember to rest although I am aiming tto get out ASAP. My surgeon said I might be able to go home same day and I MUST remember to state that I am still breastfeeding........... So, tomorrow here we come.

[Sue New]

Dear Katie ,

All the very best for your op tomorrow. I hope you will soon be on the road to recovery

You will be in my thoughts,

Sue.

[tireesix]

Sooooooooooooooo, I got there on time (7:30 am), I waited until gone 4pm when they decide to tell me my operation has been cancelled till wednesday............

[hannah]

Grrrr. what a wait! that must have been frustrating. however, at least it wasn't delayed months

In that case, good luck for wednesday

Hannah

[tireesix]

its been done!!!! apparently one of my ligaments was totally trashed. they have done what they can to repair my ankle, am now in bright red plaster, still in hospital (op was yesterday), might get out today or tomorrow.......

thankyou all!!!!!!