Adventure Update - and potential Additional Chapters....

Life does tend to catch up with us - and get away from us - and so it has with this. I had every intention of continuing this blog and whoops - here I am not quite two years later and have not mentioned a thing. So - to catch up..... After that MRI that I had in 2011 - the doctor felt there were no real changes in my ankle. The OCD was still there and not much had changed. He recommended a shot of cortisone - which I agreed to. He advised I might want to have crutches available for three-five days in case the ankle was painful or unstable - which I took him up on. The day after the shot, I attended a university football game to watch my daughter with the band. That day a freak October snow-storm (more like a blizzard) started just as the band was welcoming the football team to the stadium. That snow continued through the game and into the evening. Trying to crutch through the snow was a real adventure. The stadium offers trolley service for those that need it. After half-time, I went to find the trolley to take me back to the bus (to parking) only to be told because of the weather, they shut down trolley service! Finally, they put me in a wheel-chair and tried to push me through the six inches of snow/slush and ice. As you might imagine, it didn't work. So I put on my big-girl panties and crutched my way to the bus - and once at the parking facility - to my car. Actually, crutching in that mess wasn't that bad. I could securely plant my crutches into the snow/slush/ice and they would hold solid while I "stepped" to the next safe spot. Crutches are also quite useful in clearing snow/slush/ice off of car windshields! So after the cortisone shot, the ankle was no better, but my surgeon was stumped. He felt perhaps we could try a lubricating injection or plasma-rich injection. However, my insurance felt those were all "experimental" and wouldn't approve them. So - I just coped. For the next 18 months - coping was all I did with the ankle. Sometimes it seemed "perfect" - no catching, no locking, no pain. Then there were the days/weeks when that's all it had - catching/locking/PAIN. A couple of ER visits when it went out on me very badly and swelled up - but all they could do was check to make sure I didn't break it and put me in an aircast and crutches. Finally, several weeks ago, while stretching the ankle suddenly and very loudly went POP!!! Pain and swelling accompanied it. I thought of going to the ER - but passed on that decision - knowing they would only re-x-ray and pronounce nothing broken/nothing to be done but rest it. But what I did do, was contact a new orthopedist - one highly recommended by my primary - who was in my new insurance. Got an immediate appointment with him. He looked at my old scans and told his PA in the hall - "That thing is HUGE! Huge I tell you!" and then told me - "its a very big OCD". Also at problem was where it is on my talus - on the corner. So much so, that he would not do any surgery on it himself as he felt an OATS or other surgery would be pointless since it would easily fail (by breaking off the corner again). His recommendation was a referral to a specialist who had developed a technique of using a cadaver talus to fill the OCD. But first a new MRI. While waiting for my MRI appointment, I checked online about this new surgery potential. Very big surgery. Full ankle exposure - almost double the recovery time. Enough to make me pause on this... The MRI went without issue - except my ankle felt worse after it was over. When I called the office to check with my doctor about it - he called back with the MRI results. Seeing the new MRI - he was now comfortable in recommending another shot at microfracture and debridement (what I had in 2010) rather than the cadaver surgery. I see him on Monday to actually review the films with him and to talk about/schedule surgery. Seems like we are back on this merry-go-round for another ride. Oh the joy of it!

Yes! We have a surgery!!!!!

So - here we are - no more history - in the here and now...

Today I saw the new surgeon for the first time. I actually liked him. He is a specialist in ankle and foot issues.

He apologized when he came in, for taking time to get to me, but he said he was reviewing my CT scan films and the x-rays I had brought along. After taking a brief medical history, he examined my ankle - actually, BOTH ankles.

Does this hurt, does that hurt, can you feel this, can you feel that...

I can feel you, ah - that's a sweet spot....that's ok - aye - now that hurts....

He took me in the hall and slowly took the time to rotate the images from the CT scan and show me exactly where the lesion was/is. He pointed out on the x-ray precisely what we were looking at....

Back in the room, I'm told - you've had this now for two years, and its not gotten better - you are a good candidate for surgery. (Did I want to hug this man or what????) He explained he would like me to have an MRI so he would have a better idea of what he's looking at. I told him my time concerns and that I'd like to have the surgery done as soon as possible after guard championships.

His response was that going to championships with the kids was more important than surgery....(Did I want to kiss this man or what?????)

He also said that given that time frame, there was certainly time to get the MRI done as well. So I'm good with that. His office called me shortly after I got home with the approval code for the MRI...sadly, the hospital where I was to have it doesn't have an appointment until the end of JUNE!!!! Now I need another pre-cert....

Microfracture surgery is most likely what we will do, perhaps repair the cartilage or maybe even drill - this will depend on what he sees in the MRI and when he finally gets in there. It may be done arthroscopically - but he did warn it might be open - again, depending on what the findings are...

He feels if I have the surgery in April, I should be good to go for marching season and definitely good to go for my own season in November....

Had problems finding where to put the ankle/foot last night to sleep...finally fell asleep from exhaustion, but woke while it was still dark to throbbing....after he prodded and poked - it throbbed...it is swollen....

BUT I'M GETTING FIXED!!!!!!!

Oops - maybe I should re-phrase that?????