iRide

Just hung up with the scheduling nurse from the ankle doc’s office–surgery is scheduled for Friday, December 4th.

FINALLY!!

I’m kind of bummed I still have to wait the better part of 4 weeks still–after all this. But at least I have a date now!!

Again, here’s the crazy recovery time frame I’m looking at:

4-6 weeks: no weight on foot/ankle what so ever. Meaning I’ll be in a surgical dressing for a 1-2 weeks, and then a cast for another 2-4 weeks. Walking on crutches.

6-8 weeks: In a walking boot like I am now, but limited time and distance on foot/ankle. Should be off crutches at this point.

8-10 weeks: Should be able to drive a car again somewhere in this period. Still in walking boot. You read it right–I won’t be able to drive a car for about 2 months!!

10-12 weeks: Easing out of walking boot into a regular shoe. Even with strong legs from MTB’ing, major muscle loss and atrophy is to be expected in the right leg, mainly in the calf.

3-6 months: Physical Therapy to rebuild leg muscle and regain ankle flexibility. Here is where I’ll get an idea of what sort of time frame I’m looking at to resume MTB’ing and Taekwondo.

When I first think of ankle surgery and recovery, for some reason I don’t think of it as being this serious. I don’t know. It still seems kind of crazy to me, but I guess it is what it is.

And just to cheer myself up, here’s a pic of my Nomad looking pretty on my roof rack:

…due to having the Swine Flu/H1N1 virus–which means a week off my ankle.

Went to the $3 movies with the wife since the kids are off camping with grandparents. We saw “The Time Travelers Wife”. GREAT movie, but then I am partial to chick flicks.

Anyhoot, had 30 minutes to kill and walked around a bit–with my boot on. Now–the ankle is SCA-REAMING!!!! After just 30 minutes..and I’ve been home sick all week  NOT walking on it, and it still hurts this bad??

I started feeling sick so I went to the doctor today.

And the verdict is…wait for it….wait for it…..tested positive for H1N1/Swine Flu. I was exposed at work. Could my luck right now get any worse? I think not. Fortunately, I also tested positive for AWESOME!!!

Seriously though. All the ankle stuff and now this!!??

Tamiflu…it’s what’s for dinner!!

And the verdict is: Surgery

He said I have a completely severed Anterior Talofibular Ligament and it would need to be surgically repaired. All the other issues should heal while I’m recuperating.

Referral is on its way for approval by my medical group/insurance. I knew it was coming, but for some reason it’s still a bit of a shock.

The recovery timeline is rather daunting to say the least:

4-6 weeks: no weight on foot/ankle what so ever. Meaning I’ll be in a surgical dressing for a 1-2 weeks, and then a cast for another 2-4 weeks. Walking on crutches.

6-8 weeks: In a walking boot like I am now, but limited time and distance on foot/ankle. Should be off crutches at this point.

8-10 weeks: Should be able to drive a car again somewhere in this period. Still in walking boot. You read it right–I won’t be able ot drive a car for about 2 months!!

10-12 weeks: Easing out of walking boot into a regular shoe. Even with strong legs from MTB’ing, major muscle loss and atrophy is to be expected in the right leg, mainly in the calf.

3-6 months: Physical Therapy to rebuild leg muscle and regain ankle flexibility. Here is where I’ll get an idea of what sort of time frame I’m looking at to resume MTB’ing and Taekwondo.

My doc said he has had other patients who took some sort of Martial Arts training and close to 6 months is a reasonable time frame for return. As for cycling–he has only had roadies for patients so he doesn’t know about MTB’ing.

<sigh>

Now sitting at home.

Stepped off a curb wrong at work. My ankle decided it was wrong–not me.

I have an afternoon of ice pack rotations in a Vicodin induced haze to look forward to.

But I’m not concerned/depressed/frustrated. Afterall, the professionals told me its not urgent. Right? Right?

So over the last 5 days I’ve gone on 4 bike rides. The last few weeks of no physical activity are killing me. I was careful and biking really doesn’t hurt my ankle any more than any other activity.

With my foot on the pedal my ankle doesn’t really move and you pedal with the ball of your foot on the pedal, not the heal. Leg muscles do all the work so I’m good there. Plus, MTBers don’t stand up and pedal like roadies do so there’s no risk there.

Man it felt great to get back out!! Thanks to Mark and Dad for coming out for a couple of them!!

Seek your bliss…

Ride lots–you never know when it’ll be taken from you!!

So I haven’t been taking any classes or teaching at TKD at all since this ankle drama has started. I’ve basically rested my ankle for the last 2 weeks.

So, I thought I’d try a night of instructing to see how the rest and a week in the walking boot have helped my ankle.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

It was nice to get out there and actually do something active. But OH MY GOODNESS I’m paying for it now.

My ankle just said to me, and I quote, “You’re a jerk.”

I guess I fell into the trap of lieing to myself to make it seem like it wasn’t that bad.

My ankle is really messed up. All the rest and the boot haven’t helped at all.

<sigh>

As of now, I am no longer teaching or taking classes/training until this get’s sorted out.

I have a walking boot now that goes up to my knee.

It’s huge.

I feel like I fell asleep and woke up with Herman Munster’s right leg.

On the plus side, it doesn’t help ease the pain at all.

Wait….

I got my referral to see an ankle specialist, so I gave his office a call to set-up the appointment.

My ankle hurts. A lot. I can’t walk on it normally. Physical activity such as Taekwondo, any lengthy amount of walking or standing is totally out of the question. But, I have to wait 3 weeks to see the Ortho/Podiatry Specialist. Because I don’t have a bone poking through my skin, it’s not a big deal.

That’s not me being sarcastic or pessimistic. That’s what I was told over the phone today. The Ortho/Podiatry Specialist told his nurse to tell me that.

Quote-unquote.

It took the Ortho/Podiatry Specialist less than one minute to make that decision. I talked to his nurse on the phone. She told me they had all my tests and info and she would get him to take a look at them to see if my case was “urgent” and she would call me back in 30 minutes.

We hung up.

My phone rang 45 SECONDS LATER — NO JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and she told me the Ortho/Podiatry Specialist says it’s not “urgent”. Oh and by the way–he’s going on vacation as of Monday so you have to wait 3 weeks to see him.

I got the MRI a couple days ago and got the results today. I’ve got issues to say the least. Here’s what it found:

-A torn Peroneal tendon

-Major cartilage defects

-Severed Anterior Talofibular Ligament

-Lot’s of fluid build up

-Impingement of the OS trigonum (bone)

-Osteoarthritis in multiple places

Referral to a specialist is in the works and that doc will go over my options with me. <sigh>