Leg Update!
So. Hello dream width! I had not been on LJ in a long time til recently, when it was v useful in going back over the Saga of the Broken Ankle from 10 years ago, so I could fill in new podiatrist with endless background detail.
Original reason for visiting New Podiatrist was back going after xmas and physio saying it was all due to unevenness in leg length and I REALLY needed to see podiatrist for orthotics. After much wrangling with drs to find out where original referral from TWO YEARS ago went, I get appt, but not for months. BUT! handily have work insurance policy that will cover diagnostics if you get stuck on a long NHS waiting list. So get to see private guy!
Trawl lj for history (as had forgotten a lot of it!) and go see Podiatry Greg. He pokes and prods and talks about orthotics and back scans, then sends me for x ray. Come back with xray and Things Have Changed. 'we'll leave the back for now' he says 'mri of ankle ' he says. All misaligned and osteophytes everywhere he says...
OK!
Now back in 2009 I saw an orthopedic surgeon who waffled on about ostephyts and misalignment and how painful it would be to fix... at the time I hadn't the xrays so I drew the following handy diagram to illustrate...
Now that I have an actual xray? I wasn't far wrong. BEHOLD THE WONK
In front view, there are the screws (fecking big screws at that!) holding bit of broken bone on (and we'll get to that in a bit) and misalignment. In side view OMG osteophytes. Compare my mutant glory with normal side view...
MUTAAAANT LEG
Normal Leg
In short, its all gone a bit wrong. But, I thought, not much more wrong than back in 2009 right? Its not that sore, just the odd time, esp after standing around for a long time, and stiff in the evenings, but nothing DRASTICALLY wrong, right?
Get MRI, a weird (and noisy!) experience in itself. And despite fears, screws do not get suck out of ankle, nor do they explode the machine, metal in microwave style. After a few weeks, go back to Podiatry Greg for MRI results. These involve the phrases 'advanced osteoarthritis', 'synovitis' and 'total lack of cartilage'. So that's nice. I say I really didn't thing it was anywhere near that bad, P.G responds with 'well,I'm glad it's not my ankle!' . Cheers dude. Helpful. Then starts talking about cortisone injections, ankle fusion and Other Surgery, and refers me to Orthopedic Surgeon. Yikes?
Spend a few days mildly panicking about wtf surgery HELL NO. then see surgeon, mr mcmullan, who i am almost (but not quite) sure is the guy I saw in the hospital 10 years ago. Must ask next time. Anyway, he pokes and prods, looks at xray, says 'must be v painful' NOPE, REALLY NOT DUDE, but whatever.
He also points out that it's still technically broken, because bit of bone screws are holding on was meant to reattach and ... hasn't. At all. In fact instead of being up with leg bone, where it came from it is now hanging out down by the foot bones, at v end of screws... OKAY THEN.
So for now he says go for the cortisone injections and see if that helps, surgery only necessary if in constant pain (phew), and back to P.G. for orthotics etc. I point out again I only came in for a new heel lift...
That was last week. This week get call from hospital (private medicine moves FAST) to say 'come in thursday for injection, plan not to drive for at 24/48 hrs after' . EEK
ask for later appt, but that won't be til May. the same feckin' day as the fecking NHS podiatry appt I have been trying to get for YEARS. So sod it, go for it. Make hasty provision for Ziggy, stock up on tasty treats and painkillers , get shouted into taking Friday off work and generally Worry.
Thurs - injection takes all of 10 mins. And about 5 mins of that is Dr explaining what he's going to do and what he saw on MRI. And ALSO pointing out how painful it must be. It. REALLY. Hasn't Been!!
Injection not pleasant but nowhere near as bad as feared. Foot v stiff afterwards, but also pumped full of anaesthetic yay. Slightly uncomfortable overnight,but moar painkillers and it was fine.
Yesterday, bit hobbley to start, but by lunchtime it was grand. Actually could have gone to work (apart from lack of sleep maybe). Today, all good, ankle moving about more! tho haven't actually *done* anything so that'll be the test.
Still have to back to P.G. and see what he has to say about orthotics etc. but Progress Has been Made.
Older entries are porting over to DW as we speak, so will be able to link back to them, but wanted to keep up documenting leg progress, because it was helpful previously. And also WTF how is this still going ON? How do i manage to still so broken TEN YEARS later. And why do none of them believe me when I say it ISN'T SORE?
Original reason for visiting New Podiatrist was back going after xmas and physio saying it was all due to unevenness in leg length and I REALLY needed to see podiatrist for orthotics. After much wrangling with drs to find out where original referral from TWO YEARS ago went, I get appt, but not for months. BUT! handily have work insurance policy that will cover diagnostics if you get stuck on a long NHS waiting list. So get to see private guy!
Trawl lj for history (as had forgotten a lot of it!) and go see Podiatry Greg. He pokes and prods and talks about orthotics and back scans, then sends me for x ray. Come back with xray and Things Have Changed. 'we'll leave the back for now' he says 'mri of ankle ' he says. All misaligned and osteophytes everywhere he says...
OK!
Now back in 2009 I saw an orthopedic surgeon who waffled on about ostephyts and misalignment and how painful it would be to fix... at the time I hadn't the xrays so I drew the following handy diagram to illustrate...
Now that I have an actual xray? I wasn't far wrong. BEHOLD THE WONK
In front view, there are the screws (fecking big screws at that!) holding bit of broken bone on (and we'll get to that in a bit) and misalignment. In side view OMG osteophytes. Compare my mutant glory with normal side view...
MUTAAAANT LEG
Normal Leg
In short, its all gone a bit wrong. But, I thought, not much more wrong than back in 2009 right? Its not that sore, just the odd time, esp after standing around for a long time, and stiff in the evenings, but nothing DRASTICALLY wrong, right?
Get MRI, a weird (and noisy!) experience in itself. And despite fears, screws do not get suck out of ankle, nor do they explode the machine, metal in microwave style. After a few weeks, go back to Podiatry Greg for MRI results. These involve the phrases 'advanced osteoarthritis', 'synovitis' and 'total lack of cartilage'. So that's nice. I say I really didn't thing it was anywhere near that bad, P.G responds with 'well,I'm glad it's not my ankle!' . Cheers dude. Helpful. Then starts talking about cortisone injections, ankle fusion and Other Surgery, and refers me to Orthopedic Surgeon. Yikes?
Spend a few days mildly panicking about wtf surgery HELL NO. then see surgeon, mr mcmullan, who i am almost (but not quite) sure is the guy I saw in the hospital 10 years ago. Must ask next time. Anyway, he pokes and prods, looks at xray, says 'must be v painful' NOPE, REALLY NOT DUDE, but whatever.
He also points out that it's still technically broken, because bit of bone screws are holding on was meant to reattach and ... hasn't. At all. In fact instead of being up with leg bone, where it came from it is now hanging out down by the foot bones, at v end of screws... OKAY THEN.
So for now he says go for the cortisone injections and see if that helps, surgery only necessary if in constant pain (phew), and back to P.G. for orthotics etc. I point out again I only came in for a new heel lift...
That was last week. This week get call from hospital (private medicine moves FAST) to say 'come in thursday for injection, plan not to drive for at 24/48 hrs after' . EEK
ask for later appt, but that won't be til May. the same feckin' day as the fecking NHS podiatry appt I have been trying to get for YEARS. So sod it, go for it. Make hasty provision for Ziggy, stock up on tasty treats and painkillers , get shouted into taking Friday off work and generally Worry.
Thurs - injection takes all of 10 mins. And about 5 mins of that is Dr explaining what he's going to do and what he saw on MRI. And ALSO pointing out how painful it must be. It. REALLY. Hasn't Been!!
Injection not pleasant but nowhere near as bad as feared. Foot v stiff afterwards, but also pumped full of anaesthetic yay. Slightly uncomfortable overnight,but moar painkillers and it was fine.
Yesterday, bit hobbley to start, but by lunchtime it was grand. Actually could have gone to work (apart from lack of sleep maybe). Today, all good, ankle moving about more! tho haven't actually *done* anything so that'll be the test.
Still have to back to P.G. and see what he has to say about orthotics etc. but Progress Has been Made.
Older entries are porting over to DW as we speak, so will be able to link back to them, but wanted to keep up documenting leg progress, because it was helpful previously. And also WTF how is this still going ON? How do i manage to still so broken TEN YEARS later. And why do none of them believe me when I say it ISN'T SORE?