akirka

Hi ankle club!

I don't really want to join the ankle club (I may have no choice) but it has been very helpful reading your messages.

I 'sprained' my ankle July 2005 on a backpack trip. I couldn't walk the first day so my friends put me on a horse and I spent 5 days in the woods soaking my ankle in a cold mountain lake. On the way back I hiked 2.5 miles with my ankle tightly taped before getting back on the horse for the last 10 miles out. A week later my ankle was still huge so I went to a doctor who 'amazingly' told me my ankle was sprained. He sent me to PT for a month which I did faithfully. However, my PT made the comment that he thought something else might be wrong. I went back to that doctor who was annoyed at my return and said it would just take time to heal. So, 2 months later with pain and swelling, I went to another Dr. He X-ray'd my foot but found nothing. He was kind, but also thought it was just a sprain. (Funny though, I never had weakness, just pain and swelling.)

So, I just sucked it up and spent the fall and winter trying to recover. I actually did go skiing in Jan-Feb. as my foot felt safe in the ski boots. That activity helped SO much for me mentally as I am a very active person! Finally this spring (May) I decided it was time to start running. After a week of very slow 2 mile jogs I finally couldn't stand the pain and went to a specialist 1 hour away. She immediately knew what was wrong with my ankle. An X-ray showed clearly an OCD of the talus, lateral. An MRI showed it to be about 1.2 cm, but with intact cartilage. I do have a small cyst that has formed, but not large enough to warrant immediate surgery. The doctor told me about all the controversies surrounding this injury and questions of how to treat it. I don't have any floating particles or such so she said to try this summer 'living with it'

So I guess things can be worse as I've read in your messages. I do have dull pain on a daily basis, can't wear most of my shoes comfortably, can't run or jump at all, and having shooting pains after every hike I do over 2 miles. I bike, but it's not my passion and it gets depressing not doing the things I love. I guess I just need to whine a bit.

So I'm going to see the Dr. for a follow-up next week. Surgery is an option, but I don't want to do something that won't really improve the condition. And arthritis! I'm too young to be thinking about that!! How do you make decisions like this? Ahhhh

Thanks for listening!

Abby