The never ending ankle

[billwmeyer]

Good luck Tommy. Take your time recovering - don't rush it and re-injure yourself.

Bill

[jabe]

Hope all goes well for you Tommy. Wishing you a Speedy Recovery.

[tommyt654]

Well I,m back, And the surgery didn,t happen ,after a lengthy discussion with my surgeon we decided to try a different route. He has never indicated to me any type of therapy other than taking a towel and placing it on the end of my foot and pulling towards my upper torso with it. I was curious as to why therapy was never mentioned and his reply was I never asked. That kinda irritated me as he,s supposed to be a leading Orthopedic surgeon in his field, So we have scheduled a meeting later in the month to talk about other alternatives. I also have been researching the web and have seen other possibilities over the fusion of the ankle which is permanent. I do have a significant amount of movement in the ankle (although painful) and would like to keep that even if I have to medicate for the pain. I really do appreciate all the good lucks and all, but I think I have made the right decision for my future as of now.

[billwmeyer]

I think if he said that "you never asked" to me, I might have tried to put that ankle where a totally different doctor would have to remove it! I am sure you are frustrated even more now! I hope they can help you and get you some pain relief also. Good luck.

Bill

[pelligrini]

I was curious as to why therapy was never mentioned and his reply was I never asked. That kinda irritated me as he,s supposed to be a leading Ortopedic surgeon in his field, So we have scheduled a meeting later in the month to talk about other alternatives.

Wow, I'd sure be scheduling a meeting with another doctor, pronto! Maybe being a surgeon, all he thinks for solutions is cutting.

[tommyt654]

Well I am, getting a second opinion next week regarding therapy, I was really shocked to see that the surgery bill was to amount to over $66,000. I,m cutting the wrong stuff.

[pelligrini]

Did you ask him if you get invited onto the boat that you're making the payments for?

[tommyt654]

Not yet, but I,m gonna

[Pappy]

If he recommended surgery to fuse the ankle, without exploring or discussing other avenues of treatment, I would be looking for a less knife happy doctor.

[Hoover]

You're surprised that the medical bill could be $66,000. Health issues mean more to me than $66.000. Maybe your considerations are misplaced.

[tommyt654]

No my considerations are in the correct place, The past 3 surgerys only amounted to about $14,000 but this one is covered by Medicaid

[steve-norrell]

Been there, done that - - - and it ain't fun. See attached photos.

I had the left ankle fused after the patch job didn't work. Turns out the fusing didn't completely work either and there is still bone-on-bone movement. They can take X-rays with and without ankle flexion to see if there is any movement. In my case, there was movement. I had spend 13 months in a cast or on crutches and walkers.

The options included an another attempt at fusion, but this time using a metal rod that would extend through the heel bone into one of the long bones in the lower leg. I would lose between 3/4 and 1 inch in length. You should be aware that changing the length of one leg can have serious long-term effects on hip and lower back movement.

I now use the plastic brace all the time and it enables me to get about relatively pain free, relatively being the key word. I also have right knee and back problems so the pain medication helps all-around. This combination seems to work for me, at least enough so that I am not ready to go through the surgery and recovery again, although at times the surgery did look like a reasonable option.

I do not think that physical therapy would be particularly helpful for the ankle issues. Been there, done that. On the other hand, PT was VERY helpful for knee and back issues and for maintaining leg muscle tone while the ankle was trying to heal.

Good luck, Steve

[tommyt654]

YIKES, Thats looks terrible, mine pales in comparison. Must have good meds

[steve-norrell]

YIKES, Thats looks terrible, mine pales in comparison. Must have good meds

It actually looks worse than it is, especially now that I am using the the plastic 'bootee'. I broke that ankle in 1998 and the screws and rods lasted about six or seven months; they were removed when the ankle was fused. The fusion was OK for about four years as long as I didn't push it. I have been using the bootee since about 2004, intermittently at first, but constantly now.

One thing you should do, if you are still considering an ankle fusion, is press your doctor for information about failure rates of ankle fusions. I have seen rates as high as 50% for obese folks and up to 10% for normal and skinny folks. Then, go on line and find out for yourself.

Meds (Ultram-ER daily, Mobic as needed, and Tylenol as needed) were prescribed more for back and knee problems and incidentally help with the ankle.

The real help, IMO, is learning what the limits are and acting accordingly. Every once in a while you get a sharp reminder not to push the limits.

Regards, Steve.

[tommyt654]

Thanks Steve, Ultimately I,ll go for the STARS sytem in about 9 yrs, I,m way too active for it now. I,m doing the research and will be speaking with several docs in the near future as my reg. doc sends me to a podiatrist 1st to see about possible shoe options and then we,ll see from there. They have me on Tramadol 50mg which helps me sleep but that is about all. He,s stickler about pain meds(which is fine) I,ve never been into drugs so I,ll see where this goes.,Tommy