The Disconnect - Post #13

Physio was a bitch. Not the lady running the place. She was a genius. But the toughest thing I had ever done in my life to that point was, without a doubt, beginning to walk again. It took two very difficult years. To this day, now fifteen years later, my left calf muscle is still two inches in diameter smaller than my right. When I first came out of the brace is was almost four! A twig of a thing. And oh so sore. Every time I moved the ankle, even the slightest amount. No weight bearing for months in the beginning. Just working with a large piece of stretchy rubber to provide some resistance to pushing the foot forwards and back. Over and over and over again. For hours a day. Trying to obtain any circular rotation from the joint was next to impossible.

Eventually I was able to move to muscle building weight machines which helped but the joint just couldn't move as it should and any weight bearing was, well un 'bearing' able.

Close to eighteen months passed, when it became evident surgery was likely warranted as we realized we had achieved all we could under present conditions. The shape of the heal bone had been altered from the shattering and the myriad of micro cracks throughout had filled in pushing the bone out in all directions. This made the heel ever so slightly larger than it was originally and therefore impeded the movement in the joint. A referral was made by my physio therapist to the head of the Toronto Western Hospital Orthopedic department for a consultation.

X-rays revealed that things could be improved. Maybe a lot. I was told that he could provide me with three things.
Better mobility and, ultimately, strength when walking up and down stairs and inclines,
2. An increase in my rotational capability of the left / right movement of the ankle and,
3, Less pain in my day to day movement in the ankle.

"Guaranteed"? I says.
"Guaranteed". He says.

The surgery is booked. What they are going to do, essentially involves, what I envision to be, a Black and Decker grinder. The skin around the ankle is to be pulled back, exposing where the heel bone sits in/under the lower left side of the tibia, and the heel bone will be ground down or reshaped if you will, to a slightly smaller size allowing for a freer, unimpeded movement against the tibia. Eliminating or reducing this 'rub' will go a long way to assisting in all three of the areas above. I'm in.

"What's the downside"? I asks.

"Well I need you to sign a waver giving us permission to disconnect your Achilles tendon from your heel if, when we get in there, we find it necessary.

"Whoa"! Says I.