Saturday 4 May 2013

Injury update #2

Forgive me if I'm boring everyone with my injury updates but I figured it may be useful to others if they experience something similar.

If you're still with me...next instalment:

I returned to my second home Frimley Park hospital, for an appointment at the fracture clinic.
My second home at the moment
After the obligatory wait of around 45 minutes, I was finally seen by one of the consultants. After some pushing and pulling, I don't think this chap was any the wiser to what was happening with my ankle so he called his boss man in.

Again more pushing and pulling, but interestingly not much pain while this was going on. The big boss man then done, what must be his party trick...'the squeeze test'. He put his hand around my shin bone further up my leg and...squeezed! For the first time today I felt pain and a shooting sensation done to my ankle.

While the first chap was seeing me, big boss man had been looking at my X-ray from last Monday and had decided that what appeared to be the chipped piece of bone (see last post) was actually new bone that 7 weeks on had formed to heal the injury.

After the squeeze test, he now had a better picture, and possible damage to the point where the top of the ankle meets the interosseous membrane (a ligament which runs between the tibia and fibula, the two main bones in the lower leg).

It's possible that the bones have been pushed apart at this point.

Time for a few more X-rays on the ankle, the lower leg and the knee and some more blasts of radiation. I think the girl in the X-ray room today was the work experience girl that took my original X-ray all those weeks ago and who took the mystery photo that showed no damage to my ankle!

Not my real X-ray!
After returning back to the consultants and they had looked at my X-rays, they decided that the next step would be booking me in for a MRI scan and send me on to the foot and ankle specialist. The MRI scan would give a lot clearer picture of the ligament damage and the full picture of the injury.

Forgive me all you professionals out there if I've got any medical facts and names wrong. I think that's roughly what went on today.




The good news that came out of today is that I can carry on cycling and try some swimming, basically if it doesn't hurt I can do it. Sadly running hurts!

Until the next instalment, enjoy the sun and the long weekend and make sure you appreciate every run you do. I know I will WHEN I return.





5 comments:

  1. Hang in there Ian. The MRI will definitely give the doctors more information to work with. Right now they are in the "gathering/process of elimination mode" of what is going on beneath the surface of the skin. It can be frustrating until they get it all sorted out... Try to keep in mind that what the "specialist" see is their own interpretation of the images taken (MRI/Xray). If your first doctor recommends surgery, it's always wise to get a second opinion before going under the knife. In the mean time, like you said, keep moving whether it's biking or swimming... hey a triathlon may be in your future :-) also gotta add that we busted out laughing..."the big boss man" "party trick" hahaha! We always enjoy reading your blog. Hang in there!

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  2. Yes,with all this cross training, triathlon may be the future...as long as the big boss man lets me :-)

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  3. Best of luck with the healing, I know how injuries like this can be a right pain.

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  4. Thanks Jess, yes seems to be taking an age for this injury to heal. Staying positive :-)

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