Knees and Toes

Head, shoulder, knees and toes!
Head, shoulder, knees and toes!

Sit back while I tell you all a story. The story of my knees and toes (well one knee and an ankle in particular.) Grab a cup of coffee, you’re gonna be here a while!

It all began during a gym class in 7th grade. It all began when running around a stupid grass all-purpose field was gym class. The first time I sprained my ankle was in 7th grade gym class running those awful laps around that awful field. I tripped on a tree root, got my foot stuck and fell on my knee.
I spent most of my remaining school years avoiding running. I occasionally played a sport but for the most part a steady stream of ankle sprains and knee issues kept me sidelined! I was a band geek so the sidelines were ok by me!
Fast forward about abajillion years and it is August of 2011 and I was training to run/walk my second half marathon.
I went from ankle and knee issues to run/walking a half marathon. I thought I was in the clear. I was one week away from my 2nd half marathon when I tweaked my knee. Oh, it hurt something fierce but I braved it and finished my 10 miles. Two days later, I made an appointment with my orthopedic doctor. He sent me for an MRI. The MRI showed chronic patella arthritis with bone-on-bone action. My knee cap sits very off-kilter and it was causing a lack of muscle development.
I went to PT (physical therapy) with low expectations! I had been there before with little to no results. I met the best PT doc ever and learned a few things. Basically, I am unbalanced. Its basically a “hipbone’s connected to the knee bone’s connected to the ankle bone” sort of thing. I am built “funny” and I’m biomechanically unbalanced. If you look at my legs, you can see the right calf is visibly smaller than the left. It the right knee and ankle I have always had problems with!
I have been going to PT three times a week and let me tell you, its not the easiest to swing financially. I am so lucky I have good health insurance – I could not afford to spend more than I am right now (honestly, even that’s a stretch) so I am glad I have the benefits I have! I am finally getting somewhere. I am making progress. Definitely time and money well spent! I was making progress!
Until, I was taken down my a pretty red rubber ball with a bell inside it! Lucy’s favorite toy took me out! I rolled and sprained the hell out of my ankle. I was told a few years ago the ligaments in my ankle are basically trashed. The ortho doc wanted to surgically repair the ankle ligaments a few years ago. But I started losing weight and walking and by the time it came to schedule surgery, I didn’t want it.
I was feeling better and stronger! I was walking all the time. It was soon after I started running. Then I finished a half marathon without much issue from my ankle. I have had a few knee issues and I have seen the ortho doc but not in last two years. I was so sure I had beaten the odds. I was so sure all my clumsy, ankle sprains and knee pain were behind me!
Ok, so the knee was tweaked and I was rehabbing nicely! And now the ankle is all screwed up! Back to the ortho I went!
Yesterday, I took my pretty purpley ankle in to see the doc and the news more than I expected. Its time for me to consider the ankle surgery to repair the ligaments. But, doc wants to work on the knee at the same time. There are actually two procedures for the knee – one on either side of my knee cap. Since problem knee and ankle are same leg, I can have both surgeries at the same time. Recovery will require about 6 weeks at home and me mostly lounging on the couch. They serious rehabbing.
I have 3 weeks of PT and then back to ortho doc to schedule surgery. I am looking at the 2nd week in November to have ankle and knee surgery.

So there you have it! The story of my bum knee and sad ankle!