Saturday, May 15, 2010

Fubar ankle

I have a couple additional images to post. I figured I would do my readers a favor by posting on the weekend, so you don't unexpectedly view these at work in the morning and toss your breakfast bagel.  I finally could bear to look at the pre-op photos Cathy took with her cell phone. I have messaging blocked on our cell phones (way too much unsolicited junk), so I had to get the block removed before I could email the photos to myself. I hate how these tech companies hold your own personal data hostage, and you have to pay extra to do anything with it. It should be as simple as USB download.

This first photo is hard to understand what you are looking at. I am lying on my back, legs slightly spread, both held the same way with knee caps pointing straight up. Yet my left foot grotesquely flops over to the side.  The medial malleolus is fractured and nearly perforates the skin in the center of the image. This the prominent bump on the inside of your ankle. I believe the orthopedist put the X's on my body for the x-ray tech. The X shown is on top center of my foot.

Side view of left leg, X marks top of foot,
where it should never ever be relative to leg.

This next photo is easier to figure out. It shows the magnitude of displacement in the ankle joint. My foot should be point straight up off the bottom of my leg. Instead, it flops over, displaced by almost the diamter of my leg at the ankle.  These photos were taken just before the doctor restored some structure to the joint, which exceeded the next most painful thing I've experienced in 47 years by a factor of 1000.

Looking down left leg.

My level of pain has made a marked improvement Saturday.  This means I can now let my leg hang down for several minutes without it immediately swelling up and throbbing. I can also find more leg positions in which I am semi-comfortable. Six days of healing brought me this much progress. Doesn't seem like much.  I have no reference to know if this is typical or what. I get a detailed scoop when I visit the orthopedist on Monday. The good news is I've thus far avoid infection and excessive swelling that would have necessitated going back to the hospital. Six days straight now without going above 50bpm. I'm starting to go stir crazy.  I did order a Concept2 SkiErg. It should arrive early next week. I hope I get approval to start working out with it right away. No doubt an elevated heart rate will cause my leg to throb some, but if I continue to improve at the rate today for a few more days, I think I will be ready.

Regarding the Italian trip, Brett fully committed to going without me. Looks like they began digging out Passo Stelvio too. The photos he'll send back are sure to kill me. There was another snag in us going, one that provided an additional challenge to Brett but was a huge score for me. Workers for British Air are going on strike next week, and half the flights through Heathrow have been cancelled, including ours. I was able to secure a full refund. Brett had to rebook on multiple other airlines to salvage the trip. Brett and I have not found my replacement. Thomson Tours is working on this too. They will work with me on some level of refund or applying the fee to a trip next year.

Thanks for reading, and be careful out there folks.

11 comments:

Dave said...

Those pics remimd me why I dismount and walk on stuff other guys will ride.

Jonny Bold said...

Thanks for keeping us updated Dougie. Displacements are just that....grotesque, but those "after x-rays" look real good.

I had my most greusome injury while downhill skiing when a high speed crash severely dislocated my wrist. The hand was out in left field in relation to my arm, but it went back together and I have full use of it. I'm sure you will to.

Great news on the full refund!

I raced Waterville TT today, where Fast Fred Thomas mopped the floor with me after I went faster than I did 2 years ago on a slightly longer course. Then Tim Mitchell (ccb) beat him, but he doesn't count cuz he's too young.

I hope your progress continues like this. Let your body heal, it will thank you later...

Big Bikes said...

OK, you beat me in the ankle breaking contest. My ankle never looked like that after any of the breaks I had.

I'm not about to go out there and try to one up you either.

Heal up.

-t

Anonymous said...

Be careful when you do raise your heart rate.
All that swelling and inflammation are going to be tough to bear. If you do to much too soon you're going to feel your pedal pulse.It will not be a fun event. It will reverb around like thunderstorm in a canyon.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorsalis_pedis_artery

rick is! said...

so, for at least one person the volocano eruption is a good thing.

good luck healing up.

Jacked Up Old Man said...

Get going.
Am missing Whiteface due to Obama needing me in the general Middle East Region.
Although on Sat with horrendous weather
Tackled Whiteface with 5 Consecutive times up the toll road. A little over 7 hr.
Next Morning hit it one last time before retreating to Rochester.
No biking for close to 3 months now and not even winter.
if some one from your club wants to buy paddle erclina I have one I would sell

Judson Cake said...

Thanks for sharing all that.

Your hill climb website is how I got into biking again after 10 years of running and it's great to see you still keeping us updated during a time of injury where most people don't want anything to do with the passion they have to put aside for a couple of months.

Judson Cake

solobreak said...

Does all that hardware stay in there for good, or do you need surgery later to take it out?

Tell your troopers the west side of Middlebury gap is all being totally reconstructed. They have torn all the pavement out over a stretch of several miles. It's fine to ride on, but during the week I think construction crews and the trucks that go with it would make it miserable. No work on the weekend though.

You would have crushed Rutledge on those climbs...

Hill Junkie said...

I hope to post update tonight. Had my first follow-up visit yesterday. 18 staples came out. Got put in air cast. New cast holds joint differently and I had rough night last night. Good news is I likely do not have any serious soft tissue damage. Bad news is recovery process will take 3-4 months. I should be out of cast in 10 weeks.

I asked about permanancy of titanium hardware. Doc said he intends to leave it, but when I asked if tight XC ski boots will give me any grief, he said maybe, and we'll have to play it by ear. I could see maybe the two pins in fibula coming out.

RSorenson said...

Doug,
Rick Sorenson here. You and I had a little breakaway last year at Sunapee. With the race coming up again, I checked your blog to see what you were up to
and EGAD. Horrors. What a story. The good news is you are extraordinarily analytical and dedicated. If anyone can figure out the fastest and best way to get healthy and back on the bike ASAP it is you. Good luck my friend.

Anonymous said...

Dude get better soon !! looks like even something like this wont keep you down..good to see you working out in the home gym...See you on a hill soon .. Gerry