Hi everyone,
Coming back on to update where I am these days.
Surgery was Jan 25, 2016 at HSS with Dr. Kennedy.
So not a whole lot has changed since my last post. It's funny how many great and not-so-great things are true all at the same time, like...
My ankle is definitely a cranky post-surgical ankle that is not the same as it once was.
And yet, I manage to do basicially everything I want to do, day and day out, with very little trouble.
That being said, I have never gotten back to the super active lifestyle I once had. No running or adventure hiking and very little "easy-hiking".
And yet, the last four days I have walked three very hilly miles every day in an attempt to once again regain the walking life I used to have. (I used to do tons of walking/running/hiking and I keep trying to at minimum salvage the "going for regular walks" part (in addition to day-to-day living life walking). So far, it's holding up ok (12/miles in four days) and I intend to do the same three-mile loop again today.
I've been traveling a lot lately and my ankle has been handling airports and travel and walking around towns/cities just fine. Not a ton of walking every day but somtimes 2-3 miles/day of on-my-feet activity with little to no pain.
And yet, every morning my ankle is stiff and cranky and sensitive for about the first 10 minutes of walking. This seems to be my new reality. (Reading my journal above I see in my last post that this got better when I was doing Pilates, which I've stopped doing. Hmm.)
I started a new business a year after surgery and the stress of that, combined with losing my favorite athletic activities, has resulted in a 30-lb weight gain. I'm currently working like mad to get the weight off. In my previous life I had fairly constant intense activity which was always my go-to for remaining strong and as lean as my body will let me be. Reversing weight gain without intense, regular activity is a new thing for me. I've dabbled in Pilates, yoga and CrossFit. I wish I loved them like I loved running and hiking...but I don't.
I haven't had a MRI since 9-mo post op. At that MRI, there was still a defect. I haven't been motivated to get an updated MRI for two reasons: 1) I'm doing "well enough" that I woudn't consider another surgery at this point, and 2.) If/when my ankle deteriorates further, my solution is the ExoSym, not further surgery (until something better comes along...)
the ExoSym is on the agenda for 2019...