I’m being fused!

I had a bone scan two days ago to see what’s happening in my ankle. I went to the radiologists and they did an initial X-ray and put a radioactive dye into my vein. Then I went away for an hour and came back for the in-depth xrays. I spent about five to ten minutes on my back getting frontal xrays and about five to ten minutes on my side so they could get side views. I entertained myself on my phone while it was being done. Then I was moved into the CT scanner for the final fifteen minutes.
That was it and I went off on my merry way.

I’ve been wearing a moonboot so I can work. There’s no sneaking up on anyone with one of those on. There’s no just popping out in the car when you have a moonboot. You need to have time and space to put it on when you arrive somewhere and repeat when you want to get back in the car. I park my car at a parking area near work and then take a bus to work. Sometimes I arrive and park just as a bus is arriving so I often leap on the bus, moonboot in hand, and put it on during the bus ride. It does provide some comfort, only a twinge of pain rather than a full onslaught.

I saw my surgeon this morning and found out that my ankle is riddled with arthritis. It showed up as huge hot spots on my X-ray. It’s just the talus, I think but the tibia is a bit malformed. It means I’m not a candidate for ankle replacement but she says I’m more likely to be able to run with this than with a replacement because only the two bones will be fused and I should have enough sideways and up and down motion to run in my already idiosyncratic way.

So my arthrodesis is booked in nine days. I’m going to have to figure out work. I’m planning to take two weeks off, which because I work shifts is only eight or nine days off actual work. Then I hope I can go back using my trusty knee crutch.

It’s been waiting at the top of the wardrobe for just such an occasion. It’s so much easier than a knee scooter. It all depends on pain and the surgeon’s go ahead. It also depends on whether I can work hours that fit in with the bus and train timetables so I can actually get there since driving is out, since I live in a left hand drive country. 

I’m looking forward to being pain free down the track. I have resigned myself to this being my only option and I’ll just have to make it work. If I do all my rehab right then there is no reason it shouldn’t fuse and be tough enough!