...and I've now had a total of 10 surgeries in my life. So, I figure since I've run out of fingers to count my surgery list on, that this has to be the last surgery in my life! Seriously, I don't think I can mentally handle another surgery for a long, long time! I love to work in surgery, but I really, really hate having it. Being a expert in having surgery isn't the type of expert I want to be. I'll leave that to Travis Pastrana.
(checking out this Thank You picture to Dr Porter's in his office from some football player)
As some of you may know I have been having excruciating shooting nerve pain going down the medial side of my ankle bone for about 10 weeks now.
Along with this "mass" poking out of my skin. Dr thought this was the result of a reaction to an internal suture knot being inflammed and that the swelling was irritating the nerve. We hoped the knot would absorb eventually and the nerve would settle back down. So after "watching" this for several weeks, it was getting worse. So after communicating with Dr Porter, he was kind enough to see me in his off hours to take another look at it. Long story short... the appointment ended in a trip to surgery Friday.
(getting an ankle block before surgery... yes that needle went into my ankle)
As it turns out the mass that was forming was not a suture knot but rather an abscess/ granuloma from where the previous surgeon had placed the old tendon graft up against the nerve. So Dr Porter cut all that bad mojo out and put me back together again. Not anywhere near as major as the other surgeries, but it will require a little recovery time and me "taking it easy." Basically, I have a incision line in the bend of my ankle and that puts it at high risk for ripping open if I am not careful. As a precaution I am back in the cast for 10 days so it can heal up nicely and I can move on.
The best news is that I can continue to ride in this time. Just not as long as I would like. Fortunately, when a pedal stroke is done correctly, it doesn't require too much flexing and extending of the foot, so that means low stress on the sutures. Bonus! Except that the position is vertical and causes swelling, inflammation and all that bad stuff. Oh my!
And not to mention a fair amount of pain again. My weekend of riding has me understanding the consequence of getting anxious to ride in the nice weather on a freshly cut ankle. It does hurt, and I do think I get stupider at times. Every little vibration and bump felt like a knife cutting me open. Why do it? Well, because I refuse to let this totalfrackingshietsandwhich slow me down!
The other good news is that Don has me scheduled for a "rest week" this week with only 7 hours of training, so the timing fell as good as could be expected.
I'm really, really trying hard to find some good points about what's been happening to me physically here. I have to say, I really try to keep positive about this, but at this point I've just about had it and I would have to think something would have to start going my way. I mean seriously? Please make it stop!
(Look. More dressing change pictures! How many stitches is that now? I really don't count anymore.)
As my Dad was coming home with me from surgery on Friday; he asked me if my body ever told me it was tired of being cut on....
Frack yes! Good thing I didn't loss any fingers though, I need them to count the amount of times my body told me it was tired of it.
Make that 10 to be exact!
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