My new bionic lower leg. This sucker costs $377.80 and doesn't even include stealth rubber on the bottom.
Day 3 after the accident. Discoloration didn't really start until late in day 2. Super stiff, very swollen with little definition.
Day 4 after the accident. Discoloration is looking sweeter. Swelling unchanged from severe. Very painful in the morning when the blood rushes back into the foot.
Day 4 after the accident. The outside of the heel is showing a good bit of discoloration too. The scrapes on my ankles are unrelated (from climbing off-width a couple weeks ago).
Day 5. Doesn't look to have changed much since day 4.
Day 5, outside of ankle. Super cankle!
Day 6. The wrinkles on my upper ankle are from the ice pack I've been using. It's an interesting phenomenon in that the upper ankle/lower leg feels "gelatinous" and any pressure leaves a short-lived imprint in the skin. Sorta like jelly or something.
Day 6, outside of ankle. Still a serious cankle.
Day 8 (I missed day 7). 9/4/2009 in Leadville for Bill, Tom and Homie's Nolans 14 attempt. Still very swollen but the discoloration around the heel on both sides is receding. I've been pretty strict with rubbing on an arnica gel along with a healing salve made by our friend Stephanie. I think that's doing something.
Day 8, outside of cankle. Still super swollen and tough to walk for the first few steps, then gets a lot easier. Going uphill is the most painful.
Day 10, 9/6/09. The discoloration around the heel is all but gone now on both sides. Walking is a lot easier but the first few steps are still tough until the ankle gets used to it. Swelling has receded a fair bit but is still pretty significant. I spent two hours at Mount Princeton Hot Springs yesterday alternating 10 minutes each in the river and then in the hot springs water and stretching it. I think that was very therapeutic. My left knee, however, is now the focus of my fear. Pretty sure I've torn the meniscus. I will find out Tuesday at Taos ortho.
Day 11, 9/7/09. Serious improvement seen today. I can now see the tendons across the top of my foot going to my toes and the ankle bones, especially on the outside, are defined again. There's a knot and area of inflammation on my upper achilles tendon area which is still quite sore and the focus of my attention. Still using the arnica-based gel and healing salve a few times daily.
Day 11, 9/7/09, inside of foot. Really excited about the lack of swelling on top of the foot and around the ankle bones. I went to the Dungeon with Allison and Nate today and was able to TR the route Against Nature with only one take. I really didn't use my left leg as much as I would like but still...also I soaked my foot in a deeper pool in the stream there for a total of 20 minutes which was very good for it.
Thanks to Minesh, Laura and Drew Monkey, I have my own personal reserved parking at home.
Day 12, 9/8/09. Still very swollen around the ankle and achilles but feeling a bit looser and less sore while walking.
Day 12, 9/8/09. Went to the Taos Ortho office today and didn't get my ankle looked at but had an MRI on my knee done and discovered, not surprisingly, that my medial meniscus has a decent tear in it. Surgery is imminent. But the good news is my knee ligaments all look good and strong. I've had my meniscus cleaned up in my right knee back in 1993 so I know what to expect. As Ryan said, at least I'll have matching knees now.
Day 16. 9/12/09. Still tender, sore and swollen around the achilles and inside of ankle but feeling quite a bit better. I start physical therapy in 10 days to start working on getting the side to side and circular range of motion back.
Day 16, 9/12/09. Outside of ankle looks almost normal. Still just a bit puffy across the top of the foot too but not bad.
The bigger issue that I found out about a few days ago from an MRI in Taos was this...a bucket handle tear in the medial meniscus of my left knee. I go in on Tuesday, 9/15, for surgery on this. Next photo points out the tear for those of you that don't read MRIs very often...
The white line going through that black "triangle" is the tear in the meniscus. Dr. Lubowitz will go in arthroscopically and assess the situation. If there's a chance it can be repaired, he'll stitch the tear. Most likely, though, he'll just clean up the torn part and I lose that part of meniscus forever. Recovery time for cleanup is about 4 weeks. If repaired it'll be 6 to 8 weeks but I get to keep some precious meniscus.
Day 18, 9/14/09. Seeing some, not much, definition around the achilles. Top of foot looks almost normal. Super sore around the ankle on the inside and outside still. Stability for up/down motions is great but still extremely weak and sore going side to side.
Day 18, 9/14/09. Still has that cankle look eh? Hiked into the Dungeon the other day and stepped on a very small rock sideways and boy did that hurt! Rolling the ankle towards the outside, even for just a small bit, is rough.
9/15/09. Got my left knee scoped by Dr. Lubowitz in Taos. Prognosis was awesome. ACL is intact and the tear in the medial meniscus was smaller than expected and thus less meniscus had to be removed. Operation was quick and I'm feeling good at home now. Crutches for two days and then I need to start bending it as much as I can tolerate. I start PT next week for both ankle and knee.
9/15/09. My knee all wapped up and getting some Breg Polar Care 300 lovin'. Icing and elevating for two days while on crutches and then start walking but continuing with the icing three times a day.
One of the holes in my knee the day after surgery, 9/16.
The other hole, 9/16. Stitches will be removed on 9/29. Knee has been feeling very good. Never painful at all and just swollen. I can bend it a little past 90 degrees now but the fluid in there keeps it from bending more. Still icing it heavily with the Breg.
