Ankle

My right ankle (actually the area just above my right ankle, on the inside of my leg) has been bothering me for years. I don’t think that I ever injured it, at least there isn’t anything specific that brought on the pain. The pain isn’t severe, so I’ve mostly just ignored it. But it has kept me from running past about 4 miles. The pain generally occurs when I run or if I walk all day (like Disneyland).

Since I’m focusing on my health this year, and filling my life with dr appointments anyway, I finally decided to deal with this problem. I went to an orthopedic surgeon who suggested that I start with wearing a brace and physical therapy. If physical therapy helped, we would know that it was likely just tendonitis of some sort. Since I was going to physical therapy for my arms and chest anyway (post mastectomy), this seemed like a great option. I went weekly for about 8 weeks, and did the home exercises quite religiously. My arms range of motion and chest muscle strength were greatly improved by PT. I’m SO glad! But my ankle didn’t improve. I think it has actually gotten worse.

So, I went to see a sports medicine doctor. He was very informative and helpful, but opened up a whole can of worms. He said that we have to go through all the possibilities of what could be wrong (which is a lengthy list-below), and do tests to eliminate each possibility. He called my condition “exertional” leg pain, meaning it happens when I’m exerting myself/exercising.

-Muscles- Compartment Syndrome, muscle strain, chronic fibrosis

-Tendons- tendon strain, chronic degeneration tendonosis

-Bones- stress related reaction or fracture

-Arteries- popliteal artery entrapment

-Nerves- nerve entrapment: muscle (peripheral) or spine

-Mechanical- the way I move/run could be misaligned

The first 3 possibilities (muscles, tendons, bones) need an MRI to examine. We decided that this would be the best place to start. I really hope that we find something in the MRI. I just want an answer! Then we can talk about solutions. Problem is, I can’t have an MRI because I have magnets in my chest expanders. Going into an MRI would literally rip the expanders from my body (or at least the machine would try to). That is obviously not a good plan. So, I have to wait until after I have my exchange surgery (September 12). The expanders will be removed and the permanent implants won’t have metal or magnets. The MRI was ordered in July. I’m frustrated with the delay, but I have no choice.

I plan to have the MRI a week or two after my exchange surgery. That will give me October, November, and December before my insurance kicks into a new year. I’ve met my out of pocket max this year, so I’m hoping to fix the ankle this calendar year. I’m sick of medical bills! If the MRI shows that muscles, tendons, and bones all seem fine, we will move on to a pressure test. This tests for Compartment Syndrome. It’s an invasive, painful test, so I’m hoping I don’t have to do it. They basically stick needles into the four muscle compartments of your lower leg and test the pressure. Then they have you run on a treadmill until you’re in as much pain as you can be. Then they stick the needles in again and retest the pressure. If the pressure increases a lot (because of your exertion), then they know it’s a pressure issue. Surgery is necessary to fix this issue.

The next thing to test is arteries and nerves. I will be referred to separate specialists, if we get that far. Lastly, if we still can’t find anything wrong, I go to the exercise lab and run while being observed. They assess how my alignment and movement it. And find ways I need to change my movement. They said that this is not usually the problem, which is why they do this test last.

And that’s about it! Here’s hoping that I have some answers by the end of the year. I would love to run without pain.