Monday, July 11, 2011

Surgery Was a Huge Success!!!

Well it has taken a couple days for the effects of the anesthesia to wear off, so I figured I had better wait to blog about how the surgery went until now.  I am my fathers daughter when it comes to how much I am effected by the drugs they give you to put you under.  I text messaged my college coach today to tell him how the surgery went, which he then informed me I had already called him right after surgery.  Oops :)

Anyway the operation on my ankle went better than I could have imagined!!! As I was slipping off into the world of blackness on the operating table, I still had no idea what my timeline for healing was going to be.  Dr. Jarrett, the surgeon who had done my last surgery, decided to go in with a scope to clean out any loose bodies and shave off bone spurs if they showed themselves.  He was not certain how the condition of the cartilage in the joint would be, and prepared me for worst case scenario.  We already knew I had some disruption of the cartilage, but the extent was uncertain.  If there were any bald spots on the bone, Dr Jarrett was going to create a small micro-fracture in hopes of making new cartilage.  This would be at least a 4-6 month recovery until I would be back 100%. (Like I said worse case scenario.)

But as I started coming to in the recovery room, I was immediately informed that no micro-fracture was done!!!!!!!! I started cheering!!! The doctor came back in to explain to me what he had done in the procedure, and why I had been is so much pain when I sprinted.  He said that I had a curved bone spur off the bottom of my Tibia that gouged into my Talus every time I went into dorsi-flection.  Believe me, it was as painful as it sounds.

With the multiple bone spurs, loose bodies, and more taken out of my ankle, the doctor was VERY confident that he had addressed the main problem.  He made sure to explain that with the state my ankle is in, I would never be without a little pain.  Which is fine by me, no pain no gain right? :) As long as it is not as severe as these past 4 months.

Ok so now onto the recovery.  I am non-weight bearing for 4 weeks, with 2 of those weeks being pretty much bed ridden.  Then after the 4 weeks my comeback to 100% is exponential! The laying around is not ideal for an athlete, but I have not and WILL not complain.  This is nothing compared to what I was mentally preparing my self for with a 4 month recovery.  I am loving the time with my family, and getting to appreciate the most beautiful season of the year in Montana!!!