17 months along since the original sprain injury……….. I am coming to the end of my 1st year at professional dance college and my right ankle is weak , not stable and I am actually scared to dance fully on it. I feel it swelling after a long day at college, and I am icing it regularly.
Pointe work has never been my strong point ...... I have always had a fear of it ever since spraining my ankle. The pain I experienced was horrible and I am scared that a similar thing will happen again when wearing my pointe shoes.
The last term in my 1st year I went over my ankle a numerous of times in ballet,jazz mainly when jumping.
I knew something wasn’t right and the pain was really bad especially when I went over it , it was a pain that shot right through my body and made me immediately cry due to pain and the instant shock of it.
Thanks to health insurance !!
In 3 weeks approx. I have been recommended by my physio Angela Coia to see a orthopedic surgeon. Mr Deol at Spire Harpenden sent me for xrays and a MRI scan .
1st consultation with Mr Deol
Waiting nervously in the waiting room with my mum and dad, having no idea what the surgeon is going to find and say.
He asks me many questions, looks at my normal walking routine, how I rise onto demi pointe (stand up on my toes, for those not familiar with dance terms). Asks me to try and click my ankle which I find very easy!
He spoke about ligament damage and said he thought it would possibly be my 'ATFL' ligament. I was so surprised within 5 minutes of me being in the room with him , he seemed pretty sure what I had done already!
My physio had recommended a surgeon in London but after meeting 'Mr Deol' I felt very happy with him and confident to let him do my surgery . He was very welcoming explained all the possible surgery and made me feel very relaxed.
I had an xray on my ANKLE……….. everything looked normal.
He explained the 2 operations which could be done.
Arthroscopy (key hole surgery) , gets rid of toxic fluids, scar tissue, basically a clean up
- My dad has had this on his knee, and he was in and out of the hospital , back to work the next day ! sounds good !
Brostrom (re-constructive surgery of ligaments / open surgery)
other words …
very long recovery time
I have never been too good with hospitals… I thinks its actually the fear of the unknown ( I previously had my ingrowing toenails removed and it was no way near as bad as I thought it would be that was 4-6 injections in each toe!) so I suppose that was a good stepping stone to whatever the decision was going to be from Mr Deol .
Meanwhile … my dad is asking gory questions ‘when you cut the ankle open’ …bla bla bla , I cant listen.
Im actually in shock at this point when he brings up bostrum although my physio mentioned it to me a few days before I really didn’t think it could be that serious.
I return to college on emergency timetable (not much dancing, but still doing singing,acting,pilates)
1st MRI experience
I didn't actually have to even go all the way in the machine just my foot and I found that bad! Soooooo noisy , when people told me it sounds like road works it really really does !
Straight after the MRI scan I received a cd with all the images on so went home and was trying to work it out with my mum what was wrong. I think I thought Id be able to search on google what the MRI photos showed , but it wasn't as easy as that. Was the longest few days waiting what the outcome was going to be.
Back to the hospital for the MRI results……………..
Couldn’t eat
felt ill
scared
upset
expecting the worse.
Waiting in the waiting room was driving me crazy I was pacing up and down the surgery waiting room hoping any minute he would come and call me.
He reads to himself the letter from the MRI scan results, he says ‘oooo very interesting’ WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?! WHATS INTERESTING?! TELL ME NOW!!!!!!
He gets the pictures up of the scan and explains the results. I am thinking ‘BOSTRUM OR ARTHROSCOPY , ATHROSCOPY OR BOSTRUM’ TELL ME NOW!!!
We need to do another xray he says... I say confused ‘ I had one last week on my foot, he replied ‘you had one on your ankle YES but not on your FOOT.’
confused why ….. I walk to the xray room and wait for the xray. Crying to mum with frustration I just want to find out what I am getting . Mum explains that its good he is so specific and careful with what operation/surgery they are going to do.
return after the xray ….. Surgeon tells me I needed to have another scan to check the pain I am getting is coming from my damaged LIGAMENTS and not bones which are ‘colliding’ (too close together). Cant see any sign of ‘collision’.
I stupidly told myself that morning ‘I cant be getting bostrum surgery if I can walk on my ankle pretty comfortably
Brostrom is what Mr Deol reccomended
Your getting brostrom....
Below is a really great video which shows very clearly the operation I will be receiving.
Pointe work has never been my strong point ...... I have always had a fear of it ever since spraining my ankle. The pain I experienced was horrible and I am scared that a similar thing will happen again when wearing my pointe shoes.
The last term in my 1st year I went over my ankle a numerous of times in ballet,jazz mainly when jumping.
I knew something wasn’t right and the pain was really bad especially when I went over it , it was a pain that shot right through my body and made me immediately cry due to pain and the instant shock of it.
Thanks to health insurance !!
In 3 weeks approx. I have been recommended by my physio Angela Coia to see a orthopedic surgeon. Mr Deol at Spire Harpenden sent me for xrays and a MRI scan .
1st consultation with Mr Deol
Waiting nervously in the waiting room with my mum and dad, having no idea what the surgeon is going to find and say.
He asks me many questions, looks at my normal walking routine, how I rise onto demi pointe (stand up on my toes, for those not familiar with dance terms). Asks me to try and click my ankle which I find very easy!
He spoke about ligament damage and said he thought it would possibly be my 'ATFL' ligament. I was so surprised within 5 minutes of me being in the room with him , he seemed pretty sure what I had done already!
My physio had recommended a surgeon in London but after meeting 'Mr Deol' I felt very happy with him and confident to let him do my surgery . He was very welcoming explained all the possible surgery and made me feel very relaxed.
I had an xray on my ANKLE……….. everything looked normal.
He explained the 2 operations which could be done.
Arthroscopy (key hole surgery) , gets rid of toxic fluids, scar tissue, basically a clean up
- My dad has had this on his knee, and he was in and out of the hospital , back to work the next day ! sounds good !
Brostrom (re-constructive surgery of ligaments / open surgery)
other words …
very long recovery time
I have never been too good with hospitals… I thinks its actually the fear of the unknown ( I previously had my ingrowing toenails removed and it was no way near as bad as I thought it would be that was 4-6 injections in each toe!) so I suppose that was a good stepping stone to whatever the decision was going to be from Mr Deol .
Meanwhile … my dad is asking gory questions ‘when you cut the ankle open’ …bla bla bla , I cant listen.
Im actually in shock at this point when he brings up bostrum although my physio mentioned it to me a few days before I really didn’t think it could be that serious.
I return to college on emergency timetable (not much dancing, but still doing singing,acting,pilates)
1st MRI experience
I didn't actually have to even go all the way in the machine just my foot and I found that bad! Soooooo noisy , when people told me it sounds like road works it really really does !
Straight after the MRI scan I received a cd with all the images on so went home and was trying to work it out with my mum what was wrong. I think I thought Id be able to search on google what the MRI photos showed , but it wasn't as easy as that. Was the longest few days waiting what the outcome was going to be.
Back to the hospital for the MRI results……………..
Couldn’t eat
felt ill
scared
upset
expecting the worse.
Waiting in the waiting room was driving me crazy I was pacing up and down the surgery waiting room hoping any minute he would come and call me.
He reads to himself the letter from the MRI scan results, he says ‘oooo very interesting’ WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?! WHATS INTERESTING?! TELL ME NOW!!!!!!
He gets the pictures up of the scan and explains the results. I am thinking ‘BOSTRUM OR ARTHROSCOPY , ATHROSCOPY OR BOSTRUM’ TELL ME NOW!!!
We need to do another xray he says... I say confused ‘ I had one last week on my foot, he replied ‘you had one on your ankle YES but not on your FOOT.’
confused why ….. I walk to the xray room and wait for the xray. Crying to mum with frustration I just want to find out what I am getting . Mum explains that its good he is so specific and careful with what operation/surgery they are going to do.
return after the xray ….. Surgeon tells me I needed to have another scan to check the pain I am getting is coming from my damaged LIGAMENTS and not bones which are ‘colliding’ (too close together). Cant see any sign of ‘collision’.
I stupidly told myself that morning ‘I cant be getting bostrum surgery if I can walk on my ankle pretty comfortably
Brostrom is what Mr Deol reccomended
Your getting brostrom....
Below is a really great video which shows very clearly the operation I will be receiving.