Hello - Ankle OA here!

aprocter
aprocter Member Posts: 5
edited 26. Jun 2009, 14:31 in Say Hello Archive
Hiya,

New here and only got time to post as I'm off work partly due to my ankle OA flaring up.

I have severe OA in my right ankle which is due to having had something like polio in that leg when I was 2 which has left it weak and deformed. I've had a lot of surgery over the recent years to try and help correct the deformity and give some relief from the OA pain but its getting worse. This probably wasn't helped by falling off a horse and breaking that leg again in 2007!

I like to be active, but the pain is really limiting my life at the moment. I've had several steroid injections into the joint which have worked but the last one only lasted a few weeks. It did serve to remind me how much pain I'm in though and how much better life is when its almost gone for a short time.

I tried for DLA a few years ago but was turned down and I think as a result also had my blue badge turned down when I needed to re apply. This has been a real pain as although I can walk it is often very painful.

I was recently referred to a chronic fatigue clinic by my GP. Fortunatley the assessor says I haven't got that just fatigue and stress brought on by chronic pain.

I'm now struggling at work (NHS) and I'm hoping that I can see if I can get some time working from home. The trouble I find is I do keep active. I cycle into work (this helps the arthritis loads) and I have a horse (I pay someone to do all the heavy work). So I always feel awkward when I say I'm struggling.

Medically my only option is ankle fusion, but due to all the surgery I've had recently I'm not ready to go down that route yet. Have a clinic appointment in a couple of weeks so may see if I can persuade them to try debridement as I had some relief from that in the past. The joint space is so small I'm not sure its now an option tho.

Andrea

Comments

  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Andrea,

    Welcome to the site, they are a nice lot here and I hope you find it very useful.

    On the living with forum there was a thread about ankles and surgery, if you go trawling it may be of help to you. Hey maybe you could start a thread on the living forum?

    I hope your doctors will come up with some ideas and I know what you mean about doing stuff and feeling bad about saying your struggling but I think we all do struggle sometimes. take care, Cris