Ankle Report

My injured ankle is improving ever-so-slightly each day. The peroneal tendon, which was previously popping in and out of place about 25 to 30 times a day, is only dislocating approximately 10 times a day now. Some websites – my sole (pun not intentional) source of medical information and advice since seeing the doctor on the ship – recommend placing a cast on the ankle for three to four weeks so it can heal properly. Evidently, the ligament holding the tendon in place was stretched, not torn, allowing for this repeated dislodging crap. Dr. Jim feels that the stretched ligament will eventually retighten and hold the tendon correctly in place, although he claims it will "never be the same again." If it does continue to move around, I suppose I will be forced to pay a visit to an orthopedic surgeon, as suggested. In the meantime, I am wearing a lovely ankle brace in my semi-successful attempt to keep the tendon immobile. I must say, however, that this injury is much easier to deal with than those finger stitches I had earlier in the year. Although the ankle occasionally hurts, especially when the tendon is out of joint, at least I can get it wet, can stand on it, and can walk around with barely a limp. I have also learned how to quickly restore the tendon to its correct position, when necessary, with a quick inward & downward snapping twist of my foot. I should actually shoot some video of this, so you can see how disgusting it looks. If nothing else, this has been a valuable experience from an educational standpoint. Jacob has learned a new definition for a word that he assumed only had one meaning – “lame.”