Ankle Surgery January 2019

For those of you wondering, I’ve paused my consultations for a while. I really love doing them but I’m swamped. I am writing a book that should be an easier way for people to get the info they need, for a cheaper price. The Carnivore Diet How-To Guide is coming soon!

Part of the reason I paused the consults is because I am getting ankle surgery January 15th 2019 in Switzerland. I finally found a surgeon who can supposedly fix my problem. My problem is I can’t move my left ankle and it hurts to walk on it. It’s been like this for years and is definitely getting worse. There is nothing I can do about this except surgery. It’s not arthritis, it’s caused by the fake joint. On the bright side, all the other joints in my foot and arthritis free which has surprised everyone.

Turns out the joint was originally installed crooked back in 2009. That explains why I haven’t been able to move my foot properly for almost 10 years… Is my life a black comedy? Sometimes I think yes.

There’s so much bone growth around the joint that the actual bottom part of the fake joint has been shifted over to the left (right in the photo) by almost a 5 mm. That’s pushing my fibula over. No wonder it hurts and can’t move. Yikes.

I’ve been trying to find someone to fix this foot of mine for years. The first surgeon in Toronto I went to see in 2014 (who I had seen for a consult when I was 17) said “I told you, you shouldn’t have replaced it, it should have been fused. I can clean out all the bone but it won’t help”. Okay… as much as that instills faith in me, I think I’ll go elsewhere…

Then I saw someone in the States and he said “the entire joint needs to be removed, we need to saw off different pieces of a bunch of the bones in your foot and cut two tendons and it’s a year healing time also by the time you’re 40 you’re going to be screwed because there won’t be enough bone to do another replacement with once this new one wears out so you might end up with amputation.” Obviously, that was not all said in one breath but it did turn my poor mother a lovely shade of green.

So I went to see a third one and he said, “I can clean out the bone and do an Achilles tendon cut and you have an 80 percent chance of fixing the problem”. 6 weeks healing time. But I didn’t want an Achilles tendon cut (they literally just snip it), because I don’t think that’s the issue. And I actually like my Achilles Tendon how it is.

THEN I went to see the guy who actually designed the joint in Liestal, Switzerland. He tried to move my foot which doesn’t move and said, “Ah dis is not good.” It’s worse than a fusion because not only can I not move it but I’m also in pain.

Then he said it was installed crooked by 7 degrees!!! Which is what it FEELS like. Finally, someone who potentially knows what he’s talking about. He said, “I can go in, replace the crooked part and you’ll be weight bearing in 2 days.” Two days. Not 6 weeks, not a year. I asked about the Achilles tendon cut and he scoffed and said that only Americans do that because they’re surgery happy and that he doesn’t do that. He also said his incision would be much smaller than the one I have because apparently North American surgeons are incision happy. He’s going to attach my fibula and tibia together so they don’t dislocate. I’ll have a scar on the outside of my leg from that. He’s going to remove all the screws as well because apparently, they don’t use screws anymore. I told him I’m allergic to everything and can’t take oral pain medications and he said it shouldn’t hurt that much afterwards. So let’s hope that’s the case.

I’m going with him. So frustrating to get so many different opinions. I mean this is my FOOT we’re talking about it. I’m rather attached to it. I found that last sentence way funnier than I should have.

I’m scheduled in for January 15th. Dad is coming with me to bring me steak for the hospital, haha. He’s also doing a show in Zurich at the same time.

I really hope I can use my foot after this. It’s been 10 years with a crooked ankle replacement and man, I would kill to be able to walk on the beach, and dance. Or walk bare foot even. Or even just to not be in pain. It’s been a long time coming but I have a good feeling about it.