This time was different and I managed to shatter my right ankle as I hit the ground. Within 24 hours, I'd seen the white light, had surgery, was put back together with 8 pins and a metal plate, and told to stay off of that leg entirely for three months. For an additional three months, I used crutches while I learned to put weight on the right ankle and get it functioning again.
Three years later after healing and hobbling around, I was still hobbling but released by the surgeon with a final diagnosis of "You've got mechanical arthritis. There's nothing left for me to do. Go to your General Pratitioner for pain medication." Fun. It sounded like a lifetime sentence and I guess it could have been. My general practitioner provided pain medication which helped but there's only so much hobbling that a person can take before saying, THAT'S ENOUGH!
Research on the internet has provided some answers to my issues and it may help others with the same problems as well. I didn't have any idea there were additional options for treatment; all I knew was that the padding between my foot and leg was gone. Apparently, there are ways that some people can rebuild that padding again.
Mechanical arthritis (or osteoarthritis) is the result of damage to cartilage which covers the ends of the bones. The ends are supposed to be smooth, slippery cartilage which covers the end of the bones to help them move smoothly. With this type of arthritis the cartilage becomes thinner and rougher and the bone tries to repair itself by overgowing the shape of the joint. It can be the result of damage to the joint or it can also be the result of overuse and age.
In my research two things became apparent, your body will try to re-build the damage but needs the right building supplies to do the job: bricks and mortar. For the bricks, Hyaluronate, and for the mortar, massive doses of jello. I began a combination of NutraJoint Geletine and Trigosamine (both obtained at my local pharmacy off the shelves) a month ago.
Although this is early on, my ankle is starting to improve: less pain and more resiliancy. If this works, people in the same position as myself may have an alternative other than being crippled for live and taking pain killers. We may be able to help our bodies help themselves!
I've put several references on this blog for easy reading and more information although I haven't listed any chemicals or their manufacturers. There are a number to select from and at this point, I can't really recommend any one of them.
