My Lisfranc Injury-Advice and Support Very Welcome!

cchelle79 · Newbie Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 3

Hi all,

I know i've posted this twice...on an existing thread and starting this new one so i do apologise!

I wish i had found this website much much sooner than this evening! It's been fascinating to read everyone's threads and it's made me feel so much better and that i'm not alone with my bad foot!

A little about me....i'm a 27 yr old female and a little over two years ago (29/09/04) i played for a ladies rugby team here in the UK. We were training on that night when my right foot got caught in a pot hole and an 18 stone man fell on my foot. At first we just thought it was a sprained ankle, until we tried to get my rugby boot off my foot and then we realised it was a lot more serious than just a sprained ankle, especially as there was a huge lump sticking out the side of my sock!

I was taken to the local minor injuries unit, where they gave me some painkillers and took an x-ray. The initial doctor couldn't see anything wrong but said that i should go to the nearest Accident & Emergency department just to be on the safe side. Even us non-medical people in the room (myself, my Mum and boyfriend) could see something was seriously wrong in the x-ray and the bones were all over the place!

So we went down to the big hospital where i was diagnosed with a very serious injury to my Lisfranc joint complex. I was told there was a possibility i'd never be able to walk on my foot again, which filled me with complete fear.

I got into my room on the ward at just after midnight, after having a half-cast put on my leg and foot to stop it from moving.

The next morning i had about 7 or 8 doctors/consultants come to see me and my poor foot. I was told that i was going to have wires put in my foot to move the bones back to where they should be and to mend the fractures that were in there.

Surgery went well and i spent a further 5 days in hospital. I was in a plaster cast for 12 weeks completely non-weight bearing, with the wires taken out at the end of this 12 weeks. Having the wires removed, with a pair of pliers and no local anaesthetic was more painful than when i actually broke the foot!

I was then in an air-cast boot for another 12 weeks with slight weight-bearing at the start increasing to full-weight bearing towards the end of the 12 weeks.

Today i've just been in for my 2 year check-up and as i'm still getting a lot of pain in my foot the consultant wanted me to have some x-rays. I went back to see him and he told me my foot hasn't healed anywhere near as much as it should have done and he wants me to have more surgery on it to fuse the bones together.

He told me that i'd be in plaster for 4 months and non-weight bearing for a further 3 months.

I'm here tonight thinking about this, like i have done all day and to be honest i've spent most of the day in tears.

I can bear the thought of another operation and the pain but it's everything else that goes with it, like my whole life being turned upside down. I live on my own (whereas previously i had a wonderful boyfriend who drove me to work and just kept my spirits up) and so apart from people popping to see me when they can i'm literally going to be house bound for at least 7 months without being able to drive or go to work.

What a thought and it's really getting me down. Sad

The consultant did say that it was up to me whether to have the second op or not but he'd recommend that i do as there's greater chance of my foot deteriorating at a faster rate than if i don't have the op. He did say that most people receover perfectly well from having a second op but there's a chance they'll do more harm than good to it.

So i have the choice now....do i have the second op or not?!

Any thoughts or suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. I know it's only me that can make the decision at the end of the day but knowing that others have gone through it and come out the other side fine will help!!

Thanks very much,

Michelle x

dave_evans · Newbie Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

Hi

I have had a Lisfranc injury too, mine happenned when I fell off a moped. My surgeon said that on a scale of 1-10, mine was a 9. It was 2 years ago now. I am in pretty good shape now, I have been advised not to run etc, but walking and cycling is fine. If you want to have a chat, you can email me at davidevans1966@yahoo.com. I am living in London now, although I had my surgery in Australia.

My Lisfranc Injury-Advice and Support Very Welcome!

LIFEFORM SOCIAL COMMUNITY NETWORK