You're right Coon! And hey, if it takes 2 yrs, it takes 2 yrs. I just hope that it actually heals +90% of normal.
You had mentioned a 7 month realization of your healing status. Being at 5 months (as noted two posts above), my fingers are crossed that I have this same epiphany. Honestly, the hardest thing for me is to take it easy. Spring is here, and I'm ready to do things outside. Hope my lisfranc ligament agrees...
Hi Coon, your posts have helped me tremendously! You are so right about the false hope. My first Ortho, top credentials, kept saying I was fine and I slowly got worse. Like you, I was terribly frightened by my google searches that continually ended up on Lisranc injuries, and had a false hope because this doc reassured me that was not a lisfranc. I didn't want a second opinion because I was afraid I would get bad news. Promises that I was fine were much easier to hear! Well, first, he never actually looked at my MRI himself, only relied on the radiologist, which is a story unto itself. He may have been right that it wasn't a lisfranc *fracture* fitting his definition of requiring surgery (or he was just wrong altogether), but two equally or better qualified Orthos have now looked at all the records and run a CT scan a year later, saying that the diagnosis is obvious. The "false hope" delayed my recovery and my quality of life has been pretty low because I had to avoid anything that required walking - something I thrived on prior to this.
Recovery is slow, and I'm grateful that my new doctor warned me or I would have given up many times over already. It seems like the problem is - uneducated patient perspective here!! - that all the surrounding ligaments and tendons have more demand than even before the injury because the ligaments supporting the arch in the foot are weaker, the supporting structures through the ankle and knee have to compensate for the suddenly weaker foot. So now that I am finally re-learning how to take a normal step, the ligaments haven't caught up so I get painful popping in my ankle and knee, and those take many weeks to strengthen. Not walking much for a year in my case has compounded the recovery because everthing on my left side is weak. Physical therapy is discouraging because it requires facing how little I can do, but then some progress is measurable and I gain a little more confidence. It has been just over a month of PT and my family and friends are commenting on a better stride or faster pace. While the improvement marks from week to week are impressive, the changes day to day alternate between great and horrible. I was going steadily downhill for a year, and now I am actually getting better. Coon, my current doctor was very guarded with any level of prognosis, but he adamently said these injuries *do* continue to heal in his experience, well beyond the one year mark, even though some say that doesn't happen. He said it just takes a long time. Then again, I suppose that also requires getting the right diagnosis, which is not that easy!
Thanks! Bev in Tucson
Would love to hear your outcome.
Best wishes Anthea
Been in cast for 2 weeks now And got to have an MRI, got to say after all these horror stories I am so scared for how this will heal! All because I tripped and fell forward:(
My son was just told his lisfranc ligament is torn n he needs surgery because it's his best option if he wants to pursue playing soccer how did ur son due after the surgery moms concerns
Diagnosed 2 weeks after the injury with a MRI: 2nd degree Lisfranc sprain. Weight-bearing no dislocations. No stability though. Had just 2 weeks NWB and my surgeon gave me ok for the moon boot and physio. Isn't it too early? I have a pain due to a fall last week. Bloody crutches. And my healthy foot starts to hurt too.
I am so tired. Was about to jump from a helicopter in this Nz season and go to the Everest Base Camp in September.
Is better a CT or MRI for this kind of injury?