keith's Story
i have club feeti am 22 years old
both feet were clubbed when i was born, my mother told me the doctor said they were a 2 and a 3.. but im not exactly sure what that means.
as a child it was difficult to walk for more then 30 minutes, and i sprained my ankles a few times growing up.
i have always been told to not let club feet hold me back.
i did boxing at age 13, tae kwon do at 15, and switched to 5 animal kung fu at 17. which has been my passion.
i started college at 20 and the first month into my schooling, while at my kung fu class i tore the sheath that holds my peroneal tendon in place (left outside ankle) my tendon would snap freely over the outside bone when walking.
i saw 3 emergency doctors that hadn't seen this before and told me it would heal on its own, but after doing my own research and found out i needed surgery to repair it, i went back to the hospital and finally saw an ortho-specialist that confirmed surgery was the only way this would repair.
i had to walk around for 3 months while i waited for surgery. (difficult) - its painful and dangerous
i got the surgery and was put in a cast, it was extremely painful while in the cast.
for about 4 months i really had to rely on my right leg to get around... compensating etc.
i started to notice my right ankle was having pain in the same spot that my left had just had surgery on, and i told the surgeon but he didn't beleive me because it hadn't fully ripped yet.
he sent me for an MRI scan, it showed nothing wrong..
a month or two later it was getting slightly worse and just by looking at my right ankle, i could tell the tendon was slowly coming out of place and ripping the sheath more. the surgeon sent me for another MRI and this one showed a lateral tear in the tendon from where it was rubbing against the bone when i flexed the tendon.
i also noticed the INSIDE of my right ankle was getting loose and painful. the doctor claimed it was impossible for the inside tendon to come loose, despite my complaint.
it would be a "case study" he said, if the inside sheath tore... and said no surgery like that has ever been done and he isn't sure if it could be done.
i went ahead and booked the outside surgery for my right ankle (trying to walk after its torn IS NOT GOOD, high chance of tearing the actual tendon, which is far more serious)
my left ankle didn't heal correctly or something because i am having chronic pain. it is supposed to be healed after 6 months and its been 18 months now and still no better.
my right ankle got surgery and had alot of trouble with the cast being too tight, i had to get it changed about 5 times which really didn't help the healing process.
i was unable to complete physio on either foot, the inside tendon on my right ankle is still loose and weak.
i graduated college but im unable to work on my feet now, the doctor said there is nothing else he can do and that i have to work with my brain instead of my legs from now on.
i have been depressed for a while now, i was in love with martial arts and it has crippled me.
i was never the type the did well in school, except for gym haha, i took pipe trades in college, i can no longer do physical work and am forced to find something else i like to do.
i appreciate you reading this far and hope i made sence explaining it, i left out minor details but the jist of it is there. if anyone has any comments please post back or email me.
i have read a few peoples posts and they all say " dont let club feet hold you back " well i didn't and it crippled me further.
there is a huge lack of information on this subject and i am really lost.
Added on 03 Aug 2008