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[at-l] ankles (was Re: Waldo's dilemma)

Speaking of ankles, I'd appreciate any advice or insights on my own
ankle problem.

Last year, after about Damascus, I noticed a little pain deep in my
ankle whenever my boot bounced up off a rock.  Just after Chestnut Knob
Shelter it began to hurt all the time, and has never been the same
since.  It's difficult to describe -- there was pain inside my ankle,
near the exact center as far as I could tell.  There was never any
detectable swelling or physical difference from the other ankle.  The
pain was a sort of "hum" -- an awareness that something was wrong there.
 
I had an x-ray at Pearisburg, which was negative.  They diagnosed it as
a pulled ligament, which I know now mustn't have been correct.  I kept
going and it was a big problem, physically as well as
mentally, especially after the PA rocks.  I took 2400 mg IBP per day and
soaked it in cold streams whenever I could, but by CT I could no longer
comfortably lace my boot.  By Mass the ankle and a muscle strain in my
back took us off the trail, and by the time my back healed (5-7 days) my
ankle was unchanged and I just had had enough of the pain and of the
worry I was permanently damaging it.

My ankle still hurts, as much as when I got off the Trail.  Two more
x-rays, one by an orthopaedist and one by a sports medicine
orthopaedists, have both been negative, even for stress fractures.  But
the pain continues and is, as I wrote, as bad as it was, after almost 9
months of nonexertion (which is driving me crazy).  There is still a
deep soreness inside the ankle, usually worse at night, and sometimes a
nervy-kind of burning pain inside my ankle and across the top of my
foot.  There's a little tightness and loss of flexibility but not a lot.
 The 2nd doctor (sports medicine) diagnosed the problem as
"inflammation," and said that because of the prolonged stress I
subjected my ankle to it could be many many months until it heals.  The
chronic pain bothers me a lot, as does the fact that it's not getting
better, which is already has curtailed my day hiking and has stopped me
from thinking about completing my thru-hike this summer.

Potentially relevant details: I wore Asolo 555s (or their equivalent)
the entire 1,500 miles, used Leki poles from Neels Gap on, and started
with a 43 lb pack.  I started the trail weighing about 210 lbs, and
ended up weighing 180.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?  I'd really appreciate
hearing any shared experiences, advice or insights on what I can do
about the problem.

Thanks a lot,
David

appell@together.net
http://www.together.net/~appell

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