In 2001 I was run over by a car (not hit, run over) and my fibula was broken (is that the right name for the big bone in the leg, it was not the tibia the small one). I ended up having surgery and they put in a titanium rod from my knee to my ankle. The rod was anchored by a screw at the top, but it was not anchored at the bottom.
Lately, it had become really hard for me to walk, and I couldn't figure out why. I started to think that something might be wrong with the rod, maybe the screw came out, whatever. It had gotten so painful that I finally went to a doctor.
As I have written before, I am fortunate in that in the Korean community, my office, me, my boss, and our work, is well known. Therefore, I was set up with a chiropractor who took four xrays of my leg (two of my ankle and two of my knee). He said he was truly surprised that my rod was NOT anchored at the ankle, as I told him it wasn't, but it was the first time since my surgery in 2001 that I had even see what the damn rod looked like!
First off, I thought it would be about the size of a pencil. WRONG. It's about one inch thick, and the screw is just a regular screw! Like the ones we all have in our tool kit. That blew me away!
The diagnosis was that the rod was not a problem, but my age, my weight (yeah, I've gained a few from my dancing days -- although the doc was surprised I could move my leg into the positions for the xray that most of his patients can't LOL) were more of the problem.
The doc charged me ZERO dollars for the two hour visit, xrays and consultation. On the plus side, he did say I was the funniest patient he'd ever had, I was cracking him up the whole time. He's offered to work on my knees, told me not to work out without a brace on my knee, gave me the usual list of things to do that I already know how to do to strengthen my knee, and suggested acupuncture as well.
I left there mentally feeling better, and actually didn't limp home!
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