Broken Bones Part III

 FRIDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2023. 10:00 AM

Hi there! I really hope that everything is okay. 💖

Today, I will explain to you more about "foot drop" (a medical condition I was diagnosed with ten years ago), but to understand this condition we have to study the anatomy and physiology of lower limbs. Do not worry if you have never studied the anatomy of the human body because I will try to explain it as clearly as possible. Let's first take a look at a picture of this condition so that you can have a better idea of it. 😌

Before we go deeper into the explanation, I want you to move your ankle up and down, inwards and outwards. It was really easy, wasn't it? Well, let me tell you, I've been trying to make those moves for over ten years, and I still can't make them. 😑 Why? Let me explain to you more about it. 

What is a foot drop?

Patients with a foot drop cannot lift their forefoot, and they usually drag their foot along the ground which can make them trip or fall easily. Moreover, they cannot perform dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, eversion, or inversion of the ankle. 

What are the causes?

There are many causes of this medical condition such as nerve damage (peroneal nerve damage), spinal cord injuries, or muscle disorders (muscular dystrophy). In my case, I injured my spinal cord causing damage to the peroneal nerve (a branch of the sciatic nerve divided into peroneal and tibial nerves) which is one of the most important nerves of the lower extremities because it allows motor and sensory function to the lower leg. This nerve is responsible for the movement of the ankle (dorsiflexion and eversion), foot, and toes. 

How is it diagnosed?

There are many ways of diagnosing this condition including physical and neurological examination, imaging studies (X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging), or Electromyography (EMG). I got all these examinations. The orthopedic surgeon carried out a complete physical examination of my leg, and he also made me have an EMG done, which is a test for assessing nerve function and muscle activity. The EMG that I have done showed an absence of motor activity in the left peroneus longus and tibialis anterior muscles. 😖

What is the treatment?

The most common treatment for treating a foot drop is physical therapy which tries not only to strengthen the muscles that were affected by the injury but also to recover their range of motion. After that, we have the use of an AFO (Ankle Foot Orthosis) which is a brace that helps the patient to walk without dragging their foot. Finally, this condition can be treated by surgical procedures. I recently realized that there is a surgery called "tendon transfer" that could help patients who have a foot drop. This surgery consists of replacing the affected tendon with a healthy one that could restore the dorsiflexion of the ankle.  

To sum it up, a foot drop is an inability to lift the forefoot, often resulting in the dragging of the foot along the ground. Besides that, the causes of foot drop vary, encompassing nerve damage, spinal cord injuries, and muscle disorders. Furthermore, diagnosing foot drops involves a combination of physical and neurological examinations. Finally, treatment options include physical therapy, Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO), and surgical interventions.

I am sorry for using medical terminology, but I had to use it in order to explain this condition. Believe me, I have learned these terms throughout all the years that I have spent in the orthopedic area, so whenever I get an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon, I can easily explain my condition using the appropriate terminology. 😅

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. THIS WAS THE LAST POST OF THE SERIES "BROKEN BONES" I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOYED MY POST AS MUCH AS I DID WRITING IT. I REALLY LOVE TALKING, DISCUSSING, AND WRITING ABOUT MEDICINE. I AM REALLY INTO MEDICINE (SPECIALLY ORTHOPEDICS). 💖

Broken Bones part II

 THURSDAY 21TH SEPTEMBER 2023. 21:00

Hey! How are you doing? I really hope that you had a wonderful week. 

I don't know if you remember, but last time I told you about one of the most horrible moments that I have gone through. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had an accident on December 24th, 2013, in which I fell into a hole about five or six meters deep. I also told you that I didn't get any medical treatment for around one year. You may wonder if I didn't get any natural treatment to heal my bones. Well, believe me, I tried everything. 😂 You know, when someone breaks a bone or has an accident, everybody comes to you telling you to try a natural remedy. Yes, the first thing people recommended to me was to go to a "sobador." Indeed, I visited some "sobadores" near where I live, but it is something I definitely do not recommend you to do. Why? because it was extremely painful, and it didn't work. Literally, the "sobador" wanted to fix my ankle (which was very stiff because it had been many months since I had this accident, so the joint of my ankle had ankylosis, which is a medical term to refer to a joint that is stiff due to an injury or trauma) without anesthesia. 😰😱 He tried to fix my ankle, but the pain was unbearable and I almost fainted, so I told my parents that I couldn't do that and that I preferred to live with a dislocated ankle rather than going through that dreadful pain. 😫 In addition to that, people told me to try other remedies like putting some natural ointments (herbs, honey, ice...) on my leg to heal my bones, but none of them worked because what I had was even more complicated. Please do not try any of the remedies people suggest to you. I know that our friends or family just want to help us, but they are not qualified to give us medical treatment; that's why, you ALWAYS have to get proper treatment with a professional. Or even worse, do not try remedies you see on social media. Natural remedies may sometimes be effective, but only when they are prescribed by a professional. 

After trying all these natural remedies, I finally (yes, FINALLY, a year later of the accident. 😅) got the proper medical care in SB hospital (sorry for not writing the complete name of the hospital or doctors, but for "professional ETHICS" I cannot write them. 😂) Just after I had resigned myself to living with my broken bones, a relative told me "why don't you go to SB hospital where a friend of mine works as a nurse. I am really sure that he can recommend you a doctor", so I went to this hospital where I met one of the most wonderful doctors I have ever met. Well, let me explain to you why I consider Dr. H an outstanding health provider. Well, I still remember that since he saw me (without even having seen my X-rays) coming into the consulting room he knew what my diagnosis was. Yes, to make sure, he took a look at my X-rays and he finally gave me an exact and right diagnosis: I had a dislocated ankle and a contracted Achilles tendon; what it means foot drop, but this was only a partial diagnosis because some years later the doctor found out other injuries due to the same accident. 

Yes, the FINAL and EXACT diagnosis was a foot drop. (I know you may be wondering what that is, but I will explain it to you in more detail in another post.) As a result, in February 2015, I had an ankle surgery that helped me to walk again.😆 Dr. H made a lengthening of my Achilles tendon (he made my tendon longer because it was shortened) and he also operated on my dislocated ankle. I still remember the snap of my ankle when the doctor moved it to the right position. (Yes, I was under anesthesia and I didn't feel any pain. Now it scares me to think that the "sobador" wanted to move my ankle to the correct position without anesthesia.) After the surgery, I had a medical incapacity for around three months and a long physical rehabilitation in the physiotherapy department (I actually spent many years in physiotherapy). Even though the doctor operated on my ankle, he told me that I was going to wear an AFO (Ankle Foot Orthesis, which is basically a brace that helps me to walk) lifetime due to the severe damage I suffered. Now I have a twenty-stitch scar and I wear an AFO. (Dr. H is now one of my favorite friends. He is a really kind, friendly, and caring doctor.) 

AFO (Ankle Foot Orthosis)

That was all for today!!!! I still have so much to tell you about it, so I will continue in the next post. I really hope you are enjoying this adventure with me. Let me know if you have ever broken a bone. THANKS, A LOT FOR READING. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! 💓

Broken Bones Part I

 WEDNESDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2023. 19:00

Hello, my dear reader. I hope that you are having a wonderful day! Welcome again to my blog! Make yourself comfortable because it will be a long story! 👀😬

For many people, December is their favorite month of the year because it brings them the best memories they have lived with their family or friends. December is a month when people can spend time with their family, hang out with their friends, take a break from college or work, or visit the tourist places of our country. Especially, when you are a kid, December can become one of your favorite seasons of the year since it means eating "Panes con Pollo, dancing, singing, playing with your cousins, or bursting fireworks. 

Let me tell you that December 2013 has been one of the worst moments that I have lived in my life. Everything was going okay, I was just a kid and a kid is supposed to enjoy season Eve. Right? 😣 It was December 24th, 2013 in the morning and everything was normal. I was having a great time and I was really excited because my parents had told me that in the afternoon we were going to visit our grandma. I suddenly thought that it meant that I was going to have fun playing with my cousins. After arriving at our grandma's house, everything was going wonderfully until one of my cousins asked me if I wanted to burst fireworks with her and I said "Yes". My cousin was waiting for me to follow her to the place where we were supposed to burst the fireworks. Then, of nothing, everything turned dark, apparently I had lost consciousness and when I woke up I realized that I was in the emergency area in the C's hospital. Believe me, I do not remember what happened to me. I was scared and disoriented, and I wondered what I was doing, at night, on December 24th in the hospital. But what happened? 😰 Well, I fell down in a septic tank that my grandparents were constructing in their house, so when I was going to set off the fireworks with my cousin, I didn't realize that there was a hole right where I was passing. This hole had a depth of around five or six meters and it was not covered, so it means that this accident could have happened to anyone who came to the house. You may wonder why no one told me that a septic tank was being built or why no one covered that hole with something to prevent an accident. Well, I do not know. It is a question that I have wondered about for many years and from which I will never get an answer. 

Going back to when I arrived at the hospital, guess what? The worst thing you can imagine happened. 😓 There were no specialists at the emergency department as it was the holiday season (yes, bad idea to have an accident during these days 😖), so I did not receive any treatment and yes, the general doctors only gave some painkillers as if it was all that I needed or as if painkillers were the solution for everything. Since there wasn't an orthopedic surgeon (doctor in charge of treating, healing, and diagnosing injuries or diseases related to the musculoskeletal system including bones, ligaments, tendons, nerves, cartilages, etc.) in this hospital, they gave a medical referral to the R Hospital. There, it was even worse because the doctors just told me that I had a knee sprain and that it wasn't something to be worried about. I know it wasn't the best diagnosis (I guess they were drunk or something. Just kidding! 😂 Or maybe yes. I don't know. hahaha 😅) Literally, I spent a whole week hospitalized for a simple knee sprain (according to the doctor from the R hospital. Yes, it is supposed that they are the best ones in the country) and after that, I came back home with some painkillers.   

So, what was the correct diagnosis? I didn't find out until a year later. Yep, I spent a whole year without receiving any medical treatment. For a whole year, I wore crutches because I wasn't able to walk. Wait, are you kidding? No, I am not kidding. 😭 You may wonder why. 😲 Well, because some of the doctors I called on told me that everything was okay, that it was me who didn't want to walk. They treated me as if I had some sort of mental or emotional trauma that didn't allow me to recover and others told me that they had to put orthopedic plates (something that I absolutely didn't need) on me to fix my foot. Yes, you are right, what about X-rays? Didn't you get some X-rays done? Didn't they show any fracture? I do not know because doctors just told me that everything was okay and that I didn't have anything serious, so I believed them. I simply resigned myself to the pain and the idea that I would never walk again...  

The story does not end here. I told you that it was going to be a long story.  If you want to know how this goes, read my next post. I will leave you in suspense!😎 

Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate that you come here and take some time to read my posts. It means a lot to me. 💖

Medical School

 FRIDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER, 2023. 8:30 AM

Why would I like to get into medical school?

Let me tell you that apart from studying foreign languages, I am also trying to study medicine on my own. Whenever I have free time, I love reading medical books, looking for information about how our body works, or watching videos and posts about anatomy, physiology, patient care, surgeries, etc. on the med pages that I follow on my social media, so whenever I log into them I always find interesting med posts.

I know that soon I will get a bachelor's degree in modern languages and that maybe I won't have time to study another major because I want to start working as well, or it may sound sort of absurd to study more years at the university after having been there for a while, but it has always been my dream to study medicine. However, I am not quite sure if I would be a good medical student because I do not even know if I have the vocation, but anyway if I have the opportunity, time, and money I will do it without hesitating. I also know that medicine is one of the hardest and longest majors and that it requires many sacrifices, efforts, perseverance, courage, intelligence, motivation, and time, but I have always been passionate about learning and knowing how the human body is made of and how it works. I have always been curious about knowing how to diagnose and treat different illnesses and how to fix the body. 

Honestly, I have spent many years in the hospital as a patient (I will tell you why I am a regular patient in the hospital and to be more specific, I am a patient in the orthopedic department, but that is a long story, so I will dedicate a whole post to telling you more about it because it will take me some time), so I am kind of familiar with that environment and I would like to work there since I love how doctors help their patients, and how they devote and sacrifice their lives to care for them (or at least some of them are like that. Yes, I know that there are many doctors who are there just for their salary, but I have met some who are really human and who really care about their patients' well-being). I do not want to be the patient anymore, but I want to be the one healing and caring about others. 

Furthermore, I feel that medicine is a specialty where you will always feel important and rewarded in your work. Knowing that your knowledge can help someone or make a person's life better is priceless. Personally, I am extremely thankful to the doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists who have been there for caring about me through all these past years. I have made some very good friends as a patient in the hospital and I want to be that friend that someone else can count on during their healing or treatment process. I am sure that doctors feel rewarded when they help alleviate their patients' suffering and pain, when they see that their patients have improved in their healing process, or when they realize that their patients do not need their care anymore because they are doing much better. 

Finally, studying medicine will help me to understand my medical condition more since some years ago I had an accident that affected most of my left leg, but that's a long story. It also means that I will be able to take care of myself and have a better understanding of my body's functions, structures, and pathologies. (Yes, I will be able to prescribe myself some drugs and if I get the wrong treatment, it will be my fault.) 😂

Here between us, I don't know if I would make a good medical student because I actually love to sleep a lot, so I don't know if I'm willing to sacrifice my sleep. ha ha ha 😅

I know that it may be just a dream, but dreaming is free. 😌 I also feel like I'm betraying the foreign language department by wanting to study medicine. (I also love teaching foreign languages, but I would like to explore another field.) 😂

Thank you for reading. I hope you have enjoyed it. 💖