Any Peroneal Nerve recovery stories?

[Max Pwr]

Hello and Welcome Amanda,

I, like you, suffered a hip injury which left me with drop foot.  Here's a readers Digest version.  October 2005 ice hocley game, I went into the boards feet first with a locked knee, caused my fumer to break through my pelvis, sciatic nerve fine at this time.  Acetabulum reconstruction and a ton of phsio follow.  Alas, Acetabulum fails and I have a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing June 2006, wake with drop foot.  No known cause, most likely a stretched sciatic.  Now, April 2007 and still no significant improvement (ten months), although I do have some movement inwards and outwards but very weak, but movement nonetheless.  No dorsiflexion at all.  I had decompression surgery last month which basically means the neurosurgeon opened me up from sciatic at hip to peroneal at knee to determine where damage was and if it could be fixed.  He cleaned all the scar material that might have been impedeing progress and closed me up.  He could not give me a likelihood of recovery.   I have had three EMG's and no they don't hurt too bad, just a sharp feeling every now and then, but nothing compared to what you have gone through to get where you are now, it'll be  a piece of cake for you.   Living with foot drop is not easy and I have good days and bad.  I just tell myself to be strong and I focus entirely on the positive and try to ignore the negative.  I still hope for a good recovery, but like you said, it'll be sometime.  The doctor that told you the three month story is full of sh**!  I've talked to many specialists who claim that recovery is seen in some patients up to three years after the injury and one fellow I know saw a complete recovery at seven years.  Therefore, never give up hope.  I know those AFO's are terrible, I swear everyday I have to put mine on too.  Keep your hopes up and don't be afraid to ask all the questions you may have, I'd love to answer them.  Hopefully we can get throught this together and look back and shake our heads at how we worried when we didn't have to.     

[AmandaC]

Thanks for your reply Max
Sounds like you to have been through the mill over the past 18 months.  When you had your nerve decompression operation did the surgeon see any obvious damage?  Did he think the nerve was still in tack, if it is my first specialist said that there was a 80% chance within 18 months so lets hope thats both of us.  Do you suffer from nerve pain?  If so has it got better over time.  I have manager to return to work the past month, reduced hours at this stage and am at the gym and swimming, have you manged to return to work.  In my case the surgeon told me he had to stretch the nerve considerably but was a little surprised with the foot drop when I woke up.  Do you still walk with a limp?  How is your hip now?  I still have alot of stiffness and limited movement in mine, my hip was reconstucted with metal ware, looks pretty impressive in the X-Rays.  Thanks for the info about the EMG, I shouldn't be such a wimp but have had enough pain...... and im sure everyone on this Forum has.
Thanks for your replies everyone and hope we all continue to improve.
Amanda

[Max Pwr]

Hi Amanda...sounds like we've all been through so much.  Hopefully, we can all look back in awe of how resiliant the human body can be.  With any luck we'll all be walking well within a matter of months.  In regard to your questions.

During the decompression surgery the surgeon didn't see any obvious damage i.e. there were no tears or disections of the sciatic or peroneal branch of the sciatic.  There were places where it appeared that the nerve was trapped between hard fascia (a protective coating on the muscles) and scar tiisse so he was able to release the nerve from any impingement.  As wel,l the nerve seemed discloured and glossy in a couple of places and smaller than it should be but intact nonetheless. Pre-op we spoke of possibly doing a nerve graft (harvesting a good nerve from the good leg and grafting it onto my bad one) but once he opened me up he saw no reason.  With a nerve graft, the success rate would be lower than that of a regeneration with the damaged nerve I already was sporting so I was happy we didn't do the graft.  At the beginning of the affliction I had tremendous horrific nerve pain that would make me literally jump and almost cry.  I refused to take any pain meds thinking it would go away and that I was tough.  However the pain was so bad one night I cried while in bed and my wife made me go to see our family doctor.  He prescribed some gabepentin and it helped a lot, although I was still getting pain it was managable.  Today I don't take any pain meds and I don't need any, I still get an odd shot of nerve pain, a little "how do you do" every now and then, but even these shocks are pale in comparisson and are more annoying than painful.  As for work, I have returned full time.  I'm a 36 yr old policeman and I had to prove to them I could do the job so I went and ran the obstacle course they make the recruits run (while wearing my AFO).  I didn't have a record time or anything but it was enough for them to let me go back to full duties, I was SWAT before I got hurt, I'm hoping one day to get back to doing that as I loved it so much.   These days I'm up at about 5 am and on the treadmill walking as fast as I can for about three miles; I can't run well enough yet to put a serious run in yet, I can run in an emergency etc, but recreationally I still have aways to go.  Again, I hope to get back to jogging seriously when my foot wakes up.  I am still stiff every now and then but I try not to limp, although sometimes I know I just do.  I'm guessing that'll go away too, but it's hard when your foot doesn't work, it's hard to have a natural gait.  My hip now is good, I see my orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for a follow up, I'm not expecting any surprises as the hip has never felt better since I got hurt.

I wish you the very best in your recovery and will pray you too will get back to the things you loved to do before the injury.  Have faith that things will return and stay positive, those are the hardest things to do. 

Sorry the message was so long but when I got hurt I tried to get some answers from people who went through the same things and no one would help, therefore I promised if someone came to me for some help or to share my story I would...at length...this site is great, you'll find some good friends here.

Hope everyone is doing well and healing well.  Meet you at at Andre's game sometime when we don't need the AFO's!

~Max~

[Hamish9]

Hi Guys and welcome Amanda, glad you have come and joined us.

Sorry I have not had access to a pc for a few days so just catching up.

Gordon. Glad to see your leg is getting stronger and the flexion and extention is coming. I was at PT today and she measured my flexion at 115 degrees but my extention has been a problem. I got a good talking to last week about really pushing it to get results. I have been working really hard this week at the gym and really pushing to the limit and my muscles are hurting like hell. Looks like it is working tho.

Amanda. My nerve pain was really bad for the first 3 ot 4 months after my injury but settled down after that. It does come back unannounced at times though to let me know it is still there. Good luck with the EMG test! Still no date for my EMG yet.

Jackie. Goodluck with the surgery and keep us posted with your progress. We will be thinking of you.

Max. Are you up and about and back to work after your decompression surgery?

Hamish

[j_smi001]

I saw my GP today and told her about the operation date and the fact it is three days before my planned nerve conduction test so won't be able to attend.  She is very pleased with the nerve regeneration I have made but still wants me for a nerve conduction test in three months time to guage what level of recovery has been made as that is probably it.  Not what I expected but hey.  Hope you are all OK

[mom444]

Mom - I read your post and really feel for you little girl, it is bad enough a adult having to deal with this but for a young child is just dreadful.  I have a little girl, turning 2 on Saturday

Look forward to talking and hoping we all have full recovery stories in the future.
Amanda

Hello All,

I am back and my "medical situation" went well.  I'll send you all PMs soon.

Welcome Amanda!  I feel for your pain and wish you well in recovery.  We will help each other all we can.

As you have probably figured out by reading the posts, we like to call nerve pain "The Dragon." 

This name was invented by my little girl because she often says her pain feels like "a dragon in her leg."  We also know that pain can come about right after an injury but that pain can also come about during nerve regeneration.  Dragons may in fact heal.

We are still seeing frequent visits from the dragon with my daughter.  A few times last week she woke up screaming in agony and we had to give her Motrin, Tylenol, etc.  She one night even said, "The dragon is back!  The medicine isn't working!" 

We still do the EMS unit every day, or "tickle stickers" as we call them.  We are on a break from PT because of insurance.

We are rooting for you Jacky! 

How has everyone else been?

Keep in touch and our thoughts and prayers are with you, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as well.

[Hamish9]

Hey Mom,

Well done! Really happy for you. Things going well for me and really working hard on my knee. It does mean a bit of pain but I can handle that.

Hamish

[mom444]

Hello and Welcome Amanda,

 The doctor that told you the three month story is full of sh**!  I've talked to many specialists who claim that recovery is seen in some patients up to three years after the injury and one fellow I know saw a complete recovery at seven years.  Therefore, never give up hope.  I know those AFO's are terrible, I swear everyday I have to put mine on too.  Keep your hopes up and don't be afraid to ask all the questions you may have, I'd love to answer them.  Hopefully we can get throught this together and look back and shake our heads at how we worried when we didn't have to.     

I hope this is true.  I have also read some cases where recovery can happen YEARS later despite many doctors giving a strict time frame for recovery.

[amdre]

Hey everyone

Welcome Amanada C. Wish you all the best in your recovery and hope to see tremendous progression...as we have seen in others.

Hey all the CFL draft is on  Wednesday May 2nd...wish me luck as i now face the hardest hurdle ..proving to the teams that i am fuctional and ready and not a liability to them. i had acouple of workouts for cfl teams this past week one being my home town Toronto and B.C results for T.O: i ran my 40 yard dash in a 4.5 and my lateral test in a 4.45....comparable to avgerage.B.C results: i ran the 40 in 4.3 flat and a 4.31 lateral after tons of technique practicing. i got on the feild and played as if i was never injured. i was brought in for a CYBEX test...this machine if you are not fimiliar test the strength in the joints of the body and was used on me to test my power and strength in knee and ankle compared to the right.

my knee test i passed with just a small deficit in power in my injured leg...nothing to bad as im only 7 months post acl surgery. my foot on the other hand was much weaker then the right. my inversion was about 40 percent weaker in the left......eversion about 60.....dorsi flexion 80 but my plantar flexion in the left was 50 percent sronger then the right ......i was told this was my body compensating for the weaker dorsi flexion...as i use ..my push off and momentum to spring my foot up with the weak "tib ant" muscle. these test were all done under load and with endurance repitions of 20-30...and endurance was stable for the ankle just a strength comparison issue. i am still working hard to correct every aspect of this injury to the best of my ability....but it is functional and capable of handling the demand of high intensity sport.

i will keep you posted on the draft. Keep recovering  Everyone

and i have posted a segment that will be aired on The Score about the injury for draft time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-10DQiu0Hw

[G_Bronson]

Hey everyone,
Welome Amanda C, I wish you all the best in your healing and recovery.

Jackie i hope your surgery goes well for you.

I am still doing my physio and EMS Eveyday, my leg is starting to look more normal, i still have a way to go however but things are progressing nicely. My nerve pain has calmed dowm alot. i get one or two shock like feelings a day but the really bad pain had calmed down alot. When i do my EMS i can feel the nerve down in my foot between my big toe and second toe vibrate. That sounds funny i know but that is the best way to describe it. It did ont happen before so hopefully it is a sign that something is getting through and there has been some smalll regeneration.

Andre that quite the video bud, you have come along way. I hope the draft goes well for you my friend ill be watching and wishing you good luck. That link for The Score video that you posted has no sound. You look like you never had any trouble with your knee at all from how good you were moving.

Hamish, Max and Mom444 i hope you all are doing well.

All the Best!
Gordon

[AmandaC]

Hey everyone

Thanks for your welcome messages.
Gordon I to use a EMS everyday and just lately my foot has started shaking slightly which it did not do before, still no sign of the muscle contracting but I keep hoping.

I had a report from my Nurologist arrive on Friday, four pages or big words but the bottom line...
Amanda is likely to improve over time.
Apparently there cases were people get the feeling back the sensatory nerve but not function the motor nerve.  I hope we all get both back, I think I could live without the function if I did not have this nerve pain 24/7.

I dont have a date for EMG yet but they said should be in the month May.

Thanks everyone for answering all my questions.
Great chating with you all
Amanda

[j_smi001]

Andre,

best of luck buddy - hope all your dreams come true, and remember, no pressure but we are all going to watch you play and I intend to come all that way only for a top flight game! 
Amanada - I can so relate to what you are saying, I was remember thinking, no movement and no pain is OK, movement and pain is definately OK, no movement and pain was not acceptable.
Mom - any update on your daughters dragons?
Gordon - good to hear from you and that feeling can only be good news.  I never had the EMS as I was told by my physio that the equipment was to expensive and they didn't have one - maybe I'll do a sponsored run this time next year and raise some money for them as they have been so good getting me back walking again.
Hamish - are you still working that knee?  what progress on your foot?
Max - How is it going?  You say you are back to full duties but I take it not doing SWAT?  I see you did the fitness test with your split on - I took my splint off for the shuttle run as I found the splint difficult for the turns and once I had the momentum, running without the splint was easier, have you tried it on the treadmill without your splint?  Also I bought a trampet and jog on that and found that my calf muscles have really built up as the splint makes the calf muscles weak and lazy.  Just my thoughts.........

Thank you all for your well wishes for my operation, it is very much appreciated - just 9 days to go.....

[mom444]

my knee test i passed with just a small deficit in power in my injured leg...nothing to bad as im only 7 months post acl surgery. my foot on the other hand was much weaker then the right. my inversion was about 40 percent weaker in the left......eversion about 60.....dorsi flexion 80 but my plantar flexion in the left was 50 percent sronger then the right ......i was told this was my body compensating for the weaker dorsi flexion...as i use ..my push off and momentum to spring my foot up with the weak "tib ant" muscle. these test were all done under load and with endurance repitions of 20-30...and endurance was stable for the ankle just a strength comparison issue. i am still working hard to correct every aspect of this injury to the best of my ability....but it is functional and capable of handling the demand of high intensity sport.

i will keep you posted on the draft. Keep recovering  Everyone

and i have posted a segment that will be aired on The Score about the injury for draft time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-10DQiu0Hw

Thank you everyone for all of your sweet personal messages!  My family and I are doing well.

My daughter had about a week of more consistent dragons, but they have taken a break the last few days.

We have another EMG on May 10th so I'm trying to be calm and hopeful.

Andre, this is interesting how your other muscles are "compensating" for your lack of dorsiflexion.  I'm not sure if my daughter has something similar.  When she walks without her brace she still "flops her foot" but she can maintain balance, etc.

Jacky, Max, Hamish, Amanda, Gordon, et. al, good luck to all of you!

[AmandaC]

Hello all

Mom - Good luck for your daughters EMG on the 10th, I have just got my date and have one on the 16th.  Am really nervous, not about the test but about the results.  Fingers crossed we both get some good news, I will be thinking of your little girl on the 10th.

Hamish, Max & Gordon - hope everything is going well for you and keep your spirits up.
 j_smi001 - Hope your operation goes well.

Had a bad day yesterday and this morning didn't want to get myself organised, but made myself get myself and my little girl dressed and took her to dance to music, it is for little ones.  Felt heaps better afterwards, have to remember life dosent revolve around me and my floppy foot I have others to think about.

Will keep you posted on my EMG results.
Amanda

[Max Pwr]

Andre, I'll be thinking of you dude, I wish you the best, the ultimate comeback ... awesome... I hope I get half the success you do in your recovery.

Jackie - I did run the obstacle course with my brace on, and I am full duties but just for Robbery/Homicide, not SWAT; hopefully that'll come when I get my dorsi-flexion back.  I saw my Ortho surgeron last week and he was amazed at how well I'm doing and the work ethic I've got to get back.  He says that the hip will hold no matter what I do so I have his blessing.  I'm now just waiting for the floppiness to go away so I don't have to wear the AFO.  I haven't tried the treadmill without the AFO, I'm scared to even try.  I have no dorsi-flexion at all so I can't see how running without the AFO would be safe for me, unless someone can reassure me that it would be... Oh and if we don't touch base before the surgery please know I'll be praying for you and hope it all goes well.  I know deep down it will and you'll be chasing bad guys really soon, just don't chase them to Canada..wait till I get my foot back at least, then I'll send them back across the pond.

Hamish, Gordon, Amanda, and Mom - I think about you guys everyday and draw strength from your perseverance.  Hang in there and know you're not alone.  I still think in a couple of years you should all come to Calgary when Andre's playing here and we'll all go to the game,  Then I'll take you out to the Canadian Rockies where we'll poke Grizzly bears with a stick and run away, just because we don't have to use the AFO's anymore!

Hope this note finds you all well.
~Mad~