So yesterday was my birthday and I turned 52 years old.  To finish the celebration properly today I am going in to have surgery for recurrent peroneal tendon subluxation and a torn superior peroneal retinaculum.  I am having surgery on my ankle.  It has been bothering me for a couple of years and the pain has been getting worse and worse.  It is to the point that just running on the treadmill causes sharp pains throughout the duration of the workout and a lingering heaviness and ache until the next day or two when I have tried to run again.  I haven’t run much for the last 2 months and my foot hurts when I walk so I know that it needs work done.  Apparently there are a couple of things going on.  There is a tear in the tendon and the tendon is also dislocating and rubbing against the ankle bone, grinding away at the tendon.  The doctor says it likely developed from recurrent ankle sprains which occurred over the years of driving the lane, juking defenders, and making winning shots in untold numbers of basketball games on various courts across the playgrounds of America.  <somebody cue the “Sweet Georgia Brown soundtrack>   Wait! Stop the music.  I confess, I added all of that business after “likely developed from recurrent ankle sprains.”  I played pretty hard through the years and I had a pretty quick first step at one time… but juking defenders?  Turns out the only ankles I broke were mine. In reality, I did step on a lot of others people’s feet on my way to the basket and on the way to some of my rebounds which caused me some injuries.

According to my research, basketball is not the only way to qualify for this surgery.  It also commonly occurs with injuries associated with skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding and water skiing.  The good news is that this type of injury responds well to surgery.  They will stitch the tendon back together and then tack it back into place so it will no longer dislocate.  I will get to wear a boot for 4 to 6 weeks and then do some physical therapy and then start working out again.  <cue the Rocky sound  track>  My doctor told me that with the high arches of my feet that I will need to limit my running to only a couple of times per week in the future.  That means I will have to learn to like the elliptical or the bicycle.  I promised him I would try but that I would not wear spandex.  He just shook his head and left the room.

Not running 4 to 5 times a week and working out on a bike or elliptical will mean I will have to develop some new habits.   That will be difficult to do.  But the doc says I will be able to play basketball again.  So once I rehab, eventually I will be back on the court again, driving the lane, juking defenders, and hopefully NOT breaking ankles.   Next time I play, I will pray for wisdom, discernment and I will lift up Proverbs 4:26 for myself and the other athletes.

Prov 4:26  Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.

I hope that you have a great week!  I hope that your path is easy, your games injury free and that your feet are planted on solid ground.  I hope that you know how much the Lord loves you!  Until next time, keep the faith.