Gangli-again: A Return to Dr. T

Following the previous treatment for the ganglion mass of "stuff" building on the joint between my left ankle and foot, I had my follow-up appointment with Dr. T (my podiatrist) this morning. At my last appointment, he once again drained the cyst and then injected some low level steroids in hopes of prompting a reduction in the mass. This, once again, proved unsuccessful. So what's next, you ask?

As I suspected, I will need to have some basic out-patient surgery to remove the mass. Dr. T assured me the result would be a two -inch incision on the top of my foot with 4-5 stitches and approximately a week of more limited activity. I will be able to walk out of the surgery, but more vigorous activity, like running, will need to be put on hold for about a week. He suggested maybe doing the procedure over Columbus Day or Thanksgiving Breaks (remember, I'm a teacher!), but I asked if we could wait until Holiday Break in December, so that I could continue to train for some Fall runs.

Other than being unsightly, the only real problems are the need to re-lace my shoes (resulting in a "less-tight" feeling) and an occasional ache. Today when I went to Dr. T's, the bulge looked less pronounc3d than after a run... then it get's pretty huge and red (!), and he said this was normal and would continue to happen as I continued to train. He did tell me, however, that it would not explode...

So following a quick "draining" and the application of some tape (check out the pic to the right) I was on my way... but fear not, Dr. T assured me it would likely continue to swell (fill-up) and shrink (slightly)... YUCK!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!