Early this month, I was reminded of the old Operation game (some of us remember the TV commercial) when I wrenched my left ankle. It was the lateral malleolus, to be anatomically correct about it.
I was dismantling a bedstead. It’s kind of an old-fashioned piece and the headboard was pretty heavy. I was removing the side rails. I thought they were hooked to slots in the headboard and footboard and the parts would stay together after I unscrewed the side rails.
They weren’t and they didn’t.
I was facing the footboard removing the last screw from the side rail. I didn’t see the headboard falling when it struck the outer aspect of my left ankle with a loud bang on the joint flexed in sort of a sprinter’s starting posture. Surprise!
I was able to walk with a slight limp. It was swollen and bruised, but I could still put my shoes and socks on. I could even do a left one leg stand for a few seconds.
The swelling is down but still noticeable. It’s much less painful. I thought I could go without seeing a doctor because I could walk on it without limping. I eventually saw a web article about this kind of injury which pointed out that in some cases you can still walk on a broken ankle.
I may be in denial, but I’m betting it’s sprained. The moral of the story is that you should always have a spotter with you to hang onto potentially unstable heavy objects like headboards.
Go Retire Psychiatrist 