Chronic Ankle Instability

In case you didn't know from my title, my topic of the day is Chronic Ankle Instability, from which I suffer.  Don’t try and wikipedia it... you’ll fail.

What is CAI, you ask?  Well, 6 months ago I would’ve been just as naive as you. But I’m older now, and quite a bit wiser.  Six months older, actually.  

Let me tell you a little story.  It takes place at cheer camp in July 2012.  I fell from a pyramid and severely sprained my left ankle.  (See Figure 1).  That meant I got to hop around Vegas for 2 days.  They don’t have crutches in Vegas because (a) they like when people suffer,and (b) lots of people walk with a limp to up their swag.  Not me.  I just hopped/ mooched piggy back rides off teammates.  

Figure 1

First Sprain.  Days 1, 3, and 4.

Less than three months later, on October 24, 2012, my life was changed forever.  Following another fall and another ankle sprain (see Figure 2), this time on my right ankle, I was diagnosed with CAI.  When I received the news, I was devastated.  So many questions ran through my mind: What did this mean?  How long did I have?  A week?  A year or two?  

Figure 2

Second sprain.  Days 1 and 4.

The answer? One month.  Just a short 4 weeks later, I re-sprained my left ankle at another practice (see Figure 3).  

Figure 3

Third Sprain.  Day 1... I was done with the bruise pics at this point.

Though this one was not as bad as the others due to the daily ankle taping Jun advised, I was nevertheless devastated.  My diagnosis was confirmed.  I had come to terms with the fact that I have little ankles. Correction: I had little ankles (see comparison of Figure 4).  They are now kankles.  Which is sad because my little ankles were quite attractive.  

Figure 4

Left: ankle pre-sprains.  Right:  wrapped up ankle post-sprain.

Now, maybe I can clear up some ambiguity by giving you a “Day in the life of a CAI sufferer.”

 I wake up at 6:30, and Jun tapes the crap out of my ankles before I go to cheer practice.  This makes for really ugly arabesques and kicks due to my very limited ability to point my toes. 

 Anyway, then I face my abusive relationship: cheer.  Man, I really REALLY love it!  But as you can see, sometimes cheer doesn’t reciprocate that love.  But I’m sticking with it.  We’re going to work it out.  

After practice, I cut off my tape, which hurts if I haven’t shaved in a while.  Then I try and get the weird sticky spray stuff off because it makes it difficult to put pants on when your ankles are sticky.  

Throughout my day, I go through unforeseen complications associated with CAI.  These include: not being able to freely parkour, avoiding potholes and curbs, jumping really low when I frolick, looking weird when I go down stairs, occasionally receiving an ankle "massage" that makes me cry, and struggling to take get my boots over my kankles.  

If that night entails a game, I again tape like there’s no tomorrow.  Often with 2 different trainers taping different ankles, the left and right don’t quite match up (see Figure 5).  But that’s okay because we draw Nike swooshes on the sides and pretend I’m just a hipster and wear tube socks when I cheer.  I’m not sure which is more embarrassing... 

Figure 5

Just... yep.

Life’s rough.  I get through it one day at a time.  

But the my kankles don’t define me.  My CAI doesn’t define me.  All I ask is that you join me in the fight.  Let’s search for the cure (I propose metal joints).  Let’s spread awareness. My fight will not be in vain.  

To help the cause, all I ask is that you give me $5.  Or a back scratch.

Love, "Kankle Kj"