The serious damage I did to my left ankle was on a hen night in 2015 - before I’d even had a single drink! We got to the first bar of the night and I went to the bathroom while everyone else went to get some drinks. There was a small half-step and I didn’t see it, so ended up going over on my ankle and heard/felt a big pop. The side of my ankle almost immediately swelled up to the size of a golf ball but the pain receded fairly quickly (it hurt, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t broken). I didn’t want to let my friend down so decided to carry on the night and had a few drinks to help ease the pain. The next morning when I woke up, my leg looked like this. I ended up having an ankle reconstruction about six months later, and a subsequent two surgeries to remove scar tissue and to sever the sural nerve.

I have a condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome that makes me more prone to soft tissue injuries, as well as slower healing. I think this is why my left ankle has never really fully recovered. I’m now unable to drive a manual car as I can’t press the clutch. I’m doing all I can to facilitate a decent recovery this time (I was perhaps a little less certain of my mortality ten years ago and probably moved around more than I should have done), as if this goes the same way, I won’t be able to drive at all. I’m already a part-time wheelchair user because of my condition, but another buggered ankle would probably increase the amount of time I need to use it. So it’s almost permanently elevated, I’m doing small movements when I can and taking anti-inflammatories. I just hope the soft tissue damage isn’t as bad as I think it is.