alt Hacker NewsI can certainly attest to the consequences. I unfortunately shattered my ankle and broke my back simultaneously, which meant I didn't walk on my ankle until 6 months after the incident. As such, even 10 years later my ankle is a constant irritant to me. I have next to no dorsiflexion beyond a straight leg now. No ankle mobility means persistent pain in my hip, knee, and back on that side, and I'm only 29. God bless the NHS for saving my life at the time and not charging me a penny, but despite my best efforts I can't get any further treatment now to improve the flexion. I'm counting down the years until I can finally afford further surgery and get some quality of life improvements.
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At the risk of sounding like an American stereotype, have you considered starting something like a GoFundMe to pay for the future surgery?
Also worth looking into clinical trials. Obviously not ideal to be a guinea pig, but sometimes you can find experimental treatment on these things and they won't charge you.
What surgical treatment do you expect to improve your outcome?