Life has a way of throwing ironic curve balls. A few weeks ago, I elected to have surgery on my left ankle. My diagnosis was a peroneal tendon tear with ankle instability. My surgery was a peroneal brevis repair with Brostrom lateral ligament reconstruction. Over the next several weeks I will chronicle my preparation for surgery, post-op recovery & therapy with my end goal in mind of skiing with my family this winter. Having helped thousands of patients through a similar event I was confident that I knew how to handle this situation. Prior to surgery I made a checklist of items to make my recovery as easy as possible. Some of these items are time tested and true, while others are more evolving technology. I purchased or rented all of these through FootSourceMD, who I must say are wonderful. My list: – Crutches that are spring loaded, In Motion (spring loaded) These are more efficient and more comfortable. – Turning Leg Caddy – Cast cover so I could shower- FootSourceMD carries 2 types. Seal Tight or Dry Pro (2 styles). Seal Tight is used for patients to sit while showering and will fit both soft or hard cast – Dry Pro is 100% waterproof and fits hard cast only – great for summer swimming. – Adjustable Shower Bench so I would not fall over balancing on one leg. – DonJoy cold therapy- DonJoy IceMan- call FootSourceMD to order. – TENS unit. This gives a low level electrical current that decreases the pain experienced at the brain. Very helpful – NMES ( neuromuscular electrical stimulation ) to keep my muscles contracting at a low safe level. This is to minimize the atrophy while I am not on the leg and to potentiate the contractions once I begin my physical therapy –Compression Socks– 20-30 Compression ribbed socks to keep swelling to a minimum. – Anti inflammatory medication. I chose Celebrex for its long half life and being easier on my stomach. – Antibiotics. A short duration after surgery so that my wound remains clean. – Pain medication; which I took very little of. Home preparation: – Pillow by bedside to help elevate – Be really nice to my wife Diane and my kids Logan and Jenna since I am their captive for awhile. – Computer and Ipad by couch so that I do not get bored. – Remove any throw rugs, backpacks & shoes from the house so that I will trip over them on my crutches.