As an athlete in two sports (basketball and track), I stay very active. Toward the end of my basketball season, I made a three-point shot and came down awkwardly on my right ankle. After that moment, I could not play and was hobbling. Since I was still limping, Lauren Aymat, the athletic trainer at my school, Liberty Park Middle School, referred me to Andrews Sports Medicine.
I’m not your average athlete. In all honesty, I’m not an athlete at all, but I do love deer hunting.
I suffer with Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), a condition that causes ankle pain and stiffness. OCD is characterized by a loss of blood supply to one or more bones in the ankle, which may result in a fracture or break within the ankle joint. It often occurs after an injury such as a sprain or trauma to the foot and ankle. The severity of OCD depends on whether the fragmented bone stays in place or detaches.
On a Saturday in January of 2019, I was performing at a gymnastics meet in Memphis, Tennessee. During warm ups, my left Achilles began hurting more than ever. It was not unusual to experience it bothering me. In the past couple of years, I had already been experiencing some discomfort in that area. Therefore, I preceded to prepare to perform for my floor routine, which is one of my favorite events.
On Saturday, May 9, 2020, I was out running some errands to prepare for Mothers’ Day the next day. As I was leaving the Garden Center in Cullman, I stepped off the curb onto a stick and rolled my left ankle. I immediately felt more pain than I had ever experienced.
I had an appointment with Dr. Jody Ortega in late June, 2019 for an issue with my right ankle. At the appointment, Dr. Ortega quickly consulted with Andrews Sports Medicine's foot & ankle specialist, Dr. Norman Waldrop, about my condition.
In July of 2018, our family was on vacation in Destin, Florida. We were on the beach enjoying ourselves when I tried to jump a "giant wave" and I awkwardly landed on my left ankle. As soon as my left ankle hit the sand I felt a pop on the outer edge of my ankle.
I immediately knew my injury wasn't minor, so we went to a local ER in Destin. The ER doc placed me in an ankle brace, provided me crutches and recommended I see a local orthopaedic doctor as soon as we returned home. I spent the remainder of vacation on crutches.
My name is Lee Wood, and on behalf of my family, I would love to start off by thanking each doctor and their team that has helped my family get back to our best. I am a mother of three kids who were always involved in some kind of sport growing up. Their primary sports were soccer and ultimate frisbee during high school and college. I also coach the high school competitive, ultimate frisbee team and the women’s club team.
After walking around for several years with severe right ankle pain due to arthritis and a failed operation by another orthopedic group, I finally went to the Andrews Sports Medicine and saw Dr. Waldrop. He agreed to fix my ankle and I have been pain free ever since the operation.
I started playing volleyball at the age of 12 and have been playing the sport ever since.
Unfortunately, nothing has come easy for me on the volleyball court the last few years, but that has not stopped me from making the most of my chances.
The first sign of trouble came when I sprained my left ankle in January,2015 during the club season of my sophomore year at Spain Park High School.
I'm a climber, I'm a trail runner, I'm a hiker, I'm a mountain biker, I'm a kayaker, I fly fish, etc., I'm a LOVER OF ADVENTURE AND THE OUTDOORS! On March 12, 2015, I fell 25 feet while rock climbing in Chattanooga, TN. I was quickly transported via ambulance to the ER at Erlanger Hospital and as I entered as a Level 2 Trauma, I had severe pain in my left leg/foot/heel, right foot/heel, numbness in back (two of my vertebrae), severe pain in my right and left arms (specifically my elbows), chest pain, and difficulty breathing.