[SIZE= medium]I’m 59 and an avid cyclist. I’ve had a bad left ankle for years. I had two surgeries to remove bone spurs but ankle pain kept getting worse and worse. I was advised to have ankle fusion but was concerned about how it might impact my cycling. My pain finally got so bad; I decided to have the fusion surgery. The surgery was performed on June 30, 2011. I had an arthroscopic procedure with three screws inserted into my ankle. I spent 6 weeks in a cast and on crutches with no weight bearing. On August 8, 2011 the cast came off and I was provided a boot. I was instructed to gradually start putting weight on my left ankle. Over the next 3 weeks, I transitioned to full weight bearing. My ankle was feeling stronger and stronger and I started walking with shoes in the house. Over Labor Day weekend, I decided to take a short spin on my bike with a brace on the ankle. I did 18 miles without pain. I’ve now done 3 more rides and today finished a 35 mile ride. My ankle is still a little numb but it seems to be doing ok when I ride. My dilemma now is what to tell my surgeon when I see him this Friday as he hasn’t told me it was ok yet for me to ride. While I don’t recommend going against the advice of a physician, I did want to share how pleased I am with my fusion. It is weird not being able to bend my ankle but it is so nice to walk and ride without pain. I wish I would have had the procedure months ago. Now I just need to get back in shape!! [/SIZE]