When I was a child, I fell out of a tree and broke the talus of my left foot. Over the years, my foot/ankle became so severely arthritic that every step I took was increasingly painful. I was at the point that I dreaded getting out of bed in the morning. I went to Dr. Zaret and he suggested an ankle fusion. I must say that it took me a while to get up the courage to have the procedure. When I finally had the fusion done, I couldn't believe how much better I felt. Although I needed physical therapy to build up my ankle, I was able to walk with so much less pain than I had in years. Nine months after the surgery, I actually participated in a 5K event. I still couldn't run but I walked it!