I am happy to announce...

For the first time in over 7 months I can now walk normally with no pain!  Granted, that's with an ankle brace on (a pretty strong one at that), but I'll take it!  I'm not going to mention how it feels when I'm just sitting here, though.  Why in the world does it feel better when I'm walking on it than it does when I'm sitting here with no weight on it?

Good Appointment, but still no driving :(

I had an appointment with Dr K yesterday morning.  It went well.  He said things look good and he's impressed with how good my foot looks when I stand up.  He has me transitioning from the boot into an ankle brace which is a really nice change.  It's so nice to be wearing 2 shoes again and to be able to move my ankle.  I'm probably not easing into the brace as much as I should be since I wore it to work this morning and didn't bring my brace, but that's okay.  I'm just determined to build up the strength in my ankle.  I can handle a little soreness, I just have to watch out for pain because that will land me back in the boot.  I go back to Dr. K in three weeks and I WILL be driving to that appointment.

He told me that there's no cut and dry way to tell if I'm ready to drive.  It's a matter of my ankle being strong enough and the tendon being strong enough so that it doesn't get injured if I have to slam on the breaks or something.  It's also a matter of my reaction time with my foot being fast enough to get from the gas to the break quick enough if I have to stop quick.  He said that since I'm at the point where my tendon is probably healed or at least very close to being fully healed that there's a bit of a risk vs reward going on with driving.  I have to weigh the risk of something happening with the reward of being able to drive and go from there.  He also told me to talk to my physical therapist about it and really my PT would be the one to clear me to drive.

Yesterday afternoon I went to physical therapy.  I told my PT about my appointment and he went and read Dr. K's notes about it.  He had me up and working in my brace a lot, which was really nice.  He said my movement looks really good so really it's mainly about strengthening right now.  I tried to convince him (and so did one of the aides) but he wants to see me a couple more times before I start driving so that I can build a little more strength.  I hope to be driving next week.  I need to build up my driving stamina at least a little before our Thanksgiving trip to Tennessee...

It's really nice to walk again

As of today it's been 4 weeks since my surgery.  I've been weaning off of my crutches.  Well, really, I haven't been using them much at all.  The past few days I've used them at work but not at home.  Today I only used them when I had my boot off- either to ice or do my exercises.  It's feeling pretty good.  The outside of my ankle is sore but I think that's just from it being weak after not being used for so long.

I had physical therapy on Tuesday and it went really well.  I got to do some new exercises which was nice.  He even had me do one exercises that had me bearing weight on my foot.  And I think my mobility has improved even more this week.

It's healing really well.  Here's what it looks like right now.  It's still swollen but not horribly so.  And it's definitely still bruised, but since it's my foot that's to be expected for quite awhile.

Doctor's Appointment

I was really hoping the title of today's post would be something about how I'm done with crutches, but, unfortunately, that is not the case.  I do, though, get to ease off of the crutches.

My appointment today with Dr. K went well.  He said my foot looks good and my movement is good for almost 4 weeks post op.  He's happy with my progress.  I'm supposed to continue on with physical therapy (obviously, since I've only been once), wean myself off of the crutches and when I feel like my tendon is strong enough- and my PT agrees- I can stop sleeping in the boot.  As for weaning off of the crutches, he means I need to start with walking with both feet and the crutches so that some weight is still on my hands, but I also have some on my foot.  Then just keep increasing the weight I put on my foot, just making sure that it doesn't hurt.  The concern is really getting back on it too early and injuring the tendon that he reconnected.  That would not be fun, so I'm going to do my best to really be careful about weaning.

So all in all a good visit and I go back in two weeks.  I will not be going back on crutches. :)

And now the fun stuff!  Dr K has before and after x-rays of my foot from the day of surgery.  He's shown them to me a couple of times, but today I asked if I could take pictures of them.  He was happy to let me.  Taking that bone out definitely made a significant difference in my foot.  For some reason his x-rays were printed backwards so it looks like this should be from my left foot, but I promise you, it's from my right.  Check it out:

Before

He's pointing to the bone he's going to remove.

Now it's gone- 

and he shaved down the bone next to it to get rid of the big bump I had on the side of my foot.

And before and after next to each other.  

I'm sorry it's upside down, I can't get it to flip over and stay that way.

 Pretty big difference, huh?

3 weeks and Starting Physical Therapy

As of today it's been three weeks since surgery. My foot is feeling really good. It's still swollen and bruised but as long as I don't move it it doesn't hurt. :). I go back to Dr K on Monday and hopefully he will clear me to start walking on it.

I had my first physical therapy appointment yesterday. It went really well. Right now I'm just working on range of motion but it's nice to have permission to move it again. I have a few simple exercises to do twice a day to work on my range of motion. I can move it up and down pretty well, it's just the side to side that is tight and sore. One of my exercises is to draw the alphabet with my toes and I have to say that my letters, if you could see them, would be really ugly. It's tough when you can't make much of a circle with your ankle.  I really think a big part of the issue with my lack of movement is the swelling, but we'll see what Dr. K says about it on Monday.  I guess I should probably try icing it after I do my exercises- it can't hurt, right?  I'm definitely going to keep up my exercises though- I can't wait to watch my mobility come back! 

No More Stitches!

I went to the doctor on Monday and, after waiting over an hour and a half for my appointment, I got my stitches out!  The incision actually looks pretty good.  I don't think the scar is going to be too bad. 

It's really nice to have the stitches out and not have the big bandage on it anymore, but it actually aches more now that it did before.  I think the way it was bandaged helped hold my arch up and now without that support the tendon that he reattached is having to do more work and it's still got a lot of healing to do.  As for the incision it just itches.  It doesn't really hurt, but it really itches, which is really annoying since I have to have my boot on.

 I'm still not weight bearing on it.  I got back to the doctor in two weeks (on the 24th) and he said that normally after that appointment they let you start walking in the boot.  I cannot wait to be off of these crutches.  My doctor told me that I can start physical therapy anytime, but the first time they could get me in is next Wednesday, so that's when I'll start.  I got next Wednesday and Friday.  I look forward to starting physical therapy so that I can learn what I'm really allowed to do with my foot, you know?

Here's a picture of my foot right now.  I don't think my ankle is really that fat- I think it's just the angle and swelling- or at least that's what I'm telling myself...

I'll spare you from the picture of my foot from the day they took off my original bandage.  I took a picture when I was at the doctor before they changed my bandage.  It's pretty gross, though. :)

21 hours and 10 minutes

Until my appointment to get my stitches out.  I can't wait!

I haven't been having much pain, but the bandage that's covering my stitches is getting really uncomfortable.  My boot presses on it which makes me incision hurt.  And really, I can't wait to be able to get my foot wet and clean it really well.  My doctor even told me that I can shower after I get my stitches out.  I'm not sure how that's going to work without being able to put weight on my foot, but I think I'm going to try.  I may be weird, but I really don't like taking baths.  Oh, I also look forward to being able to easily put a sock on my right foot under my boot!

And since tomorrow is a holiday (Columbus Day) and Ben doesn't have to work but the girls still go to daycare, he's taking me to my appointment and then we're going to go out to lunch and maybe to see a movie.  Yay for date day!