So at 24 weeks post op I managed to reach one of my goals: being able to do my regular walk from home to the harbour and back (about 7 km) at normal speed, without break, without complaints from my foot.
This was the best Christmas present I could get. (And the waves were gorgeous.)
Wish you all a Merry Christmas and similar happy events of recovery in the coming year.
Cheers!
Lots of you seem to wonder what ultrasound treatment is good for, as part of PT.
This is what I found:
“During the remodelling phase of repair, the somewhat generic scar that is produced in the initial stages is refined such that it adopts functional characteristics of the tissue that it is repairing. A scar in ligament will not ‘become’ ligament, but will behave more like a ligamentous tissue. This is achieved by a number of processes, but mainly related to the orientation of the collagen fibres in the developing scar… The remodelling process is certainly not a short duration phase – research has shown that it can last for a year or more – yet it is an essential component of quality repair… The application of therapeutic ultrasound can influence the remodelling of the scar tissue in that it appears to be capable of enhancing the appropriate orientation of the newly formed collagen fibres and also to the collagen profile change from mainly Type III to a more dominant Type I construction, thus increasing tensile strength and enhancing scar mobility…”
Today marks 22 weeks since the surgery, 40 weeks since the original ATR. Long time, lots of changes, different emotions. From the anger (why did it happen to me?), the depression, the hope, the frustration (not healing), being scared (will I ever walk again normally??), the re-rupture, the resignation, and hope again, I am at the stage of being pretty optimistic now.
I managed to put some spring in my steps, can walk without a limp. I am able to do my daily tasks, walk around for hours in the stores, but I have my limits. If I overdo it I get sore. Xmas shopping is a definite no-no. But It does not swell up, so I abuse it sometimes. I can walk at a fast speed for about 45 minutes, then I need a break. So to the outsiders, I look healed.
The PT however sees lots of work ahead. I am still going twice a week, and work out at home daily. I am able to do single leg calf raises, maybe 20, but they are very difficult, and I can raise my heel maybe 2/3 of the way only. So most I do are still double leg raises, different variations on it, at the physio I do it with muscle stimulation for 10-15 minutes. I think my calf strength is still only half of the good one. The calf is getting some definite muscle tone and grew maybe one cm, but there is still another 2 to go.
I have been going swimming (and enjoying it) these past couple of weeks and started to go to the fitness classes again. Mostly core strength classes though. But the simple low impact fitness classes help me to get my confidence back, improve my balance, as they push me outside my comfort zone, trying to keep up with the pace of the music doing the V steps and grapewines… (for those who have dancing feet some salsa steps are great fun, too!) I am no big fan of the gym equipment, use the bike to warm up and get a bit of cardio work and the leg press, but I find the exercises on the floor more useful. I was given exercises on the Bosu ball (that is a soft dome shaped thing) doing squats on it, balancing on one leg and lunges. Great challenge! I am able to do lunges on the on both legs now, and have a good balance picking up objects from the floor on one leg. But the only really good workout for the calves seems to be the heel raises. I am told to do as many as I can, and to motivate myself to keep a tab on it. Holding myself up for 10 seconds and going down nice and slow. However I did the math… The optimal way of doing it would allow me to do about 2 per minute, so if my PT wants me to do about 100 three times a day: that would take me nearly 3 hours ???? Of course that is not happening. But we have to keep trying.
Good luck everyone.
voila the Bosu ball