6 weeks post Op - Cast off, boot on and first PT session
Apologies for being a couple of days late with this post but I started watching a box set of the Blacklist and it’s got me hooked! Definitely worth a watch if if you’re spending way too much time on the sofa.
Anyway…. On Tuesday evening I met with the surgeon for the 6 week appointment where he removed the cast and fitted me with an Aircast boot. I managed to push down far enough that I’m in the boot without any wedges which I’m pretty happy about although it did make me feel a bit nauseous.
The following morning I met with my physio. I’d been unable to find out much about him on Google but thought I’d give him a chance and see how things went. It turns out that he’s successfully dealt with plenty of ATRs and clearly knew what he was doing.
The PT session itself was very mild and he basically observed me trying to walk in the boot, checking to see how much I could move his hand by pressing on it with the sole of my foot and general ankle mobility checks.
The plan is to be in the boot for the next 3 weeks WBAT with the intention that I’ll work up to being fully weight bearing by the end of week 3 and able to get into shoes.
I’ve been given PT homework of doing 4 exercises consisting of 12 reps and 1-2 sets to carry out 4 -5 times a day over the next week until the next PT appointment to help with ROM, ankle mobilisation and to start building some strength.
The exercises themselves are pretty challenging and it’s a really strange feeling staring at your foot and willing it to move yet it just doesn’t want to respond. I’m as weak as a kitten. Haha!
On a positive note, I’m allowed to remove the boot at night and for showering. It’s really nice being able to clean my wound and scrub all the dead skin off my foot although I haven’t slept too well without the boot which I’m putting down to a touch of nervousness about doing something silly with it during the night but, as with everything about this injury, I’m sure I’ll get used to it pretty quickly.
Losing the cast and getting the boot means that I no longer have to give myself daily injections to reduce the risk of thrombosis. 7 weeks of injections have taken their toll on my stomach by leaving a mixture of multi-coloured bruises and needle marks. I genuinely feel for diabetics who have to inject themselves forever and genuinely don’t understand why anyone would willing inject anything into themselves.
Yippy!I find it really beneficial to have faith in your PT, glad you liked yours. Your PT plan sounds right on target. I was amazed at how fast my ROM came back with that first set of exercises.
As for going FWB I’ll tell you what everyone told me, you’ve probably read it from dozens of other bloggers here,…it’s more mental than emotional.
As for sleeping without the boot I wore a ace bandage at first to give it some stability, and I also put it up on a pillow under the sheets so my significant other didn’t accidentally knock it, which also gave me elevation on it while I slept. I am a deep sleeper who moves little so it all worked out. On to the next phase for you Baily!
Congrats on moving on to the boot and PT! I start pt in 2-3 weeks and am nervous about getting a good therapist (as I don’t have much choice being a VA patient). Glad yours looks like a good fit!
I’ll also recommend sleeping in an ace bandage. It helped me feel more secure and not so naked. I also slept with a pillow under my leg to give some elevation and to keep my boyfriend from kicking it.
I didn’t sleep well at first because I felt like I had to stay on my back, and I’m not a back sleeper. After I few weeks, I learned I could sleep on my stomach with a pillow under my leg, so my toes hung over. Just make sure your sheets aren’t tight.
I too am a front sleeper and used a pillow under my leg for the whole time I was in a cast. I also swapped sides of the bed with my girlfriend so that my injured leg is to the outside when in my usual sleeping position. Doing both those things definitely helped with “sleep anxiety” for both me and my girlfriend.
It’s been a few nights since the cast came off and I’m now sleeping well due to there not being any issues during the first couple of nights. Any nervousness about catching my foot or my girlfriend knocking it is completely gone and I’ve even slept in over the weekend although this might be due to being tired from the pt and starting partial weight bearing.
Hi Bailey,
I echo the pillow under the foot concept! Also, I find I have developed some type of radar; I can tell when there is anything or anyone within three feet of my heel (good in a crowd). I am instinctively defensive if anyone comes near my heel with their feet or a shopping cart.
Happy recovery,
Michelle