7.5 weeks post op - ditched the crutches
I seem to be getting later and later with these posts but other people seems to be at a similar stage to me and are doing a good job of updating their blogs so I’m a little reluctant to repeat what has already been written.
At physio last Wednesday my PT said he was happy with my ROM and that I had gained around 5 degrees of movement past neutral. This has been achieved without using towels or therabands to pull on my foot, just through regular movement of my ankle joint using my calf and shin muscles.
The PT also started scar massage (not pleasant) which I have to continue at home and he also had a go at forcing my foot past neutral although he didn’t say how successful he was. It certainly felt uncomfortable so hopefully it wasn’t a waste of time.
Yesterday was a major milestone and was my first time walking “hands free” whilst in the boot and the day before was my first time using just one crutch.
I could probably have progressed to this point sooner although I’m not unhappy that I took my time as I only did what I felt comfortable with. I was actually surprised that I was able to use one crutch and then, after a bit of practice, noticed that I wasn’t putting much weight on the crutch. This led me to attempt a couple of baby steps without the crutch which I was very surprised to find quite easy. It’s great being able carry things between rooms and I even managed to bring my girlfriend a cup of tea for the first time in nearly 9 weeks.
We have also booked a week away in Marrakesh as my girlfriend has 19 days off work starting next week. We were meant to be going to Cuba which we had to cancel due to this injury so it’s good to have something to look forward to other than the next mini victory in my ATR recovery.
The lesson I have learned this week is… don’t be scared but don’t be stupid.
good stuff! I recall how proud & happy I was to be able to bring back the dinner from kitchen to living room… like a kid!
enjoy Marrakech
Love it Baily…”don’t be stupid”…so glad you’ll have time away with your girlfriend…enjoy!
Sounds good! Sounds much like me going down the stairs foot over foot now…tried a few times in the past week didn’t feel comfortable then I tried it recently and was a bit unsure then felt ok and off I went.
You’re exactly right, don’t be scared but not stupid..it’s harder than it sounds lol
Doing anything new is always a bit awkward but soon becomes normal with a bit of practice. I genuinely think that being in either a cast or a boot for 9 weeks has made me forget how to walk normally.
Eric, you’re right when you say it’s harder than it sounds. I’m used to pushing myself as I believe you don’t get anything in life unless you work for it. Unfortunately this attitude doesn’t work well when you’re injured and it’s very hard to strike the right balance between rest and recovery.
I had the same experience of moving from one crutch to no crutches really quickly. It surprised me as moving to one crutch was such a major milestone, but like you I noticed that I wasn’t putting much weight on the crutch and just gently went for it! Amazing how much more freedom you feel having both hands free! Keep up the hard work!