Eye of newt toe of frog…
November 4, 2008 by catnboot
It’s been 15 weeks since surgery. Feels like 15 years. I had hoped to be doing better at this point but then again I need to be grateful that I have made the progress I have made. Patience is not my virtue. I am a re-rupture so I know what going back to square one feels like. If I hadn’t re-ruptured I’d be almost at the magic 6 month mark.
I walk slowly with a slight limp. Each step hurts. The incision site gets swollen, warm, painful and red after a lot of walking or exercising. I compare it to my other foot and wonder if I will ever have a matching pair.
I am sick of wearing athletic shoes and sick of my achillotrain. So I went to DFW (Dallas Shoe Warehouse) and bought two pairs of flats. Both have cushioned heels. So far so good.
I am so thrilled to be able to run my own errands. The grocery store, the mall, the pet store… I even went to the movies. Loved the “Secret Life of Bees”. I can take a shower standing up. Whoo Hoo! I can go up and down the steps “normally” instead of sideways. I have good range of motion. I can even hang my heels off the step and go down – past 90 degrees.
But I so want to run, or to ride my bike outside. I want to jump or to hop, or live without fear. I want to put on stocking and heels and walk normally. Boy, am I getting greedy. My leg and foot are still so weak.
I go to physical therapy twice a week and have been since mid September. I have converted my bike to a stationary bike with “Cycle Ops” and ride it daily. I do the PT exercises while watching TV. I wish I could just do something to speed up the recovery. Eye of newt toe of frog…
At PT yesterday, there were 2 new ATRs. What’s up! Something in the water. The therapist did tell me something I didn’t need to know - that one woman that they have treated has not recovered and it has been a year and a half since her surgery. She said the woman’s first surgery was bungled and the second surgery was performed gratis. Is it possible not to recover?
At PT they are still doing the magic ionto twice a week. Hybresis is the brand name and it really has made a difference. It is a patch that contains a saline solution. The patch placed over the wound and is connected to a battery that electrifies it fore 3 minutes. Then the battery is removed and I wear the patch for 2 hours. The next morning there is less swelling.
So that’s what week 15 looks like for me.
