Jun 28 2010
Today is a good day
Today is a good day - i am wearing a matching pair of shoes (well trainers) for the first time since January! Under physio’s instructions, i am weaning myself off the ROM boot gradually - wearing shoes in the house and the boot for outside. Hopefully i will be fully bootless in about two weeks, c. 12 weeks post op (this is the protocal we are working to). That will be mid July, and the next step will be running by end-October.
It’s great to be getting more independent. I have been using the stationery cycle at the gym, and have been pleasantly surprised at the strength i have left in my leg, although i am not putting any real work through my calf. I have also learnt over the past couple of days that i need a shoe with some heel in it’s construction - bare feet and flat sandals don’t work well.
I’m still getting a substantial amount of swelling, mainly around the repair area - more so now i am using the leg. Also, there is still a lot of stiffness in my ankle, but i guess that just takes time and exercise - at least i can see light at the end of the tunnel! (What’s that funny ‘train’ noise??!)
Congratulations on getting into two shoes, that’s always a big accomplishment, physically and psychologically. I talked my therapist about the fact that while my left calf has substantial atrophy, my left thigh had suffered none. He told me studies indicate that within 24 hours after immobilizing the ankle, the calf begins to atrophy. But it doesn’t happen with the thigh. The conclusion is that immobilization is the the main cause of muscle atrophy not disuse. I can climb, on my bike, just as well now as I could before my rupture even though my left calf is about 10-12% smaller than my right calf and the tendon is still not able to function correctly.
David: Great to hear you’re up and about nearly normally. I had good results with the stationery bike, but also in the pool. At about 6-7 weeks, I began simply walking forwards and backwards and sideways in chest high water, along with heel lifts (two legs then one). The progress and exhilaration from walking freely were very encouraging. If you can access a pool, I recommend it heartily.
Lucky you’ve been pleasantly surprised at your leg strength. Many of us have been surprised in the opposite direction, by our lack of strength and general fitness both, even after relatively quick rehab protocols.