I got the BOOT!

Hi determined.
I got my boot Monday. It was EXCITING, but I am sooooo swollen and in pain. My ROM is minimal. I’m supposed to be writing alphabet with foot, but can barely move. What have you found? I went back to my crutches for today because I am in so much pain.
?

Determined - YEAH!!!!! It feels so much more “safe” having protection wrapped around the foot and leg, doesn’t it.
Are you still NWB or or are you partial using crutches? Any date to start if so?
Glad everything looked good inside. It was a freaky moment to see the incision site for the first time. Mine’s covered up again till Apr. 10. I wonder if the scar will be completely healed and invisible by then?
Hang tough!

I’d also suggest a shower chair. Greatly reduces chances of slipping / falling in the shower. You can find one on Amazon for around $25.00

my follow up is on monday. i hope i will be as excited as you guys

I always felt better with my casts/splints on than without. You will get used to not having it on and will be glad you can (or at least try) move it. As far as scarring, my scars are barely visible now. I have before and after photos. My calves looked like I had leprosy when they took the casts off. You will be suprised how fast you will heal and how time will fly. Range of motion will improve very fast at first. I think I started with my toes pointed down at -16 degrees and the other at -14 degrees. After about 4-6 weeks I was +5-10 degrees. They considered 0 degrees a 90 degree angle. 2 years later and both my Achilles are around 22 degrees.
It seemed that the more I moved, the faster I would heal. There was a downside to all that movement/therapy and that was swelling. So the routine was therapy then ice/elevation. You would be suprised how strong your achilles is right now. A month or two after getting my casts off I was walking with crutches. I planted both crutches on the first step down on my porch (6 steps total). As I went forward, I realized that I could not lift either crutch and could not stop my forward momentum. So I basically pole-vaulted to the ground below, landing on both feet. They were intact upon landing.

Oh shower chairs at the best!!!!!!!!!!! and a back pack (my nick name is DORA) oh and a chair with wheels has given me a little freedom in the kitchen to make cups of tea and coffee and i can whizz around and still roast my coffee beans and unload the dishwasher and still feel like im doing my bit and then I go and elevate my foot AGAIN!

thanks Bilaterlbummer (love the name) I can so visualize your pole-vault experience and had a wee cringe and giggle and thanks mental note not to try at the mo!

i got my boot too !! i am 25 degrees from neutral so i have to do stretches with a towel twice a day. still not weight bearing. follow up in a week to check on my movements. i couldnt move my foot yesterday but tis morning i could move it slightly.

also was very excited to finally take a shower and wash my leg

Showering with 2 casts on: remove door from bathroom so wheelchair can fit and roll to commode. Lock down wheelchair. Painstakingly move from side to side to remove clothes without putting feet on floor. Transition to top of toilet with lid down….feet on floor no pressure. Transition (cold and naked of course) to edge of tub gymnast style….feet on floor. Finagle head under spout after desired water temp reached and wet head (contortionist style) trying not to bump head on spout. Add soap to head (move fast now blood filling up casts) and remove…..again not hitting head (50% success typical). Finish fast and reverse process and elevate feet (toes now purple). Relax for a while and finish process. Total shower/bathroom time …about 1 hour. It was finally nice to be able to stand in the shower, but it was kind of sketchy at first.

Baths …I just used a 2×6 and put it across where the spout was. I would fill the tub full of water and transition (gymnast style) into the tub keeping my casts on the 2×6.

Always realize that the phone will ring and someone will knock on the door during the process…..it always happened to me.

First 2 weeks sponge bath in bed, wasnt able to move to a toilet, had a p bottle, and wount even talk about other. once i was able to transfer from bed to wheel chair(was painful to move first 3 weeks), i wheeled out to back porch and stripped down and used water hose to bath, was summer time, so it was hot and felt great. at start of weight bearing would place shower chair in shower stall and just sit there and enjoy the ability to take a shower again with legs hanging outside the stall using a handheld shower head, bilateral 7/12/2012 and oh how life changes and how you value ability to walk and move around house etc