Yo Mom…you missed my heel!

So next week Friday is my last PT appointment (Doc prescribed 6 weeks @ twice a week).  Although I feel like I have made great strides in my flexibility and strength, I still feel like I have a long way to go before I can get back to my ‘normal’ activities.  Our principal is suggesting 42nd Street as our musical for next year which would mean that I would have to teach a summer school tap class.  Right now I am barely at the point where I can walk at a fairly slow rate without a limp.  I am afraid that without any specific direction- tapping by summer will be out of the question.

I was actually starting to feel good about things until I realized that I only had two appointments left.  Has anyone had luck with continued progression post PT.  I obviously don’t own all of the apparatus and devices they are using to help me stretch and strengthen…so is there one main purchase that anyone can recommend.  I belong to the YMCA- so I do have use of the cross trainer, bikes, and weight equipment.

Deanne (aka DREAMS)

The good news and bad news is that there is nothing wrong with my wound.  Other than the fact that 15 weeks out there is a small spot that has not healed.  Today I went in to get the wound checked, and my surgeon (who is technically the knee and hip specialist) brought in the ankle specialist (she was on maternity leave when my surgery was done) for a consult.  After some digging around they both determined that the wound had no depth to it - which was good news.  Although there were no signs of an infection they put me on a two week course of antibiotics as a ‘precautionary measure’.  They cleaned the spot out and bandaged me back up- told me to continue PT and general rehab without any restrictions, and made me an appointment for 3 weeks.  It really is a small spot that won’t heal, and my biggest problem right now is that I can’t wear any shoe with a back on it.  Not a problem in the middle of summer, or if you live in Arizona.  Unfortunately, I just got home from school early because of an ongoing snowstorm.  I’m really getting sick of wet, cold socks. Ugh…

Deanne (aka DREAMS)

So I would say that PT is going relatively well.  My balance is improving tremendously, and I have progressed from the yellow to the red band.  The one thing that still bothers me is that I feel like I have a wooden foot.  When I try to raise up on my toes, or even when I’m doing horizontal calf raises on the machine- my foot doesn’t bend.  Even when I try to roll heel to toe as I walk, my foot doesn’t seem to roll through- it just plops.  I can see some progress when I am barefoot, but as soon as I put my shoes on I feel like I’m walking on a fake foot.  My PT says that a lot of it is from the tightness, and she has been massaging my arch as well as having me do a few more stretching exercises, but it just doesn’t seem to be making significant progress.  Am I just being over anxious, or is this something that should be making major improvements after two weeks of PT?

Deanne (aka DREAMS)