Jul
14
5 Weeks Post Op
July 14, 2009 | |
Hello All,
Let me start off by saying Ahhhhhhhhhh! It sure feels great getting my cast off and getting home to finally soak and clean my leg after 5 weeks in a cast/splint. I was fitted with my stormtrooper boot aka the Aircast. It’s bulkier than I thought it would be. My doctor said everything was really good, my wound was completely healed and everything looked great. My calf atrophy was a bit of a shock but it gives me some motivation to get it back to normal size.
My doctor said that the only time I needed to wear my boot was when I wanted to walk. I’ve read that some people are wearing their boot all the time even while sleeping. My foot was already set at 90 degrees for the past two weeks in a cast when I got my stitches out so I guess I’m a little ahead of the curve. The doctor told me to gradually put more weight as I felt comfortable this week and he wanted me to start PT next week. He said I should be walking in my boot without a crutch by the time I start PT next week. This seems aggressive but I’m all for it. It was weird to finally put partial weight now that I am in the boot. I am going to take it easy until I get more confident walking in it. All in all a good day and I’m starting to feel that I am making progress on the long road to full recovery.
Does any body have any recommendations for protecting the scar area while wearing the boot? Are there special socks or should I wrap my achilles in an ace bandage? Thanks.
Comments
1 Comment so far
I started using the boot 10 days post surgery and quickly found that I couldn’t stand to have my heal rubbing against the back of the boot. I scooted my foot up about an inch which made all the difference in the world. Also, I just use a regular cotton athletic tube sock. That way natural fibers are touching the wound instead of the liner of the boot and I can change it every day. I had wound seepage for the first week but after that the wound dried up. Your wound is probably farther along than mine (3 weeks) and mine is pretty well healed. Also, you probably heard this elsewhere but wearing a shoe on your healthy foot (even indoors) evens out your stride a bit. I had 3 heel wedges in my boot which took a few days to get used to. Sounds like you don’t have those so your boot experience should be considerably more comfortable.
Good luck!