howard’s AchillesBlog

It’s been just over two weeks since the splint came off, I put away the crutches, and started with the boot. I’m allowed to put weight on the injured foot, as long as I don’t overdo things, and never put weight on that foot unless the boot is on. I was told not to take long walks in the neighborhood or at the mall, but otherwise I’m pretty much unrestricted.

The biggest problem I had with the boot was the added length it gave to my left leg. The wedge they put in made the left leg considerably longer than the right, and I looked like Walter Brennan from the Real McCoys (sorry, young people - you can look it up) when I walked. As a result of the imbalance, my knees, hips and shoulders all started to hurt.

I went online to Shoebuy and bought a pair of Skechers sneakers that seemed to have a high heel and sole (remember the ugly 70s, when you could see men’s shoes with one-inch heels? Yuck). I also bought a heel insert that adds an additional half-inch of height. That pretty much evened things out, and walking got a lot easier.

I don’t wear the boot to bed, but have to put it on every time I get out of bed. I thought that would be a big nuisance, but I got used to it right away. To shower, I manage to maneuver myself from the boot to my knees in the bathtub, and shower in a kneeling position (sorry for the visual). Other than that, life has been very normal.

Since I haven’t tried to do anything without the boot, I don’t really know how the healing process is progressing. I hope to get some information on that next week when I see the orthopedist again. I suspect he’ll send me to PT at that time. I’ll report next week.

I had made plans for a ski trip to Jackson Hole in February. Obviously, that ain’t happening. Right now I’m trying to convince American Airlines to return my frequent flyer miles to my account without a $150 penalty. I’m sending them a note from my orthopedist. Maybe the low fuel prices will put them in a good mood. I’ll report back.

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