It went well. His evaluation showed I have really good strength and pretty good ROM for 8 weeks out, so we skipped modalities like the electrical stim and ultrasound. We are focusing on relearning a normal gait, strengthening, and ROM.
Today I did:
- 20 minutes treadmill walking, focusing on the heel-to-toe movement of the gait and taking even steps. That was so much more difficult to do than it sounded. The clunky uneven sound of my feet hitting the deck was really annoying me.
- 100 reps each on balance board of: dorsiflexion/plantarflexion, inversion/eversion
That’s it. It was enough to make me pretty sore. I picked up a gel heel insert and that feels heavenly right now in my shoe. At home I’m supposed to do the same ROM stuff as above (seated) plus big ankle circles. He told me I could do flat-footed kettlebell swings if I want and said we may incorporate that next session too.
I will close by saying I know this therapist very well and have been a client for years, either due to injuries or attending the fantastic kettlebell classes he does. He works with my insurance (that pays him a fraction of what my old insurance did), and is actually the person who recommended my OS. I really feel for people who have to go out there post-op and choose a PT on the spot, with no prior knowledge of how they operate.
There was an older lady in the office doing PT at the same time I was. She had painful peripheral neuropathy due to chemo, as well as pretty advanced spinal issues. While I was plodding away on the treadmill, cursing the fact I could only go 1.9mph, she was (barely) ambulating around the office with assistance, while the PT tried to talk her out of jumping in to further surgeries.
After reading so many others’ stories here, I realize how very fortunate I am to have healed quickly and uneventfully. As of now, it looks like I am on track to make the “best case scenario” recovery my OS had described - about 14 weeks total off work. My PT is very confident that I’ll be ready to go back to full duty after my 6 week followup, and that’s the best news I could ask for.
I’m sore but grateful!
Categories:
Tags: 8 weeks out, haglund's deformity, PT
