kathyw’s AchillesBlog

Last Thursday I was given 2 lifts to put in the boot I had first been issued after the ATR, to wear until surgery. There was already a 1/4 inch lift in it, and the other 2 lifts added 7/8 inch to that.  I took out the ¼ inch and the ⅛ inch lifts immediately, and cruised for the past week on the ¾ inch lift…today I replaced it with the other 2 lifts, going down ⅜ inch.

For the first time, I’m feeling a stretch in my Achilles’ when I step on my right foot…I’ve gone back to 2 crutches for today & will back down to 1 and sometimes 0 crutches tomorrow…  I can’t say I enjoy the stretching sensation, but it is forward progress.

I talked with my Physical Therapist yesterday–I’ll be starting therapy on Wednesday next week.  I mentioned to her that I hope to start swimming next week also.  She said, “You can swim and use the kickboard as much as you want, but I’d rather you not do any walking in the pool til I’ve seen you & seen how your tendon is doing.”

Here’s an amusing story:
2 weeks post-op (November 15th) I had to talk on a conference call with my boss & 2 co-workers.  They asked how I was doing, and I explained that I was spending my days sitting on the couch with my foot elevated, and that the orthopedist had said I should not expect to begin weight-bearing until February.  My boss said that she knew what I was going through, that she had had the exact same experience when she broke a toe rough-housing with her kids–it had to be taped and she had to keep her foot up for a whole week!

Actually, my co-workers have been wonderful–the first week after my surgery, 1 - 3 people came over every day, most bringing food for us, and visiting and offering to help out in many ways.  A few still bring over meals, but several call or come by every week…It has been both heartening and humbling…I have realized that I have not done enough in the past to help others, and know that I can’t repay all the kindness.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 5th, 2012 at 4:59 pm filed under Uncategorized and tagged heel lift, progress, work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.