Just Another Not So Ordinary Day…..

Tomorrow will be 12 weeks post op for me– right foot…..in two shoes, but still using 2 crutches and have 4 more PT sessions until my 12 authorized sessions are up.  Got brave last night and crutched out to car (with husband in passenger seat) to see if the old leg could manage driving.  Plan was to use bad foot on accelerator and good foot on brake.  Drove a couple couple miles around the neighborhood and felt okay, other than my bad leg was very sore at the hip and thigh — need to work on using/exercising the area more I guess.  Braking with left foot takes a little getting used to, but don’t think I had enough strenth in right leg to do both braking and accelerating  with it…..at first, some rough stops, but got smoother and more natural feeling as we moved along.  Got home with very tired right leg……my wonderful hubby immediately got online to shop for a stationary bike for me to use at home to strengthen my legs……Felt awesome to know I can drive ….will practice some more this week and next week attempt to drive my daughter to school and pick her up…..she is counting the days, as she hates taking the bus….

Was wondering something about stationary bikes…….at PT I ride a standard bike, but we were looking into more of a recumbent style, with a seat that has a back.  I am wondering whether the recumbent bike would be putting more pressure on the achilles tendon because your legs are out in front of you instead of vertical to the ground.  I don’t want to get a bike that would reinjure the achilles, obviously.  Any thoughts on whether it matters what type of bike to get???????? I was planning on going to Sears with my husband to try out some different ones….I wear shoes when I ride the bike. 

Well, thanks in advance for any input……..

Happy healing …… we WILL all get there!!!!

Marianne

Yesterday, had my fifth PT session, 10 weeks post-op….I’m in two shoes with crutches, but still can’t get my foot to 90 degrees without alot of pushing.  Yesterday’s session, they added a new exercise to the towell scrunch, marble pick-up, rocker, “blue shoe stretch”, bike , and massage.  I had to stand with both feet flat on the floor and shift my weight from good foot to bad foot holding onto a table.  They had to put a foam wedge under my bad foot since I can’t get it flat on the floor.  Well, that worked out ok, but then they wanted me to lift my good leg off the ground and while still holding onto the table put all my weight onto my bad leg.  I said, “Are you kidding?”  And one of the therapists said, “No, is there something wrong with your knee?”  — not funny.  Well, after much protesting on my part, I attempted to lift my good leg off the floor.  …….couldn’t do it for either mental or physical reasons…….. but I did work up a good sweat while trying.  I was asked to crutch over to the scales to see how much weight I could actually put on the bad leg and after four tries got to 100 lbs.  So, I guess I really can put more weight on the leg than I thought I could, although I had to work through the pain to get there.   Then onto my least favorite activity– the massage and boy was it a killer yesterday.  Lay around with ice on foot much of today…..usually, the day after PT I feel great, but not today.   Well, enough of the woe-is-me- for today……just needed to vent my frustration at the slow pace of my life.  My daughter starts high school, as a freshman, on Monday and I won’t be able to drive her on her first day—–just had to throw that in.

Happy healing to all and have a great weekend !! 

Many of you may already have been aware of the articles out there regarding cortisone shots causing weaking of the ATR and ruptures, but thought I would post for those not familiar Prolotherapy - Achilles Tendon: The Weak Link for Many Ahttp://www.prolotherapy.org/article.asp?

Well, I am off to my third PT session today and have religiously been doing my at-home exercises over the weekend twice a day.  I was wondering what you all do on your PT appt. days…..skip at-home exercises, or do the one set at home and the PT session counts as the second set?  I am still at the towell scrunching, marble-toe, blue band flexing, circles and alphabet stage (at home)  I also warm the ankle for 10 min. before exercises and ice for 10 min. after.  So, to skip at-home exercises on PT days or not-  that is the question…….. 

Thanks everyone for the input…..been reading all posts daily and wish you all happy healing

Well, it will be 9 weeks Wednesday post-op and I got the call this morning that my first PT appt. will be Wednesday!  Happy 9 week anniversary to me :)  Something I’ve been wondering about is  I’ve been walking around the house in two shoes (doc said ok) with crutches; he actually said I should be ditching the crutches, but can’t seem to manage that yet– still am super tight and” fear factor” alive and well.  I had been switching off shoe/boot when the shoe bothered me, but the boot really is still irritating the incision, so I stay in the shoe mostly.  Feel alot more stretch in the calf in shoes though….  I don’t leave the house much since I’m not working, but back to question….should I bring/wear boot to PT or just walk in with two shoes and crutches?  Or does it even matter….do they want to see how you are walking or are they mainly interested just in the ROM and flexing etc.?  I am still not able to stand with two feet flat on the floor either.  Any advice?     I know, I know I probably am taking the “slow and steady” to a new level…”super slow and steady”….  Thanks you guys for listening