Sep 12 2008
14 Weeks and ortho follow-up after 6 wks. PT
Nine days ago I posted my most positive blog yet—-one crutch and moving along. My goal, 6 wks. ago, was to walk into my ortho’s office with no crutches, or at least, only one, but because of the pain/rubbing after working with one crutch, I’m back to two crutches except when I practice around the house with one. I guess the amount of weight I have been putting on the incision just isn’t able to allow the lower half of my incision to not get irritated and have extreme burning….
Saw doc on Tuesday, and was afraid he was going to give me a good tongue-lashing for still being on crutches and not quite to 90 degrees/neutral…..got in quickly, and doc walked in, took a look at the leg, pushed on the foot and said “almost there”…”doing a lot better than the last time I saw you”……he didn’t say anything about the two crutches leaning up against the wall– big surprise there, since he’s been telling me to ditch the crutches everytime I’ve seen him. I showed him the area on the lower half of my incision that is very painful and he said it looked like my shoe was irritating it…..I know that!!! He gave me no suggestions other than saying, “I like your shoes”, no alternate shoe suggestions…. Told me I get more PT and off he went….that took maybe 2 minutes…
So, I’ve had no PT this week, as I wait for authorization from insurance for continuing, and my burning heel continues to keep me from doing more than I have been doing as far as walking and putting weight on the leg….kind of stuck here…..I continue to do my PT exercises at home twice a day and ride my recumbent bike, as well.
My mind just keep saying, “If I could only find the right sock, the right shoe, etc., I could be walking more without this horrible burning ankle”. But, my rational mind tells me that this injury will heal in its own time. So, that’s where I’m at right now….am grateful for the progress I am making, but feeling stuck.
Hope you all are healing and moving along this rocky road we all must travel –some faster than others 
GO BEARS!!!!!
Marianne
Marianne-
Its definitely true that some heal faster than others. All of us have the same injury, but there are so many individual circumstances that relate to us differently, that there is no manual as to how to recuperate from this injury.
One things for sure, though. You will recover ane will be the same Marianne you were pre-ATR.
There will be some minor life changes in all of our cases. I’ll be hard pressed to break out into a hard sprint the next time I play ball. But at some point, I know I’m going to have to trust that the tendon is strong and take that leap of faith. I’ll know when the time is right, as will you.
Keep balancing your doctors orders with your understanding of your body, because no one knows it better than you. And keep rooting for the blue and gold.
Steve
I had trouble finding any shoes in my closet which didn’t irritate the wound, so I bought Reebok Ultralite crosstrainers on sale - cheap! - mainly they were so comfy, supportive and DID NOT irritate behind. So just try someday going to a big sportshoe place and keep trying them on, until something doesn’t rub back there. Also, get shoes perhaps a half-size bigger for the inserts, and it won’t be so snug back there?
As for socks, I use normal cotton socks which go above the wound, and haven’t had irritation. So again, maybe that could also be solved by experimentation with different types of socks.
Good luck! I am two weeks behind you - so I was shocked you’re still on crutches! If this injury isn’t one big frustration, what is it?