10.5 weeks: 2 shoes and physio progress (biking pic added)
Just a quick update on my progress since getting the green light from the surgeon to step up my rehab. In 5 days since ditching the boot and doing some stretching and strengthening, I’m now walking with only a slight limp. I can do 3 sets of 15 calf raises while standing on both legs equally (1/2 my weight on each leg), so I’m gaining some strength. I’ve gone from -5cm of flexibility (knee is 5cm from the wall) to -1. +15 is normal, so I’m 1/5 of the way there in less than a week. Another 3 weeks at this rate and I should be there. I’ve been making slow and steady strength progress since I got the splint off at week 3, but I feel like I’ve reached an important milestone as I can now use the muscle for walking.
On a side note, I wasn’t too impressed with my physio session. The guy was fairly new, so when I told him my injury, he went to his computer and printed off a standard re-hab protocol from the internet (one that I’d already found on this site). I tried to walk around the physio office, and had a really heavy limp. “Why are you limping?” he asks. Uhhh… isn’t that what he’s supposed to tell me??? I just had by tendon sewed up, remember?
Anyway, I’ll go back for one more session, but honestly this site and others’s blogs has helped me more than the physio session so far.
Also, I survived biking at Whistler Bike Park, including one fall off my bike where I landed from about 1 meter up on my bad leg (boot on) with no damage. Yay boot! Oh, and the biking also seems to have healed my back. Sweet!
Here’s a pic of my biking setup with the boot I’ve been using since about 6 weeks post op.
swill Said,
June 22, 2009 @ 7:23 pm
Wow, find a new PT.
But your description has me cracking up, I have to say. Exactly, um, “isn’t that why I’m paying YOU? To tell me how to get rid of this limp?”. UGH.
Congrats on the Whistler ride…that’s awesome.
Oh, and I was thinking about you the other day b/c as I was pivoting to sit down in a chair I wrenched my back. It’s better now, but I empathize with what you were going through. I’m sure it’s from using muscles not used before, or using muscles in ways they weren’t used before. At least you hurt yours doing something physical and not something as mundane as pivoting!
Regardless, glad yours is better…as is mine.
swill Said,
June 24, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
You are one brave dude! Here you are mountain biking, while I admire your pads and think, “hmmmm, maybe I can fashion myself a set of those just for getting around the house” One can never be too careful you know! HA
Congrats again. I just got the boot this week, and I already feel SO liberated. It’s an amazing feeling. I start PT next week. At least through this process there are little victories and milestones to look forward to. Keep going!