Mar 13 2008
One Week Post Op
Well one week post op….Have my follow up in one week and based on research, my experiences, and my surgeon we are going to follow the weight bearing protocol. So my hope is that the incision has healed to the point that I can get started.
Surgery was on Thursday the 6th and went back to work on the 10th. Hired another chiropractor to help me with patients as I hopped on one foot adjusting patients. Very fortunate to have the roll-about. Took off the 11th and back to work on the 12th. Full day of me rolling along, seeing patients, resting with leg up on desk, napping at lunch, doing paperwork and finally coming to the realization that “Just Do It” turned into “Can’t Do It”…so off for Thursday and Friday. So frustrating but have to practice what I preach..Give your body time to heal so you can get better faster. So back to the couch.
The next few days I will be trying to set some goals and actually accomplish something.
Things to do:
Golf season….Are there any exercises/drills to do to improve my game?
Working Out…. exercising means sweating which means more baths…is it worth it as taking a bath is a hell of a work out??
Hobby….Find something new to do….researching ATR, sudoku, TV, computer, reading…Is there something else out there?
Office…Obviously need to find an associate to work with me….hiring, training, protocols….
Blogging….amazing how this helps, never would have thought but the (mostly) guys have been great and I wish would could have an ATR seminar…somewhere exotic
Well kids are up and ready to go to school. So need to throw some loving their way as they go tackle the world that I can’t.
Ross - don’t get too down on not being able to work. I have a desk job and still have not returned to the office, had my surgery last Monday March 3rd. Like you said, it’s best at this point to focus on the healing…although, I am a firm believer in the connection between mental and physical health…and that a mind in a good, positive state, results in better immune system response. Wouldn’t hurt to be somewhere exotic either…mmm..Mai Tai’s on Kauai anyone? If you are feeling nostalgic in any way, you could try facebook? It’s s social networking site..I just got into it this past week and have reconnected with some folks from high school and college that I haven’t talked to in years. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful, good ol’ human interaction is! My wife and I were talking last night (and taking the advice of someone on this board) about thinking about my recovery in terms of weeks, not days. We were also talking about the future, will I return to high impact sports again, or should it be the bike riding, golf, birdwatching, and hiking that should be the activities? It’s so hard to speculate at this point in the process. For now, I have had 2 decent night sleeps in a row, at least the best I can with an 11 month old teether in the house, and that has made a difference.
Have a good day!
Brendan
This probably doesn’t relate directly to tendon recovery, but while on the subject of supplements, I’ve heard that glucosamine and chondroitin are good supplements for the joints, and one of the orthopedist was saying that the jury is still out on the effectiveness.
However, he did say (feedback from his patients) that they have shown to improve joint conditions. Maybe it’s the placebo effect, who knows. Just curious, have you taken these supplements before?
I haven’t, but my in-laws 15 year old shar-pei was on glucosamine for the last 3 years of it’s life and seemed to help prolong her ability to get around.
If the shar-pei swears by it.. but I wonder if dogs experience the placebo effects too.
I took glucosamine several years ago when I began running marathons. I started to develop some knee pain and thought glucosamine might help. The pain eventually went away, but I’m not convinced that was just from taking gluco. I think my body just started to adjust to the additional miles of running that I was doing. I stopped taking it after less than a year, and the pain hasn’t returned. So, the jury is still out for me as well.
I do agree with Brendan that a positive state of mind can be helpful during recovery. There’s a great chance that we’ll all be able to go back to doing all the things we love to do. We might lose half a step or an inch from our vertical, but the injury is not a death sentence. We all just need to be diligent during recovery.
Cheers
Ross, I don’t recommend posting your personal email address as it can lead to more spam in your inbox..
Spam bots search through all web pages and collect e-mail addresses for their hit list
Please let me know if you want me to remove it.
Yes please remove
Thanks
Tom,
Thanks for the info. I have some glucosamine and chondroitin that I bought some time ago. I have been taking them when I remember. I guess it can’t hurt. They are fairly expensive, so I’ll have to really think about it before buying more.
hi dennis, brendan, tom, and ross your support of eachother is heart warming , the support you are giving each other seems to be the best medicine. my son, ross, has always been a winner in and out of the competitive world. it appears that he has found comrads of the same breed. thanks to all for helping a mom bear the pain of a child in distress. speedy recovery to all . phyllis
Thanks Phyllis. We’ll all get better soon!
Hey Ross…how’s the healing going? I just realized we are just a few days apart. How’s the swelling..are you still elevating. Moving your toes? Hope all is well!
Brendan..
Thanks for asking..
Swelling is gone, cast is loose but keeps ankle stable. Trying to exercise daily, leg lifts, working the opposite calf, wiggling toes and actually putting some light pressure up and down in the cast. We have a massage therapist in the office and she has been massaging both legs and actually getting down into the cast. Some very tender spots but helps with circulation. It’s difficult watching the calf atrophy. Lost 3/4 of an inch so far as compared to the right calf.
I have been working, hired another chiropractor to help in the office. I have a roll-about which makes things easier but puts a lot of pressure on the knee and increases some numbness in my toes. I can stay on it for 30 minutes and then need to rest.
I get the cast off this wednesday, looking forward to it. I will be going with the early mobilizaiton protocol.
Other than that my family went off to the beach for spring break and have been left alone in the house. Very hard to watch spring arrive. Reading, basketball, computer, movies the typical boring stuff. I will put a full post after my Wednesday visit.
Hope you are well. Sorry about UConn, I had them going to the final 8.
Doc Ross
Thanks Ross…sounds like we are doing similar things, except for I don’t have a massage therapist in my office
That’s pretty nice!
My cast too is getting loose around the calf. When the tech put it on just over a week ago, I told him it was little tight, but he said your leg will shrink…well…he was right! I don’t think I’ve lost quite 3/4 of inch…but a 1/2 inch for sure. I too can’t be up for too long still with it dangling. I stood for almost an hour yesterday on my crutches…and I paid the price last night. My knee joint was sore, I had some swelling again, and was bushed! To top it off, while I was standing, I was following Uconn on my phone and saw that they lost in overtime
My next visit is Friday..so just a few days after yours. I’ll look forward to your post…so you know you are getting into a boot?
Going to an easter egg hunt with the kids this weekend…sorry your family is away. It’s a bummer being alone, but I prefer my family to stay busy and not worry about “poor me” at the house. Hope you have a good weekend. I think the Kansas State/Wisconsin game should be a good one!