Out of cast!!!
Finally, after nine long weeks I’ve got my leg back and it feels….um….good! Weird, but good. Consultant had a feel and seemed happy. He gave me the golden rule for the next few weeks - keep your heel on the ground. So walking and especially stairs and kerbs, make sure there is solid ground under the heel and keep the heel inserts in my shoes for the time being (looks like I’m going to have to wait a little longer to get back in the Jimmy Choos!). Pushing too hard through the front of the foot could be potentially disastrous. It’s fixed but it is fragile, and I need to treat it as fragile up to the 4 month mark (Christmas).
As regards weight bearing, I can move towards FWB as feels okay (in theory I can FWB now), and I can move from two crutches, to one, to none as I feel capable. Cool - I think! Bit scary. The ROM in the whole ankle isn’t great after nine weeks in plaster, but I’m sure a big chunk of that is psychological. He advised me to sit and slide the foot out and back until the stretch got too tight and then to move to doing press-ups against a wall with feet together. “Your resolve will give out before the tendon does.” Fair enough! He also warned me to expect some ankle swelling and pain in the sole after weeks of non-usage.
As we were leaving, the plaster room lady reminded me to be very careful: “We’ve had people leave on the Friday and be back on the Monday re-ruptured because they overdid it!”. So with those words ringing in my ears we headed home…..
……..and straight into the obligatory bath which was gorgeous! After about 30 seconds I was sitting in a broth of my own dead skin, but I really didn’t care! It was so nice to scrub and massage and wiggle and then de-fuzz! That’s better!
Scar looks okay - a little bit reddy/purple and a couple of spots where the skin didn’t quite pull back together and some scar tissue has formed, but I doubt it’ll give me too much trouble. Although it is dead centre down the back of my leg, it ends above the point where shoes tend to rub.
I’ve been referred to the physiotherapy unit, but I don’t know how long that will take to come through, so I think in the meantime I’ll cough up the money and go private to get cracking sooner rather than later. Bad calf is 13″ at widest point compared to 14″ on good leg, but the difference in muscle tone is rather more pronounced!
But already I can stand up with both feet side by side in shoes - didn’t fancy trying it bare foot!
So generally I’m a happy bunny. I keep having to remind myself that bodies aren’t like cars - you can’t just drive them into the garage when they break and then drive them out again a few hours later, good as new.
I’m off to shuffle round the house a bit and remind my leg what it is there for!
Best wishes to all,
Smoley
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Cool, good news Smoley! The first bath is always the best
Crack on with the PT but be careful and get some professional advice. I am counting down my days to be aircast boot free as well! Have fun.
Fantastic news Smoley.
That first bath is fantastic isn’t it. My bathroom floor looked like a snowstorm but it was such a relief.
Remember, take care when out, I nearly slipped yesterday on wet leaves.
Annie
Thanks Annie & Graham,
Even just a few hours on, my leg feels more like part of me again. I can stand square on both feet and gently transfer weight from side to side and have even taken a few baby steps without crutches (!!) but that does cause some not entirely pleasant sensations in the sole, heel end, so would rather be in the presence of a physio before I try too much. My ankle feels very ‘blocky’ (technical term, that) so I need someone to crank it back to life.
Have realised that one of the other aspects of the cast v. boot debate is that the cast is very binary - it’s either on or it’s gone! You can’t take it off for some careful pottering at home and then stick it back on for support/protection if you are going further afield. So I’m happy at home today, but anticipate feeling rather naked and vulnerable when I venture forth. All good fun!
Smoley
Great to reach another milestone…
Be careful and hope rehab goes smoothly and brings quick progress.
Smoley - that is great news! I am happy for you as well as very envious….what a huge milestone you have reached. Hope the PT goes well and you are back to 100% very soon!
Congrats Smoley! Yes, that first bath is wonderful and makes the foot feel more part of you again after all that tight dead skin is off.
Lots of little and often ROM exercises were the thing I was given first day by physio to try and get the ankle mobilised again.
Good luck with the rest of your recovery.
Sam
9 weeks in cast, last few weeks at 90degrees.. I think your AT should be healed pretty good by now.. your leg is prob really weak now so be careful until it gets stronger.. your doctors advice sounds pretty good.
Congrats Smoley! Huge milestone! Does this mean you’re in an air cast or 2 shoes?
Excellent news! It sounds stupid but I miss making all of those milestones.
Sam - as you know, I’ve been following your progress carefully as we have a similar profile and treatment regime. So thank you again for blogging in such detail about all the physio exercises you’ve were given for those crucial first days out of cast. I think my NHS physio appointment might take a while to come through; for some reason the plaster room ladies thought I was a private patient so hadn’t put my referral through in the usual NHS way. The upside of that misunderstanding was that they’ve been giving me priority early morning replastering appointments rather than just putting me in for fracture clinic with all the hoi polloi!! So I think I’m going to get some private physio at a place just walking distance from home because the NHS clinic will be a drive away regardless. But thanks again for your diligent blogging!
Smoley
Bigred - Thankyou! I’m in 2 shoes (hiking type trainers with heel cushions) but still using the crutches so sort of PWB. However, I can walk a little without them and around the house I am only using one crutch. I am a funny hybrid of PWB/FWB/2 shoes! I have more or less abandoned my beloved wheely office chair and hubby has stopped calling me “Ironside” and started calling me “House”!! Speaking of which, when are you going to let Hugh Laurie come home? That isn’t his real voice you know!!
Smoley
Haha! Nice on the hybrid. I’m thinking we’re in the same boat now! I’d love to give you House back, but the Americans pay top dollar, sorry!
Let’s be honest, he is hilarious and his talents really need to be shared with the world.
Also, for the record, I was aware it wasn’t his real voice, I have seen a few Blackadder episodes. But I do admit I didn’t connect Laurie when I saw him in House.
Cheers!
B