I saw the doctor on Wednesday, and he did his general examination of ankle and scar, and cleared me to ditch the splint and start wearing two shoes.
I’ve been gradually increasing the amount of walking I’ve been doing. Four nights ago, I walked around the block at night, and my right ankle and calf were pretty sore. Yeaterday, I walked a good 1-1/2 miles, and while my leg was a little sore today, I still felt pretty good.
I’ve been cleaning up around the house, moving furniture to vacuum, and I think mowing the lawn is right around the corner. The flexibility in the ankle has increased dramatically in the last few days, since I started the stretching and band exercises my PT prescribed.
My doctor told me no weight bearing PT (i.e., toe raises) for three weeks. But I did get approval for the stationary bike and mountain biking, with pain being my guide as to how far to take it. I’ve been doing my standard weight lifting routines for several weeks now, and I really can say that at this stage, progress is coming very quickly.
I’ve had a few situations when my brain and leg aren’t on the same page since the splint came off. I was walking down stairs a couple of days ago, and was doing the one leg down other leg to same stair, and as I was three steps from the bottom, I instinctually tried to jump a step. I landed OK and didn’t feel any pain, but now know I need to remind myself often that I need to take it easy.
I just want to tell the new members of the ATR club to hang in there. After the initial shock of the injury sets in, followed by at least two to three weeks of being able to do almost nothing, things start to change pretty darn fast. I’m seven weeks and one day post-op, and I’m feeling more normal every day.
I’m off to take a short vacation, and am really looking forward to showing myself in public minus the weird looking splint everybody always focuses on when they pass me.
Keep healing, everybody.
Stevew,
Congrats on the milestone. Now is the time to be careful, you’ll go thru days of feeling too good and days when you see no progress. Slow and steady wins the race
Doc Ross
Steve,
No boot?!?! Two shoes…..exciting news, but like Doc Ross says, take it slow….don’t overdo it. Congratulations on your new 2-shoe status….just be very careful!! Do you have a limp? No crutch/cane? I’m extremely jealous…but very happy for you :)Week 18 for me and still very tight, and slow and painful.
Keep up your awesome attitude and……
Go Bears!
Doc Ross and Marianne-
Great advice. Life does feel much more normal now, so it is kind of difficult to hold back at times. I know from others on the site that seven weeks is a vulnerable time for us. I don’t have much of a limp until later in the day/evening, and I think it’s fatigue that causes it.
Still taking the usual precautions- flip flops in the shower to aviod slipping, a lot of resting/elevating at night, and ice packs to reduce swelling. All in all, though, life’s quite a bit better now than it was in the early stages, obviously.
Doc Ross- I use your 10 1/2 week Grand Canyon hike as a sort of barometer of my own progress. I’m not planning anything like that at when I’m 10 1/2 weeks, but it’s nice to know that sort of thing is possible.
One thing my doctor told me is that my tendon is actually stronger at this time than some others who are at seven weeks due to the early weight bearing protocol. He also said there is very strong medical evidence that there is no additional risk of re-rupture from being part of an early weight bearing protocol.
Marianne- Bears should have it easy next week against AZ with their RB back.
SteveW,
You beat me to 2-shoes status!!! I will still be awhile - still have to get through the boot stage.
I’m happy for you. Sounds you’re getting back to normal life more and more every day.
Have a great vacation!