Posted by: tatyana | June 14, 2014

9 weeks report

I am not supposed to even think about 2 shoes yet. My next appointment with my OS is only next week (10 weeks) but…  It is hard to sit in my boot and read in this blog about everyone else walking bootless by the 8 weeks mark. I think my doc would not mind that first (8 weeks) I started walking barefoot at home and then (9 weeks) tried a pair of athletic shoes. Yes, I am limping (not much though) and yes, I am slow, but I do feel how my tendon gets progressively stronger. I literally feel the difference from day to day! As someone on this blog said, going to 2 shoes is both thrilling and terrifying! I cannot agree more! I am continuously thinking that while wearing shoes I would simply forget that I am still imperfect and take a wrong step or bend too far or something else silly. And yet, all this thinking is not enough to drive me back to the boot! :-) Today I attempted stairs and climbed up perfectly, but I still felt too tight to go down, which I think is fine at this point.

Now a quick report on my physical activities. I stick to my regular exercise routine (push ups, curl ups, free weights, etc) almost every day. I pedal a stationary bike for 20 minutes every day, in the boot. I stop at 20 min not because I can’t do any more, but just because I find it very very boring! Being stuck in one spot doesn’t feel like a workout to me, although I do break a sweat. Also, since I am not going to be able to continue my bootcamp class for a while, I have signed up for Pilates (which I’ve never taken before) and Yoga (which I strongly dislike) twice a week. These classes seem somewhat calmer and less intense than my favorite bootcamp, but I just cannot wait and feel I have to do at least something! So I figured that by engaging in less desirable activities I may move faster toward the activities I would love to engage in. :-) Plus, I am finally starting my “official” PT and will report later on what I do and how it works for me.

Wishing everyone smooth healing!

Responses

You are a great example of what people CAN do while recovering from this injury. I also found stationary bike boring but persisted as an aerobic work out until I could ride free. That was as scarey as going to 2 shoes. I realised it was my bad leg I would put down first when I stopped and had to retrain my mind to use the other. I am sure you will manage this next transition well. If you are managing stairs well at this point then I would say you are doing great.

Going downstairs normally is an extremely challenging activity for a healing AT, but there’s a simple trick that makes it way less challenging. Most of us practiced it first when we were FWB in boots, then just continued using it with 2 shoes, as long as we needed it. Described in greater detail, but basically you just place your injured foot much farther forward than normally — at least half of the foot hanging over air. Then when you step past it with the “good” foot, your injured-side foot can just roll over the step, without your ankle having to flex while FWB-loaded. You could practice it in a bood first. . .

er, … boot.

Yes Norm! Thank you! I tried your method right away as I’ve read about it in someone else’s blog. It didn’t work the first day, but it does work today! I must have been too scared yesterday. :-)

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