Jul
8
Crushing the Crutches
July 8, 2009 | |
Had my 10 week follow-up with my surgeon this morning. He said everything is going well and I can ditch the crutches (FINALLY!) if I feel comfortable with it, which I absolutely do. He said my scar is getting a little wider than he’d like but it’s no big deal if I just use some aloe cream and keep it from drying out and over time it will narrow to nothing. Apparently it’s a reaction to the stitches below my skin and the aloe cream helps alleviate that irritation. I’m to see him in another month (@14 weeks). He said I can start some two-foot calf raises, but running will likely still be out of the question for the next 2 months or so.
On the PT front I’ve started doing some passive stretching, which feels awesome, and has given me a great deal more flexibility in my leg to the point where I can almost walk with a normal stride. I still don’t have enough power in my calf to really push off with my bad foot, and it also hurts when I try, so I’m going to hold off on really trying to walk 100% normally and keep doing a bit of a check stride thing until I get a little more strength and a little less pain in my tendon/calf. I think I’ll probably use a cane for the next few weeks and see how that goes, just to be safe. Don’t want anyone knocking me over on the subway or on the sidewalk.
Otherwise, everything is going pretty well. My PT has allowed me to do some light biking on the recumbent bike at the gym, no more than 30 mins at a stretch, at the lowest setting, which while boring, definitely strengthens my calf in a way that other exercises don’t.
Oddly, the site where they harvested my plantaris tendon tends to act up more after exercise than my main incision, which I find strange, but whatever. I think it’s just in a weird, tender spot. Sort of on the meaty part of my calf, just to the inside. My PT has also just given me the go-ahead to stretch myself out a bit too, using a towel or belt to stretch my achilles, but only with my knee bent, propped on a pillow or something. Aside from that, I suppose things are going as well as can be expected. Trying to fend off these fools who are trying to bill me thousands because they bungled the medical billing, but otherwise just fine.
I wanted to make an awesome recommendation, by the by. It’s been mentioned on this site before, but I used a compression sock for about two weeks to keep the swelling under control and it worked like a charm. I bought the futuro brand right from the Rite Aid on the corner. The model was less like a sock, and more like a really thin ankle brace that was surprisingly comfortable to wear all day. The toe and heel were open, and it gave just enough pressure and support that it really helped me as I was beginning to walk again. Also, as I was only really in my walking boot for maybe 4 weeks, it luckily doesn’t stink and is pretty clean, so if anyone wants it…it’s in pretty good shape and I’ll sell it to you cheap if you need one. I’ll clean it and repackage it of course. I also have a night splint that I didn’t use too much either. And these DAMN CRUTCHES. If you need them…they’re all on offer.
Hope you’re all doing well.