day 49

I've been able to "walk" more. Yesterday I did to the end of our private road twice and went to the neighbor's house to ride their stationary bike. My last jaunt to the end of the road, at about 7 PM, took everything out of me. Today I am tired and just want to be lazy (getting too much into that habit) but will force myself to go to the gym.

 I did take the dogs out, but just in our pasture. They seem to like it that I am coming out with them again. Yesterday the lab, who is not your typical excited lab, got all wiggly and waggy when I came out with them. It was pretty cute. Tomorrow the Rottie gets his ACL surgery which should make things even more interesting. The vet keeps them for two days and I'm tempted to ask them to keep him for a couple more just so he's that much more stable when he comes home. I'm very nervous about taking him out on leash while I'm on crutches. He's the best dog we've ever had as far as pulling, but he is a large dog and if he sees his dog or people friends, he will get excited.

My foot is kinda swollen today. Yesterday, for the whole day, my toes looked like little sausages jammed together in a tight package. I kept massaging, icing, did a contrast bath, everything I could think of, but they just would not go down. I was a little worried, but this morning they looked fine. Still, the main issues I am having are with the forefoot and the toes. I really have no pain in the heel, very little mid-foot, but it hurts to massage and manipulate the toes and forefoot. I assume that's because of the tendon work on the toes because I know soft tissue heals a lot slower than bone. I can also feel the plate in my upper right part of the foot when I massage and it is not comfortable. I tend to avoid that area or just rub it carefully. Thankfully, I can't feel it when I walk.

So, in evaluating progress - I can partial weight bear, walk a bit of distance if I spread it throughout the day, do most of my physical therapy without pain including the ABCs with my foot and lots of circles... I do not need prescription pain meds any more, the heel feels great, I can stay up for over two hours without too much of an issue. I can do the bike for 20 minutes and am able to do some things at the gym.

Continuing challenges include the toes that really hurt when I try to do one of the therapy exercises where I gently push them down to keep the tendons from tightening up and pulling them back into claws, forefoot and toe swelling and no driving (sob!!!!). Also, it is weird because I do not normally sweat when I lift weights; I've just done them for so long that my body is used to it, but I soaked my hair and sweated like a..........well.....a pig when I went to the gym last time. Weird.

Pain 1 to 3 in toes and forefoot, swelling 1 in heel and 2 to 5 in forefoot and toes.