Day 99

Ok, so I'm kinda depressed. I went to my 12 week appointment and the doc told me to take off the boot and start walking. He said to let pain be my guide. I thought I was to do physical therapy that day as the packet they gave me before surgery said the 12 week appointment had that in it. I asked. He said he'd send me if I wanted to go. I went. The therapist said there was no way I should be walking with the limp I still had. I'd also noticed I was still walking on the edge of my foot even in the boot.She spent a lot of time with me, I asked a lot of questions and she sent me home with a small list of exercises and a gradual walking schedule. It turns out my foot is still turning out. She said that I have to retrain my muscles and my brain. She also said to find a PT where I live and have follow up with them. I know a good one, so I said I'd contact him. She said he might override what she said and to follow his guidelines since he will be the one following up. I left a bit overwhelmed and knowing I had my work cut out for me.

I started out on the routine she gave me and immediately had issues. One, I was supposed to do these inversion exercises with a yellow resistance band. I don't know why she didn't give me one, but she didn't. I could not find one in the stores so I did those exercises without one until I went to see the PT by my house because I knew he'd give me one. The PT at my surgeon's office said I was supposed to begin walking without the boot 2 times a day, beginning with 1/2 hour and increasing (if possible) the time by 15 minutes a day. When I was without the boot (inside only for at least 2 weeks or longer), I was to concentrate on walking with my foot and leg in "proper form", as in not rolling out. That was way too much and within three days my foot and leg were too tired to even do it in proper form. She had said to do it in "quality, not quantity" steps, but I felt like I had not pushed it and it was still too much.

Then I went to the guy here. He said no walking without the boot yet because he agreed that with all the things I had done, that was too much too soon. He gave me a schedule of things to do, carefully showed me how to do them, gave me a handout that explained them, had me do them there and set up another appt. three days later. He also gave me a yellow resistance band. Duh. I'm not sure if I was supposed to buy one at the other place or what, but I was so overwhelmed with all the things she told me that I just didn't think. She also did not give me any sort of a handout so it was hard to remember everything. I saw the new guy yesterday and I am doing his exercises with more success than the things the other place told me to do. His routine is more conservative and he actually explained the rationale behind them in a way that made more sense. For example, I had my toes straightened and have been bending them down since 6 weeks. I thought this was a simple stretch, but he said it is really designed to break up the scar tissue that forms and pushes your toes up again. Because of that, you need to do it more than a stretch - say at least 5 times a day. I was never told how often to do it, assumed it was a stretch and was doing it twice a day.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I guess the summary is I am bummed that my foot is still not boot free, feel a bit misled and neglected by the surgeon's PT, am happy with the new guy and want to be normal now, not later. I also worry I'll never get over the rolling out thing. I am determined to make the best of whatever happens and remind myself daily that I plan to kick butt again some day.

Pain 1 in foot, was up to literal screaming pain in my back due to the gait I have in the stupid boot, but am now wearing a smaller boot I had lying around and things seem to be getting better. Swelling 1 to 3.