Skip to main content

First Steps



Originally, the doctor told me that I could start to put weight on my foot as my comfort level allowed, and, in the last week, I washed some dishes, made a casserole, and fed the dog with two feet on the floor.  At my post-op appointment he told me that I could start walking in about three weeks.  As that time approaches, I started to worry about complications from the boot.  My dear friend Val is still suffering from plantar fasciitis and bone spurs from being in the boot for three months.  Another neighbor told me she had hip problems stemming from the unbalance of walking in a boot.  I decided to send a message to my doctor's office with two questions: Should I be worried that my big toe is still numb? and What can I do to prevent some of the negative effects of walking in the boot?  I received a curt answer.  1. No.  2. You can get a shoe that is the same height of the boot.

Although many of my friends are leaving Facebook or limiting their posting, I find it extremely helpful and I don't mind the teasing and taunts I sometimes get about over-posting.  When I uploaded the video of my first steps, my high school friend MaryAnn O'Connell replied with advice to get a balancer.  Her sister was in a boot, and it made a big difference in her ability to walk.  I never heard of a balancer nor had my doctor or the technicians who measured me for the boot mentioned it.  A few minutes later it was on order from Amazon and should be arriving on Monday.


When I broke my ankle 35 years ago, I learned who were my "real" friends.  Actually, it's probably more accurate that I made long-lasting friends with those who stepped up to help me.  That is how my dear friend Wendy Weisbard and I bonded -- over many picnic meals on my bed with the kids around us.  My new bionic ankle has brought me a myriad of new friends, people who barely know me who have volunteered to walk Zora and to bring me dinner. Some stay and chat, and I have had the privilege of getting to know some of the dearest and most interesting people.  One of those is a new neighbor, Lisa, who has volunteered to take me to DSW this morning in search of wedges to match the height of the boot.

The first steps I took brought great joy, but also some of the first pain I have felt for weeks.  So the process needs to be gradual; each day I hope to walk more.  My next goal is to be able to walk Zora. Yesterday I tried out a new collar.  Sue and Bill Jones, who take care of Zora and a lot of neighborhood dogs in addition to training dogs, suggested a Martingale collar to teach her not to pull.  As I walked out the door, Zora took off when she saw her neighbor and friend, Val, and I lost all control.  Our walk only lasted two houses and back, but, as the calendar for volunteer dog walkers ends, I will continue to walk a little further each day.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Physical Therapy: It Comes with a Crush

The first couple of times I asked my surgeon about physical therapy, he said it wasn't necessary.  He was quite definitive: "You don't need physical therapy."  At my three month follow-up, after telling him I was frustrated with my inability to walk correctly, he finally gave me a prescription for PT in order to improve my gait.  My first appointment was today, and by the first five minutes I developed a crush on my therapist. It isn't a romantic crush (although he is very cute): it is a crush on someone who listened to me and responded to my concerns, hopes, and questions.  Here he is in an introductory video on YouTube. ( Click on the name below the photo. ) Stephen Mills, PT, DPT After brief introductions, it was clear that he read my chart.  He asked me if I walked my daughter down the aisle at her wedding (one of my goals before surgery).  He told me how great it is that I travel.  He was talking to me face-to-face without a comp...
Post a Comment
Read more

Three-Month Follow-Up: My Big Toe Works!

I was going to begin this post with a cliche such as "I can't believe it's already been three months," but that isn't exactly true.  In some ways it seems like the ankle replacement was so long ago that I am surprised it has only been three months.  I've been complaining about my lack of progress, but my doctor and his teaching fellow both said that "I've come a long way, baby!" The appointment started with x-rays in a variety of stances, including the one above that shows the ankle replacement as well as the arthroplasty or fusion of the heel.  When the fellow (I regret that I do not remember her name; she was also present at the operation, but I slept through our introductions) listened to my concern about my progress, she was the first to tell me that the fusion would prolong the recovery time.  The swelling of the ankle is evident in the x-ray, but she also said that the inflammation was as expected, and, in fact, it was relative...
Post a Comment
Read more

Three Steps Backwards and Five Steps Forward

I haven't posted in three weeks, even though a great deal has happened since I started physical therapy.  Having taken a turn for the worse and being back on my recliner, I started to write a travel memoir and writing two pieces seemed overwhelming.  Also, and even more importantly, I was in so much pain that I didn't want to put down my thoughts until I knew my recovery took a turn for the better. My physical therapist, Stephen, gave me four exercises to do that were not challenging.  He observed that I was walking with my right foot out, so he suggested that I concentrate on keeping it  straight.  I was given the green light for water aerobics, and was walking Zora twice a day. I was very happy.  Walking was not without pain, but I was walking and the last time I did water aerobics I actually was able to walk and push off of the wall rather than doing the dog paddle, like I did the first few times. Then it all went bad. The pain came suddenly...
Post a Comment
Read more