Almost 13 weeks, really?

I just can't believe I reached the 3 month mark on my recovery.
It seems like only a few weeks ago that I packed up my desk and worried myself so much about surgery.
Yet by looking at the calendar Friday will be 13 weeks since surgery.

I'm trying to create a time-line type of thing currently but my technical skills are lacking.
Stay tuned on that one!

Wheels!

After the successful ride around the parking lot of the car dealership last Sunday it was time to put the show on the road again.

The opportunity to drive by myself presented itself on Wednesday.

Husband drove me to the clinic and it occurred to me I could have driven there myself as he had the day off.

I saw the surgeon and he was happy with my progress but a bit guarded at the same time. He is having shoulder surgery so I'm chalking his lack of enthusiasm up to that.

My foot still swells up to the point of uncomfortable times 10000 and I'm going to get a very sexy sock for that next week.

Right after the clinic it was time for another round of Fun with Igor aka Physical Therapy.

And my first time to drive in almost 11 weeks!

See proof!

This session of PT was a long one. Stretching, massage, ultrasound and to top it off....exercise.

I did leg presses without getting faint this time. Getting better at standing on the balance board too.

Least favorite was 20 toe raises I had to do on the leg press machine. Igor's assistant promised me that a month from now I'll be doing them on land. Little moment of light headedness passed fast luckily.

The driving was fine, a bit odd but the fact that everyone and their brother was shopping for Christmas made the road almost empty.

Another goal done, moving right along.

Footloose and fancy free, sort of...

For the past 2 or 3 days getting up in the morning has almost been like before.
I was in the habit of putting on shoes right when I swung my legs out of bed. Walking barefoot was terrible pain and stiffness.
Those first steps were excruciating sometimes.
No matter how much PT I had with Igor before surgery, I was in pain when I slept, had a heel strap or fresh getting up in the morning.
It's a little too early probably to say but I think major improvement was made with the surgery.
The amount of bone taken off was substantial and there is more range of motion, Igor told me I was at 2% whereas I was at 0% all last year during treatment.
I have no pain when I'm resting my foot on the bed, no pain when getting up on bare feet (yes I've tried that)
And, most important, only scar pain from the strap on my shoes!

Friday marked week 11 and looking back things are moving along.
I ditched the boot over a week ago and am starting to trust my right foot more.
One of the things I must concentrate on in the week ahead is walking as 'normal' as possible.
Accept the fact I'm slow and not be afraid to move with small steps and use the whole foot.
It's tight but that is to be expected.

Friends have taken me shopping for gifts, we did decide to keep it simple this year for the kids and ourselves.
With no income from me for almost 3 months and my immobility that proved to be not a hard thing.
If I don't have it to spend and can't drive there we're set!

This weekend we'll tackle getting the tree set up, decorations put out and the car situation sorted out.
I'm still not driving but want to do that this weekend, I was advised to go to an empty parking lot and slowly drive around and practice.
It will be like old times when I first learned to drive.

We have started car shopping too, one car in the New Year is not going to work.
So far the car I had my eyes on sold right before we got to the dealership. They are looking to get me the same in red and I'm hoping it will be there today.

I'm well on my way to wheels and working feet!

Look Mom, no hands!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were a lot of walking days. In 2 shoes.
Monday was Pt with Igor who put me in my place.
The good news is that I was at 0% flexibility before surgery and now am at 2%!
I had a lot of PT for almost 9 months and never got over 0%.
The bad news, I need to stop being afraid of injury and walk!
So I ditched the cane and walked around a lot since Monday.

The swelling of the foot and the exhaustion got me beat at the end of the day.

Doing the Shuffle

I decided today to just laugh at my speed of walking and the motion I can generate.
No sense to get frustrated just yet.

Husband and I took kids to various schools and he dropped me off at the PT place.

I was a bit early so I decided to go to the bank, CLEAR across the parking lot, to get some cash for lunch.
Easy for the old me with 2 'normal' feet, even though before surgery I was having issues walking painless.
The new and recovering me forgot that this was day two in shoes and that the ankle didn't bend as before.
I almost got stranded in the parking lot as I had neither speed or a fluid motion.

It took me 15 minutes to make it back to Igor and my PT appointment.

I had the PT works, stretching, massage, exercises and electrodes.
My friend picked me up and we went to hang out at Starbucks for 2 hours.
I should have stopped doing anything after that but I had made a 'date' with another friend to go Christmas shopping for my kids.
So it was go-go-go for me as we tackled Target where I deflated after 40 minutes and my leg in no uncertain terms told me it was DONE!
She took me to my favorite yarn store where I was hit with a wave of extreme exhaustion despite the fact I was sitting down and knitting.

Home again and early to bed for me.

Physical Therapy week two

Saturday I decided to just buy a pair of shoes a size bigger and forgo walking around in my running shoes.
Sunday was the first day I wore shoes and walked on 2 feet in 9 weeks.
As with every transition into something new I was very apprehensive and terribly careful.
I spent an hour in the shoes and then went back to the boot and later at night back into the shoes for almost 5 hours.
Without the heavy boot my right leg does not function as before, it's odd to not have the extra weight when I move the foot.
At first I could only walk around the couch, holding on to it!
But then it got better.
Can't say it is painless but that is part of the process after all.

Monday was work and PT.
We have this terrible slate covered hallway and I can tell you that slays me, big time.Most of my work today was trekking back and forth from my new desk to the old desk place.
I worked 1.5 hours, got my ride to PT.

Igor decided it was safe to up the ante and I was manually stretched a bit more than last time.
No pain, so that was good.
I had a calf massage,got new exercises, did a leg press and then it was time to hobble to the bus stop.

Now lights here are timed at 30 seconds.When I was still a fast walker with 2 normal feet I could get across with at least 10 seconds remaining. Now I'm at -4 seconds left.
There is no way you can hoof it up in a boot.
Here I am, 5 time Half marathoner trying to beat a 30 second crossing light.

Nuts!

More shoe later in the day, working on a 100% shoe day tomorrow.

Next week maybe driving?

I haz two feet!

Same feet, treadling on a spinning wheel. Just what the PT ordered.

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

That should have hurt, no?

Monday bright and early the alarm went off at 7 am.
I was up and dressed by 7:45 while husband took Little Man to school.
Resident Teen had late start and we headed out at 8:30.
This meant my first day back at work started at 9 am, with no desk to sit at as 2 days before my surgery I had to pack up my desk to make place for someone else.
If you only work 10 hours a week you tend to be low on the totem pole where I work.

I got to work and was greeted a lot and asked many times over what happened to me.
Most of my 2.5 hours at work was spent explaining to people coming in, in detail, the surgery and the complications (or lack thereof )
Took me awhile to get hold of the building manager to get my desk reinstallation moving.
As loose as the office/workplace atmosphere is at work if you want anything done, you need to go through the building manager who also happens to be the guy who makes sure stuff is safe.
I guess it's called Risk Management?
Well he loves this part of the job and he was taking getting me a desk in my program area very seriously.
As I would be sharing the room with an active Mommy and Me program we needed to make sure both the kids and I had "privacy" and it was a safe set-up.
He left to ponder options and it became clear to me that set-up would not be on Monday so with my ride ready to go we left.

I had a delightful lunch with my friend Laura, she possesses this love for food I find very recognizable. In a healthy way, of-course.
And she is one bad @ss knitter!

As Physical Therapy was next door she offered to wait for me and give me a ride home.

Oh. Yeah. did I mention PT started on Monday?

Dr's orders: Twice a week, get range of motion back and in shoes in 2 weeks.
That alone put fear in my heart.
What if it hurt? I've broken out in a sweat just trying to get the boot on, now I was going to be seen by Igor the Terrible?
And he was going to have free reign on my foot?
Did I mention he has BIG hands and is pretty good at tweaking?

We went through the motions of measuring, interview and then he got to work.
As I was on my stomach I did not see any of the action happening to my foot.
Only once did I have a twinge, he stretched and moved the foot, "hey...where is the pain" was all I could think.
Because there was none, heck it even felt good!
The other therapist she who gives great massages, we'll call her SWGGM was next with 15 minutes of calf massage, again painless.
I was starting to feel a bit...slighted...shouldn't I feel something? Anything?
Believe me they were not gentle or super tough on me, still I was pretty happy at the lack of pain.
Consensus is that before I had a stiff foot with a lot of pain, now I'll have a stiff foot without pain.
I'll take it.

And Laura? She knitted almost half a hat while waiting for me.
Told you she is bad @ss!

4 Roller Coaster Ride days

Thursday was Thanksgiving and the first day of 100% boot.
The day was so glorious and Resident Teen and I went for a walk.
A 3/4 mile walk, in the boot.
There was a lot of stopping, admiring flowers and plain stalling.
We made it to the coffee shop, got coffee and turned around to go home.

As for the dinner,traditionally we have hosted the dinner at our house but 8 weeks ago I wasn't too sure about my abilities to cook and entertain.
Our friends offered their house.
We had a delightful dinner and no cleanup for me!

Friday was a mixed bag of hanging out at my favorite yarn store and shopping.
Yes, Black Friday got a hold of my daughter and we ended up at the mall.
Terrible idea, my brain was still post operation and willing to go-go-go! But my body, my leg mostly of-course, was no-no-NO!
In the end I swallowed my pride and we borrowed a wheelchair from the mall and I got wheeled around.

Saturday was a bit calmer, we went and saw the Nut Cracker and celebrated Resident Teen's 16th birthday by having her take her friends out to dinner and a movie.
We, parental units and brother, were in the same restaurant but way different area's.
The girls saw New Moon while we went to Planet 51.

Sunday we took my friends daughter to a Christmas display.
I walked a lot and needed a few slow-downs to catch up.

Tomorrow is my first Physical Therapy, I've done a few exercises daily so I'm hoping to not be in too much trouble.

Oh, and I go back to work on Monday. For 3.5 hours.
Still not driving so for now Monday might be my only day at work as I have a ride back home that day but no rides any other days.
It will be weird to be at work again, but the day will go by much faster!

Get on your feet!

7 weeks and 4 days have passed since surgery and today was a post-op visit.
Last week Dr. B. had told me to start walking in the boot without crutches.
Man what a work-out that is!

I thought I would get only kudo's from him and I was part right.
However on top of the praise he admonished me for not doing my range of motion exercises enough. I have to admit I've been a bit scared to do so, it brings on discomfort.
So today he told me I was showing signs of disuse and atrophy in the foot. And I was put on notice. Big time.
Whole new set of rules, do your exercises, alternating hot and cold baths and no more night splint as of Monday.
Physical Therapy starts Monday.
The progression as ordered will be no more boot in 2 weeks, shoes with heel lifts then.
See you in 4 weeks.

I'm counting down my final days as a lady of leisure, I go back to work on Monday for 3 hours.
Driving won't happen just yet, I'm aiming for it by Christmas as I need to go back to my part-time work for real in January

Up, up and away!

Week 7 and I'm getting used to walking in the boot.
Since this weekend my progress has been with big leaps and bounds.

Wednesday I ditched the scooter and relied solely on the crutches. I did take a few steps but not very well or gracefully.
Thursday I actually walked more without the crutches, I lost count how many steps I took. Very liberating but a bit painful for the back.
There is no pain in the foot besides a bruised feeling which might very well be the result of having a few inches of bone taken off.

I'm slogging along, week 8 is ahead and a visit with Dr. B. on Wednesday.

Progress, continued.

All of a sudden it seems my recovery is going with leaps and bounds.

Saturday was my first escape  outing since going to Ikea with a friend a week before.

 It was a 100% crutches experience and it at first was quite the chore. A newly renovated store had opened in town, just about the only proper retail store in our neighborhood.

The crowds were insane and the social graces matched that of the shoppers.
I don't know what is invisible about a 5'6 person on crutches with a few pounds of black boot but there I was, un-seen. Dude, that $3 towel trumps my foot?, get off it!

Sunday my cousin was in town again and we went shopping. 

This is the day I felt such a great progression had happened. I walked (thunk thunk thunk, here comes Mari) a few steps without crutches, deemed the 'exercise' too laboring and used the crutches all day.

I was less tired at night as well.

Monday I had a massage and my friend took care of my poor lower back that has not been agreeing with the lopsided gimping.

Today is Tuesday, I had given up the 'bed-rest' last week and today took care of myself and was mobile  before 8:15am.

I baked a cake, am pondering my 3rd cup of coffee and.....I got word I can ditch one crutch and start working to walking in the boot this week!

I'm having no pain, just a bit of tightness and the calf muscle is really non-existent.

It is a bit awkward to walk around like this (more thunk thunk thunk) but I can wean myself off the scooter this way.

It has served it's purpose and is going back Thursday.

Progress, I like it.

Week 6 since surgery.

Man, time flies when you are doing not much!
Six weeks have passed and the theme this week has been "one step at a time".
I still use the scooter but needed to get used to the crutches and partial weight bearing (PWB) because the scooter goes back on the 19th.
I detest the crutches, it's hot, it's awkward and downright hard!
After my meltdown Tuesday a week ago I have made progression though.
I'm moving more with the crutches, doing the heel-toe thing as directed.
Over the weekend I started 'standing' on two feet, at first all balanced to the left but gradually I've gotten to the point where I can almost stand on two feet equally.
Before surgery I would use the wii balance board and my center of gravity has always been a little to the left.
Over the last few days since I have made it a point to get up from the couch or bed using my two feet with the good foot leading.
It's been very satisfying to do so.

Friday was week six since surgery and the longest time I've spent in my boot.
The thing is heavy, hot and ungainly but it works.
Bolstered by a no pain wake-up I walked 4 steps in it with one crutch and later in the day pushing my scooter I made it across 6 feet towards the laundry room.
I feel so clutzy but it's a huge step forward.

  

Lovely, isn't it?

Thank you!

I just wanted to throw a quick post out there to say  Thank You to all my wonderful friends.
Without the many rides to stores, restaurants and the Dr's office from them I'd be stranded!
I still don't drive because we only have the one car and there is a certain 'disconnect' still on the bottom of my foot.
I'm working on getting back to work November 30th, it's been too long!

Time Elapsed Since Surgery

ABC's of Healing, continued...

H is for Hurt or "How did you do that"?

I know I covered this letter last but more and more I get people to ask me how I got injured. And I have no clear and short answer.

From what I understand I had two different injuries that over time got worse. First as far as I can see was the achilles injury when while training for San Diego in 2007 I stepped off a ladder and felt a 'pop' followed by inability to put weight on my right foot.

Ice, rest and sheer luck prevented a further tear in the achilles. I also wasn't a runner, but more in the beginning stages of my half marathon training so not as unforgiving to my feet as in later years.

Somewhere in late 2007/early 2008 the other injury came up. It was a gradual over time thing where at first I did not tolerate shoes on the back of my heel. There was little or no bone growth happening at that time.

Then by February of 2008 I would be in pain walking barefoot. I went to a podiatrist who saw me and didn't diagnose me. I had physical therapy for a month or two and it helped but the pain got worse and worse.

In hindsight had he diagnosed me then with what we now know is Haglunds deformity and achilles damage I would have had one year less pain.

It took until May of 2009 to get a proper diagnosis after I sought a second opinion.

Now I know what has caused the deformity I'm realizing how lucky I've been the last 3 years. Not only did I train for 5 half marathons, a 10k and a 12k, I also finished each of my races with faster times.

I never had any pain when I was walking, the pain came as soon as my running shoes came off.

The combo of high arches and tight calves all contributed to the deformity but the saving grace was that I was training and moving around. I also stretched like I was told keeping my muscles somewhat loose.

In a sense you could say being in training for these races it gave me an edge over your average person who might not be stretching as much.

I is for Independence 

As soon as I had surgery I was at the 'mercy' of whoever could take me places.

So far my friends have been ANGELS and have put up with my whining begging politely asking for rides.

I find it hard to ask, but yet they are willing. I need to stop feeling guilty for asking though.
Small steps.

My kids are another chapter in this saga, they do not feel they "owe" me anything. You want water Mother? Whatever for?

So what you were in labor for 2 weeks and 4 days with each of us, we do not need to cater to your needs. Even if you spent a million hours at the ER with either one of us.

Get up and get your own water!

I'm making this up of course because my sweet angels are not at all this heartless, slow yes, heartless not.
So what that one Saturday they not only closed the door to the bedroom but never checked on me until 11 am?
During the week they know the drill in the morning, mom gets her water bottle filled, the newspaper, the lap top and a kiss. Then husband adds a sandwich and coffee to the mix and they are off for the day. The whole day!
I've always been a very 'do it myself' kind of person, it's a curse at times because I do not delegate well. But that's fine, I'm working on it.
After my last surgery, two disk repair in 1996, I had a hard time with recovery.
My husband had not only my care but also the care of my daughter who was 3 at the time.
I detested being dependent on him for every little thing. He worked whole days and it was decided Grandma and Grandpa could come and "help out" 2 weeks after my surgery.
So here came the 'help' from the Netherlands. Grandpa did not drive or speak English, Grandma instead of letting me rest needed my opinion and help with every thing.
I SWEAR my rapid healing had to do with their visit.
Exit in-laws after 4 weeks and enter *my* parents. By now I was 6 weeks post-op so I didn't need much help, my dad drove me places and my mom cooked.
I'm pretty sure this experience clouded my view of what my limits were in asking for help.
The past 5 weeks I've been pretty self sufficient, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of things I could and now can do for myself.
I shower, get dressed and make my own lunch. The scooter has definitely made a big difference with mobility.
Now that I moved to boot and crutches there is a little bit of a learning curve. I have left the frustration of last week behind me however and am getting pretty good at the partial weight baring with crutches.

It's the weekend and I make some progress.

All day Friday I lounged, there was no boot and I hardly moved.
My throat hurt and I was sure by 100% that I was the next case of Swine Flu and I'd make the news for sure.
Never mind that I didn't leave the house and it was highly unlikely I caught anything beyond a cold.
I drank orange juice and my favorite tea, Gypsy Cold Remedy.
Saturday my cousin and her wife came from the Netherlands and we went shopping.
We brought the scooter as I wasn't too sure about the crutches, I am getting better with them and the partial weight baring but for a long time it scares me. I really need to work on trusting my legs.
Resident Teen needed shoes as did cousin and we drove(well her wife drove) to the shoe store. I was wobbly and almost fell over.
Then we went to a posh mall, had our picture taken in front of a rather premature christmas tree set-up. Cousin insisted I lean on her and not have my scooter only to step away and leave me to almost topple over. Luckily Resident Teen was there to catch me on the left.
Then we hit one more store and at this one I managed to stand on two feet supported!
After this victory I had a few more where two feet were involved with getting up and standing up!

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around putting one foot in front of the other but this was one giant leap today so I'm hopeful by next week when I need to turn in the scooter I'll be close to mastering walking on two feet.

What-cha doing?

Nothing, or close to nothing.

Despite having had the flu-shot I've had a sore throat for a day or two now.
My social contact is close to zero so it's anyone's guess where I got this bug.

I've noticed something this last week that is very unlike me. I don't feel like being social or being around people much.
I'll talk to people on the phone, I interact with my family and I do go see my friends at the store but most of the time I'd rather read my book or knit and be all by myself.
Everything I need is somewhat within my reach where I rest, my books, radio and knitting.
I'm totally content to do nothing that involves people.
Maybe this is part of the process?
I'm so used to my routine by now that new situations are not as welcome?

I did go out with my friend to the store yesterday and we did some groceries, also went and got a chair massage and chatted with my knitting friends.
It's not that I'm a total hermit after all.

On the healing front things are looking up somewhat, I can flex the foot to almost 90 degrees, took a shower the other day without a cast, walked more with aid of the crutches and the scar looks good.
5 weeks have passed.

Yesterday. Sucked.

I woke up at 3 am with a throbbing foot, the ace wrap combined with the brick like texture of the splint were not agreeing with me.
I took an Aleve and went back to what passed for sleep.
By 6 am I was so happy the alarm went off.
This sense of 'happiness' was short lived however as the day progressed.
Without having asked for clear instructions as to what "putting some weight on" meant I was left to my own interpretation. I'm a very creative person but obviously that doesn't mesh with healing an achilles.
I have used the orthopedic boot before for various injuries on the right foot and honestly do not remember it being this darn hard to walk.
I started out just by standing on two feet supported by my scooter.
That felt "okay" but not exactly as I remembered standing was like.
I wanted to put more weight on my left leg, this is my strongest side after all, and this left me wobbly when I transferred weight to the right side.
Mid day I needed to get lunch and I had decided I'd use the scooter until the kitchen, around 15 feet away from the bedroom.
Then I'd use the crutches around the kitchen.

4 steps into this exercise I was sweating, panting and in tears with frustration.
I also had pain, pain not felt before.
Right then and there the person formerly know as patient Mari turned into a blubbering mess as I had a pity party for one.
I got my lunch, scootered back to bed and walloped until family came home.
My mood did not improve at all until after dinner. Resident Teen made a lasagna and it was good.
With food in me, and a glass of wine, I went back to the bedroom with ice and no more boot.
I talked a little to my friend Gail and in searching for a picture of the torture apparatus aka Das Boot found a website dedicated to people just like me!
I joined the site Achilles Blog  and after reading around felt boosted with a bit more confidence that it will get better.

Today is day 33 post-op and I did take it down a lot, I called the clinic to get SPECIFIC instructions as to what "some weight" means and also called my old Physical Therapist to see if I can come in for some Boot help.
I'm resting in the night splint, icing and doing my stretching exercises.

The A.B.C's of Healing

A, for Adaptability, also see Achilles.

So you got your Achilles Tendon cut. Did you know it is the strongest tendon in a human body? Not when it is severed it isn't.

Which leads us to adaptability, the power to adapt to being dependent on the resources around you. You have only one foot and upper body strength, learn how to use the latter!
I strongly suggest if you ever find yourself in the position of having any lower body/leg/foot surgery to invest in some classes that strengthen your core and upper body.
Also, creativity is your friend. Did you know you can zip up your pants if you rest your forehead against the wall thus freeing both your hands? I'm all about the tricks at the moment.

B, is for Bed rest and Balance.

Bed rest (or lounging on the couch) is the main factor in recovery. You want at least 4 pillows for your back and if you have to elevate the injured leg after day 3 you get pretty good at what works.

Balance means to stay upright on one leg and not fall over while doing it. With only one working leg it's a must learn. Yoga never seemed so easy to me now, I might have to see if I can now hold that tree pose when I start going it again. I used to be more in a falling tree pose. Timber!

C, is for crazy.

I willingly let a podiatrist cut my Achilles, I must have been NUTS!

D, is for Depending on.

Up to week 2 my family had been pretty good in caring for me, payback for all the ER trips and the flu/ asthma middle of the night scares I've dealt with in the last 20 years with regards to various family members. However that bubble burst one weekend where not only my son closed the bedroom door ( a soundproofed door by the way) but my calling out wasn't heard.
At first I did a polite 'ahem, ahem' a few times. Then I randomly called some names out. Nothing happened.
It was 10 am and I was hungry!
Finally I called my teenager on her cell phone. Thank you Modern Technology!

E, is for Effort on my part.

Enough said.

F, is for Facebook

Who am I kidding. Farmville, Cafe World, Island Paradise, Farkle and Bejewelled Blitz have saved me from total and utter boredom. And kept my brain from being corrupted by daytime TV. Honestly, how much Judge Judy or talk shows should I watch?
So, YES, I'm coming out and admitting that I am a Facebook junkie!
Early on we bought me a MacBook Pro (insert hearts and smilies here) because I lost the battle over the "family" lap top gifted to the teenager last December. Now I can be online as much as I want.
To counteract Facebook I am blogging and watching back episodes of House Hunters and Food Network on Hulu.

G, is for Growth

I knitted a quite a few meters/yards during the last 4 weeks. I had great intentions to finish a project a week thinking it was do-able.
I assembled a basket, or two, full of unfinished items to sit next to the bed and all I did finish was a pair of fingerless mitts and the remainder of a sock.
I started on fingerless gloves for the Teenager called Knotty Gloves.
Years ago I started on a shrug, that has grown over the last weeks but is no where near to finishing.

H, is for Healing
 A chore that is the toughest, see Patience.

Who knew that by training for walking Half Marathons I'd develop a stronger level of patience? A much needed trait if you have no foot to stand on. Watching time go by slowly while resting is a lot like walking the mileage you need to train for 13.1 miles.

You can complain all you want, but ultimately it's time and no rushing that gets you where you need to be, healing is best done slowly as well.
At the start of this whole surgery/healing process it seemed unsurmountable to me but by taking it an hour/day/week at a time just like taking it a mile/hour at a time the last four weeks have gone by rather rapidly.

Coming soon, the rest of the Alphabet.

Two feet, I have two feet!

Four weeks, 3 days and no more cast.
We visited the Dr. again who is very pleased with the progress so far. The wound is healing nicely and supposedly I have a good range of motion if he manipulates the foot.
However, the "honeymoon" is over and now comes a preview of the real 'work' ahead.
Because I'm ahead of where he thought I'd be he decided to skip the next step, a walking cast and told me I now have to start walking with a orthopedic boot.
Little bits at a time and weaning my self off crutches and the scooter.
Two feet on the floor, why does that scare me?

I got fitted for the boot, heavy warm thing by the way, and a night splint so that the foot stays flexed and protected at night.
I was assigned very simple exercises to do as well.

Once home I took my painkillers and rested before attempting my first steps on two feet.
After 8 steps, somewhat assisted by the crutches I called it a day.
I was sweating and breathing hard with the effort of this exercise. My calf cramped up and sent signals to STOP!!

There's a whole new set of rules to learn, balance the biggest one.

3 weeks to go to the next visit, he thinks I'll be walking fully on my own in the boot by 2 weeks.
His parting words? "we see these kinds of fast recoveries in a lot of athletes"
I gave myself a mental high-five for that.

For now the happy dance will have to wait, I do the walking thing again in a hour or so.

Late night update, I went to my friends store. Cooked dinner for kids and right now am resting with night cast on.
I'm pooped.

No More Stitches, B1tches!

Week 3 came rather fast and with it Friday and the day the stitches came out!

My friend Gail drove me to the clinic and willingly took some pictures to show off some stitches!

All 15 came out without a hitch and after x-rays confirmed the bone anchor was still in place in the ankle I got recast.

Gail and I figured we'd be in for a quiet lunch and some shopping but each of us encountered mad drivers and possible worse case scenarios before we got to lunch.

In the parking garage I escaped being hit by a car first.

In front of the clinic is a little horse shoe parking space and normally I wait there for my ride to come.

But we decided I was to wait on the side of a crossing path a few feet away and Gail would get the car.

As she was rounding the corner she motioned to me and I looked towards the horseshoe only to see a white Sedan scale the sidewalk and come to as stop past where I would have waited had we not changed our minds.

The woman in the car backed up and drove off the sidewalk only to go back onto it again.

We watched in stunned silence as she then maneuvered back into the horseshoe drop-off zone after this.

Later as we were at our lunch stop and Gail was getting my scooter out of the car she looked up just in time to move out of the path of a backing up mini-van.

We decided our Karma banks were pretty empty by then.

The rest of our day passed uneventful, luckily.

Next appointment, November 2nd and then I get an air cast!

It's been a week.....

My mom used to say
"if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all".

Going in to this surgery and the recovery I knew full well it wasn't going to be fine all the time.
But I guess I was lulled into this false sense of well being by the lack of pain I experienced the first 10 days.
Sure getting up from either the couch or bed took some deliberation and showering was an hour task, but I pretty much took that as distractions to look forward to.
All in all watching Dutch TV online was fun, knitting broke the boredom and playing on Facebook wasn't that old, yet.
Then Friday brought a whole new set of rules so to speak.
It started with small twinges of sharp pain in my foot, evidence that the nerves were making themselves known.
Intermittently they would fire up to the brain, giving my right leg the sensation of goose bumps like ripples of nerve signals.
Odd feeling not altogether pleasant.
Taking painkillers for nerve pain, failure.

I had been in a somewhat 'serene' mood but by Friday and end of week 2 I got a bit pissy, grumpy and impatient.
Some of my friends and TEAM mates were in San Francisco preparing to walk/run the  Nike Woman's Marathon I so had wanted to do this year.
Hearing their stories really made me want to get out and do a race! Even if it was only a 5k, my right foot for a 5k!!!!

Never mind that the days crawled by, sometimes I'd look at the clock and it was only 9am, no sleeping in for me. I get up at 7 with the kids anyway.
Added to all the perceived misery I was in was the fact that my oldest dog Iris was failing.
She and I had spent all of my recovery days together in the bedroom.
She on her bed behind the baby gate and I 2 feet away watching her fight for air.
There were moments since that Friday that she slept very soundly and I'd check her breathing.
Sometimes I'd wake her up by accident and fiddle with her ears a bit.
She stopped eating on Sunday and would take little bits of chicken broth but she was exhausted.
On Wednesday husband and Iris took her final ride and we had to let her go.

Now I'm in a very quiet bedroom with the occasional snore or sigh from the other dogs.
Tomorrow marks week 3 and the removal of stitches.

I decided that I'm not going to heed my mom's saying, it's not all going to be pretty along the way in this recovery and the road towards my final goal.
I might as well apologize now for any whining that might go down in the future.

Heal!

I woke up at 4 am with Iris who is having a hard time with the whole being the oldest/most ill dog.
Husband has been babying her because she is obviously on the decline and needing a lot of extra love and care.
This breed tends to suffer from "fatty tumors" and quite possibly the one on her chest has becoming invasive and it bothers her a lot.
They are benign but can get big, hers is the size of a grapefruit right now.
Another month and she will be 13, but if her quality of life deteriorates more I fear she won't see that birthday.
Until then it's boiled chicken and rice hand fed by the husband and that is fine, she has earned that with all the health issues she was dealt with.

Today marks the 11th day since surgery and visit to Dr. B. was on the books.
We woke up to the first "winter storm" for California, this translates into rain and high winds.
Husband took me to the clinic.

I have this scooter now for getting around and make quite the entrance with it where ever I go, the Dr's office was no exception. At least 2 women commented on my wheels and maybe were a bit envious? I cannot imagine using crutches right now, this scooter thing takes the strain off my shoulders and arms.

I felt for one gal, freshly casted in a walking boot trying to work the crutches. Her husband wasn't the kindest either, he almost was running out of the door with her trying to keep up.
I so would have smacked him as soon as he got within reach of my crutches.
Dr. B. saw me in the cast room and bandages were removed. To say I was a bit apprehensive about what it all would look like is an understatement. So much is riding on the first few days, if it got infected or die off I'd be in trouble.
But not only was there no swelling, the stitches looked very pretty and in order. No infection, all of me is still 100% alive!
There are about 15 of them and the scar does look like a first time sewing project all crooked and zig-zag. Dr. B. explained to me it could not be a straight line because of the way these surgeries heal. A straight incision would pucker over time and with that comes a whole new set of healing issues.
He was so pleased I half expected him to high-five me right there but he didn't.
He took care of the dressing and we waited for the new cast/splint.

I've been in cast rooms before and have always found it intriguing. For some reason there is always someone ahead being cast and you sit back and watch that poor soul getting all wrapped up.
Today a young Asian kid, in obviously a lot of pain, got his cast removed and replaced.
Took the tech 40 minutes during which we had the opportunity to watch him use the cast saw three times!

When it was my turn husband seemed a bit disappointed no saws were needed for me.

Anyhow, I'm all wrapped up. New appointment set for in 10 days, the stitches will come out and I get a new cast/splint.

It's the same old, same old until then. Rest and elevate.
I'm getting good at it too!

Just me and the dogs

For all intent and purposes our morning routine is pretty much the same.

Resident Teen has to get up at 6:30 and Little Man at 7 am. The weeks before the surgery I was the main driver as my old car, the Taurus, finally decided to die in the middle of El Camino.

We were down to one car, not an issue right now because I'm not walking for 4 weeks and who knows what will happen as soon as this cast comes off.

However, my husband is not a morning person, at all.

He rarely goes to sleep before 1 am, not easy if you have to get up at 6:30 am.

So for 45 minutes there is the slamming of cupboards, complaining about homework needing signing and the general angst that is inherent with having an almost 16 year old girl in the house.

It's tends to be quite the dramatic exit at 7:15 by Dad and daughter with the quieter departure of the younger one 45 minutes later.

We have three dogs, all Bouvier des Flandres. There's Iris (13) Barend (4.5) and Miss Izzy (4). We've always had this breed and as dogs go they are my kind of dog. A bit big but very calm and quiet when needed.

As soon as the activity and the flurry of the morning has faded the dogs get down to some serious nap time.
By 9 am there is a chorus of snoring, occasional fart and when they really apply themselves there is the running in the sleep.
Ah bliss.

Iris (top) Isolde aka Dizzy Izzy (bottom)  

Last night wasn't a good night for Iris, she was up every hour and at some point got stuck in the bathroom and kept us awake for hours.

I have cursed her backyard breeder every day since she was 5 years old for breeding too many puppies too soon.

Now we  have a dog with severe hip problems.

As a result of the restless night I'm dragging today, my foot is warm but the toes cool to the touch.

I'm feeling the misuse of my right calf muscle, am stretching the left when I can.

So in general the day moves on, I get up every hour to do something, keep the blood flowing and the rear end from falling asleep.

By 3 pm something triggers in the dogs brain, the kids are slated to come home soon. It's an event I now look forward too.

They get up and check the back yard for squirrels.

And then the kids are home and there's life in the place.

Another day has passed, repeat it tomorrow again.

Ah, the life of a dog.

Some background first.

I've never seen myself as a sporty person but in 2007 I joined  Team in Training and prepared for the first of my half Marathons with them.
I was having good training's and the spirit of getting fit and by doing so helping others propelled me along.
Until March 15th of 2007, I stepped off a ladder and felt a sharp pain in my heel.
I iced it, rested and went on to the San Diego Rock and Roll half Marathon on June 3rd 2007. I finished and was a Marathoner now!
But the foot never felt good after. I continued on to the San Jose Rock and Roll, trained for the San Diego event again but ended up again with the injury flaring up after a local 10k. Still stubborn I trained on and did Seattle 2 days after Thanksgiving.
By now I had burned the carpet at a local podiatrist without result.
Bursitis was his diagnosis and back to PT I went.
The new year 2009 saw me back with TEAM and in May I completed my 3rd Rock and Roll.
During my training the pain never was an issue but as soon as the running shoes came off the pain started.
I found a new podiatrist, the same who had treated me 20 years ago when I tore some ligaments, and he diagnosed me with Haglunds Deformity
After the X-rays confirmed this it was pretty clear come fall I'd be hanging my running shoes up for awhile as it meant surgery and a long period of healing.

I've had surgery now and I want to share how the road ahead is for me.
This blog is part sounding board for me, part information for who wants to read it.
It will be a long journey and I hope you'll walk a little with me along the way.
What is my ultimate plan?

I know this walking sport is it for me, it sets me free, I have time to think and can concentrate on what is important.
I want to get back and walk a Half Marathon.
When, who knows.
But it's going to happen!