Day 85+

Day 85 post op. 12 week anniversary was yesterday. Whoa. No photo today, sadly. My camera battery is dead and I spilled milk on the charger and now it's broken. :)

I went a week of working out, non-stop, a combo of swimming and stationary bike, before my first PT appt last Friday. That day was 7 days after I saw the Doc, who told me I would be off of my crutches in 5-7 days. Well, I sacrificed walking for my workouts that week, so I was still on them, and not happy about it. 

The physical therapist told me to concentrate on walking before going back to the gym. Smart man. :) So I took 5 days off, I can kinda walk now. Not all day long, but today was the first day I only brought one crutch to work, and I left it in the car. :) It hurts, don't get me wrong, but I'm tired of not being able to walk, so I really don't care how much it hurts, it's time to walk. And I'm not being stupid, the Doc said it would hurt to start walking, but that I wasn't doing any damage. And I'm off pain meds, happily. I'm just tired of taking them, it's annoying. I'm ready for my real life again! 

I got my body fat % tested yesterday, so that I can look back in six months and be so proud of how far I've come. I was putting it off because I knew I was not going to be happy with my new number, I was in pretty good shape pre-op, then was sedentary up until now. So my muscles have atrophied quite a bit, any muscle I have left is now very mushy. *vomit*. So the trainer told me my number, and sure enough, I'm not happy. 9% higher than pre-op. I had to hold back tears. But, that motivates me. I have a long way to go, but nothing motivates you more than the trainer grabbing your stomach fat to test how fat it really is. Argh! So then I went to the grocery store...I'm going to get my body fat tested before I go grocery shopping every time—I left there with not one unhealthy thing. :) Ha.

That's enough for now. Hopefully pictures soon.

Pain: Bad in the mornings, bad at night, decent during the day. 

Quote: "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." - Mahatma Gandhi

Day 73+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Whoa. It's day 73 post op. Photo is day 69+. I had my 10.5 week Doc appt yesterday, I was so nervous and anxious I didn't really sleep the night before. I was so happy going into the Doc's office yesterday morning! He came in, asked me how I was, for the first time I responded that I was great! He looked at the xray and said it is awesome, gave the ankle a tug and said "oh yeah, that is rock solid" and I don't remember feeling so good! At least not in the last 73 days. :) I expected a lot of pain, but to my surprise, my ankle didn't slide out of socket like it used to when he pulled it! I told him to grab the other one, and he looked at my with this "holy shit" look on his face and said "oh my god...". Yeah, lefty's still pretty messed up. But we'll worry about that guy later. Focus is on righty's recovery right now. :)

Anyways, he said I can walk, he said I can swim, I can ride the stationery bike, etc. Pretty much, I'm free to go! I was so confused when he told me I could walk.... I asked him if he know how painful it was to put weight on it...he said "well it's going to take some time to ween yourself off the crutches. Probably 5-7 days." I told him I thought that was pretty aggressive, but go figure, 2 hours later I am practically running around my office at work... I still had to use the crutches but was putting 80% of my weight on it!

The nurse was really helpful. I couldn't touch my toes to the ground, and I was having so much pain in the ball of my foot (and the top of my foot...Doc said there's nothing wrong, the pain is from not using it, that it would get better)... but my toes didn't touch the ground, so I wasn't sure how to walk... She slowly pushed my toes down to the ground (I am holding my breath during all this), she held them there for a few seconds, picked up her hands, and voila! Toes were touching the ground, they stayed! It was exciting!

I spent most of yesterday with 80% of the weight on my foot. By the end of the day it was as swollen as it was 4 weeks post op. But I iced and elevated, and it went right back down, thankfully! They gave me a good go-by...she said put 25% of my weight on it for 25% of the day for 2 days or until I don't feel pain when doing so, they move to 50%, etc. It was pretty sore this morning, so I might have to take it a little slower, but I did get to swim today! That was really fun. I felt so free! It was SO NICE TO ENGAGE ALL OF MY MUSCLES AT ONE TIME! I'm so tired of isolating a muscle group to work out! Ahhh! I swam for 20 minutes and did maybe 8 laps. hehe. Pretty slow but I don't mind. I used a noodle under me for most of it, wasn't using my legs the whole time, I was pretty nervous. But it was less painful than I anticipated! I'm going to wait until I can bear 100% of my weight on it before I move to the bike. I think that's smart. I'm so happy to be able to go to the gym again.

After today, I have a very positive feeling. A much more positive feeling than I did after I had my last ankle surgery. I have my first PT appt next Friday, but I probably won't go too often. It's not like I have to gain a lot of strength back...the surgeon fixed that for me! I'm wayyy better off now than I was before surgery! I don't need a PT appt to make me do the exercises. I am PLENTY motivated on my own. :) I will just go check in so they can monitor my progress, but don't want to spend thousands of dollars having them watch me do the stupid theraband. :) Besides, the Doc already told me I have my strength back after the little test he did.

Okay, enough for now, but yippie!

Day 69+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Is this not the most beautiful ankle you have ever seen?! (Dead serious)! The pic is day 66+. This thing looks amazing! It's starting to feel much better too. It's hard for me to notice the progress, but people are starting to notice that I am better. I am up more and for longer periods of time. I can keep my foot down for HOURS now, oh my gosh, hooray!

I ice during the day now, I started this last week. There's more swelling than I think there should be, and I'm determined to get it down. My heel is squishy, it's gross. There's a part of the outside of my heel I can't touch, it makes me dizzy, and when I cross my legs it displaces some tendon, very strange feeling. But it looks so darn good!

Friday I was feeling extremely anxious and had had a couple beers and decided to put a LITTLE bit of pressure on it while in the boot WITH the assistance of my crutches and I found that i COULD! I even tried it the next day, sans beers, and I COULD! So I am assuming the the Dr. will tell me Friday that this is okay, or I wouldn't be attempting it. I really don't want to mess this up!

It gets very sore at the end of the day. I went a couple days w/o pain meds just as a reality check to make sure I could, and I can and I did. It hurt and I didn't sleep worth a sh*t, but I can. I'm cutting it in half anyways, so that's good, but it helps me get better rest. The ball of my foot and the bones on top still REALLY hurt. All the time. I hope that goes away next. :)

Doc. appointment Friday, wish me luck. Maybe I'll be able to swim soon. I hope so, I'm getting really mushy!! My tummy is like the Pillsbury dough boy. Hehee!

Pain: 0-1 during the day, 10 if I put too much weight on it, and 1 at the end of the day.

Quote: "We acquire the strength we have overcome." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 66+, Comparison

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Note pocket of swelling on left foot that has now vanished from the right foot! I hope it's gone forever! I thought that was normal, but apparently it is not!

Left Ankle (no op)

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Note pocket of swelling present on left foot, that was present on right prior to surgery.

Day 66+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

View of Day -1 (pre-op) and Day 66+ (post-op). My new ankle is BEAUTIFUL!

Day 65+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Yes, it still gets extremely blue and red when I have it down for too long. But that is usually at the end of the day. I can now have my foot down for hours at a time! Hours! Oh my gosh, yay!!! (It's still more comfortable if it's up, but the point is that I CAN put it down!)

Quote: "Fall seven times, stand up eight.": - Japanese proverb

Pain: is a 1, when it hurts, which is at the end of the day and if I put too much pressure on it, I sky rocket to between a 6 and 10. :)

Day 64+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

My 9 week anniversary was yesterday! Awww...yay...how fun. I'm doing okay. It feels the exact same, but I do have increased flexibility. I took all of the wedges out of my boot today, so my foot is actually sitting relatively flat. That is a huge improvement since I got the cast off. So, three weeks ago.

One more week until my next doctor's appointment, which then I think is the appointment where we try to put some weight on it. Mixed feelings about that so far. I should be excited, but from the "tests" I've done so far, I'm nowhere near ready for that. I still have a LOT of pain in the bones on the top of my foot, and the ball of my foot. The heel is sore still from the inside out, but I don't feel it that often. It's pretty sore all over by the end of the day. So I'm still doing half a vicodin, but its a low dosage and the Dr AND Katie said it was okay so I'm trying not to feel so guilty. But I am doing my alphabet and icing, so that makes me feel good.

Yesterday my alarm went off, and I accidentally kinda sorta stepped off of the bed with the wrong foot. OH. MY. GOD. That's all I have to say. So painful. The pain was immediate though, and didn't last, so I suppose that's good. I feel like it's a little bruised, like when you roll your ankle, theres a large area on the outside of my ankle and heel that I cannot feel, so gross, along with some definite swelling that just seems to sit in the bottom of my foot, the bottom of my heel is so squishy to the touch, totally disgusting.

Pain is the same, Quote: Oh you're kidding...I took the book home so I would have it near me while posting, and now I'm not at home, figures. :)

Day 62+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Day 59+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Day 59+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Day 59+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Day 59+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

Day 58+

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Originally uploaded by megalitz

So it's day 58 post op, I am more than 8 weeks since surgery. Hard to believe. Image is from day 55+. I was scratching my foot, there was a tiny piece of what I thought was a scab that was itching, but wasn't ready to come off yet. But I scratched at it some more, subconsciously, and what do you know, I pulled out a stitch! The woman left it in my foot! Crazy!

Anyways, there have been some hard days the past couple weeks. The time is going by slower and slower, days are harder and harder. I take a half a vicodin before I go to bed, and the doc said that was okay. I don't really even take much Advil during the day, I don't find that it does much, I will occasionally take it praying it will help with some of the swelling. That pocket of swelling on the inside of my foot is still there.

I have two more weeks on crutches. I can do the full alphabet pretty well. I called the doc a few days ago to ask if I could start swimming. I hate swimming, but I'm ready to get out of this rut I am stuck in against my will. He said not yet. Which I understand, but it did make me cry. I guess I didn't really think he'd say no. I wasn't ready for that answer.

I'm thankful that it is a new year, I needed something to give me a little uplifting, positive energy. The start of a new year always helps.

We ate dinner out for NYE, and the restaurant was too crowded for me to elevate my foot on another chair. So I had my foot down for the whole dinner, the longest its been down since surgery. It was painful. I was in a lot of pain for the rest of the evening. Not so much fun. I can't believe I still can't put it down for as long as I'd like. Probably another sign I'm not quite ready to swiim. :)

Pain: 1