Just to keep things in perspective: today marks 10 weeks from injury and yesterday marked 9 weeks from surgery. The other important milestone is that I have been weight-bearing for about 2 1/2 weeks, largely without the aid of crutches or the boot for 1 1/2 weeks. And, my PT is concerned about the continued limited range of motion in my ankle, particularly getting my foot past 90 degrees which is critical for lots of movements, including walking and running. I've had 5 sessions of PT since I have been weight-bearing so far, several of which have been 1.5 hours of activity, stretching, and manual manipulation. I also have several stretches that I am doing at home to work on it myself. But, I'm really worried - what if I don't regain full functionality? After an intense PT session yesterday, I seem to be walking a little less lurch-like, but every step is slow and requires concentrated effort. I have been managing the stairs at home better than I anticipated, although quite slowly and not with alternating steps. I don't have a lot of stamina to be on my feet for an extended period of time. But, it's not all doom and gloom. The big recent success has been reclaiming my car after almost 2 1/2 months! We took the car out last night to a nearby parking lot so I could see how I would do, and I was thrilled to find that I was able to manage the clutch without any problems! This alone will give me more of my life back as it gives me freedom to get out of the house and go places independently (although I have to be mindful of the walking at my destination). For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to try a trip to the grocery store on my first outing today - definitely not one of my brightest plans, but I made it through. I'm also cleared to hit the gym for the elliptical and bike, which is important to me so that I can begin to regain cardio while also working on range of motion particularly with the elliptical. Now that I can drive myself there, I will be a happy camper.
I survived the trip to Houston for the Sweet 16/Elite 8 games over the weekend. Our hotel was right by the stadium, but still involved a good .25 mile walk. Thankfully, I was able to get wheelchair assistance to our seats once we got to the stadium or I would have been done for. The outing really illuminated the difficulty I have getting around and made me realize that I'm not ready to travel by air yet (getting to the gate, dealing with a plane transfer, hauling stuff around). We had been holding out hope that I would be able to go to Ohio next weekend for Kurt's sister's wedding, but I think that's more than I can/should take on right now. My PT also advised against it at this point. Again, I'm just glad I have a few more months before our France trip or that would be bad, bad, bad!
We're slowly getting settled into the new house. It's definitely going to take some time though until I have more mobility and stamina for everything to get unpacked. K hasn't gone into a deep despair yet about living in the 'burbs, so that's a good sign. :) We've been exploring some of the new restaurants in our area and are figuring our way around to places. All in all though, I think we're both happy with the location.
I can't believe it's April this week. Wow, I have really missed out on the beginning of 2010, haven't I? April, I hope you have in store for me increased flexibility and mobility, getting settled into our house, and getting my practice started after the big hiccup of the past couple of months. Please?
1 comment:
I know this is probably the most irritating thing you can hear right now, but try your best to be patient. I say this because I have worked so much on post-surgery patients and injuries.
Different folks respond to various types of clinical therapies and exercises differently, I've found. Some folks are especially difficult to get mobility back into, but I've seen it happen many times after folks had all but given up on getting it. Just keep doing your exercises and try to keep a positive outlook! (if you've ever studied the Psychological work of Ron Kurtz, then you're familiar with the body-mind connection...great stuff!)
If your body is one that loves to make scar tissue (like mine is), sometimes it takes a lot of extra manual therapy to free that up. This therapy is seldom pleasant to receive, but it can work wonders to break up adhesions and free places where mobility has been compromised, if scar tissue is the cause.
I am so glad to hear you're at least getting around now with minimal assistance, and able to do some things and soak up some of this fresh air & sun! Loving hearing about your new house, too. It sounds wonderful!
Keep up the good/hard work, and never stop believing that you will recover!!
Post a Comment