Good riddance February, Hello March!

March, I never thought you'd get here! I've been waiting for you for 6 looooong weeks now. You are filled with hope and new beginnings. You are the starting point of me getting my life back.

My injury occurred 6 weeks ago from tomorrow. Today marks 5 weeks from my surgery. Another week to go and I should (hopefully) be cleared to start weight-bearing at my post-op visit next Tuesday. One thing I do know is that I will finally be able to put my foot flat on the ground when it comes time to take X-rays again at that appointment! And, without crying either might I add. The tech won't know what to do!

First, a physical update. I've had 3 sessions of PT, mostly to address the fear and anxiety I had that would have interfered with me working on range of motion exercises on my own. My PT was a perfect match for what I needed...emotionally. I have several "exercises" that I have to do 3 times/day, which I have done diligently (and without tears or *much* fuss). I know it's minor, but I'm now able to curl my toes (except for my big toe which is stubborn and can only tap), raise and lower my heel to 90 degrees, and rotate my ankle (slightly) outward. My foot is still swollen (and, if I understood the doc correctly at my first visit, will remain swollen at 3 months out!), but it seems to be lessening somewhat (to my undiscriminating eye). I am able to shower with the aid of a chair in the tub, and I am finally sleeping back in bed (although still with the aid of a Vicodin at night). I have been out of the house a handful of times, primarily for the doc and PT appointments, but I don't have a lot of stamina to be out and about for very long. I seem to overestimate what I can do, particularly when it comes to how much distance I can comfortably cover on my crutches. A recent highlight was a trip to Target where I was absolutely ecstatic to discover the motorized carts (seriously, how did I think I was going to manage going through the store when I was wiped out just getting dropped off at the front of the store and making my way into the store!). For those who missed this pic on K's FB, here's a laugh for you:
Emotionally, some days are easier to get through than others. Most of the time I am just trying to get through the day so that it will bring me one day closer to the next milestone (first it was getting out of the splint and into the boot, now it is becoming weight-bearing, then it will be working on walking without pain, climbing stairs, driving my car, and waaaay on down the line it will be running again). While my injury may have occurred while running, this has certainly not been your typical running injury where the biggest problem is coping with not being able to run. This has completely thrown our life upside down. I can't do even the most basic things that we all take for granted everyday. I have had to become dependent on K, which is not a position that either of us has welcomed. And, then there is the whole financial aspect of me quitting my job right before this happened that we're having to deal with as well. I have finally felt ready to tackle some work-related tasks in the past week or so (meaning that I have been able to stay awake through the afternoon and sit at the table for an extended stretch of time = progress). I'm really going to need to be earning some income next month...or things will be tough(er than they already are). I've started working on contracting applications with insurance companies. I wish I had been able to take this task on sooner since it will still take several months before things are finalized.

Not only are we expecting big changes with me starting to work on mobility next week, but we will also have a change of scenery as we are set to close on our house on Friday. It still hasn't really hit me though, probably because I am so limited in what I've been able to do for this process. We're in the middle of the packing process (a big thanks to my mom for coming down to help) and still have a lot more to do to close the door on this house and begin our life in the new house. We/I want to have several of the rooms in the new place painted, and we need to shop for some furniture and other items. None of this is easy to do in my current state.

So, bring it on, March. Let's see what you've got. It's got to be better than February, but maybe not quite as good as April. I'm excited you are finally here though!