I guess it's what all the well-dressed ex-walkers are wearing this summer.
I did "something" to the tendon on the inner-upper side of my foot. It's severely swollen and the ortho-guy immediately put me into the boot/brace. It goes to right below my knee. I have to wear it at least until my next ortho-appt on July 8, at which time, he will decide whether I need surgery to repair the tendon. He told me right out that "it does not look good". He doesn't think it's from walking, but did say that walking probably exacerbated the injury. It could have been something I did a while back (and I do remember a couple really stupid things I did...falling out of my sandals, twisting the foot, and landing in a heap at the bottom of the basement steps with a basket of laundry comes to mind, for example). If surgery is needed, I'll be done walking for about 3 months (just in time for winter walking!), til it all heals back up and I'm done with PT and all that good stuff. But we'll see.
No walking, no driving. But.....get this.....I can use the flippin' elliptical with the boot/brace on my foot. That elliptical will be the death of me. I don't know what the heck I did that was so evil that the darn thing can come back to bite me so many times. "You can't walk, Pam, but hey, that elliptical is in the bedroom waiting for you!"
I wish I'd never, ever seen that thing. I don't WANT to use that thing. I HATE that thing.
So now? I get up in the morning and put the boot on to work around the house. Take the boot off for my shower, then put it back on. Take the boot off to put my work clothes on, get ready for work. Go out to my car and then take the boot off. Drive to work and put the boot on. And then walk into work. I did that yesterday and Rick said that was ridiculous. So now he's bringing me into work. I am not allowed to put any weight on the foot. When I get up during the night to use the bathroom, I use an old pair of crutches that I got when I blew my knee out. The cats don't know what the heck is going on. They don't like the boot any more than I do. They get close to it and the fur ruffles. Muffin actually growled at it last night. Molli won't leave it alone, so I have to put it in the closet for the night.
Just about the time I finally get back to where I'm walking fine and everything is ducky, something else happens. I told the ortho-guy (he's the same doctor who helped me with my knee a few years ago) that I'm going to order a large pepperoni pizza, eat a dozen donuts, a couple extra-large bags of peanut M & Ms, the biggest grilled steak I can find, a large baked potato smothered with real butter, wash it all down with the largest margarita I can find, have a heart attack and then die. It's easier. (Yes, I am depressed.
I know that, in the overall scheme of things, this in minor. I know that. I get that. But.....
)
I'm going to Virginia anyway....I don't care. My GF and I have had this trip planned for a year now and I'm going. We've planned to go down to Rikki's Refuge ( http://rikkisrefuge.org/ ) for a working weekend and I really want to go. I can't drive and she gets that.....she says we'll just deal. Rick agrees.
I did "something" to the tendon on the inner-upper side of my foot. It's severely swollen and the ortho-guy immediately put me into the boot/brace. It goes to right below my knee. I have to wear it at least until my next ortho-appt on July 8, at which time, he will decide whether I need surgery to repair the tendon. He told me right out that "it does not look good". He doesn't think it's from walking, but did say that walking probably exacerbated the injury. It could have been something I did a while back (and I do remember a couple really stupid things I did...falling out of my sandals, twisting the foot, and landing in a heap at the bottom of the basement steps with a basket of laundry comes to mind, for example). If surgery is needed, I'll be done walking for about 3 months (just in time for winter walking!), til it all heals back up and I'm done with PT and all that good stuff. But we'll see.
No walking, no driving. But.....get this.....I can use the flippin' elliptical with the boot/brace on my foot. That elliptical will be the death of me. I don't know what the heck I did that was so evil that the darn thing can come back to bite me so many times. "You can't walk, Pam, but hey, that elliptical is in the bedroom waiting for you!"
So now? I get up in the morning and put the boot on to work around the house. Take the boot off for my shower, then put it back on. Take the boot off to put my work clothes on, get ready for work. Go out to my car and then take the boot off. Drive to work and put the boot on. And then walk into work. I did that yesterday and Rick said that was ridiculous. So now he's bringing me into work. I am not allowed to put any weight on the foot. When I get up during the night to use the bathroom, I use an old pair of crutches that I got when I blew my knee out. The cats don't know what the heck is going on. They don't like the boot any more than I do. They get close to it and the fur ruffles. Muffin actually growled at it last night. Molli won't leave it alone, so I have to put it in the closet for the night.
Just about the time I finally get back to where I'm walking fine and everything is ducky, something else happens. I told the ortho-guy (he's the same doctor who helped me with my knee a few years ago) that I'm going to order a large pepperoni pizza, eat a dozen donuts, a couple extra-large bags of peanut M & Ms, the biggest grilled steak I can find, a large baked potato smothered with real butter, wash it all down with the largest margarita I can find, have a heart attack and then die. It's easier. (Yes, I am depressed.
I'm going to Virginia anyway....I don't care. My GF and I have had this trip planned for a year now and I'm going. We've planned to go down to Rikki's Refuge ( http://rikkisrefuge.org/ ) for a working weekend and I really want to go. I can't drive and she gets that.....she says we'll just deal. Rick agrees.