I haven't posted in a while because my progress really had been so incrementally slow (to me, anyway, my physical therapists said I was doing fine). But this week I made a big leap forward. Okay, not a leap because I can't actually jump off the floor or anything yet, but I made some significant progress. In the last 10 days or so, on two occasions something loosened up significantly in my ankle so that I could quite suddenly walk almost normally. In the words of the receptionist at my PT place, I wasn't walking so much like a penguin any more, LOL! Still, the front of my ankle is tight and that is what is keeping me from walking without a limp. The achilles tendon has loosened up and my plantar fascia also has loosened up considerably, both to the point that my therapists have to work quite a bit harder to "hurt" me. I don't have a full range of motion yet, but it's getting there.

I went to my surgeon yesterday and he wrote what he said is the last scrip for PT, for 4 more weeks. I was kind of at the thought of finally being able to walk and everything again so soon! He also wrote that he wanted them to basically give me more of a workout so today, they had me on the elliptical (I was totally at my physical therapist when he told me) and also using the leg press (more from me). The elliptical hurt a bit but not that bad and the leg press didn't hurt at all, except when I tried to put it back to the starting position at the end. My PT had to come and help me. All this was apparently very amusing to the staff. Actually, it was all kind of amusing to me as well, so that's okay.

So, I can sort of see the light at the end of the tunnel! My biggest hurdle remaining is being able to walk down stairs normally, or at least without a cane. I need the cane to walk upstairs too, but that's a lot easier. I walk around all the time now without the cane, but I have to have it with me for any steps.

I'm even going to watch some of the New Year's Invitational tomorrow, a nice little trip for me!

__________________
August 22, back on the ice!

Sk8pics, your progress sounds great! I know what you mean about going down stairs being harder than going up stairs--I think it is because when you are lowering yourself to the next step, that ankle has to hold more weight and is not sharing it with the other foot.

__________________
Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Yay for Sk8pics! So glad to hear you're healing up - when do you expect to be back on the ice?

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

YAAAAAY, sk8pics!!! You're finally walking normally!!!

Now all you have to do is to go thru the "tough run" tests of getting thru stuff like the elliptical trainer (quick change of range of motion and some amount of weight) and the leg press (getting used to a LOT of weigh on the foot and adjusting back to even distribution of weight) w/o pain and I can see you back on the ice REEEEEEAL soon!!! It's also possible that the PT will give you some balance exercises on either the disc, the Bosu ball or wobble something like that too... for extra EXTRA assurance that you'll be able to balance on those skates too!

Keep going!!! I can see the Finish Line ahead of 'ya!

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Thanks, but I am still months away from trying to skate again! Have to be off the blood thinners first and then the swelling has to go down enough so the boot will fit! I'm hoping for some time over the summer, but we'll see.

I can hardly wait to see what things they have planned for me at PT... I am going to start working even harder so they can do more with me in PT, to make sure I make enough progress in this month.

__________________
August 22, back on the ice!

Yeah!!!!
Lyle

Hope you had a good time this weekend at the NYI. It must have been frustrating to watch and know you have to wait a while longer.

Glad you're healing well - keep up the good work!

__________________

Yes, watching everyone made me want to skate, but it also made me really aware of how out of shape I am! They are trying to remedy that in PT right now and that's good! My physical therapist was very chatty today and was telling me that a lot of people get really stuck in all the pain of PT and have a hard time, because they can't see a goal in front of them. Or something like that. But he told me I have done well because I always am working for something. Not just for skating, I'm always asking them, when can I do this, or when can I do that. Today I wasn't very excited about the whole thing, but I did do 10 minutes on the elliptical and then another 5 on the hand bike. So, it's all good! I walked in today without my cane so he was pretty happy to see that, and said I was walking "pretty well."

__________________
August 22, back on the ice!