Bootless day two – on the upswing

The female DG headed to the Y this morning and actually managed to get a semblance of cardio workout on the bike – without any “comment” from her tendon. Being in athletic shoes is somewhat more comfortable than the clogs. But the clogs were the only option for wedding reception attire in the afternoon. After a full day, she’s looking forward to getting her foot elevated but is not near as uncomfortable as yesterday. Looks like progress but she doesn’t want to get ahead of herself.

End of first day without walking boot

This was true: by about 3:00 pm today the female DG had had it. It’s not that she was in pain. Everything just felt achy and heavy, and she was starting to wonder if she really would be able to take a step when she stood up. (She could.) By the time she got home a couple of hours later, the idea of the “clunker” (hideously ugly walking boot) sounded good. But in some kind of ironical delight, when she put it on, it really didn’t make things better – although getting up and down the two steps to the patio was probably done with more confidence. What she really needs is to get this leg up…soon!

Wow – ‘shed the boot’ is the new mandate

So the female DG, who only yesterday had been whining about how much she’d “had it” with the “clunker” (aka walking boot), got a surprise this morning when she visited surgeon Dr. Lawrence Oloff (pictured left along with fellow Dr. Kevin Miller). She could start walking without the boot as long as she was wearing an athletic shoe or clog – an announcement that she was not prepared for, even though she’s been taking some “illegal” non-boot steps. While she does have a near new pair of athletic shoes, she didn’t own a pair closed clogs (as opposed to mules), so it was off to buy a pair tonight.  Like every milestone previously, she can’t imagine walking without the boot but is also really anxious to put it in the dumpster along with the crutches. But how will this really work, especially with a dress up event on Saturday? And why is the new doctor costume a tie atop a shirt with unbuttoned collar?

Hope for those adjusting to boot following Achilles tendon surgery

If there is one thing that the female Dual G (gimpy and grumpy) has learned about recovering from Achilles tendon surgery (to repair a partial tear), it’s that each milestone takes some adjustment. So it really shouldn’t have surprised her that the first two days following the removal of her fourth (and last) cast – which was replaced by the hideously ugly and bulky black walking boot – took some getting used to. Not only was her walking gait affected but the area around the surgical site started barking. That largely went away yesterday. Even after a morning and early afternoon of a lot of activity, she was pain free. The same holds true today. She realizes there’s still a lot of work and recovery ahead.