Day 93: Two feet

I gingerly stood on two bare feet today just to prove I could (and to give me a bit more confidence for navigating the shower). I find myself feeling insecure and unprotected without my boot. I needed to see (in a dry, non-slippery environment) if putting weight on my foot while barefoot would hurt.  

It didn't. But oh the emaciated horror of the atrophy! Good golly! I'm going to have WORK to do on this calf!

The reason for this blog

Many times this summer as I've traveled down the path of my Achilles journey, I've taken to the internet to find firsthand accounts of what I was experiencing. I found a few comment threads but not much of what I wanted to know. I've passed the summit of my journey, and I'm descending the backside of the mountain, and it's my hope that I can share some of what I've experienced to help the next traveler.

To start, here are my top 3 (well 4 if you live near me) takeaways:

1. This is going to take A LOT longer than you think.

2. It may involve the worst pain you've ever felt.

3. If you LISTEN to your foot and OBEY what it is telling you, this will go much better for you.

4. If you live in the Milwaukee area, go see Dr. Brian Fischer of Aspen Orthopedics (no he isn't paying me to say this... I just love this doctor THAT much)

Day 87: Driving

Now that I was able to wear a shoe, I decided to try driving.

After hobbling to the car in my boot, I removed my boot, put on a shoe, and drove myself (and Hannah) to return my knee scooter at the medical supply store. Just for good measure we tried (unsuccessfully) to mail packages as well (post office was closed). We also dropped off stuff at Goodwill. I returned home feeling successful and almost giddy with the independence of it all.

Day 86: Wearing a shoe

I brought a shoe to PT as instructed today. They had me riding a stationary bike. I also did weight transfer onto my injured foot with only a shoe on! It was liberating, exciting, and a little bit exhausting.

Coming soon: walking!

Day 85: Last wedge & rounding a corner

I had read horror stories online.  Taking out the last wedge and transitioning to flat was reportedly the worst transition yet. I was pretty nervous but at the same time excited because walking had become a billboard on the side of the highway not too far ahead instead of a speck on the horizon.

So I removed that last wedge, and you know what? For me, it was the easiest removal yet.  I used the crutches one time and then ditched them again.

Later in the week, I would explain that looking back, I realized that Monday I turned some sort of corner where I got A LOT of my life back. The recliner became somewhere I rested instead of the place where I lived.  It was a momentous day!

Bye bye wedges!

Day 79: Saved by the doctor

Tuesdays are the day that Dr. Fischer is at the New Berlin clinic, where I go to PT. On this Tuesday, I dejectedly hobbled into the therapy area. I could've sworn there was even a storm cloud hovering over my head.  I'd been GRUMPY for two days with the refrain "two more weeks... two more weeks..." running through my brain.

I spilled my depressed guts to my physical therapist. Before you know it, he had Dr. Fischer in the PT area looking at my foot and delivering SWEET salvation. He said I could take out this last wedge after only ONE week. 

My mood instantly improved. The dark cloud rolled away.  Somehow one more week was SO much more tolerable than two!

Day 78: Disappointing Discovery

I went to take out what I thought was my last wedge and found I actually had TWO still in there! Two. More. Weeks. in the boot. So DEPRESSING!

See this is how many wedges I started with.... 4! Not 3... (not sure how I lost count).

So now I've removed 3 wedges. But I'm still not to flat.

This is what I'm down to as of today. Still. one. more. left. 😭

I spent the rest of the day in a funk. I had SO been counting on getting rid of this boot!