*With all due respect to the Beatles.
Just got back from St. Mike’s, and I continue to improve. For the past 2 weeks I’ve been wearing an aircast 23+ hours a day (showers and minimal toe-wiggling accounted for the remainder of the time). My best news: I don’t have to wear it at night anymore! For anyone who has had the fortune of avoiding one, it’s heavy, clunky, has sharp edges, reaches from end of foot to close to knee, and is rigid. While it’s marginally okay to walk in, it’s virtually impossible to get comfortable at night wearing one. When, because of sheer exhaustion one falls asleep, as soon as one turns over the process begins again. So, this is very good news.
On the more important medical front, things also continue to progress nicely. First, no pain. Still. Next, I can begin weaning myself off daytime aircast use later this week, and even now for driving (if I’m comfortable driving, which I suspect I’ll be – we try this afternoon again). My main physiotherapy is walking at this point, although I can do stretching exercises as well.
I’ve walked around a little bit without the aircast, both in the hospital and now at home, and it feels odd. I’m not steady, by any means, and each step is tentative, but no pain (have I mentioned that?).
My hospital bed, wheelchair and other helpful medical equipment I’ve used over the past 5 weeks is being returned tomorrow, and we’ll get our sunroom back. I won’t miss the equipment, not at all.
Hopefully, tomorrow I can return to the office on a regular basis. I put in a full day last Thursday, and it felt so good. Starting tomorrow, hopefully, I’ll be doing the drive, as well. I so miss my workmates!
I’m not due back to see Dr. Daniels until May 11, so this may be the last ankle-exclusive post for a while. I hope so (and you probably do, too).