At Least Your Toes Look Pretty

I'm calling yesterday "Groundhog Day for the Boot."

Went to the ortho surgeon for a(nother) follow-up appointment to see if the perpetual boot wearing and physical therapy was actually helping my ankle.

Long story short - it's not.

Doc poked and prodded my ankle (and it hurt like HELL). Then he tells me to stand on my toes on BOTH feet. No problem. Then he says, "OK pick up your left foot so you're ONLY standing on your right foot."

Nope.
Not gonna happen.
I can't stand on my toes on my right foot.

So doc says "well, I would normally recommend that brace you got four years ago but I know you don't like it." No, I hate it.

And then he says "so let's so SIX MORE WEEKS of the boot and physical therapy." (Hence the Groundhog Day reference...the boot saw its shadow and I'm stuck in it for six more weeks).

And if that doesn't work? Then we talk about an MRI and possibly surgery.

I'm stuck in this effin' boot for six more weeks. But, as everyone is so keen to point on, at least my toes look pretty.

The Good, the Bad, and the Crutches

So yesterday was my "three week follow up" at the ortho surgeon's office.

Good news: I can "ease off" the crutches. Which in my world means throw those bitches to the curb. I'm done trying to go "non-weight bearing." Buh-bye.

Other good news: I can drive again. As long as it doesn't hurt. Well, guess what? It freaking HURTS like a mother. But, I'm going to drive. Because I'm sick of being driven around like a 42-year-old Miss Daisy. I'll limit how much I drive.

Meh news: I'm stuck in this damn walking boot for another four weeks. Maybe six weeks. Maybe longer. Who knows.

Also, I have to do 4-6 weeks of physical therapy. I despise physical therapy. It hurts. It makes me miserable. But I'll do it.

Why?

Because my end goal is to walk around Walt Disney World Resort for a week in November without pain.

Seems like a good goal to me.

So much for that 1/2 marathon...for now

Yes, in case you're wondering that IS my foot in the walking boot.

Here's the story behind the boot...

Last fall I signed up for my very first 5K. My initial plan was that I was going to RUN the 5K (despite the fact that I had not been "a runner" since I was in law school, about 15 years ago). I started "training" ... which was really just me walking 1.5 miles a few days a week. And then, at some point last October I started having excruciating pain in my right ankle. I stopped walking/training and thought "oh it'll go away."

It didn't go away.

Fast forward to the 5K in February. I didn't wrap the ankle, I "toughed it out" and by the end of that day I could barely walk. (But I still managed to limp my way through the Magic Kingdom that night!). As the months went by the pain would get worse and then better and then worse again. Every time I tried to start my walking routine again the pain would get worse. Ice, Motrin, wrapping the ankle ... nothing helped.

A few weeks ago I noticed there was a small lump on my Achilles tendon. So I Googled it. Because Google is where everyone goes for sound medical advice, right? Yeah, from what I could find on the Internet it seemed that I had an issue with my Achilles tendon - a possible tear, tendinitis, something. Then we went on vacation and a week of walking on the sand (and the pain that followed) convinced me that I needed to see my foot doctor.

Last Friday I had my appointment.

The diagnosis: a partially torn Achilles tendon and Achilles tendinitis.

The road to recovery consists of (1) wearing that God-awful boot when I'm at home, (2) wearing my running shoes WITH inserts when I'm going out, (3) three weeks of physical therapy, three times per week, and (4) pain medication.

After the PT, I have a follow up appointment to see how things are progressing. Apparently the goal is to stretch my Achilles tendon (which seems odd, since it's already torn) so that it doesn't tear completely. Because a full tear would be bad. Really bad. If the PT isn't doing the job, I could end up in a cast for a few weeks. Which would be awesome. In a totally not awesome way.

Guess I won't be training for that 1/2 marathon anytime soon. 

A word to wise dear readers, if you're in the midst of a new walking or running routine and you suddenly have terrible pain in your ankle, don't wait TEN MONTHS to visit the doctor.