Ha, just seeing this, Patti! Very funny. Don't know if my insurance will give me 3x week home PT but I'm hoping so. Believe me, I will need no cheerleading to get me to do the exercises. I am SO looking forward to getting my life back to some kind of normalcy again and want to do it as soon as possible. It's going to be very weird to put my full foot on the ground again after 8 weeks. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like. I'm thinking the first time will be with a PT person.
I knew that...I was just giving you a hard time because you said it was tiring going out on your scooter 
I am pretty sure the next step(s) for us in a few weeks is/are going to be our hardest.
By the way, I've seen pictures of that weird-looking iwalker. Looks like it could be tricky to manage. Wouldn't go near it myself and I'll stick to the knee roller!
I got one (ordered it online) and it looked like an accident waiting to happen, so I gave it to Goodwill.
Guys- I have good news I wanted to share with you. I went to my doctor's appt today and THEY GAVE ME A BOOT!!! Christmas came 3 weeks early for me. I was also given the okay to move on to 50% WB. I broke down and did my happy dance on one leg in the office. The doctor said to the intern "I guess she doesn't want the boot, what do you think?" Today is a milestone for me!!!
Wow, Patti, celebrating with you! You're even ahead of me as I start my 25% on Saturday. Good for you, gal!!! Boot is nice because you can finally remove it to shower.
Thanks Ron! You are right behind me. I bet it will go faster than you think when you start WB. I hope the WB process for the 25%WB is pretty pain free for you as it has been for me. I know the PT may be different and painful though. Let me know. You are so lucky you have had your leg out of a cast for so long. Lee Lee, I know you know what I mean about this sense of freedom. And I bet there are others of you that really know what I mean too.
I went straight for the tub tonight after dinner and soaked in there for 30 mins in warm water and was sooooo happy! Lee Lee...shaving was beyond wonderful!! I feel fine about my scar...it looks so much better than I imagined. I have two tiny cuts, on two other points on my foot as well, which are not really noticeable, so they must have had to cut in 3 places to repair the tri-mal break. I massaged my foot for 30 minutes with the comfrey cream, and wrapped my leg with a loose ace bandage to keep it soaking in for the night, and put my foot in a sleeping boot they gave me. I didn't know I would get one of these, but it is so much better than the big boot for sleeping. My injured leg looks 2/3 the size of my other leg. I have work to do on my good leg too, since my leg workouts for both legs had to be put on hold, so as to maintain balance. I am looking forward to getting the muscles back in shape asap, but I know I need to still be patient. One step at a time! Can't wait to hear how Sat. goes for you! The weekend is coming soon!
I what does it mean 25%WB? I am in only my second week non weight bearing & have 8 more to go. I am looking forward to walking again.
I finish up my 8 weeks today and begin (finally!) partial weight bearing tomorrow, Karran. What does 25% weight bearing look/feel like? Good question. And I'm about to find out! From what I hear and see online, it's basically just using your injured foot very very lightly, more like a reference point or balance than putting any real weight on it. I'll have to walk with crutches and just barely put that foot (really, more like the toe) on the ground as I propel forward. I think 50% will be much easier to guage, which begins a week later. And I'm looking forward to hearing from Patti how that feels and how she accomplishes that. We'll keep you posted. Ron
Ron- ONE MORE DAY! Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you! Now that I'm in the boot, I find it is much easier to get around and step. I find 50% is just a bit more than 25% and still isn't hurting much at all during the day. I am surprised by that! I see why I read from people that it is hard to make the leap and not use crutches after you go to FWB. It will be weird to trust our balance at that point I think and let go of crutches eventually. I am massaging my foot often when I have it up, and I find most my pain (while massaging) comes from the top of the middle of my foot instead of the ankles, which seems really weird. I wonder if it is from the pressure of the cast as well as from the injury. I wore the soft boot they gave me for sleeping last night and seemed to bug me (the cast was much better). I think it is not as supportive as the cast and that's why my ankle hurt a little through the night. If it keeps bugging me I will sleep in the regular boot. I have one that you push a button and it blows up the sack inside to cushion the ankle. I suppose they are all like that, but I had no idea. It is really comfy! I originallly envisioned a hard boot where I was kind of sloshing around a bit in it...which doesn't make a lot of sense. Be sure to post tomorrow...I will be looking for how you did!!
Hi Karran! Ron explained it really well- it's kind of like a light step on the injured foot and then you crutch through on the good leg. They showed me for 30 seconds in the ortho office, and I was wondering if I could do it on my own, without crashing down the first time. I had come into the office on my scooter without my crutches, so I didn't have the opportunity to try it there in their office. I waited to have someone with me to try it home, just in case. I actually found it really easy when I did it and I didn't experience any pain from it at all- but I have no idea if that's normal. Ron will maybe tell you more tomorrow when he tries it, as our injuries are similar but not exact. Everyone's experience and pain are different. And as you can do the 25%, they tell you to press more week by week from what I understand. My doctor upped me that way and I'm in my second week of WB and now at 50%. There are some you tube videos where they show you online how to do 25% weight bearing- check them out.
Btw, Ron and I were going a little stir crazy our second week- hang in there! Try to keep busy and think of it as the precious time you have always been wanting to catch up on some projects (movies, magazines, bills, computer work, talking to friends, learning about new phone apps etc.). Work out your upper body as much as you can to get the blood flowing to heal yourself. Eat as healthy as possible- no caffeine (if you can), little alcohol (I say little because I always had a drink on weekend nights even though I knew it wasn't good for me , try to cut sugars, wean yourself of pain pills asap (if you can), I eat a lot of bone broth, low fat cottage cheese with berries, almonds and pumpkin seeds, eggs with veggies, lean protein, dark steamed greens, homemade veggie soups etc. I believe this has helped me a lot so far. We just went through the stage you are in, so it's fresh in our minds, and we are here for you!
Today was one of those days, feeling sorry for myself. The most mundane things take so much energy.
Okay, so I'm now at my first day of 'walking' again! Interesting. Trying to keep at 25% weight-bearing is not the easiest of things to do. Naturally I have to use crutches but if I want to carry something from the kitchen, for example, I have to still use the roller, as it has a basket. But just trying to walk around gingerly and get used to the blood flowing again to the foot and using it tiny bit. I think 50% will be considerably easier, but you would know about that.
Yes, you are right Ron. I hadn't really thought about it, until you mentioned it right now, but 50% is a little easier, because you are not tapping the foot so much, but rather now doing a light step instead, so you do have more balance with the step. Are you finding it painful at all? I was very surprised it didn't really hurt at all, in the daytime or during the night after use. I think that is why they ease you into it, so you can get confidence, get your blood flowing, and get a bit of balance and strength back. Did you like your PT?
I also agree that suddenly relying on crutches more really slows you down, and I use a backpack now to carry things, since a bag on one shoulder was throwing my alignment and balance off a bit. It is a pain still with the backpack, because you inevitably forget something and then you have to turn around and go back, and the backpack is harder to get things in and out of compared to the basket. So now, I used the knee walker half the time to get around fast and carry things in the basket, and try to use my crutches and walk the other half the time that I am up, to work & strengthen the foot/ankle as needed. I have been spending at least an hour a day loosening my upper foot, and whole leg and ankle, by massaging it with the Christopher's comfrey and muscle and bone ointment as well. It is really helping a lot. Then I wrap it super loosely with an ace bandage to let the cream soak in, without getting my boot dirty, so it can soak it overnight and attack the sore areas and further heal it. I find by doing this I am looser every day. I have been trying to find fresh comfrey, but I can't find in anywhere in the nurseries around here. I am afraid maybe the state is afraid of internal use and problems with lawsuits (due to possible liver damage from ingesting it) and so no one wants to carry it. I will keep trying. I got a bag of dry leaves, but I don't think they will be the same as the fresh stuff. I am away for the weekend where there is a pool and I am going to try to get in it (if I can do it without crutches and without killing myself) and see what I can do and how it feels. I know it is rushing things a bit, but I just have to try, even if I just stand in there on one leg. I also found someone who offered to bring me a real, fresh aloe vera leaf tomorrow (they have a plant) and I am going to slice it open and try the fresh aloe vera on my leg as well, just because I'm curious about it. We have waited a long time Ron to be able to start going at it, and now we are here! Every step forward feels so rewarding, even if it is small, don't you agree? The waiting period was the worst! When does your screw come out? Will it take time to recouperate from that? Hopefully it won't slow things down to much for you.
Take care, Patti
PS- I slept differently last night, a bit more sideways, and the sleeping boot didn't hurt at all...guess I'll keep that around for a while. I like it because it is lighter.
Patti, like the idea of the backpack while on crutches. When I'm at 50% I may go to the local supermarket on the crutches--we'll see. And that backback is the way to go. Actually, 3 weeks from today I'm at 100% weight-bearing so I see the light....
Sounds like you're doing all the right things, with the natural healing, positive attitude, and working the foot. I think we're both very motivated to finally get this thing completely behind us and back to our previous lives.
I get the screw out on May 13th, Friday the 13th!! Glad I'm not superstitious! And I will already be at 100% weight-bearing at that point so I'm looking at that date as my launch into true normalcy again. (Quite surprised to read that that doctor for one of our chat buddies is not removing his.) Although I'm sure I will still have some minor pain and swelling. I found, like you, that there isn't really too much pain or swelling putting the foot down now, but of course I'm not yet walking around all day. Once we are, I guess we can anticipate some swelling and possibly some discomfort.
Pool sounds great. My local gym does not have a pool, alas.
Also getting a little tired of chess with my Mac. And always losing, of course!! Can you even ever beat a computer at chess?? Have my doubts.
So long until mid-May...sorry about that, but it doesn't sound like it is slowing you down or will take time to recuperate from it's removal. It must be some sort of surgery though, so I hope it won't take long to bounce back from that. Big goal to go to the market. Hopefully you can fit everything into your back pack and don't need to get really heavy things! Be careful not to slip by placing your crutch in a tiny puddle of water. I slid a bit and had to put my injured leg down at FWB to save myself, but luckily I didn't get hurt and it worked! I was busy crutching and talking to someone which is not a good idea, when it happened. Even a tiny puddle can be slippery I found out!
I think you are right, the major swelling must come when we go 100%WB. Good to know you will be 100% in three weeks...so it does sound like they up us really quickly then. That is what I was guessing by to fast increase from last week for myself, and being told to go from 25-50%.
Pools are really hard to find, that is why I am going to try while I have an opportunity. I'll let you know how it goes.
Apparently the surgery to remove the long screw is a very quick procedure, as they just have to make an incision right above the screw head and it's out in seconds. But I will be given a 'twilight' sedation (always nice!) and just a local. Stiched up and ready to go, but no heavy exercise pressure on the foot until that screw hole fills with bone material--about 4 weeks apparently. Re full sports, the doc said I could play tennis by late August. So that means the foot and bones are completely safe to do whatever. I believe I am probably going to just have that one screw that I can feel removed at 6-9 months (another easy procedure) and leave the rest of the 'gear' in, unless I think it's going to bother me. I believe you have elected to have yours removed and totally understand that.
The pool was HEAVENLY! At 8 weeks post surgery, I went in slowly, a little afraid I might be pushing too fast, and worried I might slip or hurt myself. After 10 mins, I was lifting my injured leg and swinging it back and forth sideways and pumping my knees up and down (with the foot kept flexed because I could tell if I let it flop back and forth it would hurt it). Later, I swam 20 links, doing the breast stroke across the pool, and was able to slowly walk back and forth across the pool on both feet (it felt like 25-50% WB pressure), but I could totally flatten my injured foot and walk on it, since I was in the pool. Felt so strange and wonderful! I found my heel was a bit tender from lack of use and felt it was probably really good for it. I felt so happy and free! I can't tell you all how wonderful it was. Try to find a pool if there is anyway you can! It felt tremendously healing! I may be finding myself in total pain this evening because I was in there for two hours, kicking and bicycling around with a flexed foot, but I'll let you know. Wish I had a pool at home, and would do it every day! Just wanted you all to know, it's a great thing to try if you have the opportunity!
I have only one word to describe your pool experience-----JEALOUS!!!!!
. Try to figure out a way to do it even once.... Never thought I could enjoy swimming so much!!!