Nevertheless, I was very excited for my appointment last Friday to get the cast removed and progress to the next stage of recovery. And I have very good news to report, which is that the recovery continues to go faster than expected, with no setbacks or problems of any kind!!!! Here are the details.
During the appointment, first the Cast Technician had to remove the existing fiberglass cast. Since it has hardened since being applied, the only way to remove the cast is to break it apart, which these days is done with an electric saw. Pretty cool, right? He let me know that I'd feel a little pressure and a tickling sensation from the vibration of the saw. I asked if he minded my taking a video of the process, and since he was OK with that plan, here's what it looked and sounded like.
Once the cast was off, my surgeon Dr. Jensen took a look and was very happy with the lack of swelling and the overall coloration of the scar. He then ran a variety of quick strength and flexibility tests, and they were surprised to see that I had regained more flexibility in the ankle (both up and down) than expected. And while essentially most of the muscle in my right calf is gone, the reflexes there were working perfectly as well.
So while I was supposed to have another week or two of dealing without being able to put any weight on my leg, they decided to progress me directly to a walking boot and said I can start testing the flexibility and putting some pressure on it immediately. I also got a prescription to start physical therapy, which is supposed to run twice a week for 4-6 weeks as needed.
First up, the boot! It's pretty light, has a ton of Velcro straps, a raised heel and lots of padding. It takes about 90 seconds to get on and strapped in properly. And the best part is that I can take it off whenever I want: to sleep, to shower, or whenever I'm just sitting around and will be for an extended period. My surgeon actually wants it off at least a few times during the day so I can stretch my ankle and leg. Here are two pics of what it looks like by itself and when I have it on.
When I got home, in addition to taking a shower and actually cleaning my right leg and foot for the first time in 6 weeks, I also took a picture of the scar. For those that saw teh last picture a few posts ago, you'll see the great improvement based on how it looks now.
In the 8 days since this appointment, I've already noticed even more improvement. I can stand with both feet on the ground (with the boot on) with no pain, and can even take a couple of quick hobbling steps. I can "walk" with the crutches and my right foot touching the ground, and even get up and down the stairs pushing off on my right leg and not needing to hop anymore. All positive steps (literally).
The only unfortunate thing is that I haven't been able to actually start physical therapy yet. I contacted the recommended provider last Monday, but then went back on the road for a meeting in Dallas. And unfortunately found out on Wednesday that they were an "out of network" provider for my insurance anyway. So I found a new PT place on Friday, and I have my initial evaluation with them this coming Tuesday. Hopefully I'll be able to get 2-3 sessions in with them after the evaluation before I have to hit the road again for Atlanta on May 17.
That's about it for now. I expect a lot of stuff to happen about two weeks from now. I should be completely free of crutches by then, and the scooter will get returned around May 24. I think I'll be cleared to start exercising more normally (swimming,stationary bike), and will even hopefully be cleared to try driving by Memorial Day and my vacation in NY. More updates as I have them!
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