Walking without the Boot!

On Friday, March 4, I saw the surgeon and he said I can start weight-bearing without the walking boot / aircast. So, when I got home, I put on my running shoes and tried ... using the cane to support me. It wasn't easy, my leg is weak feeling, and it hurts in my tendon area but I can do it and seem to be getting better at it already (2 days later). The best part is sleeping without the boot. I even think my ankle is less swollen and more loose when I wake up without the boot.

I must say, it was discouraging at first. I had regained so much mobility in my boot able to walk without the cane even up and down the stairs. I could even walk in the boot for a fair amount of time before it started to hurt. Without the boot, I feel I've taken several steps backward (pun not intended). I'm weak, wobbly, slow, and need the cane again. Not to mention the fact that it hurts pretty much the whole time I'm walking on it.

But I already see improvement since Friday! I can walk short distances in running shoes around the house without my cane already. After walking a while, it hurts and swells quite a bit. The swelling causes the inside incision to push against my running shoe which adds to the discomfort. I haven't put the boot on since Friday afternoon and I don't think I will. I want to just keep getting better at walking in my running shoe and I can't do that if I put the boot back on. So far, though, by 7 or 8 in the evening, my ankle hurts quite a bit and I'm pretty tired and just want bedtime to hurry up and arrive!

I still find walking barefoot really painful and, when I do, the numbness on the bottom of my heel feels really uncomfortable. The surgeon said he couldn't explain the numbness on the bottom of my heel but said it should eventually go away. I've already noticed the numb area getting smaller.

The surgeon also said I wouldn't be able to bend my 4 smaller toes independently of my big toe since the tendons are now merged just above the top part of my incision. But, I was able to bend my toes down while keeping my big toe up! He said that something "miraculous" must be going on!!

Here is a picture of both feet from the back at the 82 day post-op point. I have been walking today so it is swollen. Here is the inside of my right foot ... notice the still much skinnier right ankle area! There is an arch (not huge but it's there) ... compare with the pre-surgery version.