First Week of Freedom

On By LeraIn Cycling, Life, SurgeryLeave a comment

It’s been a week since I’ve gained some small freedoms, and it’s been going pretty well overall–not perfect by any means, but not too bad. I still have quite a bit of difficulty with going up and down the stairs and a little bit of difficulty with walking. I just don’t have the strength or balance yet to move normally, and I still get pain with those activities.

As far ask biking goes, I can do that mostly pain free. I’ve kept the resistance easier than I usually would, but yesterday I allowed myself to do a sprint at the end of my ride just to see how it would go. I got to 17 mph, which isn’t the best I’ve done, but it felt great flying down the road at that speed with the wind rushing past me. People who were outside last night turned to look at me. No, I’m not narcissistic; I know they just looked because that’s what people do when they see someone outside.

In terms of work, that’s still very challenging. I’m working an extra day next week–four days instead of three. I’m nervous about it, not because of the number, but because one of them is nine hours. I’ve been working 6.5 hours since I got back, so it’s not a huge increase, but I struggle with the shorter shifts. I know I’m going to have a hard time with the longer one. It’s still too hard physically. I’ll see how it goes, but I’m going to have to tell my boss he needs to let me work shorter days for a while yet. He didn’t ask me if I was ready. I probably would have told him no, but I’m not going to complain to him after he’s inconvenienced himself to accommodate me. As long as he doesn’t suddenly decide to schedule me 40 hours without checking first, I’ll try to deal with it. I can’t work without the boot yet. When it’s comfortable to do so, then I’ll go back up to full time. I’ve also been considering the possibility that I’ll need a less physically demanding job in the future. I can’t risk re-injuring myself. However, until physical therapy is done, I can’t go anywhere. I need the insurance coverage to pay for the visits and the followups with the surgeon.

Speaking of physical therapy, I started working on some new exercises this week now that I don’t have to keep it still all the time. My usual therapist has been out of the office this week, so Monday I worked with the assistant I’ve seen a few times before. She’s nice and I feel like she does a good job. She had me working on pushing off with my toes so walking will become easier. Today, though, I worked with a therapist that floats to different clinics when they need her. She was a nice person, but not the therapist for me. She was too gentle with the manual therapy. I didn’t feel like I got any real benefit out of it. When my usual therapist or the assistant does it, I can move more easily afterward, but today it felt like it wasn’t even done even though she worked on it for ten minutes. The float therapist had me working on some of the new stuff I started this week, but made me feel bad for holding on to the bar to keep my balance while I was trying to stand on one leg. I did the best I could without holding on, but it was too difficult. Then, when I was leaving, she told me I should really be working more on my limp because it’s a bad habit to have. I felt so confused, because isn’t it her job to help me learn how to move my muscles and joints the right way again? The more pain and stiffness I have, the more I limp. I left in more pain today than when I started. I was just thrilled to be moving as well as I was. I’m certainly limping less than I was last week right after the boot came off. My session ended ten minutes early today; if she was that concerned about my limp, she should have helped me with it a little. There was only one other patient in there at the time. I just didn’t appreciate the way it was brought up as I was leaving. I’m glad next week I can work with my usual therapist. Today felt like a waste of time to me, and usually I feel like I’ve at least made a little progress.


Back in the Saddle

On By LeraIn Cycling, Life, SurgeryLeave a comment

It’s been just a few days shy of four months since surgery. It seems so unreal! I had another post-op followup today and I’m now allowed to transition into regular shoes! I have to wear a special padded lift inside the right shoe for quite a while, but it’s so nice to not have to wear the walking boot all the time. With the amount of difficulty I’ve been having with work, the surgeon told me it would be wise to use the boot at work for extra support if needed until I recover more strength and range of motion. I’ll be bringing it along to each shift just in case I need it; I can already tell it’ll probably still be a few weeks until I can really get rid of it for good. I just keep telling myself it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and I have to pace myself.

It’s amazing the difference a day can bring. I was feeling really low a few days ago, exhausted with being dependent on people for rides and not being able to do the things I wanted to do. I feel so useless at work because I’m only there 19-ish hours a week right now. I’ve been trying to push myself as much as I safely can because I don’t want to risk losing my job, but the amount that I can do is still not up to what I consider full standard. I’ve been praying for the strength to make it through the challenging days.

Then today happened: I GET TO RIDE MY BIKE AGAIN! I stupidly forgot to ask at my appointment this morning, so I had to call and get permission. I waited four long hours for the phone to ring with an answer to the message I left, and it finally did at 1:50 p.m. By 2, I was changed into my gear and pumping up the bike tires. The ride went pretty well, but my speed was awful because I have to ride in a low resistance gear. I still managed to ride 7.27 glorious miles in 41 minutes. It was cold and damp out, but there were a few moments of sun along the way. It felt amazing, like I was finally living again! I didn’t have any pain while I was riding, and I probably could have gone farther if I wasn’t sick with a slight cold. I’m trying not to do too much too soon, and I’ll ask at physical therapy how to judge what’s too much so I don’t hinder my progress.

Now if only the pain I feel with extended weight bearing at work would lessen, I’d feel a whole lot more confident about everything. I’m still ecstatic to be gaining some new freedoms, though. Things will fall into place eventually, and I’ll be ready when they do!

Weary Workdays

On By LeraIn Life, SurgeryLeave a comment

It’s been a week since I started back at work. I wish I could say it was easier than the first day, but that would be a lie. Every day I work has been filled with pain. I did get to take the last wedge out of my boot, which helped marginally, but nowhere near enough to increase my comfort levels. Each step is like a slow torture, and by the end of the night I can’t walk anymore.

I scheduled some extra physical therapy to try to calm things down a little. Even the therapist seemed baffled that I was having pain in some of the areas I was. It’s just my luck that I would have to be a special case. We talked about work and its impact on my foot, and I was told that it wouldn’t be wise to work more than just part time hours right now. I was working full time before my surgery, and I was hoping to be back to that by the end of the month, but I don’t see that happening. I got called in for a shift tomorrow, which is supposed to be short since I have an appointment later in the morning. I was really hoping for another day to recover from the weekend and get it back to feeling better, but I should have known that wasn’t going to happen.

To end this very short post on a positive note, today one of the other physical therapy patients brought his dog in from his truck after his appointment was over. It was a five month old King Shepard, and super cute and friendly. It was interesting seeing everyone go into their “animal talk” voice, even the staff. I guess that’s what everyone does when they like animals. I’ll reiterate how much I love my physical therapy clinic. The other patients and the staff are so friendly, and everyone has the weirdest conversations. Today a different patient than the one with the dog was talking about how much one of the staff was “beating him up” with the exercises, and suddenly he said he needed a safe word, like couples use in the bedroom for… ahem… “stuff”. That took my mind off of how much the manual therapy was hurting because I was laughing so hard. I really don’t see why people seem to hate physical therapy. I always feel so much better after a session, even if it hurts during.

First Day Back at Work

On By LeraIn SurgeryLeave a comment

I sit in the office with my head down, trying desperately to keep the tears forming in my eyes from spilling out. My foot is throbbing and I’m only about halfway through a short shift. The next three hours seem daunting, a long, dark expanse that has no end.

Photo by Juan Pablo Arenas on Pexels.com

So went my first day back at work yesterday. I knew it was going to be difficult, but it was at least three times more challenging than I thought. I have a job where I’m on my feet all day. If I’m lucky, I can squeeze in a break to eat something at some point during my shift, but it’s not a guarantee that I get break time, which is a serious downside to being in management. The whole work day was a disaster from the moment I walked through the door. None of my applications worked properly, and I couldn’t even use my employee number to clock in. As annoying as those issues were, they were the least of my problems, and I didn’t even work a full shift.

Time: 3:55 p.m.; Pain Level: 0

I finally got the time clock to accept my punch and I was ready to start my day. I was a little apprehensive, but ready to see how things would go.

Time: 4:43 p.m.; Pain Level: 2

I was feeling a little pain at this point, but I was able to ignore it if I didn’t think about it.

Time: 5:36 p.m.; Pain Level: 6

I tried in vain to sit down and prop my foot up for a few minutes. The minute I hit the chair, I got paged. There was no more ignoring the pain. I was limping by this point in the evening.

Time: 7:30 p.m.; Pain Level: 8

I was hungry so I heated up my dinner. I was able to sit for about 15 minutes without being interrupted, which was a welcome break. Severely limping and moving very slowly. At this point, it was more like dragging my leg behind me than limping.

Time: 9:10 p.m.; Pain Level: 8

I couldn’t focus on working any more. Each step was more excruciating than the last. It wasn’t busy, so I took advantage and sat down for another 15 minutes with my head down, desperately trying not to cry from the pain.

Time: 10:29 p.m.; Pain Level: still 8

I was never more grateful to be able to punch out early and get home. I needed a painkiller for the first time since my surgery day. I was so glad I still had a full bottle on the counter at home.

Today I’ve been icing off and on all day, trying to keep some of the pain and swelling down. I was in more pain last night than I was before surgery. If it’s that severe again tomorrow, I’m going to have to call my surgeon’s office and ask their advice. I’m not about to ruin this repair, but I need the cash flow again. It’s not even just my foot that hurts. Most of my lower body is sore from walking with a limp all night, especially my left hip. I know I did a terrible job at work last night, but I’m hoping for some understanding from my boss for the next few weeks. I work hard and I always try my best, and I hope that counts for something, even if I can’t do 100% right now. I’m trying to overcome the extreme frustration I feel at this point because I know it’s only temporary. I’ve been leaning heavily on God lately, and He’ll see me through this.

12 Weeks Post Op!

On By LeraIn SurgeryLeave a comment
3 months after surgery!

This week was my last week of medical leave, and I’ll be starting work again on Tuesday; I’m definitely nervous about how it’s going to go. I get a lot of pain and some swelling in my right foot when I’m on my feet for shopping trips, but I’m hoping after a week or two working, my body will be used to it again. Some of the weird swelling from before surgery is starting to come back, so that has me troubled. I really wish I didn’t have such a physical job. I’m afraid I’m going to mess up my Achilles tendon again, and I went through too much to deal with all of this a second time. Luckily my boss was agreeable to just put me on three days next week, and possibly a short week the week after, so it should help ease me in. He told me he’d give me a day off between shifts next week to let my foot rest up. I’m certainly going to miss having unlimited time for reading (and iced coffee)!

Can’t read a good book without delicious iced coffee or tea!

It’s hard to believe it’s been three months since my surgery. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long at all. Things are going well. Like I said above, I get pain with prolonged weight bearing, but I was able to take one of the one inch lifts out of my boot, so it’s easier to walk now. With my foot lifted only an inch now instead of two inches, it’s in a more natural position, so I’m hoping that will help with the pain as well. I still get sore where the screws in my heel are, but that’s been improving. The scar in that area is still raised, so I’m hoping it won’t rub too much with the increased walking. Both scars still have quite a bit of thickened tissue surrounding them. It’s less than when I first started physical therapy, but it’s unlikely to decrease too much until I can go back in three weeks and continue. It’d be really nice if the health insurance company wasn’t so stingy with benefits. I can’t believe they won’t allow any extensions for physical therapy, even with proper documentation. They pay out only $27 per session; how do they not realize that improper recovery after surgery could potentially lead to another surgery, which would cost them tens of thousands of dollars? I think the tiny extra cost of more therapy sessions would be an obvious choice, but when has anything in the American health care system made sense?  Sorry for the rant, but it’s nice to get it out of my system. I’m hoping that maybe if I need more therapy, I can do cash pay for a reasonable rate. I could need up to a year of therapy, so I’m hoping an arrangement can be worked out.

One of the heel lifts in my boot. There’s no padding on the lift at all, so it’s like walking on cement all day.

I don’t have another follow-up appointment with my surgeon until the end of the month, at which point I’m hoping to be in regular shoes again. The plan is to have a half inch lift fitted into my right shoe, which I’ll be wearing for a long, long time. I think I should be able to start driving next week; I’m going to have someone take me out to a dead parking lot and make sure I can make my foot work properly. I feel like such an inconvenience because I can transport myself anywhere. By the end of the month, I’m hoping to be fully mobile in terms of driving. Most of all, I should get medical clearance to start trying to bike again! I think my surgeon will probably defer it to my physical therapist like he did with driving, but I’m okay with that as long as it will minimize my re-injury risk. Life will soon be so much more exciting! I can’t wait to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, the breeze through my hair, and that feeling of flying that only biking can give me 🙂

Two Weeks Strong

On By LeraIn Cycling, Surgery1 Comment

As my second week of therapy draws to an end, it’s hard to believe the difference in my daily life in just two weeks. No longer being reliant on crutches in most situations is wonderful. I haven’t been using them at home, but I was using them when I went out shopping because I wasn’t used to having my weight on my foot for more than a few minutes. Finally on Tuesday, I was able to go grocery shopping without the help of crutches. It was hard! I was out for about an hour and a half, but I started to get sore after just twenty minutes. My walking boot can be filled with air in the heel area to help splint things a bit, so that helped, as did leaning on the shopping cart. It was challenging, but I made it. It was so much easier to shop with two free hands and push a cart without also having to steer my scooter. So many things are simpler now that I don’t have to treat my foot like it’s glass all the time–cleaning, cooking, and laundry, to name a few. My goals for the next several weeks are driving and showering without using a stool. I can’t drive until my surgical foot can bear 100% of my weight, so it’s still going to be another two weeks or so as an estimate.

One negative effect of my new found freedom is that my whole lower body is sore. I wrote before about how my legs are uneven with the boot on, and while it didn’t bother me too much at first, my body is rebelling now. My left hip, my lower back, and my right knee are sore. If I could get a good stretch or crack the joints, I know it would feel so much better, but I can’t seem to get any lasting relief. I think once the first lift can be removed from my boot next week, it will help things a lot because it will let my legs be more even again. 

Scar healing and some bruising from therapy. 11.5 weeks since surgery.

Today’s session seemed a little more aggressive as far as manual therapy was concerned. It was painful, but I had less stiffness afterward. I’m getting bruised up from the “massages”, but they’re so beneficial. I think the therapist was trying to make sure I left in the best possible shape I could today since I’ll be away from therapy for four weeks. I wrote before that my insurance company is stingy with its rehab benefits, so we’re making use of most of them once the boot is gone. I can do a lot of the stretching and range of motion exercises at home, so it makes sense to do it that way. He told me not to hesitate to call or stop in if something didn’t feel right or if I had questions in the meantime, so at least I’ll still have some support if I need it. He told me again this morning not to overdo things. I still think he doesn’t quite trust me 😉 My session this morning overlapped with my neighbor’s session, so we were chatting, and I think my therapist was a little taken aback when I said I rode 20-30 miles a day, or about 130 miles a week last year. I guess that number sounds high to people who aren’t bike people, but most days I just rode an hour and a half to two hours and however far I got was however far I got. I usually get in the zone when I’m riding and don’t even notice time pass. I just ride until I can’t go any farther. I’ll let my amazing new tea mug sum things up for me below:

Best mug ever, especially when filled with genmaicha.

I’m looking forward to the next phase in my recovery, and I’m starting to get antsy. At least the weather isn’t that great right now, so I’m not missing much in terms of outdoor activities, but a month from now, I’m going to want to be out there trying my best again! I might be cleared to start cycling again in 4-6 more weeks, so here’s hoping that will happen sooner rather than later!

Roller Coaster Week

On By LeraIn SurgeryLeave a comment

This week has been a wild ride full of highs and lows. Yesterday was probably the worst day of my life so far. I lost my grandfather to cancer after he fought it for several years. He just celebrated his 85th birthday Monday. My family and I all went to visit him the Saturday before his birthday and brought him a cake–chocolate, his favorite. He was still able to eat at that point, so I’m glad he got to enjoy it. The changes that took place this week were so fast it was hard to believe. I visited him again on Tuesday and he wasn’t awake the whole time we were there. Then yesterday I went down to see him and it was obvious it was going to be one of the last times. He wasn’t very lucid, but he opened his eyes when I spoke to him. I mostly just sat next to him and held his hand, making sure to tell him how much I loved him. He couldn’t respond back, so I just talked about whatever came into my head so he knew he had some company. He passed away just a few hours after I left. I wish I had been able to be there so he didn’t have to go alone, but having to depend on a ride makes it hard to control your own schedule. His passing was something we were all anticipating for a while, but it still hurts deeply.

As far as my first week of physical therapy is concerned, all is going well. My range of motion is already improving noticeably. I can’t work on strength for a few weeks yet, but I can bear my full weight on my right foot now as long as it’s in the boot. I can’t put a lot of weight on it without it, so I’m still going from station to station at therapy with my crutches. The first time I could climb stairs without having to crawl up and down them or use a crutch was amazing. It’s nice to feel more normal now and be able to walk without the extra help of crutches. I can’t walk very fast, but I can walk! I’m trying to celebrate the little victories and take things as they come.

I love my physical therapy clinic. I live in a small town, so a lot of the businesses have that characteristic charm to them. I’ve even done a couple of sessions with my neighbor this week; I didn’t know he was still going there. Everyone at the clinic is so friendly, and you get to know the other patients there in addition to the staff. I was in stitches listening to the conversations this morning. I barely noticed how much the manual therapy was hurting because I spent a lot of that time laughing. It’s not exactly pleasant having my scars, fasciae, and muscles massaged. It’s definitely not relaxing like a spa massage is. When the therapist hits a knot or rubs the scar where the screws in my heel are, it’s very painful. I try to bear with it the best I can because it’s going to be beneficial one day, but the screw area is still incredibly tender. I’m hoping that by the time I start wearing normal shoes in 5 or 6 weeks, it won’t hurt so much to have pressure on it.

I’m so excited at the improvements I’ve made in my first week. I know I still have a long way to go, but seeing improvement this quickly is really motivating. I think I worry my therapist a little bit, though, because he’s told me twice this week to make sure I don’t overdo things and to take things slow so I don’t anger my tendon and ankle. He knows me too well, because I really do need to be reminded of that. I’ve always been someone who tends to go overboard, for better or for worse. I’m not good at seeing that fine line between enough and too much, so I’m even more grateful I’m able to work with someone who knows me and my case well.

Rehab Plan

On By LeraIn SurgeryLeave a comment

Today was my first day of physical therapy. After surgery, my mom and my aunt couldn’t wait to tell me how painful it was going to be, but based on today, I think it’ll be just fine. They also complained that it was such a chore when they had to go through it, but I don’t view it that way. Last year, I enjoyed my sessions because I was getting some improvement and some of my leisure activities back. This year, I’m even more thrilled to be going to therapy; if everything goes as planned, I should be a lot better than I was before surgery. I’m excited to start training my body again, and I’m looking forward to signing up for some cycling events this year.

My physical therapy plan is a little unusual in that I’ll be going for two weeks to work directly with someone, then I’ll be doing four weeks by myself at home until the boot comes off. I only get 30 visits per year, so this way I can maximize them and have the majority of my sessions when I can do more. Until I lose the boot, there’s not much sense wasting the visits on stretching and range of motion that I can do at home. By the end of March, I’ll be back there doing more aggressive rehab; it’ll certainly be more worthwhile when I can put my full weight on it.

I’m going to the same physical therapy clinic that I went to last year. I never even considered going anywhere else; they did an amazing job before, plus I like that they know my case. They know where I was a year ago and where I am now. Everyone is really nice there and I feel comfortable being myself, which is something I definitely struggle with since I have an introverted personality. The therapist I’ll be working with knows my passion for cycling from last year’s sessions, plus he lives on my bike route, so we see each other on occasion while I’m out riding, so I know for sure he knows how important cycling is to me. He recommended my surgeon to me; I’m so grateful to be able to work with someone who really seems to care about his patients. Apparently he’ll even attend doctor’s appointments for orthopedic cases as a way to improve continuity of care so that he can speak with the doctor more easily. I’m told it’s a new service they started offering and that it has a really positive response from other patients. However, unless I have an unusual problem or things start going poorly, I would feel bad putting any extra work on his schedule. I can see where it might be a good idea for some people, but as long as everything is going smoothly, I don’t think it’s a necessity for myself.

So what happened on my first day? Nothing too eventful, honestly. I had my initial evaluation and then we started right in with some exercises. I warmed up my foot and ankle in a hot whirlpool, and then my therapist started working on releasing some of the scar tissue so that the area around my incisions won’t be all thick on the sides. After that, I just did some gentle stretching and range of motion exercises before calling it a day. The only pain I had was when my therapist was rubbing the scar tissue and he got to the place where the screws in my heel are located. It was only a temporary pain, and he eased off a little when I told him it was sore. Some pain is expected, of course, but now that seven hours has passed, I have zero pain. Something that was amusing to me was the fact that my therapist was all excited to see that I had the Even Up on my normal shoe. He said he’s never seen anyone with a walking boot come in with one of those before and that it was clever because it keeps the body more in balance. He asked where I got it from and I told him the doctor’s office gave it to me. I guess it’s not really a common device, so I’m even more impressed with my surgeon than before.

I’m hoping the next few weeks go well. I probably won’t have much to report on until I go back to work, but I’ll keep y’all posted if anything changes!


9.5 Weeks Post-Op

On By LeraIn Surgery2 Comments

It’s been close to ten weeks since my surgery. I had a follow-up appointment with my surgeon yesterday. I’m happy to report that everything is going as expected.

I am stuck with this walking book for six more weeks, which takes me out to the very end of March. I have two heel lifts inside the boot, each one being an inch tall. Couple that with the boot already sitting up higher than a normal shoe… Yeah, it’s hard to walk when one leg is almost three inches longer than the other one. The doctor’s office gave me this thing called an “Even Up”, which attaches to the bottom of any shoe (except heels). It gives me an extra inch of height on my good leg, so if I wear an athletic shoe on the good foot, my legs are closer in length. I do still lean, though, so it’s a bit challenging to walk. One of the lifts can come out in about three weeks, so things will be easier then. I am allowed to bear as much weight on it as tolerated, so I’m hoping to work myself up to full weight before I return to work in three weeks. Right now, I estimate I can only place between 25 and 50% on it.

Not the best quality image, but you can see the Even Up on my shoe.

Monday is my first day of physical therapy; I’m so excited! I’ll be going twice a week for at least six weeks, but I have a feeling it will be more. My surgeon gave me a rehab protocol to give to the therapist that goes to 11 weeks out, so I really don’t know how long it will be for sure. It’s going to depend on the progress I can make. I’m certainly going to give it everything I’ve got; I can’t wait to get back to normal again. I’m ready to get back on my bike and get back to tennis, but in the short term, I’m ready to get back to walking normally. I knew it would be hard to start walking again, but I had no idea it would be so exhausting! It’s painful, but not too bad, and definitely not as bad yet as it was before surgery. I know that will diminish in time, but it seems so far away. I’m just going to keep my head up and count down the days until I can get back outdoors!

Crutch Tips and Tricks

On By LeraIn SurgeryLeave a comment

It’s been 8 weeks since my surgery, which is hard to believe. I haven’t worked since December, and I’m not due back for a little over a month from now. If I had the choice, I would have went back to work a couple of weeks after, but I work a physical job where I’m on my feet all day, and it’s not possible. If I had a desk job, I would have been back right away. It’s definitely lonely being stuck in the house the majority of the time. Since it’s my right foot with the problem, I can’t drive yet. I’ve been out a couple of times for some fun stuff with friends, but usually my big excursions are just doctor’s appointments or the grocery store. It’s rough not having much of a social life these days. I’ve had days where the boredom of too many hours to fill and the frustration of the little things being hard to accomplish get the better of me and I just break down and need to cry. So here is my list of some of the problems I’ve encountered and some tips I’ve discovered along the way. These may not work for you if you have a knee issue, so please keep that in mind as you read.

  1. Not driving. This might not be a big issue if you live in a big city, but in small towns with no bus routes or taxis, and expensive Uber/Lyft rates to go the next town over, it’s difficult to get around. If you’re lucky enough to have close friends and family, they’re usually willing to help out, especially if you treat them to a coffee or lunch.
  2. Loneliness. If you can get out, do so. Talking to the animals all day makes for a lonely day. I love my pets, but it’s not the same as spending time with friends.
  3. Boredom. This ties in a bit with the previous point, but there’s a lot you can do to occupy your free time. Sometimes you want to do something but just can’t seem to enjoy it. I think that’s natural. That’s where having a lot of hobbies is to your advantage. I have a lot of things I can do by myself, such as studying Japanese, reading, video games, working jigsaw puzzles with the radio cranked up, or catching up on movies.
  4. Cooking. I can manage to cook most things with relative ease, but I’ve kept it more simple than I would prefer. The last two months I’ve really favored one-pot meals for two reasons. First, they’re usually fast to cook and don’t involve making a lot of trips from the stove to the fridge or pantry and back again. Second, a one-pot dish makes for fast cleaning of the dishes afterward. One final note: make extra and eat leftovers. I did this all the time before surgery anyway. Cooking just one portion doesn’t make much sense to me, so I usually make two, sometimes even three, portions at a time. Large recipes, like soup recipes, lend well to freezing, so this is a nice option if you don’t want to eat the same thing within the week.
  5. Cleaning. Vacuuming and sweeping are possible with the knee scooter and a lot of coordination, but it’s still difficult. I would certainly advise caution. Dusting isn’t too bad if you don’t try to overextend your reach. Cleaning down low, such as the bathtub or toilet is best done kneeling carefully.
  6. Showering/Bathing. I wrote in detail about this in the last post, so I don’t have anything new to add. All I can say is find a system that works well for you and keeps you as safe as possible.
  7. Working out. Obviously difficult if you can’t bear weight, but not impossible. Shopping on crutches can be good cardio; it’s actually more tiring than most people think. Shadow boxing is decent cardio, although I find it pretty boring. I’ve been focusing more on toning my muscles and stretching instead. Using hand weights, modified planking and pushups, and situps are all great options that I’ve been doing lately. I don’t get that same post workout high that I can get from pedaling hard, but it still feels good to know I can at least try to do healthy activities.
  8. Laundry. I’m fortunate that the washer and dryer are right next to my bedroom, so this is pretty easy for me. I dump my dirty clothes in the basket by the washer and just load them into the machine when I have a full load. The tricky part is pushing the basket back down the hall to my bedroom. It requires a little creativity. If it’s a lightweight load, I carefully nudge the basket along with the crutch from my good side. If it’s heavier, sometimes it’s honestly easier to crawl along on the floor and push the basket in front of me.
  9. Rain/Snow. Going out in the elements is tough. Because you’re moving more slowly, you get a lot wetter than other people, which is a problem during the cast phase since you can’t allow water to get inside. Sometimes you just have to be willing to draw even more attention to yourself and wrap your leg in a garbage bag. A better alternative is to get someone to drop you off at the curb of the store/doctor’s office/where ever, so that you don’t have to walk across the parking lot in the wet weather.
  10. Stairs. The most evil of all obstacles when you’re on crutches. If I’m at home, I crawl up the stairs and butt-bump back down them. This is so much safer than using crutches to navigate a staircase. If in public, find the elevator or handicap entrance ramp and use that if at all possible. It’s so easy to lose your balance just hopping up the curb, and you have a higher distance hopping from stair to stair. My town doesn’t have a lot of stairs leading into public buildings, so I don’t have to worry about that issue when I go out.

So there you have it. Hopefully these tips and tricks can help you if you find yourself in the same situation!