It's been 11 1/2 weeks since I broke my ankle (you can read all about it here), so I thought an update was in order! For the most part, healing has gone really well. I've been impatient about the process, but I've also been very careful to follow Dr. Isaac's orders exactly because I don't want to jeopardize my healing!
I wrote here about how two weeks after I broke my ankle I took a trip with my college besties to Tahlequah. It wasn't the trip we had planned, but it was necessary to change our plans due to my broken bone. While we were in Tahlequah, Amy decided she needed to take a photo of me on my scooter since it was a defining element of our trip. That girl always keeps me on my toes, lol!
The next week (three weeks after the break), I went back to see Dr. Isaac. He took new x-rays and was very happy how everything looked. He confirmed again that surgery wouldn't be necessary (thankfully!) and also emphasized that I needed to continue to put zero weight on it until instructed differently.
I saw him again on August 9th (5 weeks post break). It was at that appointment that he gave me permission to start walking on my foot with the boot on. All of the bruising and swelling were gone by then, but I was surprised at how weak my leg and foot were. I guess I thought I'd walk right out of that office with no problems, but that was not the case! It took almost a week for me to be able to really walk with the boot on for any length of time.
On August 25th (7 1/2 weeks post break), I visited Dr. Isaac again. This time, he determined I was ready to start using an ankle brace instead of the boot. Of course, this was also a process that took several days to make the full switch from the boot to the brace.
It was also at that appointment that Dr. Isaac recommended I start physical therapy. He gave me the option to not do therapy, but made it clear that I would heal better and faster with PT. There was no question in my mind that I wanted to do PT to be as fully healed as possible as soon as possible. My first PT appointment was on August 30.
I had never been to PT before and had no idea what to expect. I thought I'd be there for 15 or 20 minutes and be done, but my first appointment lasted an hour and a half! I didn't have childcare, so Brianna and Brenson came with me, only to discover upon arriving at the clinic that no one except the one receiving PT was permitted to enter the building (so much has changed since COVID!). Bri and Bren waited the entire time for me in the van in the parking lot, which I could see from the clinic. I hated the situation, though!
Since that time, I have been going to PT two or three times a week. I've had nine sessions, and can tell a huge difference. I've also been very faithful about doing all my exercises at home like Rebecca (my PT) has asked me to. Last week, I saw Dr. Isaac again and was pretty discouraged by our visit. He didn't seem happy at all with my progress, and mentioned ligament damage and surgery if things don't pick up a bit. However, when I talked to Rebecca about what he had said, she was not concerned at all. She feels like I'm making great progress and reminded me that at the time I saw him I hadn't yet had even half of the PT sessions he prescribed. I definitely felt better after visiting with her about things!
One interesting thing that I've been dealing with in addition to my weak and healing ankle is that my other (right) ankle has been swelling and bothering me a lot. Rebecca said that it's not at all uncommon for the non-injured leg to start being irritated because it is overcompensating for the injured leg. Rebecca taped me up with kinesiology tape and hopefully that will help soon.
All in all, things are going well with my ankle and I'm happy with my healing so far. I have about two more weeks of PT, as well as another appointment with Dr. Isaac next week. I anticipate that he'll release me after that appointment, but we'll see. This has been a trial, but I'm so grateful for the resources I have to help me heal quickly and properly!
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