All about that boot life
Injury Diaries, part five. Walking boot, physical therapy, and (finally) my first workout.
Navigating life on crutches in the winter as a 30-something woman who lives in a basement apartment is not the most fun thing in the world. For three weeks, I limited how much I left the house because most outings weren’t worth going up a flight of stairs for. When I did leave, I’d strategize ahead of time: I should park in the alleyway lot so I’m closer to the door that leads to the elevator. But sometimes, my strategizing would fail: Opening heavy outer doors on crutches is harder than I expected. And then there was the time I was returning to my car after meeting a friend for coffee and a strange man took a second, followed me down the block, and peered in my vehicle as I locked my door and shifted into gear. Fun times.
Those times ended on Tuesday, February 18. That day, my second cast was sawed off, I was given a walking boot and two compression socks, and I hobbled out of the doctor’s office with my crutches under my arm.
It didn’t quite feel like freedom, though. Almost immediately, my calf cramped up and I had to find a way to walk that let my booted leg ease into movement. My left leg felt noticeably weaker than my right leg. And then there was the fact that the boot added a couple inches to my leg length, so my hips were off-kilter. By the time I made it down the long hallway to my new physical therapist’s office to schedule my first session, my hips were already complaining.
The next day, I showed up to my first physical therapy appointment, ready to start rehabilitation but unsure what to expect. My doctor had given me strict limitations for the first three weeks in the boot: no bending my ankle inward and no extending my foot beyond 20 degrees.
Now, nearing the end of the three-week period, I’m happy to report that my ankle (and foot) is feeling way stronger and more stable than that first day I booted up.
A few things about life over the last few weeks:
Chunky-soled shoes (or at least one) are a must when you’re in a boot. It took me a couple days to figure out that my hiking boot was the perfect shoe to wear with my Aircast. Initially, I was wearing my gym shoe, but then I tested out my teal Columbia boot and sighed at the feeling of level hips. It really is the little things, folks. Since then, I’ve only worn one other shoe out and about, and that was only because I needed to look professional and my trail-broken hikers aren’t quite that.
Toe yoga is surprisingly hard — but like most things, trainable. Take your shoes off and try this: raise your big toe while pressing your little toes into the floor, then switch and raise your little toes while pressing your big toe into the floor. Hard, right? My first few days doing PT, I had to hold my toes down to be able to do this. It wasn’t until my fourth or fifth day that I could do it without my hands. Now, I’m a certifiable toe yogi.
It took me two weeks, but I’m fully back to standing showers. I still have my neighbor’s shower stool just in case, but my unbooted foot feels fine for the 10 or so minutes I’m under the showerhead. Progress.
Going down stairs is still harder than going up. Part of this, I think, is because the boot restricts movement in my ankle, but it may also be because my balancing muscles on that side aren’t as strong right now and that’s more noticeable on the way down.
An object at rest tends to stay at rest — but I finally broke through and did a workout on Wednesday. I stayed home, pulled my 8-pound and 12-pound dumbbells and 35-pound kettlebells out of the closet, and proceeded to do some upper body lifts — seated overhead press, bench press laying down on the floor — along with chinups and pullups. I’m sore today, mostly in the triceps, so I guess it worked.
I might actually go to my gym next week. My physical therapist has given me the okay to use the recumbent exercise bike and the leg machines for hamstring curls and quad extensions. If I do, that’s what the next edition of the Injury Diaries will be about.
In the meantime, I’m anticipating my next doctor’s appointment this-coming Tuesday. Hopefully, I’ll get the all clear to point my toes and start more advanced PT movements.
Recommended Reads
CrossFit in Crisis: Where Athletes Think the Sport Can Go From Here (Men’s Health)
Power Lifting Made Me a Better Writer (Harper’s Bazaar)
Fidgeting at your desk? Your body may be trying to tell you something (NPR)
What’s coming next?
Turkish get-up tips from a two-time world record holder
This is such a great update. A light at the end of the tunnel!!