Rehab IV: Giddyup!

So, that was Thursday and Friday.  Today, Saturday, I decided to be careful.  And it's easy to be careful in the morning.  The foot is usually stiff and achy and I'm not completely awake.  I came down the three stairs from the bedroom to the living room with a crutch and settled in.  We had a breakfast at a cafe and I continued getting around with a crutch, but the foot felt good.  When we got home I started getting around without a crutch.  It was awkward and kind of ugly.  Later, someone told me I could play Frankenstein with that walk, but I was taking full steps with my right foot, rather than abortive half-steps that bolts and jolts of pain required just three days earlier.  This was a major breakthrough.  So, I continued walking without a crutch.  All day.  I even managed to walk down stairs almost like a normal person.  Oh, the foot swelled quite a bit.  By the evening it was aching and I was tired from the new activity, but how pleased I was, I cannot describe.  It was a day of breakthroughs.

There was one more breakthrough.  During my PT visit, Wayne had told me to get on a stationary bike to increase the range of motion.  Now, not in another week.  Well, OK!  I hadn't had the time to do it on Thursday and on Friday my foot just didn't feel well enough to attempt a ride, but today...  I set up my bike on the trainer and changed into shorts.  I could barely get my left foot into the cycling shoe.  Once it went in, it felt good.  I gingerly climbed on the bike.  I had no idea how clipping in and out would feel, but it didn't feel.  It was absolutely painless in and out.  Riding was a bit odd, though.  I tried to pedal smoothly, yet leg strength imbalance was such that after 15 minutes my circles turned to squares.  Because of the two compression socks and the still-swollen ankle, my foot rubbed against the crank arm, but I didn't mind -- I was on the bike again!  And it felt great and so familiar and emotional.  I stayed on for 25 minutes.  By then the foot had had enough.  It was a great start.  More riding tomorrow, assuming the foot feels OK after such an active day.  Velo SF, I'm back, baby!  I'm back!

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