Delusions of Quick Recovery
I am frustrated with the speed of my recovery, and I have to admit that I brought this on myself. My surgeon told me flat out that most of her patients are not even happy they had the surgery until 6-9 months post op. She also told me of one patient (only one), a marine, who was back to full duty in three weeks. She was very clear with me that he was by far the exception. So what expectation did I set for myself? What I'm realizing is that deep down, I figured that if he could do it in three, I could do it in six. Weeks. Not months. I was hoping I'd be able to rejoin my dance team for the June and July performances. Nope. Not even close. I'm unhappy to report that 6 - 9 months is probably a more reasonable expectation. Perhaps I need to stop dwelling on all the things I still cannot do and focus on evidence of progress.
I can walk, with pain, at a pokey 3 mph pace. I can ride my stationary bicycle at a calorie-burning pace. My toe, foot, and leg strength seem to be improving; the PT toe raises are less painful and easier to do. My range of motion has certainly increased.
No quick recovery for me, but I am making steady progress and have cause for gratitude.
Hi Kathy- I am 9 weeks and 5 days since my cheilectomy. I returned to work as a bar manager 1 week after surgery, and I began running again a week and a half ago. While I still have some pain, I do believe that forcing myself to be active has expedited my recovery. I am able to wear 3 inch heels but am frustrated because most of my closet is filled with 4-5 inch heels which are still too painful to wear. I am seeing a chiropractor who specializes in sports medicine, and my second visit is tomorrow. After my first visit last week, I felt tremendous improvement. I sought this chiro out because she specializes in a technique called Graston, which I have had before. I am optimistic that my recovery will be quicker with her help. If you would like to know how it is working for me, then let's stay in touch. I am hopeful to be back in my real heels in a couple of weeks. Hang in there. I hope your foot has improved since your last post.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your recovery is going great! I have improved some since my last post. On my daily walk today I broke through the 3 mph barrier and also experienced less pain. Perhaps I should try jogging a bit. Funny you should mention a chiropractor; a friend of mine just recommended one to me who works on hands and feet and does amazing work. I am planning to give that a try next week. Best wishes getting back into your usual shoes!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I found your blog! I'm five days post-op and still in quite a bit of pain. Looks like I have a long road ahead of me as far as recovery goes. It's nice to be able to read your experiences so I know what I might expect as far as recovery. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback, Angela, and best wishes for a speedy recovery! I hope you will consider adding your experiences (chronologically - daily or occasionally) to the blog so others can benefit from hearing about your journey as well as mine. Hang in there!
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