Boot Scootin' Boogie

And a whole week went by just like that! Clearly things are going well when I don’t have a lot to blog about, because life is just trucking on.

This past week was fun. The highlight was going to the Foo Fighters concert at Nats Stadium on Monday night and running into my orthopedic surgeon out of more than 40,000 concertgoers. I mean, what are the odds?! I had decided to forgo my crutches because we ubered there and back and I assumed I wouldn’t have to walk much. Thankfully I was walking somewhat normally. Three days earlier he’d told me to start weaning off the crutches over 10 to 14 days; keyword: weaning. Getting caught limping around with no crutches at all would have been a bad look. Anyway, it was awesome to be out without crutches, and honestly, the boot fit in between the stadium seats just fine.

The rest of the week was me figuring out how to keep walking around without my knee and lower back starting to wail. I always forget just how cranky the boot makes the non-foot/ankle joints feel. So I’ve been judicious about getting it off every evening for a solid round of massage, stretching, and heat. I still sleep in the boot and generally it’s manageable.

So of course I decided it is TIME! Time to see if I can transition into my new brace that emulates most of what a CAM boot does.

This is the RecoverX brace, and you can see that it fits tightly over my sneaker. Ohhhh let me tell you how amazing this thing is. Now, it’s not some plush comfy thing. It’s still a restrictive bracing device, and to really ensure it’s doing its job, it has to be tight and it has to be fitted to your foot and ankle. I’m right between sizes so I’m in the smaller version, which means I have to cinch it. But let me just say … it is SO NICE to move my foot. And my ankle. And my big toe.

Of course, it’s not an instant return to walking normally. Even a short trip to the farmers market this morning highlighted the fact that my calf is as weak as a newborn baby’s grip. The leg tires within minutes. BUT I CAN WALK. And I’m hoping that later this week, after some practice and progressive loading in it, I can drive.

Almost eight weeks in and I’m moving past those days of boot scootin’. I am ready to boogie.