Physical Therapy! Oh my!

I’ve begun physical therapy. This is a very good thing. I’m convinced I might not ever walk again without this crucial experience. But…it hurts!

Let me say before I go on: Physical Therapists are the Bomb! They do awesome work. I’m grateful.

It’s been since May 25^th that I’ve walked on this foot. And when the docs said don’t move it, I didn’t. So now my foot has to learn how to do its job again. Toes that don’t curl the way they should get stretched. The heel that doesn’t bend the way it should gets stretched. The ankle that hasn’t twisted, gets twisted.

At therapy I use a stretchy band.

I’ve wracked my brain trying to come up with what all this forced movement feels like. The best I can come up with is to tell you to think about trying to put on jeans that are too small and despite some stretchy fibers, the pair just won’t go where you want it to. I can almost hear my skin screaming “eearrrk.”  

Progress means hard work. Besides going to therapy twice a week (One daughter takes; the other daughter picks up.), I work three times a day working through the various exercises.

This includes holding on to a chair, and standing on bare feet, and swaying side to side.

Easy peasy you think? Not so. It takes a lot of energy and it hurts. I can’t do it for very long. Yet.

The other exciting activity is walking in the boot while holding on to the back of the couch. “Walking” may be a misnomer. It might be better to say “hobbling.” Fortunately the sofa is not backed against a wall. LOL

Remember I’ve never broken a bone before and while my mother had several broken bones, I don’t remember her ever breaking a foot or ankle, so we had to deal with what I am now. Naively, I thought the docs would tell me, “Okay, you can put pressure on that boot and walk.” And I would. Well, no. That’s now how it’s working.

My Grandma Riegert’s Rolling Pin. My favorite exercise.

However, I am making progress. My ankle does twist and bend. My foot moves forward and back. And even my toes are turning under—not a lot—but way more than when they weren’t moving at all. LOL  And I can put some pressure on my foot to stand and hobble. Just like when you start an exercise program and at first, you can barely do one sit-up. Over time, you can do 25. So I know this is working, but geeze! Boy do I want to walk and to be able to drive. And to not have to depend on my poor daughters (and sweet husband) to haul me thither and yon.

So I will keep on keeping on with my exercises three times a day with increasing number of minutes for each exercise. (It’s how I learned to write books. Keeping on, keeping on.) I will get back on my feet. I will drive again. And really important, I will get back to Pilates where I’ll probably be starting over like 5 years ago. L (My daughter told me I’d have to start back with private classes again and won’t be able to just hop back in with my old partner. But I’ll do it. I know what exercise can do for my body and for yours.

What kind of a regular exercise program do you participate in? Do you do videos at home? Go to a gym? Are you a group class kind of person or do you want to work on your own.

More about this in next week’s post. I’m participating in a great Book Signing at the Dallas Half-Price Bookstore set up by my super marketing gals. Check out the flyer below.

Love to hear from you.

 

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