I made it to six weeks post-op! I had a couple of exciting marks this week:
- I finally can sleep without anything on my feet again!
- I walked beyond my driveway (probably about ½ mile total- nothing too crazy) for the first time in 6 weeks with my kids and it was so glorious to be outside again!
My new exercise progressions include:
- Standing heel raises- standing on two feet, lift and lower heels. These are still super hard and my ankle feels incredibly tight, but I am making progress each day with them.
- Step heel raises- same as standing heel raises, except with my heels off a step. These are actually easier because I have more range of motion into dorsiflexion than plantarflexion, so starting with my heels off the step gives me more range to move.
- Single leg balance- nothing fancy here, just what it sounds like- standing on one leg
I also put on a little kinesiology tape (I use RockTape brand) for ankle edema. Here is a video, in case you are interested in seeing how to apply it on yourself. This can be really helpful after an ankle injury or surgery to help with that pesky edema that likes to sit around the lateral malleolus:
