Because progress is increasingly more gradual, this journal entry spans two weeks. And I will occasionally append updates to it in the months that follow.
MON 04/29
As part of today’s PT the therapist did a strength test and measured my foot’s range of motion. I’m ahead of schedule and almost have the full range of motion. Today I also start wearing the boot without the large heel wedge (which points my toe downward and relaxes the tension on the Achilles tendon).
TUE 04/30
Spent about 8 hours on my feet touring downtown Nashville, so I used the heel wedge and inflated the boot to reduce the impact of all the walking. The 4+ hour ride to Nashville and back provided plenty of downtime for the foot to offset the walking. As did a 4 hour ride for a round-trip to a birthday party on the following Saturday.
I also noticed today that my right foot is noticeably smaller than my left. Am I just now noticing this since I’m looking at my feet more? The surgery shouldn’t have changed my footprint since the bone removed was high on the back of the heel. When I align my heels the right foot’s toes fall significantly short of the left foot’s.
Note where the left toes reach versus the right. Outlining each foot on paper confirmed they are the same shoe size, but the fit of these sandals makes the surgery foot look shorter.
WED 05/08
I had my second post-op appointment and I’ve been cleared to drive! It makes the foot tender, but the freedom is worth the discomfort. I’ve also been okayed for swimming laps (but not aqua aerobics). I’ll have to be in the boot another week. Then the following week I can be out of the boot for an increasing two hours per day. When out of the boot I have to wear supportive athletic shoes along with my Achillotrain brace and the heel wedge it comes with (soft silicon and smaller than the hard foam wedge that was in the boot). And that’s the same footwear that I should drive in as well.
THU 05/10
My first swim since the operation and it felt good. I had a preparation and redress routine beforehand. But it’s a bit rusty and needed adaptation to include the boot. And since it’s no longer chilly I don’t have to have a full shower and dress routine. I can simply towel off and drive home and finish there instead.
SAT 05/11
Rainy weather has dampened my desire to drive. So it’s been limited, which is good because it does make my heel ache. I did my second swim today (the pool closes early on Fridays so I missed that day) early in the morning. Then I went to see a 3+ hour movie. But after that I the rest of the day resting my foot and letting my wife do the driving for the remainder of the weekend.
Scar on bottom of heel is looking much better
Ankle incision is redder than before, but still healing. The shine in this photo is because it’s after applying the scar serum.
Periodic Updates
As time progresses the healing and changes have decreased in significance. Therefore, I will continue to update this article with noticeable milestones.
05/15: Last physical therapy session. Also I can be out of the boot, in increasing increments, each day.
05/18: Our family (5 adults, 2 children, 3 dogs) took a week for a beach vacation. I was advised to avoid sun exposure for a couple of reasons. First, I was on medication that had a photo-sensitivity potential (i.e., easily sun burn). Second, exposure to the sun could can cause discoloration of the surgical scar. Therefore, I limited my trips to the beach and then only in the evenings. I also didn’t want to get sand in my boot, as it might be impossible to get it all out should it be contaminated. Thankfully, we had pool passes, so at least I could swim for exercise.
05/22: Completely out of the boot. But I’m prohibited from impact exercises (i.e., no long walks) at first.
06/10: Final post-operative appointment. I’m now allowed to walk for half a mile per day, with a quarter mile increase allowed each week (which I immediately take advantage of). Next week will mark the three-month anniversary of my surgery. As part of my visit, I walk across a sensor mat so a computer can capture and analyze my gait for custom orthotics. My legs aren’t of equal length and my hips aren’t level, which can cause back pain and the orthotics will mitigate that potential. I’m instructed to not purchase shoes until the orthotics arrive, and then only get shoes with a neutral arch.
06/24: I begin the use of my custom orthotics. My walking limit is now up to a mile. I’m doing a lot of swimming since I have access to both an indoor (lap lanes only) and an outdoor pool. I have low to medium grade pain when I walk, so I try to walk every-other-day and swimming gives the foot a chance to recover.
07/22: I’m up to two mile walks. I’m also allowed to jog, although it has a limit that is lower by half a mile. That’s not an issue, as I don’t have the endurance to run that far anyways. But I’m working on increasing my jogging capacity and I have replaced my decade old walking shoes with a new pair of jogging shoes.
August: I’m up to four mile walks (with jogging intervals), which is close to the maximum for my “neighborhood circuit.” I continue to have low to medium grade pain after these long treks. Therefore, I continue to alternate walking with swimming so as not to overdo the impact, and thus only do nine miles maximum in a week.
October: I’m able to maintain a slow, easy jog for just over a mile, as the first part of my typical 4.5 mile circuit. The weather is perfect for walking so I hit a new record of 39.1 miles for the month, with 16.2 miles of that made in the last week. There continues to be minor pain as a consequence after each walk, even though I’m past the “fully headed” six-month landmark.
December: Progress has either ended or is at an imperceptible rate. Although my orthopedist didn’t mention it, reading medical documents from other doctors indicates that heel pain after walking/jogging is probably a lifelong and expected result from my type of surgery. Even when I haven’t walked for several consecutive days, there can still be a mild and frequent ache. But I can live with that as its still a big improvement over the crippling and severe pain I suffered prior to surgery. The pain isn’t enough to be a real impediment to walking, jogging, and hiking. But I will continue to mix in alternative exercises (swimming, stationary bike, etc.) to give my heel a break. Also, I have plenty of diclofenac sodium gel for times when the pain is bothersome, but that’s pretty rare. This prescription is a topical ointment that provides pain relief and acts as an anti-inflammatory. In subsequent updates I’m going to stop mentioning the residual pain and you can assume it’s still a lingering condition. I’ll only comment on it if it significantly changes.