Antsy

9:30 rolled around tonight, and I felt bored. I have been doing a lot of reading and didn’t feel like starting another book. I walked around my house and noticed all of the things I would like to do but really am not quite to the place physically to do them. The Christmas CDs needing to go on the top shelf of the guestroom closet, for example. That would require climbing the step stool which I can’t do yet. The blue stain on the carpet might come out with the special spot remover, but I can’t bend down and get back up to take care of it. The Christmas wrapping and bags need to go under the bed. The box of bows should be put on the closet shelf tomorrow after I wrap a birthday present, but see above about climbing steps. The placemats and Christmas towels and other linens I emptied out of the drawer to give my husband some storage in the guestroom while he was sleeping there need to be put back but I can’t carry much. The closer I get to the end of rehab, the more impatient I feel. I am anxious to get the CAM boot off for good.

 

Today I went to physical therapy wearing the boot and using an aluminum walker. So slow for getting around. The criteria I was given about putting weight on my foot was if it significantly increases pain then ease off. But I have had hardly any pain since walking again in the boot. I get a little dull ache at the top of my ankle if I walk very far; my foot has lost strength and some stability so it starts to turn out as it tires. Thankfully, my therapist thought the range of motion was good and is allowing me to use a cane instead of the walker. That frees up a hand for carrying things. Easier to put in the car, too. He gave me a bunch of strengthening exercises, mostly with a theraband. I was originally told by the Physician’s Assistant (who I saw because the doctor could not get back to town because of the weather conditions) that I probably would wear the boot 2 more weeks. However, one of the goals of therapy is to wean off the boot and move into the lace-up brace with a regular shoe. She pointed out that the timing was a guideline, but that everybody is different, and that my therapist would help me determine the transitions. So far, he seems to think I am ahead of “schedule”. If the home exercises start building strength, I may try the brace for short periods next weekend to see how it feels. He told me if I overdid that I might notice increased pain and swelling, but that I could not damage my foot at this point. If I can get rid of the boot, I can drive a car again. A big incentive!

 

Yesterday when we arrived home from church and eating out, I noticed in the mirror that one of my earrings was gone. I had been wearing my purse bandolier style and when I took it off and on over my head it did brush against the side and my ear. Not too surprising the earring fell off somewhere. However, this morning when I dressed to go to therapy I went to get my watch from the dresser and it was not there. I remember looking at it in Applebees yesterday, but I have no recollection of taking it off last night. I can’t find it anywhere. I guess it too is lost. Getting lots of practice in “letting go.”