I waited a couple of days to post about my foot doctor appointment as I wanted to see how things went the first few days, but I am happy to say that my doctor said I could be done with the boot when I saw him on Friday!! This isn't my first rodeo, though, so I know that a set back is still possible. But I am trying to be optimistic. Once again I will have to exclusively wear tennis shoes for the next 2 weeks. I hate this aspect of the recovery, even though it is necessary. When you work in an industry where people dress pretty nicely, it's hard to not feel self conscious when you are rocking work clothes and running shoes. I brought in the fun shoes I bought when I visited Becky to see if I could wear those and the doctor said not a chance as they don't have sufficient support. So for now I'm doing the whole self-deprecating "the 80s called and the want the shoes/work clothes look back" and trying to laugh it off.
I have to spend the next week adjusting to being without the boot and I have some exercises to do so that I can strengthen the muscles around my ankle as they atrophied since I have been in the boot so long. After a week of normal activity, I can start going for long walks, and after a couple of weeks of that, I can try other low impact forms of cardio, and then a couple weeks later, I can try to return to running. My plan is to be really really careful about my return to running as I don't want to risk re-injuring my foot.
I am nervous that my time with the boot might not be behind me after what happened last time I tried to transition out of it, but I am hopeful right now. The fact that I haven't felt any pain yet is a good sign, so maybe - just maybe - I am on the road to recovery. I'm really hoping to launch my return to running in mid-August (and will be borrowing Redhead Running's plan) and hope to be back to running somewhat normal distances in late September/early October. I'm hoping to be able to run the Charleston half marathon in January with some run club friends that are traveling down here from Minneapolis, and then in February I am hoping to run the Austin half marathon with my best friend Heidi. We will see how things go this fall - I have yet to register for either race.
I haven't talked all that much about the injury because I know that others have it much worse. Eventually I will heal and hopefully I will return to running at a mileage level that I am happy with. But this whole experience has been really, really difficult for me. It's one thing to not be able to run, it's a whole other thing to not be able to do normal things, like walk to work. I really value a pedestrian lifestyle, so not being able to walk as far or as much as I want has been hard on me. Even now I have to be careful about how far I walk. For instance, I will visit Asheville this weekend but I will not be able to visit the Biltmore because that will require far too much walking for where I am at in the healing process. It's really hard to be prevented from doing things I love to do, but hopefully this injury will be behind me soon and all restrictions on activity will be released.
I guess if anything, this injury has taught me to not take things, like walking pain free, for granted!
Have you ever gone through an experience that has made you value something you had taken for granted in the past?
WOOOHOOOO! I'm hopeful this will be the last boot session too. Sure sounding promising and glad to hear it. Don't worry about the running shoes and work wear--you're adorable no matter what's on your feet! Keeping my fingers crossed that things continue to progress. Sounds like you have a great plan in place!
ReplyDeleteBeing restricted doing things is the absolute worst - especially when you're mentally up for it but physically can't (or shouldn't) do it. I'm SO glad you're finished with the boot though and I'm optimistic about your recovery because you're going so slowly! Here's to running shoes and work clothes!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're out of the boot! I can't imagine not being able to run. Even though I hate it a lot of days, I'd hate even more to be told I can't. Take it easy, and hopefully you'll be back in the game soon :)
ReplyDeleteYay! Very much hoping the rest of the recovery continues to go up from here for you!
ReplyDeleteHurray!
ReplyDeleteGlad you are out of the boot! YAY! Hope the road to recovery is a good one!
ReplyDeleteHurray! So excited for you! Funny, I was just checking out the Charleston Half marathon yesterday, that and the half at the Speedway next March or April. Fun times!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping you stay pain free, so the boot is history! As the old saying goes, "If it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger!" I'm sure you've had to make big sacrifices but may have learned some hard lessons on the way! Did the doctor provide any ideas of how to prevent a future stres fracture? That would be so helpful!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you don't have to return to the boot!
ReplyDeleteAs you know in my "younger" years I ran 4-6 miles daily, 4-5 times a week just for fun. Evidently that did some serious wear & tear on my knees since running long distances (to me) can be difficult for me. I'm not sure I'm going to pursue the half marathon training for October at this point; I'm leaning more towards a 10k since I know I can do that. It was a really hard adjustment for me three years ago when an ortho told me I could choose running or an early knee replacement. Talk about a spiral downward!
So glad to hear that you are boot free and on the road to healing! I don't know why, but when I use blog lovin and try and comment on your blog, it won't let me.
ReplyDeleteOn top of such a limiting injury, it has come at a time in your life when you could've really used exercise as a form of release. So, yeah, timing and injury type were awful for you. Boo.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I injured my back and could hardly move for days. The recovery wasn't as long as yours has been, but I was super careful about working out. I was so scared of reinjury that I really took things slowly ... and every movement, I asked myself whether it was worth reinjury. My answer was usually no, so I laid off a lot of things (for probably too long). It really took me a long time to feel like I was truly back to my original health.
Every time I get injured, it makes me reevaluate how lucky I am to be able to exercise freely! Just recently, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder blade that made just SITTING difficult, let alone walking and exercising. The human body is an amazing thing, but injury makes us very thankful for what we have. :)
ReplyDeleteI am THRILLED you are boot-free and on your way to recovery and hopefully will be back to running in no time! For now, rock those running shoes, my friend!
Yay! Say goodbye to das boot. give it a big scream of FREEDOM!!!!!
ReplyDeleteyay for no boot!
ReplyDeleteSo glad the boot is behind you and I hope it's for good! As you know, I have had some knee issues in the past that have prevented me from being a long distance runner. I've made the decision to stick to running short distances and less often do that I can hopefully continue to run for years :) I was lucky that I did not have any other major restrictions during that time but I may know a little something about that now, sigh.
ReplyDeleteI hope
My three cents!
ReplyDelete1) Hooray! I'm thrilled to the max that it is for REAL this time (Hopefully)
2) Be very careful so it IS real!
and 3) -- Never feel bad talking about your injury. It would be a huge big deal for anyone; for someone like you who is addicted to running it is a tremendously HUGER big deal. Add to it that this is your solace and stress reliever and then you have your other stuff going on that is VERY stressful... You are not only entitled to feel it, but to share it with people who care about you!
And I am thrilled!
(Tell your commenter Leigh that I figured out that in bloglovin' you have to open the comment box in a new window and it will work. I was having the same problem she had but that was the fix. Annoying. But it works.)
Happy to hear boot came off! Will celebrate further when it stays off! ;)
ReplyDeleteLinda
curious notions
Yay, congrats! Just be sure to take it slow ... patience is the most difficult part of healing, but you can do it :)
ReplyDeleteI'm SO GLAD you're done with the boot! I have only had one running injury and it was only a torn tendon so did not compare to a stress fracture AT ALL but I remember taking 6 weeks off running sucked and I've been much more diligent about preventative treatment like icing, rolling, stretching and regular massage or chiropractor visits ever since!!
ReplyDeleteI hope the boot truly is behind you now and I think your very slow and gradual return to running is a great plan!
Hooray! I am so so happy you're finally out of the boot! You must feel so free! :)
ReplyDeleteI personally never have been restricted this way, but my sister had surgery on her foot a few weeks ago and she complains to me EVERY day about how impatient she is to be able to walk normally again!
I can only imagine what it must be like to take something that you take for granted away from you for so long.
Yay!!! I'm happy for you girl :-) I had to wear a giant gauze thing on one of my fingers once for about a week or two, and that was bad enough. I didn't realize how inconvenient it would be to not use that finger! A bigger body part ... I can't even imagine!
ReplyDeleteThe beautiful thing about living in a warm climate is prime "running season " begins in the fall and into the winter. In opposed to the Midwest were it slows down in the fall due to snow and cold!
ReplyDeleteI am SO happy you are out if the boot and returning to your pedestrian lifestyle! I am also mad impressed with your self control in this matter and being so smart about taking care of yourself. It's hard not to just jump back in!!
I remember that feeling last summer too. And how I yearned so badly to just walk from point a to point b like normal.
Yay for good news at last!
I am really glad you finally are getting rid of that thing. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to not be able to do something you love, especially when it's the exact thing you use to de-stress, but like you said, it's made you realize how good you had it, and really how good you still have it. Not to sound depressing, but I work a lot with people who have had serious falls off roofs and injuries such as that and it always makes me realize how lucky I really am. I wish you quick recovery and a return to running!
ReplyDeleteThis is my favourite post title you have ever done!
ReplyDeleteWOOOOOOT! Lots of crossed fingers for not more bootness!