10 days Post Op

Another encouraging couple of days as the comeback is definitely on at this point. I spent most of Saturday on my feet (and on a ladder) painting the front entrance to my house and the foot held up fine. My 6 year old daughter called me nuts a few times, but other than that things went off without a hitch. I have now completely weaned myself off of the painkillers. During my check-up last Thursday, the doctor mentioned that I had a lot of bruising around my heel and she said it was most likely due to me taking Ibuprofen and elevating my foot. So in an effort to get rid of that (and since there is no noticeable swelling in the foot anymore), I’ve decided to just try and stay away from Ibuprofen for the time being. Probably not coincidentally, the bruising has also gone away.

If it wasn’t for the stitches in my foot, I’d probably be tempted to go out for a run at this point. That’s easy for me to say, as I know it isn’t an option since I cannot get out of the walking boot until the stitches are removed, but at the very least it doesn’t seem like crazy talk. That’s a start. As an alternative, I went to the gym today and did 5 minutes on the bike and couldn’t take it anymore so I moved over to the elliptical for a half hour. While it’s definitely not the same as running, at least I was standing and moving my legs. I really felt it in my quads more than I ever have running so I know it’s working different muscles, but it’s probably a little more specific than biking was. I’ve also realized that between my fashionable walking boot on the elliptical and then plastic bags that I have to wrap my foot in for the shower afterwards, I’ve pretty much lost all self-esteem. Oh well. Easy come, easy go.

I noticed today at my gym that they are having an indoor “Turkey Trot” next Monday. It’s basically consists of running a 5k on the treadmill and then reporting your time to a trainer when you’re done. Top runner gets some sort of prize. While I realize it’s probably pushing things and not very smart, I’m tempted to target it. Luckily, I don’t have to decide anything right now. I have a few more milestones before next Monday. Like the stitches coming out on Thursday and possibly wearing two matching shoes for the first time in a couple weeks. Thank God for life’s little joys.