Broken Ankle Week 18

March 2022: walking in Point Reyes 2 months before accident that broke my ankle

Walking is still amazing. I know that so much better now since I needed to relearn how to walk. In a couple weeks I’ll get on a plane (for a work trip) and I’m feeling more confident that I can walk to subway, take subway, walk through airport, and be off!

I’m planning to take a few precautions for this first flight since injury:

1. bring a folding cane (just in case)
2. have ziplock bags with me to fill with ice (just in case)
3. wear compression socks

Compression socks have been supporting my ankle through recovery, however, most compression socks irritate my skin or rub the wrong way on the incisions. After buying and trying different socks, lily trotters silky solid compression socks are the ones that are most comfortable for me right now.

Discomforts in past week

• This morning, looking at how far I’ve progressed/improved, and possibility of not being able to snowshoe this winter, I cried. It’s not as hard as it was a couple months ago, but every once in a while it’s still hard to feel this long recovery timeline.
• The slow progress, getting back balance and strength, is frustrating. It helps me to look back and see where I was and where I am now and focus on the improvement.
• The most physical discomfort I had this past week is ankle tightness with stretching, movement, exercise relieving most, but not all, of it.

Improvements in past week

• Showering without a stool. I can balance well enough now!
• Scaraway silicon sheet on the tibia incision is doing double duty to help reduce the scar and protect the incision from being irritated by socks.
• Walking almost a mile with up and down hills (and thanks to my wife for holding my hand to give me confidence with this). I can feel my ankle straining against the range of movement needed for a hill and it is getting there.
• Walked up and down 3 flights of stairs to see my daughter’s dorm — that was one of the best parts of the week.
• Icing less and less. I have a cold therapy machine that I used to use every day and I didn’t use it much this past week.

My goal for this week is to walk to/from physical therapy. It is 4 blocks from my house, with hills, and I have been getting there with Lyft.