I actually suggest a knee walker. @Catcherinthetoast looks like your in great shape. Lots of people aren’t… Lol.
If your struggling with the idea of this already do yourself a favor and talk to your doctor about a mental health referral. Can be anyone to talk to. Lots of people have a hard time with this idea. My whole practice is mostly athletes and tell someone that was training for a major marathon to sit down and take it easy… Lol. It’s not easy. Once healed, I like using water with rehab. Aqua belt and deep end using water for resistance. Lots of other ideas. I
Not the same injury but I was non-weight bearing after surgery for a broken ankle (ended up with a plate and 7 screws). For the first week or so after the surgery I really wasn’t up to doing anything but rest and keep my leg elevated. Once I moved from a splint cast to a regular cast I was much more able to “workout”. I found all kinds of sitting workouts on-line. You’d be surprised how hard it is to march sitting down with a big cast on your leg. My triceps were in the best shape ever as I was doing a sort of reverse dip to get up the stairs. I moved to a boot 4 weeks after surgery and was able to begin PT.
Once I started PT I was still non-bearing but was allowed to do home PT on those days I wasn’t the facility. I was able to begin weight bearing after 9 weeks or so though the initial estimate was 12-16 weeks. My doc thought my keeping active played a role in my healing process as will as helping reduce the amount of atrophy on that side.
Good luck with the recovery process. You know your body best and will know what works best for you.
As an aside, my Ortho guy didn’t want to touch my ankle but referred me to the podiatrist in his group that specialized in ankle injuries/surgery.
Now that I look at it closely I see that the scars re in different places. ANd to think I already showed it to my H how has a long scar down his chest and is an avid fisherman. I told him he should get something similar.
Mine is about 8 years old - it’s a mother/daughter tattoo. My D loved the water from just about the day she was born so I got a mermaid and she has a giant wave on her foot.
That’s a really cool tattoo. I needed a reality check. The boot has given me false hope because it has allowed me to do more than I really should.
I am a planner so hearing what to expect is helpful. I already borrowed the knee scooter and shower chair from our town’s senior center. I made several meals for the remainder of the week. I have a few more chores to get done today before tomorrow’s surgery.
You’ll do great. Push yourself just enough but not too much. My last piece of advice is to not try and tough it out without pain meds. They really help when used appropriately.
I am sorry about your injury, ouch! It’s great to read about your workout routine! I know I should not complain since I won’t be given a full leg cast. I like your stairs tip. I was thinking how to use the stairs post surgery. With the boot, I can maneuver better than I thought initially, just slowly. I’ll have to practice your move today. Not working out for a long period of time will be hard so scoot-ching up and down the stairs may be the outlet I may need, lol.
This injury is giving me a lot of thoughts about future aging issues. We have been putting those thoughts aside for us, even though my H and I have parents in 80s and 90s. I had to install a stair elevator contraption at my parents about 3 years ago. My parents were completely against it but it was very helpful for my dad. My H joked I consider rehabbing at their place so I am not asking for help from him, lol.
I am not a good swimmer so I avoid the pool like a plague, but I may consider water rehab. I’ll have to look into it. We do have an indoor bike, so that will be used once I get the green light.
This is OP - about 5 days post surgery and feeling more comfortable with the temporary new normal. I spend a good amount of time with my leg elevated. I have 2 sets of crutches and 2 knees scooters, one set for each floor. Chairs have been strategically placed at key areas for easy transfers. Going up and down the stairs is manageable. Though I did not master pistol squats pre injury, I think I will once this is all over, lol. When I get antsy to move, I scooter around the house for a loop or two or do a set of seated pistol squats.
Ortho said the tear was closer to a bone so the surgery was similar to Aaron Rodgers’ procedure, whatever that means…
I truly have deep respect for people with physical disability. Thanks to all for your recommendations.
It sounds like you are managing very well. I kneeled on my knee scooter so I could cook and wash dishes - it was mental therapy for me to do as much as I could. You’ll get creative.
I am getting very good on the knee scooter. Three-point turns take too long in my opinion, so I’m doing a bit of a wheelie things at times. I know I shouldn’t.
My casted leg feels best in the mornings so I have been doing some tasks just to get off my butt - small meal prep for the day, kitchen clean-up, etc. I even tackled a bathroom wipe down today, lol. Getting good at a one leg stance for a while too.
I am relying on others to help - I love doing my garden spring clean-up and usually do most of it before my landscaper comes out for it. This time, I called him to say it’s all on him this year. I also scheduled the next hair color appointment at the same time as my friend’s so I can hitch a ride since we go to the same colorist. I feel a bit like those ladies in the past decades when friends got hair done at the same time!
The best resting spot I found is laying down in the exercise room. It has those foamy flooring so I lay on my back and rest both legs on the weight bench while listening to an audio book.
The hardest part is not getting good sleep. I am waking up sometime between 2 am and 4 am…tossing and turning bc I can’t get comfy. I hope this will get better when the hard cast is removed. I see the orthopedic for post-op on Tuesday. He’ll remove the current cast for wound check etc, but I’ll be in another cast for 2 more weeks. I hope it’ll a bit shorter so it doesn’t dig into my shins on the knee scooter.
