Time for an update. Actually, I could say I’m just a tad early for the 8 month update :). Thanks to all who pray for me and who ask about my progress and sorry I haven’t posted much sooner. The good and OK news is there isn’t much to report on. Progress is steady and most often noticed after a few weeks rather than week-to-week.
Aug. 5 was 7 months, to be more exact and it is a good thing that I am not thinking about days and weeks after surgery. My doctor and PT’s told me to expect ups and downs, uneven progress and some discomfort for at least a year. I do most things that I need to without too much effort. I am still cautious about exercise. The reason is because of a setback. By June, I was very excited about progress and reveling in my new-found walking abilities. I was hitting the 2.3 mile lap around my neighborhood with zeal, checking my time and distance with a new app on my iPhone that told me how far I was walking, elevation changes and even gave me benchmark updates along the way so I could compare myself against previous efforts. (Why do guys have to make things a competition even if it’s just against themselves?)
By the way, the app is “Walkmeter” and it works fine. I am not pushing it, and I find it a bit off on distances but we’ll blame the satellite GPS issues rather than the app. It gives me something to do to ease the boredom of repetitive walking routes.
But, mid June, I injured my heel about halfway around and by the time I arrived back at the house, it was almost unbearable. Turns out to be an issue of Plantar Fasciitis, an inflammation of the plantar fascia membrane connecting your heel to your toes. You can follow the link to find out more about it. The salient point is it HURTS LIKE THE DICKENS. It hurt so much that I was unable to stand on it. In fact, the pain was such that I stayed off my feet for 4 or five days. I treated it with anti-inflammatory meds and ice packs and rolling a tennis ball under my arch. I bought shoe inserts to support my arch and just took it easy for about a month.
The biggest bummer was the lack of momentum in building up my endurance, but, the good thing was I had the ability to think about it and plan to continue, as opposed to being unable to walk normally on my old, broken knee. I’m thankful.
Now, I’m working out 2 -3 times a week on devices that aren’t so hard on my feet and moderating my diet and targeting losing a significant chunk of weight. Progress is slower, but I guess that comes with my mature age. Sunday, a couple of friends told me how wonderful it was to see me walk easily and quickly off the stage at Hope Chapel. See, progress! I don’t think about it and didn’t know it was evident, but, they knew.
So, I’m thankful to be here, thankful for friends who pray and encourage and notice when my step is returning to form. Blessings, Ya’ll!
