Cleared to exercise (kind of)

I guess I might as well get one post in before the craziness of back to school/soccer season starts and my blog posts suffer more than they already are.

Ankle, ankle and more ankle stuff.  I swear my life revolves around it. 

I looked WAY cooler with one foot on the ground and the other pushing this forward.

• Dr said 2-3 more weeks with the boot (I'm writing this at the end of week 2) but I'll tell you I am hurting tonight after just being at work and walking around for about 5 hrs. The last week, I'm supposed to be working towards transitioning into shoes, but honestly, I don't see it.  I'm going from be a couch potato recovery mood for 6 weeks to standing on my feet for 7 plus hours, without a boot?!  I'm going to baby this ankle for at least a week more. 
  
  
   
• Dr said I could start to exercise on the elliptical (hell NO!) and I could start spinning again.(hell YES)  Yay!  Of course, when I hear "Go" I really went for it.  It happens that they are offering spinning classes multiple times a day this week.  Yep, "overdoing it", 5 classes in 3 days.  It felt great to be back but I'm feeling it a bit too.  My ankle didn't hurt while doing it but it was swollen and tender later.  

• I started PT this week.  Sadly, it was like a homecoming of sorts since I have been going there all spring.  My one PT said I should get a personalized parking spot since I'm there so much.  I shouldn't be surprised that I can't do much, but sometimes I really am.  Today, I had to put my foot on this sliding board and just push it forward and backward.  Holy cow, that hurt like crazy.  Pushing my foot back was insanely hard and did I mention it hurt?

• On top of my celebrating my return of sorts to exercising, my FAVORITE brand for workout shirts is having a SALE which they never have.   YMX Yellowman  has the most amazing shirts.  Normally the tees run about $70 but they are on sale for $30.  I have 2 already and have worn them at least once a week for the last year. They wash up amazing, they have fabulous designs and the maxcool fabric feels like silk yet wicking!  I just bought 2 more and a tank.  I can't wait to see what is up next since they are only doing a few items for 3 days then its on to something else for $30.  Here's my review from last year.  YMX shirt review

Obligatory Ankle Scar photos

This is about 4.5 weeks post op

What an "mini open partial excision" scar looks like. Not as mini as I'd hoped. That's about 1.5".

tiny ankle arthroscopy scar

Random recovery thoughts

Recovery?
I'm not even sure I should write anything, I've been so boring.  Recovery has been going well.  I've been a very good patient.  I'm doing my lovely at home PT exercises: pointing toes, seated heel lifts (still make my calf shake), writing the ABC's with my foot, pushing in and out on a pillow, seated calf stretches and spreading my toes.  Fun times.  All are pretty easy with the exception of the calf raises (shaking leg) and the complete lack of being able to spread my toes.

Why can't I do this?

The toe thing kind of bothers me.  I can completely focus on it and nothing.  I wonder if it's nerve damage? I don't have any pain or numbness associated with it at all, and I can curl my toes just not spread them- so what ever muscle/tendon that does that, isn't happy.  Does it matter if I can't spread my toes?   My foot doesn't appear to be swollen except to me, I can notice the subtle differences. I'm hoping that the DR will explain that to me tomorrow.

I'm hoping to be done with the boot, since this weekend I haven't been the good patient and I've been walking around without the boot at home.  I wanted to test out the ankle, and it feels weak and stiff, but not painful.  Then when I shower, standing on it for 20 mins it hurts a bit.  The few times we've gone out for errands, I can do about 2 hours in the boot before it hurts enough for me to call it quits.  What does that mean? I guess I'll let my Dr. make that call.

Exercise?

Yep, my exercise buddies on the recumbent.

I started last week going to the Rec for a weights class which is pretty good. I'm sore the next day but not crippling sore like TRX.
Also, I'm riding the recumbent bike for an hour.  That sucks. Not going to lie.
1st- I hate sitting in the angle that seat is at, it hurts my butt and unlike a spin bike, you can't get out of the saddle to get relief.
2nd-Old people like the recumbent, and unfortunately some of them have the old person smell, which makes me gag.  I've only had to leave the bike once and do something else and wait for them to be done.  Good thing, is they don't ride the bike for more than 10 mins.  I cringe everytime someone gets on the bike next to the one I'm on.
3rd- It's not spinning, it's hardly a workout to me. But, I do sweat and get my heart rate up, so... I guess it kind of works.

Footwear?
The thing I'm anxious about, other than the toes, is standing on my ankle in 2 weeks when I go back to work.  I'm able to chill out at home right now, go out a bit, but sit when I need to.  I'm not sure I can stand for about 6 hours.  I'm always tired after for the first 2 weeks or so when I'm healthy, but now?  If I have the boot still, my hip will be screaming at me-since the whole lopsidedness is bad (even with shoes about the same height). If I don't have the boot anymore, I have to pick between cute shoes that have no support and swollen feet or practical shoes (i.e. running shoes) which are not dressy at all.  I hate to be so casual the first few weeks back to work.  I've been so casual the last 2 years with all my foot problems and I really miss wearing cute outfits but running shoes and maxi dresses just don't go together nor do the khakis with running shoes look.

Old Runner's Worlds?

While elevating my foot and chilling out, I went through all my old Runner's World magazines.  That was sort of depressing, but at the same time wishful thinking.  I always try to save the workouts that I want to try and/or stretches and exercises that would be helpful to me. I end up tearing them out and then putting them somewhere and forgetting about them.  I took an idea the my DH does for work and I took pictures of all the articles/workouts and created an album on my phone so that I can access the exercises when I'm at the gym.  Brilliant!

Ankle Surgery Decision

Back in April I had my MRI and discussion with my Dr about my ankle pain.  You can read about that here. I managed to do my big races at the Flying Pig in the beginning of May with not much pain.  Granted, compression socks and Advil were a pivotal role in my success. My PTs were very surprised that I was able to finish all three races and were expecting a mess when I came in on the Monday after.  My ankle was sore and crunchy but I could walk w/o pain. 

My newest PT, I'll call her Michelle, who comes from a sports clinic, gave me the talk.  "You need to stop running for 2 weeks and completely rest it.  It's not about running now, it's about running in the future."  Yep.  She's right.  Grrr.  So, I was good.  I rested for long 10 days.  Meanwhile, Michelle looked at my new running shoes that showed up in and deemed them unfit for my foot.  I have always wore a Neutral shoe (Mizuno Wave Riders) but she showed me why I needed to be in a shoe for Supination.  I had 2 weeks to try out another pair of shoes and return the old (new) shoes.  I was getting close to 2 weeks but I hadn't got to run in them yet.  That was part of my reasoning for starting to run again but also, my ankle felt the same even with rest.   If I try to dorsaflex, stretch my calf, lounge, walk up hills, walk down stairs it still hurts.  (Michelle gave me her blessing to go ahead and run again)

Michelle asked me when I was going back to the Dr. for a follow up- I told her I wasn't.  My Dr. told me to come back when the spur was killing me and we could do a "scope" to clean it up and shave off the bone spur.    Michelle looked at me, nodded her head and said "Just do it, it's stopping you from doing what you want."  She explained to me the general recovery for it and said I'd be walking within a day or 2.   Ok, doesn't sound THAT bad.  
 

I'm not a radiologist, but I think that's a spur hanging down from my tibia (left hand side, in the middle of the red triangle)

So, here I am, waiting to have arthroscopic surgery on my ankle spur(s?) next Friday.  My Dr. told me that he might have to open me up a little bit more than just the portals for the arthroscope to get at the spur- just depends when he gets in there.  Recovery would be 5 weeks in the BOOT and nothing about being non-weight bearing so that's good, although I did clarify with the nurse and she told me to bring my crutches and boot to the hospital, so...fingers crossed that will only be for a little bit. 

 I do have my doubts.  I can run with little pain.  BUT, I'm in pain later.  Today, I went for a run and as usual I was hyper-focused on my ankle.  It didn't hurt to bad, just on hills (up and down) and I thought "Why am I having surgery on this? I can function, with some pain, but it's not horrible."  BUT, if I didn't do anything about it, I'd stay in this stupid, frustrating situation.  Run, then pain, repeat. 
I want to compete. I don't want to have to run every other day and only 3 miles. I don't want to be the person who can't run because it hurts her ankle too much.  I refuse to stop.  So, I guess that's it.  I have to get this taken care of.

My PT added some anxiety since she asked me if he was going to be doing a micro fracture on the ankle and asked if Dr brought up OCD (Osteochrondral defect).  He didn't, thank goodness, since Dr. Google brought up some scary stuff.    My real Dr. did not mention this, and when I look at my patient summary for the surgery it mentions "General or localized osteoarthrosis" which means I'm old that I have arthritis. If you google "localized arthritis" it is this OCD stuff. I looked at my MRI and at MRIs online of an OCD of the ankle and I think I'm good- but then again, I'm not a radiologist.  (Although it is fascinating, maybe a second career option...) 

my lovely ankle MRI of my talus

someone else's MRI with OCD in the talus

  Since, if I timed it right, 5 weeks in a boot gets me to Aug 2 (perfect for me-done with it before going back to work mid August), and gives me 6 weeks to train for the Air Force Half which stupidly I signed up for back on Jan 1.  I'm hoping this is an easy recovery. 

Has anyone had arthroscopic surgery on their ankle before?  I'd love read about your experiences.