On Monday of this week, my surgeon told me that I no longer needed the walker. My R Achilles tendon has healed to the point that my foot can support my weight. However, he cautioned me that more healing needs to take place. He affirmed that I need to continue wearing the orthopedic boot.
I pushed back and asked if it was permissible for me to discard the boot when I was in the car so I could drive? I would not be putting undue pressure on my foot. I thought it was a reasonable request, but he cautioned me not to do that. He said, your foot is far from being healed and any kind of accident could set you back for months.
A long time ago, I figured out to never ask an important question related to what I could or couldn't do unless I knew the answer. The answer he provided, was not the one I was hoping to receive, but I will abide by his professional judgement.
Driving to me was my highest priority. With that now out of the question, I asked my second question related to priorities: "Did I need to continue wearing the orthopedic boot at night while I was sleeping? I can assure you that wearing the boot in bed is interfering with my sleeping pattern. I was not surprised when he said, "I need to continuing sleeping with the boot on." Somehow I sensed that coming, but I had to ask the question anyway.
A couple of neighbors were surprised to see me walking without the walker yesterday afternoon and walked over to visit briefly. Being upright on my own two feet was a newfound freedom that felt good.
Late yesterday afternoon, I made a commitment to mail a book to someone. The bubble envelope that I needed was on a shelf in the upstairs attic. It stands to reason that I have not been upstairs since my surgery. Now that I'm walker-free, I couldn't figure out a reason why I could not navigate the stairs. After all, I wore the orthopedic boot for almost a month before I had surgery. During that period, I went up and down the stairs.
Somehow post-surgery, I at least questioned my judgment. Thinking it through, I opted to take the stairs. I purposefully did not ask the General for a second opinion. Like I said, when you don't know the answer in advance, you are better served not to ask the question.
I didn't cut any corners while taking the stairs. I hung on to the railing as though my life depended on it. Just walking into the room upstairs put a smile on my face. It is my favorite room in the house.
Long story short – I need to abide by my doctor's instructions. He set my final appointment for two months from now. I suspect that not much is going to change in what I can or cannot do before then.
Despite that, my spirits are high. The walker is history.
All My Best!
Don
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