• A walking boot 24/7 is uncomfortable but it becomes your “bff” for balance and protection as pain subsides.
• My #1 pain reliever is Healing Solutions Deep Muscle Relief (click on “Healing Solutions” for $10 off your first order). When added to coconut oil or other balm and gently applied to the area that is aching ACHING aching, it helps so much. This got me through many nights of restless agony. Last I looked there was free shipping too!
• A memory foam pillow works great as your foot “base” in bed. Mine is Tempur-pedic.
• Thinner throw pillows to stack or pull out as needed are better sized and more manageable than oblong bed pillows.
• A cozy fur leopard pillow from Pier 1 is so perfectly soft, both the loft and the fabric covering, and has the best feeling on my swollen, bruised, stitched, broken, abandoned, smashed appendage. You will love this pillow forever.
• Reusable plastic bags with chipped ice are better than so many cold pack varieties online that are too heavy, too big, not supple. Go simple. Spend less. Reuse the bag over and over again.
• A scooter is absolutely worth every penny, mine is perfect, I am so glad we got the basket too, it is so helpful. I got mine on Amazon. Recovery takes months, how are you going to carry things on crutches, get lunch ready, step into the shower, etc.
  
  

These are the top things making the list to help the awful pain and agony of ankle surgery, and there are quite a few things that do not. Pain pills actually set me back. I scootered around as if I was, well, high, and not just out of surgery, and did not rest as I should have. Exhausting. And the Fog. Ew. I was so much better when I could go without those pills after a few days. Special ice packs and assorted ankle braces and new shoes were not necessary or useful. Physical therapy can be helpful with massage and encouragement from the therapist. I was so relieved when my PT Assistant said “You will heal! The goal is to return to 100% of your activities at 100% ability. The surgery is to strengthen your ankle so you should be stronger because of it.” Phew!! I was still distressed by the metal plates and screws but my Doc said, “You will play tennis again, heck you have titanium now!” If you are suffering and unsure, read these words again and again. You will be ok. It’s ok.

All About The Boot

This was the topic that took me to google, to no avail. What is the need and purpose of this awful boot? Am I hampering healing if I take it off some of the time. They said 24/7. Hate it, auuugh, it hurts the top of my foot. Little square cotton pads help. Do I really have to wear it when resting or is it just for when I am up and about. Eventually I went without it for hours but for the first few weeks protection was priority. I did take it off to rub in oil to abate the agony. Oh the sound of ripping velcro to remove the boot in the wee hours of the night! As pain subsided, I loved the protection of the boot from family pets and toddlers and crowds… and during falls. I had two. The boot facilitates transition to bearing weight, first you tap your toe on the way through the crutches, then you progress to rest on your heel, then your whole foot. Your physical therapist will teach you as you are ready. So … got boot? Hate it? Sorry, but I promise, you WILL love it at times, maybe THAT will help you if you know it now, from the get go.

This recovery is no joke, mentally or physically. Weeks upon weeks with all of the time in the world to ponder and solve, master and innovate solutions. Put this time to good use! Relax, think, take care of yourself. Solve all of those things that you have not had time to address. You will be amazed at the lifestyle you can enjoy and what you can create.