All American Surgery Recovery - Goodbye Cast, Hello Boot

Phew! I made it! Well...sort of. It has been seven weeks since the surgery, and although I'm out of the cast, I am now in a walking boot. The last few days have been a little frustrating, but I know we're on the right track.

What I Would Have Done Differently - Understood the Process
When we went in to the doctor's office on Wednesday, I legitimately thought that I'd be walking out on my own two feet with the help of the walking boot. Turns out that was not the case, and I've got another two weeks non-weight bearing before I get to start walking. In addition, I didn't realize that the transition from the cast to the boot would be so taxing. My pain and fatigue levels are way back up, and I feel like I got set backwards a few weeks. I know that isn't actually the case, but I was really not prepared for it.

iWalk 2.0 Review - The Upsides

Yesterday, I posted the downsides of my experience with the iWalk. While there were some small things, there was absolutely nothing that would dissuade me from wholeheartedly recommending it to anyone who finds themselves needing crutches. Here are the things that I really loved about the iWalk 2.0 Armless Crutch, in no particular order.

Easy on the Arms
This is 50% of the motivation behind getting the iWalk. I've had chronic pain since 2008, and had surgery in 2012. While that largely resolved it, the dead last thing I wanted to do was cause more problems with it. That meant that traditional crutches were out of the picture, as people with perfectly healthy arms and shoulders end up sore or injured because of them. The iWalk has been the 100% perfect solution to this.

iWalk 2.0 Review - The Downsides

Heading into my foot surgery, I tried to do a lot of research to be as prepared as possible. I actually did not find a lot specific to my procedure, but I did stumble across this gem. The iWalk 2.0 Hands Free Crutch has been the absolute best part of my recovery, although there have been some ups and downs (but luckily no falling downs). I want to be very clear. I highly, highly recommend that if you're going to be in a foot cast, you look into renting or purchasing the iWalk 2.0. It has made a tremendous difference in my recover, but I wanted to touch on some of the frustrations or unexpected hurdles before I start singing its praises.

Weight Restrictions
Be aware before you order the iWalk that it is limited to individuals under 275 pounds, and your upper thigh need to be smaller than 27". I was unable to find height limitations, but in my tennis shoes I am the most comfortable at the tallest setting. I am 5'7", but the majority of my height is in my legs so someone taller than my can in theory utilize this without an issue. Just something to make sure you check before you order!

All American Surgery Recovery - One Month Update

Happiest of happy new year's to you. I hope your 2015 has gotten off to a great start. We had a lovely but quiet New Year's Eve with a great couple who I've really gotten to know over the last year. The husbands work together, and I'm really glad we've gotten closer! I was even made this awesome cast cover, making it officially the coolest NYE gift of all time.

I am now officially at the one month point in my recovery. It has definitely been a long haul, and there is still a long way to go, but if I step back I can see that I am making progress. Here's the rundown!

What I Would Have Done Differently - Girl Date
I love my husband, pretty much more than anything. But he took this entire week off of work, and that meant he was here every day. And as much as that was great, I've missed having some girlfriend time. My two local besties have been out of town, but they're both back and I am so excited to hang out with them!

Disney Movie Half Marathon

I love Disney, as anybody who knows me is aware. And although I am moving around a lot more now, I'm still pretty limited. I can do a quick trip to the grocery store as long as I come back and sleep for a few hours. This afternoon, we're actually going to try a quick trip to the mall to return some Christmas clothes. I probably will just do the returns, and save trying on a lot of things for later on in the week. That's been a big lesson I'm trying to get better at learning, if it is possible to break activities down into smaller bites, do that!

So while I'm still spending most of my time on the couch, I decided that in honor of my goal to run a Disney half-marathon, I'd do my own version: watching a half marathon's worth of Disney movies. Now, I could go by the 16 minute minimum pace for 13.1 miles and find 209.6 minutes worth of movies, but that is so few! Instead, I've selected one movie for each mile, plus my favorite Disney short for little extra tacked on at the end. Granted, Silly Symphonies is years worth of shorts, but you can't pick just one! This time around, I went with the films that absolutely everyone should see in order to truly have a well-rounded Disney experience.

All American Surgery Recovery - Week Three Update

Merry Christmas! Christmas Day was the three week mark for me. I hope any of you who read had a wonderful Christmas holiday spent in whatever way makes you happiest, and if you don't celebrate the holiday hopefully you had a great and relaxing day off :)

This week was full of ups and downs. If I am realistic, I can see that there has been improvement, but it feels like there is still so far to go. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it isn't even January yet and I spend 3/4 of the month still in my hard cast!

Last week's goal of successfully managing the car ride to my in-laws in Connecticut went really well. We had me propped up in the back with lots of pillows and blankets, plus extra crackers, ginger ale, and ice packs. Since I was behind my husband, conversation was a little tough, but we had Amy Poehler's "Yes, Please" on audiobook to keep us company. I highly recommend it! Plus, when we got to the house, I got to spend most of my time on the couch cuddling with the family's two basest hounds. Pretty hard to complain about that!

Surviving the Holidays While You're Laid Up

This year is a little different for us in terms of holidays. The last couple of years, my now husband and I have split time between my family in Iowa and his family in Connecticut. Usually we drive to his parents house, fly from Hartford to Des Moines, spend a few days with my parents, then fly back and stay with his folks. It has worked pretty well, until I decided to throw a wrench in it and get my foot chopped open.

Because of my inactivity and limited movement, I am considered a higher risk for blood clotting. Part of this means I've been instructed to take an asprin every day, but I also am restricted from flying for the three months after the surgery. And since I definitely can't manage the 18+ hour car ride it'd take to drive home, this will be the first year that I don't go home for Christmas.

It is definitely a bummer, and I am really not happy about it, but luckily my in-laws are awesome and have completely welcomed me into their home. Even then, maneuvering around with my foot in a cast has been pretty tough. Here are some tips that so far are helping me manage, and hopefully will help you as well.