Not a Fat Sentence

Day 60

  My return to the gym was day 58. I spent 30 minutes on the bike at moderate resistance and walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes at 2.5mph. The treadmill was not at all comfortable, but this isn’t my first rodeo. Yesterday, I rode 45 minutes on a spin bike. I cannot "climb" yet so I stayed seated and experimented with my pace. And it hurt like a...use your imagination... to clip in and out.

 I can now put two feet down on the ground for plank and push-ups but not without soreness and stiffness.  My big toe still refuses to move on its own. Admittedly, I have been pushing my boundaries. “This is not a race,” Dr. Brunet reminded me at my final post-op. One year ago, at the exact same time post-operatively, I was still religiously wearing my fracture boot on my left foot. This time, I barely wore it at all. I prefer a shoe, however, my foot is still swollen enough that it is still one size larger than the other.  Luckily, I kept some of my larger shoe sizes, so I can choose from a small conserved selection.  

  Incredibly, I actually lost 6 lbs within the first 6 weeks of my surgery. If you are worried about weight gain during your recovery, if you watch what you eat, this will not be a “fat sentence”. You do have to pay attention to your diet, you shouldn't ignore it. These are the reasons for my weight lost:

1. I slept in alot so I my first meal was around 11 am. This likely cut about 200-300 calories from my day.
2. I couldn’t grocery shop or be in the kitchen long enough to make complex meals. Eggs, bananas and chicken were major parts of my diet. I cut down on bread but still had half an English muffin every day.
3. I recorded my food intake on My Fitness Pal. I find a food diary the most valuable tool because if you are honest with it, you can recognize what you can do to cut calories.
4. I consciously did not eat junk food that I knew I couldn’t burn off. That being said, I did not totally deprive myself either.
5. I worked out almost every day to fight the blues as well as to stay motivated.
6. I believed that I could loose weight and put my mind to it. 

  Time is passing by much faster now that I am independent. There is so much stuff to do around here when I have both feet on the ground.  I do have limitations; I still cannot stand for over 10 -15 minutes without my compensating leg and hip making it unbearable to stand any longer. When I start to sweat and can't think properly, I need to sit down.

  My blog has been very useful to compare where I was last year at this time with my left foot. For those of you expecting to have one foot done at a time, I highly recommend that you take notes. The first foot you are basically going through your experience blind, the second foot I found to be much easier with experience to reflect from.

Long time no post!

Day 55

 A month has past since my last update. Two weeks ago, X-rays were taken and Dr. Brunet gave me the go ahead to start walking. Since then I have been interchanging between my fracture boot and my running shoes.  Luckily, I still have one pair running shoes that are a size larger than my norm so my right foot can fit; the only caveat is that they're bright pink. I still take my crutches along when I expect to be out for longer than 30 minutes. I started driving on December 5th (6.5 weeks post-op) and on December 11 (7.5 weeks) I was able to make the two hour drive to my parents house in Ottawa with the help of cruise control. I feel like I can finally enjoy my time off with my new found freedom.

  My big toe is still lazy four weeks post K-wire removal. Dr. Brunet encouraged my continuation of physiotherapy and was confident that with time, my toe movement would return. The video below was taken on Friday December 3, 2015.

  I am looking forward to returning to the gym in three days and anticipate to return to work in early January 2016.