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After four long weeks in the boot, I finally had my follow-up appointment with the doctor. I was eager to see how my healing was progressing, but unfortunately, there was a small hiccup—they had forgotten to order my X-ray before my visit. That was a bit of a bummer, but we made the best of it. The doctor examined my ankle, checked my range of motion, and then scheduled the X-ray for the following day.
Despite the delay, the doctor provided me with a plan based on two possible outcomes. If the X-ray showed improvement, I would begin phasing out the boot by removing it for three hours on the first day, four hours the next, and so on, gradually increasing over two weeks. Along with this, I was given a set of physical therapy exercises to help regain flexibility in my ankle. If the X-ray didn’t show much improvement, the plan would be the same, but I’d start at just half an hour instead of three. Either way, the boot needed to be faded out, and walking needed to be reintroduced.
The next day, I went in for my X-ray, and luckily, it showed improvement! That meant I could start the weaning process right away. I’ve since transitioned to walking with an ankle brace, slowly getting back on my feet—literally.
Today, I hit a small but meaningful milestone. While my husband watched the doggos play at the lake, I took a continuous five-minute walk in the parking lot. It might not seem like much, but after weeks of restricted movement, it felt like a huge win. My goal is to keep building on that little by little.
The best part? I’m not in pain. However, by the end of the day, my foot does get tired and swollen, which the doctor reassured me is completely normal. For the next two weeks, I’ll be following this gradual progression, listening to my body, and continuing the journey back to full mobility.
It’s another step forward, and I’ll take it. One walk at a time!