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Physical therapy continues to be a cornerstone of my recovery. My PT recently discovered some very stiff ligaments around my ankle—no surprise there—and has been working through them in our sessions. It’s not the most comfortable process, but the targeted work is making a difference.
In fact, there’s now a noticeable shift in how I feel in the mornings. For the first 45 minutes after waking up, I’m not stiff. Everything feel normal. My PT says this is a great sign and that the window of mobility should get longer with time.
I’ve also kept up with Pilates, and it’s been a huge support for improving range of motion, balance, and controlled strength.
In the spirit of trying new (old) things, I went swimming for the first time in a long time. It felt amazing to be back in the water—until I pushed off the wall a little too hard. The ankle definitely didn’t appreciate that. It flared up and reminded me that while I’m healing, I still have to respect my current limits. So, lesson learned: gentle gliding.
To help manage that flare-up, I’ve temporarily lowered my daily step count goal from 10,000 to 8,000. I’ll give it a week and see how my ankle responds. Adjusting when necessary is important.
A small but meaningful milestone: I donated my crutch and knee scooter. They didn’t accept walking boot. These were constants in my space for a month, physical reminders of how far I’ve come. It wasn’t easy to find a place that would take them—big names like Goodwill don’t accept medical supplies—but I found a local hospice thrift store called Snowline Hospice that does. I hope I don’t need them in near future.
Every week has its ups and downs, but these last two have made something clear: progress is slow but constant and something small like waking up pain-free, even just for a little while, is a sign of progress.