Progress!

Hi all! So, last Thursday I got the walking boot but not much more change at that time because I also had a surface skin infection on part of the incision from surgery. That set my physical therapy back a week. They couldn't start stretching exercises until the infection healed. Good news--the infection has healed, and I started new PT today! I am so excited. The doctor thinks I am still on track to make it back to Mongolia within 45 days. He says I should be walking with the boot and no crutches by the end of next week. I'm a little doubtful of that, and so is the physiotherapist. But I am going to give it the ol' college try. I now have daily PT appointments and I have stretching exercises to do on my own 4 times a day. I have 2 weeks til the 45 day mark. I am now alone in Bangkok. My mom went home Oct. 14 (the day I got the boot), and my fellow Mongolia PCV who was here went back to Mongolia yesterday. There was also another PCV from Ukraine here (gall bladder surgery) and we were hanging out with her too. But she went back to the Ukraine on Tuesday this week. I think it's actually probably better that I'm by myself for the last 2 weeks. I really need to work hard on my pt and walking. So I'll be going to my pt appointments, going back to the hotel to do my stretching exercises, and practicing walking around the long halls in the hospital. I was a little down this week when I couldn't get started on the stretching exercises, but now I'm excited and focused. The pt is really kind of interesting. The therapist puts a heating pad on my calf and tendon to warm it up, then she stretches it gently by hand. There are also some stretching exercises I do on my own. On Tuesday, the surgeon says I can get the incision wet (yay! showers!), and then at pt they will also put my leg in a warm whirlpool to loosen the tendon. The tendon is very tight right now. They also use electro-therapy on my leg. They attach these electrode things that send an intermittent 5-second shock which makes my calf muscle contract. It kind of feels like little needles stabbing you but it doesn't really hurt. This is supposed to get the muscle used to being used again. My calf muscle has turned to mush since I haven't used it in 4 weeks. It's kind of amazing. Today at pt I walked with the crutches and no boot,putting 25 % weight on my repaired leg. How do you figure out 25% weight, you ask. I stand on two scales with one foot on each scale. First, I put all my weight on my good foot to see how much I weigh. Then I figure 25% of my total weight, and I shift my weight to my bad foot so that I hit the 25% of my total weight on the right scale. I didn't know how I was going to figure that out. In a few more days, hopefully I'll move up to 50% weight. Well, this entry is probably way more information about my leg and physical therapy than you all want to know. It's still hot and humid and raining frequently here (the height of the rainy season). I was able to do a few things when Mom and my fellow PCVs were here but I'm through trying to sightsee now that I've been given the go ahead on the pt and walking. Hopefully, I'll be writing an entry from Mongolia in the near future. Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers! Keep 'em coming.

Surgery Day plus 11

Hi all! I had my 10-day follow-up appointment with the doctor yesterday. They took off the giant cast, took out the stitches, and put on a lighter, sleeker cast. It turns out the giant cast was yards of cotton wrapped around my foot. The nurse tore it off by layers so that it looked like the cast blew up. I wasn't sure she was ever going to find my foot in that mound. I am glad to have a lighter cast on, but a little disappointed I didn't go straight to the boot. I have 10 more days of non-weight bearing. I meet with the doctor again, and then I get the boot. Once I have the boot I can start walking on my foot a little boot. I'm still going to pt everyday, but I meet with the physiotherapist doctor tomorrow to find out my progress and whether I need to go everyday. It may be that I can do pt on my own. I'm a little torn about pt. If it's stuff I can do on my own, then that means I'm that much closer to being able to going back to Mongolia. On the other hand, I'm stuck in a non-crutch friendly city with my main source of entertainment is going to pt and getting starbucks afterwards. Having mom here has been great. I would really be stuck if she weren't here. Another PCV from Mongolia who broke a bone in her foot playing volleyball is here now. PC Mongolia is going to start banning PCVs from playing volleyball. I hate it for her, but at least I have someone to hang out with. She has a walking boot and crutches and is more mobile than me, though. Mom and I did manage to go to a flower show at the Swissotel. We rented a wheelchair from the hospital and took a taxi. The flowers were gorgeous and they had some vendors there, so we got in a little shopping. I think we're going to try to go to a mall that has a whole section of traditional Thai crafts. We'll see how that goes. It is nice to get out of the hotel for an afternoon. Well, that's about all the news. I'll write again after my next appointment.