Ten Days and a Backup Plan

I’m now down to ten days until my next doctor’s appointment and a new set of x-rays. This has been a really frustrating month. I didn’t get the news I was hoping for with my last doctor’s visit, and whereas the previous six weeks seemed long but passed faster than I thought they might, it seems like this month is taking forever.

In terms of how things are feeling, I would say pretty good. I’ve been doing some walking around, including 30 minutes worth this past Saturday, and I don’t seem to have any negative side effects. Saturday’s jaunt was probably a little aggressive and my foot was a little sore afterward, which had me a bit worried. However, the pain never seemed like it was in the area where the injury is, and it has now disappeared altogether, so I’m chalking it up to just not having done anything for so long that my foot wasn’t sure how to react (which shows me I have a lot of weakness and therefore a lot of work to do). I haven’t tested it like that since, though, and probably won’t until at least this coming weekend, if even then.

All that said, I have also developed a backup plan now to keep things moving regardless of what I hear on the 30th when I see the doc again. I’m currently working on scheduling an appointment for a second opinion for the first week of August, hopefully Monday, 8/5, which will be just 3 days after my visit to the podiatrist that Friday. I figure if I get good news and he tells me I’m about ready to start some activity again, then I’ll just cancel the second opinion appointment. However, if he tries to tell me I need another 4 weeks in the boot and on crutches and/or I need surgery, then I’ll be able to get a second opinion just a few days later rather than having to wait until Monday to schedule it and then another week or two after that to actually get in to see someone.

There’s not much I know at this point, but I can say this much. First, based on the way I’ve been feeling the past couple weeks, I’m not going to just accept someone telling me that the injury is nowhere near healed. Before I do that, I will need more than one expert saying the same thing and providing reasons and evidence as to why. Additionally, I’m not going to drag this out any longer than I have to. I’ve been almost 9 weeks in a boot (I’m still wearing it a good portion of the time, including all day at work) and it’s been over 11 weeks since the injury first occurred, so if it hasn’t healed most of the way at this point I probably just need to go ahead and get the screw put in. I’m not a fan of surgery or of having a foreign object inserted into my body, but the screw speeds healing time and reduces the likelihood of recurrence, so if that’s what needs to be done then I’m not going to shy away from it or delay the process.

Ok, that’s it for now. Hopefully I can come up with something more interesting to post here and there to keep this blog at least somewhat active and alive. Stay tuned.