What is it about clichés and Rome?
”When in Rome do as the Romans’ do.”
or
”Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
During my last surgery I not only had both hips worked on but one ankle as well. There was some debate over whether working on the ankle was actually needed, but none of those people would be involved in the surgery itself.
If I had to rate how complete my recovery is at this point I’d give myself a 9. I’m not quite there yet. Sure I’m loads better than a year and a half ago. I don’t even feel like the same person I was then. But I still need some work.
The ankle.
I guess I had some naïve notion that putting steel supports and reinforcements into something instantly makes it stronger. I didn’t account for the fact that putting all that in meant partial destruction of the same part. Sometimes you have to destroy to make stronger; so I wasn’t fixed after hours of intense ankle work by the professionals.
I wasn’t one to be prone to ankle problems, even if I have weak ankles. I think I sprained my ankle maybe twice in my entire life, and once was due to being trapped between a deck and a pool. It literally would’ve happened to anyone in the same situation.
I went into the pre-op process with my objectives. They basically boiled down to betterment of my current state, not in an effort to maintain my status quo. What included but was not limited to, would I be able to function (& safely) without an AFO post-op.
The answer was yes. The posterior leaf spring was meant primarily for post-operative support. Eventually I would be able to be rid of it (& it could even have a roommate in the closet).
However I’m still wearing it, even though I was able to have a brief hiatus. My ankle needs to be stronger before I can even try to go without. But here’s where I get confused: how can muscles get stronger if they’re constantly supported by industrial strength plastic? If it can’t move it can’t work. Can we say chicken and egg scenario?
So yes I’m still working on my ankle. In the best way I know how. I’m making it up as I go along (with help). It can get really uncomfortable but that just tells me I’m on the right track here. Things are working and that feels good.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
It turns out ankles can’t be rebuilt in a day either.
