Our website was down a while ago due to a problem with the web server. Sorry about that.
On the other hand, my left ankle seems to be recovering without major problems in the two months after the surgery. My doctor was pretty psyched (and even said he was scared) that the progress was nothing short of ideal, in his own funny and casual way. He is referred to as one of the highest acclaimed in his field and so on, but is also a real frank guy. Golden combo right there.
Fair recovery doesn’t mean fast, though, as it involves multiple ligament reconstruction, bone extension, and anticipation of recovery of the necrosis in talus. I’ve been off crutches for a while now, but I’m still wearing a custom-fit plastic below-knee brace. I’m usually pretty good at adhering to doctor’s orders like that even if there are some inconveniences.
Probably the most inconvenient thing is that I can’t wear regular shoes. After I got out of the hospital, I was using a shoe cover over the brace at first, a trick I learned from another patient this time. It’s way cheaper than those covers your brace guys can supply, but was not ideal for extended outdoor use including driving, walking in rain or into puddles, etc.
That’s when I spotted a fake Crocs sandal I had bought for 250 yen. Even cheaper than the shoe cover hack. So I employed it when the brace was trimmed down a bit a month after surgery. I heated it with a heat gun and put my foot in, and re-forming worked perfect like that. Very comfortable, but I never knew that perfect fit wouldn’t last forever.
Snow is piling up as I’m writing this. What should I do…
The short-term solution is simple; I can stay inside until the snow melts. But it will start to stay on the ground in a month or so, thus I’ll need to figure something out if I’m wearing the brace at that point still. I’m seeing the doctor next week, so we’ll see.
Also I’ve been meaning to fix the roof before the winter comes, but I’ll just have to come up with the best temporary fix depending on my progress in the coming month. When your condition is not perfect, the perfect solution is not to haste.
Stay safe, everyone!