Day 77 - Graduated to doing more balance exercises

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2013 - Week 19

Today was an exciting day! I finally moved my one crutch that has been sitting on my passenger seat to the trunk. It's slowly retiring from my sight. I know I don't need it anymore but I still keep in around just in case anything happens. It was such a good feeling to feel confident enough to put it away and walk without it! 

I had a late afternoon Physical Therapy appointment today with Colleen. For the first time, I finally got a parking spot at the Handicap Parking zone in front of the block. I was sooo happy I didn't have to drive around the block to look for parking as usual. 

There were a lot of new exercises and different things done today. I got the usual ankle movement measurements and I continue to improve some more. Colleen had me show her my squat, and clearly she can see that I was able to bend down more then I was able to the last session. I went back to do the same heel lifts on the machine and on the stairs. She had me walk up and down the stairs to see how I was taking my steps. Apparantly I have been so cautious about my ankle, I have been taking every step with my heel first. She corrected me and had me start stepping down with my toes first. She said that this was actually better with more support. Immediately I felt the difference and more comfortable. I felt dumbfounded haha, I've been doing it wrong all along! Now I just have to train my brain to remind myself to do it. This time, I did some balancing exercises on the half yoga ball. I threw a ball back and forth with Colleen, and she had me follow the ball in every ankle and touch it with my right hand and then alternating with my left hand. This time I definitely felt the sore coming because these were completely new exercises. This time the sore was in one central area, the lower right side below and around that ankle. There was definitely more pressure and pinching type feeling. We went back to our little room and she graduated me from laying exercises to more balancing and standing exercises! 4 new ones she showed and had me do today every other week so I don't get too tired. I'll continue the other balancing ones from the previous sessions. Progress! 3 more weeks of Physical Therapy and we'll see where I am then.