Things I've Bought For Recovery

I'm a little frustrated today, it hit a little how long this is going to take to heal (over a month in, and after six months on crutches already. I don't know. This is just how I think). I was trying to do my exercises this morning- moving my foot up and down, and moving it in little circles- and I couldn't get it to do either of them, it just sort of hung there from my leg, occasionally twitching hopefully. Plus apparently the cut went further than I was aware because I found a faint line of scarring along the side of my foot that completely explains why the skin there is tender. Anyway.

I was reading through some other blogs and several list things they've bought or done to make things easier during recovery from various versions of peroneal tendon surgery, so I'm going to share with you a list of things I have purchased for this.

My walking boot. This wasn't so much a purchase as a prescription, but I've developed a deep emotional attachment to its stability and padding, and most importantly the little air puff ball that can incread the amount of padding (and is fun to play with). My ankle swelling has decreased somewhat while back in the boot and is very comfortable, and when the doctor tells me I can start walking this is the boot I will be doing it in for a few weeks.

Dual showerhead thing, where one is removable and you can switch the water flow to one or the other. I used the removable showerhead when I was in the cast so I could really control the water flow. Now that I'm out of the cast and physically completely in the shower again I don't have to worry about it and can use the normal showerhead. I plan on taking this with me when I move out of my apartment.

The incredible shower stool. I got this before my surgery when I didn't feel like putting weight on my sad, crippled foot on a slick smooth tub floor, and I've continued to use it during being in a cast and especially now that my foot is unprotected in the shower.

10-cent trashbag and $2 duct tape (and the shower curtain) was all that was between wonderful shower water and my non-waterproof cast for the last month. I did purchase one of those rubber cast booties, however I have chunky legs and even my atrophied calf was still too wide- it ripped the second time I used it, proving that sometimes the simple solutions are the best. Even if ripping duct tape off skin hurts, this concoction never once leaked.

And as far as entertainment, I already had Netflix, and I bought a big puzzle that I haven't had the table space to do yet. However the most important thing to have wasn't a thing at all- having someone around to help, especially when it comes to things like getting laundry done and groceries. In my case, it was having first my mom, and then my dad staying with me to do most of the work until I could do it again.