Day 55: PT Session #4

Today, I worked with the female PT that originally evaluated me.  This is the day that my doctor wanted me to start working towards full weight bearing in the boot.  I thought that I would get away with this PT not knowing (because I didn't think I was ready), but my therapist made sure she was well aware.

The appointment started as it always does, massage and ROM exercises.  Then she asked me to put the boot back on and said we are going to see what I could do.  She went and found a cane for me to use to get around their training area.  Using the cane was the hardest part.  I have learned very well during this whole experience that I would suck as an old person.  I guess it is good that when I get old, I will have had some practice with all of these assistive devices.

We walked a loop around their "indoor track" and then over to their functional training area.  It was very strange with the cane as my only support.  In the functional training area, she made me do 40 squats while holding on to a balance bar.  Then she made me do step-ups with my injured foot stepping up and pulling my good foot up to my chest.  She only had 1 layer of a step on the ground, so I only had to step up a few inches.  40 of those.  Then, she made me do 40 leg presses (90 lbs), 40 leg extensions (45 lbs), and 40 leg curls (45 lbs).  I used both legs for all of these exercises because my left leg is not strong enough to be isolated yet.

Ice, Ice, baby.

When I got home, I pushed myself in a 30 minute interval ride on my bike trainer.  I then did some functional training and ab exercises, and of course my at home PT exercises.