Graduation!

A visit to the Insta-Care doesn't have follow-ups.  They assume you'll follow up with your regular doctor.  After waiting nearly 6 weeks for the avulsion fracture to heal, I followed-up with my regular foot/ankle specialist.

The best part of this visit?  Knowledge!  I fear the multiple x-rays will be super expensive.  But now I know.  I'm healing.  Slower than I'd like, but the prognosis is great.

This morning's visit was the first out-of-the-house excursion without The Boot.  Perhaps when I left the dr.'s office one might almost have detected a slight bounce in my step.  The boot is in the closet where I hope it remains forever.

I've graduated to a compression sock and ankle brace.  A complicated affair that required multiple how-to video watching to figure out the proper assembly.

But:  I can walk.  With shoes.  The brace is to stabilize the ankle from rolling these last 2-3 weeks of healing.  I can do as much moving as I can handle.  I have exercises to do on my own - he allowed I was competent enough to handle them without the supervision of a physical therapist.

And the other foot - the "good" one that tripped over my shoe leaving me with the thought I'd broken a toe?  Yep.  Toe broken.  It is now tape-splinted and feels much better.

In my comfy supportive Birkenstocks it almost feels like a normal walk.

Another positive from today:  The Husband fixed the ice-maker in the fridge again.  The contents have been restored to the freezer.   I'm so glad The Husband likes to to do the "handy-man" kind of stuff. He makes it look so easy.

It's been an odd summer.  Milder than usual.  And for us?  Filled with more stuff than usual, maintenance things we've had to hire out, maintenance things The Husband has done, car issues, medical issues, morning walks missing.  Lots of things that have felt strange or out-of-kilter.  But so far we've managed and our equilibrium is mostly intact.

I'm grateful today that I did what I should and followed up with the dr.  My spirits took an immediate balloon ride, for which I'm also grateful.  I'm grateful to know I can get out on the trail again. It won't be tomorrow, my pace won't be fast or the distance great, but I'll get there.  I'm grateful for online video instructions.  For dinner in the crockpot.  For a smiling hug greeting from The Husband.  And for medical insurance.