These Boots Are Made for Walking

That's why they call it a walking boot.

This post is a tribute and hopefully a send-off to my long hated, long loved walking boot. I go see the doctor on Monday and pretty much everyone agrees that I will probably be told that I don't need it any longer. It's been 13 weeks since surgery which doesn't seem like a lot until I say three months. I've been wearing this boot since January 4th and although it's been incredibly helpful, durable, and sometimes comfortable I'm ready to say goodbye.

I was casted in the emergency room with a removable plaster cast. It was heavy and frustrating. But I didn't really hate it. I didn't have it on long enough to hate it. When I woke up from surgery it had been removed. Instead I was staring at a gigantic black walking boot. The same one you see below. It was heavier than the plaster. It was more cumbersome and for the first two weeks, served no real purpose other than that it was removable.

When I first started wearing it I couldn't even remove the damn thing by myself. I couldn't bend enough to pull off the far straps. At least I couldn't without putting some weight on my foot which was strictly taboo at the time. After a while pulling the boot on and off got easier. But it wasn't comfortable. With my leg wrapped in gauze and Ace bandages it was constantly rubbing. Once the bandages were gone it became comfortable. And about that time I could actually start putting some weight on the leg. After two weeks I was using the boot the way it was meant to be used, with weight bearing. But I still hated it. I chafed my foot and leg. It smelled after only a couple days of wear. I could only wash it occasionally and that was almost always more a nuisance than it was worth. Sleeping with it was frustrating (and still is) and I still wasn't able to really walk. I was still crutch-bound, just with a huge leg weight.

It wasn't until 8 weeks that I really started to appreciate it. Once I started physical therapy and slowly did away with the crutches, I realized the value of this gigantic fake appendage. It protected. It soothed. It walked. I've been walking for a couple weeks now without the crutches. I've become comfortable walking. Other than the occasional really high curb I can pretty much go anywhere without a thought. I can carry things without worry. I'm back using my purse rather than the backpack. I'm feeling mostly human again. And now I an even better chance of feeling normal. I'll finally be able to wear matching shoes. Here's hoping that will be Monday.