PT Updates

I'm done seeing my "current" physical therapist Natalie (seen in this post giving me my ionto therapy). She's great and I like the way she listens and problem solves, but she's at a loss for my situation. She chalks up my issues to generic "inflammation" of an unknown *something* in my foot.

She found a little side-to-side difference in my strength, but not much. She likes my former "routine" and noted that I'd be a lot more injured (or injured more often) if I didn't keep that up. I made her GASP when she asked me to hold one leg out and squat as low as I could with my other leg and then come back up, and I basically did an ass-to-grass pistol squat. And then did 2 more (not going quite as low). I didn't know I could do that. And I could do that on both sides. My core and hips are slightly weaker on my left, so I'm working on that.

Notes from her:

- lots of planks
- side planks "threading the needle" like I do are good
- we added side planks while raising and lowering the "top" leg (dead after 15/side, so I do each side 3x)
- added in harder versions of old PT exercises: scissors (now with a band), clams (now with a band), and some 1-legged bridges (now instead of going back-and-forth, I do one leg with the other leg straight out for a 10 count)
- started up my old 1-legged squats with the other leg back on a balance ball as well
- "monster walks" down in a wide squat walking forward and back with a band around knees
- 1-legged "sits" (and back up) floating over a chair or armrest with a band around knees
- still stretch
- still swim
- ice (with no heat) 1-2x/day

I do core 3x/week and legs 3x/week. It's been a solid routine for the last 2 weeks.

Later this week, I have an MRI and I meet with a new PT. My old PT Natalie is SO CURIOUS what someone else will say. I'm going to email her with notes. I saw my podiatrist last week and she basically said "Still in pain? OK. MRI time."

I got my podiatrist-recommended orthotic in the mail on Saturday, and at first I thought it solved LOTS of my problems! (I was planning on them solving no problems.) I wore it for the last half of the day on Saturday, and then most of the day on Sunday as I did some minor yard work and cooked a lot. Usually (lately), just standing and cooking for an hour makes my foot ACHE. But it felt FINE Sunday while cooking for the first time in MONTHS! It was my first true progress. But then after some yard work yesterday, it got quite angry again. Not magical inserts afterall.

So I'll report back next week with how the MRI went, and then I meet with my podiatrist the following week to look at those results. I hope they show SOMETHING!!

So just to end with a picture... here's my random Menard visit with the boys last night:

Still not my most random Menards trip.