:(

The Monday Giraffe Kitchen at SDP is closed for a while, until I get this Achilles tendon issue sorted out.  Can't drive down (of course, it's the right foot!!)  Can't climb the hill to the house. Can't stand for long periods of time.  Definitely cannot walk back DOWN the hill to the car and then drive home!!  Just thinking about that makes my ankle hurt...

update: 8/31/16:  Slowly weaning off the cast.  Heading back to physical therapy.  Missing my puppies!!!  I'm hoping to have this all sorted out in eight weeks.  I HAVE learned patience this year:  achilles + cellulitis, followed by some issues stemming from intolerance of the antibiotics, followed by cellulitis, a rebound on the achilles and yet ANOTHER case of cellulitis. At least my vocabulary is improving from all the reading I've been doing!!  This year has been one for the books - in more ways than one.....

update: 10/1/16.  I've now been dealing with this for nine months.  ^$#$^&%$!!!  Making progress with the help of PT Heidi.  Out of the cast (mostly) except when the muscles begin to tire - no pain while in the cast as the tendon is not sliding over that sharp spur on the bone.  Heidi is convinced that I've been shifting my weight to the right foot to compensate for the pain I deal with in the left due to my lymphedema.  So we're working on walking, gait, foot placement as well as stretching, balance, and flexibility.  Still walking ONLY on level ground - which is why the farm is still out of reach at the moment.  Beginning to use the cycle to build up strength in the quads and hamstrings.  Increased pool workouts.  This month's goal is to build "standing endurance" in that tendon with attention to  not re-injuring it with the spur.   And so it goes.

update:  10/17/16.  Away from my PT for 2 weeks with a log list of homework to do on my own!! Every day I increase my heel raises and toe raises by 1.  Am also doing stairs "like a big girl" (albeit hanging onto the railing for dear life!). More pool walking. Increased tread water time this week to 20 minutes or 500 reps, whichever comes first (more next week).  Adding in treadmill walking every other day and recumbent bike - add 1/8 mile each time to walking and 30 seconds each time to bike. Add vertical time. Doc is still talking surgery and I am still telling him what to do with that idea. (Yes, I can be a real bee-yatch about this - but with lymphedema, ain't NO ONE cutting into my legs. I have enough problems already...) I WILL DO THIS!!!!