El Andalous - Third Day Post Cast

Christmas at El Andalous

I’m sorry to be reporting my progress day by day, as it is probably a bit boring. However, when I searched the web for information as to what it is like when you come out of a cast, and how quickly you can walk again, there was relatively little information available, so I hope that this blog may help others undergoing similar quests for information.

Day Three was spent doing tidying and cleaning. Part of me felt a bit frustrated that I’d spent so much of my time post-cast just doing all these chores; on the other hand, my flat had got into such a state, it was a relief to be able to get it back to some semblance of decent living.

Again, it was another day mostly on my feet, interspersed with exercises, medication, raising my leg above heart level, and ointment! I’d finally finished all I was going to do by 3pm and decided that maybe it was time to try going outside.

So far, I had only experienced my smooth floors in my slippers. Now I would try my flip-flops (I wondered if this would require a different set of foot actions) and the rough surface of outdoors. It was also about time that I went outside of my flat as I was sure that people were thinking it odd that this wasn’t the first thing I did.

Going outside turned out to be quite an eye-opener for me. First of all, I was surprised at how much extra pressure just a slight decline or incline put on my calf. It was definitely a different exercise from being in my flat.

Also, I’d felt I was walking around pretty much at normal speed in my flat, but when I was outside, it was obvious that actually I was very slow! This didn’t bother me, but did make me realise that maybe I wasn’t as super-duper active as I had imagined. I had a slight worry that I would get too tired en route, but actually I could always sit on the wall by the sea, if need be. As it was, I didn’t need to rest, although I was glad when I reached Il Gusto; the ten-minute walk probably took me twenty minutes..

As I sat there sipping my strawberry milkshake (chocolate was off the menu, as was banana for the banana split), Jaqueline and Safi passed by, so they stopped and had a quick chat – so already I am meeting people I know as I go out and about.

When I got up to go back, it was much more of a struggle to get going again than it had been earlier in my flat, which was another sign that this was a new exercise for me (which is good). I slowly warmed up again and I took my time (it was nice to see the sea and the sun setting anyway).

When I got home, I realised that not only was my calf aching, but also my hip and thigh – it was reminiscent of when I relied only on my right leg when I was in plaster and my right leg ached through having to take all the weight. It now felt as if my left leg was taking all the weight, although obviously it was simply doing its fair share of the work. Again, I thought this was a good thing as my body was obviously starting to get back into action, it also brought home to me just how much of the body is affected when one foot is incapacitated. It’s quite remarkable.

The trip outside was enough to make me go online and register for disabled assistance at the airport – if I had to climb the stairs to the plane, everyone would get really impatient at me being so slow! And a wheelchair pickup at Gatwick would be easier than walking for hours at my slow pace. I felt a bit of a fraud, but I thought it nevertheless for the best.