Today, February 4th, marks one whole year since I had foot surgery!

Just as a recap, I had surgery to fix a problem with my posterior tibial tendon… basically my feet have really flat arches and there was a lot of inflammation in my left foot around the tendon that connects from the foot arch to the calf muscle. I had been in a boot for the latter half of 2019, and nothing seemed to be helping my foot get better. Hence, foot surgery! (For a lengthier description of the surgery, you can read my post from May 2020).

At the time of surgery, I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to go running again, and I hoped that I would at least be able to walk normally again in the near future. For a long time it seemed like it neither of those things would ever happen – but they did!

I wanted to give an update as a way to encourage those who might find themselves in similar “is-there-a-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel” situations – the short version is I’m about 95% back to normal! (Hooray!)

Things I can do today:

• wear a pair of matching shoes (aka. no boot!)
• walk long distances without assistance
• climb stairs
• jog, run, and sprint (that last one only for short distances)
• balance on one foot (left and right)

Continued limitations I have:

• must wear very supportive shoes (no cute flats, flip-flops or high heels!)
• need to wear orthotic inserts inside my already expensive supportive shoes
• some pain/tightness occasionally with my left foot and calf
• need to monitor and be better aware of my body – if something hurts, I need to honor it, not push through the pain – maybe this isn’t a limitation, just good common sense!

Here’s a summary of the timeline of my recovery process:

* Feb 4, 2020 – Surgery
* 4 weeks non-weight bearing on a knee scooter
* 4 weeks on crutches, moving from 2 to 1 
* April 6, 2020 – began physical therapy 2x week
* July 29, 2020 – last day of physical therapy
* October 2020 – began jogging short distances
* December 2020 – can walk/run a 3 mile route

Total time not able to run due to foot issues = 17 months! (May 2019 – October 2020)

I am so thankful to be back doing my normal activities. I know that I’m not “built” to be a runner due to the way my feet are designed, so I’m super thankful for every run I get to go on. I know that there may come a point someday where I need to stop again, probably permanently, to avoid more foot problems (I also have joint/knee problems too – yay me!), but for now, I’m enjoying being 95% recovered. I hope eventually the last little bits of pain and tightness eventually go away, but even if they don’t, I’ve still got a lot to be thankful for! 

Lastly, here are some before and after pics of my foot so you can see the healing process: ***the pics are graphic, so viewer beware!!!