I started Physical Therapy a week and a half ago. I go twice a week and do the exercises three times a day. Todd, my PT, said I made significant progress with the range of motion in my ankle, and that I'm doing well with my knee and with him being able to stretch the muscle. That definitely made my day.

I plan on THANKING Dr. Hicks on Monday. He saw me for like two minutes during my first pre-op/pre-hospital release visit and said he wanted me to start therapy the next week (which was last Monday). FWO (Fort Wayne Orthopedics) had me see a PA, and Dr. Ass, I mean, Dr. Laursen (he was still called Dr. though he's a PA), got mad, but let us see him. He was an arrogant jerk and made Dr. House look friendly. He said to move my ankle up and down and eventually, side-to-side and start Physical Therapy four weeks later. He wouldn't listen when I told him I know what Dr. Hicks said. He pushed my foot up really hard, and that was the first time it moved in 15 days. It hurt so bad and I started to cry. I'm NOT shy about crying in public if I'm in a lot of pain.

I have a removable cast and he said to take it off three times a day to move the ankle up and down. I did that about five times a day, and KNEW that wasn't going to be enough. One good thing about getting rear-ended in July meant I had to go to Physical Therapy and KNEW how much that benefits a person. After we left, I told my parents, "I KNOW what Dr. Hicks said, and I'm going to talk to the nurse and tell her." She said, "Well, I'll talk to the doctor. Call me if you don't hear from me by 4." I got a call back just before then and she said, "I talked to both and they said, 'If it REALLY makes you feel better, they'll write the referral and that you can always stop if ALL they do is have you do what Dr. Laursen said to do." (Of course I KNEW I'd get more help.) I gave them the phone number of Indiana Physical Therapy, where I went in the summer, and she said she'd call. The next day, I made the appointment and I started four days later (the exact day that the Dr. said I may begin).

I'm glad some doctors moved away from the mentality of casting a broken bone for 6 to 8 weeks, THEN working on regaining range of motion. That means there's significant loss of that and muscle tone. Now, many put you in a cast for two to three weeks and get the bone on the way towards healing, then put you in a removable cast and have you exercise the muscles three times a day, but wear the cast except for then or when you shower and keep weight off it for a few more weeks.

The fibula also doesn't get much blood supply to it, and doing exercises and having the PT massage and pull, twist and turn the area; allows blood to get to the injury, and that helps healing. That's another good reason.

I've done everything Dr. Hicks and Todd have said to do (it turns out I did slightly MORE than what Todd said to do at home), plus other things like eat healthier, moving around (on crutches instead of the wheelchair), increase my (already large amount of) calcium intake and cut back on (though I WILL NOT give up) my caffeine intake. I want to be able to tell myself that even if I walk with a limp, or the fibula doesn't come together, I did every single thing I possibly could to avoid that and won't have to think, "What if I did this instead?"

I really CANNOT wait to talk to Dr. Hicks and thank him for letting me start two weeks earlier than Dr. Ass said to (it turns out I have to come in a week early because of the medical study I'm in). I also plan on telling him to make sure Dr. Ass tells patients with a similar treatment to start PT as soon as they are allowed to work on moving/working on range of motion and to follow whatever plan the physical therapist says (as therapy won't help if you don't do what they say to do at home) because it really makes a difference. Todd said he'll fax over the differences in measurement over the past 10 days (which shows the significant decrease in swelling) to the doctor.