After the cast was cut down, I wore it below the knee for another month. Once my knee was free, I had trouble moving it but worked with it for a couple of days to regain flexibility. I also did leg lifts and knee bends (all in a seated position, of course) with a weight either draped over my knee or ankle to maintain strength. In spite of these efforts, my muscles atrophied by the time the doctor completely removed the cast.
Read the journal entry about removing the cast.

This picture was taken shortly after my cast was removed. It clearly shows the difference in the size of my thighs. The muscles have atrophied in the right thigh. Even the skin looks loose and rippled. Rebuilding muscle is as much a part of rehabilitation after this injury as regaining ankle flexibility.

These pictures were taken the night the cast came off. My uninjured left foot looks very normal and slim while the right ankle is obviously swollen and misshapen.

Another view of the injured ankle.

The coolest foot in the world!
It's a little bruised and has a sore from wearing a cast for so long.
The skin shed like an exoskeleton,
but in a few days I could walk without crutches;
not far, not fast, and not for long; but I could walk again.

Read the journal entry about my first few steps.

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