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Made Pippin and Sasquatch, the dogs, very happy today. I went shopping for the dogs this weekend personally rather than giving it out as an errand which means that I got fresh dog food. This included gravy and chunks packets to go over the dry dog food. No one seems to remember those but me. The dogs both really, really like these packets. In fact Sas was making high pitched keening eager food noises in his throat over and over as I mixed the food for them. Pip capered and jumped around me. He’s half boxer and that means he can jump very high from standing to straight up. I’ve never had a dog that could jump shoulder high before, it’s a new experience after the pugs. Pugs are not big on being airborne. So first yummy food for the dogs. Then we did something even better took them for a walk.

My physical therapist suggested at our last visit that I try walking the dogs. If that worked well then when I go back to see him I’m to bring jogging shoes and use the treadmill. So this morning after almost a year of either Jon being injured with his knee then recovering from the operation to fix it, and then me injuring my ankle so badly they were talking surgery at one point, we walked the dogs together. I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to simply be outside walking the dogs on a beautiful summer day with my husband and both of us able to do it. I didn’t appreciate the simple act of being able to walk around my neighborhood. I took it for granted, well, no more. It was wonderful. For the late Father’s Day dinner for Jon and his step-father I was able to wear jogging shoes with no back, mules yes?,  and jeans. I look better in the boots which I still need on some days for ankle support, but being able to wear jogging shoes out to dinner was a great moment. I have not been able to wear jogging shoes for over a year. I’ve never been so happy to look less well dressed in my life.

Next PT appointment I get to use the treadmill. I have no words to express how excited I am about that. Anyone who saw me on tour with the cane and quite a bit of pain will understand just what a big difference some aggressive physical therapy has made in a short time.  If I’d been smarter and gone back to my doctor earlier it wouldn’t have gotten as bad, but she’d said surgery. I swear what I understood was if it didn’t get better when the pain got too much come back and they’d operate. After tour I was ready for anything that would fix my ankle, but when I went to her she actually thought I’d made progress from the wee amount of physical therapy so she prescribed more. She told me unless the pain was sharp to just work through it. Or that’s what I understood, please do not hold my doctor to my rather “guy” understanding of her instructions. But however you interrupt it it’s working. I’m hoping that my physical therapist gives me the okay to start using the treadmill at the gym. Fingers crossed.