Floxed Timeline - Month 17

It's my hope that publishing my notes from my time recovering from Cipro Toxicity may help others who have been floxed, or medical professionals learning about it.

These are my experiences, which I wrote - offline - as they happened. Everyone's experiences are different though.

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7/23/2021

Dumb physical victory of the day: Was able to walk up a whole flight of stairs without even touching the railing!

For reference, up until just a few days ago, I had to really pull myself up the railing to get up the stairs.

Also, I did 7.5 minutes on the exercise bike today. No problem with the feet or endurance, but that seat is horribly painful.

7/24/2021

Went roller skating this morning, Started out with 4 laps, no stopping!

My first time back was one lap, the second was two. I was going to be happy with 3 - especially considering I've had a tendon flare since the second time - but this went well!

I called iit after 5 laps and a.. what is a mohawk turn called now?

Whatever it is, I did one.

Right ankle isn't holding up so well, but much better than before. The right instep had a lot of pain, as well.

7/25/2021

Period started today.

7/26/2021

Woke up with a period flare - the second toe on the right foot was swollen and they were all kind of achy.

Physio was wild today. Going to just paste my facebook post here:

How I freaked out my physiotherapist today:

He was NOT expecting me to say "can we jump today?" (I haven't even hopped in place on two feet in 3 weeks or so)

He was NOT expecting me to jump on the foam more than once or twice. (Did more than ten, and this was the first time I've jumped onto anything in 16+ months)

He was NOOOOT expecting me to jump on and off (he wanted jump on, step off)

He was definitely not expecting me to follow this up with a 180 degree jump out on the floor.

(And I get this is a shitty little victory, but it feels huge after repeatedly having to learn to walk again.)

7/27/2021

Today was TERRIBLE.

I think I messed my feet up yesterday.

The right foot feels like someone smashed the top of it with a hammer, the ankle is locked up, and the achilles is upset. The left arch hurts.

We had to go shopping for work clothes for Porter, and I had an incredibly hard time walking.

7/28/2021

Woke up with my feet feeling significantly better, but physio ended up being a complete shit show.

The left arch was shot, I couldn’t even step up on the bozu ball with it.

The right foot is a bit swollen on top, the right ankle was really locked up, and it still has that “smashed with a hammer” feeling going on, especially when I put any weight on the foot.

He put me on the leg press for the first time, and I was able to do that - just pushing through my heels - and I maxed it out.

Not that impressive, though - they only had 160 lbs!

I stayed off my foot the rest of the day, per his orders.

He’s not sure if this is fallout from Monday’s session, or my period. He says we should just blame the period for now, LOL.

7/29/2021

Woke up with everything feeling more or less ok... until I stood up.

Left arch is still bad, and the right achilles is completely fucked up. The pain is right in the middle of the achilles now.

In other news, my period is tapering off. It was NOT as bad as the last one, which was the worst I’ve ever had.

8/4/2021

Had a terrible physio session. The last couple weeks has been all about the top of my foot feeling like I got hit with a hammer, and it’s not getting any better.

Today I couldn’t balance on one foot at ALL, couldn’t step on the bozu ball... just a total mess.

At the end he had me jumping, and THAT went ok. Really weird. I even tried a waltz jump. Almost fell, because *balance*.

8/6/2021

Had a weird physio session today. It started out poorly again - not able to stand on the bozu ball, not able to balance on one foot at all, etc.

Then we did the reassessment, and I thought I was going to fail miserably. Nope?

Wild improvement on almost everything.

No improvement at all on the right foot for calf raises - I still can’t get it off the ground at all.

8/7/2021

Early morning skate.

First round: 5 laps, no stopping. Taking a break for a few minutes now. Hoping for 15 laps, and/or doing crosscuts and/or turns.

Second round: 5 more laps. Much stronger skating. Already better than last week on two counts: strength/speed/extension, and the fact that lap week's laps were 5/2/3, this is 5/5.

Third round: 7 laps!!!

My back and feet aren't holding up very well, but I'm going to try to bang out 3 more before calling it. Also did three turns (c turns).

Fourth round: 3 laps, an attempt at cross cuts (first time since Cipro), a somewhat passable C step.

By evening, my legs were KILLING me, especially my hamstrings.

Weird - usually those hurt while I’m skating, and stretching before skating this morning seemed to prevent that.

8/8/2021

No fallout from skating yesterday - amazing, because the legs were so damn painful before bed, I didn’t think I’d sleep.

I’m glad to see that recovery time is getting quicker and quicker.

We’ve basically finished the home gym now, aside from a few small things like towels.

I did some stretching, and OMG I am stiff everywhere, and have very little flexibility left. This is going to be a journey, UGH.

8/9/2021

Stretching twice yesterday and this morning when I woke up seems to really be helping things.

I was on my feet a LOT this morning- baking, getting stuff together to be able to work today, etc.

Then I went to Home Depot and the recycling center, and was walking almost normally!

Still a small amount of a limp on the right side, but I was actually walking fast enough (!!!), that I doubt anyone would have even noticed.

It’s the first time I’ve felt almost 100% normal in a year and a half. The right ankle wasn’t even clicking! (It started again by the time I got home though.)

Got two stretches in today, I think that’s going to be habit going forward - first thing in the morning, last thing before bed.

8/10/2021

Feeling pretty good this morning. The right ankle is still clicking loudly, but no pain and almost no limp.

8/20/2021

Things have been going pretty decently lately, hence the lack of entries. I guess I’ll update for the last week or so.

This past weekend - the 14/15 - I skipped skating, as my ankles were both acting up.

It was the tendons on either side of each ankle, just behind the bones. Everything else felt fine.

The next day, the right big toe started acting up, in the “Is it gout, or is it cipro?” way.

Well, it didn’t seem like gout, and still doesn’t. There’s been some purple in the joint, but I can push on it, no problem.

I’d been stretching twice a day for a week or so up until the last couple days, but have backed off because it seems to be making my hips and hamstrings even tighter.

Today I’m stuck on the couch with my hips KILLING me, and the second toe on the right side is up.

I’m due to start my period today, so I’m assuming it’s just a period flare.

It’s not up a TON, just a little swelling and soreness. If I’m standing up, it’s not touching the floor unless I force it... but I CAN make it touch the floor, so that’s not the worst.

*****