So here's the short of it, 
No Ace; No Brace!

And here's the long

Well I got great news from the Doctor this morning. Of course I was nervous that I had come out of the brace too soon, even though I was perfectly comfortable. And I got the very best news of all.  I don't have to wear the support bandage (my skin rash can finally begin to heal); I don't have to wear a brace (I can finally wear shoes besides the tennis shoes the brace fit into); and I can resume normal activities (Sophie will be so grateful to have her evening walks again!)

I am going to have physical therapy for strengthening, and gait training. A couple of my colleagues suggested that I go to one of our nearby schools and just do my gait training there where we have a student who works on that daily (so that I didn't have to miss so much). So funny! I probably have been needing these things anyway because of the continuing neuropathy in my feet. I was too busy to get the therapy set up today - but tomorrow I'll do that. 

And of course it turned out even better that I had wished for - I don't have to wear my Ace or my brace. Tonight, for the first time in ages, I'll sleep with a naked ankle - bare skin snuggled against the sheets!  I'm so looking forward to that.

I'm still icing that ankle. And I'm going to be very careful. Tonight as I left work, it was already dark, and the parking lot was wet from today's rain and still had lots of ice. I didn't need to be warned! 

Thanks to all who had me in your thoughts and prayers!