Frustrated and powerless

I'm in no man's land.

After getting the plaster cast off a week early, I was feeling positive about recovery from the ATFL surgery.  I ditched the crutches on day two and then got quicker at walking after a few days of determined stomping about.  At the end of week 1 I was supposed to have a supervised physio session with the consultant and physio together, but when I got to the clinic I was told I was seeing the physio only.

The physio didn't know whether I was allowed to stand barefoot or not and a whole host of other things, so all I got from her was a progression from the range of motion exercises the consultant gave me.  She also commented that we couldn't do much until my calves were evened up again - like that's even vaguely possible with zero weight bearing without the boot; it took months of dedicated gym work to get my calves both to a very strong state and no amount of limited to zero resistance will get that left calf anywhere near the right!

Then no follow up.  From anyone.  The receptionist said she'd check and email me.  But after a week... nothing.  I emailed the consultant after a few days to ask the questions I have about things like "can I go swimming now?", "can I use a static bike now?" but I've had nothing back.  And the times I ask the receptionist to find out or get the consultant to call me I get nothing back.  I have no idea when I next see anyone, no idea if I can do anything to get the calf muscle on the road to recovery, no idea if I can swim or use a turbo/gym bike, no idea when I transition out of the air boot.  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

So, I'm now 7 weeks post-operative and zero exercise done.  In fact, it's been 8 weeks without any swim, bike or run as I lost the drive in the week of the surgery.  I'm getting further and further back towards it being as if I'd never done any endurance work at all.  I'm getting closer to having to start from absolutely zero again.  And that is really upsetting for me.  And I'm getting more and more worried about the longer it being before I get started getting fit again, the longer it will take to get fit again and the relationship isn't linear.

(All of this is also on top of the medical insurer making a total pig's ear of things which adds to the overall stress about it.)