First day of Pool! first day of Pool!

I felt like Nemo, bouncing on his dad. "First day of school! First day of school!" Only mine was "first day of pool! First day of pool!" I got approval from my Physical Therapist to go in the pool - in fact, he encouraged it, saying I'd be able to develop the proper gait in the pool before On Land, because obviously the water takes some of my weight off. :D Not mass, more's the pity. *snert*

However, I did, in fact, use the pool today. 2 or 3 full laps around the pool with no support whatsoever. Plus, I've discovered a new stretchy thingy I can do - scrunch down in the pool so my shoulders are just out of the water. Fold my legs under me, sort of half-kneeling, and it stretches the plantar and calf muscles beautifully. Which, of course, I need to do anyway! So I was very pleased with First Day Of Pool. I hope to go in the pool again each day this week, actually. It's a lot of work, but in the long run it'll help. Short run, too - I walked all the way back to the house without pain - and putting MORE weight on my right leg than I have been.
Being in the pool and walking on it is getting me to TRUST my right leg and ankle again, so it's having some immediate benefits too.

I expect I'll be hearing it later tonight when my ankle lodges its Official Protests, but for now I'm just REALLY happy that it worked so well.