Hello and Welcome Vanessa,

I am sorry for what you are going through. Nerve injuries are not for woosies! I am glad that someone figured out what happened and rectified the issue so quickly. That bodes very well for your recovery! Yeah for surgeon two! Unless your nerve was transected it very well may recover faster than 1-5mm per day.

I had a nerve injury in my ankle during an ortho procedure and later required a repair. You WILL make progress. It does take time. It sounds like you are already doing many positive things towards your recovery. One thing I found helpful in the area of the injury was using different textures and temperatures for input for the nerve to recognize. One area felt just weird for a long, long time when I would use a soft nylon brush on it, but eventually it tickled! If you have loss of sensation, recognizing sensory input appropriately is part of reorganization and healing and a very good sign.

Washington University's Peripheral Nerve Program is a great resource. They have info on different grades of nerve injury and expected recovery. They also have specific info for foot drop and info on procedures for those cases when nerves don't heal on their own.

You will find them here http://nerve.wustl.edu

Keep up the good work and never give up on the potential for healing.