It is another miserable cloudy day here in Ontario, Canada. We have a record cool summer (whatever happened with global warming??).  Rain nearly every day, and we had 2 days in the whole month of July when the temperature reached 27 C otherwise it stays at the daily max. of 20-22 C. What a summer. I could say it is just right for me, at least I am not too hot in my cast.  Should be happy.

I am browsing all the excellent information available on this site and got very interested in the Hydroworx treatment. Professional athletes always get the best care often not available to us regular folk. And starting physio therapy in the water with significantly reduced body weight just makes so much sense.

I started physiotherapy at week 12 as soon as I became “2 shoes” after my first rupture with conservative treatment in the spring.

After FWB in the boot for 4 weeks I had no difficulty staying on my feet but I found it very hard with the significant muscle atrophy to so suddenly start calf raises with my full body weight on dry land. After all I had not moved that calf and tendon  at all for 11 weeks before! It felt like it was going to burst. And balancing on a foam where my heel digs in dorsi-flexing my weak foot felt also painful.  But I did not question it then, I thought PT is supposed to hurt and desperately wanted to get back to walking.

So I want to do things perhaps differently this time. Maybe ROM exercises with very light use of theraband while in the boot would be beneficial.  I am especially worried about muscle atrophy after this second round of immobilization. (11 weeks in the spring and probably another 9 weeks now)

And I would be interested to know if any one of you has experience with physio therapy in the water. I know most therapist have no pool facilities so they do not recommend it automatically.

I started to go to the local pool at 18 weeks on my own initiative, and did some light swimming and walking in the water, calf raises in chest deep water and it felt so good.

I am thinking next time I will do that before regular physio therapy.

I really wonder why many surgeons are not eager on PT right away?

So many re-ruptures happen soon after getting out of the boot.  Maybe we should be graduating from the boot to walking more slowly.

Also surgeons are not talkative people. They are not coming forward with information but want us to decide if we want surgery. Very frustrating.

I never got a clear answer where did my tendon re-rupture, did it heal in the first place at all, what was done exactly during surgery… So I can just kind of do my own guessing, maybe I overworked my tendon and all the swelling prevented it from healing properly that is why it was still weak and the unfortunate flexing was just too much for it?

I will try to get my answers at the next appointment.

I just needed a place to air my frustration….

I ruptured my Achilles tendon first time back in February jumping around BAREFOOT in the gym ignoring an unusual big cramp.

I was diagnosed right away but my surgeon did not offer surgery as I do not do sports regularly.  That I am active and love to walk does not seem to matter.

So I had the cast and crutches for 7 weeks and the boot (FWB after 1 day) for another 4 weeks.

I started physio at week 12. It all seemed to go well. I was eager to walk so at week 13 I walked quite a few hours (slowly with breaks) one day . From then on I started to have flare ups.  I was told to ice it and walk less.

But I love to walk! and swim…

Anyways at week 18 a wrong step in my slippers re-ruptured it.

So I chose surgery now and start it all over again….

Will try to be more patient this time. I feel defeated.