Starting Recovery

Posted on August 28th, 2018 by andreank

The Mental and Emotional Impact

I am a pretty sensitive person who believes in embracing emotions rather than repressing them. With any injury, there are a lot of thoughts that go thru your head. Especially for someone who is active, an AT rupture is greatly going to impact your life. Luckily, I have a lot of people at my gym that have experienced injuries and are there to support me. I was back in the gym 2 days after my injury with modified movements. Regardless, there have been a lot of ups and downs but overall I feel like I have handled the injury well. Based on the circumstances, my Dr believes that this was a freak accident and that there are no underlying health issues that may have caused this. I don’t think that I have fully grasped how tough the recovery is going to be but it has not been too difficult to stay positive.

The Positive

This injury has been a great reminder to slow down. There are things that I want to work on that just have to be put aside (i.e. sailing, salsa dancing, certain types of cardio). Right before the injury, I felt like my attention was being drawn in a dozen different directions and now I have more of an opportunity to focus. At the gym, I now have a chance to focus more on upper body and abs. I have a new appreciation for my body’s abilities and I think that I will find more enjoyment in my accomplishments during recovery.

The Negative

Of course there are  negatives that are very obvious but I wanted to talk about the ones that are taking up my headspace. My Dr did not assign a maximum level of recovery which I greatly appreciate. Considering that I am younger that the typical age for this injury and that there are so many factors in recovery, it seems so arbitrary to give a number; everyone truly is different. BUT let’s say that 90% really is the maximum recovery, is that based off your level of health/fitness at the time of the injury? I know that I am (or was) capable of more than where I was when I was injured. So am I never going to be able to reach a higher level of performance? I know that there is a lot of work down the road and there is not a definitive answer, but it is something that I have been thinking about a lot.

Filed under: Uncategorized and

6 Responses to “Starting Recovery”

  1. jeff16, on August 30th, 2018 at 1:48 pm Said:

    Hey Andrea-good job keepIng up with the workouts. Re: 90% MAX recovery, I live in KC and over the last couple of years two Chiefs players went down late in the regular season with ATRs and were ready for the start of the season the following year. I’d say there’s no reason someone your age shouldn’t expect to be 100% at some point.

    I ruptured my other leg 20 years ago and couldn’t tell you that it was any weaker than before the injury.

  2. andreank, on August 30th, 2018 at 3:49 pm Said:

    Hi Jeff. Thanks for responding! That’s very encouraging to hear. Of course those athletes probably had the maximum amount of support for recovery but I also don’t need to get back to their level of performance.

    This is more of a vanity question, but were your ankles and calves indefinitely different sizes? I’ve seen a lot of that online. It’s not the end of the world, but I am doing what I can to understand this whole process.

  3. cserpent, on August 30th, 2018 at 4:14 pm Said:

    Hi Andrea - 1.5 years after my right foot surgery the right calf was still smaller than the left. And, if you read agnesatr’s blog her injury calf remained smaller even though it seemed to be just as strong as before injury. So don’t be surprised if the injury leg calf size is smaller for a long time. Of course now that I’ve had surgery on my left foot the calves may be the same size! LOL!

    You have a good chance of getting back to 100% - but no guarantees of course. Just remember - avoid any swelling as much as possible - it slows the healing process and can increase the pain level.

  4. andreank, on August 30th, 2018 at 4:45 pm Said:

    HI CSerpent. Thanks for that information! I wonder if body building exercises can help change that? Of course I am months away from even being able to try that. Before surgery, my legs muscles were uneven so I’m trying not to focus on this too much. I even saw that Dwayne Johnson’s are uneven after his achilles tear lol.

    I hadn’t been told that about swelling. I’ll definitely keep that in mind! Mine is minimal, but I could definitely do some more icing to minimize it.

  5. jeff16, on August 30th, 2018 at 8:12 pm Said:

    Hey Andrea. Yeah my left calf from my original injury is a little smaller (like CSerpent I’ll have a matching set soon). In 20 years no one ever asked me about it. You’ll be so happy when it’s functional that you won’t even think about how it looks. Besides it’s part of your story now!

    Re: icing my surgeon said not to. According to him it restricts blood flow and healing. I’m sure others have a different philosophy. Definitely keep elevated though.

  6. cserpent, on August 31st, 2018 at 12:41 am Said:

    I haven’t heard that icing restricts healing and blood flow before. I know it reduces swelling and bruising (experienced that MANY times from soccer injuries - LOL!). In the initial phases I’m icing behind the knee rather than on top of the incision area so perhaps that makes a difference. Since I’m in the boot I could ice over the incision directly now but it is easier to ice behind the knee and leave the boot on. The blood supply to the foot gets cooled down enough from the ice behind the knee.

Leave a Reply

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the security word shown in the picture.
Anti-Spam Image

Powered by WP Hashcash

« The Diagnosis and Surgery 2.5 Weeks Post-Op »

  • Achillesblog - Updated Posts

    • Check out AchillesBlog.com T-shirts.

    •   

      ATR Marathon Page

  • Recent Comments

  • cserpent | September 10th, 2018 | 8:48 pm

    You can do some cardio at the gym - recumbent bike and rower. You just have to row with the injured foot sticking out and when you bike rest the injured foot on the pedal but don’t push on it at all. Just resting it on the pedal helps a LOT. I started biking initially with the injured foot off the pedal entirely - that is HARD! I asked my doc if I could rest the injured foot on the pedal so at least its weight helps the pedal go down as I pull with the other foot. He said that was OK - whew! Don’t worry about body composition now. You can’t do much about it until you get to the point where you start actively working on getting the strength and flexibility back in the injured foot/leg. Then you’ll have a lot of work getting the injured foot back where it was. That will take time. Most docs say it takes at least a year to get back to normal.

  • andreank | September 10th, 2018 | 7:25 pm

    I’m lucky that I was not put into a cast. I was put into a boot 3 days post-op. I’m really glad that was my doctors protocol. Too many additional issues with a cast!

    People keep telling me that my upper body is going to get so strong. The problem with that is that if i burn out my upper body on a workout (because it is all anyone wants to program for me), I don’t have the energy to use the crutches! Part of the reason I have decided to tone it down.

    The vanity in me wont let me weigh myself. I’m trying not to stress too much about body composition because there isn’t a ton I can do.

    I will definitely look into the electrostimulation. You aren’t the first to mention it so I definitely think it may be a good idea!

  • masterplus40 | September 10th, 2018 | 5:45 pm

    During the first weeks I also measured calf, quadriceps, weight, … and tracked it in an excel file…:D… and there was no big difference. Two weeks ago I went for an Indiba session. The morning after I found my injured calf was now … thinner! Do not worry too much, sure it will get stronger in a short time!

    As a crossfitter I am also missing the barbell, my snatch was 110 pounds,I am willing to test and improve it!

    In the meantime I am trying to keep fit as much as I can, but 2 weeks post-op was not the same. Getting used to cast, crutches, etc takes some time. Knee push ups, ab roller, leg raises, mobility and stretching is what I did. Electrostimulation on quads (injured leg) is something I recommend you.

    Keep positive. Day after day you will feel better. All the effort you do in being active will ease your recovery

  • cserpent | August 31st, 2018 | 12:41 am

    I haven’t heard that icing restricts healing and blood flow before. I know it reduces swelling and bruising (experienced that MANY times from soccer injuries - LOL!). In the initial phases I’m icing behind the knee rather than on top of the incision area so perhaps that makes a difference. Since I’m in the boot I could ice over the incision directly now but it is easier to ice behind the knee and leave the boot on. The blood supply to the foot gets cooled down enough from the ice behind the knee.

  • jeff16 | August 30th, 2018 | 8:12 pm

    Hey Andrea. Yeah my left calf from my original injury is a little smaller (like CSerpent I’ll have a matching set soon). In 20 years no one ever asked me about it. You’ll be so happy when it’s functional that you won’t even think about how it looks. Besides it’s part of your story now!

    Re: icing my surgeon said not to. According to him it restricts blood flow and healing. I’m sure others have a different philosophy. Definitely keep elevated though.

  • andreank | August 30th, 2018 | 4:45 pm

    HI CSerpent. Thanks for that information! I wonder if body building exercises can help change that? Of course I am months away from even being able to try that. Before surgery, my legs muscles were uneven so I’m trying not to focus on this too much. I even saw that Dwayne Johnson’s are uneven after his achilles tear lol.

    I hadn’t been told that about swelling. I’ll definitely keep that in mind! Mine is minimal, but I could definitely do some more icing to minimize it.

  • andreank | August 30th, 2018 | 4:43 pm

    Hi Cserpent! I read your blog and definitely check out agnesatr’s.

    I actually was put into a boot 2 days post-op. I’ve been given the go ahead to get the incision wet in the shower but just not in standing water (i.e. ocean, pool, etc). I’m NWB for 5 more weeks so we will see if I get too tired of the crutches!

    Thanks for your input! It is really nice to be able to find people who are experiencing something similar.

  • cserpent | August 30th, 2018 | 4:14 pm

    Hi Andrea - 1.5 years after my right foot surgery the right calf was still smaller than the left. And, if you read agnesatr’s blog her injury calf remained smaller even though it seemed to be just as strong as before injury. So don’t be surprised if the injury leg calf size is smaller for a long time. Of course now that I’ve had surgery on my left foot the calves may be the same size! LOL!

    You have a good chance of getting back to 100% - but no guarantees of course. Just remember - avoid any swelling as much as possible - it slows the healing process and can increase the pain level.

  • cserpent | August 30th, 2018 | 4:05 pm

    Welcome to the club Andrea!

    Be sure to check out agnesatr’s achilles blog. She has some good info and some good videos! I’m more than twice your age - LOL! I’ve been through the entire bone spur surgery before so I already know that the outcome can be awesome at the end. A bit different for those with ATR since they didn’t do it voluntarily. I hope you have at least a shower stool to kneel on, a cast cover to cover up until you get the OK to get your foot wet, a knee scooter or iwalk if your doc will have you being NWB for any length of time (unless you’re good on crutches - I’m a disaster on them!), and an even up so that both feet will be at the same time while you’re in the boot.

  • andreank | August 30th, 2018 | 3:49 pm

    Hi Jeff. Thanks for responding! That’s very encouraging to hear. Of course those athletes probably had the maximum amount of support for recovery but I also don’t need to get back to their level of performance.

    This is more of a vanity question, but were your ankles and calves indefinitely different sizes? I’ve seen a lot of that online. It’s not the end of the world, but I am doing what I can to understand this whole process.

  • jeff16 | August 30th, 2018 | 1:48 pm

    Hey Andrea-good job keepIng up with the workouts. Re: 90% MAX recovery, I live in KC and over the last couple of years two Chiefs players went down late in the regular season with ATRs and were ready for the start of the season the following year. I’d say there’s no reason someone your age shouldn’t expect to be 100% at some point.

    I ruptured my other leg 20 years ago and couldn’t tell you that it was any weaker than before the injury.