andrewc’s AchillesBlog

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Hi Steven

I started the workout at 3 months. Take it easy at the start and modify any exercises that are too aggressive. After a couple of weeks you will be amazed at your progress.

Just keep in mind that you are doing this with the main aim being to make your injured calf fitter. At the end (and getting to the end is not easy!) it will have been worth it.

Keep me posted on your progress and let me know if you have anymore questions.

Andrew

Hi again.

i was just wondering, after how many weeks did you start the insanity workout??? my wife has just bought the DVD & im massively jealous (she took the fit test last night).

im 14 weeks tomorrow & walking quite normally, should i wait till week 16, because this is when i was going to be joining a circuits class at physio anyway.

thanks again for the inspiration.

Hi Josee
It will be a while before I get back in the squash court. I have told my wife that I will not play squash again! I do plan to give it a go next year once I am back to running and circuits regularly.

Wow, great transformation! I am looking forward to when I can start getting active again.
Saw that you did yours playing squash, I am in the same boat. Have you gotten back into the game?

Tee hee. Thanks. I’m blushing and giggling, too!

Wow! You really stuck with it–I thought you were (wait for it) insane! Congrats on the 9 lbs and the awesome calves. Your legs look terrific–I can hardly tell the difference. I’m 2 weeks ahead of you but I have some catching up to do. Thanks for the kind words, Andrew! Right back at you, btw

AndrewC
Got it - many thanks for the quick reply.
Cheers Hoppy

Hi Hoppy

I set the boot up as per your regime. I did not go below a 0 degree setting. But moved my settings by 5 degrees per week so over the 6 weeks in the boot I went from 30 - 0 degrees.

Regards

Andrew

Hi AndrewC
Many thanks for posting your rehab, its been very useful seeing how an aggressive rehab can work and glad that it has worked.
Quick question on the boot settings, as have had the square root of diddly from my doc re the boot.
1. Would you do the “fixed” posn at just 0 again? (I have just moved to a boot after 9 weeks in plaster!! I know dont tell Norm! Week 10 had settings at 20-30, then planning 10-30 and then 0 -30).
2. At what stage did you go below the 0 setting? ie into dorsiflexion territory?
cheers Hoppy
P.S. You are definitely a celeb - known as that windsurfing bloke on a couple of the blogs!

Hi Steven
I found the workout hard at first and had to modify the exercises to minimise the impact on my bad leg.
After 2 weeks I could do most of the exercises in the Month 1 schedule.
I have not re-ruptured but that doesn’t mean that any one else will not rupture as a result of doing it.
In my case it was a risk that I was prepared to take and luckily it has worked out well for me.
Andrew

hi, im currently at 11 weeks post ATR. been reading this site since day it happened, but first time posting. im sooo impressed you doing the insanity workout. when i fist did the ATR & was sat on the couch going crazy, i saw an infomercial for the insanity workout & was really jealous, because i thought i’d never be able to do it. Reading that you are currently doing it, is massively inspiring, thanks for that. how do you find the workout, is it in anyway going to put me at risk of re-rupturing???

hi, im currently at 11 weeks post ATR. been reading this site since day it happened, but first time posting. im sooo impressed you doing the insanity workout. when i fist did the ATR & was sat on the couch going crazy, i saw an infomercial for the insanity workout & was really jealous, because i thought i’d never be able to do it. Reading that you are currently doing it, is massively inspiring, thanks for that. how do you find the workout, is it in anyway going to put me at risk of re-rupturing???

Great post, and good luck!

Agreed, Norm and Kellygirl are special.

Ron

Very impressive andrewc…you are about seven weeks ahead of my timeline, great encouragement for those of us behind you who also have gone the non-op route! Keep up the great work and keep us informed of the progress.

Are you insane, AndrewC? Lol–that is some amazing progress. You are kicking some ATR butt. Don’t worry, I won’t be following your approach–I’m much too lazy. Keep up the good work! (I’m insanely jealous of the single calf raise, btw.) You are making me think I need to work a little harder–but it’s so comfy here on the couch. <>

Andrew, I just had to review all your posts to confirm my recollection that your quick and pleasant and “sporting” — and famous! — recovery has been accomplished without surgery, non-op. Makes me wish the ATR Timeline Widget had a line like “Op? Y/N” to answer that FAQ. I think it’s good to be clear when a few people are still being told in 2013 (& still believing) that there’s only one option for ATR treatment, especially if you’re young and/or active and want to return to active sports…
Folks, there are TWO options, and they both produce excellent results the vast majority of the time, though either one can be done badly, and neither comes with a guarantee.

Thanks for getting back to me, Andrew. You put two in each shoe? The Dr. recommended doubling up but it’s kind of uncomfortable. I’ve got one pair in now–maybe I’ll try doubling up again tomorrow. I thought maybe you had a special heel lift but it sounds like the ones I just bought.

Hi Kelly
My ‘heel lifts’ were just 2 gel heel raises that I was told to wear for 3 months. They were around half a centimetre in height when I put 2 of them in my shoe.
My PT did a dorsiflexion test where he measured the dorsiflexion on my good leg and compared it to the DF on the bad one.There was only a 2 inch difference so he was happy that I didn’t need a heel raise anymore.

Lol! How cool is that! You are famous I’m so glad to hear that you are doing well and in a good place again. I’m curious about the heel lifts–how tall are they? My Dr said I should aim for a 1″ differential between the sole and the heel. Do your lifts provide more than that?

You are well ahead of me in the walking. I can do two miles but need to break it up in to two events. (I did two in one shot and regretted it later.) I have no doubt that you will be jogging before me too! Keep us posted–I hope you share when you can do your first single calf raise. I want to know about it!

Good luck and keep plugging along!

Nice work Andrew! Fab news that you are progressing well.

Congrats! Continue the great work! I thought that picture of u in the boot windsurfing was priceless.

Hi Karen
I can’t advise you on what to expect as your injury is very different to my non op ATR.

I am sure that there are others on the forum who can advise you as to what to expect.
Good Luck!

After 6 weeks my cast comes off tomorrow. They removed the bump and took part of my heel bone. Ive been flexing my foot as much possible in the cast so I wont be too stiff. Can anyone tell me what to expect in 6 weeks of PWB and physical therapy? I have been using a knee walker and not too sure about having to use crutches.

Congrats on 2 shoes. I am also NHS and the doctors did look fleetingly at my achilles at 3 weeks & 7 weeks and then at 13 weeks she also did the Thopson test again. Also no scans, they treat based on symptoms and clinical signs.
Enjoy your freedom.

Hi… Thanks. I’m going back tomorrow. I fixed my own wedges, but my foot was in bad shape this weekend. The bruising has improved. I did think with the indentation that I probably re-ruptured. So your response has now given me hope.

@sjg - I saw that you had a nightmare when you went into the boot. I hope things have calmed down now and that they have fixed your wedges to the boot properly.

Ohhhhhh I am so happy you have an indentation at your achilles rupture point. (Not in a bad way) But I have one and I thought that definitely meant I re-ruptured. (I had issues with my first day in the boot)

Congrasts on your progress.

@kellygirl - yes I do have a small indentation at the rupture point. Just tried to feel how deep but I am in an office and wearing socks today which have left a complete indentation (much deeper) just where my achilles ruptured. I do find that things swell up a bit during the day but calm down again over night.

@saintnorm - you are right (as always!) re not having a baseline prior to rupture. i guess I was just a bit disappointed that a doctor only looked at my ATR when I first went in to hospital and at no other point during my treatment.

@loumar747 thanks for the tip re glute exercises. I will ask my PT for some when I seem him next.

Congrats on your progress. I’m at about the same stage and do have the heel soreness as well. It definitely prevents me from walking great distances. My PT has given me glute exercises as well as she says the reason for the limp is not just the tendon but also the atrophied glute which is integral for a smooth walk.

BTW, if you can actually eliminate the little dip-limp at the end of a nice long stride at 9-ish weeks when you DO concentrate, you’re WAY ahead of most of us!

Hydrotherapy is great, but maybe more for the spirit than the leg. Between therabands and heel raises, there’s nothing you can’t do on dry land to rebuild your calf and AT strength and ankle ROM. But it’s nifty to do 1-leg heel raises in deep water — long before you can or should do them on dry land — then gradually move into shallower and shallower water.

Unless a medical centre is conducting a to-be-published randomized trial, there’s seldom ANY effort to measure or document before and after results. Also, virtually nobody knows the ATR is coming, so there’s never a meaningful “before” in strength or ROM, other than your other leg. I’m not convinced thkse gaps are a problem, though I’m listening.

Congrats on two shoes, Centerfold! It sounds like you are doing really well. I feel like I’m just now finally at the point where I have a “slight” limp. I can’t really walk normally no matter how hard I try. I know what you mean about the tender heel–it does get better though. I’m almost three weeks into two shoes and have noticed that the heel soreness has lessened to the point where I don’t notice much anymore.

Great photo and awesome calf raise. I’m curious, has your achilles filled in at the rupture point? Do you still feel a slight depression? (Mine is much better but i can still fill the dent.) Good luck with the rest of your recovery. Looking forward to the next post!

Thanks for all of the nice comments!

I am now in 2 shoes and I hope my boot days are over. I have decided to keep the boot until I get to my 12 month ATR anniversary.

And if not the AB.com calendar, how about Vaco’s?? Did they make you PAY for that boot??

WOW!! I’ll second KG’s comment about the calendar and the snooze Bledose.

Going on a beach holiday. Great tip, thank you!

Ahhhh so jealous!
Great photos good luck w ur recovery

Andrew- nice job on not letting the boot keep you down.

You suck Andrew! I told myself that you were just showing off in your last post, and there was no way you did all that stuff at 9 weeks not to mention the fact you were in Greece.

Do you know what I did last night? I used a blow dryer on my toes and down my cast, because I showered and the inside of my cast got a little wet. So I went to bed “soggy”. Heavy Sigh.

Here’s to you kicking ass and taking names. Happy Healing.

Lol–and you are too modest. You are ATR eye candy! I didn’t have that much fun in my boot–Bledsoe was a snore compared to your Vaco!

Thanks Kelly
You are too kind! I think this could be my only shot at being a centrefold