Introduction, Current Status, Lessons Learned (all-in-1)
Introduction
9/24/09. It all began Thursday night at floor hockey. Nearing the end of the game, a close but losing battle, playing hard on offense, I twisted my body to turn to get back to defensive side. Much like what I’ve read from others, it felt like someone slashed me at the back of the leg with a stick. I turned around to find the “aggressor” and before I finished out my scream of “WTF”, I noticed there was no one behind me. Basically I collapsed to the ground in pain. Got up after a bit and walked off the gym floor.
I’m sure there were a lot of factors that contributed to my injury. Being rushed to leave work and get to the school, I missed dinner, was tired, likely a bit dehydrated and didn’t have time to warm-up and stretch the muscles.
Initially when I left the game, I was just too frustrated at the injury and thought it was a just a muscle pull. Later as I went to bed, I started to feel my muscles and began to realize it was not going to be that easy a recovery.
Friday I felt I had to go to work (limped around, tried to keep foot flat) and went to the walk-in clinic after, arriving at 2pm. Unfortunately, that process was lengthy and by the time I was directed to get to the hospital emergency (4pm), where I did go, but then was told there was no orthopedic doc available, so I was given a cast and crutches and sent on my way, getting home at 7:30pm to wait until Monday morning to return.
Over the weekend, I had a lot of time to research. This site was one of the sites I used to think about the decision. I started to realize that surgery was going to be a better option for me. However the next question was about where to get surgery and which doctor. That 2nd opinion review never really materialized.
Monday. Let’s say I wasn’t too impressed by the hospital process but want to say that I am going to maintain a positive optimism for how things go forward. Thanks to my girlfriend Nancy driving me, I arrived at hospital’s Fracture Clinic for 7:30 appointment. Triage basically told me the same options of surgery vs. cast and recommended surgery due to my age. I agreed but wanted to ask about options for where I could get the surgery done. Triage people also seemed confused about the process and had to page the on-call orthopedic doc to see when he might even be available. Other interesting aspects. They basically recognized the achilles rupture through the Thomson test and feeling achiles tendon (there was actually a ‘divet’ or piece of tendon missing behind my ankle which prevented what would otherwise be a continuous tendon from heel upward). I’m not sure if I was lucky or not but it seems this was not necessarily an complete break of the tendon, perhaps just a major tear?) Other fyi, the X-ray they did was “for the record”, apparently they didn’t refer to that as part of diagnosis - I don’t know if that really matters.
I ended up signing up to surgery despite the confusing process, simply because I knew I needed to move forward and didn’t want to delay the surgery any longer than the 3.5 days that had passed. Note that I did visit the site www.ratemds.com to check the doctor’s name who would perform the surgery (my doc got scored around 3.2 out of 5.0 - some people being concerned about his availability to patients). However, the worst part was I didn’t even get to talk to the orthopedic surgeon until I got brought into the OR!
Once signed up to surgery, it was one process after another of people not knowing how the process would work or timing. Ugh. I got checked into a hospital room around 10am. Later, I was told that they were trying to confirm the doc availability and I could get surgery today… or tomorrow! What! I should also add that I was also told I could eat nothing until the surgery. At around 12pm I was advised the surgery would happen at 3:30pm. 5pm I finally got into surgery and met the surgeon. Seemed nice, but not the type to want to answer many of my questions, though I don’t really blame him. I was put under general anesthetic fairly easily. They said the surgery took only 45 mins. I awoke at 7:30pm with a new cast though still feeling dazed from the anesthetic. The doctor did come visit me briefly to say hello and see if I was okay but it was more just waving hello than asking me how I was doing. He did leave saying “see you in a week”.
The night and sleeping was tough as I slowly recovered from the surgery. Nurses didn’t seem to know anything, or if they did, it was wrong. I thought I heard a nurse say a/the doctor would see me in the morning to discuss the surgery but that never happened. And similarly, no one could tell me when I could leave the hospital. Oh, the best part though was the physiotherapists that arrived that said I should be non-weight bearing for 12 weeks. When I questioned him, he just said the doctor may have different view but that is what he advised. Ugh.
I was finally discharged around 2-3pm, finally getting info on my next appointment with the doctor (Wed. 7th) and some recommendations on what I can or can’t do (i.e. definitely NWB until next appt).
Current Status
Been off work all week. Went off painkillers 1 day after the surgery. I probably didn’t even need them. I do have pain when I stand up and the blood rushing down the leg creates pressure, but it seems to be less now. I’m just happy that I can manage with crutches through the stairs.
One thing they did ask me to do is to see if there was swelling or skin discolouration (bleeding) due to surgery. Thankfully, all seems to be good here and I do admit I feel like the surgery was done well and I feel strong and positive that I am on my way to recovery.
Lesson Learned
1. Slow down (can also be considered a lesson about life in general). Stop rushing around from one place to the next or you miss the important things in life. (I’m trying to not go straight back to work as soon as possible, as a start. :^)
2. I’ve learned this before, but now, more than ever, you’re not as young as you used to be. So warm-ups are mandatory! I don’t care if you show up late to the game!!
Now I’ll have plenty of time to think about what I’ve done. But I’m hoping I can still try to make recovery more quickly.
All the best to the rest of you on your road to recovery as well!
