bobfv’s AchillesBlog

My ATR surgery was on May 20, 2015, so technically I will be at 12 weeks post-op this Wednesday (it is Monday, so that is two days from now). Today was the first follow-up with my Orthopedic Surgeon in about a month, due to both of our vacation schedules.

As I mentioned in the last post, I am doing great, walking in two shoes and driving. When I saw my OS today he did the Thompson Test, checked my strength, and said that while he was there for me if I needed anything else, he is done with me, I am discharged! I told him that I have dropped down to one PT session a week and they are scheduled out for about the next month and he told me that should suffice as well, if I continue to work on the exercises I learn in PT on my own, which I have been doing all along.

In PT I have progressed to two footed calf raises with no support (30 a day), eccentric strengthening on a leg press machine, resisted toe walking back and forth. heel walking, calf stretches against the wall, heel to toe balance walking, stability work on a blue Theraband stability trainer, and practice stepping over a step, as opposed to just step-ups for strengthening.

My gait is getting better by the day. The slower I walk, the easier it is to have a normal gait. I concentrate on working my repaired leg through the entire normal range of motion from heel strike to toe push off. I still have just a little pain walking down stairs but I am doing my best to concentrate and work through that and come down stairs the "normal" way rather than one foot at a time.

The OS gave me an instruction sheet which is very helpful. I told him I was starting to develop a little heel pain from the asymmetry of having a heel lift in one shoe and not the other, and he told me to go to "Superfeet" or custom insoles for both feet so that the pressure will be equal. He gave me the following instruction sheet for shoes which I think is extremely helpful:

1. Arch Supports: Custom or over-the-counter "Superfeet"
2. Motion Control Shoes: For example Brooks Beast, New Balance 1012 (and I add Asics Gel-Kayano to that list)
3. Danskos
4. Birkenstocks
5. Skechers Shape-Ups
6. NO barefoot, flip flops, slippers, high-heeled shoes, Uggs or Crocs!
7. To ensure proper support make sure that your shoes DO NOT "bend or fold" excessively.

So I consider it a great day. Still taking things one day at a time, but steadily improving with every passing day

I had my 8 week post-op appointment with the surgeon today. The good news, everything looks fine. The bad news - OS wants me to continue conservatively over the next 3-4 weeks, wearing the boot most of the time, continuing with strengthening, and walking in two shoes with a heel lift at home. He also did not clear me to drive, which is a disappointment but one that I can work around (I have a very expensive, luxury paperweight form Germany in my garage!). He said that in a year I will not even remember if I was in the boot 2 months or 3 months, but just to be on the safe side to keep wearing the boot with one lift, and to wear my shoes with a lift when I do PT and around the house. It doesn’t really bother me - I have good ROM, I am getting my strength back, and I would rather not risk future problems, so I will stick with the status quo for now.

In physical therapy I am progressing to leg strengthening exercises now that I am healed and have a relatively normal range of motion, so I will continue to work hard to strengthen it up.

Here is a photo taken this morning - my 8 week post-op anniversary photo: