Posted on August 20th, 2011 by Neville Clements
My next hospital appointment is on Monday and it will be 8 weeks to the day since I started the recovery process. I was advised and convinced by my consultant that the non-surgery route to full recovery was the best choice. So far I haven’t regretted that decision as I have followed the protocol ‘by the book’ - Aircast boot with 3 wedges from day 1, removal of a wedge every 2 weeks, & flat boot for the past 2 weeks. I was told at my last hospital visit 2 weeks ago that the next visit (Monday) would look at the possibility of partially discarding the boot. Hence the uncertainty.
The last 8 weeks has been a journey of discovery and patience. From the first few days post injury of trying to accept the challenge of very little sporting activity for a year and a change of lifestyle. The first 5 days of moving round on my crutches in a cast, nearly tripping over a few times with those pesky crutch rubber ends, and then the change to the Aircast boot and advised to partial weight-bear through the crutches. That might life easier for sure. Within 3 weeks I had discarded the crutches for good and walked normally in my boot. Over the past 3 weeks I have extended the physical activity to plenty of long walks with the dogs through the bridleways of rural Warwickshire (uphill is a struggle!).
I guess I’m at the stage of looking forward to Monday’s appointment to hear what my Consultant and physio and consultant have to say, but nervous about the possibility of taking the boot off and making a first FWB bootless steps under their guidance. I have had no pain in my Achilles or calf for the past 6 weeks, nothing not even after a 2 mile walk. So I feel I must be on the mend but still miles from the finish line! I’m desperate to start driving again, keen that my morning shower isn’t a 20 minute ‘operation’, that when I’m on the sofa with my foot elevated and someone is at my house front door and I have to strap my boot back on I miss them!! It’s lots of little frustrating things but I guess the biggest frustration is the lack of ‘real’ exercise and the inevitable piling of a few pounds on. I’ve really missed getting on my mountain bike these past few months and riding the UK trails. The biggest thing I’ve missed is doing the fun things you do with the kids over the summer break. My son is back to school in Canada next week and I’ve done nothing we hoped to do in his summer break - play golf, ride trails, kick a few balls round.
So, I’m looking forward to Monday’s appointment, but uncertain as to what the next step is. I’m not sure how my Achilles is healing, except it feels stronger. That word patience keeps raising its ‘ugly head’ as I know this annoying injury is a long-termer and the last thing I want to do is go back to Day 1 with a re-rupture. My fingers are crossed to be told my AT is strong enough to go 2 shoes and allowed to drive again. I’ll let you know how it goes on Monday and I’m sure everyone in the ATR community is as uncertain as I am.
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Posted on August 10th, 2011 by Neville Clements
Hi
I’ve finally got round to sorting out my blog, some 7 weeks after ATR. I’ve commented a few times on other posts but I hope this helps others out there in the ATR world.
My injury in brief: I offered to play for my University Department’s 5-a-side soccer team in an inter-departmental soccer game. I’d played the day before - no problems - and despite my aging body thought nothing of the challenge. 5 minutes into the game and jogging with the ball I thought I’d been hit by a baseball bat on my heel. Prostrate on the floor I turned round to ask why someone had kicked me - no one there! I got up put my foot to the floor to find it was like walking in a bowl of jelly. A trip to the hospital, the Thompson test and confirmation of an ATR with an approximate gap of an inch. Ouch! I was placed in a cast on that fateful Wednesday afternoon and told to return to see the consultant on the Monday.
On the Monday I was lucky to see a great consultant who is part of the Canadian studies into surgery/non-surgical methods. He advised me that there is no real difference in the 2 control groups with the negative of infection with surgery and the negative for non-surgery being a marginally greater re-rupture rate (1 person). He advised me to go with the non-surgical method. I’d made up my mind I wanted surgery but was persuaded by his conviction that non-surgery was the best method. Into the Aircast boot with the 3 wedges and off home I went without crutches (the hospital couldn’t give me a pair as they’d run out!). I borrowed my mum’s old pair in the end.
I have since returned to the hospital in Coventry on 11th July, 25th July & 8th August and at each visit had a wedge from the boot removed. I’m now in the boot with the foot flat at 90 degrees. On Monday the consultant advised me that I might be free of the boot on 22nd August and start to drive again. Fingers crossed!
How much exercise have I been able to do: In short more than I thought at the time of the injury. I have been free of the crutches for the last 3 or 4 weeks. I was useless on them anyway. My consultant told me 5 days after ATR to walk through my crutches as it will aid the repair of the tendon. So for the last 3 or 4 weeks I’ve walked on the boot as much as possible and tried to treat life as normal as possible; I’ve decorated 3 rooms in my house, kept the garden sorted, walked round the fields following my daughter’s horse, gone to the gym for Bodypump sessions twice a week, and last week walked for miles along the beach in Wales. I guess the question is, am I doing too much? No idea really except my foot is none the worse for it. My consultant says my foot is healing, so I’ll carry on walking!
I still find my ATR very frustrating as I’ve gone from twice a day exercise either in the gym or my mountain bike to doing very little. The shorts are certainly becoming tighter round the waist band. Not being a patient person and having a mainly desk job at the University has tested my resolve. I appreciate everyone has a different set of circumstances but as I have experienced things so far I would recommend non-surgery for an ATR. Clearly I don’t know the long-term impact on my injury and I’m hoping life will carry on as normal in the future so I can carry on playing different sports. My aim is a 200 mile coast to coast mountain bike ride across the width of the UK in 11 months time. I have no clue as to whether my achilles will be strong enough or trustworthy for this event. I guess only time will tell. Good luck to all with this terrible injury.
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Posted on August 8th, 2011 by Neville Clements
Welcome to AchillesBlog.com.
This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Following link will take you to your blog’s “command center” where you can write your posts:
http://AchillesBlog.com/bsx188/wp-admin/
Be sure to fill out your city, Achilles rupture date, surgery date, etc.. (if you know it) here:
Fill out my Achilles Profile Here
When you do, you can keep track of your recovery progress and see your information on the Marathon Tracker.
Here’s more info: using Achilles Timeline Widget
Please change this post’s title to something more descriptive. Just leaving it as “Hello World” leads people to believe that you haven’t updated your first post!
If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask! 
Dennis
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