Cast is OFF!

Posted on June 26th, 2008 by bullet

Cast was removed today at my 4 week post-op.  Now PWB.  Heel pain is NOT so bad but WTF is up with the 1,000 needles sticking up from the bottom of this boot?

I was told that I do NOT need to have any PT which sounded a bit odd.  The doctor just gave me some home exercises and stretching to do.  He also told me to gradually bear weight from week to week and within 3 weeks I can try to go to 2 shoes.  I am already at 90 degrees neutral, so I don’t have any wedges in the boot.

I have been doing the exercises and stretching all day.  Plan to go swimming tomorrow (with ankle brace on) in order to start losing the 15 pounds I’ve put on over the last 5 weeks.  Start my new pharmacist job on Tuesday (July 1st) which will be the real test in my recovery.

Good Luck to all and keep on keepin’ on.

5 Comments »

New to Site

Posted on June 16th, 2008 by bullet

This is a great site.  Just learning how to use it.  Don’t know how to upload pics or what a tag is.  I’ve got some good pics.  How do you create a timeline?

Ruptured my Achilles tendon on May 22 playing basketball.  I went up for a lay-up and when I landed…BOOM!  I knew exactly what had happened.  It was one of the loudest sounds I have ever heard.  I thought I had step on the b-ball and it had exploded.  I limped off the floor and drove myself home.  My wife had taken the kids to a baseball game so I waited for her to drive me to the ER.  When the ER doc took off my shoe, everybody in the room knew my achilles was ruptured.  If one more person tells me “don’t you know you’re to old to be playing ball”, well you know.

This has really sucked.  The injury took place on our 15th wedding anniversary and 2 days before leaving for Disney World.  I was to start a new job as a pharmacist in June.  We have to stand on our feet alot.   Any body else’s spouses or significant others about to kill them as well?

Had surgery on the 28th of May.  I was in a surgical splint for 10 days post-op (June 6th) and now in a cast.  I can’t wait to get out of the hard cast (June 26th).  From reading some of the stories, I can see that this is going to be a long recovery process.  Does anyone know of any alternatives to the boot (such as a brace)?

Good luck to all and any advice on healing, PT, and post-op care would be greatly appreciated.

5 Comments »

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  • Recent Comments

  • offdibb | June 27th, 2008 | 12:02 pm

    well done bullet. (with a name like yours, no wonder you’re up and at ‘em in four weeks).
    all the best for your new job. take it easy.
    offdibb

  • damacar | June 27th, 2008 | 11:33 am

    I have the needle thing too. I asked my PT about it and what she said made so much sense. Not only are we dealing with an achilles injury but also reabilitating the rest of the muscles in your leg and foot. There are more than 20 mucsles in your feet alone! They have to stretch back out and build back up, like our achilles. When I wake up in the a.m., even if I don’t have time to do my exercises and stretching, I at least give my foot a good rub. It makes a huge difference. I have some insurance issues, so I’ve been to 4 PT appts, last one coming up on Monday. My PT is giving me a home care kit. So, i’m going to try to go back to her once every 2 weeks. (Its $150/session out of pocket-yikes!)
    If she gives me anything I haven’t seen that may be useful to everyone else, i’ll be sure to share!

    damacar

  • tennisjunkie | June 27th, 2008 | 5:42 am

    Yes- the strange needle sensation when you start bearing weight — priceless! Just go at your own pace, and you will find that one day you will just not need the crutches. For me, that took about a week.

    I see my doc at 11 weeks(3 weeks from now) and I suspect he may not subscribe PT. I am going to ask for it though - I really want to learn about how to gradually strengthen and how to best stretch. In fact, I made an appointment already, so I better get that script!

  • sheila | June 27th, 2008 | 1:52 am

    This is something else that concerns me - so many different lines of treatment - how do you know what is best!? Maybe some of it has to do with your pre-ATR fitness level?

    Anyway, it sounds wonderful! I think my doc is a bit more conservative in his plan which concerns me because of atrophy, but I will continue reading and learning from everyone here.

    Congrats on the ongoing progress!!

  • kkdub | June 26th, 2008 | 11:17 pm

    Congrats! Love it. New heel, new diet plan, new job…..you have lots of opportunity and lots to look forward to.

  • bullet | June 17th, 2008 | 11:44 am

    Matt,

    That sounds awesome man, not that you injured but that you’re recovering quicker than most. Hang in there brother and thanks for the update.

  • bullet | June 17th, 2008 | 11:41 am

    Ed,

    Sorry to hear that you’re part of the club. Plan on doing the same lobbying next Thursday. He had told me that there is a 75% chance he will put me in “the boot” and begin PWB with PT soon after. Good luck and keep me posted on your recovery.

  • matts | June 17th, 2008 | 9:03 am

    Bullet,

    Welcome to the big board of AT blowouts. I am sure that you will second guess your decison to play basketball but don’t. We all have been there thinking of could of, should of, would of. Concentrate on healing and this is a great site for that(mental healing too). It easy to say not to “rush”, but only 5 weeks after the surgery I am walking(limping) in my boot. Hang in there!

  • edforman | June 17th, 2008 | 7:57 am

    Sounds like you and I are pretty close in terms of timeline (I had my surgery on May 23 - day before our 16th wedding anniversary). I found that celebrating an anniversary on Percosset is quite pleasant…

    My research has not unearthed anything other than the boot or a cast. Seems that the “old-school” go with hard casts for 8 weeks or so changing the angle of the foot every few weeks. The “newer” school go to the boot earlier and allow partial weight bearing earlier in the process. There is no “right” answer, but I plan to lobby hard for a boot on Thursday when I go back to the doctor….

    Hang in there - we will both be back in shoes and walking limp free before we know it!

    Ed

  • dennis | June 16th, 2008 | 10:39 pm

    bullet -
    welcome to the site, and sorry about the timing of your achilles rupture. But is it ever a good time?.. I hope you find the site helpful, and take the time to read through the site.

    To setup your timeline:
    http://achillesblog.com/dennis/achilles-timeline-widget/