I never finished my drafted post for the 2 week post-op. This means that around that time, I returned to somewhat normal functionality, got busy at work and no longer had time to blog.
The theme of weeks 2-6 seems to me: This is really getting old, are we their yet? Not there yet. I am done with the excitement and drama and now have a long slog of extreme inconvenience and thinning patience of my support crew (wife, Grandparents, and so forth). According to the cruelly honest Achilles marathon widget, I am at mile 2 of 26.
It strikes me now how sorely our story tellers miss this aspect of injury. Sure super tough hero or heroine can keep going with three bullet wounds and a crab pincered onto her ear while loaded with adrenaline … but can she stay sane through 6 months of recovery? Or … hero gets injured in that dramatic initial chase … must suffer the indignity of supporting role for the rest of the movie. There be drama there - I wish I had more heroic examples to follow from our cultural icons. However, I suppose the telling of such a story probably switches your audience from block buster to a dusty English Majors bookshelf.
At two weeks post op (purple cast)
I finally got to see my foot. I’ve never gone 3 weeks without seeing my foot before. Stitches came out, and we switch from a split to a cast. I chose purple.
I now understand the different between a splint and a cast. The splint had support around the back and sides, but had no plaster in front (just tape) to allow for considerable swelling.
Back at work, up to speed, simply highly annoyed with how long it takes to move anywhere.
At four weeks post op (black cast)
I’d heard of some people getting boots at 4 weeks and was irrationally hopeful. The leg feels great most of the time. When they cranked me up to 90 degrees, I decided I really didn’t want the book after all. I suspect the purpose of the 2 week cycle is entirely psychological: Let’s ensure that our patients remain careful and cognizant of their injury by giving a painful yet harmless reminder of their fragile state every two weeks.
Boot next time? I hope so.
How do I describe my injured calf when I saw it out of the cast? Soft - but how to express the floppinesss? Jello? Water balloon? Both too firm. It reminded me a bit of a cows udder after a good milking. Flop flop sway.
3 comments ↓
Cliff–your annoyance of how long it takes you to get anywhere: I understand completely. I think as being an active person the impact of this injury, which effectively takes away mobility, is understated. I hate to get up to go to the bathroom at night…still kind of sleeping so the crutches suck. Oh well, it could be worse! Instead of thinking of only at 2 mi or 26, think of it as 2 mi further than you were.
Cliff,
I didn’t go into two shoes for twenty weeks (due to a re-rupture). My calf…oh boy…it was like a cat’s fat pad–just hanging there, listless. Lost all the tone and, even worse, the muscles on either side of my shin bone withered away. Talk about depressing. BUT…after a month of walking and working out on a bike, the ship righted itself and I haven’t looked back. Every day, I feel the muscles getting bigger and stronger.
I think you’ll be thrilled to see how fast the body starts getting back to “normal” once you get on two feet. This hasn’t been a marathon to me but an odyssey. That being said, I can look back now and take pride in surviving it and using the experience to remain committed to a full recovery. Good luck on your full recovery.
Cliff,
I reckon the 2 to 7 week period seems to be the most frustrating because basically you are just waiting without being able to do much at all. The novelty definitely wears off for the support ‘team’
It seems to me that once stage two with the boot kicks in progress and therefore state of mind improves quickly.
My wife tells me she thinks my ability to cope with a set-back has become more questionable as the nightmare has progressed, the grumpy moments too have increased although personally I actually feel quite positive (I’m 20 weeks post rupture and 6 weeks post op).
I’ve said all along I think the mental side of ATR is just as much of challenge as the physical mainly because of the time scale involved.
Anyway positive thinking Cliff - it will end!!
Richard
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