Michael’s AchillesBlog

Monday I was at PT and everything was going well until he put me on the bosu ball. I think my strength is not even close to being enough to stand on that thing. After getting off my tendon felt really strained. Later in the day it was warm to the touch. I tried using ice and that helped some. Took Motrin this morning. Still really tender and it hurts when I try to roll my foot forward while walking.

I went back to my physical therapist and the tendon is fine but I stressed it. He suggested going back in the boot, ice, and Motrin. It is felling better this evening, so I think it was just over use.  He also thinks that it could be adhesions breaking up.

I’m still walking in two shoes but I will not be getting on that bosu ball anytime soon.

It is one of those days when jumping up and running up and down the isles would be the correct response. I will not be doing that. I did walk out of the surgeons office without using my crutches. In fact I wore two hiking boots out of the office and used my two free arms to carry all the crap to my truck.

Reality is it was really hard to do. My leg is weak and I know there is a long road in front of me. No running or jumping for the next six weeks. I swore I wouldn’t do either. So now the real fun begins. Trying to get my leg strength back will be hard.

I know there are others that will read this and feel discouraged by their own progress. Just remember that not long ago I was thinking and feeling the very same things. The best part is there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it will be there before you realize. I’m still very much at the beginning of this road.

I can’t help but wonder why at six weeks most broken bones are healed and people are cleared to go back to their normal activities, but if you rupture a tendon, it is only the beginning. Part of me wishes I had just broken a bone.  The hard part is that other than feeling tight, my leg feels fine. What doesn’t feel fine anymore is my wrists, shoulders, hips, knees, and hands. I have calluses on my hands and sides of my rib cage from the crutches. How can this be normal?

My PT measured my ROM yesterday and I’m doing really good. My dorsiflexion is 14 degrees and plantar flexion is 56 degrees. The only measurement that is still off is subtalar eversion. It is still 10 degrees and should be closer to 20.   So if the measurements are good and I don’t feel any pain, why can’t I just go for a walk?  I guess I will find out this afternoon when I meet with the ortho.

The basic premise that physical therapy helps to heal and regaine the functions we had prior to injury was seriously brought into question this week. The ultra sound was no problem but the massage was anything but enjoyable. I think my therapist is a sadomasicist. I know that he is just trying to break up the scar tissue so I don’t have problems down the road, but it was all I could do to not kick him in the teeth.

Other than the massage it was really good to get on the bike and pedal. I could feel the burn and twinges of pain, but I think that is mostly just in my head. I started doing leg exercises to work my hip and butt and upper leg muscles. It is really amazing how weak my leg is. The best part is I’m able to do something that is helping to get me back to normal. My physical therapist suggested I ask my surgeon if I can go into two shoes with heal lifts. I think he is being more optimistic than I am but who knows. My surgeon originally said I would be in a cast for eight weeks, then let me wear a boot after 3 1/2 weeks.

Now I just need to make sure I don’t do anything stupid between now and Tuesday. Do you think this counts?

I had my first Pain and Torture (PT) visit today. It was an eye opening experience. There was no sharp pain, just deep dull, intense pain. In the words of John Mellencamp:

Hurt so good
Come on baby, make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don’t feel like it should
You make it hurt so good

I was really surprised at the about of movement and flexibility I have. The biggest factor is muscle loss. It is still a long road but it was great to see how much pressure and stress could be put on the tendon on day one of PT. I can hardly wait for Wednesday. I get to ride a stationary bike. Stay tuned!

My first order of business is going home to shower and wash my free skinny white leg. I went to my ortho today and they removed the cast.  Doctor looked at the leg and said I was clear to go into a boot.  PT (Pain and Torture) start on Monday.  Range of motion and massage is limit for the next two weeks. I’m allowed to use my foot for balance when in the boot.

It is amazing how good it feels to be able to scratch my leg.

My doctor typically uses the Ossur Rebound Air walker. It is pretty bulky.  Can anyone tell me the width of a large Vacocast?  I have the Ossur already and can measure it.  I do like the fact that the sole can be changed on the Vaco and the ROM looks like a winner.

During my last visit to the Ortho, I asked a ton of questions.  Can I use my foot to balance? NO. Can I press my foot up and down, side to side? NO.  Can I drive? NO. Can I get it wet? NO. Can I use my toes to press the remote? NO. NO. NO.  So I need to stay off the foot and keep it dry. YES!  Check.  I get it.

That pretty much put a halt to going to an amusement park for Memorial Day.  The kids are not going to be happy.  And then it hit me.  I have a rubber waterproof boot, and I can still use my arms, and I need to keep my foot up as much as possible. Let’s go canoeing!  So we did.  I bought a canoe and a wheel cart for my wife.  She was able to roll the canoe down to the dock.  I sat down and slid my butt right into the seat and we paddled away.  The kids thought it was great.  My wife was a real trooper and the people at the dock gave me crazy looks.  I’m sure my doctor would flip if she had seen me doing this, But our long weekend was saved.

Crutches are a real pain.  I have been on them for over three weeks and my confidence has been growing. I’m almost as fast as my four year old. This is where I tend to get in trouble.

While going though the garage yesterday, I slipped and caught myself with my injured leg.  I listened for the pop but it wasn’t there.  I wiggled my toes and they still worked.  My foot would move up and down, and side to side. It hurt a little, but I think it was more fear than reality. The cast was intact so I just put my foot up and tried to calm down.

The last thing I want to do is go back under the knife.

Three weeks ago I found a new reason to hate Mondays.  Not that I needed any additional reasons to not like the day.  It’s the day most people call the beginning of the work week.  Some people are in the process of recovering from things they did over the weekend.  It seems to rain on Monday more than any other day of the week.  We are suppose to hate Mondays, Garfield said so.  Tori Amos wrote a song “I Don’t Like Mondays.”  While the title might give one the impression that she doesn’t really like Mondays, she goes on to sing “I want to shoot the whole day down, Down, Down, Shoot it all Down.”  That takes not liking something to the hate level, and maybe a little further.

Today, Monday got a little easier to like.  I went to the Ortho and they removed my first cast.  She looked everything over and it appears to be doing really well.  I was able to move my foot to almost ninety degrees without assistance.  The calf muscle is working and the tendon didn’t hurt when she was pushing and prodding.  I’m back in a cast but my foot is nearly 90 degrees.  The best part is I should have the cast off in 1 1/2 weeks.  I can start PT in two weeks.

I can hardly wait.  Today, just this little glimmer of hope and the fact I could move my foot, gave me one reason to not hate Mondays quite as much.