Corey’s AchillesBlog

Well I learned a few things today. My ATR was 4 cm. above the heel and my ROM is 55degrees plantar and 5degrees dorsi flexion.

After going through all the ROM tests for hip knee and all the other things, we started on the bike. I did 5 mins on a recumbant bike with minimal tension. Would have liked to have just a bit more tension, as i found myself going to fast. It was difficult to go slow and work on moving the ankle into plantar flexion at the bottom of the stroke. Once my brain realized we were not in spin class all was good. After the bike we moved to some theraband exercises then before I knew it I had been there 1.5hrs and I was done.

I will be going 3 days a week. There was lots of swelling in the ankle and a little bit of pain on the rupture site after the session.(mostly when I curled my toes) The pain only lasted for 1/2 hour or so  and was not even that bad maybe a 3 on a scale of 10. Everything feels awesome tonight,ankle feels great not so tight. Now time for some ice for the swelling.

Well the cast came off today and I was fully expecting to be fitted for a boot well… imagine my surprise when my doc says no boot and try and ween yourself off the crutches in the next 3 to 4 days. Physio starts on tues.

So there I am only one shoe  on my good foot and a short sock on my bad one crutching through the hospital, AWESOME.

It feels so strange for my right foot to touch the ground (felt great to place it on the grass without a sock on) the last time it was there it felt like it was just hanging there…Well you all know how that feels.

After being in 4 casts over 8 weeks it does not seem as unstable as I was expecting, don’t get me wrong I’m not suggesting that I could go FWB in a stride but I am amazed at how stable it is standing and transfering weight  from my left leg to my right with the crutches in my left hand not touching the ground. Not sure if that feeling will stay with me when I crawl into bed tonight or not but I will deal with that later tonight.

There has been no pain in the tendon or calf or even the heel for that matter. My ankle well that is sore, not a bunch of pain it just twinges now and then.

So here is the million dollar question is it better to go bare foot when I can or wear my shoes ?

on another note how do we insert pics in the blogs ?

eight more days. Good- bye cast,hello withered wasted leg. I don’t know if I will be able to look it directly in the eye. As each two week cast comes off the calf  just looks more and more pathetic. Good thing I enjoy calf raises. Can’t wait for that first time at physio when the pain I know will be present moves from the tendon to a burn in the calf. I hate pain and so far this adventure has had very little. Soon I know that will change, but at least it will be pain with a purpose… I’m sorry leg.

Do any of you  right leggers drive for a living ? Just wondering  what changes you have made, seat position etc. I drive a haul truck in a copper mine and spend 12hrs with my right foot on the throttle. Hopefully my ROM and strength will return to the point where I will be able to do this again without to much discomfort.

Over the last 23 days I have actually caught myself wishing it had been the left tendon instead. It was always the one that was a little stiffer after a good work out and not to mention it would be a lot easier to drive…sick

Have a great night.