18 weeks post-op update
I am 18 weeks post-op tomorrow, with routine surgery (for my OS, not for me!) on March 17 for a complete rupture. In my last post I was asking about swelling, and an MRI did reveal that I have a small new rupture. The swelling came on after a painless but awkward step.
The good news is that the new tear is small, lateral (not transverse, and not at the repair site), and will heal on its own in 4-6 weeks from the injury (which was back in late June). Best of all, it did not create any new restrictions on PT or activity..although it did take about a week for the swelling to subside.
I still have a big knot at the repair site, which will probably never go away, and have another smaller knot of scar tissue at the attachment point to the calf muscle. That said, I biked 18 miles yesterday and am walking about 95% normally. PT is proceeding well, but I can’t do a single heal lift yet.
Not as lightning fast as some of you, but trying to listen to my body and to avoid future setbacks.
Wishing all of you speedy recoveries!
July 20th, 2015 at 10:37 pm
I am sorry to hear about the new rupture but glad to hear it won’t affect your PT protocol. Reading as to how you feel your recovery is slower than others makes me realize how slow my recovery is. I will be 18 weeks post op on Friday and am nowhere near your stage of recovery. I did have a long setback due to my incision becoming infected. I am working my core and stretching my back twice daily but am still suffering with lower back pain making rehab exercises more difficult. I am doing as you and listening to my body but sure wish things were moving along a bit quicker. Keep up the awesome work! 18 miles is quite impressive especially after reinjury. Wishing you continued success in your recovery process.
July 21st, 2015 at 10:21 am
Thanks for your note, and I get where you are coming from re pace. From reading your blog, it sounds you are doing all of the right things, as that was a much different operation than many have had here. FWIW, I was PWB at day 30, FWB at day 35, two shoes at day 83, still limping slightly at day 126 (but who’s counting?! :-)).
For me, it seemed easy to fall into a trap of comparisons with others that have been quicker/slower–and maybe I just inadvertently contributed to that with the specifics of my timeline. The best advice I’ve gotten was to remember that all of the timelines converge at one year or sooner and you do not want to have a re-rupture (although it seems common for many of us to have scares or awkward steps).
The balance between protecting the newly repaired tendon and loading it in order to promote healing/recovery is a delicate one, and every surgeon seems to have a different take. Same is true for non-op, as best as I can tell.
Keeping a brief journal has been helpful to me, too, as I am able to look back and see progress that I would otherwise miss (day to day changes are not noticeable to me).
Good luck with your recovery, and hang in there!
July 21st, 2015 at 12:57 pm
117 days Post Op here.
Still walking with a slight limp. Trying to remind myself to walk normally even if it means it takes me twice as long to get from point A to Point B. Thats what my PT told me to do. Slow, slow, slow. I can do a single toe lift albeit with support. Progress for me because I could not even do that much about two weeks ago.
My daily exercise routine consists of about 100 situps, 20 pushups, 5 minutes of stretching my back and 5 minutes on an elliptical machine.
My PT also told me the same. Stop comparing myself to others with Achilles surgery. Every person’s body recovers differently. Age, condition of body when injury occurred lot of variables come into play when recovery is concerned.
Its frustrating but I am going for small wins.
hang in there.
July 21st, 2015 at 8:19 pm
Yes, everybody’s recovery certainly varies. And of course every OS has a different protocol and age and physical condition make a huge difference. I try not to compare to others but sometimes it seems as if I will never be “normal” again. I must keep reminding myself that slow and steady eventually wins the race. Thanks for the feedback as I find this blog to be one of the most beneficial factors in my recovery process. Wishing everyone well on this continued journey.
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:15 am
Thanks for the replies…and hang in there, missterik! I’ve had a lot of those feelings myself, wondering if I will ever fully recover, but most of the testimonials and most of the data suggests that full recovery is “typical.” Granted, we will never be foot models, but that wasn’t really an option before, either.