curlygirl’s AchillesBlog

Comment by pauls

July 30, 2012 @ 8:51 am

That’s a nice small scar!!!! Keep you chin up I am only just over 4 weeks post surgery. Still on crutches for another 3 weeks. One thing that I do that I know is helping is just sitting on the sofa, I flex my toes to my shin continously. This has helped the ROM greatly. Keep going you will get there!

Comment by Curlygirl

July 30, 2012 @ 5:42 pm

Thank you Pauls,

This is the most fed up I have been so far, I am swimming again tonight and hoping to see improvement soon.

Comment by nutkin

July 30, 2012 @ 9:38 pm

Hi

I had my surgery last September, so being further down the track I can say you are coming along fine. What I will say is that recovery from Achilles surgery is all about patience and doing exactly what your surgeon/physio therapist tells you to do. Your scar looks amazing, I know that it was about your stage that I started touching the scar with different textures to help get the sensation back, I used cotton wool,sand, brushes, anything that would bring back a normal sensation. I was also doing water walking, and my physio had given me heaps of walking exercises to do up and down the hall (to help with balance) so that I could learn how to use my foot normally again. The weather sounds hot in your part of the world right now, so remember not to get the scar too much in the sun, as that really hurts. I also used (and still use) a compression stocking to keep the swelling down, this helps if you do have to go out and about and aren’t able to put your leg up. I belong to a swimming group, and my couch has given me some exercises to do, as I still can’t use my legs to their full extent, if you would like I can send you them?

Hang in there, I know it seems a very long process but every day is just that little bit closer to getting better.
Karen

Comment by Curlygirl

July 31, 2012 @ 12:03 am

Thank you Karen,

Yes any water exercises would be very much appreciated! I am happy to take any help/advice there is!

Comment by nutkin

August 1, 2012 @ 6:03 pm

Hi

I swim with a group of people, and the couch has given me these exercises which my physio approvded, probabky best you get your physio to check over these as well.
Swimming:
I use a pull-boy (floaty device that goes between your legs, should sit just below the thigh muscle).
I mix up doing freestyle drills and swimming with water walking, I have put below what I normally do:
Warm-up; Freestyle (arms only)
Water walking (WW) - I use two kick boards, one hand on each for balance, and I walk two lengths of a 25m pool, I use the black line down the middle of the lane to keep me on track.
Swim (S) - 4-8 lengths freestyle arms only - fast. 25m at a time, with a rest in between
WW - side step down the black line - do 4 lengths.
S - Freestyle (I always mean arms only, so I will stop saying this) - breathe every 2 stroke on the 1st length, every 3rd stroke on the 2nd lap and then every 4th breath on the 3rd lap, then come back down i.e. 4,3,2.
WW - Walk backwards, I used a noodle (long floaty device that you can tie around your middle to start with, it helps with balance) - go very slowly until you know you can do this, as this really makes the Achilles move. - 4 laps
S - Freestyle swim on your front for six strokes then turn over, and swim on you back for 6 strokes. You need to use your core to make you turn. Trick to this is imagine you are holding a crdit card between your butt checks, this helps keep the pelvis and core muscles in the right position to help flip you over
WW - walk slowly without any floaty device, the key here us perfect walking posture and foot work
S - Warm down with a few lengths
Make sure you stretch, and go careful around the pool edge as balance can be a bit of an issue for a while. Let me know how you get on with these and if you want more I can send you some.

I have a question for you, how do I create my own blog, I have looked and looked but I just don’t seem to be finding the answer.

Cheers,
Karen

Comment by Curlygirl

August 1, 2012 @ 8:30 pm

Hi Nutkin,

I am swimming tonight, so I am going to try some of those ideas. I have had the green light to water walk and swim ( without. Legs ) as for starting a blog, on the main page on the left top there are two headings ‘log in’ and ’start your own blog’ if I remember correctly you then email them and they email you back with a sign in code. It must have been pretty simple as when it comes to all things technical I am not the sharpest! I still have difficulties uploading photos to this site and have to get one of my children to do it for me!
Sounds like you are making a good recovery,

Thanks for the drills.

Comment by nutkin

August 1, 2012 @ 8:42 pm

Hi
Let me know how you get on with the swimming. I will go and reread the email they sent me, obviously I have missed something. Recovery takes a long time, and this is definitly not the time to push limits. The best advice I can give is be patient and laugh every day.

Hope all goes well,

Karen

Comment by Curlygirl

August 2, 2012 @ 5:31 pm

Nut kin,

The swimming went well .Took the water walking very very slow and steady. felt good.

Curlygirl

Comment by nutkin

August 2, 2012 @ 8:21 pm

Hi

Glad to hear all went well. You can step each of these activities up as you progress i.e. walk faster, longer etc. The other one which is good a wee bit later on is to tread water or walk in waist deep water at the beach (the currents make you work more, and the sand makes your foot work).

Thanks for the advice on setting up a blog, reread the details and realised what I had missed.

Karen