13 months: My final post…

Posted on April 4th, 2015 by davidk

Well, I had intended to close my blog at 12 months post-ATR, but that date came and went without much thought and no ceremony whatsoever. So, here I am at 13 months and I’ve pretty much completely forgotten my ATR (although I’ll always have my surgical scar and bulked-up repaired Achilles to remind me). Over the past 2 months I took 2 trips out west skiing (Big Sky, MT and Copper Mountain, CO) and skied hard without any hindrance from my Achilles. I continue to stretch my Achilles and strengthen my gastroc and soleus muscles (both legs), but not as religiously as I used to do. However, I’m hoping that keeping-up this regular routine will help prevent a 2nd ATR. Going forward, I may visit this site occasionally and comment if I think I can offer some sage advice to others, but I have no more reason to blog about my own recovery–it’s done. To those of you just starting this journey, my advice is to find a good PT and work hard at your recovery so you can come out even stronger than before–it is possible. Good luck and good healing to you all! -David

9 Comments »

10 months: What ATR?

Posted on January 23rd, 2015 by davidk

It’s been months since I’ve posted, or even visited this site that was such a regular part of my life not so long ago. I’m back to tennis as usual, captaining my men’s USTA team and playing both doubles and singles. I’m also back to my old ways of going for (nearly) every shot on court, no matter how far away, and feel like I haven’t lost a step at all. A few weekends ago I went downhill skiing for the first time post-ATR and had a blast. Prior to going, I was actually most anxious about putting on my ski boot, which is always an effort the first time out and a strain on my feet and ankles. Having accomplished that, however, the actual skiing was less of a physical hurdle. Just because it was my first time out since my ATR, I was a little tentative to start, but quickly got over that and went back to my normal style. I skied 2 full days with no problem whatsoever. With that first positive experience, I’ve now planned 2 ski trips out west over the next couple of months and am really looking forward to them.

Although not as religiously as before, I continue to stretch my Achilles, Soleus, and Gastroc muscles regularly and also work on my single-leg heel raises. I haven’t measured, but would say I’m back to full height now on my (formerly) injured leg. However, it took a while to get that last 25%. Key to achieving this for me has been to work primarily on gaining full height by way of a double-leg heel raise and then switching to one-leg and holding at full height before the eccentric contraction to the floor. In fact, I did this exclusively for a couple of months before going back to work on a single-leg heel raise. Now I do both.

Anyways, I just wanted to give those of you in the early stages of recovery some encouragement that you will get through this and you can get back to a very active lifestyle again. When it’s in front of you, it seems like it takes forever. When it’s behind you it doesn’t seem so long at all. The best advice I have is to really, really, really adhere to a physical therapy regimen. The more work you put in, the better off you will be–you may even be better than before your ATR! The healing power of the human body is quite amazing. Good luck and good healing to you all.

5 Comments »

ATR Recovery: A Full Accounting (USD)

Posted on October 16th, 2014 by davidk

Well, now that I have all my doctor and PT visits in the rear-view mirror, I did an accounting of the expense of my ATR recovery. I know this is only tangentially related to the purpose of this site, but I thought someone might find this interesting and/or useful. As this was the largest medical expense I’ve ever incurred, I found it very illuminating.

The grand total billed amount for my ATR (ER visit, pre-op care, surgery, and post-op care) was $22,833. My health insurance company negotiated that amount down by 33.5%* to $15,192. Of this paid amount, $1,263 (or 8.3%) can be attributed to pre-op care, $6,247 (or 41.1%) can be attributed to my surgery, and $7,681 (or 50.6%) can be attributed to post-op care, mainly PT. After hitting my health insurance policy’s maximum out-of-pocket expenses shortly after surgery, I did not skimp on my PT as it was all covered. If it were my money, I wouldn’t have consumed as much (professional) PT as I did.

Clearly, another advantage of pursuing the non-op ATR recovery route is the expense. Over 40% of my ATR recovery expense came from my surgery–and 75% of that was for the surgical center and the anesthesiologist. The more I learn, the more attractive the non-op recovery route appears to me.

As an interesting aside, the day before my surgery my OS’ billing office called and offered me a 20% discount if I paid in cash tomorrow (i.e. before my surgery). I have a high-deductible health insurance plan and at first I thought what a great deal! However, after thinking about it further, I decided against their generous offer. I knew my out-of-pocket expenses as a result of this injury would be my annual deductible, so why pay anything any sooner than necessary. Also, I was curious about what my health insurance company would be able to negotiate–and at a 23%* discount, they did slightly better.

In the end, I’m very happy with my recovery outcome, but if I had to do it over again (I sincerely hope not!) I’m nearly certain I would go non-op–less risk, less expense, and very possibly the same or better outcome.

*33.5% was the dollar-weighted average negotiated discount for all of my ATR care, with a range of individually billed items discounted anywhere from 10% to 77%.

6 Comments »

6-3/4 months: All Clear!

Posted on September 30th, 2014 by davidk

Today I had my 6th and, likely, final appointment with my OS post-ATR surgery. It was very short and rather anti-climactic, but in this case that’s a good thing. My OS had already been briefed by my PT and he did only a quick manual inspection of my Achilles and ROM for his own confirmation. He asked me if I had any concerns and, honestly, I don’t. Everything looks (and feels, and performs) good (well), and he released me without restrictions–no more asterisk on my all clear assessment! He doesn’t need to see me again–unless I want to see him. As I’ve stated before, this has been a traumatic experience for me–but one which has ended (so far) on a positive note and I feel stronger in many ways for meeting the challenge of it all. This blog has been a big part of my recovery and I’ll continue to monitor and share if I think I might be able to help someone else. My best advice to others is to be disciplined about your PT. Take care everyone–may you all come through this as well or better than me.

8 Comments »

6-1/2 months: Last PT appt :-)

Posted on September 23rd, 2014 by davidk

Today was my last PT session–my PT said he was graduating me! Next week I see my OS, and expect to be given the all clear. I feel very good about my recovery and feel very confident in my Achilles function and strength. It was a devastating injury for me, but in many ways I feel like I have grown stronger as a result. By my PT’s own calculations, overall I have regained about 95% of my strength and functionality when measured against my other leg. Given that my other leg (right) is also my dominant leg, there may have always been a slight discrepancy between sides and, therefore, I might actually be back (or even closer) to full strength. In any event, it’s close enough for my PT to cut me loose.

I am to continue working on calf strengthening on my own, but there seem to be diminishing marginal returns going forward. My PT measured my heel raises today, for reference. On my double leg heel raises, my maximum heights were 14.5 cm R and 13 cm L (ATR)–so, a 1.5 cm deficiency in my injured leg. On my single leg heel raises, my maximum heights were 11.5 cm R and 10 cm L (ATR)–so, the same 1.5 cm deficiency. These were all done with knees kept straight, but I am to practice knee-bent heel raises as well–to work on my soleus muscles. I’ll post again after my OS appointment next week, but then will likely sign-off from regular posts–as normal life resumes. Take care, everyone!

6 Comments »

6 months: All Clear!*

Posted on September 10th, 2014 by davidk

Today is exactly 6 months since my ATR surgery and I feel like I’m nearly back to full strength and function. I’m not 100%, but close enough that I feel like I can now remove “Achilles recovery” from the number 1, 2, and 3 spots on my ongoing to-do list. At my weekly PT appointment yesterday my therapist gave me the Y-Balance Test (return to sport readiness) for the 2nd time. If interested, you can read more about this test on my blog entry from week 17 on July 10th, 2014. At that time (the 4-month mark) my results pinpointed a limitation in my active (bent knee) dorsiflexion and I’ve been focusing on that aspect of my recovery ever since. My test results today improved across the board, but most importantly in the area of weakness (anterior stretch) from my previous test. My injured leg continues to score higher (better) than my uninjured leg overall, but the difference is less (that’s good) and the between-the-legs differences in the different directions of the test are closer in alignment (also good) than before. All of this merely confirms what I already know and feel–that I’m fully ready to go back to sports and my PT concurs.

*The asterisk on my “all clear” refers to the fact that I don’t see my OS next until 3 weeks from now and will wait for the official word from him. But, at this point, I think it’s a formality. My activity is unhindered and my strength is nearing 100%. I rode my bike for 45 miles this past Sunday without any issues during or afterwards. I’ve been playing tennis now for the past month (limiting myself to doubles), but feeling like I could play singles. I continue to do stretching and heel raises (I can do reps of 30 single-leg heel raises at about 80% the height of my uninjured leg), but have otherwise significantly cut-back on my at-home PT. At my appointments, I feel as if my PT is running-out of things for me to do. Yesterday they had me do single-leg long jumps across a gym floor with the instruction to “stick the landing” each time. I did this on each leg–forwards and backwards. There’s only a slight difference noticeable between my legs and part of this is mental as I still have a little more confidence in my uninjured leg. My PT also places cones on the gym floor and has me run forwards, backwards, diagonally, and sideways with quick cuts at each cone–sometimes throwing a ball to me to catch and return at the same time. It’s a good agility workout for anyone, not just ATR patients, and I really don’t feel any difference between my two legs.

While my strength and function (including ROM) have been regained, I still experience some tightness in my Achilles and there remain telltale signs of my injury that will likely never completely go away. I still have a “fat tire” at the back of my ankle when compared to my uninjured leg–with a visible 3 inch “battle” scar from my open surgery. My affected leg’s calf girth remains 2 cm less than my other leg–although both have increased 3 cm since last measured at week 16 (now 38 and 40 cm, respectively). In all, it’s been a long road to recovery, but I’m very pleased with my progress and overall condition at this time. I’m also grateful for all the help I’ve received from my family, my OS, my PTs, my friends, and this blog community–I couldn’t have gotten to this point without all of it. The lessons I’ll take with me from PT going forward are to continue daily stretching and strength exercises and practice dynamic warm-up before sport and cool-down and stretch afterwards. There’s no guarantee this will prevent future injury, but I consider it an insurance premium worth paying to remain as active as possible as long as possible. The life lessons I’ll take with me are to be more patient, to not take my good health and mobility for granted and to be more understanding towards those less fortunate. I’ll post a follow-up note after my next OS visit and, hopefully, officially remove the asterisk from my preliminary “all clear” assessment. In the meantime, good luck and good healing to all of you!

9 Comments »

5-months: How time flies!

Posted on August 10th, 2014 by davidk

Today is exactly 5-months since my open ATR surgery. To mark the occasion, I played my first tennis match in as many months. In fact, I played doubles for 2 hours (3 sets) this morning and felt great! (I’m going to hold-off on singles, however, for a while–probably another month or two.) My game is clearly rusty, but I felt very confident in my Achilles and only pulled-up and/or let go a few shots that were wide or deep, but mine to go after. I bring this up because just a few months ago I was seriously questioning my return to tennis and sport in general for fear of re-rupture, but I have to say that that was not foremost on my mind today at all. So, for those of you at an earlier stage of recovery, I just want to let you know that not only will you physically heal, but as you do, your confidence will likely improve as well. I know it can be hard to see–especially when you’re hobbling around on crutches–but it will happen, so stay strong and keep up with your PT! Happy healing all!

12 Comments »

Week 21: Getting stronger…

Posted on August 7th, 2014 by davidk

Not much new to report. My recovery continues to move forward and I feel like my Achilles and calf muscles are getting stronger every day now. My PT sessions have switched to hopping on 1 foot (at the balance bar), resistance walking (forward, backwards, and sideways–using a bungee cord tied around my waist), and agility drills running forwards, backwards, and sideways–somewhat simulating tennis situations. As I tell my PTs, this is far more satisfying than writing the alphabet with my toes–how far I’ve come! At home, I’ve begun light running this week and am alternating this with bike rides every other day. Tuesday and today (Thursday) I took a 13 mile bike ride in just under an hour. Wednesday I ran just over a mile, in 3 parts. There’s a park near my house with a paved path around it that’s just over a third of a mile. I’ve been alternating running and walking loops. On Monday I did two loops each (running and walking), while yesterday I did three–as Norm counsels, it’s all about incrementalism to avoid painful setbacks. This weekend I have plans to get back on the tennis court for a friendly doubles match, which I’m really looking forward to. I know everyone heals at a different pace and, after a slow start, I seem to be on the faster side now. I hope everyone gets to experience a fast “leg” at some point during their recovery. Next week is my 5-month mark (hard to believe!) and I anticipate reducing the frequency of my posts to monthly thereafter–hopefully, it’s all good news from here on out!

5 Comments »

Week 20: Back on the tennis court!

Posted on July 31st, 2014 by davidk

I had my 20 week follow-up visit with my OS this week. It lasted all of 10 minutes–max. He asked me how I was doing and I said “good, although my dorsiflexion ROM was still tight”. He had me show him my ROM and he thought it looked excellent. At this stage, minimally tight dorsiflexion does not concern him at all–he would be concerned if it was too loose (i.e. healing “long”). Then he had me show him my single-leg heel raises and he seemed pleased. Finally, he said he had reviewed a report from my PT and said I was ready to ease back into sports which, for me, is tennis. He said go slow and start by just hitting and, later, playing some doubles. Wow! He wants to see me again in 2 months to, hopefully, confirm that I’m back to my old form–that would be great!

That was two days ago. Today I arranged to hit balls with a friend–I was both excited and a little apprehensive. Overall, it felt really good. I was pretty careful not to chase after wide balls and we only played for an hour. My strokes were, not surprisingly, rusty. However, this was a major milestone–to move back to both the scene of the crime (my ATR) and the sport I love. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of getting totally back to normal–it seems achievable now!

9 Comments »

Week 19: In the Red Zone

Posted on July 24th, 2014 by davidk

Life is pretty good at this stage, but I feel like a football (American) team in the red zone where progress becomes much more difficult. I walk without a limp and my push-off strength is good. I can cycle reasonably long distances (I did another 30 mile bike ride this week) at nearly full strength. I’m up to 25 single heel raises, but my height is lacking–still only about 2/3 of my good leg, and that’s probably only the first 10. At PT I continue to focus on single heel raises, balance, stretching, and slightly more aggressive and light-impact movement: shuttle jumping, light (real) jumping, skipping, and side-shuffles. My main physical challenge now remains improving my dorsiflexion ROM, particularly with knee bent–this is still quite tight. My main mental challenge is to stay motivated to continue to work on my PT at home. At about 85% (my subjective measure) of my pre-ATR condition, the payback from PT seems a little less compelling and I’ve been letting it slide. On the positive side, my PT took some measurements today on my range of motion and I’ve added 5 degrees over the past 3 weeks: I now have 8 degrees (up from 6) of dorsiflexion and 52 degrees (up from 49) of plantarflexion–for a total of 60 degrees (up from 55). Next week I have my 20 week follow-up with my OS; I’m hoping for clearance to step things up a bit and get back on the tennis court at least for some hitting. I think I’m ready.

7 Comments »

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  • Recent Comments

  • donna | April 9th, 2015 | 10:35 am

    Thanks to both of you for the responses…you know that feeling when you just need someone to say…the day will come when…YAY that.

    Today I’ve been up for 3 hours and sitting or walking around the house it feels just like the uninjured one! Of course I’m off to go for a walk and to the gym shortly and I expect some sensation will return…I’m glad you guys mentioned that it is really gradual…so subtle you almost miss it, that’s good for me to know.

    Herewegoagain…great minds think alike comes to mind…LOL…just yesterday I found a bosun ball in the supply closet at my gym and I tried to do some simple balance things on it…it was a challenge! I love to be challenged…I never thought to do my upper body work on it! Great idea…I use free weights for bi’s, tris, etc and am going to try some of them on the ball today…I love a challenge…I’m so excited.

    Thanks again to both of you.

  • herewegoagain | April 9th, 2015 | 10:17 am

    Donna- like David I can’t really recall the time when I completely forgot about the tendon but 6 months sounds about right. It does sound like you are getting close. I still have the odd day when I have pushed harder and my gait goes off just ever so slightly.
    So glad the balance stuff is working for you- I have moved onto a bosu ball and am trying to do the same exercises on that, as well as standing on the bosu for all upper body gym work.
    Sharing tips is one of the great things I have taken from this blog so am happy to have added something helpful!
    all the best

  • davidk | April 8th, 2015 | 10:57 am

    All, thanks for all the kind words; I had kind of forgotten how positive and uplifting this site/community can be.

    Donna, I had to review my own blog history to answer your question, but even so I don’t have a definitive answer. At 6 months, while I was completely healed and back to full activity/sports, I did write that I still felt a lingering “tightness” in my Achilles (I recall it being most noticeable immediately after getting up in the morning). My next relevant post wasn’t until 10 months when there were no such lingering issues. However, based on recollection (as flawed as that may be), I would say it was somewhere around 7 months that I stopped noticing the tendon completely. It’s hard to pinpoint because it’s such a gradual process that you don’t really notice it at the time. It’s only much later when you observe that you haven’t been “feeling” your Achilles anymore. But that’s OK; in fact, I think that’s a good thing! Best wishes to you–you’re nearly there.
    -David

  • donna | April 8th, 2015 | 10:33 am

    David…herewegoagain…or anyone really I was wondering if you could share the approximate time range that you stopped noticing the tendon…at 22 weeks tomorrow I’ve had a few days here and there or more like moments in a day where I forget the injury because I can’t feel it while just sitting and moving it around or walking…in other words it feels like the unrepaired side…thanks in advance!

    Herewegoagain…you had mentioned the walking backwards up the steps and I love that practice…I’m getting smoother and smoother at it…didn’t realize you got it from DavidK…YAY that.

    Also, for others herewegoagain has a great set of what for me are fun and challenging balancing practices on her blog you can easily do at home…I’ve now mastered all of them and made up a few more of my own…balance is something we can so easily work at at home…I often do them while in the kitchen waiting for something to cook…I took them up at around 12 weeks.

  • herewegoagain | April 8th, 2015 | 9:53 am

    So great to hear all is still going well David, you have worked so hard that it would have been a total shock if you had experienced anything less than a full recovery.

    I think constantly working on stretching and strengthening is key. I let work take over my life for a short spell and thought it would be OK if I took a break, my second ATR was proof that it wasn’t the smartest move.

    I think if you when I am taking your advice and walking up and down the stairs backwards- great tip!

    Glad you will be continuing to offer advice, you have lots of great things to share.

  • jeff1 | April 6th, 2015 | 9:12 am

    Success stories are always great. I’m at a year and 4 months and am starting to see the light. Thanks for your post

  • hongkongexpat | April 4th, 2015 | 11:16 pm

    Great work and all the best for your active future! Thanks for sharing.

  • skelonas | April 4th, 2015 | 6:44 pm

    Awesome! Well done, and thanks for taking the time to give us all some inspiration. “work hard at your recovery so you can come out even stronger than before–it is possible.” I Love this - definitely my goal and so great to hear it’s possible from someone who has put in the work and gotten there. Thanks so much!

  • glenskieus | April 4th, 2015 | 5:47 pm

    Thanks David :)
    Appreciate much..very little people comeback here and give advice after they heal ATR. It gives inspiration to the unlucky new comer..Cheers!

  • herewegoagain | January 31st, 2015 | 12:52 am

    Hi David, it sounds like your recovery is complete and that is fantastic! I am 5+ months and also doing well. Also have begun to forget that I was injured. Hope you get lots of snow!

  • jeffk58 | January 26th, 2015 | 4:10 pm

    David - all good stuff! I am just beginning the road back to tennis. Started with my usual doubles group last week and everything felt good - although I am trying very hard to not chase down every shot. I have found the return to skiing pretty easy - especially once I had a boot fitter work a bit on my boots to accommodate my slightly “bulkier” Achilles. Congrats on your recovery and have a great time skiing - you were an inspiration for me the whole way!

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  • normofthenorth | January 24th, 2015 | 8:13 pm

    And don’t forget that Whistler is amazing — and ~20% less expensive for Yanks now that the Cdn$ has sunk from ~$1 to ~$0.80! It could use a bit more snow this season, but there’s still good coverage, despite today’s ~24 hours of solid rain all the way to the peaks, a mile above the village. If it had been a few degrees cooler, this storm would have been EPIC!!
    Wifey and I skipped the ski day today (and I NEVER do that!), but our ski-instructor pal / house-guest skied all afternoon and says we missed some good stuff. Tomorrow. Neither ATR has been a factor in my skiing since ~4 months in — not that every OTHER part of my body is perfect! ;-)

  • cardiojunkie | January 23rd, 2015 | 6:36 pm

    DavidK - I remember your post about ATR Recovery Full Accounting. Most of my surgery-related bills had come in at the time of your post and I remember thinking that my cost (taking medical insurance into consideration) was very close to yours. Anyway, from what you’re saying it sounds like I am going to have to work continue working on heel raises in the coming months to get the rest of my calf back. I’m still trying to decide on Colorado or Tahoe for my next ski trip. Good luck and Enjoy skiing!

  • ckotro | January 23rd, 2015 | 5:47 pm

    That a boy! Good work! Hey, I’m in Utah. Not sure where you are planning to ski but if you’re coming out here, message me and I’ll give you all the good spots to ski, eat, etc…. Congrats!

  • goldman | November 23rd, 2014 | 10:57 am

    Hi David, I haven’t been on A-blog much the past few months. Was curious how some of the “class of early 2014″, so to speak, was Doing. I like your accounting post… Will try to find my receipts and add it up. Should be a good comparison because we got injured within a few short weeks of each other. Best.-Jon

  • davidk | October 19th, 2014 | 9:53 pm

    Heeling, I have no objection to you saving my figures for future reference. I was curious about the cost since I have no reference points myself. If some others share their own recovery expenses, it would be interesting to compare.

    Herewegoagain, I agree completely! Although totally different, this experience does remind me a little of airline seat pricing. When traveling on a plane (alone), if you were to ask the people sitting on your immediate left and right what they paid for their ticket, you would likely end up with three (including your own) different prices for essentially the same good.

  • herewegoagain | October 19th, 2014 | 8:20 pm

    That is a staggeringly high cost and the discounting process is a little bewildering!

  • heeling | October 19th, 2014 | 11:41 am

    davidk - this is fascinating to someone like me who comes from a country where we never get a medical bill ever. We moan about our healthcare system (and believe me, depending on where you are/what you need, it does have shortcomings) but stressing about how to pay or whether the insurance company will cover the costs never comes into the equation (unless for some reason, you decide your care is so woeful, you will go privately). I’ve actually already booked my first PT session privately, which will start at week 4 after my injury (non-operative route) because I don’t trust the NHS system to give me an appointment until way after that. However the cost of that appointment is only about $75, so I think I can handle 2-3 of these and then hopefully the NHS ones will kick in. I did pay about $100 to hire a knee scooter, but so far only a few days in, that seems to be worth the money.
    If you don’t have any objection I will keep this costing for future reference: I’m a medical journalist and once I get more recovered am hoping to write an article on the whole surgery versus non-operative recovery controversy. I agree that given the huge

    [...]
  • dcoughlan | October 18th, 2014 | 2:53 am

    Very interesting! Makes you wonder just how inflated these numbers are… I stopped in my medical center’s accounting office to pay my bill the other day and it initially didn’t even occur to me to ask for a discount — until the receptionist asked me “how much would you like to pay today?”

    I responded that I would pay 80% that day if it meant we could close out the account, and they accepted. I thought I got a good deal but it looks like I left another 10% on the table!

  • normofthenorth | October 17th, 2014 | 12:59 am

    Interesting stuff! Good luck skipping the second one!

  • herewegoagain | October 2nd, 2014 | 11:03 am

    Congratulations David! Fantastic news indeed.

  • pegleg | October 2nd, 2014 | 7:58 am

    Yayhhhhhhhh how happy must you feel. Your dedication to PT has certainly paid of, how I hope I am in the same place in 1.5 months time

  • normofthenorth | September 30th, 2014 | 10:36 pm

    Various kinds of walking backwards are useful and challenging exercises — way TOO challenging in early stages of recovery. I still walk backwards on hilly roads from time to time. Never tried the stairs though…

  • normofthenorth | September 30th, 2014 | 10:30 pm

    Excellent, and congrats!

  • atr2014 | September 30th, 2014 | 7:08 pm

    Very happy for you! Can’t wait until I am given the all clear from my OS! Congrats and thank you for sharing.

  • jeffk58 | September 30th, 2014 | 3:01 pm

    Congratulations on your recovery! I am almost there. Do not disappear from this site, as I think you have been an inspiration to many with your recovery and good insight and advice.

  • davidk | September 30th, 2014 | 2:45 pm

    I forgot to mention a couple of little things I’m still doing to help my overall recovery at this late stage–both on the advice of my PT: 1) I purchased a foam roller (the Muscle Mauler, but any kind will do) that I use daily along with my stretching–it’s like a self-massage and can be used on nearly every part of your body to loosen-up tight muscles (calves, hamstrings, IT bands, back, etc.), and 2) I now regularly (although not all the time) walk up and down the stairs backwards–it seems weird and is awkward at first, but it’s actually a very good exercise for your lower extremities–including your Achilles.

  • snafu | September 30th, 2014 | 1:54 pm

    Well, this is just wonderful! I’m so glad you can drop the asterix from ‘All Clear’!

  • sporti | September 29th, 2014 | 10:07 am

    Hi David. It has been quite some time since I’ve logged on, but great to see your update! I’m beyond impressed with the % return of strength in your injured calf at this point. When looking at the overall “general” timeline of ±1 year for full recovery, you are far ahead of the game IMO. Congratulations!

  • nosport45 | September 28th, 2014 | 4:17 am

    Congratulations!! Wishing you well and thanks for all your support and advice. Would be nice to read your posts in the future , even if they’re not as frequent. Enjoy the tennis.

  • herewegoagain | September 24th, 2014 | 7:25 pm

    Congratulations! I have to agree that ATR is traumatic but also felt it made me stronger and thats not such a bad thing. Enjoy every minute of normal life!!

  • gocanes123 | September 24th, 2014 | 8:50 am

    Congrats David!

  • atr2014 | September 24th, 2014 | 7:16 am

    Congratulations!!!! Even though you have been “signed off”, I hope you return from time to time (other than after you meet with your OS) to keep us updated on you are fairing in the real world.

  • snafu | September 24th, 2014 | 4:50 am

    Congratulations *davidk* - I dream of being ’signed off’, and normal life resuming! It is great too that you have taken something positive away from the whole experience.

  • normofthenorth | September 18th, 2014 | 1:15 pm

    All great! Quicker than either of my ATR recoveries, too! Good luck skipping the other one, too.

  • davidk | September 16th, 2014 | 7:30 pm

    David, thanks for your comments. This ATR was my first significant injury and resulted in my first surgery. The incident was devastating to me and I felt, initially, unprepared for dealing with the enormity of it all. However, I think you’re correct that, at this point, I have grown stronger in many ways and count that as the silver lining in my ATR. Sometimes you don’t know how strong you are until adversity tests you. -David (too!)

  • David | September 16th, 2014 | 3:44 pm

    Sounds like you’ve grown across the board — both physically and mentally. Inspiration for everyone to treat this injury as an opportunity to better themselves. Congrats on all your success!

  • davidk | September 13th, 2014 | 2:53 pm

    Thanks to all for your kind words! It is very nice (an understatement) to be able to come back from this injury relatively unscathed. 5 months ago I really couldn’t foresee this good of an outcome, this early. I am very, very grateful! I played tennis for 2 1/2 hours this morning and didn’t hold back at all and felt great. I wish you all the same satisfying recovery! -David

  • Pegleg | September 11th, 2014 | 2:39 am

    Wow, wow, WOW!!!! That all sounds brilliant - huge well done :-)

    I have followed you with great interest and to read this news is both uplifting and exciting!! I can totally relate to the targets, measurements and exercises you have been doing and can only hope that with hard work and diligence I will find myself at the same point in another two months.

    Great work and looking forward to your removal of the *****!

  • Herewegoagain | September 10th, 2014 | 12:09 pm

    Fantastic news!
    Congratulations you must be thrilled……there are no guarantees with anything in life but to keep following the strengthening and stretching will be a smart move.

  • mags11 | September 10th, 2014 | 11:33 am

    Congrats - what a huge milestone!

  • davidk | September 10th, 2014 | 11:08 am

    Jeff, good to hear you’re also progressing nicely. I agree with you completely on cycling, and I also credit regular riding (perhaps not as much as you are doing) to rebuilding my strength. I also just signed-up for USTA league tennis again and am excited to get back into competitive tennis. Keep up the good work and I’m sure you’ll be fully recovered soon. -David

  • jeffk58 | September 10th, 2014 | 10:28 am

    Good stuff David - congratulations! I am right behind you - have just started to get back on the court - have clearance to hit off the backboard. For me, bike riding has been the key to my recovery. Since I got the green light to ride in July at the 4 month mark, I have averaged about 100 miles per week and have done 3 rides over 80 miles. I believe this has been the biggest factor in my rehab. Hope all continues to go well for you!

  • davidk | August 12th, 2014 | 4:03 pm

    anniel, I’ve been back on the courts only twice now, once just to hit balls with a friend, and once to play doubles. The first time out I was tentative, but not worried. The second time I felt quite confident, actually. I feel like my injured calf is back to 85-90% strength at this time. I also think some of it was the comfort of doubles and knowing I didn’t have to cover the whole court–I told my partner he was responsible for 3/4 of the court :-). Now I am quite anxious to get back out there again as I have missed it a lot. I had PT today and they told me to keep playing–just hold off on singles for now. -David

  • anniel | August 12th, 2014 | 2:31 pm

    :) i have been following your progress but didn’t feel like posting for a while - though hadn’t realized how long it had actually been (but i have now done a week 24 post)… been having lessons, ending them with a bit of a game, but still a bit tentative about running to things… it is good having a racquet in hand though isn’t it - so you didn’t feel too worried then?