Achilles Tendon Hell

Well it has been a week now since i was released from the boot. The first few days were very weird and felt unstable. TO use the word walk is not right so i need to sue the word HOBBLE. I found it really weird at first and kept walking with my leg sticking out. I listened to what fellow sufferers advised me and its worked. If i concentrate i can pretty much walk with it straight now but as i get tired towards the end of work it does lapse a bit. My hobble is not as bad as it was 7 days ago so i suppose there is slight improvement. As of yet i have had no physio due tot he surgeon saying i don’t need any yet and just to get walking. I am now at the point i think i need some. It is really stiff at times and i am scared to do my own stretches in case i do more harm than good. I have tried self massage techniques around the area but i don’t really think i am making much difference.

So I am going to seek a private physio session or two before Christmas to see if i can get some advice or improvement. I’ll keep you posted.

Filed under: FWB | 3 Comments »

I have done my first full day at work today after 10 week off. Luckily the majority of my job is office based. I hobbled around the large office quite well really with no crutch or boot on. I used trainers with the last remaining heel strip inside the right foot. I do feel that is its very slowly loosening off but I mean slowly. The problem i feel now is that to compensated for my hobble I am out turning my right leg. Did anyone else suffer with this and is it common? I feel like I don’t and wont for a while have the natural rolling of the foot from heel to toe, If it is how long does it take to correct itself.

Filed under: Walking Boot | 6 Comments »

I don’t officially come fully out of the walking boot until another 5 days, but i have been walking around the house and have also been a walk around the block. I first walked around the house with no crutches at all with the heel insert just in my sock and did this for 2-3 days. Then i tried walking around the house in my shoes with the heel insert in that. Finally yesterday I have been out the house with my shoes on as well but with the help of one crutch. The first walk took an eternity to cover such a short distance but i was careful and din tot have any real pain. My Achilles area is very tight ands stiff and this again makes me think I should get physio even though my orthopedic surgeon said I would do need one. I have used the word ‘walk’ loosely here when actually if far more of an hobble than a walk.

I also took my very first ’standing’ shower for 10 weeks today which was amazing. I had been showering by sitting on a stool in the shower because of the fear of slipping. I stood with my bad led slightly outstretched and towards the end i could feel it aching near my scar but it was well worth it. After i sat down for 5 minutes later the ache had gone.

Filed under: Walking Boot | 4 Comments »

I have not been on here or posted for 4 weeks. To be honest I got a bit fed up of computers, Internet etc but i think it was getting to me as it was the only thing i could do so i decided to steer clear of it all for a while. Anyway the consultant decided to keep me in my boot for another 10 days to see of the last 4 heel strips over the 10 days, then i go into my shoe. Drive after 2 weeks of coming out of boot, further appointment at the end of Jan to check progress……………but no Physio.

I am worried about the no physio. He said i should be OK just getting my use back by walking. This seems to contradict everything I have ever read about physio. Every other blogger says how important the physio is…..

Filed under: Walking Boot | 8 Comments »

I had my first bath since my ATR, I know I am really lucky as I am only 3 weeks 3 days post op. My surgeon fitted me with a boot after 2 weeks post op. I am not really a ‘bath’ person as I mainly have showers.

But this bath was sheer bliss…………and the ankle area felt so much better after.

Filed under: Post OP, Walking Boot | 3 Comments »

Well I have had my walking boot for 8 days now and so far so good. I have seen small progress in only a week which I am very pleased with. I take the boot off 3 times a day for a couple of hours each time. I wiggle and curl up my toes 5 or 6  times each occasion. I have also got full motion side to side with my ankle. I can walk with the help of my crutches well now but only around the house. I roll the foot heel to toe and this seems to work good. I can also get up and down the stairs now with using the ATR foot but i still support 90% of the weight with the crutches. I have peeled one strip of the heel insert so far to lower the angle but so far I have not had any pain.

The highlight of the week for me was showering. It was the first time in a month that i could take a shower with out me having a cast cover on or with my leg sticking out of the shower cubicle. I still use a stool to sit on in the shower as I am not confident of standing on one leg for too long. I sat in the shower for over 10 minutes the first time and it was bliss, to feel the water running around my ATR leg and ankle was really refreshing.

I

Filed under: Walking Boot | 5 Comments »

My new achillesblog.com custom t-shirt has arrived all the way from the states. When choosing the shirt i decided to customize it a little. I decided to vastly enlarge the logo to fill the front of the shirt instead of the normal small one.

The website did advise me that the picture cold be pixelated and they would not accept responsibility for this, so i thought what the hell and took the chance. I think you’ll from the pictures it looks very good. I had the normal logo on the back but added my blog url to it.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

As you know us ATR sufferers have plenty of time on out hands. So I thought i take photos of my boot and it’s inners for all those ATR people who never get to use a boot for one reason or another. As you can see in the photos I have two heel inserts to start with and I slowly tear off one of the ridges each week, Some of my pictures are not fully visible by the thumbnail but if you click on the picture it opens in full.

Filed under: Walking Boot | No Comments »

First of all I’d like to thank everyone who has took the time to reply to my last post regarding the boot.

My first two days have been quite different. On the first day i was so scared to even put my foot to the ground let alone put any weight on it. I tried several times to do it but kept stopping. On the evening i took the boot off foe the first time since i had been fitted. It was a bit of a effort to get all the Velcro straps off and then the foot out. I took the inner sock fitting as well and it felt great to have fresh hair on my leg. Even though it is nearly 4 week since ATR my calf muscle had completed wasted.

I went to bed that night and did not sleep to well. I had a burning/sting sensation at my lower calf. I think it was a combination of me being out of the boot too long and also having the Velcro straps to tight. I loosened the straps of in the night and did go back to sleep but it woke me again early morning.

Now yesterday i did put my foot to the floor and did walk on the boot lightly and slowly around the downstairs of the house, mainly to the kitchen and back. It did hurt slightly but not around the achilles more of the out ankle. I took boot off again but only for on hour today and managed to get my toes wiggling a bit but my big toe is not to free at the moment. I left the boot a little looser and slept much better that night.

Today has been good. I have walked with a little heel to toe movement and slight WB but my crutches doing the most work. Again the pain is in the outer ankle and not in the achilles so i know my heel inserts are doing their job. I took the boot off again for an hour and got my full movement back in my toes, to the point where i can now curl them up. I l noticed dry skin on my leg so lightly massaged moisturiser into then and also did a little light massage on my calf with no pain. I light rubbed the swollen ankle as well. I then sat for 30 minutes moving my foot side to side and getting some little movement back in my ankle. I was surprised to how quick it came back. When i eventually put the boot back on my ankle are felt so much better and it felt more comfortable when i did slight heel to toe walking after. I am really pleased with the little progress in my ankle today and will start icing the selling the weekend to try and help my ankle movement ease even more.

Going to bed now an hoping for a good nights sleep.

Filed under: Walking Boot | 2 Comments »

As you may have read in my previous post I was put into a walking boot yesterday after my two week post op visit. I can take it off and shower but not bath for another week, I have heels in the boot which i need to strip off layers over the next six weeks. I have not tried yet to put any weight on it as i am scared. I have took the boot off today to clean up some dried blood around the scar and my leg felt lost without anything on it. I left it off for 3 hours with raised on the sofa and it felt great to have fresh air around it although the leg in general felt very weak. I have been given no other information and feel lost now as what to do for the best. I am going to ask a few questions below and hope some of you will take the time to answer some of them for me to help me out.

1. In the boot are TWO heel inserts, i have been told to take one strip off each week to gradually lower the heel, each heel insert has 5 strips, making 10 strips in total. I have six weeks before i go back. Can anyone advise on this?
2. What should i be aiming for say, week one, week two week three and so on?
3. Should i be putting any form of weight on it yet, its only 2 weeks post op?
4. When i have the boot off, can i massage the calf, rub moisturizing cream in my leg ( not scar area)
5. Should i be icing or using heat now? I don’t really have much swelling.
6. If i have the boot off, should i be moving my toes or moving the ankle from side to side?
7. How soon did you take the boot off to sleep in, as i am not comfortable with this yet?
8. On any of the above does anyone have any good time lines?

I am a little paranoid at the moment as i never expected to have the boot so soon. Any advise other than above will be really helpful as well.

Thanks in Advance.

Filed under: Walking Boot | 6 Comments »

Well i went back to see my consultant today and actually saw my scar for the first time. The surgeon said that the operation went to plan and was a straight forward repair. He examined my scar and said it was healing fine and that i could take a shower now and a bath next week……………???? This completely threw me as I was expecting to be in plaster cast for at least another 4 weeks. He then went onto to tell me that I was going to go straight into a walking boot…………………!!

Well this completely shocked me and all the questions I had planned to ask had now gone out the window. The stitches are dissolving and the remains that are sticking out will go when i have a shower/bath.  He explained to me how the boot process worked with the heels and how i was to take one layer out each week. He then booked me another appointment to come back in six weeks for another check up.

I was gobsmacked how my calf had deteriorated in only 3 weeks, it just sagged from my leg and I was really gutted. I had expected it but i think the reality was still a shock. I got off the bed and was amazed how limp my leg felt now as it swayed while i took the short journey to the cast room. I Think It was just the feeling of having a weight Free leg with no cast but it did feel weird.

The guy in the cast room then showed me how to fit the boot and heels, he then fitted it for me and let me go. I was still in shock walking out with this walking boot after expecting plaster cast for 4 weeks. I now feel a little disappointed because i did not get to ask many questions about time, exercise, can and can’t do etc. He also told me that once i was comfortable with boot that i could take it off at night to sleep. He told me also to start putting the foot to the floor now and start walking with my crutches putting small amounts of weight on it at at a time. All this was a bit too much for me and I feel now i need to know more as I am not currently confident to do this.

I have more questions, I need more answers, I need more confidence. I feel that I was not prepared for this and can’t imagine how i should start using the boot directly yet. I have read others use the boot after two weeks but never thought I would.

I will have lots of questions for you lot now………………!!

Other pictures available here.

Filed under: Walking Boot | 34 Comments »

I go back to hospital tomorrow for my visit to my consultant. It will be 14 days since my operation. To be honest i have mixed feelings about the visit. I want to know how my leg is healing and to make sure everything is moving in the right direction. I was told very little information after my op and the nurse in charge did not give away too much either. But, I suppose like everyone else on here I and a little nervous to find out whats going on inside my cast.

I have, I think, been doing ok so far. I have had very little pain since day 2 of the operation and have been sitting with my leg up all the while. I have slept very well considering and I have even managed a couple of ’seated showers’ with my waterproof cast protector on. The last couple of days I have had a twitching around the scar area which i can only describe as the feeling I have had before when stitches are ready to come out. Even in three weeks my leg has lots a lot of muscle tome in the quad and the temporary half casting I have had since the op is much looser now.

I hope tomorrow is good news and it will srart me off onto another 6-12 weeks of recovery and I will be keeping my fingers crossed as much as I can. I will also try and get some photos of the leg if I get chance so I can put on here.

Filed under: Post OP, Uncategorized | No Comments »

I keep reading people who mention Ice and rest, Ok, I understand the rest side of things bit not the ICE? I am nearly two weeks post op and i have a half cast on my leg that runs down the back of my leg, under my heel to my toes.

My confusion here is how can you possibly ice your leg when its in plaster? Or are people referring to icing treatment once there plaster cast is off?

Filed under: Post OP, Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

I was never told what they had put my wound back together with after my op. I have read and seen pictures on here of both. I have stitches in wounds before and always had the itching/tugging feeling a few days before they are due to come out and I am  getting that now. I go back on Monday for my first post op consultation and I guess I find out then.

One thing I have not read about though is dissolving stitches being used in the main wound, I know they use them on the internal stitching but have not read anywhere if they are use on the external. Has anyone had this?

Filed under: Post OP | 21 Comments »