delia1951’s AchillesBlog

Hi all, well it’s now 4 weeks post op and I saw my doctor yesterday. I was able to convince him to put me in the Vacocast Pro achilles boot which he had never heard of. He was willing to give it a try and I’ve been very lucky that the people at Oped Vacocast UK have been so helpful and on call for any questions.
My muscle is very atrophied from the 2 weeks prior to surgery and the past 4 weeks. I can walk in the boot although I am positioned at full Equinus position( toes pointed down) which means that I have a large wedge attached to the boot to keep the foot in position. This means of course that I have complete imbalance as my legs are two different heights. Has anyone used the Pro achilles boot and if so any tips on using it in this position. I am still using the crutches to keep my balance but would welcome any tips to help me try to ditch them.

I have a stall shower and added a little plastic stepstool with a slab of closed-cell foam on top. I crutched into the shower, sat on the stool, then leaned my crutches against the outside of the shower. Early, before FWB, I wrapped my boot in a garbage bag with an elastic-and-Velcro strap at the top. (I’ve had professional covers too, but this worked fine.) I usually put in a piece of chamois cloth just in case some water seeped in.
After FWB, I took off the boot and left it outside the shower. Had another padded stool outside the shower, at the sink. Crutching from the shower to the outside stool barefoot (on wet surfaces) was nervous-making, but it went OK. An alternative might be to have a towel within reach, dry the leg and put the boot on, all still in the shower.
It’s all a nuisance, but getting to wash your body — including that leg! — is worth it!

Thank you David

Delia, I was immobilized (splint then cast) for just 4 weeks, but I think much of my experience will still be relevant to you. In general, when your cast is removed, you will be surprised at how much your calf muscles have atrophied from disuse. Don’t be disheartened–they will come back! Your foot will be weak and seem useless for a while. You will feel vulnerable out of your boot, but you should start doing gentle ROM exercises (while seated) to begin re-awakening and strengthening your foot and ankle muscles.

To your specific questions: 1) You do want something to elevate your good leg to the same height as your booted one. Lifts would help, but they won’t compensate for the added height of the boot itself. I used an Evenup shoe device and would highly recommend (available on Amazon for ~$29)–it attaches to the bottom of your shoe on your good foot. 2) With your crutches supporting most of your weight, you can experiment with putting differing amounts of partial weight on your booted foot (PWB). Splay the crutch legs out wider to lessen their support and add weight to your booted foot. Pay attention to your gait and roll from