Some of my friends are renting out a court on Wednesday nights, and I’ve started playing basketball again. I’ve played three times so far, and it’s been great! However, I’ve been taking it easy on both ends of the court. I don’t think I can go “all out” yet, so I’ve been happily running back and forth playing team ball and taking set shots when I am wide open. I used to love slashing to the hoop, and I don’t do that.. yet. Since I don’t back peddle any more, my defense has suffered too. And I never cared for rebounding anyway, so not much has changed there. 
All things considered, I am more than happy that I am able to do this 8 months into the recovery.
My wind is definitely there, and my achilles is doing fine. However, my knees are bothering me and I think that is what is keeping me from doing more on the court. Looks like I have to go see an orthopedist about my knees, but if he/she recommends surgery, I probably will decline and stick to sports that are less taxing on my knees. My knees felt okay playing tennis, so I might just stick with that. Well.. we’ll see, I’ll do what’s best for my long term health.
So do I feel like my achilles is 100% by now? No, and I don’t think it’ll feel 100% for a few more months. I’ve heard from others that it may even take longer to feel 100%. It’s almost like nursing a mildly sprained ankle for a long time. It feels okay to move around, it’s a little sore at times, and I baby it a bit. But I don’t limp any more, and my knees are more of a concern than than my achilles now.
It was a beautiful day today. I jogged along the Hudson river about a mile to the gym, worked out for about an hour, and jogged/walked back home. I am starting to do more leg exercises in hopes of strengthening my knees.
As a side note, it looks like Elton Brand (NBA player who came back from an Achilles rupture last year.) signed a five-year, $79.8 million deal with the Sixers. Go Elton! http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2008/10/11/2008-10-11_elton_brand_boosts_76ers_character_and_c.html
32 responses so far ↓
1 hilary13 // Oct 12, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Dennis,
Fantastic progress! I love hearing that you are back playing sports you enjoyed before the ATR. And jogging too…it gives me great hope and helps ease the anxieties of early weight bearing, the stage I am at now.
I can walk around the house rather tentatively without the crutches for a few minutes at a time, and I think the knee walker has almost served it’s purpose. Will post soon, still feeling my way a little…still watching the wound rather obsessively after all that. Btw, did you ever experience a feeling like you could actually feel the repaired area (stitches) as a lump under the scar at this early stage (essentially 4 weeks from my last surgery)? I recall you having some scar issues, so thought I would ask…
take care with your knees (i’ve had one fixed due to a mogul too many) and keep up your great progress!
hilary13
2 brendan // Oct 12, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Wow Dennis..congrats on getting back on the court. I have to say this time has really flown in hindsight. Guys on my team have been asking about my status at winter league this year, and I’m out for sure. Just can’t afford another injury for my families sake. I have been playing quite a bit of golf…trying to get back to scratch. Walking 18 with a bag still tires my leg out pretty good…I’m with you, still have some time before 100% again. Good to hear from you. Cheers!
3 walshie // Oct 12, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Nice job Dennis! I still cant believe youre playing hoops..wow..something to look forward too!
4 Smish // Oct 13, 2008 at 8:17 am
Dennis: I have read about a lot of people who are 6 or 9 or 12 months post-op out doing the wonderful things you are doing. (Congratulations by the way) My question is about your pain level since I am trying to gauge what might be a normal pain level. You mentioned you felt like you were nursing a mildly sprained ankle for a long time. Is that a reference to your pain level? Does your ruptured leg ever feel like your un-ruptured leg? Do you still have times where you really feel some pain? This is also a question for anybody else out there that is at the same point Dennis is at. Thanks.
5 dennis // Oct 13, 2008 at 10:29 am
Hilary13 - thanks, and regarding your question about the lump. The bottom part of my scar (right above the heel) there is a bit of a protrusion that’s been there since day 1. Other than that though, all the other bumps are scars, not bumps actually on the tendon.
Brendan - Glad to hear back from you, and it’s great that you are out there playing golf. Looking forward to reading your posts!
Walshie - thanks! I am not quite 100% yet, but I am getting there.
Smish - When I’ve really pushed it on my achilles, there is this dull soreness in my achilles. I am not sure if this is the good kind of pain where your body is healing and getting stronger, or the other kind. I’ve taken to just resting my achilles when this happens. (Typically after basketball) It does go away after several days. Other than that I don’t think about my achilles as much. I don’t think it’ll feel like my good achilles for a while. However, it feels pretty good, and I am able to be very active.
6 annieh // Oct 13, 2008 at 10:30 am
Congratulations Dennis, very pleased for you.
It is so good to see people getting back to as near normal as possible.
Annie
7 catnboot // Oct 13, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Wow! Hearing that you are back to playing basketball is soooo encouraging. It says to those of us at the earlier stages of recovery that it is possible - that maybe we too will be able to get back to normal life. I want to thank you for creating this site. I can’t tell you how helpful it has been to me. Catherine
8 dennis // Oct 13, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Annie - Thanks for your comment! We’ll all get back to normal in due time.
catnboot - thanks, glad that the site has been helpful. It’s been a great source of support for me, especially in the early stages of the recovery. We’ll all get back to normalcy in due time!
9 tennisjunkie // Oct 13, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Awesome! Glad to hear about the progress you have made at 35 weeks.
10 dennis // Oct 13, 2008 at 11:14 pm
tennisjunkie - thanks! You are approaching your 6 month mark in a couple of weeks right? How’s it going, and how was your vacation? Any pictures from the trip?
11 Tom // Oct 14, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Dennis - Fabulous job getting back on the court. And, it sounds like you’re doing it wisely by taking it slow. You’ll be slashing to the hoop in no time. Keep up the good work.
12 dennis // Oct 14, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Tom - thanks! It’s been a long road, but it’s getting easier and easier. Btw, are you back to playing volleyball?
13 Tom // Oct 14, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Dennis - No volleyball yet. I’ll probably wait until the winter leagues start up after the first of the year. At this point I feel I could “play”, but not close to the level I’m used to playing. I tend to be a bit competitive and would probably get frustrated with myself if I tried to play right now. For now I’ll keep trying to regain my calf strength.
14 matts // Oct 14, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Dennis, great job my friend!!
15 Jim // Oct 15, 2008 at 4:51 am
Great to hear Dennis. I just passed the 7 month mark. I have been hammering my calf in the gym, running on the hamster wheel (treadmill) and hiking a bunch. I too do not feel near 100%, but I have noticed that at times I don’t notice my Achilles at all. The inside calf is still pretty small, I think I’ve just become really good at not using it.
Jim
16 Smish // Oct 16, 2008 at 11:38 am
Dennis: I just got off of the phone with my doctor’s office and I was asking them for shoe suggestions that might work for my foot. I am currently in the phase of trying to transition from boot to shoe and I am having trouble with everything I own. To my suprise, they said that the cheapest most popular option was a pair of Crocs (with insoles if you have a high arch). Do you have any suggestions on shoes or feelings about Croc’s? They also suggested Birkenstocks if I didn’t mind spending a lot of $$$$.
17 dennis // Oct 16, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Smish - So far for me, sneakers like running shoes have been good. I’ve never worn Crocs, but I’ve heard that they are comfortable.
As for dress shoes, I think I’ve commented on this some time ago. using the google search on the main page.. Ah here it is:
http://achillesblog.com/gonzo9/2008/08/05/help-i-am-in-2-shoes/
18 dennis // Oct 16, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Jim - Glad to hear from you! Looks like you have been very active. It’s a good thing that we think about our achilles less and less as time goes on. Not looking at the scar, I’d love to get to a point when I’ve forgotten which leg I had the surgery on. I think that would definitely mean that it’s recovered 100%!
19 Smish // Oct 17, 2008 at 8:43 am
Dennis: Thanks for the reply. I read the other post you suggested too. I am having more trouble getting into shoes with my second surgery but I think that is because on my second I had my heel bone shaved down and some bursitis removed. For others in my predicament, I ended up trying on a pair of leather top Crocs yesterday and to my suprise they felt wonderful. I now own my first pair of Crocs. Thanks for all of your help!
20 Craig // Oct 21, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Congratulations, Dennis! Major milestone indeed. Probably no better feeling than after you successfully completed your first day back on the court. I’m looking forward to a post with a picture of you taking the ball to the basket full-speed!
After being on the fence for a while, I’ve decided to play again as I recover. I started shooting around a little lately, and am hoping to be able to play at 75% speed or more by the end of the year, ~8 months.
21 jv // Oct 21, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Hi Dennis…great site. Congrats on getting back on the court. My ATR took place playing basketball about 10 months ago and I just played with real people for the first time last week. I had a very similar experience as you…I’ve turned into a spot up shooter who just waves his arms on defense, but I still had a blast.
When you play, do you wear an ankle brace?
By the way, my scar looks a lot like yours with a bulge on the bottom. I’ve been using silicon bandages and the results haven’t been there, but I understand all scar treatments take forever as stated in your scar blog.
22 dennis // Oct 21, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Craig - thanks! Glad to be playing again, but I am being very conservative. Keep us posted on how you are doing!
23 dennis // Oct 21, 2008 at 10:16 pm
jv - Thanks, I started playing without wearing braces, and one guy accidentally stepped on my recovering achilles and left a slight cut on the heel. Luckily, it was just a scrape, and I don’t think there was any damage to the achilles. I’ve decided to wear a brace from then on since I feel that a bit of protection is better than no protection.
That actually made me reconsider whether I’ve made the right decision to start playing again.. but basketball is in my blood.
24 phu // Oct 22, 2008 at 2:14 am
Hey Dennis,
I went to In-N-Out burgers for lunch again today. Double double with grilled onions, fries well done and a vanilla shake. I found a long hair in my burger but finished it anyway. 5 days post surgery and recovering well so what do I care about a hair in my burger. Good thing it was a straight hair, otherwise, I would have had to limp back into the place and open a can of whip ass with my crutches. I guess I better slow down on the burgers before I gain too much weight and rupture my other AT. Have fun playing b-ball! Phu
25 subdigit // Nov 11, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Glad to see you’re doing great up and about. Man, makes me feel bad for not coming close to doing half the things you’re up to :).
26 dennis // Nov 11, 2008 at 8:00 pm
subdigit - how’s alaska treating you?
27 subdigit // Nov 12, 2008 at 6:29 pm
not bad. nice and chill up here w a good snowfall yesterday. though people still dont know how to drive in the snow, yeesh.
come up and stop by sometime
28 Craig // Dec 17, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Hey Dennis,
Thought I’d check in to see how basketball is progressing. How often are you playing now and where would you rate yourself on a scale of 1-100 compared to pre-ATR?
I’ve committed (I think) to my first time back this coming Saturday. Nervous and anxious all at once. I plan on limiting it to one or two games and will definitely be conservative.
Craig
29 Danny // Jan 2, 2009 at 2:29 am
Hi Dennis,
Great to hear that you’re able to play basketball again. I am actually in a very similar case, as I am a year post op, and have been playing some bball. I also noticed you have been feeling some pain in your knees, as I have experienced as well on my leg opposite my injury (i.e. right leg ATR, left leg knee pain).
Just wondering other than seeing a doctor, would you recommend anything for it? Any wraps I should put on? Has your doctor said anything about it?
Really curious as I don’t want to risk an ACL injury or any other knee related injuries.
I also work out a lot throughout the week, so I would say I am a healthy individual.
Thanks Dennis !
30 dennis // Jan 2, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Danny - The physical therapists have told me strength training your legs is the best way to go, as long as you don’t feel pain from the exercises. (Avoid anything that causes pain).
My right knee pain started well before my achilles injury, so I don’t think it’s related to my achilles injury. I had an MRI about a year a go and it showed that there was a hole in the cartilage that’s at the end of my femur (femoral cartilage).
I just recently had MRI’s on both of my knees and I’ll be getting the results in a week or so.
There’s probably a wealth of information out there on how to treat knee pain. If you find a particular remedy that’s helpful, please share.
thanks.
31 Kevin // Sep 13, 2013 at 1:11 am
What’s up Dennis this story gives me hope to getting back on the court, I know this was like 5 years ago but did you avoid gaining weight while recovering? If so what are some things you did to keep the weight off? And do you think it will be a great thing to lose weight while recovering?
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