Here are the photos I promised. My surgeon does a new technique (not the Achillon technique some have described). Its a traditional repair but he uses a transverse cut vs longitudinal cut.
Here is the 2 week mark (pic above):
4 weeks after surgery when my smaller case was removed. I went into the walking boot at this time.
Here is my 16 week photo. Very hard to see the surgical scar at this point! 
So I am now 16 weeks and 1 day s/p. I saw my surgeon this morning and everything seems to be going well. He has cleared me for all activity except for plyometrics, jumping, and jogging. I am very excited to get back into my gym and start some cardio training. I have not gained a lot of weight but feel just weak and out of shape due to the inability to do more intense cardio. I got a date with the elliptical machine tomorrow morning!
As for my progress, my ROM is good, I no longer get a tight or tension feeling along my scar when stretching (but it still feels bound down some), and I am getting closer to be able to do a standing heel raise. I have just now been able to do some eccentric work but get fatigue very fast. I can also take 2 steps while on my toes before my calf fatigues out and I end up just landing on my heel.
This has been a very long process but hard to believe 4 months has already gone by. My only real complaint is I still get moderate swelling towards the end of the day.
I hope everyone else is doing well.
Hey everyone:
Just a quick update. I am now 14 weeks s/p ATR and walking much better. I still get a limp and some pain/swelling towards the end of the day but my family, friends, and patients all comment on how my gait has improved. Swelling is not as severe as before but I still have a bad day here and there. I am using a compression sock now on my longer days at work to help control the swelling. Seems to be working some.
Just also wanted to see how others are doing and see if my strength is behind. I still have very little strength in my calf when trying to do a standing heel raise (I still can barely lift my heel off the ground and if and when it does, it may be 1/2″ and can only hold it for a millisecond). I am doing partial WBing heel lifts on a shuttle in therapy. The exercise bands are too easy for me now even with the really thick one pulled very tight. I know this is a long journey but just annoyed with how slow the calf strength comes back.
Hard to believe I am now at the 3 month mark. I am scheduled to see my surgeon tomorrow morning. Therapy is going well and I have regained almost 100% of my ankle motion. Only still feel some tugging at the incision site with stretching.
My intrinsic mm strength is much better but my calf still feels so weak. I will get the green light to start more calf specific strengthening after tomorrow so I am looking forward to that. Only other annoying thing is the swelling I still get. Part of it is my job as a physical therapist and being up on my feet for 10+ hrs. I bought a compression sock and that seems to be helping some. I am not a big pill taker but I have been taking more Advil regularly to help with the swelling. I am always amazed at how good my leg feels after my therapist massages all the swelling out.
I hope everyone is doing well!
First day at work with wearing two shoes vs the boot. Definitely a tight fit as I still have some swelling in the ankle. Feels good though to be at work without one pant leg up. I am getting pretty sore and I need to focus to have a more proper gait pattern.
Also started PT yesterday. It was very awkward being a patient at my own clinic. Guess just helps me better understand my own patients and how they feel. Felt awesome though after the edema massage and getting the joints moving. My ROM and flexibility is way ahead of schedule. Just felt so weak doing the resistance bands, single leg balancing, etc.
I still have my CAM boot as my doc said I may not make it the whole day the first week or two. I will do an ice treatment at lunch time to get the swelling down.
Just got back from my surgeon’s office and I am doing great and ahead of schedule. I started in the boot with no lifts yesterday and honestly feel no difference at all. Swelling still mild to moderate and also still getting some peroneal nerve "tingles" down the lateral side of my foot from time to time. I know this is all normal and should go away with time.
Finally got my orders to start therapy. Luckily, doing what I do, I have some awesome colleagues to chose from. I will start next week with formal sessions in addition to what I have already been doing. Then in 2 weeks, if everything is feeling good, I can transition to two shoes.
Sadly, one of my assistants called me Sunday night after injuring his ankle while playing basketball. Sure enough, he did the exact same thing! And he is only 25 so definitely on the younger side for an Achilles tear. I actually saw him coming into my surgeon’s office this morning as I was leaving. He should have his surgery scheduled for tomorrow sometime. Luckily I will have a kneeling scooter, an evenup, and a few other things he can borrow. I know it has only been 2 months, but it feels like it has been so much longer since my surgery.
I hope everyone else is doing well on their journey. Looking forward to the long road ahead and eventually getting back to the gym and jogging again!
I am now 1 1/2 months post surgery. Hard to believe it has been this long. I switched to just 1 heel lift in the boot yesterday and it feels almost the same. I am walking FWB now in the boot with no complications. I am still a little swollen but nothing Like I had expected. I have been working on my basic exercises (stretching the hips and quads, waking up the foot muscles with towel curls and trying to grap marbles). I feel like my dorsiflexion is good but my surgeon said that under no circumstances am I to stretch it.
I go down to no heel lifts next week and then see my surgeon again on May 21st. I am hoping to be able to wear a normal shoe at that point. I will also be cleared to start therapy as well at that time. My surgical scar is moving well also. Once I figure out how to post a picture I will do so since some of you had expressed interest in my surgeon’s technique. He does a small scar/incision right where the tear was versus the tradition cut going up from your heel.
I hope all is well with the rest of you. Really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just wish that tunnel was not in the Fall but I can’t complain so far.
OK…..so the evenup has got to be one of the best inventions. I started using it today and man what a difference. Now that I am putting a normal amount of weight into my right leg (still have the boot and 2 heel lifts), I was getting some low back pain which I knew was do to being uneven. The evenup went on my shoe very easily, feels pretty stable, and I am actually walking better now with less deviations in my gait.
I am now going without crutches for short walks (i.e. from the car to my office, in the house, etc) but still using my scooter for when I am up and about for longer periods of time.
Amazing how my mind switches gear from: holy crap surgery it tomorrow –> surgery went well but I am sore –> getting better with my crutches but this cast sucks –> I miss the cast, weight bearing in my boot hurts like hell! –> getting used to weight bearing partially –> I am actually walking again!
Quite the journey in just a little over 5 weeks. Now I am going to be anxious to get 1 less heel lift and then eventually walk with just the boot.
My progress took a much needed "step" this past weekend. I think my scar tissue and calf increased in length a little. I am now able to partially walk in my CAM boot and no longer am getting that horrible stretch/burn sensation at my surgical site. This comes as a great relief as I thought I would be in pain for much longer trying to transition from life in a cast to life in the boot.
I did notice though increase right sided low back pain. I am assuming this is due to the size of the CAM boot making a leg length difference and also the weight of it. I did purchase an "evenup" and will try that out starting tomorrow. Hopefully that will take some of the tension off of my back.
So, doing much better than I was on Weds. I think my foot and leg got a major shock being out of the cast for the 1st time. Weds night was pretty horrible with a lot of swelling and pain. Luckily though some elevation, ice, Advil, and getting one of my staff therapists to massage some of the swelling out helped a ton.
I have been practicing my weight shifts in the boot (with my 2 lifts) and working on a normal ankle rocker with walking using the curve on the boot. I am guessing I am only at 25-30% BW right now since I still put a lot of weight into my crutches. Feels good though to do the motion of walking. However, when I try to "push it" a little, I get a massive burn/pain right along my incision site. I have a feeling it is due to the technique my surgeon used. Instead of the traditional long cut along the side of the Achilles from the heel and up, my surgeon used a new technique where he just makes a small incision perpendicular to the tendon where it tore (I will try and post a link to a picture I took). Good thing is minimal scarring after surgery. Bad thing is my scar runs horizontal so I am sure it stretches/burns like crazy when I stretch it a little.
I confirmed it in that if me knee is bent and my leg is resting (i.e. cross my legs), I can put my ankle into a neutral position (or zero degrees or dorsiflexion) with almost no discomfort. However, with my leg straight, it is very difficult to even come close to neutral positioning and all the burning/pain is at the incision site. Hopefully my steri strips will fall off soon and I can start some scar tissue mobilization to get my skin to move better.
Neat scar. Good to hear recovery going well but you’re right it is a long process. Think we become more patient. Good luck.
Looking neat. Good luck with the rest of your recovery n getting back to the gym.
Congratulations! It’s great to see what 16 weeks can look like. I’m sure in no time you’ll be doing even more.
Thanks for the comments guys. I have started to try some eccentric loading and it is insanely weak. At least I have gone from a complete inability to slow down the lowering to stopping it just a tad. I know it is a marathon but my brain is ready for mile 26 already!
Greg, are you talking about 1 or 2-legged heel raises? I’m one week ahead of you (week 15) and just started single-leg heel raises on my injured leg. I also continue to do the transition exercise of a double heel raise and then lift up my good foot and descend (eccentric contraction) on my affected one. It’s much harder to do a full 1-legged heel raise on my injured foot–my rise (concentric contraction) is pretty pathetic. However, my PT assured me that this will improve quite a bit over the next 2-3 weeks. I think (full) calf strength is the last thing to come on this long road to recovery. -David
BTW, you should reread your post, because it tells a story of smooth and steady progress, despite your understandable impatience! 
Comparisons are oderous. (Mrs. Malaprop) you’re doing fine, IMO.
Since you’re ahead of me, I’ve been following your progress. Sorry I can give any insight. I do look forward to your future posts.
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Congrats! Looking forward to myself at twelve weeks! Hopefully, I’ll be doing as well as you. I start work in week 9, hoping I’ll be able to work. Looking forward to more of your progress reports.
Greg - Stupid me. Just found this. Well done. I also kept the boot around once in 2 shoes and used it on uneven ground or outside in the dark.
Joey - it may be good for you to start your own blog page as it looks llike we have hijacked someone else’s a bit. Sorry Greg. Haven’t heard how things are with you since the 4 week mark and I notice you are at 10 weeks. Hope all is good. Anyway Joey, the boot will soon give you some freedom to walk but it is there to do a job as well so for now you have to accept the restriction. At least you can take it off and wash the leg. You will see improvement but it may take a week to notice some things. Although my injury was years ago I still remember how it was. Now I am recovering from another tendon rupture and am sidelined again for some time. At least this one is in the arm but it is my dominant. The things I learned from my AT injury are helping me get through this one better but I also wish I was further along. The anit spam word this time is patience and that is what we all have really being saying to you. Diversion is also good. Find something else to keep your mind working on or start some upper body exercise.
Ya, socks or leggings/tubes, lots of people love them. Mostly to control swelling, but maybe also for a psychological boost. I didn’t ever love them as much as R,I, & E, but many do.
Thanks guys!! Love this site. Any of you guys tried wearing compression leggings to aid healing? It’s seems to be all the rage for athletes.
Joey
We understand your being disheartened, disappointed, and all the other disses that you are probably contemplating - you have time on your hands and you spend it worrying.
Really and truly, in a few weeks you’ll wonder where the time went - and let’s get realistic here, this is not some life-threatening condition, it’s not cancer, or a stroke, you don’t need chemo or anything like that.
It’s a few weeks out of your life, relax, read, listen to some music, talk to friends, plan for your successful full recovery in a few months time.
What Jeff said!
Joey - be patient! As I recall, you are just 4 weeks post-surgery. I was on a pretty fast protocol. 10 days in a splint, two weeks PWB in the Vacocast at 20′, then FWB for four weeks, first at 10′ and now at 0′, so I really was not FWB until the one month mark. Because you were NWB in a cast a bit longer, you will be a bit later. If allowed by your OS, just start putting a bit more weight on your injured leg each day, and you will be ditching the crutches before you know it. Once allowed, the transition for me from PWB to FWB went very fast - about two days. Once I forgot where my crutches were, I knew I hade made the leap! Get your scoop on the ATR timeline so you can track your progress - I found it to be very helpful.
Just a little disheartening. When she said can you flex your foot up for me and I can only move it a little I was disappointed. I saw the boot as a sign of freedom but doesn’t feel that way anymore. I’m still relying on the crutches to get around
Ok brace is on. She said is was healing fine. While sitting on the bench she had me bend my foot up. Unfortunately, it didn’t move much. It was very stiff. She said I should move it up and down a little every day. I was then fitted with a airboot with 2 lifts. All I can say it I feel like a newborn trying to learn how to walk. I feel safer with my crutches. I think I’ll stay on my crutches.
There is not need to be disappointed. You are at where we all have been mentally and physically. This is normal. The trick is not to try for too much without knowing the affects. Listen to your doc and PT and use the resources here as a guide and ask questions if you are not sure. It is a long road to recovery and it is early days.
A little disappointed with myself. I was hoping I had more mobility. But I realized my tendon was really stiff. Could barely life my foot. The doctor told me to flex it upwards daily. I was hoping for more freedom when I got my boot on.
Great tips guys. Get my cam boot today. Iwas told I’ll be getting two wedges also. I’ll post on how it goes. Are you still icing your leg?
Cingrats! Getting my boot today. I’m set to return to work in July 7th. My job requires me to do a fair bit of driving and some lifting. I was wondering how much weight you can put on it? Should I keep my crutches with me?
Greg, congratulations on the 2-shoes milestone! BTW, you should change your ATR Timeline status from PWB to 2-shoes, too. In the first week of a 2-week boot-weaning period I used my boot 4 times, then I put my boot on the shelf (as it were) and haven’t looked back. I’m now just beyond that 2-week period and I really feel like I’m getting some strength back in my leg. Going bootless has re-introduced some swelling and general soreness to my recovery, but overall I’m very glad to be back in 2-shoes–and I hope you will be too. -David
Did you tell The System how you did the ATR? Your ATR timeline doesn’t know.
The rest seems OK. A Proper Gait, IMO, does NOT mean symmetrical. As long as everything else is normal, shortening the stride on one side is normal and beneficial. As your strength and ROM improve, that stride will naturally lengthen. Soon you’ll be able to walk slowly (shorter strides) perfectly, but still with a stride length asymmetry (or a “dip limp” at stride’s end) at higher speeds. Then perfectly at high speed…
Great to hear the progress DMB! I just finished my last stage of the boot before attempting two shoes full time (outside of the house). Slow, and a little sore, but so far so good. I had my first stationary bike ride, but am really looking forward to light jogging again as well!
Greg, in my last post’s comments I re-posted another blogger’s (Chocolata’s) instructions for how to insert pictures into your blog. They worked for me. Check it out if you haven’t figured this out on your own already. -David
Great report. It’s the rapid “gear changes” up to around 10 weeks in that make the next phase — the long period between “walking decently in 2 shoes” and “walking perfectly in 2 shoes” such a “frustrating plateau. But the leg needs what the leg needs, and it’s not designed to please the mind. . .
Great news. I love your third paragraph - this injury sure has its “phases”. Just started PWB - looking forward to those first steps!
Use the EvenUp and whatever else you need to get your hips even when you walk. Back, hips, knees can all suffer otherwise, AND you also may develop a silly walk that’s hard to unlearn.
Regular maintenance i.e. massage and especially chiropractor that specializes in ART (Active Release Technique) has been absolutely critical for me throughout this recovery thus far. At lease once a week. It may sound extreme, but those little issues have a way of growing into larger compensation issues that can spread through your body (or at least mine) in relatively short order. IMO, if there is ever a time to ensure that your body is properly treated and aligned, it is now.
Sounds like excellent progress to me. Agreeing with the back pain. I think the even up is just the ticket to get that sorted.
Greg, here’s an unsolicited tip for sleeping in a boot–at least this works for me: loosen the straps a little at night. This still protects your foot, but (I’ve found) having a little wiggle room makes sleeping much more comfortable. Then, in the morning when I get up, I tighten the straps down for the rigors of the day. -David
I’d continue to take “a massive burn/pain right along my incision site” as a sign to back off. Apply “tincture of time” and lots of what you’re doing.
Greg, glad to hear you’re doing better. Being totally immobilized in a cast for weeks will do a number on your foot and leg, that’s for sure! For me, the time from starting PWB to FWB was 2 weeks, but I didn’t start the weight-shift balancing exercises until about a week and a half after going PWB–those were key for me to move to FWB. As to steri-strips, I’m starting to wonder if mine will ever fall off! -David
I have a theory - unproven - that the crutch people make this transition more easily than the scooter people. If you go through the motions of walk g while using crutches, I bet you’ll quickly go from 0% WB to 100%. With that practice and a dose of tincture of time…
It looks good–and I see you’ve already crossed the bridge over the bay to Brooklyn (metaphorically)!
Thanks David.
I think I added it correctly. Let me know if I missed something though.
It took me about 2 weeks to transition from NWB through PWB to FWB (weeks 4 & 5 for me). I started with just PWB around the house for a week increasing the distance and weight as the days progressed. I didn’t really like using just a single crutch but I did a bit of that in the second week until I worked up the strength/nerve to walk parallel to the kitchen counter. Once I’d proven to myself that I could do that I gradually started FWB more and more around the house.
Hang in there! Nothing in this recovery seems to come immediately but with patience and practice you’ll be FWB in no time!
Not sure I’m qualified to respond, but I’ll share my experience as it may help. I was placed in my boot (an AirCast XP) with 2-wedges (each composed of 3-slivers) at 4-weeks post-op and given directions to remove 1 wedge each week for the next 6-weeks. I was also directed to begin PWB status and gradually move to FWB over a 2-week period–all this from my OS, as I hadn’t even begun to see a PT until after my 4-week post-op check-up. At my 1st PT appt, I learned I was placing approx. 25% weight on my injured foot (with crutches), which was fine, but then the following week I was at the same place even though I thought I was applying more weight. My PT then instructed me to do some simple balancing exercises while standing at the kitchen counter with my feet about shoulder distance apart (rocking side-to-side, forward and back, and diagonally–both ways). After just 3-days of this, I found myself able to graduate to FWB–and, now just 3-days later, haven’t looked back. It’s certainly not the most fluid gait, but I’m working on that and hope practice and some personal guidance from my PT will help. -David
Greg, welcome, as it were, to this exclusive club! Wow, as a PT, and now a patient, your insights should be invaluable to this group. If you would add the ATR Timeline widget to your blog here, it would make it easier for all to track your progress. I’m 6-weeks post surgery and just made it to FWB. -David
