Nov 20 2010
15 months along
Progress remains slow but steady, now a full 15 months since my Achilles tendon rupture and repair. The strength of my repaired right leg is pretty close to that of the left, even though the right calf remains slightly smaller. Range of motion has been quite good from early on. The calf cramps that were such a problem during the first months have resolved almost completely. Most importantly, I am back to the same level of physical activity as before the injury, including some light weight basketball. I get sore after a vigorous day of exercise, but a lot of that is in my old knees rather than in the ankle. I missed skiing completely last winter, and am looking forward to it. An early winter storm is already dumping snow in the Sierras as I write this.
To the recently-injured readers of Achillesblog, I encourage patience and a philosophical attitude. An Achilles tendon rupture is a rough, rough injury. But ultimately, time heals.
During my rehab, I was surprised how much “enjoyment” I got from noticing discomfort in my OTHER leg parts, including my knees! I bruised the heck out of my other shin bone during the summer, and as the discoloration and swelling and stiffness sank down into my ankle and foot, I was SO “happy” that I’d smacked that foot, instead of the one with the recent ATR! I was confused about which to call the “good” leg and which the “bad”, but that was part of the fun! “You know you’re recovering from your ATR when. . .”