eastcoastrunner’s AchillesBlog

I’m now about 10 1/2 weeks out from Debridement and Repair surgery.  Walking FWB no longer hurts most of the time, and I’m moving along pretty quickly! I  enjoy going to PT. (except for that Graston Massage stuff they do with the metal tool…that is NOT enjoyable!) My ankle ROM is gradually getting better and the stiffness in my forefoot/big toe is slowly getting better, too, although that is still more painful than the heel and AT area.

My Ortho still hasn’t given me the “OK” for pool running/aqua jogging  nor cycling –although I cannot understand why not! My PT suspects it is mostly because of my inability to limit things to reasonable amounts. In other words, when told to listen to my body, my body is more of a whisperer than a shouter!  So I have found a “creative” solution to teach my Spinning classes on the bike instead of from a chair…and a way to aqua jog keeping movement on my right foot to a minimum.  Maybe these solutions might help others stuck in “cardio limbo”.

That chair that I’d been using to sit on  to teach my  Spinning classes while on the crutches just so happens to be the exact right height to place my booted foot on while sitting on the bike! I place the chair slightly forward of the right crank, making sure the pedal clears the chair. I place my booted right foot in the chair. My hips are exactly level! So, my left leg is doing all the pedaling and I know that is not ideal, but it’s so good to feel like I’m participating in my class, and especially to sweat!

For the aqua jogging: I’m allowed to swim with a pull buoy, but I hate lap swimming. I’d been “running” with a flotation belt around my waist and a pull buoy between my knees and just moving my arms. This week I started using the pull buoy one lap down and back, then taking it out and using left leg to ”run” while right leg rests across the thigh of left leg (makes me feel like a sea horse..) down the lane, then both legs back, being very careful to limit ankle motion in the right leg. Repeat over and over for 45 minutes!

This week I have also had Unfounded Fear regarding that screw in my heel. Even though the Ortho showed me the x-ray on my last visit of the heel and screw and how it’s sitting right where it is supposed to, I am scared that the tendon is going to tear off the screw. I know I have no reason to worry, really, but can’t help it! I guess this is my version of what ATR’s worry about re-rupture. (my AT didn’t rupture)  The incision area has been really tender this week, too, so I fear that the screw is working out of my bone or getting infected–unfounded fears. My PT thinks the incision is tender due to nerves reforming and it’s good. I’m not usually a worrier, so I guess I now understand what some of you have mentioned about these injuries “messing with the head”. I’m getting messed with this week!