erdnerd’s AchillesBlog

Hi Amanda, I am 10 weeks post op and NWB for 6 of those weeks. I am in a boot and am now FWB with no crutches. I did this gradually over several weeks which helped my confidence and also my strength and balance. I do get some pain and discomfort in my heel but this usually when I have been on it too long. My advice is to start slow and work up to it. Isn’t this blog great, we are all in the same boat and can share ideas. Good luck!

Hi
I’m day 4 in a boot with 2 wedges after 7 weeks in a cast.
I was told in the hospital that I should be trying to walk without crutches but finding that I am getting pain in the underside of my heel is this normal cos its frustrating. Am I just being a wimp? Any help

how do you know if you are wearing the right shoe? i had to go out saturday to buy a pair of shoes because I am now just wearing an achille trane and into 2 shoes but my foot is still swollen and the achille trane takes up some room. HELP!

I knew we were close on the schedule (I just hit 4 months at Xmas), and am just glad to have confirmation that you weren’t re injured a month ago

Good to hear that you’ve taken that next step… So to speak.

I’m thinking you must have meant “Almost at MONTH 4…”

Great to hear! Keep up w/the “doc’s orders” and I sure hope you get in those sneakers by the first of the year. Hopefully (fingers crossed & knocking on wood) I will be in my boot on December 29. Stay positive as well:)

FWIW, my surgeon told me he once saw 4 ATR’s in the same day. It was a Thanksgiving day, and they were all injures from turkey-day backyard football games.

His takeaway: never play football on Thanksgiving

Tell your relatives to be careful out there.

hey deb. when & how were you injured? i was injured playing football, left ATR (non-contact injury). i ran a pass route & it felt like the back of my ankle exploded! what type of boot do you have? also how long were are NWB? thanks deb~~~

rome

NP13 is right- start out by just barely touching your foot down, and rolling it through the walking motion. Imagine there are eggs on the bottom of your boot… touch them to the ground, but don’t break them

Very gradually, as your comfortable, add a tiny bit more weight to the boot. You’ll find yourself quickly able to handle more and more.

Just think: pretty soon you won’t be needing those crutches!

best advice i can give from my own experience is just to take it slow and gradual… start by putting most of the weight on your crutches and just get used to the feeling of your foot on the ground… then little by little try putting more weight on your “bad” foot.. it will feel VERY wierd and scary at first, but this will quickly go away.. my first steps (i went from NWB to FWB at the 6 week mark) will be very slow/tough/scary… but 2 days after going to FWB i was very comfortable w/the weight.
GL!

I got my cast off yesterday and boot on. I’m 4wks post-op and wasn’t expecting my surgeon to tell me to start putting some weight on my leg! My foot is in 90degree, no swelling, but…I ‘m so nervous. I’m so scared that I might damage the new tendon. My family and friends assure me that my surgeon wouldn’t tell me to do something I not capable of but what they don’t seem to understand is how I’m feeling.
I know I have to do it but how do I get the belief I can.
Also, my surgeon said I should be FWB in two weeks, I so want it but just don’t how to get there.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and this boot is like wearing a ski boot! It’s so uncomfortable. I guess on the bright side it is only temporary.

I had my cast changed two days ago. Also have the numbness, and a bit of tingling in the side of my heel. Just feels like a bit of nerve jangling.

No dried blood, but the scar looks a bit grusome!

I had my cast replaced today with another one for two more weeks NWB then boot. I can say that I also felt a slight numbness when I touched bottom of foot by the heal and back of bottom of foot. There were black and blue spots far below the incision point, but I felt this was all part of healing and NWB for a reason. Foot is out of commission and Doc said the slight numbness is not out of the ordinary at this point. Be well and keep the recovery going!!

Hi erdnerd…glad to hear you are making progress. Yes to the dried blood (goes with the territory…take pictures to gross out your friends years from now), and no to the numbness. Perhaps some gentle self-massage would help. Once I got into the boot my PT wanted me to spend about 1 - 2 hours each day on the couch with the boot off. I would be careful about the angle of my foot, simulating it’s position in the hinged boot, and I would just let it air out. I hope that helps!

I was placed in a splint right after surgery.
One week after the splint I went for my first post-op check and was placed in a walking boot with two wedges, and ordered to remove only to shower.
I am now six weeks post op and recently changed to a Vaco Cast Pro, much more comfortable!

I had surgery on 10/7 and had splint with ace bandage wrapping for week. I got my first fiberglass cast with foot pointed down at first post op visit (week after surgery) and have it for three weeks NWB. I will have second cast placed on 11/9 and have 3 more weeks NWB. I’ll ask what happens after this…to much to remember. I take it one day at time. I do find it interesting how some are like 3 days and then boots and wedges NWB. If Im going to be NWB, I like the protection of a cast. When the splint was removed in Docs office, my leg started shaking a bit voluntarily. It’s just so vunerable feeling now. I like gaining the healing with protective cast (NWB is NWB). I do look forward to the boot though. I sit and prop working from home for almost a month now. God bless my company. Keep us posted on your experience and thanks for sharing.

I went from cast to boot with 3 wedges, 11 days after surgery.

I had removable half cast/splint from surgery to first post op at 6 days, went straight into boot. NWB and elevation though, same as if it was cast. Being able to take it off for a bath is nice though.

I went cast (5-days), to removable splint (14 days), to boot.