Hey all, while walking in 2 shoes something happened, not sure if I hit a rut or not, but something definitely happened. It was not the same feeling as before, as this time I could feel stuff tearing, but it just doesn’t seem as bad. I went to the ER and I will be having an ultrasound on Monday. Right now I’m back to the boot with my wedge heel. I’m not really swollen and the back seems to still be in tact from my feel. Does anyone have any advice or insight. I can hobble in the boot without crutches….thoughts??
Possible Rerupture :( Advice?
July 21st, 2012 | Uncategorized |
26 comments ↓
Eva - some have felt this from scar tissue breaking loose. I hope this is the case for you!
Oh No ! Hope you are wrong and everything turns out fine. It is horrible to have to wait until Monday, I will be sending good thoughts your way. In the meantime I would keep it elevated and iced. Not sure if that helps, but heck it may help!
stay positive, XX
Thanks everyone. I think it could very well be just scar tissue. I plan on taking it super easy and becoming better friends with my ice pack. hoping Monday is good news… I guess another reminder that this is a marathon recovery not a sprint.
Oh no Eva, sad to read this
If there was no pop then there’s a good chance that you discovered an unorthodox way of breaking down some scar tissue and nothing more than that.
Best wishes for a successful outcome on Monday
Hi Eva,
what exactly did you feel? Do let us know how you get on tomorrow.
Hi Sheena. It all happened so fast, but I could feel tearing. Not sure how else to describe it. I did manage to walk a bit. Right now there is no swelling and I have pain isolated to 1 area of my calf/Achilles. I can put weight on it with no issue, the pain is from having the boot rub against the area. I will definitely update everyone when I have answers tomorrow.
Good luck Eva….
Well, still no answers. I had my ultrasound and all that the tech can tell me is that it doesn’t look normal - well duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
This is definitely frustrating. This happened Saturday morning, ER referred me to the ultrasound and nobody can tell me who will provide me with results and when. Then I tried calling my ortho and his office is closed until tomorrow and the hospital can’t even tell me if he is in fact in the hospital today.
I don’t know if walking in the boot with the wedge is a good thing or if I am potentially causing additional damage. I’m sooooo over this and just want to be normal again.
Hi Eva. I’m at roughly the same stage as you with a high (complete) tear and non-operative treatment. About 4 weeks into it, I slipped backwards on a stair (trying to avoid a dog coming down the other way, in retrospect I might have been better treading on it and suffering a high pitched ‘yelp’ ?!). Anway, I had my boot on, and as I toppled, my bad foot lead the way down and backwards, onto the step below, full weight onto my toe area. The boot definitely saved me from a “go back to the start” situation, but I felt a distinct, but small ‘pop’, down on the area of achilles near to my heel, well below the recovering section. A little bit of bruising ensued above and below the area, and there was a little bit of soreness just for a couple of days. Now, as I was in the UK at the time (I live in NZ), I waited almost a fortnight until I was back and I had my next hosp. appt. They sent me off for an ultrasound for a check-up, and the technician would give nothing away, other than to say ” it looks abnormal”, and finally, that “well, that’s what I would expect after this sort of injury” - i.e after the initial rupture. I had to then wait a week for the follow-up at the clinic. During that time, I went over and over the slip on the stair, and i was sure that I could feel a small “hole” in my tendon, espacially if it was swollen around it. A week later, the doctor there said that I do have ‘continuity”, and no damage was done with the fall. I had fully prepared myself (well, prepared as best I could, there’s no way that I’ve found to truly fully prepare, especially emotionally, for anything related to this). Fortunately, my outcome was (seemingly) OK. The reason that I’m posting this Eva is that I was told “abnormal”, and then confirmed “normal”, so, hang in there, fingers crossed, and it’ll all be OK for you !
Eva- I had something similar happen at around 12 weeks:
achillesblog.com/ryanb/2011/11/17/the-monkey-thought-twas-all-in-fun/
It certainly caused me a lot of concern, but in the end, there were no (long term) adverse effects. For me, the most reassuring thing was to reach back and feel the tendon. I could grab and wiggle it- it was obviously still intact. There was some short term swelling and pain.
Here’s hoping it was just some scar tissue letting loose. If so, this was probably necessary to allow full healing and function.
Two things leave me wondering if you’ve done something more severe though: 1st is the tech’s comment that something isn’t normal. 2nd- whatever you did, you felt was severe enough to visit the ER. Tech’s are typically pretty good at reading medical imates- they just aren’t allowed to tell patients what they see. Most likely, it will go to a doc who will give the official reading. I’d stay careful with this until you learn more.
Good luck!
Hi Eva,
Trust the NHS to keep you hanging on! Fingers crossed for the all clear.
If it were me, I would stay using the boot for now, if anything you will be providing some stability while you recover from the event over the next few days….. and if the original atr has been damaged then you would of got a head start on re-recovery.
Good luck
NHS??? What was I thinking, you’re not in the UK, I meant your own countries health service… but there’s an amazing synergy here
Thanks for the advice everyone. So far, definitely sticking with the boot. It’s not strong enough to attempt walking without the wedge. Hopefully tomorrow brings me some concrete answers as I’m worried about having to restart this journey. I really hope that it was scar tissue breaking. A part off me thinks it’s worse, but since I can stand with all my body weight in the wedged boot, I don’t think I’m starting over at square 1.
Thanks for all the advice everyone. You have idea how much it has helped me!!
SOmething similar happened to me around 14 weeks, pain and I could feel something rip. Dr. thought everything was intact come to find out about 6 weeks later that was a rerupture. Now back in the boot at least until Sept. and maybe surgery with tendon transfer if this doesn’t work. Hope all is well for you.
KB60, I’m afraid I don’t get it. If you really re-ruptured and walked around on it for 6 weeks, I don’t see how wearing a boot until . . . whenever is going to reattach that re-ruptured AT. If you didn’t, and you (or eva10) just tore some scar tissue, then a relatively short stint in a boot might help until the pain and suffering pass by. If you overloaded the AT or an attachment point (as I believe I overloaded my AT-calcaneus in PT after my first ATR had barely healed), then maybe a month in a boot will let that recover.
But non-op healing depends on a fresh rupture to work. So I’m stunned that an OS who pushes surgery for a fresh ATR (the kind that heals well without surgery) would then diagnose a 6-week-stale re-rupture (the kind that doesn’t heal well without surgery) and start you on non-op immobilization to cure it. I just don’t get the logic, and I’d quiz your Doc to find out why he/she thinks you’re NOT wasting your time. Sorry to be so short, but this cure is too slow for most of us when it proceeds properly. . .
After waking up this morning I really believe it was simply scar tissue.
Firstly, when I recall the ‘tear’ it seems as though it was on the sides of my ankle and not directly on the Achilles.
Secondly, this morning I feel much better. The pain has subsided and I have better ROM back. I’m certainly not ready to attempt walking without the wedge yet, but I think it is a positive sign. When laying on my stomach I can push down with my foot and they seem to lay the same. I can stand and bring my foot closer into my body when out of the boot as well. Fingers crossed! Because if what Norm just said is true, I want to avoid surgery at all costs.
Thats the exact pain I had when I slipped on my house stairs the day I got my boot - It was a release of scar tissue for me…. was sore for a few days but again more around the ankle than the tendon.
I am feeling much better for you because of the feedback you’ve given so far, even so, still crossing everything for a positive outcome when you dicuss the injury with the doctors
Thanks for all the information Normofthenorth… I went to my 2nd physio apptmt this morning: 14 weeks since I ruptured my Achilles(I know, things are a bit slow in the North of England) , not as good as i expected …my tendon has shrunk! I am so obsessed with the possibility of rerupture that I don’t push it enough when exercising !!!! arghhh when is all this going to end!
I am glad things are getting better for you Eva, just like you I want to avoid surgery at all cost! Take it easy!;0)
Christelle, tell us more. What have you not been doing hard enough?!
My foot goes down very well (pointing toes downward, ballerina position) but I find it hard to make it move upwards (toes pointing towards me) , so by not trying hard enough my walk also changed. I have been walking a bit sideway like crabs as my foot couldn’t stretch enough. The exercise I am told to do is what they call ‘calf stretch’, hands against wall, bad leg at the back, feet pointing towards wall,back straight, bend front knee and squeeze forwards. Press back heel down to floor to stretch back of your leg and hold for 30sec. I did it twice with the physio this morning and my tendon stretched… and I am not walking like a crab anymore!
Saw my ortho and he thinks all I did was tear some scar tissue as has been suggested by others. It’s back in the boot for a little while as I regain some strength. Phew!! What a relief….
fab!!!
Whew!
Happy for you Eva-10
Just heard the whole community give you a sigh of relief.
Hope your back on track very soon.
Great news, rest easy Eva things will get back on track in a few days
Eva,
I am so happy for you!
Just want to say thank you to everyone for all your help and words of encouragement. This place has been a haven of information and support. It’s quite remarkable how such an injury can bring people together in a forum and make everyone feel like family! Happy healing everyone!
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