Hey All,

Was with you all 4 years ago when I sent my right Achilles for a ride playing softball. Today working at the firehouse, they think I partially tore the left one, while trying to get into the truck for a call. Luckily, it’s not a complete tear, but will be on my way to the Orthopedic Surgeon tomorrow to see how bad the damage is. Regardless of how bad it is, I was blessed with this site 4 years ago and will share my journey with this one as well.

So after a week of being shutdown to see how my heel reacted, I am back doing full activities in PT. No bursitis (thank god!), it was just some scar tissue and calcification in the bottom of the heel that we were able to get rid of with ultrasound. The best news is that I get to return to the firehouse on Monday! Still have some serious work to do with getting my strength up but I am moving at a real good pace.

So I haven’t read about anyone getting this on their road to recovery so I thought I’d ask. Anyone develop Bursitis in their heel after going to full impact and 100% activities? After 3 PT sessions at full strength I have developed a lot of pain in the heel of the recovering leg. The pain is the worst on impact and also pushing off. my PT shut me down over the weekend and because it wasn’t any better, they did some ultrasound and another electro shock thing with an anti-inflammatory medicine to soak through. They haven’t officially diagnosed it as bursitis, but because it isn’t getting better they are leaning toward it. Anyone with any experience with this??

I had my last OS appointment yesterday. He has given me the ok to resume all activities and I am able to start high impact strength training. Based on my progress, I should be able to return to the firehouse in 2-4 weeks. He has left my return date up to me and my PT. The PT thinks I should be good in that timeframe as well.

I think these next couple weeks will drag along, but if I have gone 4 months without working I can wait a couple more weeks. I feel stronger, able to walk on the tips of my toes, do shuffles and grape vines, and run at about a 6.0 on the treadmill. Still working on the single heel lift, but am getting very close. Just need to make sure I am able to do some jumping and change of directions at a decent pace before I feel I will be comfortable going back to work.

I know over the next 4-5 months my strength will get back to normal but being able to go back to work is my milestone and I cannot wait for that day!

My little peanut, Mckenna Nicole Bride, arrived on Wednesday evening 10/2/13 at 7:33pm, at 6lbs 6oz and 18″!!! We came home on Friday afternoon and both mommy and baby are doing great!

10 hours of labor, although fairly stress free, did a number on my ankle. The labor nurses noticed who swollen my leg was before I did and made kick back with some ice and I got to hold the little one for a few hrs. Definitely have not been able to keep up on my exercises as well as I have been, but was able to get them all in today before football.

Looking forward to getting back with the PT tomorrow, definitely have some catching up to do!!!

Flying high right now!! OS is floored with my progress in ROM and healing. I am cleared for strength training, running, and most importantly GOLF!!! Only thing I cannot work on is heavy impact which I can work my way up to for when he give me the go ahead. The greatest info he gave me is that he thinks I will be cleared to go back to firefighting in early November, over 1 month ahead of schedule!! Will be focusing on getting rid of the small limp I have acquired walking in the boot. It is definitely noticeable walking on the treadmill in front of the mirror, it almost feels like my good leg is shorted than the other. Nothing that can’t be fixed with a little work!

I did tweak (not to be confused with twerk…lol) my lower back at PT last Thursday so my home regimen has been limited for a couple days but it feels so much better today after getting some treadmill work in.

I would like to thank everyone for their words of encouragement throughout this process. I hope that my story can help anyone else who is going through this as well.

Nothing new on the baby front…still hoping Wednesday is the day she will enter this world!

Monday, 2 shoes, Tuesday, OB appointment, Wednesday, baby time! What a week indeed! All is going well at PT and am in line for 2 shoes when I see my OS on Monday. When they called to confirm they made sure to remind me to bring both shoes to the appointment (like I really needed that reminder!!!). Unless the baby come beforehand, the wife is scheduled for an appointment with her OB on Tuesday with an induction scheduled for Wednesday. This whole gestational diabetes deal is for the birds, luckily she is only being treated with watching her diet.

I am officially diagnosing myself with insanity after 11 weeks of not working at the firehouse. I am going nuts. But on the positive side, I am on the downward side of the countdown hill, as there are more weeks behind me since the injury than left in front of me on the path to my return to work. Two shoes here I come!! 

I cannot wait until Sept. 30 and the day the boot goes away for good! I am expecting nothing but good words from the OS, My PT says my ROM is beyond excellent at this point in recovery, I am ramping up my exercises, and have not had any setbacks. Two footed heel lifts have been the most difficult exercise and the only exercise with some discomfort (to be expected) but am able to get some good sets in.

Looking forward to next spring, I can’t help but feel split on a decision to go back to playing softball. Granted it is a ways away but I am torn on what I’ve been told vs. what I worry about. The OS says I will be better than I was pre-injury and should have no reason not to be physically able to play. The mental and logical side says I never want to EVER go through this again and can’t afford to be out of work for this long, having not injured myself on the job. But I will only be 29 next year and still have that drive to continue to be active and love of playing sports wants to out weigh the risks. Not to mention I have to weigh how the wife feels about me playing again…(if I can’t ever find my cleats and glove I’ll know who suspect #1 is!)

I guess if playing softball next year is my only worry I am doing very well. All I can say is that recovery is going excellent and I am on track to be at work by December. Only 3 weeks (or less…) until the baby comes!

I am in my second week of physical therapy. My therapist is extremely happy with my ROM and got my first 15 minutes on the bike today. He asked me to try a heel lift…needless to say I am not quite there yet. I guess doing one on the good foot doesn’t count. I’m walking well in the cam boot, and we were able to get the nursery painted and put together during the long weekend. Another weight lifted off our shoulders and a big confidence booster on how I felt after recovering for a day.

Not much else to report…counting down the days until Sept. 30th, the tentative date for 2 shoes! And getting awful close to that due date

I was so not confident for a day or 2 following the go ahead for PWB. Even though the OS said I can go to FWB when I felt comfortable, just that feeling like my leg was going to buckle, or the worry that I would do something to re-rupture was overwhelming. Well that went away in a hurry Sunday when I started walking with out the crutches, OMG I am in heaven. A little general soreness after a day of walking but otherwise I am feeling great.

Today was my first PT visit and was given a few ROM exercises and also some upper leg strengthening exercises. After doing a few at PT the therapist immediately notices increased ROM in the foot. Will be doing 2 per week PT sessions for a few weeks. He did say that I will be in PT for at least 3 full months before he discusses returning to my job. He also helped me with walking FWB in the boot with the proper posture to avoid some back pain I had on the opposite side of the injury.

I am happy to say that I am comfortably FWB in my cam boot and am on my way to getting back to normal. The wife said it was a huge weight off her shoulders seeing that I could walk and do a lot more without being held back by crutches. We can now finish the nursery and get ready for the baby in about a month.