Frouchie’s Achilles Recovery

02/22/2010

This is the first morning I returned to the fitness center like "the days of old".  I woke up at 4:45 AM and scooted off to be there by 5:00 AM, and I was accompanied by my son (15 yrs).

We started out by doing a little stretching, then we hit the free weights (doing his football workout with me not doing the squats with weight), and finished up with 15 minutes on the elliptical machine (which killed him that made me happy). I’m going to try hitting the pool and swim tomorrow morning.

He wasn’t excited to get up so early, but he was very excited by the time we were done. He said he felt ready for the day and I was happy that I was able to workout with him.

Going to PT this afternoon.

02/17/2010

Went to the PT for my meeting with her and the Doctor concerning the issues with my arch and heel pain. After talking to them and explaining when I have the most pain, they both agreed it was time to completely ditch the boot. No more weaning myself out of it…but DITCH, TOSS, CHUCK, DROP KICK it away. I also need to not go back into my running shoes because the shoe is too stiff right now, I should wear a more flexible shoe to allow my foot to move a little and help stretch the Plantar Fasciitis I might have building up.  I have no problem wearing my Crocs around everywhere I go and not just at home any longer.

Along with tossing the Boot aside, the Doctor and PT feel it is time to ramp up my sessions with the PT too. I get to start some leg, calf, and foot strengthening. Here is what she ran me through…

BOSU BALANCE TRAINER BALL - with balance ball turned upside down to improve balance stand (both legs) and hold balance for 45 sec.

BOSU BALANCE TRAINER BALL - 2 sets of 15 step out leg lunges switching legs with balance ball flat on ground stepping on to curved top

BOSU BALANCE TRAINER BALL - 2 sets of 15  standing squats (2 legged) with balance ball turned upside down to improve balance

Resistance band looped around both calf’s and doing side steps in a squat position - 15 steps left, then back to the right

Stationary Bicycle on twin peaks workout - 15 minutes

2 Legged Calf Raise while on leg press machine (no added weight) - 2 sets of 6

One leg step downs off a step (repaired foot on top step and to step down with good foot) 3 SETS of 15

The sweat was running…and it felt good.  It’s good to be ALIVE.

02/15/2010

The slow weaning of the boot it seems to make me more frustrated.  I’m happy to be rid of the boot when I’m wearing my shoes, but I’m not all that upset when I have to put the boot back on. Does that make much sense?  When I wear my shoe my foot does well, yes I still have discomfort with having a tight AT and foot arch problems.  With the boot I walk better and things don’t hurt as much, but then I’m not working the AT or foot like I need to be.

Lately during PT and while I work my foot a little on my own, I’ve been feeling pain in the arch of my feet and in the heels.  Yes I said feet not foot. I asked the PT while I was there today about it and the PT says most people do have some sort of Plantar Fasciitis, Plantar Fasciitis causes stabbing pain that usually occurs with your very first steps in the morning. Once your foot limbers up, the pain of plantar fasciitis normally decreases, but it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position.  BUT I’m having the problem in Both Feet. The PT also said it can be brought on because I’m NOT allowed to that stretch the calf or AT yet.

Does ANYONE else have this issue?

I have been improving with PT.  Here are my current PT workout…

laying on back on a leg press doing 2 legged squats with resistance bands 3 SETS of 15

laying on back on a leg press doing 1  legged squats with  less resistance bands 3 SETS of 15

one leg step ups (repaired foot on a step and to step up on it) 3 SETS of 15

one leg step downs off a step (repaired foot on top step and to step down) 3 SETS of 15

balance control on balancing pods

8 minutes of pedaling on a bicycle.

10 minutes on an elliptical machine.

02/11/2010

Okay..so I get the clearance to slowly wean myself out of the boot. Guess what I do yesterday on day 2 after getting the okay?

I go the entire day in just my normal tennis\running shoe. I had the boot with me, but didn’t swap them out like I was told too. I pushed myself through the pain all day.

By the time I made it to PT, my ankle and AT were puffy and swollen. MY PT noticed it and asked me what I did…I told her.  Well she then massaged it for me..and then kicked my ass with my PT session.

OKAY lesson learned! Today I currently have the Boot on and have had it on for 3 hours, I will be taking it off in an hour and wear my shoe for the next 3…then put the boot back on until I get home.  Then I’ll bust the "Crocs" out and take it easy for the night.

I tell others to remember…"Slow and Steady wins THIS race"…I better follow my own advice.

02/08/2010

"I think it is time to start weaning yourself out of the Boot"… my PT said to me today.

My mind started wondering what that really meant. How does one wean off the boot? My PT explained that while at work and on weekends I should wear my boot for 3 hours then remove it and wear my matching tennis shoe for a couple of hours, then to switch back to the boot for a few more hours…then in the evenings once I’m home and staying in for the night, I could remove the boot and wear a shoe or my  "Crocs" clogs (oh so comfortable).

Other than the news about weaning myself out of the Boot, my PT session went about the same as last time. I was told that next week in PT I would get to try a calf raise and do some resistance walking (walking with a belt connected to a band that is pulled on by PT or connected to a wall).

My ankle, AT, and Calf muscle are feeling better each time I get done with PT.

02/05/2010

I reported to my Pt’s office for my first day of "ground" therapy. I was told to bring a shoe for my repaired foot, so without getting to excited I carried it in with me.

I must say, this "ground" therapy IS NOT "pool" therapy.  My PT started out by giving my foot, ankle, and calf a nice massage for the first almost 10 minutes. Once she finished we worked a little of ROM but this time we added weights to it. It wasn’t that bad to start out with, but she then wanted me to do 3 sets of 15 reps with each direction of the ROM testing.  I completed the reps and was happy to give the foot some rest, it felt tight and sore.  The PT said I did well so she would give me a reward exercise to try.  She took a small Dixie cup and poured 25 marbles on the floor in front of my chair.  She told me with my repaired AT foot to pick up each marble with my toes…curling my toes to do it.  I know that my big toes doesn’t curl under anymore, being they used the tendon from it to repair my AT, but I gave it a try. It took me a little while and my AT felt really weak, but I was able to pick all of those darn marbles up.

I then was told to put on the shoe….the shoe?? Put the shoe on my foot??? The words sounded strange…and that’s when all the fun of therapy stopped.   We did the following…

standing leg squats 3 SETS of 15

one leg step ups (repaired foot on a step and to step up on it) 3 SETS of 15

balance control on balancing pods

static lunge 3 SETS of 15

8 minutes of pedaling on a bicycle.

The PT said she was pleased and that I did better than she thought I would.  She also told me to go home and elevate\ice my ankle, and to not be surprised that it would be sore later that night and all the next day. She smiled and told me she’d see me next week.

I was exhausted by the time we were done and ready to go home…but very excited for our next appointment.  I like the pain from working out, and I have missed it.

02/02/2010

Went in to have a meeting with the PT before pool therapy to check ROM and strength on the repaired AT. She seemed pleased with everything and stated that pool therapy was no longer needed.

WOO HOO!! Pop a cork….grab a couple of glasses…I’ve graduated from "Pool\Water Therapy" to "Ground Therapy".

I asked if I was able to go back to regular swimming now, hoping it would help keep my ankle and AT loose and provide me with some much needed cardio.  The PT told me I could swim all I wanted and I  could also sit on a stationary bike and let my good leg do all the pedalling and let my repaired AT go along for the ride (the motion would also help to stay loose)…but DO NOT apply pressure with the new repaired foot.

I start the new phase of therapy on Friday.  Oh I can’t wait.

02/03/2010

With the blessing of the PT, I decided to head off to the fitness center to see what it would be like to get back on a bike.

Upon entering the fitness center, I was greeted by people who I haven’t seen in 4 to 5 months. It felt good to know that I’ve been missed around there…even though in the past I was a thorn in the side for some of them because I always asked the instructors to work us hard during our classes. My thoughts on working out were always "If your going to put forth the effort to come to a class workout, then you might as well work hard while you’re there".

I found my way to the cycling room, after having to stop to give my progress report to everyone (which I didn’t mind doing), and found my bike in the same spot where I had left it back in September. I slipped on my cycling shoes, clipped into the pedals and began to slowly pedal away.  After 10 minutes of pedalling with one leg, I’m sweating like a horse, and with a total of 23 minutes of pedalling…I’m done.

"OH it feels so tight…it hurts just a little…but IT FEELS SO GOOD to be doing something".

I decide to take 6 laps around the walking track ( 1/2 mile).  After not only getting  passed, BUT getting lapped by every elderly woman on the face of the planet…..I call it a day.

But what a good day it was.  I’m getting closer…slowly…to being normal again.

01/08/2010 - 01/29/2010

I starting to get a little excited… I’m just about ready to get my ground legs back!

Let me back up just a little here…

01/10/2010 - Started cheating with physical therapy on my own, doing ROM (range of motion) while sitting at work and at home. I also have a blue resistance left over from when I had a bad ankle sprain and am lightly pulling my foot back, my toes up.

01/14/2010 - Meet with the PT for the first time. She runs through the ROM measurements so she can get my base range, and she seemed a little puzzled. After letting her recheck my ROM, I tell her I’ve been already doing things at home and she says she can tell.  I’m already a little ahead of schedule with movement. The PT explains what we’re going to attempt to do,  first will be pool therapy. I asked her when I could start moving around without the crutches and she told me I could lose one of them as soon as I wanted too, but the second one she’d like for me to use for at least another week. See Ya first crutch!

01/19/2010 - First day of the pool…SO MUCH FUN!! I loved being in that pool. The water was 90 degrees and the depth ranged from 3.5 feet to 6.5 feet deep. We started with ROM in the water and then slowly moved down to the deep end. I was given a float to clip around my hips to help me float and was told to start kicking my legs in a bicycle motion, after 5 minutes I was told to move my legs side to side doing scissor kicks. I was in heaven, I was moving and things felt great.  After being in the pool for almost an hour doing several tasks, she wanted to finish up with me walking from one side of the pool to the other with no help. Being I am NOT 6.5 feet tall we went to about the 5ft depth and I took my first step, my second step, and a third step.  LOOK AT ME I"M WALKING, no Cast, no Boot, just me and my two feet. The sting in the heel of my foot was still there but didn’t hurt too bad.  I didn’t want to stop, but she kicked me out of the pool and said I’ll see you in a couple of days and be careful because my AT and leg will start to feel sore by morning.

01/21/2010 - No soreness from anything.  Pool therapy again….some thing as before, but this time more free walking.

01/23/2010 - NO Boot, NO Crutches, I WALKED!! I was sitting on the couch watching TV and was getting very thirsty. Everyone was gone from the house, my wife went to work out at the fitness center and both boys were just gone. Well I knew I’d have to try it at some point and knowing I was alone so no one would hear me cry like a little child if it hurt too bad, I stood up from the couch and slowly began walking to the kitchen. I got so excited that I grabbed my cell phone and sent a text message out to everyone I knew declaring my freedom.

01/26 & 28/2010 - Pool Therapy again….same stuff….adding leg squats and static lunges.

01/29/2010 - Threw the second crutch away (10 weeks 2 days post-op)….I’m FWB (full weight bearing) Finally!!!!!

01/07/2010

The day finally came, and it was time to say good-bye to the cast.  I wasn’t able to get an appointment early in the morning to get it cut off, so the day just seemed to drag by.  But there I was, finally, back in the Doctors office with the the cast saw buzzing away. To feel the air touch the skin of my leg and ankle, what a rush!

I know I  heard the Doctor say "let’s take a look at it", I know I heard him say "let’s see you add a little weight to that foot".

" But… Take it slow" was the one part of the sentence the Doctor said that I DID NOT HEAR.

The thought of freedom….freedom to walk about with both feet touching the ground…to run free of all that has kept me down!!  I stood up with excitement knowing I was finally FREE.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!! I fell right back down on my butt after putting all my weight back down on that foot. What the hell was wrong with me, what made me think I could stand up straight? The electric pulse that shot up from the heel of my foot to my head was painful.

"Did you learn something just now?" he said with a small amount of humor in his voice? "You can’t just get up and hit the ground running. You have the boot that you were wearing before surgery, you’ll need to wear that and use the crutches still.  We’ll get you into some physical therapy…Blah Blah Blah"  is all I heard.

NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO not the crutches! How much longer do I have to use them?

But its a start, a new beginning, another door to pass through on my way back to being normal. I’ll learn to deal with it… it’s just a boot, Not a cast.

As soon as I got home….the boot was off and I jumped into a nice steamy hot shower. I was happy and clean, my wife was happy to see me happy and clean, and the rest of the family was happy I finally took a shower. I will say, the tubs of baby wipes that I used for my bath\cleaning did very well and having to kneel or lay on a counter to have someone wash my hair wasn’t all that bad. I knew I’d miss my showers (7 weeks 1 day without a shower post-op) and now I have them back.

12/03/2009 - 01/06/2010

1. Returned to work for the first time since surgery (2 weeks 1 day at home) for half a day. Boy does it feel good to be somewhere else beside at home 12/03/2009.

2. Had first Cast cut off and foot repositioned to neutral and new cast put on 12/08/2009.

3. First fall with crutches on wet floor coming into work 12/10/2009.

4. Went out and rented a leg scooter to use while at work so I wouldn’t fall again with crutches 12/11/2009.

5. Second fall with crutches at home trying to get something to eat in the kitchen 12/13/2009.

6. The swelling of the leg and foot in the cast has just about driven me crazy….. well lets say more crazy than I already am.

7. Getting really tired of the snow\ice and trying to use crutches and NOT put any weight on my cast 12/22/2009.

8.  Have come to the conclusion that being a "Hermit" isn’t that bad of an idea, who needs to go out and do other things in life 12/21/2009.

9. Getting ready to celebrate a "New Year" and not really being very excited about it 12/31/2009.

10. Another fall….this time with the leg scooter on ice getting into work from the parking lot…this is getting really old 01/04/2010.

11. Night before going in to have the darn cast cut off.  No chance of sleep tonight, I’m to excited to get the cast off and do something else 1/06/2010.

I want my normal life back!!!!!  How MUCH longer?