Healed?
I was told that my achilles has closed up. I was in a cast for 5 weeks, a bledsoe boot for 3. Doc said I healed tight, which is good. But he wants me to wear the boot for a few more weeks while I work some of tightness out via biking, stretching, swimming, and PT exercises. He said I could’ve gone to 2 shoes but with my line of work (coaching and teaching) I feel safer in the boot. I actually was run into by my own son 2 days ago and nearly fell. I am pretty sure that would have been a catastrophe without my boot. I rode the stationary bike without my boot for 25 minutes today and it felt great! Really looking forward to being completely out of the boot and able to jog again. My leg is very sickly looking. My mother said it looks like I have polio. I had really nice legs- always got compliments on them and I am really afraid that they will not be the same.
I am just behind you, time wise, take a look at my blog to see what I have been up to!!!! Keep it going and it will get better!!!! I push it until it starts to hurt then stop and elevate. It works for me!
Using the boot as a shield after you don’t need it as a cast can make perfect sense. You know the pros and cons, use your judgment. The safer you feel, with healing, strengthening, and safer environments, the less you need it or want it, obviously. Especially if it isn’t a hinged boot set to hinge, using it will slow your progress, but also keep you from going back to square one.
The leg shape question is tricky, and pretty variable among ATR patients. If you had perfect and perfectly symmetrical calves, you may have a challenge to resume your career as a leg model — unless of course you end up rupturing the OTHER one, like me and a small bunch of others!
I can relate to the leg thing. I got my cast changed today and was shocked by my “chicken leg”! I’m 4 1/2 weeks post-op and 7 weeks post-injury, but I’m surprised how much muscle mass has been lost in such a short time. Hard to imagine that it will ever look like the other again.
I feel that the biking is helping my muscle immensely! I also swam yesterday and it felt great. It has even helped relieve some of the tightness. I am thinking I might want to start walking in 2 shoes without the boot because I’m staying in the boot due to tightness but it also seems that the boot may be preventing me from getting away from the tightness. I think if I walk in shoes the range of motion would improve? And I’m sure it would help muscle tone,,,
@normofthenorth- thanks for your consistent feedback and reassurance. If you read my blog- you know that I was in panic mode the first time you responded to me. The non-operative approach was scary but so far I am glad to have avoided the knife. I think it would be so helpful for each blogger on this site be identified as operative or non-operative. It definitely helped me knowing that I was not alone.
I had my ATR on 7/12 so I am far from recovered but I dislocated my ankle 2 years ago that kept me NWB for 9 weeks. My left calf never got back to the size of the right although it was within a half inch (I have soccer player calves). I think with diligent strength training, they would be close to equal but it might take a year.
I am 5 weeks post op and feel almost bedridden. Leg still feels really tight within cast and after 10 mins or so upright or in my chair feels like it will explode. Injury site hardly painful now but need to take ibruprofen for rest of leg. Are all casts this irritating? Other leg recovering from dancing injury so don’t feel too happy on crutches. Can’t imagine ever walking never mind biking. Hard to keep spirits up.
Hopalong
Have you been in the same cast for 5 weeks? No change of angle, etc? What is your rehab timeline going forward from here?
Not expert on casts in excess of 2 weeks duration so cannot comment on irritability.