5 Weeks & 2 Days and No More Cast!!
Every cloud has its silver lining they say, it is certainly true for myself. Had my appointment this morning at the hospital with the orthopaedic surgeon. Took my hospital letters with me and some background information that I had printed off from the links on the Achillesblog website, as I wanted to go prepared and fight my corner should certain situations arose which I found myself in. Man was I pleasantly surprised by the whole outcome of the NHS…….
Had my cast removed this morning and he got me to put my knee resting on the chair with my calf exposed so he could do the Thompson test. he squeezed my calf, made a low audible sound sound and did it again. All my toes moved in one motion. He then went from my bottom of my Achilles near the heal all the way to the top of the Achilles joining the calf, pinching and squeezing every so often and asking me at intervals does it hurt. It did not!! He then did it again, and then said “um I am somewhat pleasantly shocked but your Achilles tendon has completely fused and healed within 5 weeks, that is extremely good.”
He then offered me the next 2 options:
1) 3 weeks in the neutral position in cast
2) 3 weeks in air boot with 3 wedges, with one wedge getting taken out every week
I obviously chose the air boot and now have my brand new Jura Air Walker to keep me company for the next 3 weeks or so. The conditions are partial/slight weight bearing but stressed that no “funny” stuff occur. Although it has healed the chances of re-rupture now over the next 3 weeks is great if too much weight is exerted onto ankle/achilles/calf. Common sense was the word he used and for me not to get carried away.
Tonight folks I am officially going to enjoy a nice soak in the bath with BOTH legs submerged, and not having to worry about half my body in and out the bloody water…….Downside has been 3 previous days where I have had a virus which has completely bed ridden me, but on the mend.
The hardest part is still on the way I feel with regards to building my muscle up as the muscle wastage is quite extraordinary over the past 5 weeks. I am astounded how much muscle loss there has been, it looks as if someone has sliced open my calf, removed the whole muscle and folded the skin over. Quite incredible how it happens over such a short space of time…..
February 21st, 2011 at 7:29 PM
The speed of muscle atrophy is shocking to virtually all of us — and space-station astronauts and others, too!
If your boot fits properly and is reasonably stiff, its “leg” will do the normal job of your AT and calf, if you let it. If so, then gradually applying weight to that foot, still on crutches, should be good for you, body and soul (IMHO as a non-professional). Your AT’s main threat in the boot comes from your own calf muscle. E.g., if you start falling, you’ll probably instinctively do all kinds of strenuous things to recover, and some of those may include having your calf pull hard on your still-vulnerable AT. But practicing rolling straight forward over the toe of the boot, initially with most of your weight on your crutches, should be a Good Thing, and MIGHT even train your brain to trust the boot to do that job, even if you do stumble.
You may find that the bottom of your foot (esp. heel?) is unhappy when you start transferring weight to it. Starting earlier and taking it slow usually helps with that very common challenge, too.
Good luck, and good healing! (And Watch Your Step!)
February 21st, 2011 at 8:29 PM
Your speed of recovery sounds very much like my own. Also you NHS experience is very similar. I started physio the same week as I was put in the boot and that really helps you start the ROM exercises, as for the building your calf muscle that is really a long process. I’m at 20 weeks and there is still a visible difference between the two, although I do actually have some muscle there now. As Norm says Watch your step, and carry on healing.
February 21st, 2011 at 8:46 PM
Good news on the boot front, I know my first ‘proper’ bath after 8 weeks was fantastic. The NHS is a lottery but at least you’ve moved forward whereas I didn’t get an option of a boot and was just put in another cast, albeit partial weight bearing for 2 weeks. Now I’m in 2 shoes but weaning off the crutches, I agree with Norm - the foot is not keen to have the weight back on it and starts to hurt after 15/20 mins, but on the plus side, my foot doesn’t appear to swell up any more than it was when the cast was removed. As others have said watch your step and take it easy!!
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:13 PM
Will keep on being positive….. On a different note, does any of have any idea if I can remove the boot for bed? I slept with it last night and in all honesty did not have a good nights sleep at all and woke up extremely achy too.
February 22nd, 2011 at 2:31 PM
Good question. Up to a point, it’s important to wear the boot 24/7. After that point, it’s OK to take it off for sleeping. My PT told me when I’d reached that point. It might have been around 5-ish weeks, where you are now, though my rehab included earlier exercise, PT, and WB, so the situations weren’t the same. (I was walking fast, FWB, by your “now”.)
Of course, if there’s any chance that you might absentmindedly wake up and start (e.g.) walking to the bathroom without first putting on the boot, then WEAR it! Sleepwalkers, beware!
February 22nd, 2011 at 6:42 PM
Got my boot around week 7 after surgery. I was told not to wear it in bed. It was a strange feeling not having something wrapped around my leg but I slept better without it. Also I found I could start to slowly stretch the tendon pass my comfort zone without the boot.
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:21 PM
Great news that you are out of plaster but be careful over the next month. I got out of my cast after 7 weeks and everything seemed fine and I could walk reasonably well and started physio. I even managed 5 days skiing 9 weeks after surgury. BUT, one false move on my stairs at home and I had a re-rupture, all because I was in a rush and twisted and pushed off too hard to go up the stairs. So after a reconstruction (2 weeks ago) its back on the road to recovery. I know I will get there as I ruptured my right achilles 3 years ago and it is fine now and I have played badminton, squash and soccer plus skied and snowboarded on it. Good luck.
February 28th, 2011 at 7:42 PM
Hey Gareth
I, too, got to take my first bath with two legs submerged….what a feeling. Although I still have to lift myself out with one leg and upper body….still in the NWB stage.
LOL…the muscle loss was incredible and I like how you described it. Mine, I thought, looked like a cake that had fallen during the baking process…there is a complete hollow area. I’m sleeping with boot on….doc’s orders and honestly I’m not sleeping well and last night I wanted to rip the damn thing off….but….I don’t want to risk any setbacks at this crucial stage.
Glad you are on th mend as far as the virus goes…..and excited to watch your progress as we are somewhat on the same timeline…….hang in there.