Achilles nightmare UK edition

So it was a beautiful day here in middle England so I decided to go for it and progress from the treadmill in the gym and run on the roads. Decided to take it easy but did 5k in 27 mins which felt great. 6 mins behind my fastest 5k time but I dont care. Just to be running in the spring air was wonderful, especially as I am 23 weeks post op.

Next plan is to up the distances as the leg felt great, my fitness held me back!

All the best everyone.

Graham

A few weeks since I last posted but thought this merited a short blog Went to see my NHS physio on Wednesday and demonstrated I can do calf raises alebit only about 2 or 3cms high. I dont care as that felt fantastic.

She then said right get down the gym and try jogging on the treadmill. 3 mins running 1 min walking. See how you go…

You betcha. Went down today climbed on the treadmill with a little trepidation walked for 1 min and then pushed the button and ran. First time in 5 months. Boy did it feel good and I suffered no pain or discomfort. Rested after 3 mins and then repeated. I did this 3 times and it felt wonderful. Absolutely knackered at the end of it but I dont care. I have to do this for the next 3 weeks and if I suffer no problems I can move outside to road running!

Am now home and the leg feels fine, no swelling or pain. My goal of 3 10k races this summer and a half marathon in October looks achievable

All the best everyone

Graham

So its been 5 weeks since my last update and things are going OK but in some ways a little disappointing.

I am still seeing my private PT once a week and NHS PT once every 2 weeks. While the strength is returning to my calf the pain and soreness in my tendon and surrounding area is a concern. The PT has me using a glorified Tens Machine to boost the strength building in my calf - and its working well. After having a couple of sessions on the Isokinetic Dynometer, my private PT was concerned that my strength was not returing as quickly as expected and introduced this Tens thing. It basically electrocutes you (!) with varying degrees of pain and stimulates the muscles. The pain scale goes from 0 - 999 and I managed 340 last time. The more pain the more gain! A professional rugby player he has been treating recently managed 900!!! That must of hurt!

My main worry is the soreness in my tendon and ankle area. When I go for a brisk walk or use the treadmill at the gym (on a steep incline) I can manage 10 minutes until pain sets in and I have to stop as it gets really uncomfortable. I just thought after 16 weeks I would be further on with the soreness management! Running after 6 months is looking increasingly unlikely

Other than that all progress going well - I only have a limp when I get the pain.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and enjoyable New Year!

Cheers Graham

So thought I would post some updates as I haven’t done so for a couple of weeks.

Things are going well - I have still have a limp and the leg is still weak as I cannot lift my body weight yet but I am back in the gym 3 or 4 times per week so the strength is slowly returning. Lots of leg work, cycling and general CV stuff seem to be doing some good. I am walking well for a few miles but the ankle area does get sore after a gym visit or walking around 2 miles or more.

I am seeing my NHS PT on Monday for my first visit so it will be interesting what she says compared to my private PT. Hopefully she might massge the area a bit so try rid it of this soreness.

I reckon another 3 months to get to 95% and then probably 6 months to get to 100%. No idea when I can start running again but will wait for a green light from the PT before even attempting.

11 weeks since my op and I think I am doing well just thought I would have a bit more stength in the calf/tendon by now. I hope everyone else is progressing well. All the best.

Graham

So went to see my physio today and had a go on this fancy machine. Really is a neat piece of kit, it basically measures your strength and can compare good from bad. You do a series of tests comparing strength, speed and endurance. My results told me that my bad leg is 37% weaker than my good and can take 91% of my body weight. My good leg can take 150%.

It now allows my physio to calculate exactly what exercises I need to crack on with an aim to get me to 100% as quickly and safely as possible.

Its expensive, I am not on insurance and it costs £100 a session but I think well worth it. Its not usually available in any private or NHS physios so this is fairly unique around where I live anyway. I am back on Friday to get my detailed set of exercises…

All the best

Another milestone reached. I went back to the gym today as I was cleared by my physio last week. It was a great feeling but I was a little nervous as it was where I ruptured almost 9 weeks ago. All the staff came over and asked how I was - pity they didn’t check on me when I was stuck at home as I ATR’d under the supervision of one of the trainers.

Having said all that I was nice to get a sweat on and get the heart racing. I did a fairly low key workout but did include the cross trainer on a low resistance and the exercise bike. No weights on my legs until the physio gives the green light on that. Burning calories feels good.

Tendon is very stiff in the morning but soon loosens up. Back at physio on Wednesday.

All the best

Graham

Well its almost 8 weeks to the day I ATR’d and yesterday I was cleared for 2 shoe goodness. The surgeon was very impressed with my tendon and calf strength saying everything was ‘excellent’. I didn’t mention I had been doing some of my own exercises and had seen a private specialist physio as well but hey! I have ditched the aircast and I hope it gathers dust quickly in my cupboard (but the physio has asked for it if possible to lend to customers - don’t see why not!) and all I have is a small heal insert and a slight limp. Physio had me bending my leg towards a wall, using a theraband and doing calf stretches. All OK but it feels tight and I am nervous when pushing. He just said having some ‘good’ pain is OK but no more.

My physio also said I am on a 4 month programme for full fitness, so that would be 6 months in total which sounds about right. After being housebound for the last 2 months this feeling is soooo good.

For all you ATR sufferers I know its a cliche but it does get better. Oh and BTW for the people asking I haven’t used this Isokenetic Dynamometer yet. Apparently I may use it in my physio session next week.

All the best everyone!

Graham

I am due to see my surgeon soon but need some professional advice on what I should and should not be doing. So I have booked some private consultations with a very highly regarded physio who looks after olympic althetes and does a lot with AT sufferers. I can’t wait especially as my left (so called ‘good’ tendon) is giving me daily grief of aches and pains. She has also promised to have a look at my injury and other leg with a Isokinetic Dynamometer - which measure muscle performance somehow!

Will report back with feedback

So got out of bed this morning and thought I would give the Thomson test a go as I hadn’t done it for weeks. To my surprise I have a fair bit of movement on my injured leg/foot. Only a few weeks ago I had none at all. Does this mean things are going well - I can only assume yes!? Woo hoo.

In fact the only thing that is worrying me is my uninjured leg. Even before my ATR my tendon on my left leg was very sore so probably some sort of tendonitis - especially after exercise. I was always worried that was the one that was going to pop! Now after 6 weeks rest of no running or going to the gym it is still very sore, strangely not my tendon now but in my ankle so to speak - just below the tendon. It constantly aches. Any suggestions as to what this is and possible remedies? I am going to ask my physio if and when my surgeon clears me to go to one.

Thanks as always.

Well still stuck at home with this damn aircast boot. Am now riding my exercise bike everyday (which my kids seem to enjoy more than I do!) and doing upper body workouts. Just wondering if I should try a normal road bike and go for a cycle in the local area, or perhaps I should wait to see what the doctor orders. What do you think chaps? Weather getting colder here in the UK especially now we have moved back into GMT from BST so the urge to go running or cycling has somewhat diminished. Good really as I am impatient to get going

The last couple of days I have been shuffling around at home barefoot. Apart from the odd twinge all seems OK. The area around the tendon isnt swollen although I reckon I have some fluid (is it called oedema?) sitting around the wound. I suspect the PT will work to get rid of that. Although I am now past week 5 post op and I haven’t seen a PT yet. Just dont know if I should book some private sessions….

Looking forward to seeing the surgeon on 11 Nov and praying he OKs ditching the boot. Bring on the gym then, oh and driving. Yeah baby!