Update…Over one year out

So it has been a year out from injury (no surgery for me!) and I am slowly getting back to my regular activities.  I am able to run without pain, however, I am not up to my regular speed yet!  I think I’m too scared still!

My soleus does most of the work, so I went back to PT to help with building the gastrocnemius back up.  I’m doing more eccentric exercises to help with muscle building.

If anyone has any good strengthening exercise they’d like to share, I would love to hear about them!

Single calf raises?

So…again I’ve been offline, but have been making progress!  I am just over 6 months out from injury.  I am walking at 3.5 mph on the treadmill doing some light stair stepping and I actually got back to a Barre class this week.

I still have the slight defect (indentation) right below the tear.  Just a reminder….I did not have surgery.  I’ve heard that it takes time, sometimes up to a year or more, to regain full strength in your calf muscle.  I’m just wondering…when were you able to do a single calf raise?

I can do them with both legs, and for the eccentric contraction, I can do them with my injured leg.  It’s just that I cannot do a single calf raise with the injured leg holding all of my weight.

I just want to hear that I’m in the norm… :). I hope everyone is doing well with their recoveries!

Finally…picture is up!

I’m technically challenged when it comes to me posting pictures on the blog! This is a picture that I took today of my funny looking bump on my heel. My tear was approximately 6cm up from the heel, my PT said that the bump may be where the scar tissue is forming.

13 weeks out from injury…

I haven’t posted in awhile, since the summer has been keeping me busy.  I’m still keeping up with 2-3 times a week PT; she’s doing ultrasound and manual therapy on my calf, Achilles and foot.  I also do 10-15 minutes on the recumbant bike, light stretching, leg presses and some ankle raises.

I did visit my ortho doc last week and he seemed concerned about the lump that developed over the last week or so.  He mentioned that he thought I may have stretched it a bit too much.  He wanted me to increase my PT and of course mentioned the possibility of surgery.  Of note, I did re-injure my foot - I twisted the injured ankle on 7/27 and had to go back in the boot again.  And now I’m in heel lifts again!  Yay for me!

I’ve taken a picture of the lump on my heel.  I’m a bit freaked out by it, to be perfectly honest.  Have any of you seen a lump like this and should I be as concerned as I currently am about it?  I do have slight pain when walking and I’m still walking with a limp.  However, I have mentally prepared myself to be walking with a limp for at least 6 months or so.  I’ll keep more updates on my page, as I feel like this is where I’m surrounded by like minded people!

I hope everyone’s recovery is going as well as it possibly can  Posting my picture now…

5th PT session…going well!

I had my 5th PT session this morning.  She said that the indentation is somewhat typical of healing and scar tissue that develops.  Some people have lumps and bumps, some have an indentation.  I was able to exercise on an upright bike for 10 minutes at about 40-50 watts.  No pain, but I still had some heel and foot numbness.  I didn’t know that plantar facsiitis sometimes goes hand in hand with an Achilles tear!

She also did some manual therapy on my calf, heel and foot.  Also started partial weight bearing double leg heel lifts.  Boy—-does that calf get tired!  I’m excited to start exercising on a bike up to 30 minutes per session, depending on how my calf feels.  I also got to take out one of my heel lifts!  One heel lift every 2 days, so only 5 to go!  I also was cleared to start walking in 2 shoes with the heel lifts for short distances (i.e. at home cooking, etc.).

Hope everyone else is doing well with their healing!

Physical Therapy Update

So after my 4th PT session, they have me doing squats without my boot and the Nustep with my tennis shoe and heel lifts.  This is in addition to the stretching and exercises that are not to be done past neutral.  I’m still in the Aircast boot and weight bearing as tolerated.  I’m really not having any pain, but have been limiting my walking.  My leg does feel tired at the end of the day and I do have a sensitivity in my heel, probably due to the pressure on the heel in the Aircast boot.

A question for all (especially non surgical achilles rupture), I’ve noticed a small defect where the achilles was torn.  Is this normal?  I haven’t noticed it, until the past couple of days.  I have had no swelling and the tenderness has actually decreased in the last few days.

I would be interested to hear if other people have noticed a defect in their achilles and if it’s something I should be concerned with - maybe Norm has some input?  Thanks!!

Well, this is fun…almost 5 weeks out!

It all started when I was playing basketball with a few guys from work during lunchtime.  All of a sudden, I thought someone threw a baseball in the back of my right ankle.  Oh no…it wasn’t a baseball.  That was my Achilles being completely torn!

Thankfully, I work in the medical field and I was able to get evaluated, an X-ray and ultrasound within 2 hours.  The ultrasound confirmed the complete tear.  I then met with the orthopedic PA to make a decision - surgical vs. non surgical.  I give full credit to this blog and several other reputable sources for my decision in choosing the non surgical route.

I tore my Achilles on May 9th, was casted for 2 weeks on May 10th, put into a Aircast boot on May 22nd (50% weight bearing) and started PT on May 24th.  In my most recent eval with the ortho doc, he said that my tendon is healing nicely, scar tissue is forming and I can start to become more FWB, becoming completely FWB on June 19th.  I can then start taking my heel lifts out slowly.  He said I should be out of the boot by July 3rd.  Just in time for the holiday!

I’m just glad that my ortho doc isn’t conservative with treatment and my PT is doing a great job with my therapy.  I’m trying to look at the positives…this didn’t happen during the winter (I live in Michigan!), my job was very flexible in accommodating my work schedule, so I didn’t have to take PTO for my injury and I’ve had a lot of family and friends helping me.

The biggest bummer is that I was training for several road races this summer and I exercise at least 4-5 times a week.  It’s been a challenge to try to keep my activity level up.  Weight training is fine, but I miss my cardio!!

I go to my 4th PT appointment tomorrow morning.  Here’s hoping I can start to do more weight bearing cardio — any input on the average time when people have started their regular cardio?  I’m trying to be patient…