Moon boot and treatment plan

Just got back from the hospital and have been placed in a Air Cast with 4 wedges. The doctor thought that my foot had been placed in quite a large equine positon, so even though I’ve had 3 weeks in cast now, he thinks 4 wedges is needed because of the angle that my foot is in.

My treatment protocl should follow as such:

1. 1 week in 4 wedges (FWB as tolerated)
2. 1 week in 3 wedges  (FWB as tolatated), and begin gentle ankle ROM exercise out of boot for 2 hrs/day - spread out over 24 hrs - as shown by my doctor
3. 1 week in 2 wedges (FWB),  continue ROM exercises as above
4. (another dr’s appt after 4 weeks of wearing my moon boot)
5. 2 weeks in 1 wedge (FWB), only wear boot for weight bearing, continue ROM exercises as above while sitting
6. 2 weeks with no wedges and trying shoes if I want, continue ROM exercies and begin physicaltherapy
7. Continue with PT for as long as necessary

Initial thoughts: Boot is uncomfortable, and the wedges are putting terrible pressure on my arch, I’ve tried to put full weight through my boot but my foot cramps up Giving leg a rest at moment, and will try try again in a little while. Think it’s something that I will slowly build up to over the course of the week. But what a relief to be able to put my foot down! Just in time for New Year celebrations! Need to find some stylish wedge shoes so that my hips aren’t out of alignment when I try to walk (and dance) on New Years Eve

Merry Christmas

Just a quick note to wish everyone out there with their leg up, a merry christmas! Mine was spent on the couch, while I was waited on by Carlos the Jackal and my flatmate.

I had a terrible week trying to get in touch with the hospital re my ultrasound appt. They managed to schedule me for one on Friday afternoon, one day after my scheduled ortho appt, so that had to be rescheduled for next week. I was really upset about this since my research and this site has suggested that you need to operate within a few days of injury, but my doctor said it was okay as long as it was within a fortnight, which is what he was trying to do by rushing the ultrasound department.

I believe with NHS, you are just a number, and you need to wait your turn until you can be seen.

However, I got an early xmas present from the ultrasound technician. She was surprised that I was seeing her this late after injury, so I explained the NHS debacle.

She explained that the reason why you have an ultrasound is to determine the position of the ends of the tendon, and if they are in the right place for healing. She said that my ends were meeting, and when she painfully moved my feet back and forth, the tendon was moving as one! She said this was very good and whatever my treatment plan is, is that it’s working. I guess 2 weeks in the foot pointed down position in a cast has really made a difference.

I’m excited to see my doctor on Thursday to see what he has to say, as now I know that surgery is not necessary

How to exercise in a cast?

My biggest upset about this whole thing, is how I’m now not able to train properly, and how will this affect my training and body fat loss goals.

I’ve been crossfitting for about a year now, and in that time I’ve lost 25kg over the course of the year, but it’s been in the last 3 months, that I’ve really nailed the nutrition which combined with me training 4 -5 times at my box has really seen great success at my goals. I’ve still got a way to go in terms of body fat loss. I’m sitting now at 23%, first goal is to get under 20% so I can be at a healthy body fat measurement, then we will look at where I can go for better performance as a Crossfit Athlete.

I did my first workout in a cast yesterday:

Bench Press: 5-5-5-5-5 (33kg)

Complete 3 rounds of

10 x Left side Bent-over Dumbbell Row (12.5kg)

10 x Right side Bent-over Dumbbell Row (12.5kg)

10 x Tricep Dips off bench with 1 bent leg supporting.

Then

3 x 10 situps with 10 secs rest in between
Keen for more inspiration with regards to upper body workouts if anyone has some ideas?

Imagine workouts will consist of a lot of bench press, shoulder press, pushups, tricep dips, pullups (assisted), bent over dumbbell row, maybe more isolated movements like bicep curls, and tricep kickbacks.

I would like to come out of this stronger in my upper body so that I can do better burpees (requires a great push-up), and be able to do strict pullups.

We’ve got a pull-up bar, and have ordered some rings which will help me to do ring rows, ring push ups, and work on muscle up progressions, and pull ups with part of my body resting on floor. We have a bench, a bar, plates, and dumbbells at home too which will help.

Found this the other day: Pistol in a leg cast (there’s no way I can do this (yet) but it’s a worthy goal)

Looking cool in a cast

If you have to wear a cast, at least look cool while doing it! My lovely light blue cast has been covered in bandages to hold the halves together so I’ve opted to have a cast cover.

You can find heaps more here: http://www.cover-my-cast.com/

First Doctor’s appointment

Armed with a wealth of information gleaned from achillesblog.com and google searches, I went into my appointment ready to discuss when I would have my surgery.

Came out in a lighter fibreglass light blue cast and very confused about whether to operate or to not. Believe I should leave it to the opinion of the doctor I guess you have to put your faith into something.

My doctor was for non-surgical treatment but wants to see my ultrasound first.

I’m now in a cast that has been cut down both sides to allow for it be opened for my up-coming ultrasound, and then it’s been wrapped up in bandages. It’s way lighter than my other cast so already feel more mobile

My concerns:

When I next see him, it will have almost been 2 weeks since my rupture, from my research, surgery is best done as soon as possible, though he confirmed it was still okay to do within a fortnight. But if I do have surgery, I will have lost these 2 weeks of healing, and be back at square one. I know that 2 weeks in the whole scheme of my recovery is not much, but right now it feels a very very long time.

NHS: It’s free but very slow for appt times and waiting times, and really how good is it? This is my first experience dealing with NHS - so I have no idea.

I need to have an ultrasound before next Thursday, however when we went to their reception, the receptionist very nearly laughed in my face at the thought that I could dream of getting an appt within 7 days! She took my very important piece of paper with all the details on it, and said I’ll have to phone you when I can get an appt for you. I haven’t heard back yet, and I’m wondering if that was such a good idea. I should have taken a name at least, and a number to call her back. I’m really praying that I haven’t been lost in the system. Think I will call Monday - if I haven’t heard back.

To make me feel better, my lovely partner Carl made me an XO Cafe Patron Martini with Green & Blacks "Burnt Toffee" dark chocolate.

To make - shake in a shaker:

• 1 1/2 part XO Cafe Patron Tequila

• 1 part Vodka

• 1/2 part Disaronno Amaretto

Serve with any dark chocolate

One week ago…

Exactly one week ago, I was sitting in the waiting room in the A&E dept at St George’s hospital in London, googling ATR recovery & rehab protocols from my phone and found my way to achillesblog.com

2 hours, and one week ago I was hungover from my work’s xmas dinner the night before, and at my Crossfit box ready to do the qualifying event #3 for the SicFit Crossfit challenge London Throwdown.

Consisting of

For time complete in order:

100 Double Unders

30 Knees 2 Elbow pullups

30 Hang Snatch 35kg/25kg

100 Double Unders

Since I can’t do pullups yet, I was doing a scaled version where by I did knees 2 boob followed by a jumping pullup.

I was about 60 double unders into the final set, when I felt my right lower leg get suddenly quite tight, I walked it off and kept going, then with only 30 double unders to go, I felt an incredible pain at the back of my leg by my ankle and heard a loud "pop". I thought someone had thrown one of the little "pain" balls we keep at the box for massage at my leg, which had caused me to trip up and that explained why I was suddenly lying on the floor screaming in pain.

We had a doctor in the box who was halfway through completing event #2 (Sorry Alex) who came running over when he heard the noise and assessed my leg. He said I needed to go to A&E straight away and that I had probably fully ruptured my achilles.

My trainer is also a nurse, and gave me the assurance that I would walk again when I asked her, and then explained what was going to happen to me at A&E.

By this stage, pain had gone, just a weird dead foot sensation, apparently I was laughing and telling everyone I was so sorry. Hang on, why was I apologising to them? Shock must have kicked in.

With the help of a good buddy and my partner, I ended up at the emergency department waiting 3 & half hours to be told something I already knew, then another hour & half for x-rays and plaster to be applied. Word of advice - if you get injured don’t do it in the weekend, at A&E’s busiest time.

I was weirdly calm, and accepting of the whole situation, perhaps I didn’t comprehend the ordeal/journey ahead of me at the time. My partner was more upset that I was, perhaps he knew how much help I was going to need over the coming months.

My foot was placed in a toe-point downwards position, and plastered up with the heaviest plaster imaginable. My leg was a brick, and made getting around on crutches very difficult and told to come back next Thursday to the Fracture clinic for proper assessment.