“Johnny Hopalong”

At eight days post-ATR, I’m already extremely positive about my ongoing recovery. My leg feels great and I’m already looking forward to my physical therapy. However, as I shuffle from place to place, struggling to do so in a somewhat graceful manner, I can’t help but see myself as a brain-eating zombie.

“Brains… Brains… Err, I mean… Coffee! Coffee!”

For those who haven’t yet had the pleasure of moving around on crutches: It sucks. Not only do your hands take a beating because they are constantly supporting your weight, it takes you about 4-5 times longer than normal to get from point A to point B - especially if there are stairs involved.

Oh, those f-ing stairs. They are the bane of my existance.

I don’t know about you but I find “the descent” to be quite the ordeal. One thing is for sure; my balance skills have certainly improved. I’ll make sure to consider Cirque du Soleil once I’ve fully recovered.

I should point out that getting around isn’t a major problem. In fact, I’m finding my mobility to be pretty good at this point. I do find (however) that I’m utterly exhausted at the end of the day because of all the weight bearing that I do throughout the day. This has an added bonus, of course; I haven’t slept this well in years.

On a side note, my iWalkFree is ordered and en route to Calgary. I can’t wait to have my hands back!

Earlier today, I met with my orthopaedic surgeon who - based on the MRI scans I had yesterday - informed me that his original assessment was (indeed) correct; the ATR occurred very close to my calf muscle, which means that there isn’t anything that he can do. Surgery isn’t an option because you can’t stitch to muscle.

Don’t get me wrong: Part of me is happy not to have surgery. I wasn’t looking forward to having a 9″ scar down the back of my leg. Unfortunately, another part of me is a little apprehensive because I really enjoy sports and like to stay active. My biggest concern now is being able to fully recovery from this injury. This, of course, is easier said/written than done. I’ll be in a cast for the next 6-8 weeks and then there’s a good 6-8 months of physical therapy and exercise before I’m back to 95%. (According to many, 100% is impossible.)

All in all, I’m in pretty good spirits. My leg feels good and I’m able to get around pretty well with my crutches. That stated, I’ve gone ahead and ordered the iWalkFree. It cost me about $370 CAD (without shipping) and should provide me some independence around the house. I’m actually looking forward to helping my wife with vacuuming, changing our son, cutting the lawn, etc.

Earlier today, I had MRI scans on my ATR in order to determine if I required surgery. After the scans were finished, the technician entered the room and said, “Well, it definitely looks broken.” Bad news, I suppose. However, I can’t say I’m surprized - especially when your instincts scream “COMPLETE RUPTURE! SURGERY NEEDED!”

As I left Diagnostic Imaging, I requested a copy of the MRI scans. When I got back, I eagerly fired up my laptop and loaded the CD containing these scans. Sadly, it looks like the technician didn’t do a very good job:

I’m not a doctor but I think the Achilles tendon is a lot higher than this!

My othropaedic surgeon has asked me to drop by the hospital tomorrow morning. I have a suspect he’ll request another MRI scan.