Never had a cast!

I went to my 2 week post op appointment to have my staples removed and boy did I get a surprise! Not only did I get my staples out, but I also had 1 wedge removed from my boot. That in itself was a major milestone, feeling my tendon stretch that extra inch as my heel worked it way down to it’s new perch inside my boot was pure bliss. Just when I thought my day could not get any better, the nurse instructed me to lose my crutches all together!! YES!! I am now walking around in my boot, though the boot does not allow me to “walk” normal, I am able to get around and actually carry something in my hands. The boot is VERY heavy so it does take its toll on me to move around, but remembering that just a few short days ago I was laid up in my bed and not being able to move period is a huge boost to my mental state!!! The only downfall to my recovery so far is that I still suffer from numbness in half of my foot and the possibility of permenant nerve damage is real. I’ll keep you posted on that issue.

My treatment going forward is simple; I exercise to stretch my tendon to regain movement. Currently I have about 2 inches of movement up and down with my foot. Each week I return to my doctor to have 1 wedge removed, meaning if everything goes well I should be in regular shoes in about 3 weeks! So in a nut shell that would be back to normal activities 5 weeks after my repair!!!

If you have not had your surgery yet, I would discuss with your doctor the option of the Beldsoe boot over a cast! It’s not pretty and it’s very heavy but it does allow you to get back on 2 feet much faster than the traditional cast treatment. Additional benefits include being able to take it off to sleep, shower and rest. I was able to shower 2 days after my surgery and I could clean and dress my incision site daily and most importantly I am able to apply ice often. Here is a link to the boot http://www.bledsoebrace.com/products/achilles.asp and just to clear any doubts, I am an IT Consultant and not a sales person for the boot!

My doctor tells me that his treatment path is somewhat new and not all doctors have joined this new thought process. One other advantage I see to this treatment process is costs. The cost of casts (approx. $300.00 USD each), therapy (since I am able to remove my boot and exercise my foot I will have less muscle mass loss over a cast treatment and do not need therapy) and less doctor visits. This may not be for everyone, but it is an option to discuss with your doctor.

Today marks 2 weeks since my surgery, or as I like to refer to it as the day I went into a comma. What I have not told everyone is that I spent 16 years in the Marine Corps, which the Corps changes the way you look at injury and also how you handle it. To have an injury like ours is a considered a sign of weakness, and you learn to push through pain. We all now know that this simply will not work with an achilles injury, yet I still find myself trying. I actually have “pushed” myself to walk with the use of just one crutch already.

Tomorrow I go to have my staples removed, which I am excited about since they seem to be the source of a great deal of my pain now. I am surprised that I still seem to have a great deal of numbness in my foot. It feels like over half of my foot is asleep, even with those painful twitches that I seem to have at least one every night still. That is a topic that we do have some posts on. I do want to point out to the new members of our club that almost everyone experiences these reflex foot jerks, and yes they hurt really bad, however, I have never heard of anyone re-tearing their achilles with them. I know the first one I had I was worried that I tore it again.

I want to Thank everyone on here for being a great source of support!! This site has been a God send to me! Keep the faith and one day we all do awake from this comma and go on to lead normal lives again!!!

The one thing that I feel we need more info on is what to really expect during those painful first days. I was able to walk, albeit painfully, between the time I injured myself and the surgery. So I had fooled myself into thinking I might have some mobility afterwards…..NOT!  Even with crutches, just the weight of my boot and my foot being down was an intense pain! So for the first 5 days I really never left my bed. My loving wife waited on me like I was on my death bed.  Maybe the fact I did not have a cast made this period harder on me, but having to keep my leg up and iced all the time was hell.

So for all the poor souls that have joined our club, my advice is simple…. be ready to do NOTHING! I’m the type of person that has to be moving if I’m awake, so learning to deal with the fact that the only pain free movement I truly had was the radius of my arms reach was very hard for me. So sit back, relax, grab the remote or a good book and take pride in the fact that we all will be stronger people having endured this experience!!!!

Today marks my 1 week anniversary. After reading some of the blogs the past week I have to admit I am really surprised on how many different treatment paths that are being used for the same injury! I am throwing out another one for you, I never had a CAST! I left the hospital in Beldose boot with about 4 inches of wedges in the heel.  I was instructed I can WB as much as I could take pain wise.  Day 6 I actually was able to walk with crutches.

I take the boot off to rest and ice and I still am dealing with pain and swelling, but my doctor told me with this method I can be golfing within 7 to 10 weeks of my surgery! Now I can see some downfalls to this process. I have to be very careful about my leg when I have the boot off. Even things like my dog jumping on the bed can turn into a nightmare for me, but I do feel in the long run I will be very happy.