ibjc’s Achilles Recovery

I know I can’t be the only person this effects so my question is this…..how do you combat the frustration of having to ask for help? I’m going stir crazy sitting around looking at the same walls. Watched all the movies, read tons of books…..i go out but the heat is wicked and it kicks my rear so to speak. How do you combat the underlying feeling of anger because you are trapped to an extent? I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel for me and this whole experience has given me a HUGE appreciation for those that are injured and impaired permanently. I’m just wondering what y’all do to keep your sanity!!!!!!

Monday I had my cast removed and Dr wanted my foot as close to neutral as it could get. Well I was only able to get it half way from post surgery position to neutral so I’m not sure what will happen next visit. This visit was enough for me right now. I was recasted and I told the girl that it was tight at my ankle and this was even before the cast was dry. She said to get it home and prop it up and it should start  to feel better. Um……NOT…..I suffered all the way home and got into bed as I was starting to get sick. I should have known before I left the office that my stomach upset was due to the pain but I tried to put it off. So, I got home and in bed. No sooner did I prop my foot up I searched for a comfortable position for about 5 minutes and said I had had it. It’s time to go back. I called the office and she said she would be waiting on me……she was. As soon as my orange cast was removed my stomach pain went away and I felt so much relief in my foot. TOO TIGHT……way too tight. Ok so next cast when right back on and I chose pink again. Want everyone to see me coming and get out of my way because I’m a real clumsy person even on 2 feet…just ask anyone that knows me. Hey, I did this injury shooting pix…..on me, I know!!!  Ok new cast is MUCH MUCH MUCH better….but all this activity has worn me out so off to prop my leg up for a few days, which I did and feeling better so far.

Well better, that is until yesterday I have been having spasms in my leg in the mornings and last night I flexed my leg somehow and felt an intense pain along the incision and then a wicked burning. I knew it was hurt last night in it took it a while to calm down then I finally feel asleep once I kept still long enough. Upon waking up this morning again I had muscle spasms and this one shot me out of bed because of whatever it was that I did to hurt it last night. It felt like the incision stuck to the cast but I don’t see any type of bleeding but don’t really know how that would be the case as the cast is not loose. Any type if upward flex of the toes sends me out of whatever chair I’m in usually following up with a deep breath and a few colorful metaphors. All I know to do at this moment is try not to flex anything and sit still…..this too shall pass I keep saying but dang it hurts!!! Next Dr. visit is in 2 1/2 weeks and from how this feels,  I don’t see me moving to the boot as I’m not even at neutral yet. Time will tell……!!!!!

Well, I’m now casted in hot pink at the request of my daughter and the incision looked ok to my surprise. Wish I could post pix nothing I try works so oh well. I have been really good at keeping my foot up which has helped keep the swelling down and even the Nurse and PA were surprised, so good deal!!! They didn’t move my foot to a different angle because there were no Dr. orders in my file so I image that will be next visit when I see the Dr. and I’m not looking forward to that.

When they removed my splint from surgery, I was shocked at how much muscle mass was already gone and I know it take a long time to build back. The other thing I noticed is that I could hardly move my foot. I tried to pull it up without touching it and it just didn’t want to go but what little movement I had hurt like crazy so I could be managing a fine line of actual pain vs mental pain. My strength is just not there in that leg either, I found myself shaking and starting to get sick when I tried to move it so I just laid down and waited for them to direct me to the casting room.

I remember years ago…when I had a cast it was the wrap, water and the plaster that got on everything and it was quite a process. I knew things had changed but how they do casts now is just too easy. Pick you color wrap and bring on the water…..oh yeah, and try to sit still and hold your leg this way or that way!!!! That was the hard part for me was keeping my leg in a certain position long enough for them to cast me. Again the no strength thing was in my way!!!  I had a plethera of colors to chose from and my daughter told me to pick Pink or Green so since Pink was her first choice, I’m now in pink. Guess my son can pick next time if he really want too! I go back in to see the Dr. in 10 days…..new cast and new foot position I’m sure.

Sleeping with the full cast is a little different, I’m not sure why but it took me a while to find the right position or maybe I didn’t I just fell alseep out of exhaustion. Non the less, I’m adjusting to the new pink leg…..if I can only find some bling!!!!

Since surgery, in a nut shell….meds made me sick. Even the meds to keep me from being sick, made me sick so after about 5 days I quit all of that stuff and toughed it out. As long as I kept my let up I did ok and Aleve helped when needed. So far I have not used Aleve in 4 days. I stay in out of the heat since it’s in the 90-102 range right now but frankly, I’m getting tired of the lack of things on TV and my walls. Tomorrow is my first post-op appt. It has been 11 days since my surgery and tomorrow I get my full cast. Dr. said he did the soluble stitches so I won’t have ay stitches to remove so that is a saving grace. I’m worried about a cast in that I still get quite a bit of swelling if my foot is down for any length of time. My toes don’t turn quite a purple as they did in the first week. Ok so now with the new cast I’m sure they will put my foot at a different angle and will continue to do so with each casting until I’m in the boot.

I did get some covers for my crutches (thick padding), the handles and the crutch bag as a bundle from crutcheze …it has been a blessing. The bag even has a pocket for my phone which is just too handy. I really have to say that no matter how much padding there is never enough on the handles, there are areas in my palms that still hurt. Whatever the case, having the crutch bag or any crutch bag is necessary. I must add that I’m so not graceful with crutches……not in the slightest and doing stairs…..it’s actually funny but it’s not really! Middle name is Ann, not Grace!!

Edited my page because I’m only 11 days out not 13. Wow….guess I even lost my ability to count.

Here I sit after having my torn achilles repaired and it’s more than I thought it would be. Run down of what happened is this….. I’m a sports photographer and not one to stand around to get the shot either. I like to get different angels and be in the action….or make it look that way but that isn’t always the case. I had a broken foot few years ago while shooting basketball…..see, only me can this happen too!!

Anyway, I rarely stand when shooting sports, I squat so I’m able to get up and move if need be. After shooting one long weekend in Spring of 2010 I woke up to a very stiff achilles and intense pain when I walked on my heal. Nothing came to mind from the weekend, it all seemed normal but no idea why I was hurting so badly. I went to my orthopedic Dr, whom I’m well acquainted with from past injuries and he said it was achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis (which ended up being ruptured) so into a boot I went. That went on for 10 months and still hurt out of the boot but 0ver time, and I say time was 2 years, my heel did heal but my achilles did NOT!!! If I got out of bed and didn’t stretch, it would feel like my achilles would break, thats how stiff it was. I even remember saying that to my husband on several occasions. As things progressed I had problems wearing shoes, my achilles would burn and become inflamed after a game. I was shooting, not playing but just the movements bothered me. I ended up in Chaos all the time and this was a problem where cleats are around or it was winter!

I returned to the Dr. when a knot formed on the back of my achilles and I walked sideways in grocery stores so no one would hit me with a cart. Bottom line is it hurt to be touched and driving was painful so I had to go. The know was there every morning and stayed big until I warmed my achilles up and as the stiffness went away the know went down in size. It returned when I sat down for a period of time and I would have to stretch a little more. At the Dr. we did an MRI and it showed my tear. It was a longitude tear and dang it…….it required surgery!!! My heart just sank….it sank because I knew what I deal with in all my past injuries, surgeries and recoveries and I knew this one was going to be a doozie! Dr. said I could go on with it like that for a while but he knew where I needed to be and when I needed to be ready for it….Football season!!!!! Our’s here in East TN starts early and I will be a cast for the start of the season only to go to a boot before the second game. My son is playing now, freshman, along with all my son’s from other mothers so I have to be ready. I expect it…… and so do they!!!!

Surgery was scheduled for June 13, 2012 and I am now 13 days post-op.