jacquim’s AchillesBlog

Jacqui, don’t feel stupid! My Dad introduced me to that simple way to check a level when I was a kid. I thought it was pretty brilliant then, and I still do! Without being told, I probably still wouldn’t have figured it out.

It’s nice to know I’m not the only one feeling lopsided. Norm, I laughed when I read your comment and realised my stupidity!!

I had the same feeling when I took the boot off to see how I could handle standing before going down to neutral. Might be because both of your feet aren’t exactly at neutral yet.

Next time, don’t change rooms, just turn around! (That works when testing a level, too!)

I had that exact same sensation when I tried to stand immediately after my injury but fortunately it hasn’t come back since. I have been having some heel soreness at the end of the day though. I imagine the nerve endings haven’t been used in so long that they need to be awoken. Hopefully as you continue to gradually use your foot this will improve. Regardless, I’d definitely mention it at your next PT/OS appointment. Good luck!

Its main use is to carry other substances into your body, through the surface tissues. Don’t apply it to a dirty or contaminated leg!

I started using Emu oil about 2 weeks ago and am pleased with the early results, finding — like you — that redness and irritation decrease with use.

I’ve tried a bunch of other products, too: shea butter, cocoa butter, regular lotion, liquid vitamin E (soy-based), and a scar cream. My scar has a tendency to dry out, but the Emu oil keeps it supple longer that the lotions and a little longer than Vit E.

I am definitely going to fight to keep the boot! Its not as though I will be wearing it all the time, just in those situations where I may be vulnerable. I dont think a one size fits all approach is helpful, especially as I also have spina bifida which means my right leg is much weaker than my left to start with (also possibly why the tendon ruptured in the first place).

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I agree with the above posts. Fight for that boot, lol! You’ll get out of it soon enough. It’s not like we like wearing it, for goodness sake!

As someone that is still weaning off of the boot after being FWB for ±6 weeks, I couldn’t agree with Norm any more. It is a scary time. Going straight from a cast to two shoes sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. It’s got to be a gradual process of finding your balance and regaining the feel of bearing weight without any support. At home, in other calm atmospheres, starting off on 2 shoes is scary enough - out in public is terrifying and very difficult, both physically and mentally. Having the boot handy to throw on is a must IMO. Good luck!

Now that you’ve come through a period of several weeks when you used crutches as vital, needed, and blessed tools, surely “using it as a crutch” should no longer be a put-down! I don’t see why it’s Good Practice to send somebody who’s brand-new to 2 shoes into a subway station or an airport or on a beach or on a long hike in shoes, without recourse to a boot. bit.ly/UWOProtocol prescribes “Wean off boot” at 8 weeks, and the word “wean” is carefully chosen.
I think they’re being overly strict, if not mean-spirited.
All that said, it’s obviously not helpful to get bogged down at any stage of rehab.

Hi Ron - yes, like you I was rapidly running out of bruise free space by the end of the month, so was mightily relieved when the last one was done!

Ron, did you do BOTH - Heparin shots AND Warfarin pills?!? Or just a few days of the shots until your blood warfarin level (”INR”) stabilized?

I feel ya! I had to do that too, for 2 blot clots, coupled with taking warfarin.

Almost ran out of places to put the stupid needle, but THEY preferred the stomach. ouch!! Just thinking of it. LOL

Good luck!

Yay!

Hi Janis and Tord

Yes, I hadn’t considered that, but think that’s quite logical. The last thing you want is for the scar tissue to be irritated by shoes.

It has become accepted best-practice to make the insicion on the inside of the tendon. My OS, who have had no less than three ATR’s himself (and who forbid the instituion to perform conservative treatment after his own experience with that in the 80’s) explained that the main reason was that active indivuduals who aimed to return to activity would easily irritate the incision site even years later, and hence easily develop achilles tendinosis. He did. the incision is not as easily irritated when made on the inside of the tendon.

It is also eaiser to deal with complications due to adhesions if they are on the inside rather than on the posterior side of the tendon.

I am very happy with my result, even if the scar is everything but pretty. IMHO, your scar looks good as well, and absolutely no reason for worry

Happy healing!

Before I had my surgery, my OS told me he may skew the incision off to one side so that it wouldn’t be irritated by shoes (then he made his incision straight down the midline, so…?)

Thanks Janis, that’s what I thought - will change my status.

I believe you would be classified as “FWB with boot”. PWB would be using at least one aid like a crutch.

Hi Norm

I’ve been taking the boot off twice a day since Friday and that seems to be relieving the swelling, but adding a bit of extra padding sounds like a good idea.

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Jacqui, when you’re boot-walking, FWB, all the load a healthy AT bears is transferred through the boot to the front of your shin, at the top of the boot. If that spot is tender, or the boot cuff doesn’t match the shape of your leg, it’ll hurt. You’re allowed to add some padding etc. to make it work. (We skiers sometimes pay big $ to boot fitters for similar solutions!)

Hi Norm

Thanks for your good wishes. I’m ok to walk without crutches, but may have overdone things since Tuesday I think. I had a pain at the front of my leg that felt a bit like tendinitis and when I arranged to see the hospital physio yesterday to get it checked out it was a bit swollen, which she attributed to trying to do too much too soon. Even though I was initially told to keep the boot on at all times for four weeks, she decided that in my case I should take it off a couple of times a day and keep it elevated for 1-1.5 hours and monitor the swelling. I’ve taken the Vacoped off this afternoon and it looks a lot better.

So you’re at FWB now in the Vaco, walking without crutches or walker? That part sounds as good 2 weeks post-op as the rest sounds awful! I can’t recall another “nocturnal ATR” here in the 4+ years I’ve been hanging out here, though we’ve had a few whose condition gradually deteriorated toward a rupture. Most with Haglund’s, which you haven’t mentioned. And outnumbered by the typical ATRs, most of them out of the blue.
Good luck with the rest of your rehab!

I am 57 years old and live in the north-east of England. I am not a weekend warrior! I used to play tennis, squash, badminton, run half-marathons and go hill-walking, but in recent years have experienced a lot of problems with my right foot (the one that has the ruptured Achilles), so have gradually done more gym based activities combined with swimming.

I had some cheap elastic-&-Velcro straps that perfectly sealed the top of a garbage bag for me. I put some chamois cloth inside the bag just in case, but it usually (always?) came out dry.

Limbo do a version for the Aircast and if you take the sole off it will go over a vacoped. It was not on their website but if you call them they will help.

To be honest, I just used a garbage bag and tucked the tightened up top inside the top of the boot. My incision area was well protected.