14 Weeks, and the rest of my life to go
January 2, 2012
3 months since the start of recovery seems to be an important milestone for many of us. We’re mobile again (yeah!) with the use of both our hands (no more crutches) but walking remains an effort (boo!).
We can wear 2 shoes but finding the right ones is problematical since our injured leg changes shape throughout the day (swelling!). We can walk but to do so without a limp means walking more slowly than we’d like.
Some of us can even walk at a normal stride without a limp. But must concentrate to do so since the repaired leg does not have the fluidity of movement that the other one does. And there is a price to pay for walking for any length of time (RICE).
Nevertheless we’re happy to be doing all those things again after weeks of accommodation and inactivity but a brutal realization begins to take hold. No matter how positive we may be about recovery or assiduous about physical therapy, we’ll be recovering and rehabbing all of our lives.
I’m confident I’ll play tennis again, hike with a pack and do all those things I did pre ATR but there will always be a greater physical cost than before my injury.
I’m at the phase of recovery where I see progress everyday, especially after a strenuous PT session. It continues to amaze me that every morning I can focus a little less on my repaired tendon.
I’m aware though that the rate of recovery will plateau and progress will happen more slowly. Then I’ll just have to keep reminding myself that it’s a marathon not a sprint.
Entry Filed under: ATR recovery, Uncategorized, achilles tendon tear, shoes. Tags: achilles tendon injury, achilles tendon rupture, physical therapy, recovery milestone.
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1. jjniss | January 4th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
One more thing, how come no one told me when getting into 2 shoes about foot and heel pain! Not to mention my family is very tired of hearing about it. Stoic is overrated.
2. kathyw | January 4th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Hope your foot & heel pain diminish soon…I found after not much wearing any shoes for 2 months after the rupture, that even my “good” foot got tired/uncomfortable pretty quickly in a shoe…
I have noticed my husband’s eye glazing over when I talk about my recovery…so I’m trying to discuss it with him a bit less, and with my mother a bit more–she has dementia, so won’t remember in the afternoon that I nattered on about my foot for 20 minutes in the morning…it works out for both of us! LOL!