ATR in Scotland

Call it all of the above as today marks 6 months since my injury happened.

Jeez, is it really that long since a dark cold February night when I ruptured my AT ?

Yes, it sure is and at 0435hrs today as I started my cycle to work I actually thought that it was that time, it was dark cold and very wet.

Where am I on the recovery trail, about to stop formal PT the hospital are happy with the progress that has taken place while in their care. I am able to jog for 20 minutes, still not running full out yet. Cycle 2/3 times a week 17 miles a time. Walk without a limp and go up and down stairs lifting and dropping on my toes.

The big milestone that everyone seems to push for, single leg calf raise, is almost there, I can manage it with a little support and should be able to do it completely by the end of the month.

No major pains or aches, just the daily stiffness in the morning which is eased off by stretching and massage.

I am so happy that with my recovery that I could dance a jig of delight, but , then again I don’t want to injure the AT again.

Hope that everyone else at achillesblog is recovering well and keep the faith and hard work going !

Johnk

Hi ATR Nation,

Just a short update on what has been happening in June.

I have started to attend PT at the local hospital and twice a week attend the lower limb rehab clinic where my recovery is regulary assessed by the team of PT’s.

On the days after attending PT I cycle to and from work in an effort to recover my pre-ATR fitness levels and also to save my wallet from the ever rising cost of petrol, £1.149 per ltr ($2.29).

The first few weeks after my cast being removed I felt that the recovery curve was very steep i.e. 2 shoes, no crutches, walking not limping, etc., however, as the time progresses this has slowed down and like many others in front of me I find this slightly frustrating.

Breaking up from work today for my summer holidays, , 2 weeks of no work, seems terrible to be looking forward to this so much after having been off for 11 weeks and only back at work 7 weeks, but thats life as they say.

I feel having read a lot of recent blogs that I never really took in the enormity of my injury and the impact that it has had on my family and friends and want to at this time say a great big thanks to those that endured my moods and poor patient behaviour whilst i was laid up and immobile.

THANK YOU GAIL( my wife), Steph and Rachel(my daughters), Caroline(mum in law) and all of Gails customers.

Anyway, I hope that all in this ATR nation are recovering and continue to do so.

See you all in a few weeks.

Johnk

Hi fellow ATR’ers, just a quick post on how my return from work journey went this evening. Left work 1805hrs changed route slightly to miss the worst hill on the route and found that it actually worked out well for me. I managed to keep up a good steady pace and as a result got home only 50 minutes later. Leg has been iced and rested and currently, 2243hrs, feeling no ill effects.

Good night from a leg weary, but happy cycling Scot. 

Hi folks,

Just wanted to let you know how my first attempt at cycling to work went.

I got up around 40 minutes earlier than I normally would if I was cycling to work just to give me the extra time to cycle the 10 miles in to work. I dressed and took 15/20 minutes to stretch and warm-up, left the house at 0405hrs and set off on the journey. The trip is fairly uneventful with a few minor hills to climb and took me 55 minutes to cover, 45 minutes before ATR was a really good time. When I arrived the nightshift guy nearly fell off his chair, as I am not due to start until 0600hrs ! I warmed down and showered before starting work and as I type, 1223hrs, I am feeling really good. I will post part two of this trip when I have done the return journey this evening.

This journey has helped me achieve my goal of returning to cycling to work by the end of May !

Keep the faith in your recovery it is ALL WORTHWHILE !

Johnk

Well folks, today is exactly 13 weeks since this journey began for me and I thought it was time to do an update.

Overall I feel that my recovery is on target and to prove this I managed to get out on the road with my bike on Sunday, for a small run or so I told my wife, and managed to clock up 10 miles of nice gentle flat cycling along the banks of the canal near my house. Did the circuit in just under an hour, 56 minutes, and felt really good afterwards. Everyday I find that the mobility of the tendon is increasing and the strength in my calf is coming back bit by bit. My working day is 12 hours long and the first few days back, week 11, were very hard on my legs as I can walk around 2 miles a day during work. In the last few days I have carried a water bottle to work with me filled with ice and used it to ice down my ankle whenever I can. My next main target is to begin cycling back and forward to work, 20 miles round trip, beginning 3rd June. I am still waiting to get full PT from my local hospital, althought the physio has said she is happy for me to stretch and cycle until she can get me into the lower limb rehab clinic.

Hope all are well and keep up the hard work, the easy bit is the first 10 weeks !

Here are some pictures of my non-surgery ATR 12 days after the final cast was removed. My ankle is slightly swollen today due to my 12hr shift, but other than that it is feeling good.

Got an appointment from PT today to go along on Thursday to assess my recovery strategy.

As the title suggests I have endured a long hard day back at work.

The day started well at 5am when my alarm went off and I made sure I did all my stretches and massages, got dressed and for the 1st time in 11 weeks put on my work safety shoes (toe proctectors). I got to work around 5.50am and was briefed fromthe nightshift guy and got stuck in about my duties for the day. I never realised how much and how far I actually walk in the course of a day until about 9am when I felt as though I had run a marathon. As the day progressed I slowly went down hill with my walking style, but stuck at it gamely until 6pm when it was time to go home. I got home, shoes off, socks off………….heaven had arrived and for the rest of the night lay on the settee with my leg raised and gentley massaging my poor aching heel and foot.

The only bright spot in this day was that I felt that the overall movement was increasing.

 I will update you as the days progress.

 Cheers

Day 77 since ATR and I am finally returning to work.

Worked from 8am until 1230pm today and feel no ill effects, other than where is my mid morning sleep

Back tomorrow for a full 12 hour shift and that’ll be me into my shift pattern again.

Mobility wise my ankle feels good, turning a slight problem, but not too bad for 7 days out of plaster. Returned crutches to hospital today in the hope that i will never again need to use them !

Hope all are well, CHEERS

Good evening folks,

I have been cast free for 3 days now and noticed a vast improvement in mobility over the last 24 hours.This morning after my shower, I massaged and manipulated my calf and ankle for 45 minutes to see what difference this made. Today instead of the built up shoe I tried my regular shoe to walk about in and drive with and found it a success all around.

This evening my wife and I went along to neighbours for some beer, wine and Wii playing and found that i was able to move around freely enough to enjoy the Wii.

Hopefully everyone recovers as quick as I feel I am doing at the moment, although I am aware that at some point I will stall and find the PT hard work, but smile just now whilst the sunshines on my back.

YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 After 70 of the longest days of my life I am finally cast free and walking with 2 shoes on again, okay 1 has a heel lift on it, but it is better than hopping and crutching along.

 The cast came off at 10am this morning leaving me with this withered looking left leg with lots of dead skin and hair attached. I managed to thank the doctor and the cast guys before putting on my sock and shoe and crutching very gingerly out of the consulting rooms. I got home and a miracle had happened, I was able to walk/limp without the crutches at all, just waiting to hear from my GP about PT and I will be all set to start the real recovery work in the months ahead.

Have spoken to my work and they are wanting me to start back on 7th May for a few hours to get accustomed to moving around and then to come back full time from the next week on.

Hope everyone is doing well with their recovery and good luck from a VERY VERY VERY VERY HAPPY SCOTSMAN !