Trail Running With the Dog

So to begin with, my achilles tendon has been giving me grief for about three years. I’ve had achilles tendonitis for that whole time and eventually a Haglund’s deformity appeared on the back of my heel. It was huge, like golfball size huge. Maybe not quite that big but it seemed like it. Anyway, I did all the usual treatments you do for tendonitis: ice, rest, anti-inflammatory medication, exercises, physical therapy, needling, cupping. Anything and everything in multiple combinations. Even some crackpot home treatments. For the most part, I just did my usual workouts (running, hiking, yoga, gym) and muscled through the pain, ignoring it the best I could. Until the past 6 months.

For the past six months it started to become unbearable, to the point where I was limping everywhere. I became a chore just to walk through the grocery store or across a parking lot. I knew eventually I would have to have the dreaded surgery but I kept putting it off. I was trying to find a convenient time of the year where it would have the least impact on everyone.

I made an appointment with the orthopedist on October 3rd to discuss the options. We met and chatted and he said yes, based on the xray you have a Haglund’s deformity that needs to be shaved down. It will eventually need to be done. He said we can try and postpone it a little longer by doing some more physical therapy and wearing a boot for a couple of weeks, but he didn’t have high hopes. So I left, knowing I’d have to schedule the surgery sooner rather than latter.

Friday, October 5th was still kind of hot here in the South, but it was starting to get that edge of fall feeling to it. Perfect day to take the dog Penny for a trail run. And that was it. Halfway through the run I came down wrong on a rock or a tree root and SNAP! The most excruciating pain ever. I knew immediately what had happened. I writhed in pain on the trail for a good 15 minutes before I even began to figure out how the hell I was going to get back to my car. I was in the middle of nowhere. So I fashioned a makeshift crutch from a big tree branch and slowly, with the dog, limped to the nearest trailhead. From there, I called my husband.

We went to the ER. Doctor examined me and deduced what I already kind of knew…ruptured achilles. So he gave me a set of crutches, a boot and set me up for an MRI on Sunday. Results of the MRI were that my achilles was hanging on by the thinest of threads. Let’s schedule surgery for Wednsday the 10th! And so we did.