How it happened
Hi, here is my tale of woe regarding my ruptured achilles tendon which occurred on Tuesday 18th November.
I’m a 37 year old training professional who plays 5-a-side football most weeks in an effort to get at least a modicum of exercise for my 100kg frame.
Was playing an intra-departmental league match and ten minutes (at around 6.40pm) in I felt a whack on the back of my leg, a loud pop and I ended up in a heap on the floor. In my initial confusion I was looking around for the nasty brute who had hit me but alas I was informed that the nearest player to me was 10 metres away…
It was about then that the horrible truth dawned on me that something was not quite right in my left leg and I duly hobbled off the pitch to be met by a concerned member of the sports centre staff bearing a bag of ice (really good in hindsight) and the dreaded ‘accident form’!
Had a bit of a rest with leg elevated on ice and then, against all advice, drove the 500 metres home only having to depress the clutch twice (thankfully!).
Kept the leg elevated and on ice for a couple of hours whilst I had something to eat and contemplated the best time to go to the local Accident & Emergency department. I thought I’d better look up a ruptured achilles on t’internet (sportsinjuryclinic.net) which advised to seek emergency treatment asap.
Presented myself to the A&E department at Frenchay Hospital (North Bristol, UK) at around 10.30pm on that Tuesday evening. Fortunately, it was very quiet and I was seen by the triage nurse after about 10 minutes. The duty doctor confirmed the suspicion of a ruptured achilles with the squeeze test (called the Simmond’s test here) and I was put in a temporary cast to immobilise my lower left leg with an appointment to see the specialist in the Orthopaedic outpatient clinic the very next morning.
So to Wednesday, after a medium wait in the outpatient clinic, I was seen by the consultant who had a junior doctor with him so was explaining the condition and the clinical test comprehensively (lucky for me?). He repeated the squeeze test which he said confirmed a total rupture and got the junior to feel the ‘gap’ in the tendon.
He explained the treatment options fully, either surgical or non-surgical and explained the pros and cons of each. I was keen to go down the quicker recovery route and the one that would have the least chance of re-rupture. The consultant arranged for the operation to be carried out the following morning as an emergency day case.
Thursday 20th November. Presented myself back to the hospital at 7.30 am to have a percutaneous repair on the ruptured achilles tendon. This is less invasive than an open repair and involves three small incisions cut laterally across the back of the leg to allow the ends of the tendon to be sutured together. Woke up by 10.30am with leg in plaster cast and was home by 12.30pm.
Today, I am at work to redistribute some of my ongoing things and am going to take most of this week and all of next week off to rest and relax.
I have to say that I am not in anything like the pain I thought I would be, it is uncomfortable for sure and at times the incision sites sting a bit but I am managing the pain easily with paracetamol and ibuprofen. I’m told that in two weeks (from the op) I will be back to see the consultant who will then place my left leg into a brace and boot which will allow some movement with the boot angle being relaxed over a period of time (some 4-6 weeks).
I think I have been quite lucky in so far as I have been operated on within two days of the injury and I don’t seem to be suffering too badly from either pain or swelling in the lower leg.
The one thing I am not liking is the total frustration of my limited mobility being on crutches and not allowed to weight bear on my left leg. I’m developing muscles in my shoulders and arms that I never knew I had and my right leg is gonna look like a weight lifter’s before long I fear!!