Hello there,

I hope everybody is ok.

I had 2 appointments this morning; first my PT and then follow up with my doctor.

Everything went well at PT but my therapist noticed a little bump where my wound was still a little open. She told me it didn’t look like an infection but to make sure I should show the doctor. Went to my second appointment of the morning, and the doctor told me it’s a suture that my body rejected. It is not an infection but just in case, I should take some antibiotics. I was supposed to have my last wedge removed today but the doctor prefers I get out of the boot (to avoid it rubs the scar) and start the 2 shoe stage… Of course I am excited but I am a little nervous at the same time. I thought I had at least 2 more weeks in the boot so I was not ready psychologically lol. The doctor told me that my ankle looked great (ROM and wound).

I have some inserts to put in my shoes. I will start to practice tonight and see how it feels. I am planning to still use the boot outside and wear some shoes at home and at work until i get comfortable… Let’s see.

Oh and the other good news of the day…. I am cleared to sleep without the boot… FREEDOM!!!!!

Here is a list of food I made just after I injured myself. They are good for the tendons in general. May be it can help someone
- Fruits
Pineapple
Papaya
Any fresh fruits especially berries, citrus, tomatoes

-Vegetables
Peppers
broccoli
brussel sprouts
Spinach
Okra
Peas
Beats

- fish
Salmon
Sardines

- Dairy
Yogurts

Hey all,

If you are reading this, we probably have something in common… Achilles Tendon Rupture!!!!

I injured myself on January 11th 2015 while playing basketball. I am 32  years old and I thought i still had my game on after 8 years of non-playing full court in a team. Of course, the inevitable happened… a pop while i was going to the basket! I went immediately to the emergency room knowing that something was wrong. After some X-rays, they told me i had ruptured my achilles. The pain was tolerable until a few hours later….

The next day I made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor i was referred to (contact me if you are in Atlanta and would like to go there). My doctor’s office specializes in sport medicine and takes care of the Atlanta Braves and Hawks. I was scheduled for surgery on January 16 2015.

The surgery went well. I was put in a splint. I had the nerve block so the pain was tolerable until the next day when it started to wear off. The pain killers were my best friends for the following 3 days. On January 19th, I had my first post op appointment so they can check the swelling and the wound. They put me in another splint for the next 10 days. I had to work from home and mainly stayed at home making sure i kept my foot elevated as much as possible. I made a list of all the the foods that would help me recover faster which i will share in another post.

On January 29th, second post op appointment, my doctor removed the splint, my staples and put me in an aircast boot with 2 wedges in. He told me to keep the crutches for another week and start the weaning process from PWB with 2 crutches, then to 1 crutch. He gave me the green light to start PT which I did a week later (which would make it 3 weeks post op). My ankle felt really stiff but after a week of ROM exercices, I saw an improvement.

On February 12, a day short of my 4th week post op, i got a wedge removed. The doctor told me that I must have taken good care of my ankle because I had a good ROM, less swelling and my wound was looking great.

I am now in week 5 and I am going to PT twice a week. I am walking with one crutch while outside but at home or in the office I am not using my crutch. Since my surgery, I figured out that being optimistic is the key to recovery. Of course I was down but I had to pick myself up.  Last saturday, I went to my zumba class. My instructor told me to come over; that she had a chair for me. lol. I did some arms and core movements sitting. It was not a real workout but at least I did something and may be inspired someone. This week, I am going back to the gym and workout my upper body. Wearing the boot is not an excuse for not doing anything.

Next week, I will have my last wedge removed to have my foot in neutral. I understand that it will mark the beginning of hard work and may be some pain but I am ready.

Good luck to all of you. It is not easy but you have to stay optimistic.