7 Months and Driving at last
Hi all
I drove my car today, for the first time. Only round the block mind, with a few hard breaking maneuvers, to test out the old tendon. By all accounts it went well, no pain, I felt as if I had gone for a long walk. Ached a fair bit, but much better than I have been dreading over the past months. I will keep it to short journeys to build up more strength. But the feeling of real freedom at last is a good one.
I am walking without crutches now. Yes I still limp, but no more heel pain. I am exercising at least three times a day or more, Riding my exercise bike, I have a wobble cushion for stretching, which hurts less now, I am doing two feet heel raises, and lunge stretching: thats knee over toes to freeshmen, which is still stiff and uncomfortable. I march on the spot a lot, and have even managed to walk over a mile a couple of times, I am buggered when I get home though. My stamina is getting better, but long walks remind me how weak I am.
I still go to PT once every two weeks, although next week I have been downgraded to an ankle class “hurray”, as opposed to “one on one treatment”. The swelling is getting better. I think in a few weeks, I may be able to wear some of my normal shoes, and stop wearing my clown sized 10’s, which are making me more clumsy than usual.
I went shopping with my wife last week, the things you do to get out! Anyway, I am walking around a supermarket miles away, when paranoia turns to real fear in an instant. An old girl is walking up behind me, looking at the food, oblivious to her trolleys front lower BAR, BLOODY HELL, it’s at AT height, and about to bump into my healing AT. I was gripped by real fear, and made a very fast exit. To close for comfort, but a lesson in how not to become to complaisant about getting better. Re-ruptured by an old age pensioner, now that would make them laugh at the hospital.
I hope you are all getting well, or even better walking, good luck to all of you, and watch out for the shopping trolly.
Lee
January 26th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Hi Lee, happy to hear finally you are back to driving. (spring coming you will be back on your motorcycle?)
Yes, we are probably all very paranoid about rupturing any more tendons… I must confess I am more worried about my good leg these days though, as there were several people on the blog who ruptured the other one! I don’t wanna be one of them! Take care.
January 26th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Isn’t driving great? I just started again myself. I do feel a strange tightness while driving, but it’s tolerable. I feel it pretty much the whole time, not just when braking.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:00 am
I was worried when walking to school the other day when a 3-year-old came careering along the path on his scooter and bashed into me from behind - fortunately (?) it was my uninjured leg but it certainly felt like achilles height, and I was sorely tempted to have a go at the parent for not keeping him under control.
Yes it’s great getting the freedom of driving back. I was very nervous for quite a while but have now done a few longer journeys of up to an hour with no trouble.
I’m sure you’ll be fully functioning again in time for the better weather. Guess you were snowed in earlier in the month - my friends in Maidstone were.
Best wishes,
Sam
January 27th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Hi Lee,
Great news on your recovery, with the level of exercising you are doing the single heel raise can’t be too far away!
All the best
Chris
January 27th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
When I tore my first AT 8 years ago, my only setback — a full MONTH! — came from rushing into single heel raises too soon, so Don’t Do That!!
It was the first day when I could walk barefoot just like a normal person, with no limp at all. (I was around 3 months post-op.) My physio was so proud of my progress (quicker than several other ATR patients in the same Sports Med clinic), that she literally paraded me up and down the length and breadth of the clinic in my bare feet!
When we returned to her physio station, we did a bunch of treatments and exercise and then she told me to do one-legged calf raises. I told her it was too soon, because there was no way that I could do 8 of them (my rule of thumb for WB exercises). She said the fateful words “Just do as many as you can,” and I rose to the bait and grunted out maybe 3 or 4.
It was literally a full month before I could again walk normally in bare feet. Just as bad, the pain in the back of my heel for the next couple of weeks was by FAR the worst pain I’d had during the whole process!
This exercise puts a LOT of weight straight onto your AT — apparently much more than taking a normal stride barefoot or in shoes — so it should be treated with the greatest of respect. (It’s not just your AT that’s on the weak side, too, both attachments and the surrounding tissue have also been atrophying while you were immobilized or letting your AT recover.)
February 1st, 2010 at 7:37 pm
I drove with my right foot for the first time in a while on Saturday (1/30). It was a bit weird sine I was starting to get conditioned to driving with my left foot (right foot was in the boot up on the hump in my pick-up)
I know, I know, it wasn’t recommended but I live in the country and without wheels I wouldn’t get much done. During this whole ordeal the only time I didn’t drive was the three weeks post surgery while I was flat on my back. Once I went to work I figured out the lefty thing
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:41 am
Hey Lee, Good Job. I remember some of your earlier posts. I don’t check this site like I used to, so it’s good to hear from one of the old-timers when I do. Keep up the good work!!
On a personal note, I went skiing last week with my 11 year old son. Some minor pain, but mostly putting on and taking off the ski boot. While unimaginable last summer, I was out carving some fairly nice turns on Friday.
DD