took-walking-for-granted
I was playing basketball 22 nights ago. We had a fast break going, the ball was passed to me on the right wing. I pulled up and took the shot. Landed and exploded for the rebound. I felt someone fall on the back of my legs just as I watched the shot go through. Nothing but net. I took another step and felt the guy fall on my legs from behind again. I thought, that guy is a clutz and needs to get off me. I looked back and no one was back there. My heel felt like it was stepping on a brick but when I looked down at my foot, it was flat on the floor. I thought that odd but tried to take another step. That’s when I realized the feeling of someone falling on my legs was just my Achilles crawling up into my calf every time I pushed off with that foot. No real pain though. I stumbled to the sideline. Iced it until I could see a doctor the next day. I actually worked the day after the injury, which is a fair amount of up and down and walking around for me. I hobbled around making sure not to put any pressure on that foot except on the heel. Still no pain and very little swelling. I thought there may be a small remnant of the tendon left as there felt like a string that was still tight on the medial side of where the Achilles was but otherwise just a spongy gap where the tough tendon used to be. The doctor took about 10 seconds to say I was correct in assuming I had ruptured my Achilles. He dispensed a knee scooter and ordered an MRI which confirmed a complete rupture. Surgery was scheduled (non-surgical was offered as an option as well) for four days later. Surgery apparently went well. The surgeon said it wasn’t a mop when he got in there and he could anchor the sutures better than he could with some other cases. Some pretty serious pressure and pain the night of surgery. It felt like the bandage was too tight - which the surgeon told me to expect so I was able to deal with it. Watching the Mavs vs. Spurs game 6 help me keep my mind off of it too. Other than the night of surgery I have had very little pain other than the one in my butt from not being able to get around like I’m used to.
I’ve asked a lot of questions about recovery time and ways of speeding up the recovery and/or maximizing the strength of my repaired Achilles. I don’t seem to get many solid answers other than the very general, "It’s gonna take a long time". My surgeon said he would know more after surgery. Of course I was in no useful frame of mind to ask intelligent questions or remember them if I did at that point. He scheduled me to see him again two weeks after surgery so I’m hoping for a more solid plan when I go back in three days.
I have read some other posts that are really bashing crutches. I have used crutches in very tight spaces but otherwise much prefer the knee scooter. My knee do get sore from the pressure on it but it’s much easier to get around on the scooter than on the crutches. I’m ready to get rid of both though.
