1st Day at PT

Posted on August 8th, 2012 by marcd28

Hello All,

Well today was the first day of many tough, challenging trials and tribulations. All in all, I feel much more optimistic than I had yesterday. My PT seems to think that I’m progressing just fine. Of course I would love to be out running in this beautiful summer weather, but I need to temper my expectations. I will get there soon enough.

Today I had a good session but nothing aggressive. Started out with some heat, followed up by a massage of the surgical area. Then we did some light stretching/ROM work. I was surprised with how much movement I had because I sure didn’t yesterday. The heat was key to that operation for sure. I finished up with the boot back on and working on WB exercises.

Nonetheless I had a decent session and I’m paying the price with some increased swelling this evening. I will definitely accept that for some improved movement and WB. I can’t wait to back in there!

4 Comments »

6 Weeks PO 1st day of PT

Posted on August 5th, 2012 by marcd28

Hello All,

Well, today is my six week post op date. I have a few things to report and question. Fist of all, my cast was removed on August 3rd and it was one of the happiest days of my life. The saw almost came out a few times but I made it! Second, and more importantly, my FWB was not what I had anticipated.

My surgeon had led me to believe that once my cast was off, I would be able to put a significant weight on it while in my boot. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite happen. I tried to put some pressure on my foot and it felt as if the bones in my feet were broken. Subsequently, my foot was so swollen that I thought someone had taken a ball-peen hammer to it. I’m not sure if this is a common theme or just my experience? I am 6′2″ 235, so my weight could be the culprit. This has gradually progressed over the last few days, but not much. Additionally, my foot and ankle are painfully swollen by the time I get home from work and it feels like my skin could split any second. Again, not sure if I’m alone at this point in the recovery process?

Today I head to my first PT session. I’m very optimistic to get in there and get some mobility going with this brick at the bottom of my leg. Fortunately, I’m going back to a great practice where I rehabbed through two rotator cuff surgeries. Anyway, I will post some comments on my PT experiences this week.

Best healing to all,

Marc

7 Comments »

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  • Recent Comments

  • nutkin | August 9th, 2012 | 7:32 pm

    I found the ankle area around my Achilles swelled quite a bit for quite a while. To help combat it the physio had me wear a double compreshion stocking when doing rehab and exercises. I also made sure I iced it after any form of exercise - no more than 10 minutes is what my physio explained to me as then the effect of icing the area becomes counter-productive. The other thing I found out and have used is Krill oil tablets, which are not only a good source of Omega oils but also great to help with inflammation. I completely agree with what has been already said and that is you need to keep the swelling in check as it pro-longs recovery.

  • mountainmarco | August 9th, 2012 | 3:48 pm

    I will tag along to Norm’s post. The more swelling sticks around and lingers, the more of a chance it has at actually damaging the tendon.

  • normofthenorth | August 9th, 2012 | 1:48 pm

    Control the swelling! Among other things, it will limit your ROM all by itself!

  • pauls | August 9th, 2012 | 11:14 am

    Keep it going not far behind you and I can’t wait to FWB and do PT. well i have been doing my own every day, not that the Dr knows that but hey thats my choice and i feel that my ATR can handle it! Good luck

  • starshep | August 8th, 2012 | 10:54 pm

    kimjax,
    I only take the compression socks off at night when I go to sleep. A few weeks ago I tried to stop wearing them but didn’t like how much swelling I had so even after 24 weeks after my ATR, I still wear them.

  • kimjax | August 8th, 2012 | 9:54 pm

    starshep - got the compression socks but when do you wear them? all day?

  • pauls | August 8th, 2012 | 8:28 pm

    Hey Mark I am at a similar time line to you 6 weeks on Friday.

    I have been elevating my foot as much as possible and working my ROM as much as possible. Yes I still get swelling if I am on my feet all day, still on crutches by the way :( but as soon as I elevate within an hour it has gone down!

    I feel as though my ATR is better than it probably is and it is frustrating me as I want to get back at my training. I wish!!!!!

    Keep smiling we will get there!!!!

  • starshep | August 8th, 2012 | 6:31 pm

    Marc,
    If you aren’t already, you should be wearing a compression sock on your ATR leg. I has significant swelling too when my cast came off and the compression sock reduced it to near normal within about 3 days.

  • ryanb | August 8th, 2012 | 1:23 pm

    I have a pair of full custom speed skates. To make these, they take a plaster cast of your foot. Then, they lay up a rigid, very stiff, carbon fiber shell around that mold. So, you get a skate which is an exact perfect fit to your foot, with zero ability to stretch.

    Needless to say, coming off of this injury, getting my foot back into these skates was a bit of a problem. They are very low cut to facilitate ankle motion; and great care is taken to form them precisely around your Achilles area and ankle bones for support- exactly the areas where my injured leg was most deformed. To get into them, I initially had to lube my foot up. It would take a while, but as I skated on them, it got better, the skate acting almost like an uber compression sock to squeeze the excess volume up and out of the area.

    I was able to skate in them about 3 months post surgery.

    I took a picture of what they did to my foot and posted it here:
    achillesblog.com/ryanb/2011/11/29/muffin-top/

  • joan | August 8th, 2012 | 12:41 pm

    Although my foot did not feel like there were broken bones, my foot was extremely swollen at six weeks, and would swell even more in the evening.
    I am at 11 weeks post-op right now, and just bought a larger size of tennis shoes because of this.
    My surgeon told me not to expect to wear my pre-accident shoes for at least six months.
    My PT suggested that I start buying two pairs of shoes, exactly the same, only in different sizes.
    When I first started to put weight on my foot, there was some pain because of all of the internal swelling that prevented the bones and joints from moving smoothly.
    It was nothing like the pain that you are describing though. It could be that your foot is more swollen than mine was, and the bones and joints are being compressed.
    MY PT would wiggle each bone in my foot to see how much movement there was, and assure me that it would get better once the swelling went down.
    Joan

  • davidr | August 8th, 2012 | 5:46 am

    Hello Marc,

    Sorry to hear you are a member of the club nobody wants to be part of. I must say that I would be interested to hear any answers regards feeling like you have broken bones in the foot and the extent of the swelling. I was about to book an x-ray for next week as 10 weeks in I still feel as though my foot is broken and the swelling I have is crazy, I can feel so much liquid swilling around my foot.

    I hope all goes well and that someone is able to reply to this.

    David