Let’s do this again, shall we?

I got a comment through the Achilles blog that turned out to be to a Spam comment here.
I haven’t visited in over 2 years (11/17/2011) and it feels a bit surreal.

Initial partial tear in April 2009, surgery in October of same year for what they thought was Haglund Deformity but turned out to be an Achilles injury.
Re-tore partially in September of 2011 which took a lot of scar tissue with it.
PT for 5 months.
That was actually a blessing because the 2 years between surgery and re-tear were horrible and painful.
September of 2012 I took a step wrong and partially tore a small tendon on the side of my right foot.
Boot for 4 weeks and PT for 3 months because the Achilles was fine!

On the exercise front I’m a happy camper.
In May I started a circuit-training boot camp kind of class that is 30 minutes and hits all the core and balance muscles as well as upper body work.
Twice a week and taught by a gal who herself tore her Achilles and knows the pain.
I’ve noticed an enormous leap in ability of my legs, I can now leg press easily 125 pounds (up from 60) and can do step-up exercises much easier.
I walk 4 miles every other day in about an hour and 10 minutes and my first 5k is coming up in October.

It’s been a long and hard journey and it takes so much work.
But it’s do-able.

I’m free to bike, told so by Dr last week.
So different than 2 years ago.

Saw the Dr on Friday and he told me to go to two shoes, guided by pain to go back into the boot.
He gave me heel lifts, 2.5 inches, and I went out and bought good shoes with backs.

Wore them for a little bit yesterday, put them on in the afternoon today and have not taken them off.
I can walk without the cane or a limp, no pain or discomfort.

I’m a bit confused, I can see the tendon where it rippled up above the partial tear but should there not be pain?
I’ve had almost none, so different from after surgery 2 years ago where I was in so much pain while walking.

My right lower back is all knots and spasms, real pain there.

See the Dr in 3 weeks, PT after that.

I’m 4 weeks post re-rupture and taking it a day at a time.
I am driving, in 2 shoes with little or no discomfort.

2 years around this time I was getting my 2nd cast and housebound.
There was pain too, I remember.

So this is weird in a way.
I’m flying out today to Illinois to visit my daughter who is a Freshman at college there.
I’ve never flown this injured before, I have a wheelchair escort requested because there is NO way I can walk barefoot through the metal detector.
I’m a bit worried they’ll give me grief, the DR didn’t feel I needed a note from him.

When I booked my flight I wasn’t injured and Himself (my husband) insisted I choose the cheaper flight that would have had me drive a little over 1.5 hours.
Instead I lobbied for airport and city closer to school where I’d only had to drive for the 20-30 minute on the expressway.

Way back when I first tore the Achilles I did drive 4 hours each way with it but I didn’t know I had the injury, now that I know I’m a wuzz!

Take care, see you on the other side of next week!

It’s my right foot.
I’ve done a mixture of either driving with a shoe on or with the boot.

I’m not very versed on how fast my calf will get less strong or the mechanics involved with using your leg/foot muscles to drive.
Keeping even pressure on the gas is easier in a shoe, but not a problem in the boot.
Braking poses no issues for either but I’m terribly worried at lights that take a long time.
I’ve put the car in park with the hand brake.

In my defense I only drive if I must, and no longer than 10-15 minutes tops.

Anyone want to chime in on this?

Long story short, partial tear repaired in 2009.

Pt on and off.
Rolled my ankle in Hawaii, bad sprain.
Back to PT, everything is looking AWESOME!
Range of motion, flexibility…every thing was going well.

Last week we started with trampoline to fatigue.
Not a problem.
Then a jump is added, again no problem.

I do the bloody exercise once, I jump with both feet right to left and feel and hear a loud “pop” in my right, injured, ankle.

I *know* this is not good, even if I can bear weight on it.
This is Wednesday.

Thursday I woke up a bit achy, kind of like when you have worked out and your muscles are a bit sore.
Walking became a bit painful but not oh-my-god-I’m-going-to-pass-out pain.
Friday I call the office because I know this is WRONG.

On call Dr. leaves a message at the house phone, “you have a bad sprain, ice it”

Waddled through the weekend, even went to a Renaissance Faire in full costume on Sunday, go figure.

Monday I had to work and I decided to give my own Doc one more call.
His nurse wasted no time to call me back, ordering me off my feet and using crutches.
The angel got me an appointment today.

I’ve been so worried I’d either rip the left one or re-injure myself, and lo and behold I have.
Verdict is partial tear right above the repair and some scar tissue that separated.

Look who got a new shoe..

6-8 weeks in a boot, no cast. And then an additional 10-12 weeks therapy.

I’m so pizzed right now, but also very very scared for a full tear so I’m elevating and walking as little as possible in the boot.

Guess I’ll pull up a chair for a bit more.

.
I think the fact I had so much bone removed paired with compensating for a toe that was curled under is making me go so slow.
I fired the PT in May, went to a Chiro guy last month and had my hips adjusted.
Ortho guy gave me an insert to deal with the toe and walking is a lot better because of it.
I do get mighty stiff when I sit a lot but I can do Zumba, Yoga and short walks. No running but I hated that anyway.

I gave up on Marathon training, had to stop cardio.

I’m tight, I’m stiff and I have to admit it is all my own damn fault.
It hurts and I don’t want to make it hurt more.

I did start acupuncture last week in the hopes it would help the recovery.

My surgery anniversary is coming up on October 3rd, I signed up for an easy 5k on the 26th of September.
Have not done any training.

I’m so conflicted!

So much has happened since my last post.

I really tried to get going with the walking and failed miserably.
Only once I stopped putting my energy into walking did I improve and did my pain lessen.
I don’t know what causes my pain but over time I will find out.

4 weeks ago I let go of my physical therapy as well and have not looked back.
For the last 2 weeks I have less of a limp and a smoother gait.
I even started a cardio class that did not kill me!

I decided to take a year off from Team in Training.
Races are not out of my future but I’m going to start all over (again) and have my eye on a 5k ( 3 whole miles!) in September.

I need to not compare myself with the people here that had ‘just’ the achilles ruptured. I’m dealing with a boat load of extra bone removal and it seems to me there is no timeline for that added injury.

Where am I at 9 months post-op?
Drving, 2 shoes, walking up stairs is easy downstairs a bit clunky.
I have not formally exercised in awhile and I know that would make a difference in my recovery but somehow my motivation is lacking.
I walked 4.9 miles today with my Team, on a scale of 1-10 I give it a 6.
I walked a 20 minute mile for 4 of those miles with a slower gal and when she went on for more I was on my own and walked a 17.1 mile!

I have been walking 30 minutes with a friend who had surgery and we’re going to continue to do that and I’m going to bike at the Y I’ve decided.
Getting back in shape is a bear but I do have a goal in mind.