Marina's Achilles story

When can I start driving?

mshap — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:59:15 +0000

I am @ 14 weeks post surgery now. I can walk in the clogs with a cane. I can walk without the cane, but with a pronounced limp so my PT told me to concentrate on walking right and use the cane for now.
I am very thankful for the many little things I can do on my own right now. The one thing I have not been allowed to do yet is driving. I was supposed to see the doc last week, but we got snowed in. So I would like to get an opinion from all of you, fellow ATR, as to how would I decide when it is time to start driving.

Another fall- here we go again

mshap — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:04:04 +0000

I am not sure why it has to feel like a roller coaster. I was just settling into my routine and counting days to get to 12 weeks when suposedly the tendon would have been completely healed. And then yesterday at the party one of the guys excidentally pushed the wine glass off the table and of course I had to jump to the side reacting to the sound of broken glass. I was on cratches, but still really pushed my injured leg. Since I have not protection (not even a boot) I felt it right away. I fought the swelling over night and spent the whole day alternating ice and moist heat. I am just parying it is nothing serious

10 weeks post-op and learning to walk again

mshap — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:57:02 +0000

Had my 10 weeks post-op today and doc told me that I can start walking with a cane. The trouble is that I never had a boot and my foot is still not in a neutural. The PT can get it to the neutural position passively but I can not do it myself.
I am trying to walk but my ankle loks up and would not let me bend for walking. Anybody has an advice on what excersises I can do to start walking again?

Sationary Bike - Advice?

mshap — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:23:46 +0000

I have decided to purchase a used stationary bike so I can work out at home while I still can not drive. Any suggestions on the types I should and should not get? From what I see so far there are recumbant and upright bikes. My sense is that the upright bike would probably give better workout, but put more preassure on the tendon. This is simply from looking at it. Any opinions?

Achillies Swells Up - anyone had somehting like this?

mshap — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:38:14 +0000

I am 6.5 weeks post op today. 10 days ago I started PT - minly ROM excersises. This morning I noticed a small bump about 2 in from my heel. It did not look like much so I did not think much of it. The I went holiday shopping with my husband. All I really did was to keep my foot on the ground for about 3 hours. By then my ankle started to ache. When I got home I saw that my Achillies was swallen an hard to touch. I am not sure if this is something that I should have expected.

First PT appointment at 5 weeks post-op

mshap — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:03:32 +0000

So I had my first PT appointment yesterday. The guy worked on stretching my tendon and for some reason I got really hot and felt nauseous. He said this happened because I have not moved my foot in a while so my nervous system was responding to it. I am not so sure of that. I do have a really high pain threshold and am worried that he micht have pushed it too far.

The we did some ROM excersises (Alphabet, moving foot to the sides, ets) and he massaged a bit my toes and the bottom of my foot. It fetl great, but then …

I got home and my ankle got really tight around the calf and tendon area. I had hard time sleaping and by the morning my foot swell more the usual.

Since then, I have been massaging my foot and ankle and doing the ROM excersises (although I think I am the only one who would be able to notice my foot movements at this point). The tightness is gone right now although I can still feel my Achillies. I hope my PT knows what he is doing. He is certainly experienced with other injuries as he did a great job for my husband and the two kids who are all competitive tennis players. So I will continue my excersises and give it some time.

How do i get rid of this rash?

mshap — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:47:19 +0000

2 weeks post-op in noticed a few small red spots. Didnt really look like much. Then, in the last two weeks it started getting worse. I developed red rash that spread all over my ankle and now is moving up above my knee. It is itching and the leg feels warmer where there is rash.

I tried Hydrocortisone which first seamed to reduce the redness and itching, but is not working any more.

I wonder if anyone else had the same thing and have any suggestions on what I can do.

Is there no way out of this nightmare?

mshap — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:31:26 +0000

I am usually a very optimistic person. My life slogan is to never give up. Yet, this morning I feel like I have nowhere to go.

I called a doctor who I got recommendation for. After 1/2 hour on the phone I was informed that the doctor can not see me until 90 days after the surgery. Technically, I am under the care of my current surgeon until then. Apparently, it does not really matter that my current surgen can not recall how long post-op it has been, what foot he operated on, or that I fell on my operated foot and still has not been diagnosed.

I am not sure what I can do now.

4 weeks post op - rediculous

mshap — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:45:45 +0000

2 weeks ago I lost my balance and landed on the big toe of my injured foot. 5 days later, when I finally saw the Dr he wanted to wait 10 days for the swelling to go down.

So, there I was today, 4 weeks post op, egerly awaiting the verdict. Surgery? MRI? Cast? Turns out none of these. The Dr shows up, looks at my ankle, and asks how many weeks post-op was I. “3 weeks?” “No, 4 weeks” I reply. Dr looks very happy and announces that I am to start PT.

I remind him that I fell and that we were waiting… He reiterates that it is time to start PT and begins wrapping my ankle with the ACE wrap. I ask about the boot. What boot? Dr is surprised. “You need first to get your foot to a 90 degree angle” he says. I realize that this is not even worse the argument. I insist on getting prescription for an MRI and leave.

As soon as I get home, I realize that the Rx is for the WRONG ankle. I call the office and ask them to correct the prescription. No appologies, but they agree. Later I call the radiology place and find out that te second prescription is incomplete. At this point, 5:40 in the afternoon, the Dr office is closed.

What a day. At least I know that I am done with this doctor. The issue is finding a better one now.

November 19, 2009

mshap — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:40:23 +0000

I lost balance while standing on one foot and landed on the big toe of the operated foot.

Luckily, my doctor was out of the country until the following Monday and the covering doctor assured me that I should just weight and see my surgeon first thing Monday morning.

My doctor did not seem too concerned when I finally got a hold of him on Monday afternoon. We finally met on Tusday 2 pm - 5 days after my fall. The doctor could not tell if I re-ruptured my Achilles or not as I had swelling around my ankle.

Doctor decided that I would need to wait 10 more days before I can see him. At that point he would examine my foot again, and then he might order an MRI to confirm what had happened.

So, I have an appointment on Dec 3 - 14 days from the original fall. I dont know what to do now.