niccig13’s AchillesBlog

I haven’t posted since last September when I was starting the semester. I made it thru our fall semester. I couldn’t jump at all but I had students demonstrate and the class understood and would listen to my instruction. Made it through Christmas and a move. One day I was at my moms house and left something upstairs. Next thing I knew I stopped and realized that I just ran up the stairs!! I couldn’t believe it. I am by no means a runner but I can run and we just started Spring semester and I am able to jump. I am hesitant and don’t overdo it but I can! I am trying to do some cardio b/c I want to drop some weight. I didn’t put on much after my injury but I did before and wonder if that contributed. It was like 10 pds not 100 but still. So I am doing spurts of exercise nothing too strenuous and trying to do more pilates and not let my ankle stop me.

The most upsetting thing about my injury this time around was my PT. I felt they were just in it for the money. I had to stop going b/c my visits were up and it wasn’t worth paying for. If it was I would have but I was not pleased at all. So I am seeing the trainer at my work and getting ultrasound and massage. I still have a hump where I was sewn back together and not sure about that so working on the scar tissue is my main concern. We shall see!

So I teach dance at a University and we started classes this week. I met with the classes the first two days to discuss the semester. The real test will come tomorrow when I teach two tap classes in a row. I have no idea how I am going to feel. I then have a modern class on Thursday. It’ll be a little weird b/c modern dance is done barefoot however, I need to wear some form of shoe. I’ll make it work. I just don’t want to do too much too soon. My scar is looking a little better. Turns out one of my stitches was trying to come out. I have just been keeping it covered and it’s starting to look better. I am still going to try the silicone scar tape. It’s really pricey but I think it will be worth it. I’ll post after I teach and let you all know how it went! Wish me luck

So, I am slowly, kind of slowly getting back into routine and it’s going to be rough. At the end of the day I have a lot of heel pain and also a lot of pain in the other heel. I dealt with plantar fascitis in the other heel before I ruptured my left achilles. So now both feet are a hot mess. I feel like an old person. I’m online researching cute orthopedic shoes and those don’t exist. I need to take it easy and transition slowly. I am working on heel raises. My scar looks ugly. It’s raised. I try to massage it as often as possible. I’m hoping it flattens out. I guess time will tell. OK I’m done complaining. I’m doing the best I can

I am out of my boot and so far so good. Everything happened much faster this go round. I am out of my walking boot and my ankle feels like a brick. The pain isn’t too bad. The push-off motion is where I feel the most pain. I had severe swelling in the beginning but this is suppose to be normal the more walking, standing I do. I am trying to massage my scar as much as possible but this makes my scar sore. My dr wants me out of PT which is good b/c I only have 3 visits left with my insurance this year. He said go to those 3 and have them give me a home routine. Sounds good to me. I may schedule one in a few months just to check in. My biggest concern is the lump where I am assuming they sewed me back together. The PA says it’s scar tissue and keep massaging it. The most pain is when I pointe my foot too much. I stepped wrong going down the stairs and had to bust out the ice. So not much else going on. Oh my other achilles is acting up as well. I am putting too much weight on that foot. The back pain when I got my boot off was horrible. I had shooting pains for about a day then it eased up. The body is a crazy thing and one thing really does affect the other.

So, this past week I have been fighting “allergies” I guess you can have a fever with allergies. I was very sick and completely miserable. So not only cannot I not walk unaided I was ill. I just feel like it’s always something. It was probably a good thing I was off my foot for a little bit because I had definitely been doing too much. Taking advantage of being crutch free. Anyway throat seems to have healed and I started PT today. I was nervous because I went to PT earlier this year for my SI Joint and I know I only have 20 visits per year. Well I was right to be nervous. I only have 7 visits left!! Agghhh what am I going to do? I need to call my insurance because I think my calendar year is up in Aug but I need to check. My PT said I am looking good and thinks I am doing too much so she put the kabosh on me limping around without my boot. Since I look good I am going to come in once a wk and do my exercises at home and maybe only do PT every other week so I can continue to go longer. Insurance doesn’t make exceptions? Guess I need to look into it.

Luckily I got in for surgery one day after my injury. Everything ran smoothly. I actually got in earlier than I was suppose to. The first day is always so bad. I was completely miserable. I was also concerned about gaining weight. After my last injury I put on a lot of weight and I was motivated to watch what I ate this time as I was barely moving. I had good days and bad days. Not only did I get hurt which in my line of work is devastating I also was ending a 2 year relationship. Most people think my depression was only because of my injury but there was a lot going on. This was a very bad time and I every day just wanted to go to bed so the next day would come. I made it to my first post-op appt and everything was good. I was home for a few days and I noticed part of my scar was bleeding so I took off the tape and realized part of my scar had opened. Luckily I was able to get in to the Dr. the next day and I saw the Physicians Asst. She cauterized my scar and I was sent on my way. I was to go back in the next week. I took the tape off eventually and everything was closed up. I just had my 2nd post-op last thursday. All bandaging was taken off and I was instructed to start putting weight on my foot and weaning myself off the crutches. I was walking (with my boot) without crutches by this past wednesday. It is so nice to be off the crutches. I am just feeling more independent and gaining control over my life again. It’s horrible when everything is spiraling and you feel like you can’t stop it. I am more calm now and gaining perspective. This time was totally different. I was in a boot from my first visit to the Dr before my surgery and everyday after. No more casting. Why you ask….there’s a higher chance of re-rupture!! Hello I could be the poster child!

Hello all! Just want to say I am not thrilled to be posting about my achilles injury because this happens to be the third time I have ruptured an AT. Back in 2002 I tore my right AT and then as I  just started walking again I took a step back and it partially ripped again. So there I go starting all over with the process. The Dr. was shocked. I kept telling my PT that it felt like it was pulling when I walked and there was so much scar tissue it just didn’t look right. This time I was casted after each surgery. After the cast came off we started therapy right away with massage and thank God it healed and I was good for 9 years. I didn’t mention that I teach dance/pilates for a liviing. So this is probably as bad as it gets. So here we are on May 4, 2011 and I am teaching class and between classes I was doing a move I wanted to teach my next class and I did the move a few times so I decided to kick it out and this time I didn’t even get off the floor. I bent my knee to push and “pop”. It was so freaking loud. My poor students were more upset then I was. I was and still am in shock. I could not believe I had torn the Left side!! Pretty rare from what I hear. It was just sitting there ready to pop no matter what I was doing. I denied the ambulance because I didn’t want to pay so I got to the hospital and was in the Dr. Office the next day. Luckily I only suffered one day with it unattached. I was in for surgery Friday morning. Oh yeah I am now allergic to Vicodin. I love getting older. Now we are all attached and on the road to recovery!

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