Feb 25 2010
5 Week Mark - PT Time!
Had a great meeting with the Doc yesterday and at exactly 5 weeks from surgery date, I received clearance to start PT - 2x a week for 6 weeks. He also said I can ditch the boot next week (at the 6 week mark) and put on a sports ankle brace. I was shocked (but pleased!) as I didn’t have a cast nor did I have any inserts into the boot I’ve read others on this site have had. From the very first visit, he placed me into the boot at zero degrees, and I’ve been there ever since.
During yesterday’s visit, he had me do some simple ROM exercises and push hard against his hand as he felt the AT. He said the tendon felt good and looked good and noted how the calf had atrophied, but that everything was connected.
I’ve been FWB since 3 weeks and been walking w/out crutches for about 10 days now. I’m going to PT today, so we’ll see what they think. Has anyone had the ankle brace? It’s called Game Day from Ossur and secures around the ankle with shoe lacing and velcro.
great news!! No input on the brace…I went from boot to sneaker.
++++vibes
I think I recall that Dennis (this site’s creator) used a brace for a while, but that may have been when he went back to running, rather than early on, going to 2 shoes. . .
I hope it gives you some real security, and not just a false sense of same!
Way to go…sounds like you’re moving right along.
I went from surgery into ace wrappings for 2 weeks.
Wrapping to cast from week 3 to week 8 1/2.
Cast to walking boot week 8 1/2 to week 10 1/2.
And then officially in two shoes full time week 13, but didn’t tell the PT I shifted out of the boot really at week 12.
Good luck…but be careful.
Chris,
Thanks for the comments.
I’m cautious, as many like you are in the cast and boot for longer periods of time. I guess it depends on how bad the rupture was and where. I’m waiting for the op report (which the PT wants to read) and we both think that will answer our questions. In the meantime I will resist the urge to move too fast based on what I’ve read out here on this site.
As I sit here working/writing, I’m doing some exercises my PT gave me without the boot. Simple stretching of the AT and ROM exercises. Feels liberating to be out of the boot, even if I’m not walking!
Best,
Dan