It’s been a couple of weeks since I last wrote. I am now 9 weeks post-op, have been FWB in boot for the past 3 weeks and man does it feel good to be making progress. I can still remember the first couple of weeks were very rough and I was very emotional and overwhelmed about this whole process. This blog has been of so much help and support in my recovery, and though I know I still have a long way to go, I already feel that I have come so far. The boot is GREAT…especially when going from a hard “walking” cast” the boot is SO much easier to walk in and so much more comfortable. Like so many on this site, I am a VERY active person.. i’d probably go as far as to say that, if such a thing existed, i would consider myself to be addicted to exercise… this was the hardest part of the first couple of weeks (esp. the NWB period which was 4 weeks for me). I remember going absolutely STIR crazy during those first 4 weeks.
Because many have asked about exercise timelines, etc. here is a brief recap of mine. Pls fee free to comment and especially let me know if you feel there is anything I am doing that may hamper my recovery.
I was back in the gym doing some upper-body weights 1 week post-surgery (curls, bench, etc.). This first workout felt VERY good, but also was very tough/tiring. Looking back, I would now say that I wish I had waited until at LEAST the 2 week mark to get back to the gym as I ended up being in a cast 2 weeks longer than was previously planned d/t one spot on my incision not heeling completely at the 4 week mark: I am thinking this was partially due to me sweating in the cast, causing the area to stay somewhat moist, thus impeding the healing.
From the 1 week mark on, I was in the gym 1-2xs/week doing upper-body work (I would bring someone w/me to help put weights on/take them of, etc. since I was NWB). At this point my incision was completely healed, so I started working out 2xs/week with more intensity.
Once I was put into the boot at week 6, I began driving myself around (though boot was on my right/driving foot I found it VERY easy to drive w/the boot on). From week 6 on to current, I have been working out for 2 hours, 3xs/week mostly upper body, though I have also been riding the stationary bike for 10 or so mins at a time w/fairly high “tension” (bike on 16 on a 1-20 scale). I have also been swimming for 45 mins/day, 5day/week and I have found this to be THE most helpful activity I have done.
For any interested, I really did not lose much of my upperbody strength at all. For instance, before the injury I was able to do 120lb dumbell presses on a flat bench (max: 3 sets of 4 to 5 reps). My first workout 1 week post op the max I could do was 80lbs in each arm (mostly d/t the fact that I was NWB and couldn’t even get them up to my bench to lift. 3 weeks post-op I was up to 100lbs in each arm, and yesterday at 9 week post op and FWB in a boot, I was able to do a set of 120s in each arm for 1 set of 4 reps… so it definitely does come back which was one of my fears when this first happened as I LOVE working out.
So anyways, there it is. Please let me know if you have any comments/questions/feedback. I guess the purpose behind this post/entry is to instill some hope to those who are newly ATR that things DO definitely get better, but that those first 2-4 weeks are very important to try and lay low… the return to activity comes sooner rather than later.
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Cheers!
But amazingly, it doesn’t seem to have slowed me down in any way — even when playing 2-on-2 beach volleyball or 4-on-4 court volleyball, or skiing hard and fast on expert slopes in Whistler, or bicycling. . .(!). I’m pleasantly surprised how little that particular demonstration of calf strength seems relate to running and jumping and diving and such.