I had my last PT session and doctor’s appointment the week of January 9th and I am now on my own. My last PT session was after my 2-week vacation where I was left on my own to jog, walk and continue with a few exercises. During my last session my PT asked for my feedback on how I was doing on my own, tested the strength of my right foot and leg and watched me do a few exercises. Everything looked good. My single leg heel raises were still weak so he said I needed to keep doing them everyday. I was also told to continue jogging at intervals (30min walk, 1min Jog for 10 minutes) 5-6 more times then start jogging continuously for ½ a mile for 1 week and then increase my distance by ½ a mile each week. I was also given a few more exercises to do 3 times a week; Plyo jumps, walking lunges and single leg wall slides. I have to do these exercises for 4-6 months to fully regain my functional strength so that I can confidently play tennis again. The thickness of my injured Achilles tendon has come down significantly (I thought it would never thin out) and my PT recommended that I continue to massage it every night to get it even closer in size to my left tendon. I also don’t have any swelling anymore which is nice (I also thought that day would never come). It’s amazing how things can improve in a flash!
My final doctor’s appointment was pretty uneventful. He felt my right Achilles tendon, tested my strength, made me walk on my heels and toes and also watched me walk to make sure I wasn’t limping. He said I could start jogging continuously in the spring then start playing tennis after that.
There is one more milestone that I would like to note. I enjoy yoga and have been slowly getting back to it on my own at home. I had been keeping away from doing the downward dog pose because of fear of overstretching my Achilles as I try to place my heels on the floor. After talking to my PT and doctor they assured me that I would be OK to that pose. So yesterday I tried it for the first time in months. Nothing happened. My legs and tendon felt good. I am glad to be able to fully start doing exercises I enjoy.
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