On my own now
January 22, 2012 by parisgirl78
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.
Thank you for posting, and glad to hear you are doing well.
I am 12 weeks behind you and your comments help me manage expectations and remain hopeful about overcoming this aweful injury.
One subject I am curious about from the female perspective is the effect of ATR on appearance.
Even though there are quite a few women on the forum, I don’t see much discussion on the subject. Obviously, this is not a priority during the first four or five months after surgery. However, as we return to our normal lives, appearance is important, and not just for esthetics but also as a sign of successful healing.
On this note, do you see a lot of atrophy and loss of muscle tone on your injured leg? Can you wear shorts or skirts with confidence or do you have one leg noticeably smaller or with different shape than the other?
Do you have a lumpy/bumpy/pinkish incision line?
And lastly, can you wear high heels (not 5″high stilettos, but regular pumps)?
I would love to hear your comments, and good luck with your continued healing!
Congratulations. It’s good to hear downward dog is possible again.
I am in week2 just had my stitches removed and doc said I am healing perfectly! So great news…however my vain side is asking the Same questions you have??? For now my large collection of heels has been moved to the top shelf in my closet. So whAt is the answer, how much healing until we can wear heels again?
About Heels: At about 18 weeks my Dr. said it was OK to wear heels. Starting with low heels then slowly move up. To be honest I didn’t feel ready then or now to wear heels. Most of my heels are stilettos so that’s probably why. But I would be comfortable with a lower thicker heel at this point.
About my scar: I wore a skirt for the first time last week. Because it’s winter, I had dark nylons on so I wasn’t worried about the look of my scar. The look of my scar is getting better but I’m not 100% comfortable showing it off just yet
I hope by summer.
I hope this helps…
PS: Atrophy is still noticable, but probably mostly to me at this point.