One year on and better than ever

Well its been a long time since I have posted in this blog. Im over a year since my ATR and ive been back to normal now for a while, Im crossfitting like my old self other than the recycling of box jumps. my stregth is better than ever , I have PB’d all my major Olympic and Power lifts and I can run multiple 400,200,100m sprints with no effect to my Achilles.

When I first rutured I thought it was the end of my world! but due to a great support system and never giving up Im back 100%….. I pushed the limits in my rehab and in my mind that paid off big time as I flew through my recovery.

Keep your heads up and stay positive and everthing will work out.

Life is good

Well life is pretty much back to normal :-) No limp, no pain no swelling! I have a little stiffness each morning or if I sit for a period of time and start to move again. My scar has some weird looking lumps and bumps but I’m not to fussed as I have had in my opinion an amazing recovery.

I’m doing full RX CrossFit WODS apart from running, jumping and skipping, I am building strength back well my squat stats are good Back 170kg, Front 145kg, Overhead 112kg these are about 10-15kgdown on my pre injury weights, Snatch 92.5kg 2 days a go and Cleaned 115kg today once again both a touch down.
I have found that my Jerk is low but I don’t try be to explosive at this stage.

Happy healing everyone

My rehab program

Ok so this may not be for everyone but this is what I have been doing  for the past 12 days since my boot came off, this is something I came up with after being told what I could do and what I felt my Achilles could handle day to day.

Day 1..

Seated single LHR with 25kg dumbbell 5 x 5

Standing 2 LHR body weight 5 x 5

Deadlifts at 50kg 5 x 10

Bodyweight squat 5 x 10

I also did a farmers carry with 30kg dumbells it would be around 25 metres and I make sure to walking with correct form no limp!!!! I repeated this 5 times. (note I am always doing seated and standing LHR though out the day how many I would not know but it could be hundreds and I have been doing seated for a couple off weeks since going weight bearing)

Day 2 onwards…

My aim was to add 1 rep to each set per day until I could do a minimum of 5 x 10 reps ( I added weight to deadlift and capped it at 70kg and never changed the bodyweight squat)

Once I hit the  5 x 10 rep on the seated singles I added weight and got to 40 kg dumbells at 5 x 10 this happened at the same time, so I was at 5 x 10 @ 40kg

At this point I gave standing singles a shot and found them quite good so I subbed these for seated dumbells and I done daily 5 x max effort and all the other exercises, plus I added dumbbell stair climbs….

And that is pretty much how I have got to this point, I don’t want others to try this but I was asked what I have been doing, this injury to me has been something I was always going to try to beat, people who know me personally aren’t to surprised at what I am doing currently!!! I guess it is who I am and that will never change….

I hope in some way this can help all of you and I totally believe that the mind is your most powerful tool you can use, I have never quit on anything and never will…

Good luck all

Progress everyday

Hi all, I’m making such good progress everyday, I can do 5 sets of 20 two LHR and 5 sets of 10 one LHR, my ROM is the same as my good leg and walking stairs is no problem, I still have swelling at days end and find my upper calf tight that causes a slight limp.

I have done 3 body weight crossfit workouts this week that included squatting (which I can reach full depth) and weighted deadlifts @ 70kg and the leg is feeling awesome.

I just can’t think of how my recovery could be going any better.

Happy healing everyone!

Good bye boot

Just got in from latest check up and have got the all clear for 2 shoes :-) very happy at how things have gone and are going, I’m going to start a strength program for the next month and get this leg to a point where I can do weighted squats in 4 weeks (Dr’s instruction)

We went over a few exercises today he asked me to do some seated HR, 2 leg and 1 leg and managed all of them but only 2 of the single leg raise’s but he was really happy.
My walking without boot is just about perfect just a slight limp, I have been practicing this for the last 7-8 days in bare feet.

Happy healing all!!!

Count down to 2 shoes

Seen the Dr yesterday and had the las wedge removed from my boot, he had a look at me walking without boot in bare feet and said 2 more weeks in the boot and he would like to see me in 2 shoes :-)

Told him I have been sleeping without a boot he said that was fine and I must say out of all the milestones reached up until now (cast off, PWB, FWB) none have provided me with more joy than sleeping without a boot LOL!!!

I must also say that this forum has provided so much info and positive feedback that I couldn’t have made it where I am without it!!!! thanks to all who post and have posted in the past.

 

Happy healing all until next time.

Back to work

All is progressing nice and smooth! I started back at work on Monday which I must say is an awesome feeling, being back in there doing stuff that I was doing before ATR is great.
I am FWB and have been since my last post, I also manage to get around the house with no boot FWB. The whole transition from PWB to FWB came off without any problems my heel and tendon still show no sign of pain but a little swelling by days end.
I have 1 PT a week for the next 2 weeks and then I can start a strength program for my leg which will be 10 weeks post op.

I hope everyone is healing well and I’ll pop in again when I have more news.

PWB

Hi guys, just wanting to know what is the timeframe to start PWB and FWB? My specialist has been on holiday for the last 4 weeks and I was told by the fill in to not WB for 2 weeks that was last week, I’m now 4 weeks post op and in all honesty my leg feels fantastic!!!! I have great range of motion I have tried to weight bear and can I can even walk FWB in my boot, I have hardly any swelling and zero pain apart from tightness in my ankle first thing in the morning after being in a boot all night.

I did read most people start PWB after 2 weeks so I thought I’d give it a go and I was walking FWB later that day, the only thing I don’t do is stretching of the Achilles, but I do the whole alphabet ROM thing 3 times a day.

Any feedback as to weather I’ve done the right thing both positive or negative would be great.

Day 7 in boot

Not much to report, went and had remaining stitches removed today was also told that I would be NWB for another 2 weeks, so with any luck at that time (3 weeks in boot) I will get the all clear to PWB at which stage I can return to work :-)

My calve is so small it is shocking!!!! but the swelling in my foot is all most gone at this point, it has pretty much happened over the last 3 days which has given me more ROM with my foot and toes.

Day 7 post op

So at day 7 post op and not a hell of a lot to report, I have very little to no pain in my leg, I haven’t needed to take any drugs what so ever since leaving Hospital, I’m not sure how normal this is but I’d like to think it is and that my recovery is going just fine!!!

I’ve been keeping myself busy in terms of training, done 4 work-outs this week all upper body stuff in an attempt to hold on to as much strength as I can in my upper body. my legs on the other hand are well a different story, I do pistol squats on my good leg but the other leg has already lost size and is a shadow of its former self LOL! (these legs most body builders would of killed for)

Well until next time stay safe.