phil c’s AchillesBlog

Shoe or Boot.

Come Friday (29th) I am officially PWB .

In PWB , do I only use 1 crutch ?

Currently I have the boot on with 2cm inside , mostly for protection/peace of mind I think.

But come Friday would it be better for me to go to a shoe (1cm inside 1cm outside )?

Better in getting back walking quicker , I presume not safer as my leg has to be safer in the boot but am I over protecting it at this stage ?

A lot of daft questions I know but looking for the good people of this site to give me the benefit of their wealth of experience .

If I decide on shoes , then I have to answer the next question.

When I went to get my shoes done , I had picked a comfortable pair , but didn’t realise /given any thought to the fact the sole was completely flat and the shoe maker wasn’t 100% sure what to do .

Currently I have 4 wedges inside my boot making up the 2cm , so if I change into the shoe I put 2 of them inside it , job done .

BUT do I have the outside 1cm raise the same shape as the inside ones tapering out towards my instep?

Obviously normally when the shoe maker does heel lifts they are a block the shape of the heel all the same thickness

and thats where his confusion came in .

Thanks in advance , I know I ask more questions than answer .

Phil

:>)

Since my disastrous appointment with the surgeon , it has taken me 1 week (7 full days ) to get a reply from him regarding the questions I forgot to ask at the appointment .

I am NWB for the next week ,
then PWB with 1cm inside 1 cm outside the shoe for 2 weeks

starting physio on Nov 1st

then 2 weeks of ½ inside and ½ outside ……

then back to him on the 26th for heal wedges and the all clear ………

I have worn the aircast boot in bed and some how got use to it .
I wear it most of the time during the day too and take it off while watching tv or relaxing .

Since the dead skin has all come off now too added to the swelling and discoloration of my foot has mostly gone , it looks ok .

the calf hasn’t lost Too much mass and things I hope are on a good course .

I have picked my shoes and they are ready to be altered.

Question,
when I get the 1 cm inside and 1 cm outside on the AT leg shoe ,
do I get 1cm put all over (sole and heel ) of the good leg shoe ?

went to visit the Doctor yesterday and got the cast off .

Thank you !!!!! Thought Id never get rid of it .

Anyway before he took it off he looked at his file on me and told me what was going to happen over the next 8 weeks , this was without looking at the leg and see how it was progressing .

Is this “the norm” ?

Basically he took the cast off and told me put no weight on it for 2 weeks , then 1cm inside my shoe 1 cm outside the shoe for 2 weeks , then ½ cm inside and ½ outside for two weeks …….
After these six weeks I have returned to see him and also get a heel lift ……..

I had also to start with a PT in 2 weeks .

Despite never wanting to loose something more in my life ,
I couldn’t believe it , after the most serious injury I had ever had and probably the worse 6 weeks of my life he was sending me home with NO protection (booT)on it and I panicked.

I mentioned various protocols and things I had read here and he said it was because I hadn’t had the op for a month after the ATR that mine was going to be longer .

As I had a cast off for the first time in 6 weeks even while I was in his office I was very nervous about damaging my AT so the thought of having to be so carefully with it for 2 full weeks scared me .
I told him this and he said if I want I could get an aircast boot with the 2cm inside it but I still couldn’t put weight on it for the 2 weeks mentioned …….and follow the above 6 weeks in the boot .

As I was in there hearing the weeks next 8 weeks made me panic and I lost all train of thought and never asked questions I had prepared , I never asked him when I could start driving again , when my return to work date was , what pains might I feel are acceptable when I do start to put weight on it in 2 weeks . How do I balance the other leg out when I do start walking on it .Never asked how much PT should I do for the 4 weeks before I see him next .
I even forgot to make the appointment for my next visit in 6 weeks .

I asked him could I even start to put weight on it after 11 days as myself and the family where going away for a few days and he said basically its at your own risk , I don’t want you to have to start again.

Basically down to my own lack of composure during the appointment , added to the fact he was so adamant in his refusal to budge on the time scale and despite the fact I now have NO cast on ,
I left the hospital feeling empty !!!!
Not sure how I feel now , as is too early in the morning .

Hi all ,

Having read Tereasa1’s post and napatom2005 .

They both seem to be at the same stage in th st they are PWB ,

despite being 4 weeks apart since their original op’s.

With no disrepect meant to napatom , I want to be at the stage teresa is it come Friday .

I’m having no pains in the AT area or ankle and things feel good .

Only thing I’m getting is the odd stinging pain in the area that I think the scar is.

This only happens if I’m moving and it feels like (at a guess) like something(scab??) is getting caught in the dressing inside the cast and being pulled . Like I say , it only last a second or two.

I’m going back to see my doc this Friday(15^th) and from what he said last visit , the plan is to put another cast on , this time my foot being at a different angle . This is the last thing I need at the moment I’ve had this cast on for 5 weeks and enough is enough . Is there any questions I can ask him to point him in the direction of a boot instead?

Any advice ,

tips,

questions I should ask ……..????

Is it possible to go from an angled cast (foot point towards the ground) to a PWB ?

Any help with be really appreciated

PHIL