My 1st 100 days

One of the things I recommend is to keep a daily log of your activities and progress. For me, it helped keep sight of the big picture- sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the struggles of each day. Having the log to look back at, I could see that I really was making progress. Also, if I was getting unusually sore or swollen, I could examine the log and figure out the correlating activity (usually a day or two before) that was causing the changes - good or bad.

Additionally, the log helped keep me motivated. Sure, there were days when I needed a dedicated rest- but there were also days when I was just feeling lazy… and that doesn’t make for a very good entry into the recovery log. Thus, it was motivation to get out there and do something to warrant a suitable entry for the day.

I kept a daily log for the first 100 days. Mine was just a google docs spreadsheet that I could access from anywhere - with a laptop or even my smartphone. I exported it out to html, and pasted it below (So, the formatting isn’t the prettiest).

Date Day Event Details/Description NWB
8/24/2011 -2 Injury Complete Rupture of Achilles Tendon.
8/26/2011 0 Surgery Rigid post surgery wrap. Used Loretab to get home and sleep.
8/27/2011 1 Tylenol Switched to over the counter Tylenol (no more Loretab)
8/28/2011 2 Start Supplements Aminos, multi-vitamin, vitamin-C, kelp, glucosamine, aspirin, fish-oil <- 2x daily. Also start ~daily jello.
8/28/2011 2 Drug Free No more daytime drugs, using night-time tylenol at bedtime to get to sleep.
8/30/2011 4 Really Drug Free No more night-time tylenol. Completely off the pain killers now.
8/31/2011 5 Doctor Visit Hard "L" Splint, external sutures out.
9/2/2011 7 Splint Mods Shortened splint and padded it. Going mostly splint free while foot is elevated.
9/9/2011 14 BS Start boswellia serrata
9/10/2011 15 Shower First few baby steps (w/ crutches) in Achilles Boot. Swelling is much better. First wet shower.
9/12/2011 17 Sleep Free Slept without the splint for 1st time. Lost/removed a few steri-strips.
9/13/2011 18 No stinkin bandages Removed rest of steri-strips
9/14/2011 19 Doctor Visit Fitted with walking boot. Boot has 1 wedge in it. Switched to Canadian crutches. PWB
9/14/2011 19 Baby steps Walked to the end of the block & back putting a little weight on the injury.
9/15/2011 20 First Walk Walked just over a mile with the boot and new crutches (plus a lot of walking at work). Started very light elastic band stretching.
9/16/2011 21 No Spin Walked 1.25miles, kayak’d ~40mins, weights. Tried to spin bike @gym (no boot, zero resistance); total "no-go".
9/17/2011 22 2-miler Walked a little over 2 miles.
9/18/2011 23 Kayak Kayak’d 90+ minutes. Walked a little over 2 miles (a bit longer than yesterday)
9/19/2011 24 No Wedge Replaced wedge in boot with Aline Foot-bed (~1/3 wedge). Walked (hilly) 1.32mi. Kayak’d for ~50mins. Quite sore.
9/20/2011 25 Rest
9/21/2011 26 Spin! Spin bike for 5mins! 1.47 mile walk (hilly)
9/22/2011 27 Walk! Dropped the crutches (walking in the boot) for most of the day. Spun the bike for 7mins at level 2. FWB
9/23/2011 28 No Crutches Went all day without crutches. Kayak’d for 90mins.
9/24/2011 29 More Spin Spun for 20mins at level 4/5. Walked (boot, no crutches) 1.1 miles. Taking some unassisted (no boot) baby steps.
9/25/2011 30 Clipped Kayak 75mins. Walk 1.5mi (boot/no crutches). Spin ~25mins; clipped into road pedals for the 1st time.
9/26/2011 31 Flat? Removed the footbed from the boot in the am. Sore all day. Short walk - had to put footbed back in. Otherwise, rested.
9/27/2011 32 Swim! Spun bike for ~15mins in the am. Kept footbed in boot all day today. 1st real swim (30 lengths)
9/28/2011 33 2miler Spin in the am. 1st no-crutch 2+ mile walk (boot, footbed).
9/29/2011 34 Fly Spin in the am (~20mins). Lots of walking, in boot, around airports.
9/30/2011 35 Just lots of walking during the day (in boot), otherwise rested.
10/1/2011 36 Fly Walking around Seattle and airports in boot.
10/2/2011 37 Shoes! Spin. Swim. To the end of the block and errands in shoes! (+cane). Right foot driving 2 shoes
10/3/2011 38 Shoes redux Spin. All day (at work) without boot. Big kayak day - 90mins in rough water.
10/4/2011 39 Shoe-mile Spin. 1+ mile walk (shoes!). Swim, 40 lengths. 1-leg calf raises in pool. Tired and sore.
10/5/2011 40 Doc ~6wk appointment with ortho- all looks good. "keep it going". Got prescription for PT.
10/5/2011 40 Elliptical AM spin. Walked 20min (indoor), Treadmill 10mins, Elliptical 5mins, some lifting, and then swim.
10/6/2011 41 Rest Spin. Very swollen by late afternoon: ice + rest.
10/7/2011 42 6 weeks! Am spin. Rec center: bike, treadmill, elliptical, swim.
10/8/2011 43 Rec Center 20mins bike. 20mins treadmill. 10mins elliptical. 10mins stepper. 40 lengths swim.
10/9/2011 44 Kayak 2 hrs Kayak, 35min spin.
10/10/2011 45 Swimteam/PT 15min am spin. PT consult. 15mins climber. 20mins treadmill. Swim w/ masters team.
10/11/2011 46 2 shoes/miles Treadmill. Light weights. 2 mile walk!
10/12/2011 47 Squats Spin. PT. Lifting (legs, including some bare-bar squats), swim w/ Masters team
10/13/2011 48 Rest Zilch. Nada. Needed it.
10/14/2011 49 Cycle! Spin. Walk around Park City. Outside cycling (30mins). 2 mile walk.
10/15/2011 50 Bike 10mi ride. 1.44mi hilly walk.
10/16/2011 51 Jag 90min Kayak. Drove a manual trans (Jag). 2.47mi Walk.
10/17/2011 52 Hills Spin. 1.87mi (very hilly) walk. 1hr swim w/ masters team.
10/18/2011 53 PT Spin. PT. 30mins Climber. 10mins treadmill. 10mins treadmill backwards. Light leg workout (weights)
10/19/2011 54 quad Spin. Weights. Cycle. Swim.
10/20/2011 55 Hike! Spin. 3mile/90minute trail hike (Yellowfork) (swollen by end of day)
10/21/2011 56 Rest Spin. Rest.
10/22/2011 57 Hike 3.5mi 600ft climb Doughnut Falls
10/23/2011 58 Mountain Bike! 90mins Kayak. Yellowfork loop: single track mountain bike ride (1300ft climb)!
10/24/2011 59 quad Spin. Corner Canyon MTB ride. PT. Swim Team.
10/25/2011 60 Rest Joan’s Bday. Spin. "PT" at gym.
10/26/2011 61 Climb Spin. "PT" at gym. Hike (600ft technical climb). Swim Team.
10/27/2011 62 Plates. Spin. 20mins AMT. Weights. Squat 135lbs.
10/28/2011 63 Dog Lake Hike to Dog Lake: 3hrs, 6.5mi, 1200ft climb (9wks)
10/29/2011 64 Mountain Bike Corner Canyon ride w/ Lex
10/30/2011 65 Rest
10/31/2011 66 Slideboard Spin. ~pt@gym. Slideboard. 40min pm spin.
11/1/2011 67 6mph/225 20mins AMT. Treadmill, briefly up to 6mph a couple times. Weights, a few squats w/ 225lbs.
11/2/2011 68 Doc. Spin. PT. Doc appt. Swimteam.
11/3/2011 69 Lift. Spin. Weights (lifted legs pretty hard). Calf/Achilles a bit sore afterwards.
11/4/2011 70 Skate! Spin. Long Track!!!
11/5/2011 71 Cardio 30mins AMT, 15mins treadmill, 30mins bike.
11/6/2011 72 Ski! Skinned up Alta, and ski’d down.
11/7/2011 73 Whew Spin (am). Weights (lunch). Long track (after work). Swim team (night)
11/8/2011 74 Dawn Patrol Ski (early am skin up @Alta). PT.
11/9/2011 75 Rest Spin (am). Rest.
11/10/2011 76 Rest Spin.
11/11/2011 77 Skate Spin. Longtrack.
11/12/2011 78 Rest
11/13/2011 79 Ski 1100ft ski climb (Alta). Powder skiing
11/14/2011 80 Lift. Spin (am). Weights.
11/15/2011 81 Rest Spin(am) / Rest.
11/16/2011 82 Pop! Heel raises. Yay! Then a "pop". Sore & concerned. Ice and Elevate.
11/17/2011 83 Cardio Spin (am). 20min amt. 20mins treadmill. 20mins bike. Swim. Achilles hurts but seems "better".
11/18/2011 84 ~pt Spin, ~pt at gym, rest: still sore from "pop"
11/19/2011 85 Garage Spent all day on my feet, working in garage
11/20/2011 86 Ski Downhill skiing at Snowbird
11/21/2011 87 Skate Spin. Skate (longrack, went much better). Swim.
11/22/2011 88 Lift. Spin. Weights. PT
11/23/2011 89 Skate Spin. Long Track accels.
11/25/2011 91 Ski Snowbird.
11/26/2011 92 Road Bike Long track in the morning. Road bike (Rose Canyon) in the afternoon.
11/27/2011 93 Ski Snowbird.
11/28/2011 94 Skate Spin Am. Sketcher Shapeups all day. Long Track. Very swollen.
11/29/2011 95 Rest
11/30/2011 96 Longtrack Spin. Skated longtrack with the masters team.
12/1/2011 97 Short Track Spin. Sketcher Shape-ups all day. Short Track speedskating.
12/2/2011 98 Longtrack Long Track. (best day yet).
12/3/2011 99 Longtrack Shot video: found (and fixed) some big problems. But, was very sore afterwards
12/4/2011 100 Ski Snowbird!

Original google docs export is here.

6 responses so far

6 Responses to “My 1st 100 days”

  1. kathywon 11 Jan 2012 at 5:15 pm 1

    This is great, Ryan–thank you for posting it… You have done very well in your recovery.

  2. ahnadlasson 12 Jan 2012 at 4:31 pm 2

    As always, thanks for your posts. Your progress and attitude show that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

  3. gtgtgton 12 Jan 2012 at 11:24 pm 3

    that’s cool. Thanks ryanb. Your information is always helpful. it gives me a positive attitude to go through my recovery process.

    Good luck everyone!

  4. Ross Stewarton 22 Nov 2013 at 6:56 am 4

    Hi Ryan

    I snapped my achilles two weeks ago Nove 6th. I am a regular road cyclist and did the injury playing Badmington of all things. I have read your blogs and have been inspired by your recovery times. I have heard all sorts of stories about 6months to a year and they scare me ALOT.

    In June next year I have committed to a long cycle through Spain and Portugl (650miles over four days.) I am very determined to do this Ryan and just wanted to here your thoughs??

    A couple of questions on your recovery? When was the first time you walked any distance in the boot without the crutches?? And do you think when recovering you feel pain is this a good thing, i.e more pain more speed of recovery?

    Thanks for inspiring me Can I be on the start line in Santander on the 15th June??

    Regards

    Ross Stewart
    York England

  5. normofthenorthon 23 Nov 2013 at 4:35 pm 5

    Badminton is very tough on ATs, Ross! Cycling is relatively AT-safe by comparison. If you’re going to be cycling in toe clips or cleats, I’d be a bit surprised if you make that tight deadline. If you’re willing to slide your foot around on the pedal to adjust the AT tension & not competing with the world’s cycling elite, you might well be good to go.
    For most of us, very soon after we’re FWB in a good boot (@4-ish weeks post-whatever on a few good protocols), we can walk fast and far. Post-oppers often find their incision area still sensitive to rubbing, and many of us were a bit sensitive underfoot. Otherwise no distance limits.

  6. Ross Stewarton 27 Nov 2013 at 7:24 am 6

    I will be in cleats. Its now been two weeks since the op and I can easly walk PWB with crutches a mile or so, without the crutches its a big no no. When does the tendon start to repair itself? will this be happening now? if I am to try and weight bear will/could this alone snap the repair? I will be on the start line on the 15th if it kills me.

    Ross

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