Week 3 - Touching my foot to the ground never felt so good!

Posted on July 28th, 2017 by sargegirl

Those first two weeks are H.A.R.D.!!!!! When you are used to being so independent and active…all the testing is enough to go crazy but I survived and kept a positive outlook as much s possible (truth: there were a few ready moments!) But I made it through and have now graduated to the weight bearing as tolerated stage. What a vague protocol !? My swelling is negligible thanks to anti-inflammatory eating and cold laser as well as KTape. The doctor said are impressed so far.

**Milestone** central this week. I am walking with crutches and sitting touching both feet on the ground…wow does it feel great not to carry around the foot in the air. I have been testing my weight using a scale to start off slowly but I’m so happy to report that I don’t feel any pain with 25-50% weight bearing with crutches. As soon as I venture beyond that i get a little pins and needles in the foot and know that’s the current threshold.

I have also ventured to the gym for some cardio!! In the first two weeks I did my protocol exercises for hip and knee extension and flexion, one leg yoga, core and upper body…but never really got a serious sweat going. It felt so great to bike and row…I just had the boot resting on the other bike pedal and not strapped in to the rower. (Thanks cserpent for the rower tips) Also…I went to the pool with my son…it was a success getting in, splashing around on one foot and feeling a little less restricted - I can’t wait to swim laps with a pull buoy later this weekend.

To anyone just getting started…stay positive, keep your mind and body active and good nutrition definitely plays a role in healing. Sawyer and I didn’t make the trek across Canada to visit the inlaws…probably not a bad decision to focus on healing at home still. We do leave for Mexico in a week (as a family and with the knee scooter as well) and think the lounge chair, pool, exercise, eat and sleep combo will only add to the initial successful recovery weeks.

UPDATE - I went swimming with a pull buoy and did just over 1000m in increments. Other than having to be careful crutching on the pool deck…it was so freeing!!!

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Week 1 - The Art of Slowing Down

Posted on July 18th, 2017 by sargegirl

One week ago today the course of my summer changed BIG TIME! My 4 year old and I were at a Trampoline Park and Obstacle Course having a great time with friends for the first 90minutes. I’m a PE teacher, marathon runner, Ironman athlete, avid yogi and overall healthy momma and wife. So I had no reason to believe that at the end of the medium level obstacle course the Warp Wall was going to affect my life so drastically. After watching my son and his friend (as well as several other people at the facility) run up and down the three walls…I decided to give the 10ft wall a try. Easy Peesy!! My 4 year old keeps letting me know I forgot to slam the "light up" button at the top of the wall to let everyone know I completed the wall before sliding down the pole to the ground. I asked the girl monitoring the station how difficult the second 12ft wall was and she said she didn’t think I would have a problem. So…off I went and the moment my foot hit the incline of the ramp I heard the "pop" and crumbled down.

I knew instantly what had happened. I hobbled around for about 30min, allowing my son to still play and hoping and praying what I knew had happened…hadn’t! But alas…I hobbled out of the facility and drove myself to Emergency (thank goodness it’s the left foot!)

I was quickly admitted and my Mom came to get my son as my husband is often working out of town. I was assessed and my initial thoughts of what happened were confirmed. Full Rupture…long road ahead and the marathon I had planned in October was definitely out of the question.

So…how to I be a Mom of an active 4 year old and gracefully handle this hand I was dealt. I have so far managed to stay very positive thinking this is the bigger world telling me to slow down and being grateful I have the summer to start recovery. I have quickly ditched my traditional crutches for a knee scooter and iWalk 2.0 to be a bit more mobile and quick, plus hands free.

As with so many other blogs I have read, I have been the research queen, and when I met with the surgeon the next day - we opted for the non-operative approach. I’m lucky my uncle is also a surgeon who has also confirmed my decision with several of his ortho buds. I have been exercising since two days post injury…my body only knows movement!

I found an awesome youtube channel with a yoga physio who had the same injury and still practiced yoga - I think it will be so important to stretch and breathe. I was given a protocol that allowed movement in the first two weeks to maintain ROM, hip and knee movement. Plus I have been modifying upper body and core workouts to be NWB. I’m missing getting a sweat on but am holding off on single leg biking for now. I even have access to a hand cycle if I really get the need to increase my heart rate.

I’m still elevating and icing and resting…but for me movement is normal and I think will help keep me sane! Next week we are traveling and so far I’m not planning on stopping these pre-planned vacations. First trip across the country is just Sawyer (my son) and I…so getting through the airport will be interesting, but I’m up for the challenge and not afraid to ask for help. Then a week later we are in Mexico…I think the knee scooter will still be coming with me!

I really love reading so many stories on here, and am trying to find some good inspirational books to read - feel free to give recommendations! My son has been AWESOME - carrying a backpack everywhere we go and really helping out Mom. My husband is out of town for 10 of the first 16 days post rupture…so my friends and parents have stepped up huge with meals, visits and play dates for Sawyer. Thank goodness I can still drive and have some independence…

Deep breaths, positive thinking and take it one day at a time! That’s where I’m at. Wishing everyone a healthy recovery.
XO

5 Comments »

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  • Recent Comments

  • sargegirl | August 1st, 2017 | 8:52 am

    Everything I’ve read and been told is that all the aggressive movement rehab only helps the stretching and healing! Still blows my mind that protocols are so varied and inconsistent.

    I feel your need cserpent to get back to soccer - I can’t wait to be a runner again!!! Ty…I would push your doc on adding some movement…inquire at least. And I’m a 4-12 PE teacher…who has four weeks left of summer! Are you back at it sooner?

  • cserpent | July 31st, 2017 | 2:15 am

    I’m at 23 weeks trying to get through a plateau in the healing process. I can run .5 mile with no issues. When I go to 3/4 mile my foot pains me. So I’m going to try running 2 minutes, walk 1 minute and see if that keeps the foot happier and allows me to go longer distances. And, after emailing back/forth with my soccer trainer friend she pointed out that running and hopping on 1 foot are basically the same motion - pushing off all the weight on one foot. Doh! So I won’t do my jumping PT exercises and running on the same day :) And I’ll keep at the strengthening exercises/machines at the gym. If I was a couch potato I would be doing fine! LOL! But I want to get back to playing soccer - so I gotta get the muscles/tendons back to full strength!

  • ty620 | July 31st, 2017 | 12:30 am

    Hey thanks cserpent I will try that. I told my doc. I feel like a fat cow just gaining weight. I use to work out 1-3 a week so it has been so hard to do completely nothing. Where are you at in this recovery?

    Sargegirl thanks so much for the web link. I teach 8th grade Math. What about you? When do you start back working?

  • sargegirl | July 29th, 2017 | 9:40 pm

    http://www.banffsportmed.ca/sites/default/files/bp_attachments/Achilles%20Tendon%20Rupture_0.pdf

    Check out this link…I’m in Phase 2 but it shows pictures of what I was trying to describe. I’ve only used resistance for a few of the exercises, everything else body weight(aircast weight). This isn’t my protocol, but very similar and very nearby where I live.

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  • sargegirl | July 29th, 2017 | 9:35 pm

    Sounds like we have a completely different protocol! I kind of feel like all Achilles injuries have us as guinea pigs since the surgery va non and protocols are so varied.

    For ROM - I’m doing inversion, eversion and planter flexion below neutral, dorsiflexion to neutral. Hips - straight leg flexion and extension with 5sec holds, side lying and standing abduction and adduction, clam shells, external and external hip rotations. Leg extensions and leg curls without any weight (I do have red and green therabands). We just added bridges and bridge addiction squeezing a soft ball between my knees with 5s holds.

    Also anything core - boat pose, side plank (from knee on bad side), plank (I now even put my toe In The boot down)bicycles, crunches with feet at 90, scissors, etc

    What do you teach?

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  • cserpent | July 29th, 2017 | 8:37 pm

    Ty - you can do cardio on the bike at this point - but you can’t put your booted foot on the pedal. I used the recumbent bike so my foot wasn’t totally below my body and just crossed across the middle support or rested it on the ground. It is a pain to pedal with one foot - but it is doable and definitely gives you a workout since it’s harder - LOL!

    I’m actually surprised - since you are FWB in the boot - that your doc won’t let you rest the boot on the pedal. That’s what I did when I was PWB. I promised my doc I would use the recumbent and would not push with my surgery foot, but just resting it on the pedal was a big help to using the bike.

  • ty620 | July 29th, 2017 | 6:58 pm

    Oh okay sargegirl so your therapist got you on the bike which is great. I don’t start therapy until week 8. When I was at week 3 I got the boot and put on FWB and was told to wean myself off the crutches. I ditched the crutches at week 4.

    What type of ROM or stretches do your therapist have you doing? I’m excited for you especially starting therapy early.

    Fyi I’m a teacher too

  • sargegirl | July 29th, 2017 | 6:20 pm

    Awe thanks Ty! I was so good in my non-weight bearing weeks just doing upper body, core and one legged exercises…I was elated when the physio put me on the bike. My ROM isn’t too bad considering…I did a lot of toe curls in those first weeks, plus knee and hip exercises everyday.

    I was definitely nervous on those first steps, bikes, rowing and swim…but I haven’t felt any pain at all. I think staying in the 25-50% PWB limit is a good initial place to begin the movement for my recovery.

    I’m lucky to be a teacher and have the summer off to focus on the recovery. Focusing on the upper body is good…but sounds like you are eager for The next phase :)
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  • sargegirl | July 29th, 2017 | 6:12 pm

    I definitely took my aircast off the pedal for some intervals to increase the sweat and burn!!!!

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  • ty620 | July 29th, 2017 | 5:32 pm

    Wow that’s amazing!!!!! I’m so proud of you. I am week 5 and I want to do more but just afraid not because I have pain but a combo of what my surgeon said and reading others post. I asked my surgeon can o go do cardio on bike with boot at the gym he said no booo. I can only do upper body.

    How is your ROM?

  • cserpent | July 28th, 2017 | 4:00 pm

    Way to go Sarge! Give yourself a challenge - just use on foot on the bike - LOL! I had to do that initially and OMG is it hard! I was so happy when my doc said it would be OK to rest the booted foot on the pedal, just that weight helps with pedaling. Enjoy the Mexico trip!

  • cserpent | July 23rd, 2017 | 8:22 pm

    When I was NWB I just rested it on the ground since I didn’t see any way to avoid putting pressure on it if I put it on the rower. I might have even held it up in the air - I don’t really remember - other than the leg was mostly straight when i was rowing. Once I was able to do PWB I put it on the rower (boot on) and didn’t strap it in. Couldn’t pull in as close as normal since it didn’t bend much in the boot - but I still got exercise. Of course I would always where a full, long sock in the boot when I went to exercise and would change to a clean dry one when I finished - LOL! I wanted to keep the boot from getting too stinky :) And, finally, once I was in shoes I initially did not strap it in since the foot couldn’t flex that much when I pulled in. Eventually I got enough flexibility so I could strap it in - but that took a while.

  • sargegirl | July 23rd, 2017 | 4:36 pm

    Thanks cserpent! These first two weeks are almost in the books and I’m so happy to be working out as I can. What did your injured foot do while you were in the rower? On a chair…or just resting on the rower not strapped in? Congrats on being so far in the recovery and thanks for still coming back to encourage us newbies!

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  • cserpent | July 18th, 2017 | 6:45 pm

    Way to go Sargegirl! The knee scooter was invaluable for me too. And since you’re willing to ask for help I think your only issue during travel will be doing things to reduce swelling since you’ll have your feet down a lot more than you would at home. I’m sure the airlines will help you a lot as well and with family coming to meet you at the airport your luggage shouldn’t be an issue. Good luck on the travels! And keep on moving and exercising!

  • sargegirl | July 18th, 2017 | 3:55 pm

    Thanks Zooomie! I guess it depends on the kind of travel…first trip is to see my husband’s family in Eastern Canada after he finishes up a week of work there. I figure I will have lots of hands on deck to help upon arrival…and a change of scenery will be nice.

    An all inclusive Mexican Vacation where it will be sleep, eat, exercise and pool…should still make for a great vacation I hope!

    A European Vacation with a lot of walking is worth postponing for full enjoyment when you are recovered. I probably would have made the same call.

    All the best!

  • zooomie | July 18th, 2017 | 3:35 pm

    Your attitude is amazing. Traveling with the cast/boot with 4 year old across the country. !!

    I was not so brave and postponed my trip to Europe (I am in US) until after 4 weeks since the cast came off

    Good luck on your trip and best wishes with your recovery.