Apr 27 2009
Physio and 2 Shoes
I’ve basically weaned myself off of the boot at about the 8.5 week post-op mark, a little over a week before my next appointment with the doctor which is when he said I should be able to finish with it. The boot started to piss me off because the velcro on the uprights was not sticking very well to the liner. So if I put some weight down near my toe, the velcro would slip. This effectively changed the limit of the range of motion. I was also getting tired of putting it on and taking it off to do my stretches and range of motion. If I had to do it again (please no!) I think I’d try to get a Vacocast.
Bump
The physio at the hospital has been good. The ultrasound / massage / stretching has helped reduce the lump, although it’s still quite noticeable. They said that when I get to the strengthening stage the fibers will doing some realigning which should also help with the lump size, although the doctor said there will likely always be something there. My fears about the physio at the hospital being inferior were unfounded, I think. I was surprised at how hard they stretched the tendon since my Dr. said no strengthening yet. It was nice to know that it strong enough to take that. The therapist did caution that the force of a stretch is nothing like what the tendon is subjected to during things like running or jumping.
My massages are nothing like this:
- Zander Butt Massage
We went on a shopping trip this weekend (poor Zander wasn’t pleased with all the time stuck in the car seat). I didn’t end up putting the boot on once and was able to walk all around the outlet center without any trouble. (I think they should stop calling them “Outlet” centers, because most of the stores seem to be regular stores now selling regular merchandise, not clearance outlets). I think I’m walking normally except that there’s no strength in my calf so I’m not really pushing off with my bad leg. My heel stays flat on the ground until my weight passes to my good leg, then it lifts off as I move forward. I’ve been very conscious of my walking, being very careful knowing that I’m vulnerable right now.
Unlike most people, I think, I haven’t experienced any pain or discomfort, especially since I ditched the boot (my heel would get sore in the boot - I think part of the reason for that was that I had the straps too tight). I wonder if the pain level is related to the location of the rupture. Mine was just above my heel, far from the muscle. The daughter of the people across the street from me ruptured her achilles a couple weeks after me - she continues to have pain, and said that it hurt worse than childbirth. Her rupture was just below her calf.
One more week to before I see the Dr. Hopefully he clears me to start strengthening then. I bought 20 buckets of balls at the local driving range in an on-line auction and I can’t wait to start using them.
Schmeck,
Thanks for the new picture of Zander. I too had Achilles pain much worse than childbirth. I don’t know if the location of rupture means anything. My rupture occured about where yours did. I wonder if it has more to do with how degenerated the Achilles was prior to the rupture. Who knows? I always thought I had an incredibly high pain tolerance as well. (I was actually singing the Taco Bell song as I was squeezing out my first baby) Pain was there but tolerable but my Achilles pain was off the charts. Oh well. Thanks again for the fun picture of Zander’s massage.