scott’s AchillesBlog

Just back from the 12 week follow up on my re ATR. According to Doc, all looks good. I’m not sure whether it was sarcastic or not but his first words were “so how is your protocal coming?” Since I sent him the UWO plan I was going to follow, verses his no plan. But according to him all is re attached w\o surgery this time and going well. It was interesting hearing how much tendon is involved with the stitches, about 5 cm above and below the torn area with surgery. That came from my asking about why certain areas were very tender to touch even 3 mo’s after injury. He still believe his stiches are the glue that hold all together, I’m not sold. Time, and healing are more dependable in my mind. He gave the OK to do anything at only 3 mos healing I don’t think so. That was what got me in trouble the last time.

This blog has taught me so much, thanks to all the folks who post day in and day out. I look forward to the day I too do the 1 leg calf raise , get back on a court (VB Tennis or B ball).

I’m coming up on almost 3 month time since breaking my surgeons good work. I am at 2 shoe phase, walking around pretty well. Thompson test is strong now, good foot flexion with calf squeeze. Main problem is daily ankle swelling from working on my feet. I have had good success with a compression stocking given my dad while in hospital for surgery years ago. It magnifies the ice and elevation therapy exponentially. It really helps that numb feeling you get at the heel and heel bone areas.

My numbness in the heel area is getting less, tendinosis feeling at the top of the heel bone is still present and inflamatory stiff ankle joint still there too. Norm as usual has great insite, I was gently trying to do a one legged calf raise and was getting a lot of heel pain, thanks for relating you learn you shouldn’t do that to soon or often because it hurts. I thought it was something I should try several time a day. i.e. farmer story.

I’m just glad being a bit of an experiment for my doc, no surgery on a re-torn, not fully healed ATR is working well. Shows not all things need cut on to heel. My 2 main concerns still are strength of tendon and length of tendon and both are ok so far. 2 weeks to next check up by doc.

I’m at 7+ weeks and have tried to ween from the boot and into shoes with 1/2″ lift. So far so good on the second time thru this routine in 6 months. For all of you that have been doing the non surgical approach for me the Thompson test worked normally (negitive) at 7 weeks. Meaning there was a strong enough achilles attachment to move the foot when the calf was squeezed. And as some call it the finger test, where you can actually feel the gap in the tendon it has closed down for me from 2 cm to just a small indention. So now strengh of the tendon is the main issue. With surgery we know there are stitches holding, w\o surgery we have to be extreamly careful.

I have to say finding this site has given me a huge advantage to heal this time around. In June when I re ruptured and was told to just wear the boot for 6 weeks and we’ll see how it works out didn’t sit well with me. Finding the info, learning about the heel lift, 2 wks NWB etc gave me a plan that a busy OS didn’t lay out for me was great help.

I’m long way from healed but feel confident now that I’m on a good path.

Hello to all, I have been a frequent reader and replier to this site over the last several weeks. I have learned so much from reading everybody’s posts. My story is very similar to many of the ones I have read. I was one of the unfortunate re-injuries while I was healing. The original injury occurred in February while playing volleyball. I had surgery Mar. 3rd and was recovering nicely. Surgeon and therapist both thought everything was doing great. When at 13 weeks I pushed off the bad ankle while in water that was at about my waist level. I felt the immediate pop and back to square one I went.

MRI showed a retear through the old scar with an approximate 2 cm gap in the tendon. However, the surgeon felt that the stitches he had put in the tendon were still in the region and that by doing a conservative immobilization trial I had a good chance of healing completely. The stitches can’t break they say, just pull out of their anchors?

This is where the site has helped me immensely. Since I was getting little direction from my doctor after re injury. I spent several days studying all the information available here. And tweaked it as Norm would call it to give myself the best chance for healing. There is little information on a conservative approach on retorn tendon that is not surgically repaired so I am a bit of a test case for my surgeon and myself.

I have done boot,heel lifts and PWB 2 wks then started ROM in Plantar flex progress to FWB by 6 wks.

So far I am at seven weeks after the re-injury and have had one follow-up appointment with the surgeon. It appears the 2 cm gap is down to less than half cm and is filling in nicely. Thompson test is still positive but you can see movement at the calcaneous bone. I have used the hinged boot from week 4. I have progressed from locked boot to plantar flexion and now today slowly reduceing heel lifts.

I know that I have several weeks left of tendon healing to fully see if I will be able to heal without surgery this time around. I am encouraged that the body will heal itself well, time will tell.

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