Recent update
- 10 weeks post op ….
- 6 weeks post op visit
- Day 13 post op , day 24 post injury……
- 6 days post op
- 42 hours post op
- day 11 , finally surgery ……….
- Hello world!
10 weeks post op ….
August 6th, 2008 by screwdriver
Md appointment today and he wants me on the boot for 4 more weeks but adjusted to 10 degrees dorsiflexion or you may call it 100 degrees . im at 0 degrees right now.
he also does not want me to go back to work yet - this is the part that killed me as i am getting bored at home and we could use the money .
he wrote precription for a more agressive PT approach .
ill do my best and try to be ahead and ill ask after 2 weeks if i can start work .
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6 weeks post op visit
July 9th, 2008 by screwdriver
After 6 weeks , the cast came off today . i wanna tell you guys about the saw they use to cut the cast off.
they tell you dont worry coz it does not cut . to tell you guys honestly the saw they use can cut hard things and cannot cut soft things . thats why it cannot cut the cotton wadding and your muscles coz they are soft . they can cut the fiberglass cast coz they are hard . you know what else is hard- YOUR BONE so when they are cutting and they graze by a bony part - they can cut your skin.
i know coz i got nicked today , i felt burning at the side of my foot . after takng it off i saw 2 spots with blood in there. its ok - no biggie as long as it does not get infected . we wont now til later right?
My protocol is rather conservative imo. i was able to put my leg to 90 degrees on my own effort - thats what they call neutral . the doctor wont alow me to do anything past 90 degrees for another month . i can do exercises without any load from 90 degrees to pointing my toes down. NOTHING WAY PAST 90 degrees.
i am in a boot that permits me to move my ankle from toes pointing down to 90 degrees.
SO i am assuming that what is harmful is the stretch per se on the tendon. but exercising it unloaded is ok - just doing active range of motion not beyond 90 degrees.
i am partial weight bearing 25% and to increase every week by 25% so in 4 weeks ill be full weight bearing .i bought a soccer type socks made by under armor and it feels good in the boot.i still use the crutches.
its nice to feel being out of the cast really . i can now take baths beter in a shower chair INSIDE HE TUB OR THE WALK IN SHOWER.
well ill write something up again later.
BTW i dont know but i feel its inappropriate for a doctor to charge for signatures . they asked me $15 for them to fill out my disability form from aflac. i think and feel its the doctors job without ay additional fees to sign a document regarding my case. maybe im just too tight huh.
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Day 13 post op , day 24 post injury……
June 11th, 2008 by screwdriver
My wife and kid with me to the MD office for the first appointment after surgery - 2 weeks. I had a plaster splinth on my left leg with my toe pointing dow for two weeks so it came off - what a strange feeling . skinny leg - cant even look at first.
They sent me to X-ray to which im puzzled about / why an x-ray? maybe for more income i guess.
after which the doctor saw me - incisions look good . they sent me to the cast guy and he did put a short leg cast which goes below the knees.he had to stretch it a bit coz the doctor ordered 5 degrees of toes pointed down- compared to about 20-25 before. I had to grab something and had to cuss when he stretched it .I am still NWB at this point - cast for 4 weeks before i go to the boot and PT.
I brought the boot with me today in the md office and the doctor said to me - ” nice try but we are going for the cast” .
No matter how hard i try to comprehend that it takes patience for the healing - i always go i these spurts where i feel i could not take it - but then i rebound and able to accept it later on . Oh well - 4 weeks i hope goes fast.
Posted in Uncategorized | | | 6 Comments
6 days post op
June 4th, 2008 by screwdriver
Pain is a lot better , the last 24 hours i only had to take 1 advil 200 mg. It is still tough being up as the leg turns blue and it swells up. i had a bad time yesterday as my internet router went out - can you guys imagine being home with ATR and no internet ? i went out to go to circuit city and i thought it was gonna be easy . after 10 minutes in the store - i was getting really tired and a bit lightheaded . i had to scramble to the restroom as thats the only place with a seat. stayed there for 10 minutes holding my leg up( black and blue). after i recovered i scrambled for the parking lot and went home ( but i got the router) . i told myself im not going to put myself in that situation again.
Dr’s office called and i have an appointment june 11, exactly 2 weeks after surgery - cant wait but its a 2 hour drive .
i have been exercising a bit my upper body , unaffected muscles on the ATR leg and my core.
Posted in Uncategorized | | | 1 Comments
42 hours post op
May 31st, 2008 by screwdriver
ok guys , things are a lot better after the surgery . the nerve block went out 15 hours after it was administered with the pain level 8 out of 10. I stated on percocet for 24 hours only as i cannot tolerate this medication . i have a lot of these percocet left (80 tablets) and i dont know what to do with them. i switched to ibuprofen after 24 hours and pain is now under control.
i have been elevating my leg most of the time - the hard part is trying to force yourself to get up to try to move around , to toilet and bathe .
I felt after the surgery i have some other aches and pain maybe from positioning during the surgery as my neck, and unaffected leg are sore.
the other thing im working on is my constipation - from the pain meds .
My wife is an angel and has been very understanding and supportive , my 5 year old son as well . i can say im over the depression now and my mind is more on other things productive .
tnx a lot guys and ill keep you posted.
Posted in Uncategorized | | | 2 Comments
day 11 , finally surgery ……….
May 29th, 2008 by screwdriver
to update you guys - i had my injury may 18,2008 , first doctor appt may 21 2008, second opinion may 28,2008.
Today i had the surgery at 3pm , im now home (10:00pm). Im had general anesthesia and a nerve block . I had open surgery .I have a cast right now and in my bed with my leg elevated . i have 80 tablets of percocet waiting to be consumed. my leg is numb and i cant feel anything - difficult to walk with crutches a it screws up my balance having a numb and weak leg. i have been urinating like every 10 minutes at this time ( they might have loaded me up on fluids during the surgery).
anything you guys can think of that might help me after surgery ?
Posted in Uncategorized | | | 7 Comments
Hello world!
May 24th, 2008 by screwdriver
Hi guys . Im new and i find this site really helpful. Im 38 yo male who id say is active 3-4x a week doing road cycling , basketball running ,and tennis. I injured my left achilles may 18,2008 in a basketball game . I really thought went i went up to jump that someone stepped at the back of my left shoe and prevented me from jumping ,there was a loud pop that almost eveyone heard, then a sharp pain did set in from my ankle going up.I knew it was not a typical ankle sprain injury , i now after a few minutes that my achilles tendon is screwed up.
i went home and did not really go to the ER. For the next 48-72 hours i did RICE .It was not painful . I was not able to see a doctor til may 21 2008 and they took an MRI.the ortho doctor said he thinks it will heal comparably with a surgical approach as there are still fibers intact .The thompson test is positive but im able to move my L ankle to point it down with gravity resisting it.
Im not too optimistic as the MRI reports almost complete tear and stats most of the time points to surgery for younger active individuals. The doctor put me in a long leg cast with my knee in 45 degrees flexio and ankle in 25 degree plantarflexion. This cast is torture and i a bit claustrophobic and it still drives me crazy.
at this point i called my insurance to allow me to go for a 2nd opinion and i have an appt for may 28,2008 with a specialist .
im at home at this time and whats bugging me is the depression , the transision from active to inactive . A lot of tigs that require a lot of time to do or cant do at all independently.Trying to accept i will out of work for a long time.
Im banking on this specialist and will probably heed his advice .
I just wanna know ore info how you guys decided on anaesthesia , and if you guys had the surgery as an outpatient or inpatient procedure.
Posted in Uncategorized | | | 4 Comments
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