Boot 24/7???

Posted on February 13th, 2014 by secondtimearound

I was put into a boot at 2 weeks post op and for some reason I figured it was just for protection. When I was home, I barely wore it since I was just pretty much sitting around with my leg up and when I went to the dr. At 3 weeks, my husband told on me…. Well dr. told me if I didn’t wear it he was gonna put me in a cast.

So, I have been better, but when I am sitting around in the house I take it off some of the time because I have some sural nerve activity going on and it really irritates and burns to keep it on. The negative of that is when I want to get up to go to the kitchen or bathroom, I am  sometimes lazy and don’t put it on and grab the crutches or I even sometimes hop instead if I am close.

Now, after reading a few posts this morning about those of you who are in boots with heel lifts etc, it all of the sudden hit me that maybe it isn’t just for protection?! I really don’t want to hamper my healing, so I was wondering if anyone knows if a big part of the reason to keep this on is for healing and position? I know I should have asked the Dr, but I don’t have a visit for 2 more weeks so I figured some of you guys might have some insight into this…. Also, just for the record, I didn’t have a rupture this time, I had an avulsion so they screwed my achilles back to the bone…. Thanks in advance for any advice/input on this!

Happy Healing :)

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3 weeks post op achilles avulsion

Posted on February 10th, 2014 by secondtimearound

So 3 weeks post Surgery for rerupture left achilles which tore the tendon from the bone, during tennis.

At 2 weeks my OS removed my splint, sutures, pics included if I can figure out how, and put me in a. Boot telling me to start flexing my foot. I was surprised as with my first surgery I was in casts and NWB for 8 weeks. He said it was to reduce the scar tissue, which I had a lot of from the first surgery and he felt that had contributed to this injury. I asked him  how often and could I do it too much, which he said now. So I started as soon as I got home. My foot was pretty swollen, but in two days my swelling on top of my foot started going down and my movement, flexing, was getting better and I was almost at 90 degrees. I was excited, but then noticed, the wound did not look very good. I called the dr. And he had me come in to check it. He put steri strips back on and mad me stop my flexing.

today is 3 weeks post op and I went in for another check and now I am back to wearing the boot all the time, NWB and no flexing. I am to go back in 2 weeks.

I see others on here who are full weight bearing and walking at 7 weeks, so now I feel like I am behind. I am not sure if it is because of the type of surgery that I had, 2 screws reattaching the tendon to bone, but it is weird to me that he was in the beginning  he seemed to be pro movement and now none.

I guess since I don’t know any better I will just be a good patient and do what he says….

Good news!! I finally get in a shower and don’t have to sit in a tub with my leg n the side :) that is going to feel so good!!

I hope all of the rest of you out there are continuing to recover, rehab and keep taking a day at time!! I was telling someone today…. Someday soon I will look back on this and it will be but a blip in life.

KEEP SMILING :)

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Tennis junkie

Posted on February 7th, 2014 by secondtimearound

So my story starts in Oct. 1999. In the middle of a tennis match against an undefeated team, a set and a break under our belt on a way to a win with my partner Lori when POW POP, I went down and said I did something Bad….. People cam running from 2 courts down, everyone heard it. I LOVE tennis and am very competitive so I was so determined to get back on the court, so I had surgery, didn’t know I had an option norm :), then at that time it was 8 weeks non weight bearing then rehab rehab and was back on the courts playing competitive A 1 tennis in 4 1/2 months. I was so happy and proud of myself. I wore a lace up brace/support for a year or more. My left achilles was really thick and I was told it was a lot of scar tissue built up on my achilles but didn’t think much about it. I continued to run and play league tennis for years, giving up the finning due to back issues but continued my tennis for the next 13 years…. Now we are up to a beautiful Monday Morning Jan 20, 2014. My partner and I have just finished winning our first set and I hit a forehand and push off with left foot And again, POW POP….. This time I knew what had happened. I went down, pounded the clay and yelled NOT AGAIN!!! You ALL know what I mean…. Having done this before I knew what had happened…..

Fast forward an hour and I am sitting in the OS office. A PA came in and and took one look at my foot and said, I’m getting the dr….. He cut off my bloody sock to find a 1″ gap to the bone as my heel split wide open from heel bone  to heel bone. The OS said he’d never seen a rupture like that and sent me to the hospital across the street and said he would be over to do surgery after he finished his work day. I can say now having read all of these posts that I wish that I had taken some time to educate myself, but having the open wound I felt like I had to get it taken care of right away…. I guess hindsight is 20/20.

So after surgery he told my husband that I had pulled the Achilles off the bone and he had reattached it with 2 screws.

He said I would spend the night in the hospital and leave in the morning. I ended up getting so sick from the meds they gave me I was in the hospital 2 more days…. AWFUL experience….. Sure wish I had asked why I couldn’t day surgery as I did the first time…. Again, hindsight 20/20…

Well, I have never done this before and I am writing my blog to hopefully help someone else from making some mistakes I have made and to continue to get some support and help from this unique community :) I have already learned so much and it really does help to talk to those who understand what we are going through!! I wish I had this the first time around!!

BTW my OS has told this Tennis Junkie of the last 20 years, that “I would be crazy to ever play again” …… Any thoughts or input on that from my new friends??

6 Comments »

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  • TVS | February 27th, 2014 | 1:55 am

    Day 16 Post Op
    Still doing ROM exercises twice a day. FWB walking around in the boot with no discomfort at all. My ROM has improved dramatically since my first post op appt.
    I started to incorporate elastic band exercises in my PT but still not doing much DF exercises. The guidlines really caution on not doing DF past neutral until 6 weeks even in aggressive rehab.
    Incision site is looking good but still not getting it wet for another week.
    Gonna sleep without the boot tonight!

    Trent.seidl@yahoo.com

  • secondtimearound | February 23rd, 2014 | 11:36 am

    Thanks everyone for the input! I have been much better and I am using a walker at night since I still can’t seem to sleep with the boot on…. I am 5 weeks in now and I feel like I am finally turning a corner as far as healing wise. I know there is a long road…. Trying to be patient. Gonna update my blog since it’s been a while :) hope everyone else is heeding every e’s advice, I learn so much from this blog, it is awesome to have others to talk with during this recover/healing process :)

  • shawnnutt | February 22nd, 2014 | 10:28 pm

    Hey 2nd Time, it’s a week later now, hope your listening to everyone about wearing that boot. It’s a Pain In the A** but its well worth it. I took mine off once when I wanted to lift weights in the basement. No big deal. My daughter was running on the treadmill and fell off. I immediately tried to take that reactionary step to get her and fell flat on my face. Everyone on hear always says something about slowing down. Heed their advise. Its that important.
    Take er easy!

  • Ron | February 14th, 2014 | 10:04 pm

    All I can say is…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

    Wear the boot until 4 weeks while sitting, and wait until 6 weeks to take it off when you sleep.

    Reattaching an Achilles to a heel bone can produce twice the problems, and if you to avoid a rupture or future gait problems, I would be conservative - at least for the first 8 weeks or so. By then, you should be starting PWB, anyway - IF, you don’t cause more damage in the interim.

    I also suggest checking out modern protocols, like the one that Norm suggests often, and sharing that with your Doc so you can both be on the same page. This is serious business and not following protocol could end in disaster.

    Good luck, and please slow down. :-)
    Ron

  • travelmark | February 14th, 2014 | 12:23 am

    Wear the cast, I am tempted to cut corners to…but I am not going back to the beginning of this program on a slip or loss of balance. The other thing some people are doing is limiting fluid intake late in the day to avoid the mid night trip! having said that part of good healing does involve adequate fluid intake. All this to say, wear the cast and drink fluids to promote healing.

  • secondtimearound | February 13th, 2014 | 9:51 pm

    OMG Jack…. I hurt for you just reading that, I am so sorry and I think you have cured me! I am laying in bed and just took the boot off for the evening and was watching the Olympics… have never slept in it, but I truly might try tonight. You are right it is not worth it! This is the second time on the one leg and I never want to go through it again, so why am I being careless?! You probably just helped more people than just me!! Thanks!!

  • Jack Liike | February 13th, 2014 | 9:38 pm

    Hi 2nd. I shuddered while reading your post. Exactly one year ago TODAY I had my 1st surgery for a complete ruptore on the left achilles. On Friday the 22nd, the surgical splint came off and the Dr. said “Wear the boot”. Which I did - except for when sleeping, and laying on the sofe / recliner, and (I’ll admit) crutching to the bathroom to pee. Exactly 10 days later, I got up in the middle of the night to head to the bathroom and DIDN’T PUT THE BOOT ON. I lost my balance on the crutches, stumbles, stepped back on the left foot. Felt and HEARD the tear. Exactly 3 weeks later on March 7th, I was back in the surgical suite - this time ended up with a graft wrapped around the tendon. When THAT splint came off, I went into a cast for 6 weeks.

    PLEASE BE SAFE! AND SMART!!

  • Janis | February 13th, 2014 | 8:30 pm

    I think #1 the boot is for protection. I think most people here have an “accidental foot plant” story in which a crutch slips, or catches on a rug, etc and the op foot accidentally hits the floor. In the boot, it is protected from a sudden dorsiflexion force if that should happen. I know I had many close calls on crutches. I think secondly, the compression of the boot helps to reduce swelling. Please be careful! I would hop, too, but I wore my boot.

  • normofthenorth | February 11th, 2014 | 12:47 pm

    Lissa, just keep doing your best with both, the leg and the website!

    Re the leg, don’t get obsessive about chilling either! All things in moderation (maybe including moderation!).

    Re the web, you’re doing OK, cause we’re communicating! Are you filling in your name and answering the keyword question when you post, or are you staying signed in on your browser? I tell the site to keep me signed in (on 2 laptops and 2 mobiles!) and I’ve always got the same ID. Others use 2 on purpose, so you’re not unique in that.

  • Lissa33 | February 11th, 2014 | 10:02 am

    Hey norm , yes same person. I am very IT illiterate and don’t know how that happened, when I went to comment the first time I found the site it asked for info so I thought I had signed up, but couldn’t log in and then when I emailed Dennis, for the blog, it was something different and I don’t know how to correct it. Plus I also cannot figure out blog updates, timeline, etc lol, I thought I had put in my info, date local, etc and I can’t find it anywhere… Oh well. I think I’m gonna give up :)

    I thank you for all of your input. And I hear you about the wound issue. I’m just gonna chill I guess for now and follow dr’s orders. I spoke with another guy that had the avulsion and he didn’t start any weight bearing for a couple months.

  • normofthenorth | February 11th, 2014 | 2:40 am

    I’ve “only” had two ruptures, Lissa — one on each side — and I returned to competitive volleyball with a bunch of young jocks (both genders) after each. My second return was delayed a year by open-heart surgery to replace a heart valve that was congenitally “funny” (like 1-2% of the population) but never slowed me down until my 60s. More details on my blog pages.

    About your leg:
    1) I don’t know much about sural nerve problems, but several people here have been convinced that they’ve got ‘em, and I think many or most have gradually overcome them.
    2) Your other experiences sound somewhere between “You do what you’re told even if the person who told you wishes you’d stop!” and “A little knowledge [or instruction] is a dangerous thing!”

    Obviously, any post-op ATR patient has to navigate through a mine-field of obstacles: If you abuse your wound and it doesn’t close up properly, that’s Very Bad. If you are so immobile that scar tissue forms where it shouldn’t — especially “adhesions” that glue together adjacent layers of tissue that should be able to slide over each other — that’s also a problem. AND if you are so mobile and

    [...]
  • Lissa33 | February 10th, 2014 | 4:20 pm

    Sorry one more question norm, did you give up volleyball after your your second rupture??

  • Lissa33 | February 10th, 2014 | 3:53 pm

    Norm, thanks for your note! I agree that I am glad I kept playing before and did enjoy it all! I will try to take it a day at a time and know that decission does not need to be made today or by my Dr….
    I also appreciate your thoughts on the comment that I didn’t have a choice because, I felt like maybe I was unwise about that especially since reading everything in these blogs and seeing how many different procedures and protocols for rehab their are.
    Now, with all of your experience, poor guy 3 ruptures…. And knowledge you have now gathered…. What are your thoughts on this…. My OS told me that he feels that my scar tissue from other surgery was a contributing factor of this second rupture and wanted me flexing my foot at 2 weeks. So he took off my cast and gave me a aircast boot. I did it constantly while I was sitting and the would was oozing so I wnt back and told me to stop, and wait another week. I go into today and the PA told me to wait another 2 weeks, now I will be at 5 weeks NWB and no movement and I am afraid of the scar tissue issue angin… Any thoughts?? I also now have sural nerve pain in my leg and foot, k

    [...]
  • normofthenorth | February 10th, 2014 | 10:46 am

    So many remarkable and unusual parts of that short story!! Doing full-bord comp tennis at 4.5 months is amazing, and rupturing the same AT (though in a different spot) is pretty unusual too.

    BTW, I don’t think you had a choice about surgery EITHER time! First time because it was 1999 — I was pushed under the knife in late 2001 myself, nobody knew any better — and second time because you had a big open wound that needed to be fixed.

    I don’t think anyone can tell you your odds if you return to tennis again the evidence is minuscule. But one Q to ponder for a few months: would you have been better off without returning to tennis the last time? I only got 7 years of volleyball played in the 8 years between my two ATRs (opposite legs), but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, personally. Of course “personally” is the key word here…