Its been just over 4 months post-op. I’ve been getting better slowly. Still walking with a slight limp but sometimes people cannot tell. It all depend on the day. Most days are good but on the exactly 4 month post op anniversary, I had pain in my achilles tendon and was limping badly. My PT [...]
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jzachilles1, I strongly suggest you go see your surgeon, or at least your PT.
I was watching when KD injured his calf a few weeks ago. At the time I thought he’d ruptured his AT, because when it happened he looked behind him as if he was trying to find the guy who whacked him on the back of the leg, the feeling all of us here are way too familiar with. I was surprised when I learned he hadn’t ruptured it.
I was not watching last night when he did rupture it. I suppose he had injured it the first time. Supposedly the doctors had imaged the tendon, and pronounced him fit to play. I hope he heals well. He’s a great player.
Hello all, This post is not about KD (but it was traumatic watching that last night, hope he makes a full recovery) and I cant quite figure out how to post a new topic but I understand this will show up on the main page so…sorry and here goes!
I originally ruptured in early Nov playing basketball, surgery 1 week later; 2wks splint, another ~7-8wks in CAM boot with heel wedges.
Approximately 16wks post-op I had a re-rupture while going too fast up the stairs I felt a sharp pain (not sure whether I heard or felt a pop), my heel skin (at the bottom of the incision) spurted some blood - it was traumatic. There was pain but good continuity of the tendon, Dr wasn’t sure so ordered an MRI - which confirmed a rupture. Dr placed my in a cast for 2 weeks followed by 10 weeks of boot with heel wedges. So 12 weeks from the re-rupture I switched to shoes. Ive been in shoes for ~10 days, achilles has felt very tight. I still wear the boot while sleeping or riding stationary bike. Calf is still super atrophied.
I was riding stationary bike in the boot and felt an odd sensation in my calf, sort of how a muscle feels when it is punched.
[...]I like what you said about going tiptoes on 2 and coming down on the weak one. I think water therapy has helped me in this a lot. At first, I couldnt even raise it at all, from a sitting position (not in water!) Later, I could barely do it up to my chin in water, now the water is down to my belly button, but I suspect the next part is harder as my belly is the biggest part of me!
Hi beginnersmind19,
I cannot do single leg heel raise yet. Just started the get up on 2 and transfer to 1 with controlled drop yesterday. It is very hard. I’m holding on to something and can feel the pull on the calf and the heel. Did 2 sets of twenty at PT and I was dead afterwards. I can barely do 10s of single leg stand afterwards.
Just had another fire alarm at the office yesterday. Since my leg was already tired, walking down 4 flights of stairs was really bad. I’m limping more today.
My right calf is just under 1 inch smaller than the left right now. Was 1 3/4 inches smaller when I had my cast taken off. Still trying to build up more strength.
This is my routine as setup by my PT now.
3×10 heal lift on the edge of steps with stretch 30s in between.
2×10 side way weight shifting.
1×10 each of step up in all 4 directions - 2 straight and 2 sideways.
3x single leg stand.
2×10 side way lunges but not all the way down.
3×10 each of 4 directions ankle using the black rubber band.
3×15 squats, (optional)
3×10 bridges. (optional)
Plus, I’m just started 2×10 of 2 heels up and down on 1 (holding on to somethin
Hey glad to see you are doing well. Funny you say that, I had one or two random days of achilles pain, but other than that I rarely feel anything in my achiiles. All of my pain has been and is in my foot.
We are about the same timeframe, as I am in week 17. I think you are walking much more than me. The most I can do is about 10 minutes before my foot aches to the point that I have a bad gait.
Other than that, I am able to balance really well on the repaired leg, and I can go down stairs very well now. People also have a hard time noticing any limp when I am fresh, but I do feel the weakness of course. Overall my gait is good and only getting better.
So happy to hear you are progressing. Question: hows your gastro/calf stength? Got anything on the single leg calf raise? Mine is barely trying to wake up, I think i can slide a sheet of paper or two underneath but thats it. Calf feels verry weak and hard to engage. Can you go up on two and transfer to a one leg controlled drop? I can’t, have to hold a counter with about 50-60% of weight as I drop..
Yay that you get to drive! That is definitely a great milestone.
I didn’t start PT until I was in shoes either. Though the exercises my doc told me to do are what others did at PT.
Wow, those blisters sound so painful! Having a cast on is hard enough as it is with itching/discomfort/etc.
I had the same experience as cserpent, with Kasier telling me to come in and change the cast anytime. I only ended up casted for 6 days before going to the boot.
Honestly, reading your post that you are sleeping well and feeling optimistic makes me realize I will have those days as well soon so just got to hang in there.
So how long are you to be PWB before transitioning to FWB?
Just curious, I am PWB at week 5.5 and hoping to be FWB at week 7. Whoa, that’s right around the corner..
Continued luck in your recovery
Ugh about your blisters! Now I know why Kaiser says to come to the cast department if you have ANY issues with the cast. I was getting mine changed about every 5 days for my first foot. For the 2nd foot they put me in the boot sooner since my doc knew how badly the cast bugged me.
That does sound like it might be an allergy. I suggest you find out what was used and write it down somewhere. I found I’m allergic to the adhesive that is used in the big bandages they put on you after surgeries and such. Paper tape and band-aids are OK but when I use those larger bandages I get blisters underneath. So much fun removing a bandage when there are blisters! Anyway I’ve had them put that allergy in my chart for future reference.
And definitely don’t overdue it! I got delayed a month by overdoing it - though it took me a while to figure out how I was overdoing it - LOL!
Congratulations on getting the boot. Steps like this seem so monumental in the healing process, so celebrate! Just try not to overdo it with the boot, and continue to ice and elevate.
When I get my cast off and I saw my foot, all I could think of was that seen from the movie “Misery” where she takes a sledgehammer to his feet to hobble him. My foot looked just like that.
As everyone else has pointed out, the healing process is such an individual experience from person to person. Don’t get discouraged. You will eventually make a full recovery. I was on the same injury timeline as some other people on here and they were up and walking around a full month before I was even off the crutches. The human body is a mystery!
I had a lot of pain in the first few weeks, seemingly more than what I read in other blogs. It didn’t finally cease until around week 7-8 when I was finally able to sleep through the night.
Keeping it elevated helps with the pain. I taught class for two months with my leg propped up on my desk. It will eventually get better.
If you’re not icing you should do that in addition to elevating. For my bone spur surgery I spent the first 3 weeks elevating 90% of the time and icing for 20 minutes on and then an hour off. After that I was supposed to elevate 50% of the time for another 2 weeks. You ice behind the knee if you have a cast on or don’t want to get out of your boot.
And as I’m finding - healing is a very individual experience. I’m having a huge difference between the healing of my right foot and left foot. Not at all what I expected.
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