3rd Wedge is out, 1 left.
Again - no pain, no nothing, tendon had more ROM than last wedge allows - making the transition to it smooth.

-

Started going back to work - end of last week (2 days) - went all days this week.
Not moving around too much at work, except to/from parking, lunch downstairs (riding the elevator) and 3-4 trips to make coffee/tea/soda (50m each).
Walking is super easy and my confidence is rising by the day.

-

As a result of my overconfidence - got a big scare today, trying to pick up my walking pace (stupid idea - DO NOT ATTEMPT).
Twisted my ankle in the boot just a little bit (as much as it allowed) - tendon started yapping and crying - right away.
No harm was done, just an unexpected pull on it, way above my current ROM.
Went right home to ice it, since tendon was painful to touch and got swollen.

-

The next day, my ROM actually improved, without any pain when touched!
I have also added passive ROM, massages to the tendon, calf muscles and scar.
Also working with a rubber-band to stretch/push with it, doing passive toe raises in the shower, pressing with my hands over the knee for resistance.

As usual - I always stop when I feel that “glue” tightness in the tendon.

-

A fun exercise I have invented while showering (I am still sitting on a stool in the shower):

I start pulling my leg backwards, flat on the shower floor, until I feel the tightness.
I then hold it for 6-10 seconds and release.
My shower floor has these little lines running across, so I can count my progress and quantify it!

Each day, I can pull back farther and farther.

The Good:

• Walking with the boot a lot
• Can finally sleep 6-7 hours straight
• Doing a lot of ROM exercises
• Heel pain is almost gone
• ROM = -40°; +5°

The Bad:

• Smacked my boot into my good ankle while sleeping - very painful
• Tried to walk too fast and pulled my tendon too much
• My right knee has been aching a LOT, too much stress on it as it is pulling my weight for a whole month now - all alone

2nd wedge is out.
Eased into the boot with 2 wedges without any effort, pain or inconvenience.

All pain in the tendon is gone, with the exception of the tissue surrounding the heel.
It does not pain as long as the CAM boot/sock fabric does not come in contact with it.
When it does - I feel a very unpleasant sensation, described best as if I am covered in blisters on the sides of my heel.
Sleeping is hard, because I only have two positions with the boot - resting it on the left or right side - putting that irritated skin/tissue in contact either way.

-

I am much more mobile now, went out two times to the store to grab food and other supplies.
Went to the post office to send my insurance the op bills (3000$ total).
Still extremely careful where I put my leg down and walking at a turtle pace.

-

Started ROM exercises on my own (got a PT friend who tipped me a lot).
Honestly - there aren’t that many ROM exercises you can do for an AT rehab at this stage…
Able to stretch my tendon about 5 degrees in each direction (up/down), anywhere beyond is not painful, but feels tight - as if I have the ankle glued hard.
I stop as soon as I get the “glue” sensation.

-

One great tip - use baby powder!!! The more the merrier, as it smooths every friction and movement you make!
Dump loads of it into the boot, the sock, over the tendon, calf - anything goes!

The Good:

• Can walk much more in the CAM boot
• Crutches are now stashed in the warehouse
• Flexibility is getting better by the day
• ROM = -40°

The Bad:

• Still cannot sleep more than 2 3 4 hours straight
• Woke up to a very bad cramp in the calf, it pulled the tendon and it was painful
• Sleeping with this heel pain in the boot is excruciating

1st wedge is out.
Felt some very minor pull of the tendon when easing into the boot, which went away after 10 seconds.

Sunday (11 days post-op) - was the first time I tried to make a step with the CAM boot on.

It felt great, though very strange. The boot gives you almost 0° ROM mobility to move your ankle up and down, so you can only step on your heel, then roll the boot off to make the step.
I tried to balance on one foot a bit, but the muscle tissue and the tendon immediately told me to lay off them.

-

From that point on, I took the whole week very easy - walking very very little, mostly scooting around the house on my computer chair.
I am staying home - not going out, keeping myself as immobile as I can.
When the boot is off in the shower - the whole ankle is swollen as an elephants leg and the incision scar has little crusts where the stitches were taken out.

-

I feel muscles twitch and pull up the leg very pleasantly, as if they are slowly getting re-attached to the tendon, fiber by fiber.
I change the bandage (10×10cm) over the incision scar every time I take a bath (x2 a day) - never saw any blood or anything else on the old one, when I change them.

The Good:

• Can walk a little bit in the CAM boot
• Don’t need the crutches for support anymore
• Showering is epic

The Bad:

• Still cannot sleep more than 2 3 hours straight
• Some needle piercing sensation in the tendon - comes and goes in 5 minutes or so, happens every few hours
• Absolutely no flexibility of the ankle
• ROM = -50°

Exactly 6 days after the surgery, I was hopping on my crutches in 38c degrees and 80% humidity from my car to the Doc’s office.
I don’t like to bother my family with stuff, so I came on my own.
Did not sweat this much in my life, crutching these 800 meters…

-

Doc went all fancy on me, touching me with the automated cast saw which does not cut skin, but vibrates its blade through when it touches a solid cast.
Cast off, stitches out - incision looks amazingly good!
Then the good Doc decides to grab & feel the exact stitched location of the tendon - and I get a VERY unpleasant sting of pain.
Worse I ever had since the injury. Doc does not flinch and seems to be pleased with the result.

“We’re done torturing you” he says - “it looks all good, come back in a month”.

Fits me into my CAM boot (4 wedges) and says I am good for PWB, being allowed to step on my leg while in the boot (note, we are 6 days post-op)
I try it right away - understanding that it is still a good idea to use the crutches for support & balance.

The Good:

• Allowed to step/walk in CAM boot
• Allowed to shower without CAM boot
• Boot feels a million times more comfy than cast
• Stitches out - no bleeding, wound closed

The Bad:

• Still cannot sleep more than 2 hours straight
• Sometimes get mild pain attacks in the ankle area
• Cannot stand/sit with my leg down - it swells up like motherf*
• Cannot sleep without boot
• Still have to use crutches for balance