13 weeks post ATR ‘On The Mend’

Posted on May 25th, 2011 by steveo

Well it has now been 13 weeks since my ATR to the day. This period has at least taught me PATIENCE which has helped in many aspects of my life.

Life is pretty much getting back to normal (as much as it can). Im back behind the wheel of the car driving and able to walk around with a slowly decreasing limp.

Im attending physio every couple of weeks and my physio is very happy with my progress. She can see an improvement of my walking gait on every appointment which is great as it is something i cant seem to guage as im living with it every day.

My physio is consisting of standing based stretching techniques now along with ‘two feet heel raises’. At present i am masively favouring my good foot but i can feel a slight improvement in trying to even this out. The wobble board i have acquired is further helping with this.

To anyone just starting physio or FWB all i can is Patience is key, all of a sudden i looked back and was amazed at the progress i had made in a week when i felt i was making no progress at all. I have been religious and disciplined with my physio and this has helped imeasurably.

I have also started bike riding and am covering around 8-9 miles 3-4 times a week which feels great. I am favouring pedaling with the rear of the base of my bad foot (something my physio has picked up, i didnt even notice) and am concentrating on using the front part of my bad foot in future.
From a horrible floopy calf when released from its cast on five weeks it has progressed pretty well. I can now tense my calf and feel some definition in the calf. Long way to go but great to see it returning.

Also great to be able to take the kids to the park and go on bike rides with them (forgetten how much i missed these simple things we take for granted).

In the beginning particularly around two weeks post surgery i could not see the light at the end of the tunnel and was very negative about making a recovery. Life now is fast returning to normal (kind of a snowball effect).

Stick with it everyone it will get better. Fast healing to you all.

Steve

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8 weeks post ATR

Posted on April 20th, 2011 by steveo

Well it is now eight weeks since my ATR playing football.

Things have progressed quickly however a lot of the info given to me by the hospital and the physio has been lacking if not in my opinion poor.

To recap quickly following my ATR i had an op the next day and spent a total of five weeks in plaster. At five weeks i was given a tuba grip and a card to start physio sessions. That was it.

Whilst i was glad to get out of the cast i thought the natural progression was the boot and was anxious that i was leaving the hospital at five weeks with no protection.

My physio has been a strange experience and the lady gave me a few exercises to do at home and to up the reps as feels right?? I have had 2 sessions then she said she would see me next in three and a half weeks.

My lack of protection has caused me no problems thankfully (except for a wasp chasing experience a few days ago which ended with me forgetting my injury and putting a lot of weight into my tendon) this hurt like hell for five minutes but quickly subsided and i was relieved to find everything still intact.

At exactly six weeks and one day (post op) i had two shoes on, new trainers, which included a small gel lift in my right (bad leg) shoe. At this point i was standing on two feet and could put a fair bit of weight onto my bad foot. It felt right to attempt a small walk, which i did and it felt great, very slow, very sure but progressivley easier.

This walk was only leading with my bad foot, bringing my left (good) foot level with my right and leading with my right (i think someone called it a gimp walk!! :)
In the last few weeks this has progressed so i that i am now moving my left (good) foot a little past my right but with a big limp (cant imagine ever pushing off my with my bad foot again).

I have also began to drive (not sure if this is right but feels fine) in the last couple of days and have managed the 50 odd mile drive to work and back with no problems (manual car).

Due to the lack of info given to me by hospital and physio despite my questions to them i have kind of developed my own rehab pattern, which in the main includes listening to my body and resting when it tells me and also reading others accounts on here to gain valuable info, sadly missing from my care.

Anyhow at eight weeks im making great progress and am fully aware how vulnerable my tendon still is but this is coupled with a need to get back to work and cope with a household with two young children.

One thing i have had whilst walking/hobbling around in the last few days is a strange pain above my tendon to the left whilst putting weight on my heel, whilst the pain is not strong enough to require painkillers i was wondering if anyone else has had a similar pain to put my mind at rest. The pain doesnt actually (seem) to be coming from the tendon itself more the general area.

I hope everyone is making good progress along their journeys to a full recovery, as some have stated before you really would have to suffer this injury to appreciate how it inflicts on your life.

Cant believe how far i have come in eight weeks (rightly or wrongly) as immediately prior to my operation i was told plaster for 10-12 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck all………

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Just over 6 weeks - concerned

Posted on April 8th, 2011 by steveo

Hi all.

Just over six weeks since surgery and to recap I have spent 5 weeks in casts of various foot angles. 90 degrees for the fifth week.
At the five week check up where I was previously told I would be going into a walking boot at best they simply gave me a tuba grip told me too put a shoe on my bad (right) foot and gave me a card to commence physio.

I was concerned about this to say the least and asked if I should be going into a boot first to which they replied it would slow down my rehab???

Also I had not seen the same person at the hospital twice which concerns me.

At physio (Monday just gone) they gave me a serious of leg exercises to do and also said to gently pull the foot towards me with the use of a rolled up towel.

The physio also said I should try to imitate normal walking with the use of my crutches, I have tried this but as i push off with my toes my AT is not having it and feels like it may go again.

I have another pt session this coming Monday but am really confused and concerned about what I should and shouldn’t be doing??

I am even considering getting hold of a boot myself so that I can begin to walk in a boot and possibly ditch the crutches?? Is this a bad idea??

When I attended physio there was precious little info supplied to the physio and I had to tell her exactly what had happened so far

In short I want to progress but I’m unsure how much to do. Any ideas guys and girls?? Would getting my own boot be a good idea or would it as they have suggested slow down my rehab??

Hope your all well and healing as you should.

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5 week check up

Posted on April 4th, 2011 by steveo

Well its now (this day) been 5 and a half weeks since my surgery. I have tried to update my blog since thursday of last week but have unfortunately been unable to get onto the website.

Anyways Thursday (last week) i made my way to the hospital for my five week check up and fingers crossed perhaps move into the walking boot.

First off im into the plaster room to have my lightweight fibreglass cast removed then moved back into the waiting room to see the doctor. Called into the consultant who has a quick look at my leg and comments how well the surgery site scar is healing. He then disappears for a while and a nurse comes back and tells me that they are going to put a tuba grip on my leg and give me a card to make an appointment to start physiotherapy. OMG!!

I thought i would at best be going into a walking boot for a few weeks.

I left the hospital feeling apprehensive and paranoid that i would slip or trip and end up back at square one!!

When home i made my first physio appointment for Monday (today) and over the weekend attempted (with crutches) to put a small ammount of weight on the foot. They encouraged me to do as much as pain allows but i felt it was too soon so really i have nursed it through to my first physio appointment.

At my first physio appointment today the physio commented that my leg movements were good and that things were progressing as they should. I have been given excercises to do at home and also given a gel heel lift to place in my shoe while i progress through partial to full weight bearing.

So by default im in two shoes but only partial weight bearing, bit strange and unlike anyone elses treatment i have read about. Anyone else been treated this way?

So far things have gone brilliantly and im far ahead of where i thought i would be bearing in mind when i came round from my op i was told plaster 10-12 weeks!!!!

Back for my next physio appointment next monday will update once i have been to that.

Hope everybodys recovery is going well and according to plan..

Steve

3 Comments »

My Story So Far

Posted on March 28th, 2011 by steveo

My story started on Wednesday 23rd February at about 7.30pm. I have remembered so many bits about my injury i will keep this post shortish, wish i had started this blog quicker as it is already nearly five weeks since it occured.

I was playing indoor 5-a-side football and had ended up on one knee following a tackle, anyway went to get up and run on and all of a sudden felt like i had been hit on the back of the ankle with a cricket bat. I stumbled and then looked around to see who i thought had stamped on me, no one with 10 yards, thats strange, what the hell happened??

I had no idea what i had done i hobbled over to the side of the pitch and after a five minute wait decied to go home and put ice on my ankle!! The reasion i had no idea what i had done was simple i heard no loud snap or noise indicating what had happened and also at this point had no excruciating pain which i thought i would have had with this type of injury!!

Anyway i managed to drive myself home and explained to my wife what had happened. Straight away she said lets go hospital to get it checked over (still no idea what i had done) i said no its ok i will sleep on it and see what its like in the morning. While i was saying this i was feeling my achilles (right leg) at the back, then wait a minute there is a gap here, opps get me to hospital.

Anyway straight to A&E and the nurse looked at what i had done and listened to me tell him that i had been kicked despite no one being anywhere near me. He carried out the ‘thompsons test’ and informed me of my total rupture!! Another doctor/consultant came round and said they will send me for an xray/scan to confirm this and then offered me the chance of surgical or non-surgical (conservative) treatment. I went straight for the surgical option due to the slightly lower re-rupture rates.

Doctor told me that i should eat nothing from 5am and i should get a call around 9am to arrange for me to come in that afternoon for surgery, blimey, thats quick!!!!

Anyway to cut this post down a bit i had the surgery the following afternoon and was home the same night.

Following the surgery i was in a back slab/plaster for 3 weeks with the toes pointing down until my first visit. At this first visit the plaster was removed (felt great) my stitches were removed and then the consultant said they wanted to move my foot into as close to 90 degree angle as they could, then replaster for 2 weeks till another visit.

Must admit i thought they would just maneouvere the foot into this angle and at first this is all they done, he then said the foot had moved but not the ammount that they would have liked, this had already hurt like hell. He ended up resting my foot against his chest and leaning into my foot forcing it up!!!! OMG this hurt five times more than the original injury (i would have taken painkillers if i had known)…..

Anyway he got it into a lightweight fibreglass cast at approx 80 degrees and then after 1 week i returned last thursday to have the foot moved into a 90 degree angle (much easier and less painful)and then recast until this thursday (5 week point) he also gave me the indication that at this visit i may well be moving into a boot and commence PWB as pain allows!!!

This is great news, hopefully!!! And what i am now waiting for this Thursday.

Sorry about the long post, trying to cram so much in….. Will post again following this weeks visit.

4 Comments »

Hello world!

Posted on March 24th, 2011 by steveo

Welcome to AchillesBlog.com.

This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Following link will take you to your blog’s “command center” where you can write your posts:
http://AchillesBlog.com/steveo/wp-admin/

Be sure to fill out your city, Achilles rupture date, surgery date, etc.. (if you know it) here:
Fill out my Achilles Profile Here

When you do, you can keep track of your recovery progress and see your information on the Marathon Tracker.

Here’s more info: using Achilles Timeline Widget

Please change this post’s title to something more descriptive. Just leaving it as “Hello World” leads people to believe that you haven’t updated your first post!

If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask! :)

Dennis

1 Comment »

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  • Recent Comments

  • normofthenorth | April 22nd, 2011 | 1:15 pm

    Make sure your right toe points straight forward (or normally so) when you walk/limp/hobble. Toe-out hobbling gets you into a few kinds of trouble. Me, I’d use TWO heel lifts, one in the left shoe for balance and alignment.
    I’m not familiar with your pattern of leg pain, and there’s no shame in asking for a medical opinion — though it sounds like you haven’t been able to get many. Pity. The good news is that many of us experienced numerous self-resolving pains and discomforts at that stage of rehab. The bad news is that there’s no guarantee that yours is self-resolving.

  • normofthenorth | April 8th, 2011 | 5:59 pm

    You could get a boot and use it for a few weeks. Most good protocols have you “weaning” off the boot at about 8 weeks in anyway, so you wouldn’t be using it for long. You are definitely vulnerable now, though your ATR foot should be able to hold your weight.

    If so, one approach most of us used when first in 2 shoes was to do a straight, inline “gimp walk”: Lead with your ATR foot, and keep it in front of the other foot. That way it doesn’t have to dorsiflex past neutral while holding your weight. (It’s best NOT to walk with your ATR toe out to the side, as you may have done right after the injury.)

    The other approach is to keep the crutches and use them to take so much weight off the ATR foot that it can practice walking normally, but initially with only a tiny fraction of your weight on it.

    Good luck! And no walking while you’re on the phone — Watch Your Step!

  • Jules | April 8th, 2011 | 12:04 pm

    Steve i feel for you. We are almost at the same point but with totally different protocols. So o can only write about my experience. I’ve just  recieved a copy of the letter sent to my gp. States intended plan of action by my ortho. He states that once out of a cast next week. I will be in a walking boot for 3 weeks.

    I have actually bought my own vacoped for this 3 weeks because it’s a little smaller and neater than the Aircast they use at hospital. ( can get my trousers over the top of vaco) 

    If I were you I’d go back to the hospital and ask to see the consultant who is responsible for you and ask him what the plan is. In my own experience the NHS is brilliant but you have to manage the situation as it’s easy to fall between the cracks in no mans land.

    Can’t see how a boot would stop u your rehab as with one you could get rid of the crutches.
    Hope this helps and take care

  • steveo | April 6th, 2011 | 11:23 am

    Yes still using crutches.

    Taking it extra careful due to the lack of protection.

    Have started my exercises given to me by my physio.

    When doing an exercise which includes straighnening my leg and gently pulling my foot towards me using a band around my foot, afterwards my calf is rock solid for a period of time, not really painful but really tight.

    Is this usual? i had/have put it down to the calf not being used for a period of time..

  • normofthenorth | April 5th, 2011 | 3:20 am

    Just Watch Your Step! And sit down before talking on the phone!!

  • julesjames | April 4th, 2011 | 4:39 pm

    Steve, you have progressed fast. Sounds like you are still using crutches ? I am behind you, so there are others on this site that will have better experience of 2 shoes etc but it does sound to me that you have no protection if you slip. So take care.

    I was hoping to get into a walking boot at 4 weeks but they put me in another cast but PWB/FWB until 6 weeks. Then into a walking boot. So looks like you have leapfrogged a step.

    If i were you i’d take a leaf out of Anne33’s book and wear some hard sole stiff walking boots but i hope others on this site give a more experienced verdict.

    Take care
    Jules

  • steveo | March 29th, 2011 | 3:42 am

    Thanks for the replies everyone.

    This site had been a massive help in gaining information that had not been forthcoming during various hospital visits. To be honest this may in some way be down to myself not asking enough questions during visits. Buts it hard trying to remember everything i want/need to ask.

    It has also been a great comfort reading others stories of their own personal battles overcoming their own situations that this injury creates. It has been especially helpful reading these stories during the first couple of weeks following my surgery when i felt at my lowest.

    I have a wife and two kids who have all been absolute stars and have helped me imeasurably during my recovery so far. My wife especially who has had to help me with every small task despite caring for our two young children and running a busy household.

    Work has been especially difficult as i work nearly 60 miles away from my home in an office as a manager of a roofing contractors. Work have been brilliant and i am currently working 2 days a week in the office and the remaining three days from home. I have had to rely on lifts into the office f

    [...]
  • garyf | March 28th, 2011 | 6:02 pm

    I went down the non-surgical route (I’m a wimp and hate ops!). At first I thought I’d made the wrong choice but this site has been great for letting me see there is no right or wrong choice and if you read posts from a guy called NormoftheNorth you’ll see he has had surgery on one AT and non surgery on the other one and raves about the non surgical approach. With a modern rehab protocol non surgical re-rupture rates compare very well with surgery. Sorry I’m going on about stuff that doesn’t matter as you’ve had the op now! I was in 2 casts, 1st one with toes pointing down for 6 weeks then BANG.. foot on the guy who did the casts chest straight to 90 degrees ( I know the pain you experienced only too well!) 2 weeks later into my trainers (I couldn’t believe it either as I was expecting a walking boot!!) but hey ho here I am now….14 weeks post rupture and doing well. I wish you all the best with your healing and keep us posted with your recovery - I like detailed posts (as you can prob tell!) 

  • julesjames | March 28th, 2011 | 5:35 pm

    Good luck on Thursday. I am in the same boat you are definitely not alone. This site is great for a bit of MT

    3 Days after your ATR i was there too. Will see my consultant wednesday, im at 60 degrees and aiming for a walking boot this time as well. Fingers crossed for us all.

  • gailbuddy | March 28th, 2011 | 4:18 pm

    You’ve come to the right place. Don’t apologize for the length of your entry..we love the details(well,I do) I didn’t start my page until much later as I had never done this before, now I can’t stop. The frustrations of everyone here and the understanding will be pivotal in your recovery. I would have been crazy without this site. So continue to share, vent ,ask questions. There is a lot of knowledge and experience to be had right here!
    Good luck on Thursday and push for the boot!

  • Mr WordPress | March 24th, 2011 | 7:50 pm

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