My Story So Far
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.
Filed under: Uncategorized and
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!
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.
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!)
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 from local living colleagues and whilst they have been great i hate the feeling of utter helplesness at not being able to get myself around.
It could of course been miles worse as i normally spend a lot of time on site up and down scaffold ladders which of course for the foreseeable future is a massive no no.
Im hoping that this thursday i will be moved into the boot and will see that as another massive milestone on my road to recovery. Its good to see others on her achieving their own personal milestones, this is particularly inspiring.
One of my main goals is to be able to drive myself around to work and other places.
Can anyone offer any advice as to when they were able to get back behind the wheel in terms of length of time along their recovery mission?
It still seems weird that it seems so far off despite the fact that i managed to drive myself home striaght after my rupture!! Although i know now that i shouldnt have done it!!
Good luck and fast healing to everyone else with their personal injuries and recoveries.
Lastly to GaryF, that pain of moving the foot back to neutral is the worst pain that i have ever felt in my life and i can only hope that i never feel a pain as bad again!!!