Life After Rupture And Road To Recovery

I elected to have the non surgical treatment instead of surgery mainly because of my lack of insurance and a surgical price tag that started at 10K for just the hospital costs. So a month of wearing the cast is given way to the boot and the gradual process of working towards the 2 matching shoe milestone.

As with all of the steps I have gone through so far, I am surprised how difficult each phase has been. But the positive development is a more realistic sense of myself, with the cloak of invincibility removed.

I have also banished a series of myths that have become part of me, and I don’t miss there presence in the slightest:

Didn’t think it would happen to someone like me, healthy and in relatively good shape! Myth Obliterated!

How difficult could it be to get around on crutches? Well after eating a few meals in the hallway not able to reach the couch. Myth Nuked!!

Too many handicapped parking spaces in parking lots!!!! Well either I lived in a state where a disproportionate number of people are handicapped, or I plain just didn’t know what the hell I was complaining about when I had two good legs. No myth just stupidity!

The next phase will be easier and I’ll be back to normal. For want of a more descriptive phrase: what the hell! Myth KO’d.

Now I am sporting the boot for the last 4 hours, can’t take a full unsupported step in the thing yet. But the overwhelming thrill of putting my foot down and partially supporting my body weight; well what can I say it  really is the little things that we take for granting and only truly appreciate when we have lost them.

I hope some of this recent wisdom is transferrable to other aspects of my life that are non Achilles related!!!

Hoping you all have a swift and enlightening recovery.

12/04/2008

Well I finally got an estimate from the hospital: $17, 000.00 + also I have to take into account lost earnings and the possibility of complications. So I have decided to have the non surgical treatment. My cast will go on tommorrow and then the recovery process will begin. Kind of sucks to make health decisions based on economics rather than necessity; that is life though and it could have been something life threatening rather than just inconvienient. So since this is the worst health issue I have had in my 47 years, what can I say its been a good run.

Have been using my IWalkFree for almost 2 days now. Think I was feeling my oats though, followed the instructions in the video, walked around the house a little and thought I was ready to take it out in the world. Well a humbler man writes this tonight, I definately wasn’t ready for the world. I am surprized I didn’t bust my *** today. But I can brush my teeth and look in the mirror without feeling like I am a high wire act. I also can walk up and down stairs with minimal effort when compared to cruches. So with a little more practice I can see it being well worth the money.

Thanks to all of the many people who have left comments to my prior postings, it amazing how much it helps, amazing.

11/28/2008

Well I was greeted by my first medical bill for my emergency room visit: $800 hospital and physician costs.

Wow!!! I wish I had know about this site back then I would have avoided the emergency room and just gone to see an orthopedist. Especially since the Or-tho removed the splint that the emergency room put on and put their own on.

I am curious though did anyone else have a problem of getting an estimate of how much the surgery will cost, prior to the surgery? 

1st week back at work and I can’t lie I am whipped!! Always thought I was in relatively good shape but the NWB me has some work to do.

Ordered the IWalkFree and got a chance to talk to the inventor today. I am excited about the prospect of getting the use of my arms back, should have it by Wednesday!! One more weekend on crutches.

Have a great weekend!!!

11/27/2008

Lied to people at work told them I had friends coming in to see me, didn’t want people worrying about me. Before the rupture was suppose to go home to spend Thanksgiving with family.

Instead, cooked a beef roast, red beans and rice and cream corn. I was very tired and in reality it was a good day of rest. Surprisingly didn’t really feel that bad being alone. I am going to get an IWalkFree hands free crutch, that should help me be more active. Just not used to being so inactive, I was in the middle of renovating my house when this happened so I need something that allows me the use of my arms, hope it works.

I am lucky that I am a software developer, and I am not on my feet all day. I have to start looking at this down time, as time to develope some new skills. If I use this time wisely there may be some unforseen benefits. Need to stop feeling sorry for myself, it happened, it can be fixed and life will go on!

11/24/2008 8:30AM

Man if they only knew how concerned I am about this, but I put on a brave face and refuse help. I am determined to be self sufficient. But when I am alone and at myself in the mirror I am very concerned about what lies ahead. But I am getting irritated when people are constantly asking me if I need anything, I am the guy that helps others, don’t really understand why it is making me so crazy but it is.

The hallways are longer than I thought, the doors are heavier and the bathroom floors are incredibly slippery. I ended my first day at 4:00pm I was just so tired that I couldn’t function anymore. I was in bed by 8:00pm, shocked at how hard everything is, got to find a way of making things easier.

11/21/2008 9:00AM

They can’t tell me how much the surgery will cost. For all intense and purposes I don’t have insurance that will cover the surgery, it is considered elective! Given that fact I need to know how much the bill would be to determine if it is something that I want to do. They can’t tell me the price, including tax title and tag! How can you make a decision without knowing the cost? The frustrating thing for me is that I am going to make a decision not based on the best treatment for me but purely based on economics! Anyway a new splint and a decision of whether to have surgery or not. My first doctor preferred the non operative approach, the other doctor seemed to be pushing to have the surgery.

But I am a contract worker so I if I am not working I don’t get paid, so the true cost is the procedure plus lost work time, arrgh!!

11/18/2008 7:30 PM

In retrospect maybe I jinxed myself, just before I started my game I joked that I had already peeked! It was Tuesday night and I signed my name on the challenge sheet, there were a few players and I had arrived just as a game was starting, so I realized that I had sometime to warm up. As I watched the game unfold, I streched for at least 10 minutes. I was actually stretching so much that one of the other guys made a comment that I looked like I was going to war.

Since the game was closely contested I found an empty court and started to hit some balls and get a sweat built up. In hind sight you would have thought this was enough! When it was my turn to play I went to the service line served and easily returnable ball that passed me and I turned to get it and then POP!!!!

I hadn’t even played a point and I am laying on the ground, grabbing the back of my foot and there it was a gap where my tendon used to be.

Four hours latter, 2 Thompson tests, a splinted foot and a pair of chrome crutches; I hobbled out of the emergency room with my life after ATR about to begin.

That night I drove home with my left foot, which gave me brief glimpse of how life was going to be post ATR.