8 week update on re-rupture
Today is the 8th week and I have begun two shoes; however, I am walking really slow and easy. I can press about 53 lbs on the scale, which is well ahead of my first go round of 40 lbs @ 8 wks. I also am not riding the bike or doing anything that makes the ankle hurt. When I feel that tinge of pain start, I always back off. The tendon seems much less thick and hard this time; the ultrasound may have helped in this respect. Also, ROM is not bad, but still a ways to go. I would guess it is 15 degrees shy of normal.
I can still feel the place of the break and it is not yet hardened and smoothed out like the rest of the tendon. It feels just a little soft when relaxed. I can’t remember at what point the tendon smoothed out last time . . . anyone have a comment about when their tendon seemed firm and smooth while relaxed. Of course, when I flex the tendon feels firm and continuous.
Anyway, I don’t want to push very hard until I am confident the tendon is strong enough . . .
on August 29th, 2011 at 10:42 am
Sounds great, and Don’t Stop! If you continue to recover well, you’ll be laying down a relatively new “data point” for UWO-non-op treatment of a RE-rupture.
I didn’t obsess much about the feel or look of either of my ATRs (both sides), so I can’t help you much on that. One of my physios recommended squeezing the tendon and “squeegying” it between thumb and finger-knuckle, while flexing the ankle in the opposite direction — rub/squeegie UPwards while dorsiflexing, and vice versa. Nobody knows if any of that stuff actually helps, but it probably can’t hurt, and it will give you one more way of testing how it feels.
Good Luck and Good Healing!
on August 29th, 2011 at 11:54 am
Hi Suthrnman
Just gone back over your blog and it must have been a real kick in the teeth to re-rupture. I’m a fraction ahead of you at exactly 9 weeks following the protocol for non-op. It will be really interesting (and hopefully a successful option) to follow your blog after you chose non-op after you’d had surgery before. Good luck with the healing and if I get any interesting pieces of advice from my consultant or PT here in the UK I’ll pass them on.
on August 29th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Hey Neville,
One correction . . . I went non-op the first time also. However, snapdragon had surgery first and non-op second. He is about 5 months ahead and seems to be going well.
I believe I simply rushed too fast the first time and created some inherent weakness and had some partial ruptures while pushing too hard in the previous weeks. Also, I believe the ultrasound is helping to reduce the thick, inflexible part of the healing.
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on August 29th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
So guys, norm/stuart especially…at the 9 week point, what would it take to re-rupture? I would like to start some FWB in shoes but am a little nervous. If I do give this a shot, will the AT get sore afterwards? Also, how long does it take for calf/leg strength to come back? I can’t believe how weak my injured side leg is. Thanks!
on August 30th, 2011 at 8:33 am
Hi,
I re-ruptured at 11 weeks and have now had surgery twice. I re-ruptured it after advice from my physio that I could ride my bike on the road. It re-ruptured as I pushed off to get on my bike.
I would take it very easy for at least the first couple of weeks in 2 shoes. Don’t try and do too much walking especially if it starts getting sore. I found lots of controlled stretching before moving around helped a lot. My advice is to stick to controlled exercises in a gym or at home for as long as possible and really think hard about the activities you do. Even something simple like opening a heavy door can put excess strain on the tendon.
Good luck and take it slow.
on August 30th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Buck, 9 weeks post-anything is a very vulnerable time, and early in 2 shoes is also always very vulnerable. OTOH, FWB by itself doesn’t do any harm to the AT, it’s the trips and slips and falls and such that do the harm. If you’ve been FWB for a while in a boot, then you should be already building up the “FWB strength”.
When I was early in 2 shoes I felt more scared of twisting or spraining an ankle than re-rupturing, but I think the same kinds of mis-steps can do either. Watch Your Step. If you haven’t done FWB walking in a boot yet, you should do a lot of that, soon. First. Build up your other leg/foot/shoe somehow, so you can walk straight, and take off!
At 9 wks, I was still swelling and elevating a lot, and icing some, too. YMMV.