Ok, so I think I’m getting this blog thing down.  I’ve run into some technical difficulties, but I think I’m now up and running.  Figuratively that is, b/c we all know that’s the only kind of up and running this gal can do these days.  I realize I didn’t post my “details” from time of injury until now, instead  my first blog post was just me moaning.  Don’t get me wrong, this one will be more of the same in terms of moaning, lol, but I’ve found it so helpful to read others journey from the point of injury forward, so I thought I’d fill in the gaps.  WARNING - this will be a LONG post.

I’m a 37 year old female and decided to really try and kick in an intense workout routine.  I’ve been consistent since January of this year, and then in March decided to add a personal trainer to the mix.  Anyway, he’s awesome, and was definitely pushing me hard.  I was doing cardio on my own, but doing strength training, core, weights, etc., with him.  So…I decided to up my cardio workouts to some intense sprints, followed by normal treadmill time and then more sprints.  That seemed to be giving me the best workout and burn.  I did that everyday for only about 20 - 30 minutes, followed by a similar amount of time on the elliptical.  Then, two days a week I would have this trainer kick my butt with the other stuff. 

Well, May 13 was “the day”.  I did my cardio in the morning, and then my trainer around 4:00.  We had probably the best workout ever, which I guage by how soaked I am.  Gross, I know, but anyway.  So, it was LITERALLY the last excercise we were going to do that day.  We had properly warmed up.  I had already cardioed that day, we had been at our stuff for nearly an hour and BAM!  He had me doing these step-ups on a raised aerobic step.  Basically I would have one leg (in this case my right) firmly planted on the step, while with the other leg I would bring it down to the floor, touch the floor with my toes, and launch off the floor with my toes into a knee raise.  Does that make sense?  We were doing three sets of 20 each leg.  Well, on my last set, I was literally on number 19, I came down on my left leg and heard the dreaded snap.  At first I thought I had hit the step or something, but nope.  Just my aging body messing with me. 

To be honest the pain wasn’t bad.  I was shocked and the first word out of my mouth to the trainer was, “do you think I’ll have to have surgery’?” Anyway, he told me he thought it was my achilles and he helped me up the stairs to my family room.  He wanted to take me straight away to the ER, but being a girl, and um being VERY sweaty at the time I just wanted him out of the house so I could a: cry and b: shower!  Stupid, right?  So, I hobbled myself up another flight of stairs, freshened up, changed clothes, etc.  In the meantime I called my husband home from work.  So, I got to the ER, waited FOREVER, with what I swear was a couple with swine flu.  I didn’t know whether to ask for an ice pack for my leg or a hazmat suit for my life.  I opted for ice so as not to cause a scene.  :-)  So, my husband and I finally got called and all the docs are busy so I’m seen by a PA who casts me up, tells me it’s not torn, but that I will most likely have to be in a cast for 6 weeks.  He also tells me to follow up with an Orthopedic Surgeon “just to be sure”.  Niiiiiice, that’s encouraging.  Glad I just waited forever for a “not sure” diagnosis and a “pretty sure” exposure to swine flu.

Well, the next day I see an ortho that immediately does the Thompson test (something that wasn’t done in the ER), and he tells me yep it’s ruptured and schedules me for surgery the following week.  That was pretty much all he told me, and after that he vanished.  His assistant appeared with orders to go get an MRI, they swapped my ER cast out for a boot, told me to stay off it, and then gave me a packet of surgery instructions.  My head was spinning!!  My worst fear was surgery, hence the reason that was my first question to my trainer.  I SO didn’t want to do it, and then after the arrogance of this guy, I certainly didn’t want his ass to be the one doing it.  His description of the surgery was so barbaric I was waiting for him to tell me he was going to have me biting on a leather strap vs. having anesthesia.  Seriously, all I heard was, 8 inch incision, grab more tendon from your calf, wrap it around “real good” blah blah, I love myself, blah blah.  Needless to say (or in my case since I over-explain everything, needful to say), I went and got another opinion from a much more experienced, much more respected, much kinder and much cuter :-) surgeon.  And while I didn’t go in there with any false pretenses of his second opinion being one of “you crazy girl, you’re fine, in fact why don’t you jog home”, I did go there hoping he’d be the one, and he was.  And his version of surgery was much less third world.  No wrapping of tendon, no python long incision…just a simple repair.  Glorified stitches as one of my friends called it.  It was not nearing Memorial day weekend, so surgery times were pushed b/c of the holiday and I was slated for the Wed. after. 

I was so glad he was going to be my surgeon, but still had TONS of apprehension about the surgery itself.  I still weighed the consertative route all the way till the day prior to surgery.  In my heart I knew I’d do the surgery, but my brain was pissed about it. 

Day of surgery went so much better than I expected.  I went in there in tears, and came out cracking jokes.  The anesthesiologist came in when I got there and said, just so you know we do this surgery under a nerve block.  Not a general, not a spinal, but just a simple nerve block to the affected leg and some nice sedation drugs.  Oh my gosh, I was elated.  Slept comfortably through the surgery, woke up right when they were done and was talking coherently with my doctor as I was being wheeled out of the OR.  Went to the recovery room, had some juice and was on my way home 20 minutes later.  No pain, b/c my leg was still numb and would be for the next 18 hours - fantastic!  About four hours before the block was supposed to wear off I took some pain pills so I could be ahead of it.  Once the block did wear off I had some pain, but not major.  Maybe a 5/10?  That lasted maybe 30 minutes and that was it.  I took some pain pills, but was completely off of them by about 30 hours past the surgery. 

I’m now a little over a week past surgery and so far nothing too major to report.  I’ve banged my splint a few times against walls, my dog’s head, etc., and that has freaked me out.  I get little twitches in my calf, and I get some dripping feeling near what I think is the incision point.  The thing that is bothering me more is that my good leg is starting to feel strained.  Did others experience that?  I suppose it makes sense given it is bearing all my weight now, but it’s starting to freak me out.  I elevate and ice it as much as my other one.  I am so acutely aware of every sensation in my body, and I’ve never appreciated life so much.  I go to my surgeon next Tuesday morning for my first post-op visit.  Wish me luck.  And of course I wish all of you the best as well.