Terpheads Achilles Blog

bbyjane,
Hang in there, It will get better. I’m getting around pretty good now. It just takes a lot of time for this thing to heal. I’m hoping to go back to work next month and I was wondering if that day was ever going to get here. I think I’m going to stick to being our teams 3rd base coach now. Good luck with your recovery and thanks for the response!

Dave

I also ruptured my achilles playing softball. I was pitching and had just thrown a pitch and felt like I got hit in the back of the leg with a line drive. I thought the kids on the sidelines were screwing around and threw a ball that hit me but when I glanced back, there was nothing there. I also heard, and felt the pop. You’re braver than I, hobbling off the field—I went right down. I knew exactly what it was.

I am 3 and a half weeks post op and have a lot of swelling around foot and ankle, as well as numbness and pinprick sensations in the side of my foot. Other than that, no pain. Good luck with your recovery.

Good on you Dave, top effort mate. I am a couple of weeks behind you but also have noticeable atrophy of the calf (noticeable) and quad (not so noticeable). My physio encouraged me to do quad-raises as soon as I was FWB in the boot which helped me keep my thigh in shape, can highly recommend this for you. My calf looks like a noodle, however, which sux. Apparently it comes back a lot more quickly once you start really bearing weight. Good luck champ.

Congratulations! You made it.

And, thanks for the tips. I’ll definitely start using the pool as soon as I am out of my cast (7 days to go) and the doc says it is ok to do so.

Hi Everone!
Thanks for the replies. I went to my first physical therapy session on Thur. night and she said it would be a couple of weeks before I would have enough strength in the foot to press gas pedal. I’m trying to get off the crutches however it’s harder then I expected. I can put half my weight with no pain at all then I hit a point where I feel pain and I don’t want to push it.I can stand in one spot with equal weight on both feet and have no pain at all. Rudedog did you have this problem when you were starting to put weightn on the foot? Celeste the swelling your getting at 3 weeks is normal I think eveyone seems to have swelling for quite a while.Good luck to everyone in your recovery!

Dave

im at my 3 week mark and wearing the boot my dr still has me on crutches and wont allow me to put any weight down yet. I have to keep elevated almost all the time or I swell and in a lot of pain and I hate painkillers.Is ths normal

I ruptured my left Achilles Tendon. Drving wasn’t a problem at all. Drove with cast, walking cast and boot. None Weight bearing cast for 4 weeks. Full weight bearing cast for 2 weeks. Walking boot fot 2 then back in two shoes. Today I’m 9 months and a week Post OP.

Good luck

Glen
San Diego

I got my cast off after 32 days and was told I could drive, use my right hurt foot without the boot on the gas pedal, break with the left. After I arrive at my destination, put the boot on.

Wow. I ruptured my Achilles tendon pretty much the same way on 05/03/09. A friendly game of soft ball among employees, and a ball hit deep to the outfield. I was playing second base and was watching the ball get tossed back in. I thought the runner had kicked me in the back of the heel as he rounded second base. Only problem — he was already past third. And I heard the infamous “pop.” I didn’t feel much pain, but I could barely hobble off the field. I’m now 3 weeks post op.

Hi Terphead,

What you describe is normal. In general, you will need to teach your foot to walk again. In my case, when I was given the go ahead to place FWB - I had to use both my crutches (with boot) for a few days. I gradually went from 2 crutches to 1. After about a week I was walking without crutches (albeit with some pain/swelling). I found that elevation/icing helped with the pain/swelling. I also started physio at around 6 weeks post-op (i.e. the point at which I was able to place any weight on foot). Physio is great - you will notice huge improvements during the first 3/4 weeks of phsyio/hydrotherapy. With regards to driving - it depends on whether you ruptured right or left AT and whether you have an automatic or manual. In my case, I did my right AT and my physio seems to think that I will not be able to drive until I can do 5x one foot calf raise on bad leg (which I think is a bit conservative). As things stand, I feel that I am fairly comfortable with driving.

Hi Dave

The best bit of advice I can give you is just accept what has happened and enjoy your time recovering. This site is awesome for support and advice and it really helped me to take on my doctor as he wanted me in a cast for 8 weeks. I have had a good incentive for a quick recovery and I was determined to be walking by 12 weeks. (I have just got in from a 3 mile walk and feel great)

I can’t run, jog, hop, skip etc but the leg is getting stronger and stronger each day and and rehab centre has done wonders for my confidence. http://www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/text.asp?PageId=27

Drop me an email if you like and maybe we can catch up on facebook. (I think I am 5 hrs in front of you)

Robby - robpuzo@gmail.com

Robby, Thanks for your reply! I was wondering how you were making out climbing ladders and steps during your rehab to get back to full duty. I go to doctor tomorrow to have staples removed then have that long rehab to get back to full duty. If you have any suggestions to assist in the rehab I’m listening. Good luck with your recovery.

Dave

Hi

I am a firefighter in the UK and am 11 wks post op. I was in a cast for 3 weeks, then boot. Started pwb at 5.5 wks and fwb and walking in boot at 6wk. I was walking with a limp in 2 shoes at 8wk. I will be going back on light duties in June and hopefully operational in July. That will be six months.
Robby

check out this site
http://achillesrupturererecovery.blogspot.com/