Back on skis and on the football pitch
A quick progress report hopefully to give some encouragement to those at an earlier stage in the achilles rupture recovery process.
To briefly recap, I ruptured my achilles in early April 2009 and was treated by conservative protocol through the UK’s National Health Service. This was followed up by roughly weekly private physio appointments for about six months.
One of my greatest fears in the immediate aftermath of the achilles rupture was that I wouldn’t be able to play some of the sports I most enjoyed again. Having been reassured this wouldn’t be the case, I have been focussed on getting back to doing so.
I am pleased to report that after eight and a half months, I took advantage of Scotland’s best ski conditions for a couple of decades to ski for the day at Glenshee, one of the country’s major ski centres. This was a trial run really for an early January ski holiday that Laura and I booked following discussions with my physio.
I was delighted to find that skiing presented no problems and that I didn’t find myself constantly worrying about the injury and was able to totally enjoy myself. That day also gave me the confidence to know that the January trip to the Alps would be a success. Which it was. The skiing was good, the weather reasonable, the food and wine great and Laura said yes when I asked her to marry me, at the highest lift served point in the Three Valleys!
So following a successful ski trip, my next goal was to get back to playing football, the other sport I most enjoy. This I achieved yesterday, when I played thirty minutes of a game. While I found it harder than I had expected to get into the game, importantly for me, again I wasn’t worried about the achilles while on the pitch. So, 41 weeks after the rupture which took place on the football field, I had made it back.
My goal had been to play again within twelve months of the rupture, a target I surpassed by almost three months.
For those of you worrying that maybe conservative treatment might not be right, as I have done on several times since April, I hope I have shown that it will be possible to return to sport - and possibly sooner than you might think.
All the best to everyone with their recoveries.
January 18th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Hi Simon,
Thank you for your follow-up note, with happy news all around! It is wonderful to hear how well everything has gone for you.
Congratulations and best wishes,
Doug
January 18th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Simon,
Thanks for the post - great to read of your progress. I’ve also undergone conservative treatment and, like you, had my doubts from time to time so it’s inspiring to read of a success story from someone who’s been through the same thing.
Kevin
January 18th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Simon,
Great stuff. 8.5 months to get back to football sounds like a good target for me, I too am undergoing conservative treament in the UK and am missing football like mad. The physio said it would be around summer, so I wont rush but 8.5 months for me is around April/May.
Congrats on getting engaged!
January 18th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
I recently read an article that said that although you always hear that people who undergo the conservative treatment re-rupture at higher rates, it actually isn’t so. So there’s another thing you don’t have to worry about.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Also I notice your tear was at the calf end, not the heel end. I seem to be one of the very few people lucky enough to tear BOTH ends at the same time. When my surgeon was telling me about my options, he said there could be surgical repair at the heel end, but the calf end would have to take care of itself. So I guess I’ve had both conservative and surgical treatment, all on one leg. Both ends seem to be doing fine. Cheers!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
And congrats on your engagement as well. What a romantic place to pop the question! Having a partner who will sticks with you through times like this really says something, doesn’t it?
February 8th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Hi Simmond,
Great boost to hear of your recovery story and that it is possible to get back playing sport. I’m based up in Aberdeen and ruptured the achilles calf junction in a badminton match. Four weeks in a cast and four in a boot. I was told that the injury was too high for an operation, which was my choice to get best functionality back. I still have problems, but much lower down the achilles, and like your earlier post, I really wonder of there was a partial tear as well nearer the ankle. 15 months down the line and I can hill walk (cautiously), cycle and do limited amount on the tread mill running. But the injury is still apparent, with a slight distortion and feeling of weakness at the lower calf muscle. My real fear is getting back into badminton tennis and 5-aside as competitive sports are my real passion. I also ski, down hill and cross country up Deeside etc, but would be real scared of another mishap. You mentioned that you got a second opinion in an earlier post and it would be much appreciated if you coudl pass on the name of the specialist in Glasgow.
Cheers
Don
February 8th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Simond, you’re a model for me! I’m just 8-ish weeks from being immobilized for my second ATR, no surgery this time. And I’m planning on taking a week-long ski trip in Whistler in Mid-April, as I did 8 years ago after I tore the other one and had surgery. Plus I’ll be very disappointed if I can’t return to competitive volleyball — the sport that tore both of my ATs! — at least by October.
So far, this non-surgical protocol is going very nicely for me (touch wood!), and I feel stronger and more capable and “normal” almost every day. About a week ago, I moved from a fixed AirCast boot into a hinged “MC Walker” boot (leftover from 8 yrs ago!), and my showers have progressed from in-the-boot to out-of-the-boot-but-sitting-and-scared to mostly standing on two bare feet. I’m supposed to change from (fixed) boot to shoes around now, but I may stay in the hinged boot until I can walk normally, which won’t be this week (I think).
DonMcP, I’m sorry (and worried!) to hear that you’re still not 100% after 15 months. I’ll repeat again the sensible rule of thumb that I got from my surgeon 8 years ago: You’re ready to return to your aggressive sports when you can do single-leg calf raises on the ATR leg without grunting and groaning and sweating. For me last time (after surgery and with too many casts) that was around 10 months. But it’s obvious from this website that we’re all different — and not just because our doctors and health systems are, either!
FWIW, I love bikes for exercise and strengthening, and I’ve never liked treadmills. A few posts here (somewhere) have specific concerns about treadmills. The only times I’ve been on a treadmill in decades are when I go for a “stress echo” cardio test — including about 4 hours before I tore this AT!! Coincidence? Who knows? I sure don’t!