Hey everyone.
How did everyone handle the long period of inactivity while recovering? I am at almost 5 weeks after surgery and have pretty much hit my breaking point. I tore my right AT, so that means I cant drive anywhere, and today it is killing me because I love to do photography, and it has been beautiful here all week and supposed to be just as nice this upcoming week.
Any suggestions would be kindly appreciated
Tom
6 responses so far ↓
larrylove // Aug 28th 2010 at 7:51 pm
I started driving around 5 weeks, even with my boot on my right foot. I was loosing it myself, even begged to go back to work light duty. Before you start driving though….I would definately take some short practice runs first….that is if u have an automatic. Im coming up on my 8 week mark now and going strong….walking with a limp….but moving along…….good luck and stay sane…
Savi // Aug 28th 2010 at 10:01 pm
Having sprained my right ankle so many times growing up, I learned to drive with my left foot. This approach won’t work if you drive a manual. Also, if on the off chance you get pulled over by a police officer, you can be declared “unfit to operate a vehicle.”
normofthenorth // Aug 29th 2010 at 1:32 am
Are you walking yet? At 5 weeks, without surgery, I was FWB in a fixed boot, walking pretty fast. That let me get around to a bunch of places I found interesting. I was still sticking my boot up in the air in-between walks, but in different places.
Also, having a support network of family and/or friends who drive is a big help. Don’t be shy about collecting favors to be repaid later, or getting earlier ones repaid!
napatom2005 // Aug 29th 2010 at 12:58 pm
Not yet Norm. My doctor still wants me NWB for almost another month. I’m wondering if my size is why. I’m big, but athletic. He is putting me in a boot in a few weeks, and still wants me NWB for 2 more weeks after that. It would put me at 9.5 weeks after surgery of NWB. He also wants me to start therapy once they get me into a boot.
I do have a good support system of friends and family that owe me a lot of favors, but most of them are away this weekend. Hoping its nice on Labor Day. Will see if any of my friends or family wanna play chauffeur.
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doug53 // Aug 29th 2010 at 2:56 pm
Tom,
This is the kind of story that makes me crazy. NWB for more than nine weeks? Why? I guess your size could play a role, but I’m not exactly small at 6 foot 6 and 240 pounds, and no youngster at 53, and I was supporting my weight with my calf before nine weeks. My rehab may not be good for general consumption, untested as it is, but there are plenty of studies showing that ATR rehab doesn’t need to mean nine weeks of NWB.
Rant concluded,
Doug
normofthenorth // Aug 29th 2010 at 4:17 pm
Tom, your “I’m wondering if my size is why [my Doc wants to immobilize me, NWB, way too long]” is really charmingly naive. But you’ve got to snap out of it!
I “say” this so often I should put it on a hot-key: Check out a much faster protocol that’s actually been carefully TESTED on 145 patients and worked WELL — at bit.ly/UWOProtocol . Print it out, maybe print out the UWO study write-up, too (Wiki “ATR” article, ref 7), present it all to your Doc. Ask him if he’s got a shred of evidence to suggest that 9.5 weeks of NWB works any better than TWO weeks — or even works acceptably well?!?
Do you really think he’s internalized all the data, understood how fast the successful tested rehabs are, then decided to slow you down after long and careful analysis of all your personal characteristics?!? Get real, and take a look at the real world.
He does ATR repairs on the side, and doesn’t pay much attention to them — ATR surgery is often called “the tonsillectomy of the leg” because every surgeon knows how to do it, and nobody specializes in it. He learned how to do it years ago, when he was an intern and some now-retired attending surgeon walked him through it. It all sort of works, nobody dies or sues, and insurance pays for it, so it never changes.
If you’re lucky, he’ll actually be curious enough to be interested in what the newest studies are doing and finding, and open-minded enough to get your leg moving while you’re still young!
Don’t go stir crazy — use your idle time to plan your next job — to educate your Doc about how the best Docs and the best PTs are getting the best results with ATRs! (And while you’re at it, you might also undermine his quaint faith that surgery produces better results than simple painless immobilization with a good rehab protocol!)
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