A Happy Anniversary!
Hopefully the only “pops” I hear this year are those of corks shooting out of champagne bottles. I celebrated New Years last week along with the one year anniversary of “The Rupture” on Saturday. Yes, a full year has passed since the fateful night last January. While the journey has been long, it seems like the time has past pretty quick. I found that celebrating all the small milestones along the way helped pass the time. A bit of advice for those who have suffered a rupture recently, try not to focus so much on the end of the road. This injury will test your patience. Also, the first several weeks can be filled with anxiety, but that is quickly replaced with hope and a sense of accomplishment as you reach each successive goal in your protocol. Take it from me, you will look back one day and smile as you remember the frustration of attempting to negotiate your first set of stairs while on crutches.
I could think of no better way to celebrate the momentous occasion of the first anniversary than to get some revenge at the gym. Perhaps I needed to prove to myself, again, that this injury has not slowed me down (much). So, last Saturday I had my most intense post-rupture work out, spending 2 hours challenging myself with as many exercises as I could think of to work my calf and Achilles. I stretched, balanced, lifted, jumped, sprinted, skipped, and finished things off with a long run. For awhile I felt like I was back in grade school competing for the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. Anyone remember this?
Today I am officially one year post-op, enjoying the celebration at the finish line in Central Park on the virtual marathon tracker. I also thought it was an appropriate day to wear my Achillesblog T-shirt. While I’m very happy to be at this point, I know I still have some work left to be done. I guess I can say that I’m fully healed, but maybe not fully recovered. What I mean is that the AT feels healthy and strong (the icy sidewalks this winter have been a good test!), but calf strength continues to be a challenge. The progress is still slow even though I’m consistently getting to the gym 4-5 times a week. I change up my routine pretty frequently to try different exercises and lifting philosophies, but at this point I’m pretty confident that I just need to remain patient and diligent.
The lagging strength doesn’t affect any of my daily activities and generally goes unnoticed unless I’m exercising. I notice it most with single leg heel raises. I’m only able to get a minimal amount of clearance under my heel and am not able to hold my weight for very long. I also notice the strength when I’m running. My right leg just isn’t as strong and my gait not as fluid as prior to the injury. I tend to cup my foot a bit when toeing off, what I assume is a compensation for the decreased calf strength.
So, I plan to continue visiting the gym regularly throughout the winter months in hopes that my pre-injury calf strength and gait will return. I have several half marathons planned for the spring and summer along with a full marathon in the fall. After missing running outdoors most of last year, I’m definitely feeling the need to get back out on some of my regular trails. Unfortunately, the cold and snowy winter has kept me inside on the treadmill and indoor track.
Well, now that I’ve hit my one year anniversary and made it to the virtual marathon finish line, I’m not sure how often I’ll update the blog, if at all. But, I know I’ll continue to check Achillesblog.com for the foreseeable future to track the progress of all my new cyber friends. It’s great to see that so many are healing very well. I’ll also continue to respond as best as possible to any questions raised by others in the comments below. With that, I’ll close by posting a few pictures of my Achilles and calf at 12 months post-op.
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Tom - Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary!
Celebration is in order! Thanks for all your great comments and posts throughout the year. It’s really helped watching your progress as you are about a month ahead of me. I am sure others felt the same. Congrats!
You’ve completed the ATR marathon!
CONGRATULATIONS TOM!! I am so happy for you. I chuckled about your competitive spirit while working out because I can relate on how we have a new appreciation for the things that came so easy before. I also laughed because I am a gym teacher you gives the Presidential Fitness Test to my students and I experience kids with that competitive spirit every year (It is awesome). Looking at your calf, (mine is the same) isn’t it amazing how much atrophy occurs. I know it will come back eventually. I am working hard too. Good Luck, Best Wishes and Happy New Year. Melissa
Nice work Tom!
Congrats, Tom! Thanks for leading the charge for the past year and giving us all hope that there is not only a light at the end of the tunnel, but also a finish line at the end of the marathon.
Yahoo…..
one year..congrats.. I totally agree with your observations and comments. I have found several others that are 4-5 years post ATR and they still have noticeable girth differences. So not sure if we will ever fully recover. Good luck to you and occasionally contribute a comment or two.
Doc Ross
Tom, thanks for all the updates. Being about 2 months behind you, it’s been great following your progress. My experience has been very similar to yours. It’s funny, I still tend to cup my foot, or cheat with my toes, when trying to get up on the ball of my foot. Take care and thanks again.
Jim
[...] since my ATR surgery, and I can’t believe it’s already been a full year. I agree with Tom that this has been a long journey, and I am happy to say that I made it through okay. It’s [...]
Tom hi
Not sure if you’re still checking this site and replies to your blog 18 months on, but, having literally reached my first anniversary post-op yesterday, I’m curious to know how you are getting on 1.5 yrs on now?
My situation (and even my legs looking at your photo’s) seems pretty identical to your own (except I’m a skier, snow-shoer, tennis player and hiker - bust my right AT playing tennis (and opponent beyond my ability!) end of June ‘08).
My remaining issues are:-
1) AT always stiff as a rusty hinge when getting out of bed in the morning, or if have been sat at a desk for an hour - though fine once “loosened” up and when exercising / sports.
2) The tendon is still twice the thickness of the non-injured one, and whilst feels robust, it feels tighter and just “not the same” as the original model!
3) Calf muscle still only 90-95% size of good one - though I can single-leg heel lift and hold almost as high and as long as the good leg.
4) Have the odd soreness in both repaired AT and other one, which brings on tendonosis panics! - but it’s not acute or chronic, and maybe I’m just over-sensitised now.
5) I decided not to return to “explosive” stop-start sports initially (other than down-hill skiing, where the ankle is pretty much isolated in the ski-boot anyway) for the full year. But instead do progressive exercise and sports. About to return to tennis (gently!).
But wondering if the AT gets any better past a year, or if this is pretty much it now?
Read an interesting article on “Eccentric Calfe Muscle Training” and am now going to start more of that (beside twice daily stretches and usual bike / x-cross trainer exercises, power-walking and hiking).
Hope you’re going from strength to strength. Always good to hear from people who are several months (or years) ahead in any form of rehab. Seems that most people quit AT blogging after about 6 months, so you rarely get to hear how things panned out long term.
Cheers
Charles
Charles - I sent a private email to try and answer your questions. Let me know if you don’t receive it.
Hi Charles,
I am 1 year on 24th July and your progress exactly matches mine.
I too would be interested in Tom’s response. I am considering starting pre-season rugby training (although really gentle starts) and would like as many opinions of progress as possible.
Jon
Tom Hi
No, I never did get your private e-mail - maybe the spam filter nabbed it. Have re-set the filter, so if you’d be kind enough to re-send, I’ll keep my eyes peeled now.
Or, if it’s nothing too private, given jonathan9 has exactly the same queries as myself, then happy to see this posted on the blog.
Best wishes
Charles
Charles - I resent the email. Let me know if you don’t receive it. If you don’t receive it I will try and post something in the blog.