Six Weeks Post-Op

Posted on November 8th, 2010 by trupahdwn

Friday, 19 November 2010, marked the end of wearing a plaster cast for 4 weeks and I was excited to see the doctor to get the thing removed.  After the plaster cast was removed, the doctor put my right leg into an air cast (walking boot) and told me my tendon required at least 4 additional weeks of non-weight bearing in order to heal properly. The doctor prescribed the constant use of crutches with the air cast and prohibited any flexing of the foot. What a bummer! I so expected to begin PT.

4 Comments »

  • Calendar

    • June 2023
      M T W T F S S
      « Nov    
       1234
      567891011
      12131415161718
      19202122232425
      2627282930  

  • Archives

  • Achillesblog - Updated Posts

    • Check out AchillesBlog.com T-shirts.

    •   

      ATR Marathon Page

  • Recent Comments

  • peadarh | November 25th, 2010 | 3:26 pm

    Well I’m not feeling the dissapointment every two weeks when I get my cast and angle of ankle changed. My surgeon told me straight after the op it’s 8 weeks in a cast b4 I move into rehab. I am 6 weeks post op today so just had my last cast change and my ankle is now past 90 degrees. Certainly is much easier to move about the place. And I’ll start driving again which is massive.
    I’m being told that after week 8 the rehab excercises will be more important than PT to get back to full weight bearing. I thought that strange since PT treatment is so popular on this website. I’ll ask again in 2 weeks but the doctor was fairly adament about it today.
    All in all our treatments have similar timings which encourages me!!!
    Cheers

  • teresa1 | November 23rd, 2010 | 3:08 pm

    I well remember the disappointment I felt at hospital appointments when the doctor seemed so reluctant to move things forwards. I thought they were unnecessarily cautious keeping me in a cast for nine weeks, but I was partially weight bearing (in a cast) after five weeks and in a walking cast and weight bearing for the final two weeks. I was able to hobble round the house without crutches then, though I still needed them outside.
    Your doctor seems cautious even by those standards.
    It might be worth phoning him and asking to discuss his rationale, there are several rehab protocols available on this sight that will give you ammunition. Good luck!

  • Brad | November 22nd, 2010 | 1:32 pm

    4 more weeks in the aircast but with crutches? i would go nuts

    i suggest looking into a “knee-scooter” for MUCH greater mobility.

    I was “weight bearing as tolerated / full weight bearing at 4 weeks”
    (non-operative) and i did have wedges in the aircast.

    with the aircast tight, you really cant open or close the ankle, so your ‘orders’ seem more conservative (but again, i was non-op)

    keep on keepin on

  • liverpoollass | November 22nd, 2010 | 5:05 am

    I think early on there are lots of disappointments as we constantly want our progress to be quicker. But at least you’re out of plaster. The air cast feels a bit clumsy at first, but once your used to it you will be a lot more mobile. I too was virtually NWB at the beginning - (just toe tapping as a walked along) I’m about 8 weeks now and still using crutches most of the time but can move around FWB as I can tolerate it. Good luck and keep healing :)