Never knew what patience meant

Today marks 12 weeks post operation and i am currently in 2 shoes.  I think my doctor definitely has taken a conservative approach, but I must say that i am very pleased with my treatment plan. I have taken very good care of the injury and have not pushed it at all.

I am ready to tackle the next phase which is Physical Therapy. I know it won’t be easy, but I honestly can’t believe it has already been 3 months.

For everyone else out there, just be patient and focus on every little bit of improvement.

I am 10 weeks post op and things are coming along very well for me.  I have been walking in the boot for almost four weeks and I have two more to go and then I will be in two shoes.  I have not begun regular PT sessions; however I have been doing little things on my own so that I can really go full force in two weeks when I start PT.  I have been swimming at least four times a week as well as stretches and massages.  I have also been walking around without the boot but only at my house where there are not people.

The scar in my opinion looks fantastic. I am quite proud of it actually, but there was a time at about 8 weeks where it was a little infected.  I think it was b/c I was just beginning to put more pressure on it and it did begin to puss a little bit and open up.  I put ointment on it and kept it very clean, but did not let the doctors know because it eventually healed up on it’s own.

This has been such a long haul and I know that I have so much further to go, but if I can give any advice at all for those just starting out it would be; focus on the little things.  Be proud and happy with every inch of progress that you make because I believe it keeps you motivated to get better.  Most of my summer has been spent out on the boat driving my brothers and sister wakeboarding and I also picked up a gig providing private wakeboard lessons.  This is a small bump in the road in my life and I will be so thankful for the day when I can get back out on the court to play ball and back out on the lake wakeboarding.  Things could always be worse.  Good luck to everyone, keep staying positive and when you get down about this challenging injury just remember that IT WILL GET BETTER.

Here is a pic of my scar at 10 weeks post op. This scar is so unbelievably straight!

I had my 6 week post op appointment and had every anticipation of beginning PT.  I was shocked to hear the Doc say that he wanted me to begin walking and ditch the crutches as soon as I could (of course being aware of any pain).  So I am happy to say that I am now taking it slow each day and walking a little bit more…. I feel as shaky as a new born fawn!!!

The Doc has said to wait another 6 wks to begin PT, but I am going to start it anyways.  I have been massaging the scar and tendon area about 3x each day, icing 2x a day, and stretching 3x a day.  Recently I went to a foot reflexologist/therapeutic massage and it was amazing.  The best part was the education that I received about my feet and how to avoid having further problems in the future.  It is so incredible how everything is all connected in the body.  I would highly recommend this treatment to anyone because it promotes ROM, blood flow, and helps the foot to recognize (once again) what it is supposed to do and how it is supposed to respond.

For all of those people out there that are at the very beginning stages of this injury, which I in fact still am; however I want to say that be patient and take the time to heal.  Time has suprisingly flown by and each day I CHOOSE to look at the positive instead of the negative, which is the improvement that I see each day.  Every day is a gift and this injury will pass, but it takes A LOT of time.  Of course I have my days where I am disappointed, but all in all this will be a memory of the past some day.  This has been an incredible life lesson and a true testament in how I allow myself to deal with a (non-permenant) very intense injury.  Each day my soul grows stronger and I tell myself to be happy and appreciate the gift I have been given of one day being able to do all the things I enjoy.

I was wondering how long everyone has worn the nylon after surgery. I am almost three weeks post op and Doc told me to wear it for another month, which would be until a total of 6 weeks post op. Any input would be great?

Today marks just about two weeks since surgery and I got my stitches out.  YESSS!!!  I spent most of my weekend taking my friends out wakeboarding in my boat.  On the bright side I am not the one filling up the gas tanks, which as we all know is not cheap.  At least I could enjoy the smiles on their faces while they were riding and get some sun.

The healing is going well and it is really just a matter of time.  I should enjoy this time because I know that it will become more difficult when I begin PT.  Not to be mistaken, I am in fact STOKED to start PT, but I know it will be tough.  Most of my family and friends have been great.  It is really amazing when something like this happens to find out who your true friends are and who is there for you.  People kind of forget the severity of this injury and the amount of mental agony that goes along with it.  Really puts things into perspective.

Thank you to everyone that has been so encouraging and helpful along the way.  I am keeping my head up and not taking each day for granted as I have done in the past.

Well the toughest part is over; however the surgery was not all that bad.  The worst part was the pain medication because it made me sick.  After many days of sleep and drugs I am now almost back to normal and only taking a pain pill if I feel like I need it. 

Last night in my sleep i flexed my foot and woke up in sheer panic and pain.  It made me so dizzy and sick that I thought I was going to pass out.  The pain was unimaginable and I thought I had done damage.  The reality is I think that it is fine, but has this happened to anyone else?  The other thing I have noticed is that my big toe is in a lot of pain.  It feels a lot better when it is out of the boot, but inside the boot it is painful.  Interesting thing is that my doctor put me directly into a boot.  This is really nice because I can loosen it and it helps with the aching.  Has anyone else had pain in their big toe?

All in all I am feeling good and ready to get the stitches out and into PT.  I know it is only one step at a time, but luckily time is moving along quite rapidly.  No complaints, but I cant wait until the Doc tells me that I can play ball and go wakeboarding again.

Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning and I absolutely cannot wait! I have been sitting around like a depressed dog watching the days pass by. This whole experience has not been easy and it’s only been one week, yikes…. I can’t help but think about all of the things that I am missing out on, but at the same time I remind myself that it could be worse.

I just bought a boat two months ago and it is just sitting there wanting to be used. My Basketball team is leaving tomorrow for Los Angeles for a tournament that I have been excited about for months. I know my time will come when I can participate in all the sports that make up who I am, but for now it is books, IPOD, TV, Pain Meds, computer, and relaxing on the couch.

I can’t thank everyone on this site enough for all of the support and information that I have been given this past week. It is amazing to hear the number of people struggling with this same injury. The good news is that we are all on our way to recovery. I have always been an extremely impatient person and now I am learning how to deal with that impatience.

I have found this site to be a wealth of information and am thankful for everyone sharing their experience with this injury.  I am 28 years old and play basketball, tennis, golf, wakeboard, skateboard, and snowboard.  Sports are a huge part of what define me as me.

I have been training for a basketball tournament in Los Angeles and definitely overusing my achilles.  I have had pain in my right achilles for about a month now and unfortunately overcompensated and tore my left achilles.  It happened playing basketball and of course like all the rest of the stories i heard a loud pop which will haunt me for the rest of my life.

I am scheduled to have surgery next Wednesday, May 14th.  Feeling quite disappointed right now and bored to say the least.  I am much appreciative of this website and taking the opportunity to document my experience in the hopes that it will help others as well.