…rounding 1st base…POP!

Hi guys, just some pics my fiancee took this morning.  

Click the pics once for close-up, twice for full-screen.

AT feels good, really good.  Went to see Pearl Jam last night (20 plus shows now…best band of my generation, IMO)…was fantastic! Was moving pretty good for a white boy w one good wheel I must say.  The black strap is the brace (footsmart.com) I have to wear for 2 more weeks.  It gives me a sense of increased stability…it is not very comfortable at times tho.

For my Ablog friends just out of surgery or in the middle of NWB purgatory just remember you will get your normal life back sooner than you think…hang in there!     

I had my 3rd post-op appt today at Mass General w the good Dr Theodore and after much tweaking and twisting and prodding he gave me the green light to ditch the boot.  Amen doc, amen.

I am to wear the achilles brace for 3 weeks (he was suprised I already had one…kudos to Matty and Doc Ross…I recommend reading all of Ross’s posts, he has been spot-on information-wise, a real asset) and then I can ditch that too.  I was told that the compression socks will help manage the swelling so continue w those.  I was handed a script for PT 1-3 x’s a week, 5-8 weeks total.  I am to see him Aug. 23rd for my last appt.

So I tried to ask him some of the questions that have been raised on the blog, but of course I could only come up w a few:

How far along am I in regards to tendon strength at 8 weeks?  Answer:  ”About 60%…6 months 100%…1 year all is back to normal.”

Am I at risk of re-rupture? (I even mentioned the 2 recent ones on the site)  Answer:  ”I’ve never had a re-rupture occur.  Never.  You can still do it but it would take something very extreme.”  (Gotta love a cocky Harvard doc)

When can I play golf?  Answer:  ”You can chip and putt for now but no full-on swings for weeks.”  (DAMN!)

When can I start running?  Answer:  ”4-6 more weeks.”

So yes I’m out of the boot and yes I feel great but I still cant do the one thing I love to do this time of year:  play competitive golf…oh well, it could be worse.

I limped back onto the subway, boot in hand, ready to face a new phase of challenges…thanks to all my Ablog buddies, you’ve really helped me!

Anyone elses doc tell them that Nicotine inhibits the body from repairing microtears in tendons?  He saw that I checked off nicotine use on my pre-op forms and strongly recommended that I stop using immediately.  Actually he pretty much ordered me to stop.  I googled it and found some rat studies that did indeed support my doc claims.  The studies dealt more with tendons removed from the bone, not ruptures though.  Needless to say I have stopped using smokeless tobacco (old baseball habits die hard) in fear that I’m not giving my body a fair fight against this injury.  

On a side note I went to a softball buddy’s house last night and he told me he thinks I came in contact with the 1st baseman of the other team when I injured myself.  He was coaching 1st at the time and is almost positive that I was tripped (accidentally) or that somehow we got tangled up as I rounded the bag.  A couple of my other teammates who witnessed it also agreed.  The kid wasnt used to that position so he was all over the place that night.  I had a feeling that I made contact with him but it happened soo fast I wasnt sure.  Then I read on here that it feels like someone kicks you when you rupture it soo I just figured it went on its own.  It was all such a blur.

I almost feel better now, in a weird way.  I dont feel like my body failed me anymore.

And one more thing: Heres a big “thank you” to Dennis for this website and to all the others who contribute their stories on here.  One of the things I really look forward to after work is reading all the new posts and comments as I take that boot off and ice and elevate.  It feels good to know that others are going thru the same challenges, frustrations, mini milestones and successes, trials and tribulations.  Its easy to feel like youre the only one whos ever suffered this injury and this blog gives me a real sense of community…Thanks guys!!

 I am driving home from work yesterday, lefty of course, with my boot on. I’m cruising along at 65 in the right hand lane, minding my own business. moving with traffic. I come upon a truck going pretty slow, so I signal and pass him on the left. 10 seconds later I spot a trooper sitting in a rest area, facing traffic. I panic instantly. I think “I’m screwed..I have a boot on…I’m in the left lane…arrrggghhhhh!”

So I scramble and start to lean forward and fumble around w my 3 velcro straps..furiously trying to get the boot off. I think that if I can start to get the boot off before he turns and comes after me I might have time to get it all the way off and pretend I was driving w/o it the whole time. I just dont have an answer for the one shoe.

Eventhough the AC was cranked and the truck was chilly I was still sweating profusely, what made matters worse was I couldnt see if the cop was coming b/c the damn truck I just passed was blocking my view. More panic. I finally get 2 out of the 3 straps undone and literally kick the boot off with my left foot. The boot gets wedged between my groin and the steering wheel as I try to pull it up from below. Thank goodness it was a straightaway for awhile or I was done. I finally have full control of the car, and the boot, and glance in the rear-view mirror fearing the worst.

He wasnt there. He never followed me. What a relief.

I know I shouldnt be driving. I just have no other way to work other than a cab and who can afford that 6 days a week, 40 miles roundtrip a day?

Its funny, I could look at this 2 ways: One, its just another crappy thing I have had to deal with since I’ve had this horrible injury or two, hey I finally caught a break..the cop didnt move. Lucky me…I’m going with #2.

Well it was almost 90 on the Cape today and there was no way I wasnt goin in the water.  I am supposed to be in the boot til the last week in June (Surgery 4/28 splint for 2 weeks, cast for 2, boot since 5/28) but this past week I’ve been taking if off a lot around the house and a little at work.  Bo was there in case I slipped on a rock…ha ha…The water temp was in the mid-50’s, still pretty cold, and it felt really good to give it a little workout.  Here’s to a speedy recovery for all my ATR buds!

…and ohhhhhhhh it felt sooooo good.  Have any of you tried this before?

I have been in the boot for 6 days now.  Yesterday I went to the beach and tried to “walk/shuffle” around on the hard sand without the boot…didnt feel so good.  I experienced some swelling today, along with some tightness of the tendon.

I was concerned about the swelling and was going to try and knock it back down before I went to bed tonight.  I resorted to an old move the trainers in college would do for bum ankles:  soak it in a bucket of ice water for 15 minutes.   Ahhhhh, after the initial sting it didnt really feel that cold.  I filled up a large steel pasta bucket high enough to cover my whole incision.  After 15 min was up I took it out, dried it off and checked it out.  Swelling was gone, foot felt great…gonna do it again tomorrow.

Anyone else try this?  Is this healthy for the tendon?  I have a vmail out to doc Theodore at MGH, Im interested to see what he says.