anigee
04-08-2006, 02:36 AM
I am 15 years old and an elite soccer player. In an indoor game on February 12 i was marking a player a t the top of the box. The other team, struggling to keep up with our pace, was playing very dirty. A girl running off to her bench kicked my right in my achilles tendon as she ran by. All i remember is going down and being in too much pain to scream or cry, it was like a shock factor. They took me off of the field entirely and got physios to come check my status. My whole lower leg was numb, i didnt know what had happened. I couldn't move my toes either so i assumed i had broken my tibia or fibia. even the slightest touch to my shoe to try and remove it but my in even more agonizing pain.
We then went to the Children's hospital where they gave me codine. Two hours later i was still in aweful pain (and my pain tolerance is quite high) when we finally got into the doctor. She was bending my leg in every which direction without care and diagnosed it as a simple contusion and told me I'd be playing in 3 days. One of the contributors to her misdiagnosis was probably the fact that it was the first achilles rupture the hospital had seen, usually the injury occurs in middle aged men.
The next day our team left for a training camp in FLorida. I was on crutches but was good-spirited assuming i'd be playing in no time.
The week went by, and all i could do was a pathetic jog, but i merely disgarded it as a slow recovery.
When i returned home i went straight to my most trusted physiotherapist and began treatment a week after my injury. SHe concluded that it had moved into the achilles tendon because it was SO swollen, she diagnosed it as Achilles Tendonitis. After t reatment for a week i was allowed back to my regular gym activities but still no sprinting. She then found it awkward that i had no capability at all to go on my left toe, and performed the Thompson test. She squeezed my left calf, then my right...and again, and again. My stomach sunk inside of me, i knew something was wrong. She told me that my AT was Ruptured, and then a series of doctor visits followed.
I think it is important to inform others that AT can rupture upon impact, and that second opinions are important.
THat day, my mom and me returned to the emergency ward at the children's hospital, there another doctor told me to point and flex my foot and said "no, your physio is wrong, if you can do that, you are fine". We asked to see another physician who recomended me to a sports medicine specialist, and ordered an ultrasound.
The next day i got an ultrasound, and even to me and my mom, it was obvious that there was a huge gap in my tendon based on the pictures it gave. They immediately casted me and told me to return in a month.
The following day i went to see the sports doctor who took off my newly signed cast and arranged for me to have emergency surgery the following day.
--Even though doctors go through years of schooling, they're human! If you think somethings fishy, go for a second opininon.
Three days after discovering my tendon was ruptured, but 2.5 weeks after the event, i had surgery on March 4th, this is where the rehabilitation countdown begins.
•my advice, take as many pills as they allow you to. When u first come out, theres local anesthetic, and if you take 1 pill instead of 2, a couple hours later, you'll be in pain. My first 48 hours were the only time i felt pain in my whole recovery!
Everywhere i had been, every doctor and physio, had never heard of a 15 year old rupturing their achilles becasue of impact, which got me in alot faster becasue of my "medical mystery" status, which was good, but 2.5 weeks post injury is still quite long for surgery. I was told by my surgeon that had i waited just 4 more days, i may never play again because my tendon would be too weak even if surgically repaired.
Casting is another method of repairing an achilles rupture, but a much slower one, and one i DO NOT recommend for people on a tight recovery schedule.
2 weeks after surgery, i had my surgical cast removed and i was put into a metal and velcroe boot with wedges. I began walking with crutches in the boot until i was full weight bearing a week later. (full weight bearing 3 weeks post op!) I then ditched the crutches and began taking out wedges gradually until i was on flat ground.
6 weeks after my operation i was allowed to rid of the boot completely and begin walking normally. Which is surprisingly much more difficult than walking in the boot. The whole process of 'the boot' was not painful at all, neither was walking without it, it was only challenging, no pain!
i began doing a series of physio exercises and doing as much on the elliptical t rainer as i could handle. I was allowed to do the bike, elliptical, and stairmaster with my boot, and those were the first i was allowed to do without it.
3 months after my surgery i went to see my surgeon for the 2nd time (1st time at 6weeks). This is when she gave me the Okay to Run!! I began jogging 1minute on 30sec. off, and gradually increased it every 2 times. At this three month mark i had been to over 30 physio sessions to speed up my recovery.
by 3.5months i was beginning to get back on the ball and at 4 months i returned to my surgeon to see if i could play. She was in awe with my sucess and effort to return to the game. After some strenght testing she gave me the green light to play in games. My first game back i played 65 minutes and i wasn't nearly as rusty as expected.
It was a long haul, but 4 months is an outstanding result that is very attainable by anyone willing to put the effort in. If you have any questions feelfree to ask.:)
We then went to the Children's hospital where they gave me codine. Two hours later i was still in aweful pain (and my pain tolerance is quite high) when we finally got into the doctor. She was bending my leg in every which direction without care and diagnosed it as a simple contusion and told me I'd be playing in 3 days. One of the contributors to her misdiagnosis was probably the fact that it was the first achilles rupture the hospital had seen, usually the injury occurs in middle aged men.
The next day our team left for a training camp in FLorida. I was on crutches but was good-spirited assuming i'd be playing in no time.
The week went by, and all i could do was a pathetic jog, but i merely disgarded it as a slow recovery.
When i returned home i went straight to my most trusted physiotherapist and began treatment a week after my injury. SHe concluded that it had moved into the achilles tendon because it was SO swollen, she diagnosed it as Achilles Tendonitis. After t reatment for a week i was allowed back to my regular gym activities but still no sprinting. She then found it awkward that i had no capability at all to go on my left toe, and performed the Thompson test. She squeezed my left calf, then my right...and again, and again. My stomach sunk inside of me, i knew something was wrong. She told me that my AT was Ruptured, and then a series of doctor visits followed.
I think it is important to inform others that AT can rupture upon impact, and that second opinions are important.
THat day, my mom and me returned to the emergency ward at the children's hospital, there another doctor told me to point and flex my foot and said "no, your physio is wrong, if you can do that, you are fine". We asked to see another physician who recomended me to a sports medicine specialist, and ordered an ultrasound.
The next day i got an ultrasound, and even to me and my mom, it was obvious that there was a huge gap in my tendon based on the pictures it gave. They immediately casted me and told me to return in a month.
The following day i went to see the sports doctor who took off my newly signed cast and arranged for me to have emergency surgery the following day.
--Even though doctors go through years of schooling, they're human! If you think somethings fishy, go for a second opininon.
Three days after discovering my tendon was ruptured, but 2.5 weeks after the event, i had surgery on March 4th, this is where the rehabilitation countdown begins.
•my advice, take as many pills as they allow you to. When u first come out, theres local anesthetic, and if you take 1 pill instead of 2, a couple hours later, you'll be in pain. My first 48 hours were the only time i felt pain in my whole recovery!
Everywhere i had been, every doctor and physio, had never heard of a 15 year old rupturing their achilles becasue of impact, which got me in alot faster becasue of my "medical mystery" status, which was good, but 2.5 weeks post injury is still quite long for surgery. I was told by my surgeon that had i waited just 4 more days, i may never play again because my tendon would be too weak even if surgically repaired.
Casting is another method of repairing an achilles rupture, but a much slower one, and one i DO NOT recommend for people on a tight recovery schedule.
2 weeks after surgery, i had my surgical cast removed and i was put into a metal and velcroe boot with wedges. I began walking with crutches in the boot until i was full weight bearing a week later. (full weight bearing 3 weeks post op!) I then ditched the crutches and began taking out wedges gradually until i was on flat ground.
6 weeks after my operation i was allowed to rid of the boot completely and begin walking normally. Which is surprisingly much more difficult than walking in the boot. The whole process of 'the boot' was not painful at all, neither was walking without it, it was only challenging, no pain!
i began doing a series of physio exercises and doing as much on the elliptical t rainer as i could handle. I was allowed to do the bike, elliptical, and stairmaster with my boot, and those were the first i was allowed to do without it.
3 months after my surgery i went to see my surgeon for the 2nd time (1st time at 6weeks). This is when she gave me the Okay to Run!! I began jogging 1minute on 30sec. off, and gradually increased it every 2 times. At this three month mark i had been to over 30 physio sessions to speed up my recovery.
by 3.5months i was beginning to get back on the ball and at 4 months i returned to my surgeon to see if i could play. She was in awe with my sucess and effort to return to the game. After some strenght testing she gave me the green light to play in games. My first game back i played 65 minutes and i wasn't nearly as rusty as expected.
It was a long haul, but 4 months is an outstanding result that is very attainable by anyone willing to put the effort in. If you have any questions feelfree to ask.:)