Achillies rupture

[Betty]

Hi all! Am new to the forum and have to say how useful and comforting it is to know you are not on your own. Rupturing your achillies tendon can be quite traumatic!

I have read some really useful stuff but would be greatful for advice on my individual circumstances.

I ruptured my achillies tendon by dancing - put my right leg down dancing to some Country and Western tunes and heard more than felt the most almighty popping sound. Of course immediately afterwards, I was unable to staighten my leg and kind of dragged it around for the next 5 days until I was able to get to a doctor to diagnose it - I honestly thought I had pulled a ligament or something and got the shock of my life when the GP advised I may have to have surgery but either way I would be in plaster for weeks and weeks.

It then took another 3 days for the consultants I saw to decide to how to treat it - surgery or plaster only. One consultant advised it should be treated conservatively without surgery as surgery ran too high a risk of infection in that part of the leg where the circulation is poor. He advised if it got infected I was looking at skin-grafts and plastic surgery. However he gave me the horror story about surgery before actually examining my leg and when he put my foot into the acquinas (I think that is how you spell it!) position, he advised the ends still didn't meet so he would have to operate! He did then say "hope I haven't scared you!" Suffice to say I did not sleep at all well the night before the op!

Anway got my surgery and after two weeks got my stitches out (no infection - thank goodness), put in plaster for another two weeks with foot still in acquinas.

Have today had the hard cast off and have been given walker braces. This is not an airboot but an adjustable boot which they will raise a click per week to get my foot back to neutral. They rekon this will take another 6 weeks. Haven't come across this piece of kit in the forum so far and would be interested if anyone else was given this and maybe why I may have had walker braces and not an air boot? Also my foot is still in acquinas and when I tried to find out if I could weight bear, the plaster technician and surgeon sort of said yes but when I try (and this is horrible), it feels like my op wound is going to split open.

I don't feel any better off with this walker brace (apart from the fact that I can take it off at night and shave my legs!) as it is really hard to stand on it. Stairs are even worse now than when I had the hard plaster! I s'pose this will get easier as my foot gets closer to 90%....

I think I am just terrified of rupturing it again and I guess all the muscles/tendons/ligaments are all a bit weak and therefore any kind of weight bearing feels really strange.

I am also a bit worried about causing damage at night when the boot is off as I am a restless sleeper - should I keep it on?

Finally, long term effects worry me a bit (limping in damp whether, one calf bigger than the other etc). I can live with cosmetic changes but pain/stifness from now on doesn't sit so well - I was only having a wee dance on my holidays for goodness sake!

Anyway, that is my story and I'd be greatful for opinions/advice.

B ;)

[Betty]

Hi all,

Me again! Big appeal for advice please. Had a scary experience on Friday with the adjustment of my walker brace. 4 weeks post op, the consultant advised I could wear a walker brace (moon boot) that can be adjusted at what he described as one click a week to get me back to neutral (90 degrees). Attended the fracture clinic on Fri and the technician who took charge of adjusting my boot blatantly did not have a clue how to do so but what was worse is she did not feel the need to ask her colleague or refer to instructions. She even tried to adjust the boot whilst my foot was in it! She also only adjusted the pin effecting dorsi-flexion which made no difference to the angle of my foot. When my partner pointed this out to her she was less than happy, slamming my boot onto a table! Anyway in the end the technicians advised that it was not possible to adjust the boot to raise my foot anything less than 20 degrees! That was the equivalent of three clicks in one week! This against the consultant's advice of one click a week! Fortunately when I put my foot into the boot (at the time I did not realize the implications of what they were saying) my tendon didn't snap but it did feel really stretched. When we got home my partner took a closer look at the boot because he wasn't convinced that it couldn't be adjusted less than 20 degrees. To our horror we spotted (quite easily) that it could be adjusted at 7.5 degree angles and it simply wasn't possible to adjust it 20 degrees so where they got that figure from I don't know. Anyway my partner and I adjusted the boot back 7.5 degrees to take the stretch off my tendon. I have been really shocked by this experience and when I left a message with the consultant's secretary to discuss this on the phone she advised he could not talk to me and instead requested I come into the fracture clinic to discuss the whole thing with me and the plaster technicians involved. All I wanted was to warn him this had happened to me for the sake of other patients and make him aware that we had adjusted the boot ourselves and wanted to continue to do so but when I called back his secretary to advise of this he still wouldn't talk to me and still wants me to come into see him and the staff involved. I feel this is all so out of order because being the NHS you can wait hours to see a consultant and I am not going to be put in an embarrassing situation with his staff. Any opinions/advice on this would be really appreciated as I am feeling pretty powerless.

[richardp]

Hi Betty,

I think you are using the same boot as myself - The Donjoy MC Walker?

I snapped my AT on the 4th Sept - Had the surgical repair and then had a top slab cast for 4 weeks with regular reviews from the consultant. After 4 weeks he gave me a set of exercises to increase the range of motion and ordered the boot to give support to the ankle. I did the exercises as prescribed and was soon back at 90 degrees - the boot i have to say has been excellent - providing great support whilst limiting the dorsiflexion movement and protecting the tendon.

The boot has pins and will give increments of 7.5 degrees - the jump to 90 degrees is a tough one as you already know - feels like the tendon and the wound will burst but keep at the exercises and this feeling will ease.

I expect to have to wear the boot until around 12 weeks from the original accident - another 5 weeks to go! Gradually moving the pins to allow more motion - hopefully back to pre accident range of motion - Time will tell


I wish you a speedy recovery

[Betty]

Hi richardp,

Thanks for replying - yes that is the boot I am wearing. Could you tell me a bit more about the excercies you have been given because I was told no physio until 10 weeks post op?

Thanks also for advising the increments are 7.5 degrees and not 20 as advised by my lot! You sort of know you are right but you can't help doubting yourself!

I am so pleased I adjusted the boot back a bit though because there was a risk that with such a big jump (30 to 7.5 degrees) my tendon could have snapped. Madness for the sake of a couple of technicians not knowing how to adjust the boot!

Also I am now at 15 degrees and feel unable to put my full weight on my foot...at what stage did you put your full weight on?

All the best to you with your recovery too...sounds like you are really getting there.

Betty :)

[richardp]

Hi Betty,

The exercise I was asked to do are pretty straightforward and are non weightbearing - I have also continued to do these even though I am allowed to weight bear now.

Simply sit on the edge of a chair with the injured foot resting comfortably on the floor then slide it back towards you - obviously you will feel it get very tight as you get towards 90 degrees. Right after my first top slab cast would only go to aroun 80 degrees or so but by doing this exercise regularly each day i worked it back towards the 90 degree mark that i was told i needed before I could think about weight bearing and walking on the boot itself. As this is non weightbearing there shouldn't be too much of an issue in doing these as soon as you can - especially if you are already using the MC Walker - just keep trying to gradually stretch it out. This took me around a week to feel comfortable at 90 degrees. The other exercise i have done is also very simple - again non weightbearing - foot flat on the floor then raise (as far as you can!) the toes up. This will again try to stretch the tendon with no weight - you won't be able to get the toes very far at first but do it regularly and you will see the progress. Similarly the same with the heel raises for the other motion.

These are the only exercises i have been given to date. The other thing I have done is seek physio myself to try to speed the recovery. I really think this is helping - massage of the scar area and ultrasound seem to help the range of motion i now have.

So thats all I have been given - if there are more exercises I should be doing I would be happy to hear from others... Anything to get back to normality... carry a cup of tea around!

Hope this helps

Take care

Richard

[Betty]

To Richard,

Thank you for taking the time to detail the exercises.... really useful. I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be doing these as they are non-weightbearing so I rekon I'll get stated today - anything to speed up the recovery and carry that tea!

Take care too.

Betty.

[BulLaMaKDoGy]

Betty.

Just reading your comment in regards to no physio until ofter 10 weeks post op.....

I ruptured my chilles on 8/07/06 had surgery on 11/07/06 and was athe physio on 26/07/06.

I am now doing 20-30metre runs at slow pace and stillgoing to phsio.

[Limster]

G'day BulLaMaKDoGy,

no calling you a liar or anything of negativity but your recovery sounds unbelievable. Can you share your experiences some more as I just gone through my surgery and I have been reading most experiences to be consistent but yours is absoluttely out-there! I do believe that we all heal at our own individual pace with respect to who you and your injury & circumstances etc. BulLaMaKDoGy, how were you able to start physio so soon? Were you out in a plaster after the op.? How sever was your AT tear? What did the surgeon do with your op if s/he did provide details etc? I'm very intrigue now...thanks. Also, would you care to tell me how old you are, gender, your type o sporting activities which leads to this injury etc. Thanks again.;) ;) ;)

[Betty]

To Bulamakdogy,

Thanks for providing your experience. I am starting to think my consultant is being super cautious with me....

Anyway sounds like you are steaming ahead....great stuff and good for you.

Betty.

[richardp]

Betty/Limster,

Just thought I would update you on my last Consultant appointment.... (8 weeks 1 day post op)

Well last seems to be the right word. Progress has the tendon feeling pretty good, physio has been twice a week and walking now with and without the boot (crutches went at 7 weeks i guess). I tend to use the boot if I will be out and about for some time but otherwise around the house i don't now use the boot.

Consultant is saying that i no longer need to see him and things are now down to physio and exercise. Also advised that I could drive again so all in all i'm well pleased with this progress. Trying to continue with as much exercise as I can - swimming and cycling seem to be fine and don't stress things too much.

Hope you are both progressing well now - please post your progress. This has been a great website as you have both mentioned - simply to see the timing and types of rehabilitation that others have experienced - It certainly spurred me to change things and push things such as physio.

All the best to you guys

Regards

Richard

[volley1]

Hi Betty (and others!),
I ( 36, woman) ruptured on sept 30 as I was playing volley ball and had surgery the day after, oct 1st. So I think we are at the same stage. When did you have surgery?
I had a plaster for 2 weeks, then removed and given a walking boot. I am not allowed to put weight on my foot and mine does not have heel adjustment. Straight to 90°! But I have to say when they tried to put it to me, I told them it was painfull to reach a 90°, so they let me go kind of slack in the boot... but told me to tie it slowly to a firm 90°, what 1 did the following week. The only thing I was told to do as exercise is...move my toes! So you are not the only one to have a slow recovery! But my doctor is the best specialist in town and take care of a lot of high level athletes, so i have total confidence in what he does. I will see him this nov 9th and can make you a follow up of what I have to do next. From what I read in all the web stories it is a 2 to 3 months without weight on the injuried leg. A lot of the people who re-ruptured inside the 4 months following surgery is because they pushed too fast and too much the physio exercices so I will be cautious! Especially for the tip toe walking exercise which lead a lot of people to re-rupture. I know we are all different and have to listen to our specialist. By the way, where is your clinic, I cannot believe what they did to you for your boot adjustment!!!! Wait until your next appointment, bring your parter with you so you are not alone to tell what happened to your doc. That is pretty low that he did not want to talk to you on the phone... Make sure it does not happen to someone else!!! Do not be shy to complain, it could have had very bad consequences to your recovery.
Concerning the fact you remove your boot overnight, for myself I will keep it on until I can really walk ok barefoot because I know someone who went to wc during the night and was so sleepy he stood up and crashed down ! He had completely forgotten that he had an injuried foot! So I don't take any chances!

The past days are much better for my foot (hurts less when I move too fast) so I am very happy. I have lots of cramps in my injuried calf when I stand up too long (5 mn or more, sometimes less...), do you?But it is very hard otherwise because I have 3 young children and my husband works from 9 to 21h/5 days!!! He comes for lunch and dinner to help but he is exhausted with all the overcharge he gets from my injury! I always need the help from someone to do all that must be done around a house of 5 persons! This injury is very bad for family life!!! But makes my husband realize even more than ever every little thing I was doing!!!
Take care! We will get better and better :))
P.S. English is my 2nd language so I hope there are not too many faults!

[Limster]

G'day Richard,

it is wonderful to hear that you are doing very well with your recovery. It has certainly given me the added confident to hear that everything is progressing as expected. Best wishes with your physio and strengthening exercises.

Chris (Limster)

[Betty]

Hi volley 1

Good to hear your story and hope you are doing ok?

Sorry to have not posted a reply for a while.

I will be 10 weeks post surgery next week.

Its interesting to hear that your doctors put you straight to 90° My boot was supposed :rolleyes: to be adjusted over 6 weeks towards neutral - so that is really fast for you. I am now at neutral however and have been for about a week. I am not suprised it hurt when they put you to 90° so soon after your surgery though, I find it really unpleasant even now when I first put the boot on in the morning so it must have been really sore for you.

Its also interesting to hear that you have had no exercises either. I am seeing my consultant next week and will really probe him on that one. Maybe wearing the boot at neutral is enough for now, especially because I am putting weight on it which must be stretching the whole foot I guess.

I am from the UK and am under the NHS. Everything has been ok(ish) until this incident with the boot. When I see the consultant next week, I will discuss it with him in more detail. Be interesting to see his response! I am definately taking my boy with me, especially given he is an engineer so will be better able to explain the mechanics of it than I can. It was the fact that the technician did not even admit she did not know what she was doing and carried on regardless which was really scary! Hopefully if the consultant is aware, it won't happen to someone else.....you can but hope anyway!

You are so right with the risks in not sleeping with the boot on...I have stumbled a few times when I have been sleepy in the night but it is so much more comfortable without it - its a question of being really really careful I guess.

I know what you mean about the cramps in the calf. The boot does not allow me to straighten my leg so it does start to feel achey just beacuse I can't stretch it, although it does get some stretch at night when the boot is off. My biggest headache at the moment though is my foot swelling...I have a bit of a problem with water retention anyway and that can make my whole foot quite numb.

You are so right about the things you used to do being taken for granted :D But for me I don't have kids so I really do take my hat off to you for juggeling it all.

I have had a pretty bad couple of weeks recently feeing utterly fed up with everything taking twice as long and not being able to carry anything ARGHH!!! I am really wanting to get back to normal now - my partner too bless him :o

Anyway, keep posting about your progress and your English is excellent by the way.

Take care too,

Betty :)

[Betty]

To Richard,

Sounds like you are doing fabulously. That is superb. Like you say really interesting to hear other accounts.

You are so right to push things yourself.

Betty :)

[CanuckintheUK]

Hi Betty, Volley1,

I find it quite interesting how completely non-standardized the treatment is for AT ruptures! I can understand that there is a choice between conservative treatment vs surgery, but at least after surgery, the treatment/therapy should be at least vaguely similar, which doesn't seem to be the case :0

I'm going to be fitted for a wedged boot on Friday (10 days post-op); I'm interested to hear about people's experience weight bearing with boots with/without crutches. The protocol I'm following is one that was piloted in 2003 and then followed up with ~100 subjects in 2005 (this is under the NHS; East Anglia). Basically, the day after surgery/no surgery, half of the people were fitted with a carbonfibre orthosis with three 1.5 cm heel raises (Tyco, Gosport,UK) and immediately had 100% weight bearing. Every 2 weeks they had wedges removed until having the boot fully removed at 8 weeks. The people treated this way had a faster recovery to normal walking (12.5 weeks vs 18 in control arm of study) and stair climbing (13 weeks vs 22 in control arm of study). I can post updates to let you know how things go, but I'm keen to get back to "normal" as soon as possible (like everyone!!!) without increasing the risk of rerupture (doesn't seem to be the case; the two reruptures in the study were people who went on a treadmill after 2 weeks after having the orthosis removed and fell off(!) and someone who slipped on ice at work and fell). The abstract for the study is here : http://tinyurl.com/ybacmo if anyone is interested. I have the article, which I can't post for copywrite reasons, but I could forget to remove it from an email if anyone wants a closer look ;)

Best wishes on everyone's recovery!

Canuck

[richardp]

Canuck,

I guess I have posted various progress reports over the last 10 weeks and you can see them anyway in the different threads.

Latest is that I'm now at 10 weeks (tomorrow) and having started using the boot at 5 weeks to weight bear I really do think this has made a huge difference to the recovery. I can pretty much walk normally now (no boot) and am feeling as though life is almost normal again.

The only issue i have now is that the swelling still occurs and I have to control this via icing and elevating it as necessary. Oh and therefore shoes to fit are few and far between!

Pretty active again now - have been back into the gym cycling, weights etc and have been able to go swimming for 2 weeks or so now. Doing calf raises is excellent rehabilitation in the pool to strengthen the wasted muscle and i would recommend it. All in all i put the better than expected recovery down to having surgery and using the boot and remaining active/weight bearing using the boot sooner than the 10 weeks i was originally told. My original consultant told me I would only just be coming out of the cast at 10-12 weeks - so to be almost walking normally at 10 has been a huge bonus.

Hope you're all recovery nicely now

Cheers

Richard

[volley1]

Hi Betty and Canuckintheuk!
I have never experienced internet discussion before this injury but it is so reconforting as Betty said to have people to share your experiences,tips and informations with!
I went on the site to read the resume about Canuck's protocole. Interesting. I feel the more we wait to walk the more we are afraid to do it because we don't feel any more muscle to carry our leg!!! Tell me about your progress and the stats!
Betty, you say you wish to go back to normal life because of all the things we cannot do, carry etc and it is so frustrating... I agree!!! Can I share with you my last week before telling you the updates with my foot?You can laugh at all my little misadventures...

I said I had 3 kids (3-5-7yrs), so it's not easy these times at home with an unproductive mother... A week ago, The oldest got sick during the night from gastro...all over his bed. For the 1st time, I was happy I was injuried because my poor husband had to do the bad job of changing the bed and take care of my poor boy (usually me (why?) cleaning that kind of mess, so for once...). 2 days later (incubation done!) the 2 youngers started to be sick also, during the evening... Same process again, change sheets etc.I feel bad being unable to help clean the whole mess. The washing machin is in the basement so my babysitter (18 yrs), who helps me a lot, offered kindly to do the laundry... but put too many sheets plus a pillow in the machin. After she left, I could hear strange noises for a few seconds coming from the basement (I was 2 floors up in my bedroom, 21h30) but since it stopped, I just thought my husband could go check if everything is OK once he would be back from work, in a few minutes. It takes me so long to go down there with my crutches... So I send him right away as he arrived and could hear him swear at the machin. The overload made all the water come out of it... Clean the mess again, poor darling! I wish I had no ATR so I would have done the laundry, I would have never filled the machin like that... The day after it is my appointment at my doctor (will tell you after what he said). I am sitting in his office for just 5-10mn and unfortunatly beging to feel...sick at my turn, all of a sudden!!! I just have time to tell him to stop talking because I feel sick, need something, fast... he hands me the garbage basket... :eek: I never been so embarrassed in my life. I turned short my visit to the doctor to go back home and was sick for all night. Gastro and crutches do not go together I tell you... 2 days after, I went to the basement and realized happily that my husband had finally stored all the halloween things back in the huge containers where we store them. (The containers are not back at the same storing place I used to place them but, hey, I cannot complain to my husband's initiative!). So in that storing room, I opened the upright freezer door to see what food we have left and just had time to throw down my crutches and catch the halloween container (about30lbs heavy) before it crashes on my head. I managed to push it back on the top of the freezer, standing on one leg...and finally got to do it. Once my husband is back, I tell him to go get the chicken in the freezer and to store the container somewhere else than on top of the freezer before it kills someone. He went down, got the chicken but said he would move the container during the week-end. I reply I am afraid it hurts someone and that it makes a pression against the freezer door and it might even push it open? No.no everything is fine (he said), stop looking at everything that is not perfectly done... 2 days after, he went back in that room and I hear him again swearing that something has melted from the freezer, opened the door... it was about 15 degrees in the freezer since the container had pushed opened the door. We store a lot of meat because my brother in law is a butcher (the blood juice from the many roast beef was all over and we had to throw away for about 800$ of food, including the one I cooked in advanced, lasagna, etc... That is only for last week. I am often alone with my 3yrs old during the day and he knows just fine that I cannot rush after him to catch him when he does things usually prohibited (self serve in the fridge on stool etc)... I wish so much that the tendon story was over so I can move around the house and take care of things back to normal!!! My husband and others are very sweet and try to help but it seems that it often turns to disasters these days. Anyway, I really don't mean to complain, I am sure you all have different adventures ± happy since our tendon rupture!!! My bad luck will come to an end I hope, my family turns it in a big joke!:D

Concerning my foot now, I am at week 6.5 today. The doc told be to begin slowly to put weight on it still using my crutches and progressively I will get rid of them before the end of december, as well as for the boot. I have to go to the physio in early december to start re-hab and he will give me the procedure schedule for the crutches, boot and weight bearing. Until then, he said I can try to move my foot (I have to take off the boot of course to do it) in the same way as if I was using the accelerator pedal and also from right to left but that 's about it. I do that when i am in my bed, non weight bearing. I fell ok to push my toes up or down when wearing the boot but when I take it off I feel like my foot doesn't belong to me, very hard to do what the doc say. My scar is upper half almost gone (I am impressed) but the other half had more swealing (but no infection) so it is slow to cure , still very much there and uggly. I have less cramps this week, almost none! And the 90° position when I am seated does not hurt at all. So i am wondering if I should push my knee forward keeping my foot flat on the floor to stretch a little the tendon a little more each day?
Also, I live in Quebec and it snowed last week. It didn't last but it is coming... I will have to be very careful with the ice... You are lucky not to have that!:)
I found an interesting site giving exercices to reinforce achilles tendon. I printed it for my doctor and ask him to tell me at my next visit what he thinks of it and when I will be able to do that. I think the tendon must be completely healed before starting to reinforce. That could be good for the other achilles also, I pray it never ruptures.... I see my doctor again in early january so he will give me his comments on those exercices at that moment. Article is long but the 4 exercices are well described in the second half. You should take a look. The title is funny: Turn your achilles in a rock of gibraltar!!!
http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/achilles-tendon-pain.html
Take care, sorry for my long post! ;) I will follow your re-hab on your posts!

[slaphoundapbt]

unfortunately the information and guidance given post surgery isn't great. I think consultation with a good physiotherapist within 2 weeks of surgery is a must. They understand the human biomechanics and can have you doing things to prevent muscle atrophy and scar tissue build up without compromising tendon recovery. I didn't do this and now have excessive scar tissue build up. It is so much easier and less painfull to prevent scar tissue than to get rid of it.

[CanuckintheUK]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update. I went in last Friday to be fitted for a air-cast boot (10 days post-op) and waited 3 hrs to finally speak to a hand surgeon who did not feel comfortable removing the cast from my leg and fitting a boot. I could not complain about the NHS until then :( My appointment was rescheduled to this past monday (13 days post-op). Had the stitches out (wound looked good, no swelling/infection) and got an air-cast and off I went.

So far, so good is what I can say! It has taken ~2 days to get used to walking in the boot, but now (with three 1.5cm heel wedges) there is no pain and I can walk about without crutches quite well, albeit slowly (kind of likely walking with one ski boot on!) It's nice to be able to take the boot off, although my leg does feel quite weak, so I generally keep the boot on (and when sleeping). One of my concerns was damaging the wound/stiches by weight bearing, but this doesn't seem to be an issue (just a little blood from when the stiches were removed it seems). So, this for me is a huge improvement over the cast, as I can now walk around carrying my 2yr old son (who has missed the rides!) and help out a bit more (plus it's nice to not have to worry about the rain!!). It will still take quite a while to get back to normal, and despite full weightbearing on my leg, I don't want to rush dorsiflexion of my ankle until it has had a chance to heal. As the weight bearing does not affect the tendon directly, it's just a nice bonus to be able to walk around with two free hands! :)

Hope you are all doing well.

Canuck

[volley1]

Good to see you can give rides to your son, Canuck! This aircast boot seems fantastic! My boot, which I got 2 weeks after surgery doesn't adjust (had my foot straight to 90°) and it is not called aircast neither and I was not allowed to walk on my foot until the past days. Actually, today was my most weight bearing day since op (7.5 weeks) and it feels OK:) . I do not carry my children tho, I am to scared to fall! Be carefull!!!
I have a question:confused: do you think it is possible to re-rupture when walking with a boot on? Did it ever happen to anyone? And anyone that had surgery??? I would feel so much safer to know it cannot... but personnaly I think that weightbearing puts a tension on the tendon even if the foot is stuck in a 90° position and the achilles does not stretch. I would love to know that the boot is 100% weight bearing and walking-safe!

[CanuckintheUK]

Hi volley1,

Yes, I have to say I'm quite happy with the aircast; that's the brand name, but it's basically just a plastic boot with heel wedges & air bladders. As I have noticed, every doctor seems to do something slightly different when it comes to treatment. It's good that you're starting to bear weight; I did find this painful to begin with, but after a few days it has gotten better though it is still a little painful during the day when I stand after sitting for a while. I try to limit my son's rides to the minimum (as it's like extra-weight bearing!) but this depends on his mood :) I am of course concerned about falling, but I can only go very slowly, so I feel quite safe. Going up and down the stairs with him is more of a concern, but I make sure I have a very good grip on him and a good grip on the railing!! I try to limit this as much as possible as well, but as we also have a newborn, I really do have to help out. If I wasn't sure I could do it safely, I wouldn't do it at all!
About re-rupture when wearing a boot, I have not read examples of it. In the study I mentioned elsewhere in these posts, of the ~50 people who were fitted for a boot 1 day (!) post-op and allowed to fully weight-bear, none of them re-ruptured. 2 did later on (1 from running on a treadmill 8 weeks post-op (against doctors orders) and falling off and another who worked on boats and slipped on ice (12 weeks post-op) and fell. I think that weightbearing in the boot should be quite safe in terms of the repaired tendon, though it might be good to ask your doctor if he/she has any information about this.

Canuck(intheUK)

Mais ma famille se déplacera à Montréal l'été prochain... :)

[richardp]

Hi Betty and Limster,

Hope you're both progressing well!

Latest update - Now 12 weeks and 2 days...

Things are pretty much normal now. I'm walking fine - No pain at all from the tendon, my main issue is still the swelling. Maybe I'm trying to return to normal too quickly as a full working day needs to be followed by ice and rest. Also after limping for several weeks I think it is making other parts ache somewhat - My back is hurting - sure this is because of the unnatural walk. So right now trying to focus on walking normally and sorting that out.

Range of motion is almost as it was prior to the rupture now and generally feeling good about where I am - just wish this swelling would stop. I have been exercising regularly especially using the swimming pool as it is so good to do the assisted calf raises. Physio also advised to manipulate the tendon in the hot tub to try to increase flexibility...


All for now - How are you both doing now?

Take care

Richard

[Limster]

G'day Richard & Betty,

just updating you all on my progress...after reading a few recent updates, it makes me even more cautious about re-tearing. I am feeling really good about the recovery and the surgeon is also thinking that. I am due to have my cast off on Dec 18 and a bit worry about my overseas trip on Dec 28. I am going to take it real easy. My surgeon said that I won't have to wear any support boots after the plaster comes off but I want to allow my mind to keep thinking of the injury so I will have something (ankle brace/achilles brace/boots etc). I'm a very active and sporting type of person (play a lot of sports and coach alot too), so I am going be super cautious. Is that too paranoying? Nice to hear you (richard) doing well. Thanks to everyone who is still reading and contributing to this forum.

Limster

[Sitterud]

So I totally Ruputered my A/T on Dec 7th playing Basktball and had Surgery 2 days later and I am on the road to recovery. Everything has been prety painless for some reason. I am in my 2nd cast already and I am hoping that I will be put into a boot on my 4 week Check Up. I have been lucky that I have had the same surgeons that work on the NFL team and I hope that the Physio part will be taken place soon.

I play a lot of Golf and I am looking forward to getting back on the course ASAP. I have no real idea on when that will be but would love to know if anyone out there plays and how long it took to start playing? It feels like I could go out and play now but I know that is not the case. How long will it take before I can start walking under my own power. These crutches are really starting to get old.