Achilles rupture surgery - support group

[DarylAug4]

runnergirl - my advice would be not to be shy with the pain killers and keep it elevated. the first week for me was pretty brutal, especailly when vertical (even when maxed out on the pain meds, 30 seconds standing was excruciating...). the pain will subside after another week or two... i would agree with Koram in that loosening up the bandages in order to accomodate comfort is should not pose a problem as long as the repaired achilles is immobilized...

[Koram]

Oh yeah, one more thing runnergirl. I had to take some kind of "smooth-move" to counteract the pain-killers on your digestive system. I also had a muffin or bread in a baggie by my bed, so I could always eat with taking a pain-med. And one other tip my doc gave me was the option of sleeping or relaxing on my stomach, with my leg bent 'back' and up on a pillow, this just gave me another position with the leg up.

[janeelizabeth64]

Hi everyone,
I get third cast next week ( conservative treatment).
Will have done 7 weeks by then.
Hoping someone can put my mind at rest (again!) I am such a worrier its not even funny!..
The last 2 days I have had really strange sensations in ankle at side-dull ache and soreness around heel-also pins and needles feels like whole foot goes hot then cold, not really had thi discomfort much before now and dont know whats goingon.
Can anyone help!
Jane

[runnergirl]

Thank you DarylAug4 and Koram for your advice. He did explain the effect the painkillers can have on your digestive system, but spared me too much details. The hospital gave him something to help things stay regular. Anyway, enough of that. He says he only takes pills when he feels pain, but think that ends up being quite a lot. As a runner this would be my worst nightmare, hence why I feel so sorry for him and want to help out as much as I can. Do any of you guys run and if so, how long post plaster and cast off do you think before he can manage gentle jogging? xx

[AmiS]

runnergirl
There is no timeframe that anyone can give you I'm afraid. I was running 12-18 miles per week before I did mine last year. My op was 1 June 06. I am still a couple of months (at least) I think away from running again. However, others have started after 6-9 months. It all depends on how quickly the AT mends.

Ami

[Smitty]

runnergirl: I think it will all depend on how he heals. (How old is he?) Age tends to dictate the time needed for recovery. Not always but usually. I know a guy who was up and running at 4 months. He was 24 and had a Jedi for a surgeon. I wasn't even cleared to start trying to run until around 7/8 months. There are others on this forum who have had a lot of success getting back to running. DavidG1 is out running 5 miles with his running club.

I guess what I am trying to say is that it is really different for everybody. Don't be suprised if he is running at 4 months and don't be suprised if he doesn't run much for a year.

I have a session today with a client who blew out her ACL in November. She had surgery in late November. Yesterday she was cleared by her docs to start training with me. I have never heard of a complete ACL tear coming back this quick. But she also had a Jedi for a surgeon and she is only 17. Different people heal at different speeds.

DavidG1: Again... I am sorry to hear about the hernia(s).Cheer up. I have a friend who has had something like 19 surgeries in the last 3 years. We're talking everything from cancer to both shoulders to both knees and back again. She goes in at the beginning of March to have one of two knee replacements done. She is in her early 50's and during the pre-op for the knee stuff, the doctors told her she has become diabetic. What do you say to someone after all of that? Shhheeeeesshhh!

[runnergirl]

My friend is 33. I know he'll be keen to get back into sport, so I'll have to make sure he's sensible and, in the meantime, find a new running partner, who will actually be able to keep up with me . Any offers?
AmiS - hope you're running again soon.
Smitty - are 'Jedi surgeons' through private hospitals?

[Smitty]

runnergirl: Yea, Jedi surgeons are only at private hospitals aaaannnnnd you have to know someone who knows someone who can get you in to see one. What country are you from and what is the difference between a public and private hospital?

[David G1]

SMITTY; you right I'll stop winging.....19 operations!! sshhheeeeesshh

[runnergirl]

I live in England, where you can have treatment on the NHS for free, which most people will opt for for obvious reasons, or you can choose to go private. Advantages of going private would be speedy treatment, nice, cleaner hospitals, private rooms and basically you can just be more expectant as you are paying for treatment. Disadvantage is most people can't afford private treatment. My friend had his surgery on NHS in a public hospital. He asked for the surgery a day after his injury and was offered surgery the next day, (so 2 days after rupturing his achilles), but it was cancelled due to emergency surgery, therefore he'd spent a night and day in hospital, only to be told to go home. This is quite often the case I hear. He was then back in hospital the next morning and had surgery late that afternoon (so, 3 days after injury = not bad). He was in a shared ward, which he hated and hardly got any sleep in hospital and wasn't too impressed with how he was looked after, but as far as we know the operation was successful. Oh yer, on leaving hospital he was given a follow up appointment nearly 4 weeks later, which to me seems way too long. I though he'd be back in a week later to check on the wound and injury. So, to summarise, I'd go private if I could afford it, but the NHS (national health service) isn't that bad.