Hi everyone having a hard time just feeling very down.
Posted , 11 users are following.
It has been nearly 4 weeks since I ruptured my right achiellis tendon. The first week was hard and I was very teary and then I started to feel better but now I find that my hubby has gone back to work I am feeling very down again. Getting frustrated is proberly most of the cause but I just want to crawl into a hole and hopefully when I crawl out this will be all over.
I am still NWB and because it's my right foot am unable to drive as well.
How is everyone else coping ? Any one feel like chatting .......
0 likes, 43 replies
lori73693 jjktmk14
Posted
I can totally relate. I had surgery May 11 for a complete tear and am still NWB due to a problem with healing. I can understand your frustration. If you want to chat via email or anything let me know. Hang in there. They say there is a light at the end of the tunnel...
Lori
jjktmk14 lori73693
Posted
Thanks for the reply lori73693 I can't see that light as yet ?? I hear what everyone says about trying to stay positive but feel very lonely. Not long moved to new town and don't know anybody here and no family other then my own. The days just seem to drag out and hubbys only 2 days into his 7 days away and I just miss his company as well to keep me sane.
I am in the moonboot since injury happened as I choose no Surgury as that just scared the hell out of me. I have had to start taking to moonboot off while sleeping as I was just struggling to much wearing it to bed. I haven't had any problems or pain sleeping without boot but just hope I'm not doing any harm by doing that.
kris65506 jjktmk14
Posted
First few weeks are by far the worst and things will start to get much better soon.
I'm 12 weeks post op for left achilles rupture and four weeks out of the boot. It already seems like a lifetime ago when I was having to hobble about.
Hopefully you're in the boot and are able to take it off at home to let your ankle breathe and massage the wound a bit. It really helps.
To make the time pass and stay positive, I focused on getting the keeping the rest of my body as fit and healthy as possible. Lots of vegi shakes, doing floor exercices while watching TV (even tried yoga - fun with the big boot on).
When I first ruptured mine, like most of us, I immersed myself online to find out as much as I could about the injury. It does take a long time to heal and get back to the same level of activity as before, but life does get back to 'pretty normal' much sooner than I expected. I'm still a long way away from running or playing sport, but I am back out walking my dogs, at the gym and swimming
You should be able to start physio in another 4 weeks and that will be a huge boost! Keep focused on staying mentally and physically healthy which will really help the recovery process.
Good luck for a quick return to normality...
jjktmk14 kris65506
Posted
I can't wait to be as far as you are kris65506. Seem like a lifetime away. Time is just going by so slowly at the moment. Can I ask you how much you had your foot out of the boot on a daily basis. If I am just resting or sleeping is that OK to keep off for longer periods of time. I just can't stand it on when sitting still or sleeping just hope I am not doing any harm in doing so.
kris65506 jjktmk14
Posted
Hi JJ. I was also sleeping without the boot on after four weeks and slept much better. As long as you're not going to jump or fall out of bed during the night, then there should be no problem with this. Just make sure you carefully put the boot back on before every leaving the bed. I had a lot of pressure sores on my heel so took the boot of pretty much all the time when I was sitting down. Even in the office, I just put my foot on the desk on top of a cushion. This also allowed my to desensitise the scar with oil and creams as well as generally massage my ankle and calf several times a day. I'm sure this all helps in the recovery.
Get the boot off, raise your leg high on some cushions, relax and enjoy the Olympics - when the flame goes out in just a few weeks, you'll be in a much better place
jjktmk14 kris65506
Posted
peter22655 jjktmk14
Posted
Did you get operated on or natural healing? And are you still on cast or moved on to boot?
Thanks
Peter
jjktmk14 peter22655
Posted
Hi Peter,
I choose no surgury as surgury just scared the hell out of me. I went straight into moonboot after I begged the ortho not to put me in a cast.
I did my left leg 5 years ago and I remember being in the cast did my head in. Was the longest two weeks. So having the boot is one positive thing I guess.
I have had a few people say 'oh well you done it once so you know what your in for', but that doesn't make it any easier believe me.
Did you have Surgury Peter ? Is that what you are having problems with ? The healing ...
Thanks for your reply.
jjktmk14
mortez jjktmk14
Posted
Hi, I am with you, the frustration, anger, disappointment and you name it, but believe me all will be over soon. I had to cancel our family holiday and lots of other losses, but had to accept it and get on with it. I'm on week 8, full rupture, 6cm gap, no-op, came off the boot on Tuesday, now I am walking! Feels very strange and scary too, but I got there and I am sure you will get there too. This is a saul distroying injury, don't let it to take you down. Write here, we are all with you. Be positive.
mortez jjktmk14
Posted
Hi, I am with you, the frustration, anger, disappointment and you name it, but believe me all will be over soon. I had to cancel our family holiday and lots of other losses, but had to accept it and get on with it. I'm on week 8, full rupture, 6cm gap, no-op, came off the boot on Tuesday, now I am walking! Feels very strange and scary too, but I got there and I am sure you will get there too. This is a saul distroying injury, don't let it to take you down. Write here, we are all with you. Be positive.
jjktmk14 mortez
Posted
I am sorry to hear that you missed your holiday, hopefully you can plan another real soon.
Thanks for the support, I have had my meltdown last night so hopefully got it out of my system for now
Good luck with recovery
Dez5228 jjktmk14
Posted
Hi,
Yes, I can totally relate to what you are saying! I am 2 weeks post op and came to this board because I was depressed and looking to talk to others who are going through the same thing I am. There will be good days and there will be bad. It is hard not to be able to do the day to day things that we all take for granted, but like others have said - there is a light at the end of the tunnel. From what I read it seems that you have a lot of other things going on besides your foot injury. Being in a new town, your husband going back to work can all help sink you into a depression but, it is important to keep our mental state as positive as possible. Reading, writing, talking on the phone are little ways to keep busy. Also, like others have said, exercising helps as well - even if its just for the upper body. I have my good days and bad but know that, "this too, shall pass."
Good luck!
jjktmk14 Dez5228
Posted
Hi Dez5228,
I know there are a lot of people feeling the same way which is good to know that I am not being silly.
I just hate being home nearly everyday while kids at school, I should be grateful for the peace and quiet but I really like the distraction of having them around.
Mostly it comes to a point when I'm tired of being asked 'how are you feeling' when I know I don't want to say the truth so I just say yeah ok or good, because really what is the point.
Good luck with your recovery and thanks for replying
meadsie72 jjktmk14
Posted
Hi, All
And thanks, jjktmk14 for reaching out - had come across lots of old threads, so was great to find this new one.
I'm with you all the way - and talk about an emotional roller coaster!
Do stuff stuff yourself with fresh veg/fruit/vitamins etc., - it will help a bit with the mood swings. .. and certain vitamins really help with healing.
Drinkers/smokers: try to keep it down - really doesn't help the healing process.
The hospital/docs omitted to tell me any of this .. and that by 'leg up' they mean not lower than my heart ... I know as an intelligent adult these should be obvious, but I have to admit that what with everything else going on, I can't say I was as good as I should have been in the first few weeks .. particularly in terms of having a nice cool glass of wine!
I'm in Italy and it's darn hot - thank goodness I was put in a boot immediately, as I can imagine how hellish being in a cast would have been!
The joke of it is that I started playing rugby last year and so was expecting some kind of injury at some point (used to play grass hockey) .. but I actually ruptured it jumping in the air while I was stationary!I consider myself fairly robust .. have always been prettty active, had never suffered any injury, and had never been in hospital.
I thought the injury was a minor thing .. had no appreciation of what a long haul to recover it is .. and certainly no clue about how depressing/frustrating things can be.
Worst thing is that my body tried to eject the internal stitches ... and now the wound still hasn't healed.
Have to go to the hospital twice a week for treatment - sometimes it doesn't hurt too much, other times I'm in tears and screaming... needless to say, I get pretty stressed out before every appointment.
Don't know how you all have fared with your doctors .. but here in Italy,I've had a mixed bag. Some have been great, others I've wanted to give a right hook to!
I was particularly stressed at my last appointment .. and think having my period made the pain seem a heck of a lot worse (any women out there noticed more pain during that time?).
Basically, they scrape out the dead/bad stuff .. until the 'good' flesh bleeds .. to encourage healing. This time, the doc wouldn't give me a painkiller injection .. apparently because it would have stopped the wound from bleeding/she wouldn't have been able to see.
I was a complete mess: shouting, sweating, feeling as if I was about to vomit, crying, finding it hard to breath, shaking ... and feeling totally embarassed/humiliated about it.
In response to this, the doctor basically told me that I was imagining the pain .. and then added that she had better things to be doing that morning.
Can you imagine??!
They've now ordered some cream that will 'eat away' the bad stuff ... but I still don't understand why they didn't start using it sooner .. would it be soley for cost reasons?
Like many, I too had to cancel my holidays.. and my poor boyfriend is hardly having a holiday as he's running around after me all the time!
One good thing, I've been able to work from home .. which has helped stop me going mad ... there are only so many box set of TV series a girl can watch ;-P
As to exercises ... I had started doing some ankle and toe flexes, but had to stop due to the infection.... Now my entire leg has wasted away .. not a pretty sight either!
I fell on the stairs a week after the op and was terrified that I'd re-ruptered the tendon .. fortunately I hadn't. But this made me very wary about going anywhere ... and especially whenever I take the boot off to have a shower.
And what a faff that is!
I feel very vunerable whenever I take the boot off .. but how I long for the day I can take it off to go to bed and get a decent night's sleep at last. Also experiencing bone/muscle ache in shoulders, bottom, hips, due to crutches/awkard positioning to get to sleep. And as for other nightly activities, well, as they say in Italy 'lascia stare' or 'magari'!
Another downer, I'm also needle phobic (e.g., I have to take pills to calm me down before the dentist and then have the injection in the arm not the mouth) .. and my boyfriend has to give me an injection in the tummy every bloomin' night for anti-thrombosis!
Wow - just realised how much I've ranted .. didn't realise how very therapeutic it would be to do this.
Have also been wondering about a few things:
Is anyone else getting fed up with hearing people ask after you and feeling bad about being fed up with it?
Is anyone else thinking how much more sympathy/empathy they now have for ill/injured people?
Is anyone else thinking how little people who haven't been seriously ill/injured really understand what people go through??
Is anyone else thinking ... enough already - I want my mobility back!!! ;-P
Thanks for reading, and onwards and upwards to one and all.
Jo
jjktmk14 meadsie72
Posted
Hi meadsie72
Wow what you have been through and continuing to go through sounds horrible. I feel for you so much.
I am feeling bit better today, like you it felt good just to write down what your feeling whether good or bad, it does help.
Yes to your comment amount being so sick and tired of everyone asking how you are, but at the same time I have had very little moral support from the people that I thought I would. I suppose people just forget as everyone has their own lives and stuff to deal with. Unless people see you daily or often then they forget that you are even injured. ( I have had a friend say that exact same thing, 'oh I forgot you were injured and in a boot) wow that's just fantastic I thought ??
Thanks everyone for your replies. I hope for more good says then bad from here on in.
meadsie72 jjktmk14
Posted
Know exactly what you mean about people forgetting/not thinking .. but I have to admit that I've been more guilty than most in this respect in the past.. but I certaily won't be making that mistake in the future - that's one positive from the experience!