Posted , 11 users are following.
Last Friday I ruptured my achilles tendon doing wii fit jogging. On Saturday I went to a&e and was fitted with a cast and given crutches.
I got a phone call from the hospital on Monday asking me to go see the orthopaedic surgeon next Tuesday. I'm in a significant amount of pain and I'm not sure what do expect from my appointment.
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Jordidude01 vicki_57097
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They may possible do an ultra sound to see the damage you've done and decide which is the best route for you, surgery or non surgery.
Make sure you keep icing it whilst the damage is still "fresh" no hot baths, ice buckets for your ankle helped me with the pain in the early days, take tablets as well.
vicki_57097 Jordidude01
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Jordidude01 vicki_57097
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chris26649 vicki_57097
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Sorry to hear of your rupture. I ruptured mine nearly 12 weeks ago playing table tennis. Fortunately I have an automatic car and the rupture is in my left leg so I managed to get myself to A&E where I was fitted with a cast and asked to return to outpatients the next day where the decision was to use a boot with several wedges in to repair it. The wedges were taken out at two week intervals initially but on the consultant's advice the lasttwo wedges were removed at weekly intervals.
Have now been without the boot for nearly two weeks and am seeing the physio every week to undergo a progression of exercises (very slow) and now I am able to shuffle about a bit in normal shoes.
However I know that to get back to normality is going to take a very long time but I know that I have to follow the advice and not push it too hard too soon otherwise (as has been reported on this forum) it may rupture again - and then you will be talking of years of recovery probably.
As the time different between when you had your rupture and seeing the consultant is going to be nearly two weeks you probably will be fitted with the "moon boot". My advice is simply to follow the advice you are given and be patient. My job is a 100% physical job and am not going back until I am at least 80% fit to do the job (hopefully end of July) but I know of several people who have less physical jobs and have gone back sooner. That will be your call of course but am just saying take it one step at a time, follow the advice and don't run before you can walk.
Sincerely hope you get better soon
Chris
vicki_57097
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The other issue is that the doctors in A&E both said ruptured achilles tendon, definitely. They both did the Anderson test. But when the orthopaedic surgeon's receptionist called she said it was a suspected rupture so I'm a little confused.
I'm in a significant amount of pain and I have swollen toes with pins and needles. I'm sorry for moaning but this sucks!!!
brian4109 vicki_57097
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mary_70540 vicki_57097
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vicki_57097 mary_70540
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thanks for the reply. I'm in a significant amount of pain still and I'm so tired all the time. I'm on the highest dosage of both tramadol and paracetamol.
I'm dreading my appointment on Tuesday. I'm scared they will tell me no weight bearing - to be quite honest I don't have the strongest upper body strength.
At the moment I am using my foot but I'm not overly sure I'm supposed too. A&E were incredibly unhelpful, I feel like I've just had to get on with it for the last week with very limited information.
I don't mean to sound so grumpy, but this is all really getting to me.
toasty79 vicki_57097
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I had an operation to fix my tendon earlier today (I'm home on the sofa so no horror stories coming).
Sounds to me like your cast might be a bit too tight. I totally snapped mine (made quite a noise) and went to a&e straight away . They diagnosed it very quickly, put me in a car and sent me home. This was an old style plaster of Paris cast. Bit heavy and clunky but not that uncomfortable. Went to my fracture clinic a week later to discuss options, as I'm pretty active they recommended surgery and I'd say if you can get it have it, reduces risk of tearing it again. Anyway, after the recast which was in the new style plastic casts which looked pretty cool (in pink) but I quickly started to experience pins and needles in my toes and numbness in my heel. I knew it was the cast as this was not something I had felt before so and my leg didn't look particularly swollen or bruised when I had my cast off. Go get it checked, you'll be miserable until you do. I went back to a&e and they sliced it right down the middle, didn't remove it as it held its shape but it didn't half become a hell of a lot more comfortable.
The op was a breeze, pain is manageable and now can count down the next ten weeks knowing I am healing.
Hope everything goes well for you
mary_70540 toasty79
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vicki_57097 toasty79
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thanks for your reply. I'm thinking, based on everything I've read, that if they offer the surgery I will have it done. It's been very uncomfortable so far and the cast feels very heavy.
Do you have to be in a cast or boot for 10 weeks? How long were you in hospital post surgery? Were you given painkillers?
I was also diagnosed very quickly, given a cast and crutches then sent home. That was exactly a week ago. I'm due to see the orthopaedic surgeon on Tuesday.
mary_70540 vicki_57097
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toasty79 vicki_57097
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not all hospitals offer surgery
My surgeon told me today that they are selective (be young, active and a non smoker and you have a good chance, (at 36 i suppose i am a 2 and a half out of 3!) but 40 miles down the road at another hospital they do not offer it at all.
Sounds like you are pretty in the dark about what has happened but on my first two visits to hospital i was hardly examined at all,couple of pokes and a squeeze and they all just shrugged and agreed i had snapped it.. maybe mine was just that obvious!
I was at the RD&D (exeter) who have been great
mary_70540 toasty79
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vicki_57097 toasty79
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