Achilles rupture - some pain during healing

Hey Jonathan, good to hear from you, I was only wondering yesterday how you were getting on without your boot.

Sorry to hear about the swelling. I wonder if it could be a sign of doing too much during the day? It's so hard trying to balance making progress with over-doing it. I'm finding that too - I've been trying to bear some weight on mine (though struggling mentally on how much weight to put on it), but my knee is now playing up - it's swollen and it hurts when I try to fully straighten it. (I'm now icing it each day.) I wonder if it's because I'm putting weight on it with it bent, so I possibly need to wear a thicker-soled shoe on my right foot to even me up a bit.

Hope the ankle class goes well - sounds, urm, interesting! - let us know how it goes.

Hi

So a few days on and still same really. Ankle is still swelling by the end of the night, but walking is gradually getting a bit easier. Ankle class tomorrow!!!

How are you getting on with weight bearing now? How's the knee?

Just take things steady. Are you due the next wedge out now?

Glad to hear your walking is slowly improving. You'll be running by the time you've done your ankle class today! ;-) Hope you get on okay - let us know what's involved.

Are you standing/walking a lot during the day? I wonder if that's causing the swelling and if wearing a Tubigrip for compression might help? The ankle class person should be able to advise.

For me, the weight-bearing is improving now that I'm wearing a heeled boot on my other foot, which has balanced me up. I'm trying to do a bit more each day whilst still taking it slowly. Still getting a fair bit of pain in my knee, but continuing with icing and Volterol. Second wedge out will be Monday next week.

After a few seconds on trampoline, pain was really bad. So I stopped. Had to ice it tonight and had it raised all evening.

Oh my word, that sounds like way too much too soon! Trampoline?!! I thought, when you said ankle class, it was going to be about gentle movement and stretching to get things going, not a full-on exercise class!

Will you go again, or will you look for a physio?

I hope the pain's not too bad this morning.

Don't know what to do. Been in real pain and discomfort ever since. I'm tempted

To go back next week and discuss it with them and find out if this is normal etc.

Did seem very strange to me!!

I think I'd query it with the hospital; it almost seems like you've been sent to the wrong class! It can't be right to go that full-on straight away, surely you'd need to build up to something like that?

I think the process and recovery might be slightly different for Jonathan, Davie, and me, as none of us had surgery. That said, I imagine all our goals are the same: to get back to some kind of normality and I agree that positive thinking definitely helps, as does the ice.

I would consider myself lucky to have been referred by my Consulting Ortho as soon he had my MRI results, to the Surgeon. Given my condition of complete rupture, the Surgeon very candidly explained both the options - Surgical and the Conventional,

Though there was no empirical evidence to prove which option is better, , he said in my case (I was 58 years) if I had to return back to a near active sporting life, Surgery would be the best option. Conventional (non surgical) would be ideal for someone at 70+ years who would not be expecting to be fit as an athlete, but would just need basic walking. The recovery time in Conventional way is pretty long and arduous.  I did opt for Surgery immediately. But the mental agony of going through a knife, requires a lot of patience and perseverance. Being a meditation practitioner myself this helped me in healing in the early days of surgery.

Again after completion of initial non weight bearing (5 weeks NWB) and removal of plaster (3 weeks), I started my Physio in 6th week. Again I was lucky to be with a very capable PT, slowly and gradually he made my PT exercises aggressive. All this while, at least till the 5th month I would regularly ice my feet for swellings.

On 05/16 I would complete 8 months surgery, here I am now back to tennis courts playing singles!! I still do all my stretches without fail 3 times a day...

For all those going through this, bear this out strong and focussed through your PT/stretches and can get back to normal in less than a year..

Best of luck!!

I was reading a Canadian blog yesterday, and it seems that treatment there is similar to here in the UK, ie they generally favour conservative over surgical. Same in Australia, I believe, but in the USA surgery is usually offered first.

I've been told strictly no physio until I (hopefully) have the boot off at week 11, but I should aim to be fully weight-bearing in the boot by then.

I hope your recovery continues to go well, Sandy.

I am highly concerned by what the physics may have done to me. I haven't been able to walk properly since physio 5 days ago. I have bruising coming out all around my foot again too.

Doesn't feel like it did with initial rupture, but certainly doesn't feel right. Very worried. Couldn't face another 10 weeks in a cast/boot again!

Hi Jonathan.

Hope you are doing OK. I'm sure you are worried the way we all are regarding re injuring the tendon. Fingers crossed this is not the case and it's just part of the healing process.

Can you speak to a doc or physio for further info? Think you need the reassurance from them it's perfectly normal.

Good luck. Don't be shy to pester or be demanding with NHS.

Hi Jonathan, I'm sorry to hear that. It's completely understandable that you're worried. As Davie says, speak with your GP or the hospital and see if you can get an appointment to get it checked out asap. Keep us posted.

Great news is, the hospital I am being treated at has been the victim of a cyber attack so have no records or ability to book appointments etc.

I have a physio appt tomorrow, so I am hoping that I am able to get some help and advice then, as I am definitely not in a position to do any more stretches etc

Oh no, great timing, ey! They should still be able to advise you, even without records though, surely?

Is the physio apt different from the ankle class from last week? Hope so! Don't be afraid to ask them every question you want an answer to.

I've got my fingers crossed for you.

Nope, it is the same ankle group as last week. I just want to get some answers basically. Just on my way to a private physio now. Paid for a session as hoping they may be able to give me a

Little check over and hopefully a few answers.

Thanks for support. I'll keep you posted

Had op for ruptured achilles tuesday morning.

Was out of hospital and home by 1pm.

Not much pain, but leg in very light bacslab cast for 2 weeks.

Then into op-ed boot for 4 weeks.

Have some pain killers but have not needed them.

Only mandatory medicine was a blood thinner,

to prevent potential clot.

Just going ape-$hi € at home but otherwise all fine

I have been out of my aircast permanently for just over a week.  My physio activities are mostly stretching and strengthening.  I walk very slowly as I do not yet have the flexibility to walk from heel to toe. Began walking first with crutches, then with a cane, now on my own.  But limp quite a bit, which affects my hip on my good side. Trying to take longer strides, but that is hard to do with no flexibility in foot.

Excercising by holding on to counter or door frame and lifing both heels off floor onto toes. Trying to weight bare on injured foot on toes.  Still cannot do this.  However I can see some improvement and physiotherapist is happy with progress.  My calf is quite flacid still, but I can feel some of the muscle working, so that is better than it was.

Hi. Sorry for delayed reply. Hospital checked me and thankfully I hadn't re ruptured, however they admitted they had me doing too much the week before and said that they had probably set me back about two weeks in my recovery. Based in this, I am now paying for physio as don't have the trust in nhs one now.

How's your recovery going?

Hey Jonathan, I was a bit concerned we hadn't heard from you. Very good news that you haven't done any major damage, but frustrating that they pushed you too hard too soon and put your recovery back, that's really bad. I don't blame you going private.

I'm doing okay, thanks, had some problems with my knee earlier in the week, but it seems to be improving. Mostly fully weight bearing now, just need crutches for balance if I leave the house. Nine days until my boot hopefully comes off - looking forward to it, especially with this heat, but super scared of putting weight back on it - it's so tiny now, I can't imagine it holding me up!