Achilles Tendon Full Rupture with Surgery

Hi Sunflower!

Are you still having alot of swelling? I took most of the air out and my straps were not as tight, so it didn't feel too heavy. I only did 4 weeks on crutches cause I was FWB at 4 weeks. I am glad you are in a boot now cause at least you can move your foot and toes more.

No not much swelling at all. The bar at the side of the boot is annoying the side of my leg. So the air takes the pressure off that.

I wonder will my doctor take a heel riser out every two weeks bit sure that would bring me to 10weeks post op.

You were fwb at 4 weeks how did you find that. My foot felt so weak getting the cast off and being put into the boot

Hi Shunie,

How has the transition to regular shoes gone? I've officially hit 8 weeks, and while I was hoping to transition this weekend it still feels like it's a week or two away. I've been doing light walking in tennis shoes with one crutch at PT and will start doing the same at home.. but i think i'm still a few weeks away from walking in regular shoes without a boot.  What was your transition like? I'm planning a vacaiton for October first and hoping I Can walk pretty normally by then.

Hi Gah! Its been going very well. I wear tennis shoes and flats. No heels yet for me :-) I do experience swelling every now and then. I just ice and elevate and it goes away. I am even back at work too! Also, I always massage my heel with a tennis ball in the mornings and nights. Your heel will be very sensitive at first. Mine is getting back to normal after 2 weeks of constant massaging. Scar is disappearing too!

My PT said that I am a good 6 weeks ahead of most patients with this injury and he is amazed how I am coming along. I believe cause I started moving early on and much prayer!

Gah you know your own body. What I found out that some times its more of a mind thing too. Your foot and leg will remind weak until you start walking on it to toughen it up and build some strength.

Let pain be your guide. I made 7 weeks yesterday. Next week will be my official 8 week mark. I go to my surgeon on 9/2.

Continue to let me know your progress. I think you are still doing great and definitely will be good by October for sure!

My goal is to be back in my stilettos!

That's fantastic news. 8weeks and walking. Are you driving yet?

I was 5 weeks on the 1st of sep with boot fitted and 3heels risers. Back this Thursday at the hospital and hoping I can removed risers over the next 3 weeks to get my foot to neutral position.

I was told not to remove the boot but I've taken the sock under boot off and changed. My foot is very shaky when it's out of the boot. Like my foot wants to pull up but I'm trying to stop it as doc said don't bring it up to much.

My last two toes are only slightly moving but improving.

Hi Sunflower!

I been driving since 4 weeks with my left leg and at 6 weeks, I started using my right leg. I removed the heel risers on my own. It was more like, every 3-4 days instead of a 1-2 weeks. I used pain as my guide and what I could handle.

I was told not to remove my boot, but I did around the house. Thats how my ROM and strength started coming back. It was rough at first, but got vetter day by day. Sometimes its more psychological than anything. We fear it could happen again or we going to mess something up.

Your foot sounds like it is trying to do what it knows to do. I would start wiggling your toes as nuch as possible. The long you stay immobile..the harder it will be. I am not doctor, so please ask your doctor. I am only speaking from experience.

Let mw know how you get along in the weeks to come.

We got this!

Hi Shunie - Great news your recovery. For others that are perhaps not as mobile yet - things will get better gradually by doing as much as you can, but listening to your body about the pain. I am now Week 19 after operation. Despite the slow recovery due to being immobile in cast/boot for a long time. I can now walk/limp in trainers, swelling is not too signifcant in evenings, my calf muscle is strengthening through exercises. I restarted yoga at end of Jul and am really feeling the benefits of this for my mind and body. The 1st class I could not do a one leg tree poses on my bad leg - this week I can do the one leg tree pose on bad leg - definitely an improvement. Goals are improve calf standing stretch (get knee to touch wall), single heel raise ( i know this will take much longer), flexibility to walk in flat ballerina shoes...Good luck everyone and thanks for sharing your hints & tips...  

Thanks Emma for sharing the information. There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. I thought about doing Yoga for flexibility overall. Glad you are making progress! Anything special you did to start FWB and walking?

Hi Shunie,

Initial full weight bearing in trainers with one crutch. Gradually lost the crutch.

Here are some of my exercises, not done all at once and gradually built up; alternate between days cycling (for cardio) on stationary bike vs walking in the swimming pool (although you can get into habit of bad position when you are walking in the pool e.g. you may tilt back or forwards more than usual), calf stretch against wall, heel raises, practice balancing on bad leg, leg press machine to strengthen bad calf, using window sill edge for support and try to walk on tip toes (this is to build up calf muscle in bad leg).

Massaging the tendon/connective tissues is so important too – as I now realise.

I think my passion for yoga has really helped in recent weeks – we all need to feel that we can get back to something we love. I have been doing hot yoga – this allows the muscles to be more flexible than non heated yoga and sweat out the toxins. For me my passions are yoga/barrecore. I love dancing too but that’s not for me right now.

Perhaps you can plan to find a basic yoga class and give it a try once you have go ahead for full weight bearing – obviously you ll need to warn the teacher to avoid over pushing you etc. I Have met 3 ladies who have used yoga to help with their recovery – so I do believe it helps – posture/flexibility/strength and great for the mind too

Emma, I found a class and will talk with my therapist on tomorrow about it. I may try to make a youtube video of me walking down the stairs, walking in general, and a picture of my scar. It's a holiday here, so my kids are home to shoot it for me!

Jay that is great news that you are now starting to walk. It's crazy as this injury seems to happen to active people! I was in the gym at least 6 days a week and I danced. I don want to get back to both, but I still have healing to do as I cant do a heel raise on my ATR leg by itself. I started a couple of days ago going down the stairs normally instead of like a toddler (one foot at a time). In the mornings I spend 15 minutes massaging my tendon and doing ROM excercises.

What I learned is that the limp goes away with me if a consciously take better strides and trust my left will not give out with the extra stretch. Its a mind thing for me and retraining myself to walk the right way.

Thanks all for the updates. Good to hear everyone is making progress.

As for me, I'm at nine and a half weeks post surgery. I transitioned to wearing shoes around the house over the past few days and haven't had any problems. This just goes to show what time will do -- just a week and a half ago I was scared I wouldn't be able to hit my target date (self imposed) to be in sneakers and out of the boot.

My PT says everything looks good and he gave me the okay to go boot-less outside of the house as well. He recommended I use a cane for a few weeks to be  extra cautious... not sure if I will take him up on that advice though. My next challenge is tackling stairs.

As for my PT, I'm doing a mix of ROM exersizes, stretches, ballancing on my ATR leg, assisted heel lifts, assisted body squats and the bike. Today I started some simple step up and over exersizes (kind of like stairs) which were quite hard, mostly because I couldn't mentally trust my achilees to stretch enough to walk normally on the way down.  I'm sure I'll get it right by next week.

Otherwise, everything is going well. No pain or swelling and slowly building up more strength. 

- Greg

Greg so happy yo hear your progress! Thats fantastic news! PT does help alot with building confidence that your achilles will remain intact. I am going to start back going to the gym this weekend! Mostly will be working on upper body and bicycle cardio. In 3 weeks (12 week mark), I want to be able to run with no limp. It is definitely possible, but will require work and patience. Please continue to post your progress cause we are going to help others!

That's awesome on the gym. And quite an ambititous runing goal -- but i'm sure you'll get it!!

My 12 week mark is in about 3 - 4 weeks as well. I will be in Jamaica at a resort to make up for my lost summer. My goal: confidently walk on the sand, to and from the bars and into the pools and ocean! I'l worry about running after I get some much-needed vacation time.

 

Hi Shunie, Post my doc visit ,  able to walk on my own, but with a huge limp, so i do it only at home,I am attending office with a stick and a  lot of discomfort. My let gets swollen every night last 2 days but is back to normal in the morning.

Dont know if I am over exerting my self.But all this is crazy.

Hi Jay!

It may be due to the fact you haven't walked on it in awhile. There is an old saying if you don't use it, you lose it! I lost all my strength at first and slowly had to build back up to where I am today which I would say is 60%. Have you tried icing at night for at least 45 minutes? Also, try massaging the tendon gently and roll a ball (I use a tennis ball) under your feet. I do this sitting at my desk at work. It helped my foot not to be so sensitive. I am no doctor, but only want to share tips that helped me through it. At the office I have a recycle bin that I turn upside-down and have a pillow up it. I prop my leg up under my desk when I am just sitting there. I work at a huge building and booked rooms for me to massasge and do some ROM excercises too. If it hurts too bad, rest it! Try again another day. Keep me posted.

Back at the hospital today 6 weeks post injury and op. They removed another heel rise and I'm now left with one. They told me I should removed boot in 2 weeks while lying in bed and move the ankle gently. I should sleep with boot on and shower with it on for the next 6 weeks this bringing me up to the 12 week mark since the OP. They said in two weeks time I can start barely 30% weight with crutches. Is it just me or is that a very long time before I've to return to the hospital

Sunflower,

I have learned some of the doctor's a way too conservative. When I asked my doctor about this (he very meticulous and a bit pompous at times, but I researched his work and liked him) he indicated that some prefer longer recovery based on passed patient's experiences. He indicated that he never had a rerupture in the past 20 years; therefore, he trust his work. Others stats may not be the same way. Then, he mentioned that people not in the US have different rules they are govern by partially due to how their health insurance is different unless they go private. I dont know that to be true and I am just paraphrasing, so dont quote me.

All that to say each doctor is different and have their way of doing things. I do believe that people heal differently cause our bodies are different. I am

I pressed reply too fast...its 5:10am where I am at...lol

I am amazed at the difference. Just hang in there as it does get better. At least you were given direction on what to do in the next 6 weeks. I would try to master moving your ATR leg, so things wont get too stiff on you. Will you do PT at 12 weeks and do you already know for how long?

Thanks for the update and keep us posted!

Hi well the doctor rang to say actually they want me in, in two weeks instead of six weeks. So I am happy about that. God I'm in alot of pain since they've taken the heel rise out on Thursday. With just having one in now. I can only picture the discomfort when it comes out.