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Holiday booked in spain 8 weeks after rupturing my achilles tendon.

Posted , 6 users are following.

breeze61
breeze61

Hi All,

I am wondering if I will be ok to go on a holiday to spain which was booked before rupturing my achilles. I will have completed 8 weeks after the rupture on the day of the flight.  I seem to be recoverying at a normally rate, was non op, and early weight bearing with the first wedge out next week. If things go very well I may be out of the boot and into trainers but most probably will still be in the boot.  I'm thinking two weeks in the sun and swimming everyday would do me some good and at 8 weeks  the ankle should be ok to take some more walking.

I would be grateful for any thoughts on this and will ask my consultant who I see 2 weeks before the flight.

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • Scottie13
    Scottie13 breeze61

    Posted

    I went on holiday 6 weeks post-op. Was still in the boot with wedges but I managed to weight bear for a few steps from the sun lounger into the pool. Was good rehab to be fair. Even around 10 weeks post-op My Achilles was still seriously swollen and couldn’t fit a trainer on it. Ended up buying a pair a half size bigger so I could wear them. They’re meant to be supportive shoes. Good luck and enjoy the holiday! xx
    • breeze61
      breeze61 Scottie13

      Posted

      Thanks Scottie, 

      That's encouraging to hear,  My foot isnt swollen apart from a thickening of the tendon. I want to go and probably will but shall make the decision at the last moment.

      Kurt below is favouring not risking the holiday and I take on board of what he is saying.

      If I do go I will ask for a wheel chair at both airports as that will involve a long walk and stairs but at the holiday home I will limit walking to the pool.

    • sandy29182
      sandy29182 breeze61

      Posted

      I hope you feel it will be ok to go. Sounds like a nice holiday. It is a smart idea to use a wheelchair at the airports. And then just playing it smart for the rest of your stay. If walking on sand, I would be very careful. I live in a village that is a resort with a lake. I would try to walk on the sandy beaches regularly, but only for a few minutes at a time. I found it to be an exhausting exercise at first. And didn't try it until I was out of the boot. And made sure I had my crutches with me, just in case. But to the pool and back. I would say yes, go and have fun.

    • Scottie13
      Scottie13 breeze61

      Posted

      The only time I had the boot off was when I was lying at the pool and I wasn’t walking normally at all. Had my foot flat on the ground but wasn’t putting weight through my toes in the walking motion if that makes sense? Apart from those few steps, when I was walking anywhere else the boot was straight back on. No way was I risking damaging the tendon. And walking along the beach I had the boot on too. Yes the sand did go in a little bit but was easy enough to come out. Just make sure your travel insurance are aware of your tendon injury too xx
  • kurt04630
    kurt04630 breeze61

    Posted

    Hi Breeze

    I was out the boot at 8 weeks going non surgical . I watched Evan Brown on utube which helped me so much to get back early . I was walking well after a few days out the boot but i only walked around the house and on flat ground at first . I was back at work bricklaying at ten weeks.

    I was going to cape verdi at 8 weeks but cancelled as its to risky . If you sliped or you walked on sand it could put you back for months . Plus your insurance might not cover you . 

    Im glad i went non surgucal but you have to look after it . 

    Im 9 months and training but for the first 4 months i was super carfull . 

    Hope it goes well .

    • breeze61
      breeze61 kurt04630

      Posted

      Hi Kurt,

      Thanks for your reply and well done on your recovery. I'm  retired and have been following the early-ish weight bearing protocol as shown on utube but getting plenty of bed rest inbetween.

      I'm well aware of re rupturing, who  isn't/wasn't.

      i will leave the decision until the last minute, the excess on my holiday insurance doesn't make a claim viable as I've only paid for the two flights.

      Thaks for your thoughts, much appreciated and hope your recupe continues well.

    • breeze61
      breeze61

      Posted

      Hi, Just an update on progress as it's two weeks before the holiday. I'm still undecided but at 6 weeks and now with only 2 wedges I'm getting about well in the boot. It's a slow healing process but am walking about well in and around the house without crutches so I'm a bit more positive about flying off now. I wont be really bothered either way to be honest as the weather is so good here in the Uk at the moment.

  • breeze61
    breeze61

    Posted

    Hi All,

    Just updating about my getting off on holiday. I've decided not to go even though the doc said it was ok as long as I took the blood thinner injections. I've decided not to risk it even though I can walk in boot for some 600 yards I would rather not risk it. I wouldn't trust myself not to have a drink and then do something stupid,,,,, like re ruptering.

    Just thought I'd let readers know. I haven't healed as well as I wanted but knew it would be a slow journey. I should be out of the boot in a few weeks and cant wait.

  • Rob-666
    Rob-666 breeze61

    Posted

    I think you've made the right decision regarding your holiday. I have a holiday booked in France at the end of September which I am probably going to cancel. I had a full achilles tendon rupture on 24th May. I spent 3 weeks in plaster and I'm now in my 5th week in a pin cam boot. Yesterday the boot was put into the neutral position and I can now start weight bearing for the first time. The boot will come off in 2 weeks. I was planning on driving to France and I've been told that I shouldn't drive for 6 months. Apart from the driving, if I can't get about too well I think it would ruin the holiday for me and think I would be better postponing it for 12 months when I might enjoy it a lot more.

    Cheers - Rob.

    • breeze61
      breeze61 Rob-666

      Posted

      Hi Rob, Thanks for writing. Your similiar to me but you will have a few more weeks of extra healing time before your drive. You may well be walking quite well at the 17th week, end of sept, but still risking to drive long distances I would think.

      Good luck in your recovery.

  • breeze61
    breeze61

    Posted

    Just an update, I started my 14 week today and am taking the holday I wanted to take at 8 weeks which with hindsight I'm glad I didnt do. I'm progressing steadily in trainers for 3 weeks now.  This week I'm in a completely flat shoe and walking for about an hour each day and trying to push through and and using my calf muscle to push off with. My physio wants me to really work on the calf so doing two footed heel raises twice a day. I'm hoping to be walking without a limp on the completion of two weeks in Spain.

    I know there are not many people on here but feel writing stuff about ones recovery will hopefully be useful to other new incumbants.

    Tony

    • breeze61
      breeze61

      Posted

      ps I was driving at 9 weeks with a right foot achilles with a RH drive uk car.
    • sandy29182
      sandy29182 breeze61

      Posted

      Hi breeze61

      I know there are few of us left from when I first signed on March of 2017. I found it very therapeutic to listen to others in the same situation as I was in. I think I might have gone round the bend otherwise. Especially with such a long recovery period. So, glad you are progressing so well. Heel raises are an important exercise to stick to. Even now, after almost a year and a half, I still stretch my calves every morning and do my foot flexing every evening in front of the TV. I have found that if I stop stretching, than my foot definitely stiffens up. The last step for me was being able to complete a single heel raise and hold it and stay in balance! I still have weakness when climbing a ladder, and i will continue to work on this. But really, I don't climb too many ladders. Glad you can drive. I too could drive within a few weeks - left foot tendon injury with a LH drive Canadian car.

      Have fun on you vacation!

    • breeze61
      breeze61 sandy29182

      Posted

      Hi Sandy,

      Nice to hear from you again and thanks again for your story. My physio wants to see me at the 20 week point and wants me to be heel raising on bad leg. It seems nie on impossible at this stage.

      I was doing two foot heel raises this morning and noticed a creeking sound in the healing tendon, no pain, but I'd like to find out what it is.

      Continue getting better and i will report back after my holiday and hopefully will be limp frr, but the ay I'm healing, that may be too optimistic,

  • Rob-666
    Rob-666 breeze61

    Posted

    Hi breeze61. Good to hear you are finally going off on holiday. I cancelled my holiday to France at the ned of September, which would have meant a long drive. I was driving at about week 10 and instead of France we've booked a week in the Lakes. It's 100 miles away, almost all motorway so I can turn on the cruise control and take my foot off the pedals for most of the journey. I feel like I'm making very slow progress after 13 weeks post-injury (non-op), the furthest I've walked is just under a mile but some days I struggle to do half that distance. I'm doing all the regular stretching exercises and heel lifts but don't feel I'm getting any better. I know this injury has a long slow recovery period and I'm probably just being impatient but it frustrates the hell out of me. For those interested, there is a really good Facebook group which is worth having a look at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/10320629484/

    Cheers

    Rob

    • breeze61
      breeze61 Rob-666

      Posted

      Hi Rob, I too feel like progress is slow, but, Ive read enough to realise that most people heal slow with this. On my hours walk I use a walking pole to take some weight of my bad leg and some days I miss the walk because I feel a bit sore. I can walk without pushing too much on my calf which My physio picked me up on and now I'm really trying to push off the calf more which is harder.

      i will report back after my holiday in Spain about the 9 September.

      good luck

      Peter

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