1. Community
  2. Injury and accidents
  3. Tendon Problems

Ruptured achilles tendon 22/5/15

Posted , 11 users are following.

vicki_57097
vicki_57097

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.

0 likes, 52 replies

52 Replies

Prev Next
  • toasty79
    toasty79 vicki_57097

    Posted

    Vicki

    Couple of other points...

    Tramadol is pretty hardcore stuff and you risk doing more damage is you are taking that and walking on it.

    i would not put ANY weight on it until you have been back to have it checked. Seriously.. this is a nasty injury. Rest up, get help with stuff, learn to use your crutches and TAKE IS SLOW!!!  This takes a while to reciver from and the you really do not want to make it worse.

    Its really frustrating but get your head right, you need t accept the next four months are going to be difficult but its done now. You cant reverse it you can just ensure you work to make recovery as short as poissible. Eat right, rest, dont stress out about it.. you cant change it. 

    I really struggled the first week as i am a very activie person with small kids running around the house. Its a real eye opener to have some experience of how peple with more serious conditions have to make adjustment to things we previously take for granted.

    You will get better... keep that in mind. 

    have a nice cup of tea and get that leg up! (i felt like crying the first morning i managed to get to the kettle to make a coffee and then realised i had to standon one leg by the kettle to drink it! Solution... get a cup with a sealed lid so you can hook a finger aorund it to get back to the sofa.. adjust, do not just try and carry on as normal) 

     

  • mary_70540
    mary_70540 vicki_57097

    Posted

    Vicki can I just say I've had my injury 19 months its taken this long because I was misdiagnosed for 6 months so my tendon was a mess ,but I was also given tramadol 2x7.5 3 times a day ,I'm now trying to come off them with terrible withdrawals I never knew they were addictive so please be careful with this med because your only add to your problems

    • vicki_57097
      vicki_57097 mary_70540

      Posted

      I'm a little nervous about the tramadol as I'm taking 400mg a day. Thanks for the information, I appreciate it xxx
  • Kastog
    Kastog vicki_57097

    Posted

    Hi Vicki, i got my archilles tendon rapture, two weeks ago, thru karate competition, i had my ultrasound on the day of the incident and found out i had tendon raptured, i was schedule to see an ortho specialist 5 days after i was diagnosed, i thought i would undergo surgery but my specialist put me into a full cast for 3 weeks. Not sure what will happen next but  right now i dont have swelling and zero pain already, i can move my injured foot but dont want to stress it much. Like you i am hoping for the best, be brave and i hope everything goes well with you.. 
  • andrew_67449
    andrew_67449 vicki_57097

    Posted

    Hi Vicki

    sorry to hear about your rupture 

    many different opinions re specialists on how to treat

    age is a factor , how active you are and other health related ishues

    my advice

    don't uses leg at all till they give you the go ahead

    keep leg elevated as mush as possible 

    really push for ultrasound to see what the damage is and use that info to make a decision on what rought to take

    Gloucestershire HS very cean to push none op without doing ultrasound which was my down fall as I had a 4cm gap which didn't heal in air cast boot and I had a re rupture 13 weeks on 

    Now on sofa in plaster after op back to square one

    let us know how you get on ATB Andy

    • brian4109
      brian4109 andrew_67449

      Posted

      Hi Andrew I live 20 mile north in Worcs and they didn't offer me conservative treatment, it was surgery from the first, however mine was a re rupture after poor conservative treatment in Thailand, Just crepe bandage and to to elevate for a couple of weeks and not to put any weight on it! needless to say it went again, stepped up on to a kerb tried to push of and it snapped so loudly that my wife thought I had broken my leg now 6 weeks post surgery every thing seems to be progressing well ( touch wood) appointment tommorrow for hope fully last cast and then int boot for however long
  • vicki_57097
    vicki_57097

    Posted

    I've been to see the orthopaedic surgeon today. I'm not having surgery but I will most likely be in cast for 12 weeks.

    The consultant says I have a significant partial rupture but I've got to have an ultrasound either this week or next. And I have another appointment with my consultant in 4 weeks.

    I am non weight bearing which sucks and is really hard.

    Thank you all for your kind messages and support - they have really helped.

    • Kastog
      Kastog vicki_57097

      Posted

      Hi Vicky,

      we have the same situation, im on a cast for 3 weeks now, my doctor said i will be in 8 weeks, i can move my foot with resistance when my doctor examined me. I been reading a lot of article about non surgical and surgical treatment,expert says both give same result, but non surgical has a long time healling apprarently compared to surgical, re rupture is inevitable both surgical and non surgical. Hoping for the best! 

    • brian4109
      brian4109 Kastog

      Posted

      I wouldn't say that re-rupture was inevitable in either treatment, it is apparently more prevalent in conservative style treatment than surgical however there are many people who have had full recovery, albeit after many months sometimes a year or more of rehabilitation, a lot depends on Physio, you need to build up strength slowly some people are impatient and try to do to much to soon( I was one) and re rupture follows, slow and easy is the way I also take chondrotine + Omega 3, I think thats how you spell it and glucosamine. they are supposed to help.
    • Kastog
      Kastog brian4109

      Posted

      Hi brian m

      , i just based my opinion on all the article that i red! But your right we must take it slowly to get back on track. Im taking mine slowly and surely,cant wait to start to walk without crutches, but im pretty sure i would have to wait a long time to do things i am doing before i got injured. I have an active lifestyle so i am worried if i can be the same after the healing process is over.

    • brian4109
      brian4109 Kastog

      Posted

      hi, I am goin in to see the ortopods tomorrow, I get the cast off and into the Airboot, dont know what that is going to be like I havent tried walking with a boot yet. I have had very few problems in getting around without crutches, which i hate,  for the last few weeks I have just been walking on the cast with an overboot, i have had a new cast every two weeks so they can check on the wound, and every new cast they have stretched my toes up further to keep the Achilles under a little more tension, each time was a little uncomfortable at first but it soon settled, now my foot is at approx 90 degrees  and with walking on the cast I get enough room to stretch my toes up and down a little and exercise my calf muscle to stop my foot swelling, apparently the calf muscle helps the flow of lymphatic fluid as well as increased blood flow, I have always been active although a little slower now as I am 67 soon and I have hated the enforced inactivity, you will probably have muscle loss in the calf muscle which will be difficult to get back to full strength but perserverence and starting small and building on it seems to be the way to go. best of luck, I hope everything goes well for you so you can get back to full strength.
    • Kastog
      Kastog brian4109

      Posted

      Hi brian, hows your foot? I hope eveyrthing turn out well. I will see my doctor next wednesday to remove my cast and hopefully put me on booth, i am doing well dont have any pain at all but since it summer here in Canada myca st is getting anoying as it gets sweaty everytime. I am doing upler body exercises like push up and sit ups. My foot seems fine i hope! No swelling and pain. Hope it continues to heal as i am on conservative treatment. Best wishes to all of us suffering with the same injuries.
    • brian4109
      brian4109 Kastog

      Posted

      thanks, everything is well at the moment, in the Airboot (sweaty like yours , boot has a lovely fleecy inner) walking int the boot to much can be uncomfortable, its a balance between being tight enough with the straps to stop it slipping and loose enough to allow circulation, I dont use it in the evenings and I can get around a little without the boot with just a liitle discomfort, more tightness from the scar tthan anything, mine certainly wasn't keyhole, scar runs from mid calf to heel, scar has healed fantasticaly well with jus one small area of scabbing about 1.5 cm diameter. Start physio on Thurs, thats when the real pain will start lol. I think I have been very lucky considering how long since the original injury and that the surgeon had to go up he leg to get the end of the tendon ( calf muscle had retracted about 10 cm). Hope you are comfortable in your boot as I am in mine, I live in Malvern UK and it is very hilly which makes it a little difficult to get around, I will be 67 next month and hope to be out of the boot by then, best of luck to you hope all goes well for your future and to any one suffering from problems, be positive, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and positive thinking will help to speed recovery.
    • Kastog
      Kastog brian4109

      Posted

      Hi brian,

      Well i guess were both getting older im 44 yo now and i dont think i can still come back strong as i used to be, just hoping that i can still go back to active lifestyle after this. I want to so sport again and lots of outdoor activities. Good luck to us

    • brian4109
      brian4109 Kastog

      Posted

      I went to archery for the first time in many months, found shooting difficult as I am unbalanced so my posture is off, ended up with a back ache but still managed to shoot reasonably well , just have to persevere and keep practicing, life isn't supposed to be easy is it, you just have to keep plodding on and I guess I won't be ready for the Olympics in Rio lol
    • Kastog
      Kastog brian4109

      Posted

      Hi brian, im on week 9 and was out of cast two days ago. Finally! My doctor said my tendon was healing the way he expected to be. I was not given a boot but instead i was given a 1 cm heal lift insert to put on my rubber shoe. I can now walk after two days , i had two physio sessions already and it was getting better everytime. I had to do some exercises in the morning and afternoon. My leg muscle was getting stronger and bigger now , compare to what it was when my cast was removed. I was on a non surgical treatment and i guess im getting better everyday. I am not using my crutches at home im just using it when we are outside so i can support my leg for long walk. Though i still have a little swelling around my foot, the physio assured me that it will go away but i need to use my leg a lot ,so the fluid will circulate and eventually subside the swelling. Hope your feeling  better now and the rest of the guys suffering the same injury. Goodluck!
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.