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Week 1 of my Achilles rupture

Posted , 14 users are following.

mandy1956
mandy1956

I feel so  useless, having to rely on  someone else to do practically do everything for me. I have had my plaster cast on now for one week, but am not getting on well at all with the crutches, not sure I can take another seven weeks like this !!!!

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  • margaret_81513
    margaret_81513 mandy1956

    Posted

    I ruptured my Achilles tendon 3 years ago. I was sent to the orthopaedic clinic. A consultant told me to lay on my stomach and he pressed into my achilles and immediately sent me to the plaster room for a below the knee non weight bearing cast. After 5 weeks was put in a boot with wedges inside abd every w weeks a wedge was raken out. After the last wedge was taken out i had to go back and see the consultant. He asked me to stand on my tiptoe on my ruptured leg only which i could not. He then put me forward for urgent physiotherapy. This was not working well. 3 years following my ruptured my foot was feeling week when going out walking compared to the other one. I was sent back to the dr who sent me for 4 lots more physio over a period of time. No change in my foot being weak. I pushed to see a foot specialist who examined me and said the Achilles tendon had knitted back loose. I was offered surgery to reconstruct the Achilles tendon which meant cutting it shorter and an FHL transfer which would make my walking much stronger. I was immediately put in a non weight bearing cast and was told it would be 6 weeks then into a boot. Some thing very irrational took over and I went into full blown panic attacks which on researching this is quite common. I thought I was going mad. After a month, I was in the plaster room where I was to see my surgeon before being put into another cast, I refused another cast. On researching cast claustophobia other patients were put in a splint or boot. He agreed to put me in a boot which had a spring inside it and told me i could minimal weight bear comoared to non weight bearing in a cast. I had researched wearibg a boot soober and the recovery time was sooner. I am back every week to lower the spring. I see the consultant in 2 weeks time to assess my progress.
    • JW11
      JW11 margaret_81513

      Posted

      Sounds like you've had a terrible time, Margaret, poor you.

      I got the cast claustrophobia feelings too, so I'm kind of glad it's not uncommon. I'm the opposite now I've got my boot on; I don't want to take it off in case I move my ankle suddenly and damage it. But I've got to take the first wedge out next week, so I'll have to pluck up the courage somehow.

      I hope your physio works this time and you have good news when you see your consultant.

  • bobbers9
    bobbers9 mandy1956

    Posted

    Hi mandy ,i feel for you.and feel the same as you ,i completly ruptured my achillies

    Tendon 3 weeks ago and have been in a airstep walking boot 24/7 since then

    (Hate it with a passion especially in bed .after 2 weeks of non weight bearing

    Im now into my 3rd day partial weight bearing and have to wait untill .

    June 2nd till i see the hospital again .yes it is so hard doubly so for me as im

    Retired and am used to being active and taking my two dogs or walks .and

    Also my wife is very physically limited .im lucky to have very good neighbours

    And my family help best they can .But always being independent i hate

    Asking for help .im glad to havefound this forum.

    • JW11
      JW11 bobbers9

      Posted

      I took my leg out of my boot today and noticed I've still got bruising either side of my ankle/foot, which I'm guessing is probably normal, even after six weeks. I also noticed that around the Achilles area there's quite a lump and an indentation. I hope it's just a knot where it's healed and will stretch back out as my Achilles stretches back out, but I'm a bit concerned about it. I'll give the hospital a call tomorrow, but it'd be good to know if anyone else has experienced this while undergoing conservative treatment. Thanks.

    • bobbers9
      bobbers9 JW11

      Posted

      Hi jw ,yes i also have extensive bruising ,which i noticed when the

      1st wedge was taken out (4 more to go ) my neice who is a staff

      nurse said its normal .so im not too worried .im at my 4th week

      now and havent noticed any indentations .i wish i could take the boot

      Off at night it drives me bananas .i suspect then you have another

      2 weeks with it on .another thing that fills me with dread is the

      Blood thinning injections i have to give myself in my tummy every

      Day ,my daughter said you will get used to it but every day its as

      Bad as the first day im feeling like a pin cusion .

    • JW11
      JW11 bobbers9

      Posted

      Thanks Bobbers,

      I had four weeks in a cast, and I'm now nearly two weeks into wearing the boot, with another five to go. I've got three wedges in and have to remove the first on Monday, when I can finally start a bit of careful weight-bearing.

      Seems every NHS advises different timescales.

      I'm with you on wearing the boot 24/7, it's so cumbersome, isn't it.

      I'm also with you on the injections - Ive got used to doing it, but my tummy is quite sore now with tiny red dots and small bruises.

      Wishing you all the best with your recovery.

    • bobbers9
      bobbers9 JW11

      Posted

      Thanks jw

      How are you progressing ?

      Im now at 6 weeks and down to 1 wedge ,and partial w/b some

      soreness at injury site .some extreme heel pain and extreme

      swelling in my foot and below the knee ,i will be trying full w/bearing

      Next week (cowardis) im afraid .but intend to at least have tried it

      Before i see the hospital again june 2nd .

      Best wishes .

    • JW11
      JW11 bobbers9

      Posted

      Hey Bobbers, good to hear from you. I'm at nine weeks now and down to the last wedge, which I'll take out next Monday, then go back to the hospital the week after that (June 5th) to hopefully have the boot off.

      I started some full weight-bearing last week and have been able to walk around the house with no crutches, so felt like I had made some good progress (finally) but I may've overdone it, as it's a bit crampy today in my lower calf.

      I've also had some problems with my knee, it's been a bit achy, swollen, red, and hot at times, so I've been icing it. I assume it's because of putting more weight on it now and because the boot makes me walk at a strange angle.

      I'm sorry to hear of your pains and swelling, it's such a long and difficult injury isn't it.

    • bobbers9
      bobbers9 JW11

      Posted

      Thanks jw ,i think its very easy to get overconfident when a little

      positive progress is made and overdo it im scare stiff of rerupture

      Yes it looks like were in for a long haul ,if you have the same boot as

      me ,mine is very heavy and seems toput a lot of pressure .On the

      knee when lifting the leg ..its now 6 weeks since i drove my car or

      Took my dogs for a walk .Dammitt !

    • JW11
      JW11 bobbers9

      Posted

      It is easy to get over-confident, and so difficult to strike a balance between making progress and over-doing it. I haven't done much walking in the grand scheme of things, just been moving around the house. I tried walking down the road to other day, to get some fresh air, but the camber of the footpath made it impossible in this boot. I expect mine's the same as yours - it's got a really heavy and thick base, fabric to wrap around the leg and foot, a metal bar up each side of the leg, and five Velcro strips to do it up.

      It's all so tough when you're usually an active and independent person.

    • bobbers9
      bobbers9 JW11

      Posted

      Hi jw i hope you are progressing as you should ,mine is doing ok

      I think but last thursday ,week 7 i unbalanced on my crutches and

      Badly tore the calf muscle in my other leg so now my still healing

      Right leg is helping to support the left ,pretty peed off i can tell you .

    • JW11
      JW11 bobbers9

      Posted

      Oh poor you, Bobbers9, I'm not surprised you're peed off, that's back luck and tough on an already tough situation.

      I'm doing okay, thanks. Took my last wedge out yesterday so my foot's now back at 90 degrees and I can feel the tendon stretching back out. I should get my boot off on Monday (5th June). As much as it'll be a relief to get rid of it, I'm really quite scared of it coming off and putting weight back on my leg as my calf muscle has completely wasted away.

    • bobbers9
      bobbers9 JW11

      Posted

      Hi jw .looks like were running almost parallel. My last wedge

      comes off today ,is yours non surgical like mine ? Not sure what

      the hospital will decide on friday .but might be a good thing if they

      leave the boot on a bit longer as its partly supporting the left leg

      .left leg now has massive bruising wjich i hope is a sign of healing.

      Have you been given any muscle builing exercise advice .

      Best wishes .

    • JW11
      JW11 bobbers9

      Posted

      Hi Bobbers, yes, I'm non surgery too. I think you've possibly been a bit quicker than me through the cast/boot phase - I did mine on 17th March, so I'm now at 10.5 weeks. (4 weeks cast and 7 boot.)

      Maybe they'll let you wear the boot a bit longer if you feel you need it. With the bruising, I've wondered if the Fragmin injections mean that bruises occur more and last longer. Not sure.

      No, I've not been given any muscle building exercises, but I have kept the rest of my leg strong with various leg lifts every day from the outset. What about you with exercises?

    • bobbers9
      bobbers9 JW11

      Posted

      Hi jw ,thanks

      Yes i think warming up exercises are a must ,i do bycicle motion

      whilst laying On the bed. ihavnt been given Any advice yet ,i

      google a lot ( drives my wife mad ) and get some idea from doing

      that .you could be right about the bruising and the Fragmin .my

      friend introduced me to arnica cream which really .works ,i only had the

      The plaster cast on for 5 days before the boot ...

      Bobbers

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