Hi I ruptured my Achilles' tendon in May and opted for conventional healing. I was put in a half cast for 3 days until I seen the specialist who put me in a moon boot / air boot. I was unable to weight bare for 4 weeks then I was allowed to add a little weight to my leg.
At the 6 week point I had one wedge removed from the boot, full weight baring at 8 weeks and another wedge removed and another at 10 weeks
At 12 weeks I was transferred to a shoe with a heal lift. Told my Achilles was thick and strong and to increase my strengthening routines to slowly stretch it back out.
All was going well but at 15 weeks post injury I was walking in the park and stepped from the grass with my toes the foot path tore it again just like that.
Heard the snap and I went down.
Went straight to my local hospital where they put me in a splint cast until I see my orthopaedic surgeon on Wednesday to see where I go from here!
I'm so devastated, I have 3 children the youngest only being 1 so it's going to be another long road to recovery.
Tanya i rupture mine just about the same month as yours. I was on cast for 9 weeks( different position every 4 weeks. Finally out if cast lat 4 weeks ago. I am wearing heel lift (1cm) since after my cast was removed.mine was also healing well said my doctor. I waa able to go back to work doing light duty at the warehouse. I been doing physio and the recovery was awesome said my theraphist. I can do amost everything with caution obviously. But t was limited with jumping and running by my doctor. Mine as of this moment is perfect , though i always put in my mine that im still recovering and has to be patince with everything. My ankle area is still swollen but my doctor said its normal. I feel sorry for your rerupture, hope youll get better soon.
Oh Tanya. I did not re-rupture but just wanted to come on and send some best wishes. I am single mum with 5 year old and it was a very tough time. It sounds as though your treatment was right but I think it's wrong if scans are not done at the end to make 100% sure it's all healed totally. I insisted on a scan and put a complaint in until I got one. You only nedded
Needed one tiny tear still and it would likely re rupture as the heal is only scar tissue which can be brittle. I wonder if they will suggest surgery this time? Anyway, good luck and try not to despair. It WILL heal xxxx
So this morning I had an appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon and told me I had ruptured the Achilles 90%. He has booked me in for surgery this Friday. Freaking out a little about the surgery but I know it's my best option for a full recovery
I was told to arrive at hospital at 6:30am the day of the surgery as I've been put on the he truma patients list and to fast. That night I ate dinner at 7pm and work up at 6am to arrive at 6:30.
I checked in and had to wait in this small waiting room from 7am till 1pm where I was then moved to q bed in a ward.
At this stage I was getting very hungry and thirsty but had no option other than to wait.
And wait and wait I did. At one stage I was told I might not get the surgery due to how busy they were. Finally at 5:15pm I was sent off to theatre
Was given a drug to ease my nerves then they knocked me out, put a block in my leg to numb
I returned to recovery at 6:15 but didn't wake till 7pm.
Everything apparently went well, haven't heard from the doctors yet. It 10 hours since op and I still can't feel my toes or move them however I can move my leg. I was told it takes 12 hours.
Anyway all is well now it's just basically recovering from here
I suffered a partial tear in March of this year at work. Treatment and PT did no good and in July it fully ruptured. I heard the snap and all. I'm 6 weeks post op right now and go back to the doctor tomorrow. I've been in a cast for those 6 weeks and may be in one for another 2. Getting around in crutches is HORRIBLE. My doctor ordered a knee scooter for me but workers comp is taking forever to get it to me. I hope it works out.
Hi Tanya- I hope you are just about recovered by now. My story is opposite of yours- I had surgery first when I ruptured my achilles on the tennis court. 10 weeks into an aggressive rehab schedule, I stepped up onto a curb wrong and re-ruptured it. I was devastated. My ortho said non-operative is the best at this point. He casted me for 3 weeks and then I bought Vacocast and went into that at 3 weeks. He kept me NWB until week 5. He has me working on getting FWB by week 6 and then I'm to start reducing the angle of my boot by 5 degrees every 5-7 days. All I know is that I'm going to wear my boot in public until I can do calf raises and I'm strong enough to support a mis-step. I knew I was going to fast and am really bummed I didn't listen to my body better. I would love to know how you are doing now!
Tanya my sincere sympathy and i hope your recovery goes well.
i tore my archilles in two places and tore my calf muscle. Placed in cast 30 Nov and four weeks later moon boot, partial weight bearing in moot boot the second fortnite. I now have a heal raiser in a shoe and told to hold on to my moonboot if im moving around quite actively to then use the moon boot for support but dont rely on it full time. Also advised not to walk with out heal raiser or moon boot ie not bare foot. My ankle and entire foot very swollen toes dont touch the floor. No ankle to be seen its a cankle at the moment lol. Physio commenced which is good. specialist advises to keep it conservative with the walking and what ground i walk on ie to keep to flat surfaces. He suggested when finished with heal raisers to look at an orthotic to go in my shoe to help keep the correct alignment/stance. if out doors on un even ground consider strapping starting under foot up the side of ankle to help stop ankle from rolling. This is partially due to an old injury in the same ankle but could help others. It sounds to me like people have been walking well before me. I still need the crutches at this point. Im in New Zealand and its been very hot so probably impacting on the swelling eg 30 degree heat. I have been warmed that it is easy to re-rupture by specialist especially the first year and be very careful with walking plus focus on strengthening muscle of lower leg. I have had a major break in this ankle years ago and have plate and pins still in it so possible this is part of my slow recovery.
It really is a challenge with this injury and i dont have children to look after so cant immagine what that is like for those of you with wee ones to to take care of. I hope you have lots of support at home.
All the best and good hearing how you are doing and sharing tips it makes you realise you arent going thru it alone.
Hi Denise, Did you have surgery after your tear? I am about a week behind you but since I re-ruptured at this point last time, I'm taking a very slow route to recovery. I am staying in my boot until week 12- I'm just too scared as I wasn't doing anything crazy when it re-ruptured. Have you started PT? I am just on my second week of PT now.
Hi i have been attending physio for the last two weeks x 2 days per week. Initially all they are doing is helping me to mobilise the ankle. They have given me a number of exercises/movements to do 3 -4 times a day. I can put more weight on my foot and with cruthces kind of move in the walking motiion but its not full weight on it. I have been told not to walk with out a wedge ie bare foot and whilst i have a wedge in a shoe was told to keep the moon boot and use that when more active eg going to work or even if very active at home. I must not use the moon boot all the time so i dont come to rely on it so only when moving around a lot.
I have not had surgery as 2 x partial tears and calf muscle tear. However was told that partial tears can be more painful due to the achilles being attached and pulling with movement.
It has been recommended that i look at getting an orthotic for my shoes once i am able to walk outside etc with out crutches. To help with maintaining the correct alignment of leg. Also if going somewhere on uneven ground i could consider straping eg putting tape from underneath the foot and up just past the ankle so it helps keep the leg and ankle from rolling. T
My ankle swells up alot partly i think as its summer here and has been very hot. When its swollen i have been advised to continue to do the exercises gently and it really does make a difference. My ankle was so tight i didnt really want to but kept doing it and it does free it up.
key prob with swelling is due to not walking on the foot fully as when you do you pushes fluid around the body. I guess lack of circulation.
surgeon advised me early on including when in moon boot to take it off three times a day and with leg supported underneath point toes then bring back to upright position ie with toes pointed forward then pull upright toes now pointed up at the ceiling. Gentle, fluid movement not jerky. 15 x 3 per session 3 - 4 times a day.
I typed up all the other movements im doing bu then deleted just incase someone did them when they shouldnt and i would then feel bad if someone hurt themselves.
so short coment is highly recommend physio when you get the green light to go. Yes i still have days of swelling and aching and still cannot walk fully weight bearing but getting closer to it.
Im going to a private physio recommeded by ACC. I am paying $20 towards it and ACC are paying the rest. When i move from mobilising to a strengthening programe ACC are going to pay for the whole cost.
Im sorry to hear this, that is a for sure fear of mine. I opted for surgery, just because my doctor told me that with surgery, I had a higher success rate. I hope that the ortho goes well and they have some better options this time around.
I am currently in this same boat. Had a complete tear, tried the non-operative route and at 9 weeks, I Re-ruptured. Did surgery, then at 9 weeks after surgery, I re ruptured yet again. I have 4 kids, the youngest just turned one. The surgeon says it feels like I still have some fibers intact, so he suggests just getting back into the boot with wedges to let it heal on its own. Then, in the boot at the grocery store, the bottom of the boot caught on the top of the shopping cart wheel and it dragged/pulled on the boot, yanking on my ankle. It was like pulling off tall boots, the way it just pulls on you, and I felt a stretching pain. Waiting now to find out what the next step is.
I've never found another woman/mom in this situation, so you fully understand the frustration. It's nearly impossible to recover! There's so much to do.
So, if you have a chance, please tell me how you are doing now and what you did for treatment and recovery when you re ruptured. Looking for hope. This has now been a 6 month process