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
I couldnt find the reply sorry Vicki, could copy and paste it? x
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.
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!
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.
Hi Vicki, I ruptured my achilles about 1 month ago but didn't realise until 2 weeks ago when I went to my local minor injuries unit. I had surgery 10 days ago and was placed in an equine boot with 4 wedges. I have been allowed to weight bear since the day I came out of hospital. The boot stays on even when in bed! I had my wound checked yesterday with there being no problems. Now it is a waiting game. I can take 1 wedge out every 2 weeks and am due back at the hospital in 1 months time. I would echo what everyone else is saying. Just take it slowly - you are not alone. There are lots if us out here going through the same thing.
Hope you start feeling a bit more positive soon...
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.
Hi Sarah,
thanks for your reply. I wish I could have the surgery, my doctor says 12 weeks in a cast which I really don't want. I'd much prefer surgery and a boot. How is your recovery going?
Hi Vicki,
I guess I am one of the lucky ones.... I have had very little pain and only minor discomfort since the surgery. I can't give much advice about being non weight bearing since I only had to manage it for a very few days prior to surgery. I am doing OK but it gets frustrating not being able to do anything around the house. The equine boot is quite restrictive and not easy to sleep in. I tend to make a flask of tea to keep by the chair and I would recommend keeping your leg up as much as possible.
I go back to the consultant in a month's time.
keep positive....
Sarah
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Hi Vicki
I ruptured mine playing football last week 10-06-2015. I went to minor injuries hospital as this was closer and they told me I had ruptured my Achilles. They carried whats called a 'Thompson Test' which confirmed there diagnostic. They placed me in cast with feet point in a downward position.
I was then told to attend an orthapedic appointment the following week 17.06.2015 who confirmed the initial diagnostic. They removed the cast and placed me in a 'Moon Boot' with an appointment to see the physio the following week.
Throughout this I havent been in pain, havent had no scan, x-ray or anything to confirm their assessment. Wasnt even given the option of surgery! Anyway, the boot is ok and at least i dont bare the full weight of the crutches like I did with the cast. I'm optimistic on the recovery, as i had many footballing injuries (reconstructive surgery of knee three times) so my advice is be patient, dont rush things and rest when you can.....Oh and drink plenty of alcohol to get by!!!
Hi Bally
Have they said you can partial WB if not then best not to us leg at all .
Have you been give any drugs to take (injections ) to prevent DVT ?
if not then contact them straight away this is very important .
After a re rupture myself my advice would be to push for a ultrasound so you know the extent of the rupture . If the rupture is a large gap then conservative treatment may not be good enought to heal large gap
Ask me how i know !!
Hi Andrew,
Yes with the boot I can partial weight bear, although with my foot tat far forward in the boot this is extremely difficult anyway! so i'm actually putting any weight on it and use my crutches to bear the weight...
Nope no drugs for anything, to be honest the boot is ok and plenty of movement and im constanly moving my joints...
I did wonder why i havent had one, but i guess they know the extent by feeling around???
How do you know lol...
I'm sure there protocol with DVT should be that you have drugs for it
My second visit to A&E they told me I would have to go back on fragmin
i didn't know anything about they weren't very happy that I hadn't been given it first time round
i like you was in a boot first time and still quite mobile but you can't take the risk if you ask me
There is a post on here where a Wife lost her husband through DVT such a sad story
They don't do the ultrasound IMO due to time and cost and yes they can tell that it gone by feel but not way can they be that accurate with how much
They were going to just put me back in a boot after re rupture which I wasn't having and pushed for scan
They did scan in the end and I had a 4 cm
when I asked if 4 cm would heal in a boot they said unlikely !!
and they were just going to give me a boot again
good Job i asked for the scan
Well no-one at the hospital even mentioned the risk of DVT?? I really dont know what to do now. My friend had to take injections in his stomach when he did his achilles last year.
Thats sad news :-(
I might contact the NHS helpline just to ease my mind, although Im at Physio next Wednesday, so i might get more information then.
Well not sure sure how bad the injury is yet, im hoping Physio would outline some extent and recovery rehab...
I'd ring the fracture clink asap just to be on the safe side
Beter safe than sorry keep us informed how you get on
ATB Andy ;-)