When the nurse cut the cast off last week, she put a bunch of tape directly on the wound and then covered it with a bandage. Today I decided to yank it off. Now when I walk without the boot, I have a little more movement since the tape prevented my skin from stretching.
I also put on two shoes for the first time since the injury, and that definitely felt weird. My foot is still somewhat swollen even though there isn't any pain. I'm hoping this goes away over time. And the scar is healing well too. I'm hoping that I'm not overdoing it, but my progress feels natural.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Day 19 - The snowstorm
Winter finally arrived in New England. A blizzard started late yesterday and raged all night long. Cars outside are buried. And I'm wondering if I should wrap the Aircast in a trash bag to keep the snow out.
The foot is feeling good, and I'm feeling more confident by the day. Basically I listen to my body and react accordingly. I know that this is not a "no pain no gain" situation, so overdoing it can make matters worse. But I feel ok about walking around on my own two feet. I'm not brave enough to try the stairs yet. Nor will I put on a regular shoe as I don't want it coming in contact with the scar yet.
If I can get the car dug out, I'll head to the gym for the first time in almost 3 weeks. I want to work on the stationary bike, as well as start back doing upper body work. Well, maybe not triceps... I've worked them enough over the last two weeks. It sure would be nice to go snowboarding tomorrow....
The foot is feeling good, and I'm feeling more confident by the day. Basically I listen to my body and react accordingly. I know that this is not a "no pain no gain" situation, so overdoing it can make matters worse. But I feel ok about walking around on my own two feet. I'm not brave enough to try the stairs yet. Nor will I put on a regular shoe as I don't want it coming in contact with the scar yet.
If I can get the car dug out, I'll head to the gym for the first time in almost 3 weeks. I want to work on the stationary bike, as well as start back doing upper body work. Well, maybe not triceps... I've worked them enough over the last two weeks. It sure would be nice to go snowboarding tomorrow....
Day 18 - He walks!
Now that I've been showering normally, I've been testing the limits to see how far I'm progressing. After I got the cast taken off, I've been hopping around in the shower and not putting any weight on the injured leg. Slowly after few days, I've been able to stand on it if I had my foot slightly in front of me so that the foot is plantarflexed. Today, after getting out of the shower, instead of hopping back to the bed to put the Aircast on, I decided to try to walk. I definitely had a noticeable limp, and I was careful not to dorsiflex my foot but I made it. When it came close to flexing acutely, the tendon and calf muscles felt tight.
I'm also sleeping without the Aircast on, and I'm at the point now where I don't feel any pain at all. I think I'll slowly start walking around the house without the cast, and only use it when I leave.
I'm also sleeping without the Aircast on, and I'm at the point now where I don't feel any pain at all. I think I'll slowly start walking around the house without the cast, and only use it when I leave.
Day 16 - The beginning of the blog
After reading all the blogs from others with this injury, I decided to create my own blog. I didn't get around to starting this until 16 days after the surgery, and I don't get current with the blog until day 19. So I still have a few more posts to create before I'm current.
Nothing new today. It's nice being able to walk around without crutches. You never really think about how important having two free hands are when doing your daily routine. The simplest things are challenging. Hopefully that part of the story is behind me now.
Nothing new today. It's nice being able to walk around without crutches. You never really think about how important having two free hands are when doing your daily routine. The simplest things are challenging. Hopefully that part of the story is behind me now.
Day 15 - No more crutches
Today I woke up and put the Aircast on, and I noticed that my heel finally went to the bottom without pain. So I decided to try standing up. To my surprise, I stood up without incident. The next test was to try walking across the room. After a few awkward steps, I was walking around just fine. The boot seems to do a good job of keeping my calf in place, so I felt confident about leaving the crutches behind.
It sure would've been nice to reach this point yesterday for the casino trip.
It sure would've been nice to reach this point yesterday for the casino trip.
Day 14 - Casino trip
I decided to read the instruction manual for the Aircast since it still hurt more than I thought it should. That turned out to be a good idea. The nurse inflated the boot too much, causing the discomfort. I deflated it, and it felt much better.
I decided to join some co-workers on a casino trip. I was nervous at first since I was still on crutches, but the casino offered free wheelchairs, so I decided to go for it. When I got there, I decided to stick with the crutches. That turned out to be a workout as the casino is huge! I was sweating at times from all the work.
At least my efforts weren't in vain, as I won a decent amount of money to take home.
I decided to join some co-workers on a casino trip. I was nervous at first since I was still on crutches, but the casino offered free wheelchairs, so I decided to go for it. When I got there, I decided to stick with the crutches. That turned out to be a workout as the casino is huge! I was sweating at times from all the work.
At least my efforts weren't in vain, as I won a decent amount of money to take home.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Day 13 - The cast comes off
I've been wondering what will happen when the doctor takes the cast off. I've read stories about people that were told that they'd be in a new cast for a few more weeks. But that wasn't the case with me. After the nurse cut the cast off, the doctor remarked about how the wound was healing nicely and ordered me to start wearing the Aircast. The Aircast is a walking boot that has three air cells that you can inflate or deflate using a small tool. Remember those Reeboks that you pumped up? Cross that with a ski boot, and you have the Aircast.
The straps allow the top part to be removed completely, and you place your whole leg inside. It definitely hurt when the nurse put it on me. I think the wound was still tender, so trying to push my foot down to the heel of the boot was torture. I got close, and decided to call it a day at that point. I still had to use my crutches, but the doctor said that I can begin walking on it immediately.
I asked him some questions about the surgery, and he told me that my injury was a complete rupture, but that the tendon should be stronger when fully healed than it was before the injury. I was a little disappointed that he didn't offer up more information, so I'll need to prepare my questions ahead of time and call the office as needed. I see him again on January 18 next year. I'm hoping that he'll have me start PT soon after.
The straps allow the top part to be removed completely, and you place your whole leg inside. It definitely hurt when the nurse put it on me. I think the wound was still tender, so trying to push my foot down to the heel of the boot was torture. I got close, and decided to call it a day at that point. I still had to use my crutches, but the doctor said that I can begin walking on it immediately.
I asked him some questions about the surgery, and he told me that my injury was a complete rupture, but that the tendon should be stronger when fully healed than it was before the injury. I was a little disappointed that he didn't offer up more information, so I'll need to prepare my questions ahead of time and call the office as needed. I see him again on January 18 next year. I'm hoping that he'll have me start PT soon after.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Day 9 - I shouldn't be here right now
By this point, I'm starting to get stir crazy. I hate the fact that I'm not fully mobile yet. Worse, I'm worried about the fact that I may not get to snowboard at all this winter. Before the injury, I had plans to fly to California on December 16 to go snowboarding for a few days. I was a little nervous about booking such an early season trip, but I decided to gamble and do it anyway. And worse case, I could always gamble in the Tahoe casinos if the snow conditions weren't good.
That storm dumped about 9 feet of snow in the mountains. Yes, feet. Epic powder would be an understatement. I look at my leg, and I felt nauseous all over again.
The good news is that I stopped taking the pain medication. And the day before, I met a friend for dinner. My leg was slightly uncomfortable as its still in the cast, but I was excited to leave the house.
I've also started reading other blogs about people with this injury. Some report being fully mobile in as little as 12 weeks, so I'm feeling a lot more upbeat. I'm still following doctor's orders for now, but already I'm wondering how to accelerate my recovery time so that I can snowboard this winter.
That storm dumped about 9 feet of snow in the mountains. Yes, feet. Epic powder would be an understatement. I look at my leg, and I felt nauseous all over again.
The good news is that I stopped taking the pain medication. And the day before, I met a friend for dinner. My leg was slightly uncomfortable as its still in the cast, but I was excited to leave the house.
I've also started reading other blogs about people with this injury. Some report being fully mobile in as little as 12 weeks, so I'm feeling a lot more upbeat. I'm still following doctor's orders for now, but already I'm wondering how to accelerate my recovery time so that I can snowboard this winter.
Day 4 - I'm getting hungry
At this point I'm starting to get the hang of using the crutches. I could get up and down the stairs ok, but I didn't want to leave the house just yet. This presents a problem when you run out of food. I couldn't order pizza every night, so I needed a solution fast.
I didn't want to go to the grocery store, and I didn't want to ask someone else to do my shopping, so I had a problem. Introduce Peapod. I remembed Peapod back when I lived in Chicago. For those that don't know, Peapod is a grocery delivery service. You fill up your virtual shopping basket, pick a delivery time, and a driver brings your groceries. Only problem for me is that I lived just outside the delivery area.
But I did have friends who did live in the zone. So, I had groceries delivered to them, and they brought them over to me. Pretty cool, eh?
I didn't want to go to the grocery store, and I didn't want to ask someone else to do my shopping, so I had a problem. Introduce Peapod. I remembed Peapod back when I lived in Chicago. For those that don't know, Peapod is a grocery delivery service. You fill up your virtual shopping basket, pick a delivery time, and a driver brings your groceries. Only problem for me is that I lived just outside the delivery area.
But I did have friends who did live in the zone. So, I had groceries delivered to them, and they brought them over to me. Pretty cool, eh?
Day 2 - Time to go home
Today I was feeling much better, so I decided to head home. I carefully packed my backpack and bags, and checked out of the hotel. It's important to note that I injured my left leg, so I was technically able to drive. However, once I started driving, I could tell that I was still under the affects of the anesthesia. But I managed to get home safely.
Once I got home, the inevitable stared me in the face - how do I get up the stairs? The entrance to my home is on the first floor, the main living area on the second, and the bedrooms and bathroom on the third. This is gonna be hard.
I think back to what my doctor told me. She gave me two good pieces of advice. First, "Down with the bad, and up with the good." So when going downstairs, step down with the bad foot first, and when going up, start with the good foot. The other thing she mentioned is that you can always sit on the stairs and push yourself up that way. So I did just that. With my bags and crutches in one hand, I managed to pull myself up the stairs. Once I got to the couch, I was determined not to move for the rest of the day.
The only thing left to do was shower - how do I do it? I got advice from the nurse to use a trash bag and use duct tape to keep the cast from getting wet. So after preparing the leg, I carefully hop to the edge of the tub and sit down. Then I swiveled around, and stood up in the tub and showered for as long as I could while standing on one leg. I almost fell, but I held it together.
Two weeks later, I'd learn that CVS sells a product that keeps your cast dry while showering. If only I knew...
Once I got home, the inevitable stared me in the face - how do I get up the stairs? The entrance to my home is on the first floor, the main living area on the second, and the bedrooms and bathroom on the third. This is gonna be hard.
I think back to what my doctor told me. She gave me two good pieces of advice. First, "Down with the bad, and up with the good." So when going downstairs, step down with the bad foot first, and when going up, start with the good foot. The other thing she mentioned is that you can always sit on the stairs and push yourself up that way. So I did just that. With my bags and crutches in one hand, I managed to pull myself up the stairs. Once I got to the couch, I was determined not to move for the rest of the day.
The only thing left to do was shower - how do I do it? I got advice from the nurse to use a trash bag and use duct tape to keep the cast from getting wet. So after preparing the leg, I carefully hop to the edge of the tub and sit down. Then I swiveled around, and stood up in the tub and showered for as long as I could while standing on one leg. I almost fell, but I held it together.
Two weeks later, I'd learn that CVS sells a product that keeps your cast dry while showering. If only I knew...
Day 1 - Post Surgery. Painkillers.
The night immediately after the surgery was unbearable. I'm used to moving around all night long in bed, and I couldn't do anything. At one point, a mild panic set in, but I managed to fall back asleep. The next morning, I was hungry, so I decided to order room service for breakfast.
"Oh wait, you don't do breakfast room service? Just the buffet? Ok, thanks."
Great... I get to use my new mechanical legs.
I managed to eat breakfast and the staff was nice enough to load my plate and juice for me. After breakfast, I got nauseous again, so I popped some more Tylenol and went back to bed. Later on that day, I sat around and watched movies and was on the laptop for a while. I wasn't brave enough to attempt to shower, so I held off until the next day when I was home.
"Oh wait, you don't do breakfast room service? Just the buffet? Ok, thanks."
Great... I get to use my new mechanical legs.
I managed to eat breakfast and the staff was nice enough to load my plate and juice for me. After breakfast, I got nauseous again, so I popped some more Tylenol and went back to bed. Later on that day, I sat around and watched movies and was on the laptop for a while. I wasn't brave enough to attempt to shower, so I held off until the next day when I was home.
Who hit me?!?
On December 6, 2010, I was playing racquetball with some friends after work. I had played many times before and considered myself pretty good. I consider myself in good shape, and I work out regularly. Before the game, I stretched like I normally did for a few minutes, and then we started playing. About an hour and a half into the game, I went for a shot, and it felt like someone hit my left ankle with their racquet. I turned around and the other two guys playing were nowhere near me.
Hmm... ok. After a few seconds, I noticed that the pain hadn't really gone away yet which seemed weird, but it wasn't unbearable. So I tried standing up. I took a few awkward steps and my foot just "wasn't working right". I tried touching my toes and almost fell over. At that point, I knew something was wrong. So I went home. The next day I woke up in much more pain, so I called in sick at work and went to the doctor. Right away she determined that I tore my achilles tendon and sent me to a surgeon. The surgeon has a look and decided to schedule me for open surgery the next day.
The rest of that day was spent making some preparations for post surgery. I lived in a 3 story townhouse, so I knew I need a place to recover. So I cashed in some hotel points and got a room where I'd have people to do whatever I needed. I also requested a week off from work since I wouldn't be able to do much of anything immediately after the surgery.
The surgery was scheduled for 2pm the next day, but the surgeons were running late, so I wasn't called until 4pm. I was starving since I was told not to eat after midnight. I had a choice of getting general anesthesia or a spinal tap procedure which numbs the lower half of my body. With the second option, I'd be awake during the surgery which was intriguing. But it takes longer to wear off, possibly requiring an overnight stay. So I chose general anesthesia.
I woke up after the surgery wearing a cast. I was given a set of crutches, and a prescription for Tylenol 3 and aspirin. The doctor told me to see him again in 2 weeks, and reminded me that I was wearing a non weight bearing cast. My friend came and picked me up, dropped me off at the hotel where I promptly crashed for the night the moment I saw the bed.
Actually, I puked once or twice, and then went to bed.
Hmm... ok. After a few seconds, I noticed that the pain hadn't really gone away yet which seemed weird, but it wasn't unbearable. So I tried standing up. I took a few awkward steps and my foot just "wasn't working right". I tried touching my toes and almost fell over. At that point, I knew something was wrong. So I went home. The next day I woke up in much more pain, so I called in sick at work and went to the doctor. Right away she determined that I tore my achilles tendon and sent me to a surgeon. The surgeon has a look and decided to schedule me for open surgery the next day.
The rest of that day was spent making some preparations for post surgery. I lived in a 3 story townhouse, so I knew I need a place to recover. So I cashed in some hotel points and got a room where I'd have people to do whatever I needed. I also requested a week off from work since I wouldn't be able to do much of anything immediately after the surgery.
The surgery was scheduled for 2pm the next day, but the surgeons were running late, so I wasn't called until 4pm. I was starving since I was told not to eat after midnight. I had a choice of getting general anesthesia or a spinal tap procedure which numbs the lower half of my body. With the second option, I'd be awake during the surgery which was intriguing. But it takes longer to wear off, possibly requiring an overnight stay. So I chose general anesthesia.
I woke up after the surgery wearing a cast. I was given a set of crutches, and a prescription for Tylenol 3 and aspirin. The doctor told me to see him again in 2 weeks, and reminded me that I was wearing a non weight bearing cast. My friend came and picked me up, dropped me off at the hotel where I promptly crashed for the night the moment I saw the bed.
Actually, I puked once or twice, and then went to bed.
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