The last time I blogged, I had just had my cast removed (1/5/2011) and was placed in a walking boot. I began deep water running 1/8/2011 which was a huge boost of confidence in the process of recovery. As I continued to go to the gym six days a week and twice a day on four days, I almost always would hear from different people at the gym about their leg injuries. I also would hear occasionally from different people that probably didn’t run as much as I had or didn’t exercise as much. Many often, unintentionally were a bit discouraging in the things they would say. Things such as, “It’s hard to ever get it back,” or “When you are older it is just hard and you may never get it back,” It only fueled my determination. I know no one was trying to be disheartening, but more than likely just talking from their own experiences or maybe they knew someone else that never got back to doing what they enjoyed. My expectation, even today, is to run a personal record in a one of the various distance races I run within the next year.
Since 1/8/2011 I have been in the pool 20.5 hours deep water running, averaging six hours a week and likely burning 1,000 calories an hour. In addition I’ve continued upper leg strengthening twice a week on the multi-hip flex machine. I’ve continued with upper body workouts twice a week and ab work five days a week. The cardio work in the pool has allowed me to maintain the same weight as my race running weight. I also have been going to physical therapy twice a week to have scar tissue massaged and to get Hivamat Treatments. Hivamat treatments are my favorite and are about the best thing ever for tendon pain! I have read that it is important during this time to have the scar tissue, which is a result of surgery, massaged.
During the last four weeks, it took less than a week for me to make the transition from the day my cast was removed to walking in the walking-boot without crutches. I stayed in the walking boot for three weeks removing a heel lift each week allowing the Achilles to slowly stretch. The swelling continued during these four weeks but over the duration, it definitely got better.
On 2/2/2011 I returned to my Doctor for my 10-week Post-Op visit. Honestly, because I had only been out of the walking boot for a week, I had experience new pain for three days prior to this visit and being the hypochondriac that I am, when the doctor came in, I said, “I may need another MRI to see if I haven’t pulled things apart.” He laughed and upon examination, he said, “It looks really good!” He went on to say, “OK, I am going to turn you loose now, but be careful.” He also said to wait a few more weeks to run.
I knew the scar looked exceptional well and also that I probably had some flexibility in my ankle just from the deep water running. However, now I am beginning dorsiflexion exercises and two-feet calve raises and eccentric calve lowering. Finally, some calve work is now allowed! I was so ecstatic that when I left the doctor’s office I went to the gym, hopped on the Arc Trainer and had a 30 minute workout that burned 649 calories. Yesterday, (the day after 10-week Post Op visit) I burned 1,246 calories on the Arc Trainer and 1,191 today. The Arc Trainer is the most run-fit machine in the gym. I’ll stay on it for another two to three weeks and likely will be ready to start running with 4-5 mile runs a day. I also wear custom orthotics in my running shoes while exercising on the Arc Trainer.
Of course there will be no running until I regain 95% of dorsiflexion (being able to pull my toes toward the shin of the leg).
Less than two weeks ago I ordered a Bauerfeind AchilloTrain Pro Achilles Tendon Support specifically for use on the Arc Trainer and as needed during my first few weeks of running. It is designed to provide therapeutic support and maximum comfort. It’s a compression support sleeve that features a profile insert that provides uniform pressure and a local massage effect during movement. It comes in 5 sizes and by far exceeds anything I have ever used for any running injury. The cost was $104, but it really works as advertised, keeping the swelling down during workout and fairly pain free!
Dr. Burrows of Mississippi Sports Medicine did my surgery and though he is only 32, Dr. Burrows completed a fellowship in Foot and Ankle surgery and absolutely won my confidence and has proved to be the right doctor for my specific injury. Across the street is my Physical Therapist, Wayne Jimenez of Medicomp, who is a triathlete and runner with many years of experience. What Wayne really does well is massage the scar tissue, not always a pleasurable experience because the Achilles is going to be sore during the treatment. It really is an important component of recovery that also helps to minimize swelling.
Probably my favorite one page Protocol for the complete recovery of this surgery from day one to several months Post-Op is Doctor Farhad O. Moola of the University of British Columbia. Here is the link to that Protocol: http://orthodoc.aaos.org/drmoola/Achilles%20Tendon%20Repair%20Protocol.pdf
About Me
- David
- I was teaching cycle at the YMCA and a friend said, "You ought to run!" I thought, “I am 43 and somewhat content in life he must be nuts!” There was nothing appealing about running to me. My friend was a very gifted and knowledgeable runner and in a few months he had me in the right shoes, on the right diet, and believing I too could run. Simply getting to where I could run 3 miles was my biggest challenge. I started doing local races in 2004 and since then have logged over 13,900 miles.