Ruptured going off a diving board. Anyone go through this before? Any advice post operation.

I’d have expected it to hurt more than it has since the accident.

Sign a max-deal with the Brooklyn Nets

_________________

Ruptured the right one at 37, the left at 40, both playing basketball. First surgery went very well, just a long, frustrating rehab/recovery. Second one I got the on-call surgeon, complete jerk who was terrible, did a terrible job (left foot is almost a full size larger in shoes due to knot on my tendon).

I did not recognize the first injury for what it was, walked on it that day, saw the surgeon three days later, two more until surgery. Not all that painful. The second was more psychological pain, knowing the rehab I was about to face. Never did recover right, but that may be as much due to my age.

Good luck, hope yours comes out better. I suggest using the plantar facia boot to sleep in when you get to remove the cast/walking boot at night. It holds your toes up towards your knee, stretching your plantar fascia tendon out so you will have less foot pain when walking in normal shoes.

Run-DMC's third best song.

I was playing racquetball with a friend who snapped it completely and it rolled up his leg. It was disgusting.
Complete recovery. But he was an athlete and a half and in his 20's at the time. That's gotta help a lot.

Anyone wanna call Jake Burger and get his input?

_________________
Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

Get on the GH.

Seriously....that sucks, man. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

_________________

Good stuff. I just watched my wife go through an ACL replacement in the last year. It sounds like the Achilles goes faster than that at least. Luckily I knew the moment it happened. It’s been iced and elevated since and I know I’m going to a decent surgeon.

What was hardest in the rehab? The pain or it just taking so long? I’m reading 4-6 months for full recovery. Is that what you went through?

not achilles but i can speak for the ACL reconstruction.
Ice, Ice, Ice. Buy one or two of these from Amazon.

Do everything your PT says and do it daily. Work on natural walking motion as much as possible (when told to do so)
https://www.amazon.com/Ankle-Foot-Ice-Therapy-Wrap/dp/B0040K8M92/ref=asc_df_B0040K8M92/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309722106657&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4411745000379565461&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9018833&hvtargid=pla-571527797421&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=60862488719&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309722106657&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4411745000379565461&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9018833&hvtargid=pla-571527797421

_________________

He's right. GH is very helpful for injury recovery.

My wife didn’t have that but she had an ice water recirculating. It was amazing. You could fill the container with frozen bottles of ice water and keep it cold for 5-6 hours at a time.

Find an ortho surgeon that has experience in achillies repairs. You do not want to have the surgery done by someone that specializes in shoulders or hip replacements. This will help prevent complications and give you a realistic view of your recovery timetable. Be prepared for some pretty uncomfortable PT sessions down the road.

That sucks.

I don't know how old you are. I'm guessing I'm younger (in my late 20s). My recovery from a fractured tib/fib was humbling a year ago. I'd never broken anything before or had any significant injury. Mine's obviously different because bone vs tendon.

Do your homework on PT places. Choose a place that has younger patients/athletes. Then really get at it! Do the same exercises at home the days you're not going to PT. It's hard to get excited at first but you'll see results quickly.

That he ruptured his achilles. I know it's a long recovery.

The cold water circulation device is called a Polar Care, they are usually blue and come with water and ice fill lines which make them simple to fill. May not be available if your going via the outpatient route.
If you get one it makes recovery easier because you don't have to mess around with filing ice bags constantly. Good to strap back on at home after doing PT or stretches to help alleviate residual soreness.

It's been a while, so I may misremember and technology has improved, but surgery Thursday, home with a half-hard cast/half Ace bandage for swelling, no weight bearing. As instructed ice over the weekend. Over-icing can be an issue, as the skin right there is the thinnest and hardest to heal, so if you over do the ice, blood flow can reduce and healing hampered to the point of possible skin graft to close the wound (see K Effective, recovery #2).

Next week got hard cast, no weight bearing for six weeks. Use giant Ziplok bags to facilitate a shower, get a stool/crate/bucket to kneel on while cleaning up, you will feel much better being clean. I saw a coworker who had hers fixed last year, no crutches anymore, you get to use this knee scooter thing. Weight on your femur rather than your shoulders/arm pits. Makes sense.

Six weeks later get boot begin therapy. Crepituce is the noises made by the repair in the tendon sheath, direct, hard massage-like manipulation on the incision is supposed to eliminate binding there, but hurts so damn bad you will bite the table. I told the therapist I usually paid more for young girls to hurt me that much. She giggled, and we were off and flirting for six weeks. Next time, my therapist was a guy.

When you sever the tendon, you sever the nerves with it and lose brain control of where your foot actually is positioned. The nerves hurt growing back and can tear again pretty easy, so DO NOT rush the flexing until they tell you to. I spent a lot of time standing on the repaired foot trying to regain balance and strength.Walking backward on the treadmill, stairclimber. My best suggestion is to be really careful about your diet. I had a very active job at the time, and the second rehab lead me to get fat, a trend I have really gotten behind. It's easy to go from hurt/out of shape to morbidly obese, the reverse is impossible. Shut up. I said it is impossible.

_________________

Thanks! Go under the knife at 2 tomorrow. Going to a ortho practice with a guy specialized in knee and ankle. Should be in good hands.

K- when did you start pt? After the casts?

My wife just finished rehabbing an acl and they started 2 days after surgery.

Worried about the getting fat part of this. Is lifting with the upper body a pipe dream when the surgery is complete.

Good luck, Turd! I hope everything goes as well as possible tomorrow.

Good willing I spend the next 7 months on my ass watching the beloved march to the Super Bowl.

+1

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Yes, best of luck tomorrow, TF. Will they let you keep your giant foam cowboy hat on during surgery?

I did not start any rehab until the hard cast came off- there is no movement with that on, and no weight bearing allowed. Six weeks plus a few days. They pulled the staples when the hard cast came off, I think. My body does not seem to dissolve the internal sutures that should dissolve- they tend to work their way to the surface. This happened with two of my three hernia repairs and the second achilles. I'm not sure if it was the internal, dissolvable suture on my tendon sheath or if some of the titanium wire used to stitch the tendon back together, but the end of one of them was poking through the skin. This left an open sore, which got infected several times, keeping it from healing. I was on the last step before a skin graft off of my back. They finally trimmed whatever it was off and it healed for a while.

The rehab started shortly after the cast was replaced by a walking boot. Very low impact at first, some with the boot on, most without. Lots of just stretching and massage.Your whole leg takes a hit- with no load bearing the thigh muscle shrinks, and the calf muscle is non-existent afterwards. I still walk with a limp, but that may be from no ACL in my right knee, or the achilles, not sure. Now I wobble like a weeble.

I had hops after the first one tore and I rehabbed it, not dunking any more but decent for a white guy at 37. The second one, added in with a switch to my current job and it's rotating day/night shift work, has added about 70 pounds in 15 years. Watch your diet at first, most cardio activity is not possible on one leg.

Damn you have had a rough go. I’ve been lucky so far. First ever surgery.

Well, how's it going, Turd? (how often have you typed that sentence out?)

Jumping off a diving board
A diving board
Jumping off i
Ruptured my Achilles

Hoping surgery is done
Get it done
Get it done to fix my Achilles

Never gonna stop
Fix it up
Put me in a walking cast
Heal it up
But I'll walk again on

My my my my my my wooooa

Muh muh muh my Achilles.

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014