My Ruptured Achilles Tendon

Time to put my foot down and ....

2010-06-16T00:50:00.003-04:00

shut it down.

Everything is good with the ankle. I'm playing ball again and my ankle is holding up better than the rest of me; but that's another story.

Bye for now.

Out of sight out of site

2009-05-15T15:19:00.004-04:00

Woah! It's been almost 6 months since my last post to this blog. I guess once I got full use of my right ankle, complete with the attached foot, I got off my butt and out doing stuff.

Well, since my last post I have been doing great! The Achilles is completely healed, although it is twice the width of my left Achilles.

I found it very strange running with it and I'm much slower than I was pre-rupture.

That's it for now.

Buh-Bye Boot Cast!

2008-11-07T09:36:00.004-05:00

The day finally came; no more walking boot needed!

The doctor said that I can now start walking on the foot without the use of the hands-free crutch or the boot cast. I do have to be wary of any swelling in the ankle as it may be a sign of a little too much stress on it.
He also mentioned that although I can walk without aid, I can't carry anything heavy or work-out my calf. No calf raises, etc. I won't get full strength back for 6 months.

Next is home physio. It will be a bit painful but it's for the better.

I guess I'll have to cancel my entry to Mr. Universe.

If you don't want to get hit, stay off the sidewalk!

2008-10-24T10:02:00.005-04:00

Note: The past month has been fairly uneventful. I didn't want to bore you with how I'm taking a shower, caring for the stitches (now gone), etc. I guess if I was still using the regular crutches, I would have more to share (accidents, lounging around, getting served, etc.) but since I can contribute to my own care and feeding, there isn't much to say. And I'm happy with that.

I started a new job on Monday, and was concerned that I couldn't drive for a few more weeks. A cab ride is $80 each way (flat rate)! The company has been gracious enough to let me work from home the first week until I find out what the deal is with the injury.

I went to my 8-week update with the Orthopedic surgeon yesterday, and it's all good news! My surgery is healing perfectly. In fact, it's a little ahead of schedule (if there is actually a schedule to keep).

He mentioned that some surgeons allow their patients to walk after 4 weeks, but he's found that that the Achilles would stretch too much and therefore weaken the step later on. He knew that I'm not the sedentary type so he's kept me off it longer than most to keep the tendon a little tighter.

He's glad that I have kept off the foot as much as I can and now that my ankle can bend beyond 90 degrees, I will be able to officially walk on it. He also said I could drive (woot!) although I would have to wear a regular shoe since I really can't feel the gas pedal. No argument from me. Freedom!

But I won't be able to walk on it for two more weeks. Although I am grateful about the iWalkFree device, I think it's time to start walking on my own. It snowed a few days ago (in October!) and I had to take it off and hobble on the walking boot for a bit since I was afraid of slipping on it and tearing my groin muscle.

It's all uphill from here, and now that I can drive, I can do it faster!

Injured man gets the chair

2008-09-22T14:51:00.005-04:00

Ever since my injury a few weeks back I have been very careful when taking a shower. I didn't want to get my first plaster cast or my red fibreglass cast wet in any way. The last thing I wanted was to have mould taking root on my leg and possibly on my stitches.

The kids had very small step-stool they used to brush their teeth when they couldn't reach the taps or the sink. I put that stool in the shower, brought the shower head down to the floor and then carefully climbed onto the little stool. I also had to clear the shower threshold!

The only problem with the little stool was that it wasn't designed for a 190 lb guy to sit on in the shower. It slid into the wall a few times while I was just about to sit on it. The last thing I wanted was to knock myself out after smashing my head on the shower wall. Not a nice thing for the kids to find when they got home from school!

So on Saturday we went to a Shoppers Drug Mart HomeHealthCare store in Newmarket to rent an Invacare CareGuard Tool-less Shower Chair. I lucked out and got one with a back since the regular ones were all out. Same price as a standard one too; $25 a month or $15 a week.

It has adjustable legs and nice stickey rubber feet (even when wet) so it doesn't slide! Just make sure you like the position of it before you sit because you won't be able to move it after you're on.

It's much larger than the stool but if you're stuck with having to take a shower sitting down, these things are a must-have.

Good bye cast! Hello, uh, different kind of cast.

2008-09-18T22:00:00.006-04:00

I went to the fracture clinic at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket this afternoon to get the cast removed and the surgery examined. The doctor told me that the stitches were healing nicely and after moving my foot to the 90 degree position, said that the Achilles was remarkably flexible for only three weeks out of surgery.

Verdict: no hard cast but a walking boot! At least I can take it off to stretch the Achilles, shower (can't submerge it though) and air it out. Wonderful! I still have to sleep with it on because my foot may be stretched too much under the covers, or even hit by my other foot.

I had brought an Aircast FP (Foam Pneumatic) walking boot my wife had borrowed from her business partner. No use paying for one, right? It comes with a little rubber pump thingy that attaches to two little nozzles on each side of the boot. One end of the pump inflates, the other deflates.

The doctor also made sure that it was clean or I would have to get a new one. They've had other patients bring their own only to get infections because the boot wasn't properly cleaned. That's nasty.

I'm due to go back in 5 weeks to possibly begin walking and rehab. I can't wait.

Oh, my aching calf!

2008-09-17T21:35:00.005-04:00

The last few days my calf muscle has been aching. Kind of like the pain I experienced when the Achilles ruptured but not as intense. When I put my foot up the pain subsides.

I'll discuss that with the doctor tomorrow when I go back to the hospital so they can remove my nice red cast to examine the wound.

I also took a Motrin, which did the trick.

I cabbed it to a meeting today in Mississauga and wasn't happy about spending $160 in fares!

I'm really hoping they say I can drive.

Calf squish!

2008-09-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

I can understand the medical reason for not putting weight on my foot (time to heal, don't want the calf working on the newly-stitched Achilles, etc.), but there is another reason not to put your foot down while wearing a cast; calf squish.

I had put my heel down on the floor by accident while reaching for my hands-free crutch and immediately felt my calf muscle trying to squeeze into the narrower space just above the ankle space in the cast.

That in turn put a little 'stretch' on my stitches (it felt like it did). I didn't like that feeling, so I will be more careful now.

Although I reserve the right as a man/husband/father to "put my foot down" from time to time, this would not be one of of those times.

It's a nice red

2008-09-04T23:30:00.001-04:00

The temporary plaster half-cast that I've been wearing for the past week was removed this afternoon (no saw, just shears), and I got a chance to look at the doctors handiwork. I'm impressed.

Speaking of saws, I'm still a little paranoid of that little blade taking a half inch from the surface of my shin bone! It almost looks like the one they use on CSI to cut open the top of a dead guys head! And no matter how many nice colors you have on the saw, a 6 year old kid still knows it's a saw and will scream bloody murder when you try to remove that stinky cast she's been wearing for the past month.

Anyway, the cut is about 4" long and is held by dissolving stitches, not staples. I'm glad for that since I've seen some nasty scars from staple use. The stitches are covered by tape and the whole thing doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. Great job doc.

The tech reset my foot in a more forward-facing position (not turned-in as they did in surgery) and at a slight down angle. In the coming weeks they will be taking off the cast(s), checking out the wound and resetting it at a slightly flatter orientation to fully flat. These changes will allow the Achilles tendon to stretch and be ready for the walking boot (even thought I'm not to walk on it at that time), then to fully walk after that.

The cast is a nice red color. I was going to get a black one but my wife and kids selected a red one for me so that I can cheer on my Red Sox baseball team as we try to take first place in our league. This is the second time I have missed the finals! While pitching last year I took a softball to the face that knocked me out and had to miss the second of a double header.

This new cast is much lighter than the plaster one but also much tighter. I was informed that as my ankle and foot swells and contracts, the cast won't budge so I will feel it much more and must keep it elevated more often.

Hey, who am I to argue with a professional who says I have to sit on my butt more often?

Bone saw! Isn't that the name of a thrash metal band?

2008-09-04T11:00:00.000-04:00

I'm scheduled for an appointment at the fracture clinic this afternoon. They're supposed to be removing the plaster cast, examining their handiwork, and replacing the cast with my first of many fiberglass casts. I'm interested in seeing how the doctor closed the cut since I was told by the wonderful nurses that some doctors use stitches, some use staples.

When I started this blog, I decided I wouldn't post pics of other Achilles injuries I found on the web. I planned on posting a picture of my own for your gross-out pleasure.

House of Pain

2008-09-03T15:56:00.008-04:00

I have a very high pain threshold but I don't really tolerate a long-term throbbing ache.

When I first left the hospital on Friday I was given a prescription for Codeine. I figured that since the new surgery was hurting badly already, a good shot of Codeine would do the trick.

Truth is, the Codeine knocked me out more than it numbed the pain. Even at night I was tossing and turning with the dull ache even though I had taken the drug before bed.

I tried the Codeine for a few days, then decided that I would be more productive awake than dozing so switched to Motrin Extra Strength, aka ibuprofen. The pain quickly went away and I was also much more alert.

Now if there were something I could take to stop this sweating. The exertion with muscles never used in the way I'm walking, is making me a little warmer than usual.

iWALKFree? You bet your ankle!

2008-09-02T21:00:00.002-04:00

Since I have never missed my kids first day of school, I wasn't going to start today. I was able to get out of the car with my wife and kids, walk to the back of the school where all the parents were waiting with their kids, and not feel crippled as I would with crutches.

I was able to get my own coffee, cook my own lunch and carry it all to the chair where I'm writing this blog. Thank you joely1957 for letting me try it out before I bought it.

Although I stayed inside most of today (it was almost 30 C!), I took a little walk in the neighborhood after I dropped off the kids at school and then again to pick them up at the end of the day. Not very far mind you. I'm still getting used to walking with this wonderful device.

I got many interesting glances from passers-by and engaged in a few conversations about it, and my ruptured Achilles.

Later, I even made some meat sauce (see pic at left) and got water ready for tortellini when my love came home. I actually carried a large pot of hot water from the sink to the stove without spilling a drop! There was no way I could do that with crutches!

After dinner with the family, we did some groceries. I insisted that I walk behind a shopping cart instead of using their lovely motorized scooter thing. You know, the one with the little basket in the front. Although my kids and wife wanted me to use it, there was no way I was going to jam myself into that wide-load vinyl seat, grab those tiny handlebars and honk that anemic horn as I put-put through the isles. I'm sure the kids wanted me to use it so they could take a ride too.

Instead, I confidently WALKED through the isles and shopped like everyone else.

One funny side-effect of wearing it is that if I'm walking toward someone, it must seem to them that I don't have a leg below my knee and that I'm wearing some weird pirate leg!

Their facial expression and eye movement is very interesting; first they look at me, then they look at my 'missing' leg, their faces drop, then try to avoid me at all costs. I'm sure this is the sort of reaction that some of us have with real amputees.

Once they pass me and realize that my lower leg is still there, it's almost as if they breath a sigh of relief. Very strange.

Anyway, for those of you that are debating whether to get one vs. torture devices aka crutches, there are a few tips and testimonials from the iWALKFree website.

Note: I don't make any money from or have any affiliation with this company other than owning one of their great products.

Here is a sample of the instructions:
Wearing iWALKFree:
1. place knee of affected leg on tray; fasten tray strap to a snug, comfortable fit
2. fasten lower strap to a snug, comfortable fit around leg just above knee
3. fasten upper strap to a snug, comfortable fit around leg just below groin

Walking with iWALKFree:
1. use either a handrail or parallel bars while becoming accustomed to the device
2. maintain a wide stance with legs apart while walking
3. maintain an erect posture and watch where you are going

It's funny that they have to remind the wearer to "place knee of affected leg on tray". One wonders if users have called them and complained that the thing doesn't work, only to find out that they have the wrong leg strapped in!

Crutches are really from hell, you know

2008-09-01T21:00:00.001-04:00

Can someone please tell me why, with so many advances in medical science, are crutches still designed as implements of torture? When did having a wrecked ankle mean that I would lose the ability to use my hands?!

The only changes to crutches that I have seen in my lifetime are the transition from wood to metal. That's it.

I went to Upper Canada Mall on Saturday and was glad that there was a wheelchair available for me to use. Now that may sound like fun but let me assure you that pushing yourself around in a fairly heavy, generic, vinyl, steel and plastic wheelchair is not that much fun. But at least I wouldn't have to hobble around on aluminum crutches.

When I was told by the doctor on Friday that I would have to be off the foot (non-load bearing) for at least two months until I got into the walking boot, I broke into a cold sweat. Not because of the length of time to recover, because I knew my injury would be getting better. I was more upset being crutch-bound for the entire time. The stress from the crutches on my body would NOT get better as the days clicked away.

I'm sure crutches are part of the arsenal of implements of torture in hell and Satan makes you use them to do things like go up and down stairs, carry hot cups of coffee, or even eat a banana without sitting down. Since I'm not going there, I figured I wouldn't want to experience hell for the months I would be off my foot.

There was no way I would be able to be out and about using crutches and/or a wheelchair.

While researching Achilles tendon injuries and treatments online, I came upon something called an iWalkFree Handsfree Crutch. Here is the story of why it was created. and here is a picture of it.

Interesting and made in Canada!

So I go hunting for a medical supply company that carries this amazing device but lo and behold, none carry it. Hm.

Although I knew that my insurance would cover it, I couldn't wait for it. I found a lightly used one on eBay for $175! I contacted the seller and asked if I could try it out. He was located 30 minutes from home, so on Monday afternoon, my family took a trip to check it out.

I tried it on, did a bit of wobbling and hobbling, then finally got the hang of putting it on and taking it off. That took me about 15 minutes. I was very impressed with the simplicity of the device.

Why in the world do hospitals and clinics not even mention that something like this exists? Maybe the company should boost their marketing and promotion of the product.

No matter. I have it and you can't take it away from me.

And Now the Wonderful News!

2008-08-30T21:00:00.002-04:00

I was told by the emergency room doctor that I have ruptured my Achilles tendon. For those of you that don't know what the Achilles tendon is, here is a good picture of one. It's basically the elastic thing that attaches your calf muscle to your foot and allows you to point your foot down.

A rupture is a complete breaking away of the tendon from the heel of your foot. I know that because during my consult on Friday morning, the doctor performed what is called the Thompson's Test. He squeezed my calf muscles to confirm that there was no movement in the injured foot. You want to fail the test. I passed.

Hey, if you're going to do some damage to yourself, 'rupture' is the way to go.

I am told that there are two options to getting this fixed;

1. Non-surgical. Get a cast and wait until it heals on it's own. Then physio to learn how to walk again. At least 6 months of that. 11% chance of breaking again.

2. Surgical. They go in and reattach the tendon. Hard casts for two months, then walking boot for one, then physio after that. 3% chance of breaking it again. Same chances as a healthy Achilles.

Either way I can look forward to realign my foot every few weeks by removing the cast, resetting the angle, then casting again.

I don't enjoy going/staying at/or visiting hospitals, but why on earth would someone go the non-surgical route? I guess for Americans without enough insurance this could cost a pretty penny, but here in Canada our tax dollars cover almost everything.

After discussing it with my wife for about 10 seconds, I opt for the surgery. The doctor quickly confirms a spot in surgery, and we're off to the races.

I won't go into the weird wait in line to get into the OR (hey lady, if you didn't want the nosejob, why did you come back TWICE?). Anyway, once it's my turn, they knock me out, flip me on my stomach and do their magic with the scalpel, needle and thread. About an hour later I'm in the recovery room and waking up.

One thing I forgot to mention; at every point in my journey, and with every NEW hospital staff that my wife and I met, they all asked me to confirm what foot it was and what was wrong with it. Did they not have it written down somewhere? Have they made a mistake and worked on the wrong body part in the past? Kind of scary but I guess necessary.

My love takes me home to start my recovery on Friday afternoon. Not even 24 hours after the injury.

Weekend Warrior Gets Whacked!

2008-08-29T22:58:00.001-04:00

A little background first which I'll break up into a few posts tonight and tomorrow:

So last night, my neighbour invites me and two others to play a friendly game of squash at a local community centre. That day I go to SportChek and pick up a good pair of Nikes with gel soles (so I won't slip, of course).

I hadn't played squash in over ten years. My wife and I were members of a squash club and visited it many times a week. I played squash, she did aerobics (with the occasional squash game with me). But once the kids were born, and work got more intense, we gave it up.

I did about 10 minutes of stretching my hams/Achilles/shoulders/etc. while I was waiting my turn to get my butt kicked by my neighbour. We had one court and were switching in and out and played for about 45 minutes.

I'm really getting warmed up and getting in some nice moves and good points. I hit a good one and waited for a volley. The second I went for it with a quick forward lunge off my right foot, I went down like a ton of bricks. It felt like I caught my heel under the glass door of the court or that I had hit myself in the ankle with my own racquet!

The guys watching said that my foot never left the court but my leg and body tried to go forward without it.

I was rushed to SouthLake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, admitted to emergency. About an hour or so later (pretty quick for Canadian healthcare waiting times) I was put into a cast and sent home (because Orthopaedic surgeons don't work at midnight) with an appointment made for the next day to get surgery/consultation in the fracture clinic.

My wife of course has seen this too many times before; I go out with the guys, I get hurt, I call her to explain (I can see her in my mind slowly closing her eyes and shaking her head), then we're off to "recovery". She then forces me to lounge around the house and then I get quickly get into trouble when I try to do things as if I don't have a 5lb plaster cast on some part of my body.

I am lucky to have a woman like her!