Time to put my foot down and ....

get back to work.

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.

But if you have any questions about dealing with an achilles tendon rupture or the equipment I mentioned in this blog, feel free to contact me.

For more information about the iWalkFree hands-free crutch, visit the manufacturer at www.iwalk-free.com or their distributor www.goodbyecrutches.com.

BTW, I am not affilliated with either company or the distributor.

Out of sight out of site

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!

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!

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

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.

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!

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.