Avert your eyes if you’re easily grossed out. Yep, this is a close up of my healing achilles incision. Did you really think I’d go through this experience without displaying this war wound? Dry, shriveled skin, swollen ankle…Not cute, I know. At least I shaved my leg before the photo op!
The good news is, I’m making progress. When the cast first came off and I was put into the boot, my foot still wasn’t at a 90 degree angle. My heel was basically suspended in the boot, at least an inch higher than the contour of the boot. My doctor put two fairly thick pads in the base of the boot so that I can gradually lower my heal to the base of the boot.
I’ve ben doing my achilles exercises, moving my foot back and forth and each day, I’ve been trying to gently lower my heel as much as I can. Throughout the day, I put my finger in there to see if I’ve been able to lower it any further. If it’s creeped up into the boot a little bit, I try to take the boot off and reposition my foot lower again. The consistency is paying off. I just removed one of the pads from the base of the boot. I’m not quite touching the second pad yet, but I think I’ll make more progress if I see that open space between my heel and the pad.
What can I say, tiny victories mean a lot right now!
I couldn’t wait to get my cast off. I only had it on for a couple of weeks, after the initial week in a splint, so I know it wasn’t long compared to breaking a leg or something, but I was ready to move to the boot. I somehow associated getting my cast off and getting into a boot with everything starting to get a little easier. In my head, that’s when I would turn a corner in my recovery. Imagine my surprise when that’s not really how things turned out.
The cast removal was interesting. I’ve broken fingers and toes before, but they require a splint or just tape when they’re healing. This is my first experience with a cast. As the medical assistant was cutting it off my leg with the little circular saw, I was thinking about how much it would have freaked me out if I was a little kid. Once the cast was removed, my dry, hairy, shriveled leg was revealed. It was downright embarrassing, not to mention gross. My calf muscle feels mushy, like an old man’s. Come to think of it, I guess that’s about right considering it looks like an old man’s calf too.
I’m in a boot now and it feels gargantuan. I’ve even described it as “Robocop-ish,” only without the metal, power, and firearms. It’s bulky and heavy and now I kind of think I liked the cast better. I can’t complain too much though. One great advantage to the boot is that I can take it off as long as I’m going to be sedentary for a while. This beast of a contraption takes a while to get on and off so once it comes off, I’m not moving. (I have to wear it whenever I’m mobile in case I fall or trip with my crutches.)
I still have to keep my foot propped up most of the time or it swells and I am supposed to be taking my boot off each day so that I can spend some time moving my foot back and forth to get the achilles moving. This isn’t like point your toes then try to bring your toes back toward you, major movement. This is very small movements. My foot isn’t even able to get into a 90 degree angle yet. I’ll get there though, just need to keep going with these exercises.
A quick follow up on the shower: Unfortunately, I still haven’t had a real shower. I can take my boot off and the sutures came out when the cast was removed, so I’m cleared for showers, as soon as I can put enough weight on my foot to allow me to stand in the shower and move around. I still can’t submerge the incision in a bath either so for now, I’m still stuck with my leg wrapped in a garbage bag and propped on the side of the tub with the rest of me in the bath. Awk-ward, but it’s better than sponge baths!
by jencrego on March 2, 2010
in Injuries
I think I’ve been a pretty good sport with the whole crutches thing, but enough is enough. I’m ready for things to get back to normal. Aside from accidental trips and spills, I’ve followed my doctor’s orders perfectly. I am not walking on my foot. In fact, tomorrow will be two weeks since the surgery and I’m still not putting any weight on my foot at all.
I am a total cluts on crutches and for fear of falling and showing my panties to the world, I’ve stayed away from wearing skirts. You might think I like to wear the same shorts and sweats day after day, but you’d be wrong. I’ve now gone completely through my basket of socks without a pair (see, I knew they’d come in handy!) and I kiss my husband goodbye when he goes to the gym while I sit at home feeling like a slug.
I’m back at work full time and my desk at work isn’t really comfortable for keeping my leg propped up. My home desk is a little better, but at either location, I spend my days alternating having my leg down until it feels like so much pressure has built up beneath my cast that it will burst, or propped up and to the side so I have to be strangely twisted to work at my computer.
While my dear husband and son do a ton of things for me, I’ve found I can cook dinner and do the dishes if I sit in my work chair and wheel around the kitchen. Why I didn’t play this one out smarter and let them continue taking care of things in the kitchen, I do not know.
Whew! Ok, enough venting. That’s all the “poor me” I have in me right now. This is tough, but it will all be worth it once I’m able to get back to running. I think I’ve learned that two weeks is where my “line” is. Since the surgery, I’ve had times that I’ve felt frustrated or tired of asking for help, tired of hurting, just plain tired of of it all. Today was just one step beyond that level of discontent. If I didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel coming later this week, I would have spent today devising a plan to remove my own cast. As if I could magically walk normal again, if only my cast were removed. Yeah, right!
Things will get better though. My next doctor appointment is Friday after work and I expect my cast to come off. I think that’s when they’ll put me in a boot and I’ll gradually be able to put more weight on my foot. Exciting Friday night plans – A real SHOWER!
by jencrego on February 27, 2010
in Injuries
It’s been about a week and a half now and I’m starting to feel really sick of this. I had no idea how difficult is is for people on crutches. It certainly doesn’t help that I have no balance whatsoever. I am clumsy and uncoordinated. I fall, I knock things over, I make my husband very nervous that I’m going to injure myself even worse than I already am.
I think I am finally noticing a little progress though. After tripping and putting weight on my foot a couple of times, and let me just say, the pain was excruciating, like my achilles was ripping, my doctor put me back on pain pills and told me to lay low a while longer. But now that I haven’t had an incidence for a few days, I think I could put pressure on my foot and it wouldn’t hurt. I’m not testing out this theory quite yet, and I know it might just be the drugs doing their job, but I feel good about the perceived progress all the same.
My cast is so big, I still can’t wear jeans so I’ve been in PJ’s, sweats, and shorts this whole time. My husband told me he’s going to burn these sweats after I’m better. He’s really sick of them, maybe because my laundry room is a couple of steps down so I can’t do laundry right now, (darn it! 
) and I keep having him wash the same things for me. Hey, it’s all about comfort right now!
I should back up and say why I’m in a cast rather than a boot. I was supposed to be put into a boot when my splint came off at my follow up visit. Unfortunately, the boot wasn’t easily letting my foot stay at a comfortable angle so they opted for the cast instead. I’ll be in a boot once my achilles can handle a 90 degree angle, probably next Friday.
For those of you considering achilles surgery, plan accordingly! I thought I would be back at work in a week, but then decided to take a little extra time. Nothing is easy on crutches. I’m sure it will be better when I can put light weight on my foot, but the no weight bearing phase is seriously difficult. Work on balance and strengthening your good leg before surgery. You’ll be thankful you did!
by jencrego on February 22, 2010
in General
I woke up in a splint and with my toes peaking out from the bandages. I was instantly relieved that I had taken the time to get my toes done. A few friends (and my husband) thought I was crazy for putting a pedicure on my list of things to do before the surgery. I had enough on my plate, but it was worth it. Come on, it’s February. Do you really think I’ve done anything except cut my toe nails when they get heinously long nails since September?
I was in and out of sleep for a few hours. The doctor came to see how I was doing and several nurses checked in on me. Since my doctor mentioned getting me fixed up to run later this year, the nurses kept talking running events with me. Of all the nurses I saw that day, I think only two weren’t chatting about running with me.
One of the nurses will run the Girlfriend’s Half Marathon later this year. This will be her first half marathon ever and she’s really excited. A group of nurses from the hospital are training for that one together. Another nurse is doing the Seattle Rock-n-Roll event. (I can’t remember if she’s doing the half or a full marathon) It was really cool to be surrounded by runners for this surgery. How fitting and encouraging!
As soon I was awake enough to get into a wheel chair and go, my husband took me home. I went straight to bed and pretty much stayed there for days. I’ve been up and around, but I haven’t left the house. The pain medication makes me really tired so I’ve just been going with the flow and hoping that helps me recover faster.
I have to say, I really didn’t realize how dependent I was going to be. Like, I can get to the kitchen, but I can’t carry a glass of water back to bed or the couch with me. Being so dependent on someone is really a strange dynamic. I’ll have to write a blog post entirely devoted to that subject.
by jencrego on February 19, 2010
in Injuries
It’s a few days post-surgery now. I’m not quite as drugged up as I was in the beginning, but it’s pretty painful if I don’t have some type of heavy paid medication in my system. I keep feeling like I’m a wimp for taking the medication, but if it’s available to me and I’m hurting, why not take it?
So on the day of surgery, we arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am. We waited in the “short stay” waiting room for just a few minutes before my nurse, Dan, came to take us back to my room. Once there, I had to change into the fashionable lavender paper ensemble they had waiting for me, put my hair up in a cap, and climb into bed. Then Dan the Man went through a bunch of questions, mostly verifying the information I had already provided.
Then it came time for my IV. What can I say, I have difficult veins. I always feel bad for the nurse who tries to poke me. It usually takes them either a few tries, or a couple of nurses. This time, it took 3 pokes and 2 nurses. I’m pretty purple in the spots where they poked me, 2 in my inner arm and one on my hand. I think I kind of look like a drug addict, but I expected that. More times than not, I find myself telling the nurse it’s ok. “It’s me, not you.” I don’t know if they believe me, but it’s true.
Once it was time to head to the OR, I said good bye to my husband and he went to get comfortable in the short stay waiting room again. He had a couple of books to keep him occupied, but he told me later that he fell asleep and practically slept the whole time. Thank goodness! Being bored in a hospital waiting room is miserable.
On my end, I remember them putting the thing over my mouth so I would breath in whatever it was that was putting me asleep. I was drowsy, but I wasn’t out yet when I asked the nurse and anesthesiologist if I would be butt-up. Seriously, my pretty paper dress was now untied and I was curious if my doctor, who had only seen my bare feet and ankles, would have a view of my ass in the air. It’s just a little more personal than I had been with him up to this point. Both the nurse and anesthesiologist quickly replied: one with a yes, one with a no. Then the nurse said, “face down is a better way of putting it.” Great, that’s definitely a yes!
I’ll stop with that visual. I keep falling asleep as I type this so I’ll have to go into the post surgery details later…
Avert your eyes if you’re easily grossed out. Yep, this is a close up of my healing achilles incision. Did you really think I’d go through this experience without displaying this war wound? Dry, shriveled skin, swollen ankle…Not cute, I know. At least I shaved my leg before the photo op!
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