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WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Wed is 8 weeks post op and today we busted through 130 degrees of flexion and -6 degrees of hyper extension. That's -2 more than my friggin good leg. Damn right it was a good day. Of note we started lunges and squats as well as the eliptical and some ball throwing. I've been hitting the gym and swimming (no kicking) as well as running in the pool.
9 weeks post op
Swimming is coming along and I can now do sets of 300m (tougher than it sounds without using your legs). The free weights are getting back to normal as well, so here's to hoping that the waist sizes will drop in accordance...heh, I must have put on 20#'s since I got hurt though I refuse to step on a scale. I'll let my clothes be the judge and right now they say get in the gym ya fatass! :biggrin:
The leg has been sore the past week, ever since we pushed to -6 hyper I've had some real swelling and lost some ROM. We are now back and I can get the leg to -2 on my own. This seems more in line as I think we got a bit overzealous hitting that big number.
I am able to stand up on the pedals on the trainer now so I should be good to go riding outside. I'm kinda trying to delay as long as possible just to avoid any mishaps. I'm getting good cardio with a mix of eliptical, spinner and swimming so i'm not all that concerned. blah blah blah....
Started running the ladder in PT...humbling. As were bosu ball squats. Began some lateral movement stuff as well which at first felt like stepping out into thin air...kinda freaky. As PT ratchets up notches so to does my day after pain. Extreme tightness in the gastro / hammy, the shit feels like steel cables so I'm stretching and hammering away at it with a massager deal to keep it loose.
My workouts in the gym and in the pool are getting strong which feels good as I'm shedding the gut I gained sitting on my ass (30 #!!). Knee feels good but the leg is still quite weak. Walking once everything is stretched and warm is totally normal but am pain and tightness persists. Swelling comes and goes based on activity and how much ice time i'm gettting it.
No complaints. I'm confidant I'll be ready by December.
Swam (pulled no kicking yet) 1000m in 20 minutes today. Good to have the endurance coming back. Started "running the ladder" with lateral movements this week and everything feels solid. Started doing "jumps" on the shuttle and that was a non issue as well. I've been running in the pool and am clear to ride on the road...finally.
You sound like you're doing great and I am sure time on the road will help progress that. Still no kicking? Do you know why? Lateral jumps must feel good too - I am trying to get the hop back in my step . . . haven't been to PT in awhile though.
How's the patellar pain and general walking pain? I find that I still can't walk more than 5-10% of the time without being reminded at every step that my knee is f'd up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kellie
Walking is not really not an issue any more. My gait is normal and feels "right", though going down stairs it's still pretty clear that the leg is weak. Seems to be a muscle thing though. The PT is not an issue excpet when kneeling. Too much time standing still gets the swell on as does going a day or two without spinning the pedals. The bike really keeps the joint clear of fluid. I see the doc this thursday so hopefully he'll give me the ok to start kicking in the pool.
Taking off for a 2 week road trip Saturday so that ought to be interesting as far as keeping the knee loose. The drive is gonna be tough on the calf and hammy tightness that I've been fighting with.
Saw the doc today. No worries. Keep on keepin' on add some lower body weight work, more cycling, more swimming (I can kick now) and keep at it.
I ran Monday...for 6 minutes in 2 minute intervals on a treadmill and it was very humbling. Tightness in my calf is hampering full extension on my stride, 5000 miles driving in 13 days can have that effect I guess. Been on the bike everyday for at least an hour and I'm feeling much stronger, especially when getting out of the saddle. Still getting some pain in the PT when jumping up too quick or pushing too much gear. Endurance is finally coming around and I'm not getting nearly as thrashed from the cardio workouts. ROM is almost 100% and not a concern. All in all I'm feeling pretty good about things.
I can't believe this is happening. 85% healed on the ACL and I rupture my achilles in PT. Looks like I'll be back under the knife this week. Stay tuned.
Story of the new injury here...
Back under the knife Friday at 1 pm. I'm in rehab for another 6 months minimum.
:( So sorry to hear that. Good luck with the surgery and heal up fast!
Surgery went well, it's two weeks of bed rest until I see the doc.
Aiight...doc cut a "window" in the cast today to peak at the slice-n-dice action. All good, cast comes off in a week and it'll be on to my transformer boot for a few months of big pimpin' fun. Best part is that they put a lift under the heel of the fixed achilles which means in order to stay even I get to add a 1" lift to the shoe on my good leg as well.
Truth'll be hittin' it with the glass lifter heel pumps :D
Good luck with the recovery, purgatory ain't got nuthin on truth!
B)
Cast is off!!! I also tried to move the ankle for the first time. This is going to suck, tougher than the ACL for sure. Full ROM is going to be a long time coming. The scar is gnarly and won't go camo the way the ACL does unless I get hair plugs. Regardless, it's nice to be out of the cast. Rehab restarts tomorrow.
Good luck mang. Crossing my fingers hoping you get an attractive OT or PT. :cool:
PT
Back in the saddle so to speak, making full roations with zero resistance on the staionary bike, being careful to avoid any movement past nuetral in dorsi flexion. Light stretching to nuetral as well as side to side with very light resistance as well as gentle massage to keep the scar moving and prevent the tendon from becoming bound up as the skin layers heal. We've had to tpae one smal section of the incision as it is pulling and not closing properly on the surface. A few days taped shut ought to do the trick. What's nice is that aside from the discomfort of stretching what is now a VERY tight achilles there is no pain at all.
The good thing is that I'm able to get back on the sled to work my left leg / ACL. I've only lost a little bit of strength in the VMO and a few degrees of extension that I'll have to fight for. Flexion has actually improved with the down time. It's nice to be able to hammer on the ACL and vent some of the frustration of having to go so slow with the achilles.
cleared for full wieght bearing with crutches and the boot on. In a week I can go to one crutch, 10 days later no crutch. No flexion past nuetral for another month though...
1 crutch down, one to go.
Dropped to one crutch yesterday and was supposed to be on it for a week to 10 days but it was retarded. I said fuck it and dropped em both. No pain and much more comfortable. I'm still in this franken boot for a while but damn it feels good to acctually put one foot in front of another.
http://www.ausmed.com/images/products/J&J11570.jpg
Truth,
That's exactly what mine felt and loooked like. 6 days in though, those staples should be coming out pretty soon, in their place you should get some sterie sp? strips. Kepp work on your Range of motion and other exercises.
Ummm....you don't read so good do ya? http://tetongravity.com/ubb/rolleyes.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by powwrangler
Saw the doc and all is well. Green lighted for: full rom, calf raises, 20 minute light resistannce bike sessions (up from 10). Next visit in 3 weeks and that should spell the end for this knee high contraption I've been gimping around in. Then it'll be a few months in a heeled boot (cowboy or biker type).
Another day another doc visit. ROM is now at 8 degrees dorsi flexion compared to 14 on the healthy ankle. Got the go ahead to begin walking in normal shoes with a heel lift and to be totally out of the "boot" by 12/1. Got on an eliptical machine for the first time today...damn. It's still a long road ahead.
Fianlly got a pic. Watch for scale.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/norma...ines_47984.jpg
After 2 weeks of weaning myself off the boot and into normal shoes the transition is complete. I still have a limp, especially in the morning before I can warm up the achilles and stretch it out. The ankle is so weak, it's kinda a leap of faith with every step. Recent snows are making things a bit interesting and too much time walking about get things pretty tender. Strength and mobility seem to come and go but progress is still being made.
Now that the season is in full swing the bummer of it all is really setting in.
4 months post op and the doc is pleased. As soon as I can do a single leg calf raise on the rebuilt achilles I am cleared to start running. I'm about 65% of the way there and according to him I'm only a few weeks behind the amazing pace Mike Brown of the Chicago Bears set in his recovery last year. I'm now walking normal in normal shoes with no heel lifts which is nice. I'm also able to pedal in the standing position on my spinner for sustained periods which ought to help break up the monotony a bit. All in all things are moving forward nicely.
w00t w00t! :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by truth
soon it will alll be a distant mammory....
Awwww yeah!
I jogged on a treadmill for 1 minute at 4 mph with no limp today.
Haven't checked this one in awhile, but glad to see you're healing well and on your way to "normalcy" . . . I have no doubt you'll be out there soon. Can you XC ski or anything like that? What's the prognosis for return to skiing? Outdoor cycling?
Good luck on seeing it through :smile:
Outdoor Cycling should be a go as soon as the weather here makes it even remotely inviting. X-country is a no as it's far more dangerous to the achilles than alpine would be. Right now my only limiting factors are dorsa flexion in my right ankle (raising your foot toward your shin, thus stretching the achilles) and calf strength. My ACL knee is so bomber it's silly, it's basically had an extra 4 months of rehab as I've been doing all my PT for both legs equally. I could probably ski groomers at this point but the idea is not even tempting to be honest. I'll wait for August in SA.
It's good to hear you're healing well. I remember reading this story when you posted it and I had to reread it after my injury. It's helped me with my injury to see how positive and strong you've been throughout your ordeal. Hopefully the weather gets better and you can get on that bike.
Thanks man, coming up on 12 months of gimpdom here and it's been qutie the adventure. I've learned alot about myself and who I really am. Having so much of my life and the way I viewed myself in the world taken away has been a blessing of sorts. It would seem there were lessons I needed to learn. Hopefully I learned em this time cuz I'm ready to be 100% again.
SA tour fall 2006 baby!
Agility training began yesterday. Hopping side to side and front to back, damn I'm sore as fuck in my achilles but it's a nice move in the right direction.
great thread and info Truth.
i am so sorry to read your final two post, MAN what a bummer
I will continue to keep checkin up on you
I am going under the knife on 3/2/06
man, what a drag
You'll kick the crap out of it man. Just be ready for a week of suck post op. Once you get into PT you'll kill it. Good luck.Quote:
Originally Posted by raddam
Jogged at 4.5 mph for 7 minutes yesterday, also did "4 square" hopping drills 3 x 1 minute sets. Was sore as fvck last night but it feels allright today.
"Ran" a 12:10 mile in PT today. Kinda stoked on that. That distance only took a year to get to since I never quite got there in the ACL rehab.
10:45 mile today. Nice.
nice job truth,
i started reading this thread a couple months back when i first tore my acl. i was so bummed for you when i read about the achilles tendon. glad to see you are pulling through and getting stronger.
im just today two weeks post op and starting pt. ive already decided that if i can come back from this stronger and lighter (i think being weak and heavy at least partially caused my injury), im going to do a straightline adventures camp next season.
you in?