Bri's Achilles

Back on the Court

2009-02-09T20:05:00.009-06:00

48 weeks, 4 days post-op

Before I forget, I wanted to tell my faithful followers (is anyone still reading this?) about my return to volleyball.

November 22
Played 2 matches back row. Accidentally jumped and did a back row attack which went over, and was not legal because I was playing libero. But, the ref didn't notice. I was excited! Our team didn't even make it to playoffs :(

December 6
Played libero and a couple of games front row. We got 2nd place. I think I lost my serving muscles...

December 13
Played libero and a couple of games front row. We got 2nd place.

January 3
Played front row only and was mostly just taking up space on the court. Slow! I think we got second in the tournament?

January 24
Played front row only. We got 1st place in A.

February 7
Played all the way around, the entire day. We got 2nd in the tournament, lost in the finals to Carnival Ride. I ran out of gas by the last match.

So, that's it. I guess I can't remember many details, but I am looking forward to playing all the way around from now on. I am still working on my vertical (I can't jump as high, or hang in the air as long), my quickness, and my stamina. My hitting shoulder has also been hurting - weird, I thought it would get better after 9 months of rest. Anyway, my team has been really supportive and great for letting me come back slowly. Stay tuned for more, we are getting ready for Nationals this year which is in Minneapolis.

Significant Achilles Moments

2008-10-04T21:16:00.002-05:00

30 weeks, 2 days post-op

#1
I went for a bike ride yesterday and felt that my seat was really low. I finally stopped at my turn-around point and noticed it was all the way down! I moved it up to full height. Since my surgery I've been keeping the bike seat low enough that I could touch the ground with my feet while seated - I didn't have the calf strength to stand on the pedal and push off. Well, now I do!

#2
While planning my outfit for "going out" I tried on my first pair of sort of high heels since surgery - my gold cowboy boots. I walked around in them for a while but the didn't quite feel right. I think I'm destined to wear flats for a while longer.

#3
We were watching Season 4 of Oz the other night. It's an HBO prison show that aired in 2001. Anyway... there was a staff vs. prisoners basketball game. One of the Correctional Officers was an extremely good basketball player, a scout came to watch him, and told him to come try out for some NBA team. Well the prisoners had bets on the game so they all jumped this CO. There was a big brawl and I saw a knife and his foot and I knew exactly what they were going to do. They sliced his Achilles. I started bawling.

And of course my husband had fallen asleep so he couldn't comfort me and then when he woke up he rewound it - I covered my eyes. I think my fellow ATR friends will know what I felt like - all the pain came flooding back. So, watch Oz at your own risk.

#4
Went for my first hiking trip since surgery at Minnehaha Falls. I played it pretty safe and didn't go climbing off the trails but it was fun.

#5
I had a dream that I played my first volleyball game since surgery. I think it went pretty well, I can't really remember.

Stay tuned for more, it looks like I'm averaging about one blog per month here.

6 Months!

2008-09-13T20:43:00.006-05:00

27 weeks, 2 days post-op

Ok so it is a little after six months. I'm busy! You can tell you're getting better when your blogging starts to taper off.

I am doing well. My tendon feels pretty good most of the time. It still gets a little sore and swollen at times. My jogging has gotten better and faster - not so peg legged anymore. I got a new bike and have been biking 10.5 miles to work and back 2-3 times per week. I do my physical therapy exercises pretty regularly - I'd say about 5 times per week. My calf raises are getting better and I feel like my calf is getting stronger.

I think I'm ready to head to the gym and start peppering with a... volleyball! If I can find mine... it's been so long. I have been playing a little sand volleyball on Wii. I've found that Wii games are really good rehab.

Update on the house
We didn't get it. We scheduled closing 4 times and 4 times the seller came up with some reason to cancel it. We finally found out that he owed the lumber company a bunch of money and would only be able to pay off half of that from the sale of a house. Since they had a lien on the house they wouldn't sign off on the deal. So... finally they canceled the purchase agreement. We got a new realtor and we are still looking for a house. We really like our new realtor, and we got locked into a new interest rate that is almost a point lower than before. So, we lucked out.

Ultrasound
I found an interesting article on ultrasound - I had one a couple of months after surgery and they found a blod clot in my leg. Maybe one of these days I'll create an index of the more important posts - the preparations for surgery, the complications (pressure sore, blood clot), etc.

Run, Bri, Run!

2008-08-05T19:15:00.003-05:00

21 weeks, 6 days post-op

Last PT Appointment
I had my last PT appointment yesterday. She did the (still painful) soft tissue massage (and said there were some undissolved stitches working their way out)... asked how things were going. Well, they're going great - I've been riding my bike to work, going for 3 mile walks, I went to my first SPIN class (it was difficult to stand up on the bike but I think it is good for building my calf muscle), I can go down stairs pretty normally, etc.

She had me do some jogging on the trampoline and some single calf raises - she was impressed. She had me try some jumps - forward and back and side to side. My tendon felt fine doing this but my bad foot didn't quite remember what to do. We looked at the exercises I had been doing and she starred the ones I need to focus on. She added light jogging and plyometrics exercises.

I guess with my insurance I only get 20 physical therapy sessions a year, and this was #15. So they're not really kicking me to the curb. I can call if I have any questions and I still can come in if I need to. She even gave me a t-shirt for graduation, woo hoo.

Daily Exercises
Gastroc Stretch
Step Down
Side Steps
Grapevine
Walking backwards
Toe push off walking
Walking on toes
One Foot Balance
Hip leg lifts
Hip leg raise
Bilateral Heel Raise
Heel Lift with Eccentric Loading
Single Heel Raise, eccentric loading
Plyometrics - forward and back
Plyometrics - side to side
Plyometrics - diagonals
Massage/Vitamin E

T-Shirts
AchillesBlog came out with a t-shirt and Dennis sent me one for free as a thanks for helping with the Marathon Tracker. Thanks! You made my day!

First Jog
Today I went for my first jog. It felt great! I almost cried I was was so happy - which is quite a change from how I used to view exercise, especially running. My injured leg is still weak so it was kind of a limp jog, but it was still a jog. I went around the lake, about 3 miles, walking and jogging.

Back to Volleyball
My PT said about 9 months to be back to volleyball so we're looking at December 1 people!

I'll post some photos soon...

Getting Better...

2008-07-07T21:05:00.008-05:00

17 weeks, 5 days post-op

I had my 12th physical therapy appointment today. I was able to do some one legged calf raises, leaning on the bar, and my PT was quite impressed. She told me to keep working on them one legged, because it's difficult to not "cheat" and let the good leg do all the work. I've been doing single calf raises in the pool, which I think has helped a lot. I stand at about 3 feet deep and I can do a full calf raise with only my left foot.

Since I only have two PT appointments left, she suggested I spread them out and come in every two weeks instead of every week. I love this idea (I was a little nervous about stopping PT). I'm supposed to do my shuffle steps in the pool also, and basically continue the exercises I have been doing - really trying to build the calf muscle. I'm supposed to focus on really pushing off the toes when I walk. I'm getting much better at going down stairs, just that last little bit of strength and flexibility is what I need. At the beginning of August I can start to try running. She said a couple of times that my body will tell me what I'm ready for.

I have been biking for longer and longer distances. If I had an odometer I'd tell you exactly how far, but I don't. I ride for about an hour and try to go farther down the Trail each time I ride.

We went to the Twins game on the 4th of July. I realized my walking has gotten a lot faster. Also, we got to our seats and see this guy sitting behind us with a black Bledsoe boot on his left foot and crutches below his seat. Yep, you guessed it - he tore his Achilles. Playing softball. I told him to check out AchillesBlog.

First Volleyball Tournament

2008-07-02T21:39:00.006-05:00

Watching, not playing! They even let me into the players tent, thanks Sonia!

Here's an update on the scar:

Get some calf strength already!

2008-06-30T23:01:00.008-05:00

16 weeks, 3 days post-op

Today was a rough one at PT. Apparently I'm not as far as I should be with regards to calf strength. I need to push the calf raises harder, to exhaustion, and not let my beefy right leg do all the work. It was especially frustrating because I feel like I've gotten a lot stronger in the past week - I've been biking more, walking and not getting tired, etc. My flexibility is really good, so that made me feel better. Doing the gastroc stretch I'm at 30, which is about normal. With my knee bent I'm at 30, and 35 is normal. I've improved since last time, and I'd tell you how much but I forgot! I have 3 more PT sessions before they set me loose, so go calf muscle go!

I have been biking for about 40 minutes at a time, in higher and higher gears (I keep it low enough so my injured leg can contribute equally). I've been walking more - I no longer need to analyze the amount of walking in a given activity to decide whether I should do it or not.

A friend from college was in town - Angela and her boyfriend. It was fun to hang out with them, we went to Grand Ole Creamery and walked up and down Grand (see previous comment about walking).

I went to my first sand volleyball tournament this weekend. It was a lot of fun to see my friends and to catch up. It was a little weird to be there and not be playing. I realized one good thing about being injured and not playing sand volleyball: my toenails stay painted a lot longer. I think I'd rather play :) I fielded the question, "Why aren't you playing today?" a couple of times, to which I replied with a showing of my scar.

My handicap pass expired. Not that I really need it anymore, but it was convenient for meter parking downtown.

We did not close on the house. The seller was trying to back out of the deal so we gave him 30 more days and offered a little more on the closing costs. We'll see what happens.

When I need a good laugh, I can always look at the pictures below - taken on my husband's cell phone in the pre-op room. I look like an old lady!

Shoe Dilemma Solved (for now)

2008-06-11T09:08:00.004-05:00

13 weeks, 6 days post-op

Well, I got it all figured out. After buying and returning about 5 pairs of shoes and annoying the crap out of my husband...

The Sofft ballet flats are the first ones I bought: right after my doctor's appointment I went straight to Marshalls (he said wear what's comfortable - although these gave me a huge blister... see below...). For walking, I found some New Balance slip on shoes at Kohl's. For walking sandals, I ordered the Chaco Wrapsody from Zappos (instant gratification - I ordered them on Saturday and they arrived on Monday - free shipping!). I kept the Chaco flip flops because my physical therapist said they'd be ok to wear - not for a lot of walking though - and because I love flip flops. And, I wear my Crocs too. None of the shoes are really "dressy" but I don't really need to dress up and they are all comfortable for walking and don't rub against my scar. Success! Finally. It looks like a lot of shoes... but that's all I can wear!

Here's how red my left foot gets after standing on it for a while.

I am doing well according to my physical therapist. She gave me the ok to start riding a real bike, not a stationary one! I haven't tried it yet because today was cold and rainy yet again. But maybe tomorrow. I am focusing on strengthening exercises: calf raises (I'm at about 50-60% weight on the injured leg, and the goal is to get to 100%), sidesteps (my husband thinks this one is funny), gastroc stretch, step down (I stand on a book with my injured leg and tap my right heel on the ground), and balancing on one leg. The step down is strengthening my leg so I can, among other things, go down stairs like a normal person. Lately I have been alternating feet as I'm going down stairs, holding on to the railing for extra support.

I still have an adhesion at the stop of the scar. My PT says it will go away eventually. I gave all my medical equipment back to my sister to take back to Goodwill. The last thing to go was the shower stool, which I didn't actually use in the shower but used in the bathroom to rest my leg on. I have been going for walks for fun and to continue to strengthen my weak leg. I got rid of my foot rest at work so I'm not elevating my leg anymore during the day.

I've been thinking back on how far I've come and how nice it is to be able to walk. There's still a long way to go though. There have been a couple of times when I've been walking with people and they forget I can't run and start darting through traffic to cross the street. I was thinking what I'd do if a car was heading for me - run to get out of the way and risk going through the Achilles rehab again, or just take the hit. I think I'd just take the hit.

I've gotten addicted to watching the Today Show in the morning... I used to get so tired from just getting ready in the morning that I'd have to lay on the couch for a while before going to work. Now I have a lot more energy, but it's really fun to watch TV in the morning! Oh well...

I also cut 6 inches off my hair. I had gotten my hair cut two days before I tore my Achilles. After I realized how difficult it was to bathe, I wished I had chopped it!

Oh, and the biggest news of all - I almost forgot - we are in the process of buying a house. My injury had put a damper on looking for houses. Once I could walk, we started looking again and found one we both love! Photos coming soon...

Physical Therapy #7

2008-05-28T22:18:00.002-05:00

11 weeks, 6 days post-op

The first thing my PT did was test my flexibility. I'm at full 'flexing' flexibility. Pointing my foot is still not as good with my bad foot. She massaged the top of my foot and pulled it more into the stretch. Then she massaged that area and the tendon. This is no fancy Juut massage, let me tell you. Owww!

I did some Total Gym with one leg, calf raises, marching on the trampoline, standing on one leg. I need to work on my standing on one leg, so I'm to move my right leg forward, side, and back while I balance on the left leg. She added another exercise where I shuffle side to side.

She asked, "do you normally do some jogging?"
I excitedly said "yes."
She said, "a few more weeks before you can do that."

She watched me walk. I am not pushing off my toe like I should be, so I will work on that. I have to exaggerate the motion because my foot doesn't want to cooperate.

I'm down to one PT per week now, which is good because the $20 copays are starting to add up.

Still having the shoe dilemma. I ordered a pair of Chaco Hipthongs, but they don't fit quite right either. Uggh.

Post-Op #5

2008-05-20T06:34:00.003-05:00

10 weeks, 5 days post-op

I saw my ortho for the last time today. He entrusted me to the capable hands of my physical therapists. I can remove the heel lift entirely this week. I can walk around barefoot! Still no explosive movements for a couple of months. I can do stationary bike and walk on flat ground. I can wear whatever shoes feel comfortable (I didn't ask if that included flip flops). I can stop taking Aspirin for the blood clot. The scar is still adhered a little bit at the top, so hopefully that will get worked out soon.

Physical Therapy
First, the massage. Ouch! She took what looked like a knife and rubbed it on the back of my leg - supposedly lengthening out the gastroc. It hurt! Then I did some calf raises, with about 50% of my weight on each leg. I did the total gym, this time with one leg. Some 'prancing' on the trampoline to get ready for walking on uneven ground. She added another exercise: the gastroc stretch. She had me try doing a calf raise with all my weight on my bad foot - I tried and I tried but I didn't move anywhere, which is what she expected (I was a little surprised though).

We had some discussion about which shoes I could wear (definitely not flip flops) but she said Chacos were ok. I have been wearing my running shoes 24/7 but they started irritating the bottom of my scar. Uggh! I just get to where I can walk almost normal, and now I don't have any shoes I can walk in! (I tried my Chacos but they are the old Chong style and my feet get pushed off the back which is too much of a stretch in my tendon for me right now). I wear my Crocs around the house but they aren't sturdy enough for going out and about. I found that my volleyball shoes don't go as high as my running shoes so I've been wearing those. It's good I'm not superstitious, because those are the shoes I tore my Achilles in (knock on wood).

I go down stairs with the bad foot first. I don't have the flexibility or the strength in my calf to step down with my good foot. I go up stairs alternating feet. When I got home from the surgeon appointment I started walking around barefoot. It felt OK on the carpet but it hurt quite a bit on the hard floor. I asked my PT about this, she said I had lost the fat on the bottom of my foot from not using it. Amazing what happens to your body!

Ok, I hope that wasn't too boring but that is what's going on right now!

Gee, thanks honey!

2008-05-18T11:33:00.002-05:00

Here is my loving, wonderful husband helping me with my dorsiflexion Theraband exercises. As you can see, he is still playing his video game (he's holding the Theraband under his arm). He calls it multi-tasking. Gee, thanks honey!

He did make me breakfast in bed today though, so I guess I'll let him off the hook for that one.

Update

2008-05-17T15:13:00.007-05:00

10 weeks, 2 days post-op

I've had 5 physical therapy appointments so far. I see my surgeon on Monday. My flexibility increased from 5 degrees at the last PT appt to 8 degrees on Thursday. Walking without a limp is better but it is difficult. It's a little easier with another layer peeled out of the heel lift. I've been doing my exercises. I'm increasing my calf raises to 50% weight on the bad foot. The adhesion is getting better and the scar isn't quite so puckered.

It's getting warmer and I'm really hoping I can stop wearing tennis shoes soon! I still can't stand on the bad foot without a shoe, which means one-legged showers and hot feet. This is really the slow part of recovery - I can walk but I can't do much else. It will be 2 more months until I can run or go to Spin class. I can do stationary bike and left weights.

Here's how it's looking:

You can see that my left calf is a little smaller, there is a little spot at the top of the scar where it is adhered to the tissue below (which reminds me, I need to massage it), and my left tendon is fatter and not as defined as the right one.

According to AchillesBlog NYC Marathon Tracker, I'm 5.17 out of 26.2 miles to full recovery. I've got a long way to go! Some people see me walking and think I'm all better... Nope! Not even close!

Stop Limping Already!

2008-05-09T19:58:00.005-05:00

9 weeks, 1 day post-op

I had my 3rd physical therapy appointment today. First she got out her "tools" (torture kit) and started "massaging" (hurting) my Achilles and the adhesion. It's being stubborn. Once it is separated it will stay that way, it' s a matter of working at it.

I did some new exercises - rising up on my toes with most of my weight on my good leg. I did an incline squat machine. That one felt great - to actually be using my left quad again. She watched how I was walking and told me I was limping, so I'm supposed to practice going heel to toe. I guess I was just too scared to do it before! She added some new exercises to my daily regiment:
- bilateral heel raise
- one foot balance

My flexibility is getting better. The first PT appointment I could flex my good foot to 13 (degrees?) and my bad foot to 0. 2nd PT my bad foot was at 4, and today it was at 5.

I peeled a layer off the heel lift today - two more to go.

I guess that's about it, regarding my injury. I'm doing my exercises, I'm working on my walking, and I'm waiting.

The Swell Season
My husband and I went to the Orpheum to see the Swell Season. It was fantastic. Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, and the opener Damien Dempsey were great. My husband slept through the entire thing, but I loved it. See the movie "Once" if you haven't!

Two Shoes!!

2008-05-03T21:33:00.005-05:00

Friday was a big day. I got to ditch the boot and wear two shoes (with a heel lift in each - I am supposed to peel one layer away each week). I also had my first physical therapy session.

I wore the boot to physical therapy because I was a little scared to try the shoe. My physical therapist - Maryann - went over the protocol and gave me some exercises (I had to buy a turquoise Theraband). She measured the flexibility in my bad foot compared to my good foot and had me do some exercises. She massaged the tendon for a while. She said my sutures looked good. I showed her the pucker in the scar and she said it was an adhesion and that she'd work it out with massage. Apparently adhesions are pretty common with any surgery (where the skin adheres to the tissue underneath).

Exercises (2x per day)
Ankle Alphabet A-Z
Ankle Pumps - 20
Isometrics: Eversion (with a rolled pillow) - 10
Isometrics: Inversion (with a rolled pillow) - 10
Theraband: Plantar Flexion - 20
Theraband: Eversion - 20
Theraband: Inversion - 20
Seated toe raises: 20

I walked out of there in the shoe. It was very slow - I felt like I was back at square one, walking exactly the way I was after I tore my Achilles. I'm nervous about going heel to toe - not that I could anyways right now because my foot is weak and my tendon is inflexible. I do have to be more careful now, because I could re-rupture it.

I walked very slowly at work. I put the boot on at night to go grocery shopping. It felt really good to have the boot on - I never thought I'd say that, but it feels really great to have it on, and I can walk much faster. Plus, the boot is a very visible sign that something is wrong with my foot. Now that I'm in two shoes, no one has any clue why I am limping and walking so slow. There should be some sort of orange flag you can tie to your leg that means you are "injured."

I've been doing my exercises, massaging the tendon once a day, and applying Vitamin E. My next physical therapy session is Tuesday.

I wonder how long it will be until I can wear flip flops... Sigh...

Leesha and hippo tore their 'Achelies'

2008-04-29T08:52:00.005-05:00

Check out the video. Leesha put on my boot and said she tore her Achilles. Listen for the giggles, the "whee!", and at the end she says, "I can't even fold my leg."

Hippo also tore his Achilles. His leg was torn so she put a cast on so his leg wouldn't fall off again. He has to wear the cast for five more weeks.

I think she has way more fun on the crutches than I do.

Extreme Makeover - Achilles Edition

2008-04-26T00:30:00.013-05:00

My friend Michelle and her boyfriend Chris brought us dinner the other night - really great homemade pizzas.

Here is Michelle and I before (last summer, playing sand volleyball)

Here is Michelle and I after (showing off our matching Achilles scars - I'm the one on the right, with the cankle)

Now this is the weird kind of messed up makeover where we want to get back to how we were before. Michelle tore her left Achilles in November playing volleyball. I was amazed that she showed up in flip flops and without a limp - there is hope! She is still a couple of months away from explosive movements. She should be able to get in some games this sand season. I'll have to wait for indoor. We traded stories about being NWB and our significant others traded stories about waiting on us hand and foot. It was great!

Here's a close-up of my incision - it's healing nicely. I'm not sure why it's puckered at the top. I was reading on achilles blog about adhesions...? Just what I need, another complication...

The update on walking: since Wednesday, I've pretty much ditched the crutches. The first few steps in the morning are painful, but other than that walking is slow but good. I take the boot off at home whenever I'm sitting, because it's really hot and sort of uncomfortable. I've been using the crutches for trips to the bathroom (to avoid putting my boot back on). That sort of feels like cheating though... so today, Saturday, the crutches are in the bedroom, not to be used at all! It feels great to be able to walk, to help my husband cook dinner, etc. I still have a long way to go - and I can't wait until I'm out of the boot (next Friday). I found an old flip flop that I've never liked, never worn, but it's just the right height for walking in the boot. I suppose flip flop isn't the best choice for footwear, but: it's only 50% of my weight, it keeps me cool, and it's the best thing I've got for walking in the boot! Ok mom?

My husband is sleeping so Leesha and I snuck Pride & Prejudice in the DVD player - ha! Better get to watching before he wakes up...

Blood Clot, The Mars Volta, and Walking

2008-04-23T08:50:00.003-05:00

The blood clot
I found out more about the blood clot - I had to follow up with my PCP on Monday, but she's on maternity leave, so I followed up with another doctor. The fancy name is that I have a thrombus in the anterior tibial vein. The doctor said there are varying opinions on whether this vein is in the superficial (not serious) or deep vein system (serious). He spoke with a blood clot specialist who said that this area generally doesn't cause problems (pulmonary embolus) so my doctor recommended one Aspirin per day - the same thing my surgeon recommended. The Aspirin will thin my blood, and now that I'm moving around more the clot should go away on its own. The pain is getting much better. I found some good information here if you want to read more.

The Mars Volta
My brother and I went to see The Mars Volta at the Roy Wilkins. I was glad I had convinced my brother to forgo general admission and get nice, comfortable seats (we bought the tickets before the fateful day of 3/1). We walked the two blocks to the venue (not such a good idea, even with both crutches) and went in - only to find that it was all general admission. Ummm... I can't stand for four hours... and I paid for a seat... Luckily, a really nice lady led us to a platform in the back and brought us 5 chairs - me, my foot, my brother, my boss, his wife. (Yeah, my boss likes The Mars Volta, how cool is that). The show was awesome. They played non stop for 3 hours.

The Walking
Walking is getting better and better. I've been walking around with no crutches, and taking one or two with me when I go out in public. My heel sometimes gets sore on the bottom. It is great though, to be able to carry stuff! I spent an hour cleaning our apartment last night - I must be feeling better.

Walking

2008-04-20T19:03:00.008-05:00

Saturday morning I walked up and down the hall of our apartment building (my husband came with me). It went pretty well, I even went down to one crutch a little on the way back.

Saturday night we went out to Mi Familia with mi familia to celebrate my birthday. I used two crutches there.

Sunday at church I brought only one crutch and walked Zach all the way down to his class and then walked with Jeremy into the church service. I even stood up when we were supposed to (and then sat down when I got tired.) So far it seems that my one year old niece walks better than I do!

We stopped by Sprint on the way home and I one-crutched it in there. I was pretty tired when we got home and my heel was hurting a little.

It was really nice outside today (finally) so I convinced my husband to go for a walk. We brought the wheelchair and he pushed me. I'm not quite up for that kind of walking yet!

The view from the wheelchair

Later I went for another walk up and down the hallway, this one didn't feel quite as good as before - I used two crutches.

So, those are my first attempts at walking. My calf muscle looks like it is starting to come back a little tiny bit. I still have a long ways to go. I am reminded that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint - and there are setbacks. Just because I walk down the hall with one crutch doesn't mean I'll be able to do it again two hours later.

Post-Op #4

2008-04-19T11:24:00.009-05:00

6 weeks, 1 day post-op

Getting There
Friday... I show up at the location I usually go to, but nobody was there. My cell phone was really low on battery and my gas light had come on, and I had to drive 20 minutes to the other location (What if I ran out of gas, my cell phone died, and I had to crutch for miles? - these are the thoughts I was having). I lost my appointment so I'd have to wait until they could see me.

There
I got in to see my surgeon. He checked out my tendon and had me push with my foot against his hand. He said I could ditch the crutches and start full weight bearing in the boot. I was a little shocked, I expected a gradual increase to weight bearing. He wrote me a script for physical therapy starting in two weeks. I can also start wearing a shoe in two weeks, with a heel lift (the same as what's in my boot). Then each week I peel away a layer of the heel lift until it's gone. I see my surgeon again in four weeks. I can take the boot off when I sleep - or whenever I'm not 'walking' around.

He was ready to leave and I was like, "Do you want to look at my calf? That's why I'm here." He looked at it and still didn't think it was a blood clot because I didn't have any of the symptoms. I was telling him about how the pain was bothering me and something I said must have convinced him to send me for an ultrasound.

Leaving There
I kept the crutches and tried to walk out of the clinic. It felt pretty weird and I'm sure it looked weird. My foot doesn't quite know what to do yet. I walked over to the physical therapy office and made my appointment. I got some gas, hopping. Got back to work and practiced walking a little.

The Ultrasound
First of all, NOT what I expected at all. I thought I'd lay on my stomach and they'd ultrasound my calf. I had to lay on my back, pants off, sheet covering me. She uses the ultrasound to check all the veins and arteries from my groin to my foot, pushing in as she goes - checking to see if the blood is going back to the heart. She found something on the front of my leg on the outside, and was looking for the source of it behind my knee. She kept pressing behind my knee where it's been hurting - ouch. The whole thing took at least an hour. Luckily I had my husband there holding my hand.

My surgeon sent orders for them to hold me and call him if they found anything. So they took us to this little waiting room where we waited for the phone to ring. The phone rang. My surgeon told me they found a blood clot - he used some big words and I'm sure I'm not explaining this very well. Basically it's small, superficial, and below the knee so it's something they don't really treat. He advised taking an aspirin a day and he'd follow up with my regular doctor on Monday. It should go away on it's own. At least I know where all the pain is coming from!

Tips & Tricks Part 2

2008-04-17T21:38:00.003-05:00

My family/friends/coworkers have been great at helping me out. But when they aren't around, you have to make do...

Carrying things with crutches

Armpit Crutching
This is a new one I just discovered - because all we had to eat was leftover pizza and no one was around - and I needed a way to carry it to the couch. You have to go slow, you can't go very far, you have to be careful, and you can't tell your mom (because she will freak out). With my left arm I crutch as normal, with my hand bearing the weight. With my right arm, I use my armpit to bear the weight and to move the crutch, leaving my right hand free to carry the pizza.
Apron from grandma
My grandma made this apron for my mom to carry her cell phone around the house. Well, it works perfectly for carrying stuff on crutches, too!
In your pants
This is works well for a Diet Dr. Pepper from the fridge, or for my juice in the morning (in a sealed mug from Starbucks). It requires pants with a tight elastic waistband and some confidence - because it looks funny and people will laugh at you. I save this one for at home. At work I use my desk chair and push myself over to the fridge.
In your fingers
You don't really need your fingers for crutching, so you can carry a Nalgene bottle or something small.
Over your shoulder
I use this for carrying my clothes, or my towel to the bathroom, or basically anything that will stay there!

Tips & Tricks

2008-04-17T18:46:00.014-05:00

Electronics
Thank you iPod, laptop, and TV for entertaining me while I've been stuck on the couch.

Loofah
Works great to get the dead skin off your almost-always-covered injured leg.

Toenails
Have your husband help you with these. They're a little difficult to reach. Jeremy painted mine purple and they look great! Although, I don't think I can wear flip flops for a while - probably not the wisest footwear when all my weight is one foot. Bummer!

Sock
What do other Achilles victims wear in their walking boot? I've been wearing the sock like material from the doctor - the stuff they put over your foot in the splint. It works great - there are no seams and it's high enough that it doesn't cut into the swelling, plus it lets my toes stick out.

Padding in the splint and boot
I guess I have really bony feet or something because I kept getting pressure sores. I finally realized that if you put padding on the part that isn't sticking out, that part will take the pressure. I put a pad just above my heel and that really helped in the splint. In the boot I put a pad on the inside of my foot.

Ok, I guess that's it for tips and tricks. My friend Michelle (who ruptured her left Achilles in November) suggested screaming - whenever I get frustrated with my injury. She said it helps.

Tomorrow I have my Post Op #4. It was originally scheduled for Monday the 21st but I called on Wednesday because the pain in my calf was driving me nuts. It was aching when I was sitting, and hurting pretty badly when I was up walking around. I would be feeling great if it wasn't for that. Anyway, the doctor wasn't too worried about it (calf pain can mean blood cot) but wanted me to come in on Friday.

Have any other Achilles victims experienced calf pain like this? Or had any trouble with pressure sores? Except for the week after surgery, most of my pain and discomfort has been from these complications rather than the repaired tendon.

Countdown to Weight Bearing

2008-04-13T09:22:00.025-05:00

One week and one day until weight bearing! The range of motion is getting better. The swelling is better but my ankle still gets pretty fat if I keep my foot down for too long. Ice and elevation get it back to normal after a couple of hours. Three of the five tapes have fallen off and the scar looks pretty good. (See the bottom of this post for photos)

Can you tell I'm feeling better? Not as much time to write in my blog now! I'll try to fill you in on the main events that you missed...

Parking at work
I flagged down a parking enforcement officer in downtown St. Paul. There is no handicapped parking at my building and the parking garage is over a block away and there are stairs - not a big deal unless it's raining or snowing. The meters outside the building are valid for four hours with a handicapped pass. According to the officer, I have to move my car two blocks after four hours or else I will get a ticket. So how am I supposed to work 8 hours and park close to the building? It doesn't make any sense. He said he wouldn't give me a ticket but he couldn't speak for anyone else. He didn't know who we could call to complain about it. Our landlord for our office building has also not returned our calls about handicapped parking. So far I've been parking at the meter all day and haven't gotten a ticket.

The ER
I went to the ER Monday (4/7) after work. No, not for me! My husband got another one of those really bad headaches at work - this time with dizziness and nausea - and his boss called 911. His coworkers worried that I couldn't drive over there (because of my injury) but I could. So I headed over to Fairview Southdale at about 6 pm, freaking out... He was sleeping when I got there. They did an MRI which turned out to be negative and he got discharged around 11 - diagnosis of vertigo and non-specific headache, with instructions to return if it happened again.

We went to Perkins for muffins because we were starving and it was a 1/2 hour drive home. Buy three, get three free and a hot chocolate - mmm. The funny thing about Perkins is they have about 8 handicapped parking spots out front and a really heavy door (not an automatic handicapped door). I guess handicapped people go to Perkins, but not by themselves.

Slippery Outback
My husband and I had a date night planned for Friday. I had great plans of getting dressed up nice and going out somewhere but by the time Friday came I was exhausted. I suggested getting takeout but he didn't like any of my ideas for food. He suggested Outback and I convinced him to meet me there instead of getting takeout. I arrived before he did, and drove around to the side of the building for Handicapped Parking. There was a door and a sign that said "Ring the Bell for Handicapped Entrance" or something like that. Weird. I rang the bell and waited, freezing... I peeked in and saw a waitress coming so I stepped back. Waited, freezing... Finally I crutched over to the front door. A hostess and the manager opened the door, said they just missed me at the other door. My crutch slipped and I lost my balance, flexed my bad foot, but caught myself before stepping on my bad foot. I have had at least three slips like that but that one was the worst. I was scared, and a little mad, and I couldn't help it - I started crying right there in Outback. The manager was really nice, asked me to come in and sit down so they could make sure I was ok. I said "no, I want to leave" but finally I came in and waited for Jeremy.

I'm really careful outside when it's snowy or rainy or sleety, but I have to remember those tiled floors are slippery! I'm scared to death of re-rupturing my Achilles.

Anyway, we had a nice dinner - or at least I did. Jeremy hated his steak and didn't eat most of it. We also got up sold on some Coke Zero that we thought was free, oops. They took the steak off the bill, which was nice.

We went to Best Buy and used one of their wheelchairs to shop around. We were trying to find a new TV series to watch since we finished House and can't agree on anything else. I was looking for something that could play my iPod in my car. Jeremy was looking at Blue Ray DVD players vs. the PS3. We didn't buy anything.

The scar so far

The couch
I have everything I need within arm's reach.
It's great, but my husband gets a little annoyed with the 'clutter.'

The bathroom
The toilet seat is from Goodwill and so is the bath chair.
I use the bath chair so I can stand at the counter.
My husband uses the other bathroom.

For the past week I've been standing up in the shower on one foot. Before that I'd take a bath and hang my bad foot over the edge of the tub. I don't know if you really wanted to know that but for me it was a big milestone. I scoot the bath chair right next to the shower so I can step in and step out without hopping

The Real World

2008-04-03T20:08:00.006-05:00

My tendon is stretching and my foot is starting to feel more comfortable in the boot. The foot exercises are starting to feel a bit better and not quite as awkward. It still gets swollen at work, fat in the ankle. What did Val so lovingly call it, cankles? I definitely have a cankle.

I figured out a new trick at work. I use my desk chair as a wheelchair and go back and forth from my desk to the kitchen. Then I can carry stuff! I'm sure it looks funny.

I also realized that the parking meters outside the building are valid for 4 hours with a handicapped pass. So if I get to work at 10 and go to Starbucks at 2, I can park at the meter until 6. Luckily today, Erin was up for the Starbucks trip, otherwise I would have had to order my iced mocha in my Nalgene bottle so I could carry it. Unluckily today - and I didn't realize it until I was sitting comfortably at my desk - there was no espresso in my iced mocha. Arrgh!

I've been venturing out into the real world a little bit more. California Pizza Kitchen, Woodfire Grill, TGI Fridays, and of course Starbucks. Most are pretty handicap friendly - I just ask for an extra chair to prop my leg up. (My coworkers are also really awesome at helping me out). The funny thing about Starbucks is that they have this really huge handicapped bathroom with a really heavy door (how are you supposed to open it) and a small trash can with the foot step opener thing (again, on crutches, how are you supposed to open it?). TGI Fridays doesn't have handicap doors, and when we got there it was a 20 minute wait and all the seats were taken. Now, when you can't put weight on your foot, it is not comfortable to stand for any length of time. I was getting teary eyed at the injustice of it all. Luckily the bench opened up outside. It was chilly but it worked.

Post-Op #3

2008-03-31T18:58:00.017-05:00

3 weeks, 4 days post-op

I met with my surgeon today at 10:10. It wasn't as busy as other times I've been there, so he had more time to talk and answer questions.

I get to skip a cast completely (because I am 'compliant' and strong enough to handle the crutches). Now I'll be wearing the CAM walker boot (that big black sexy thing they gave me in the ER) with a heel lift, so my foot is still prone. The boot is at home, so they wrapped me back in the splint for now. I have three more weeks of non-weight bearing. I can take off the boot and do range of motion stuff and ABCs. I was expecting only 1.5 more weeks of NWB, and he said my tendon is healing well, so I'm not sure why the extra time... But I'd rather be safe than sorry. The risk now is re-rupture. Could you imagine? I can't. I don't think I could do this again.

I was worried that the pain in my calf was a blood clot. He felt the muscle and thought it was just sore from the splint putting pressure on my weak calf muscle. Prevention is keep your leg elevated above your heart and exercising the leg to prevent pooling of blood. Here are the symptoms of a blood clot, in case you're interested:
• a general swelling in the calf, ankle, foot, or thigh
• increased warmth of the leg
• redness
• pain in the leg
• night leg cramps
• bluish discoloration of the skin on the leg or toes

I told him about how swollen my foot got at work, and that I elevated it when I got home. He suggested keeping my leg at more of a 90 degree angle to my body (instead of what I was doing, which was more of a 45 degree angle). I tried that today and it worked well - not as much swelling.

I asked if I could wash my foot (yes) and if I could take the tape off (no, let it fall off). No weight on the bad foot, toe touch down for balance is OK. Resting it on the ground while driving is also OK.

I am a little discouraged with the 3 more weeks of NWB. It especially sucked today because it was snowy out. I slipped a little on the way in and flexed my bad foot. My coworker Erin pulled my car up close to the office and helped me get out there successfully, thanks Erin!

I put the boot on with the heel lift. It stretched my tendon, the position is closer to 90 degrees than the splint was. I also tried some range of motion exercises which felt extremely weird. It is really difficult to flex my foot. I guess that's to be expected after not moving it for three weeks!

My friend Laela stopped by after work with sandwiches from Jimmy Johns. We talked, played Guitar Hero, and watched House. It was fun!

This is my "Jeremy and Laela are playing Guitar Hero and I don't know what else to do until it's my turn but take a picture of myself" smile :)

Happy Birthday (to me)

2008-03-30T17:34:00.003-05:00

Did you know Brad Pitt tore his Achilles playing Achilles? Click here for more famous Achilles Ruptures. What does that have to do with my birthday? Nothing, really.

My calf has been hurting since Thursday so I decided not to go to church today. Plus, Jeremy and the kids were going to the busiest 11 am service and I didn't feel like navigating the crowd.

Ok... my birthday... it was good! My husband made a great breakfast of french toast, cheesy eggs, and a cinnamon roll. He also made an awesome dinner of steak, potatoes (baked potato for him, yam for me), broccoli, spinach salad with strawberries). It was great! We watched our favorite show House.

Driving...

2008-03-28T07:44:00.005-05:00

I drove myself yesterday. I left a message for my doctor to see if it was ok, because I'd have to rest my foot on the ground, but I haven't heard back. So... I drove. I had my husband put some towels in my car, one to prop my leg up to keep the weight off my foot, and one on the ground to keep my splint clean. I made sure my work bag was as light as possible (lunch, Diet Dr. Pepper, and a couple of folders).

I made the long one block trek from the parking garage to the office. My arms were sore when I got there but my awesome coworkers helped me with the doors and getting situated.

My pressure sore is a lot better (finally). I put the padding higher on my heel to keep the weight off my heel while the splint on. At work I have my foot propped on an ottoman and it gets really swollen - I'm talking sausage toes. When I get home from work I take the splint off and elevate my foot with an ice pack to get the swelling back down.

It's difficult to elevate my foot with the splint on and keep pressure off the pressure sore (any weight on the back of the splint puts weight on the heel - I'm stuck on my side or stomach). So I'm assuming swelling is the lesser evil at this point, and I'm doing everything I can to get rid of the pressure sore.

I have all these questions for my doctor. You only get about 10 minutes with the actual surgeon at the follow-up appointments, so you have to make sure to ask all of your questions. You can call and ask, but you usually have to wait for the return phone call. The should have a brochure about "what to expect after surgery." Or somebody should blog about their experience or something...

Back to Work and More

2008-03-24T17:59:00.009-05:00

Today was my first day back at the office. My father-in-law picked me up at 9:30 am and helped me carry my lunch, ottoman, pillow, and work bag. My boss brought in awesome almond croissants from Bread & Chocolate, we had a brief staff meeting, and I got to work! I lasted until about 4. My foot felt good as far as no pain, but as the day went on I could feel it swelling (scroll down to see photos - the first was when I got home, the second was a couple of hours later). My father-in-law gave me a ride home, now I'm propping up my foot trying to get the swelling down.

Pressure Sore Update
The pressure sore is... finally... getting better. I was scaring myself by researching it on the Internet - apparently they take forever to heal and can break the skin and get infected. It's on my heel, so with the splint it is tough to keep weight off of it. Sigh. They don't tell you to watch out for this stuff!

The Fall
I forgot to write about this when it happened a week ago. I knew it would happen eventually, and it will probably happen again. I got up from the couch with the crutches and couldn't quite get my balance, so I fell down rather than stepping on my bad foot. It scared me more than anything and I got a little bruise on my knee. Boo hoo.

My foot after work

My foot after work after elevating for 2 hours

Post-Op #2

2008-03-19T21:55:00.008-05:00

13 days post-op

I got to trade my stitches in for some cool looking tape. (The nurse took the first picture, I took the second one, so don't be freaked out by the different angles. And sorry if these pictures are gross. I think they're incredibly interesting since my leg has been hidden under a cast since surgery!)

The surgeon said my leg was healing nicely. I can start wiggling my toes, lifting my foot, moving my leg around, etc. I told him about the pain I've been having the past week (the throbbing in my heel). It turns out that my splint was too tight and I got a pressure sore. What!!?? I could have unwrapped the splint and wrapped it up looser (I didn't know that!). So, they put some extra padding in and wrapped it really loosely this time back in the splint - I got to choose between cast and splint and I chose splint. So, the pain should stop, and I should be able to sleep! I can't believe it. The moral of the story is to call the doctor when something is wrong. I just thought that I hadn't been elevating my foot enough. Sigh.

My mom and brother took me to the appointment and we want to Starbucks afterwards to get a coffee (of course) and to pick up a Star Tribune because there was an article about one of our clients, Farm Boy. I got an iced mocha but forgot the paper, oops!

So, today was a great day!

Good Days & Bad Days

2008-03-16T19:45:00.006-05:00

You know the thing I miss most about sports after college is the trainers. If you get hurt, they knew what to do and they took care of you (thanks Val, Rieko, Todd, Sonya, etc.)

Anyway, hmmm. What to write about. I've had some good days and bad days (mostly based on the amount of pain I've had)

Thursday - good
It was nice and sunny outside. I watched Grey's Anatomy for most of the day. Then my sisters came over to 'babysit' me - and we ate Pei Wei and watched more Grey's Anatomy.

Thursday night - bad
I could not sleep. I was having sharp pains in my heel, and no matter where I moved my leg, it wouldn't go away. When Jeremy woke up I had him get me more medication (which usually helps and then I sleep for a few hours) and that didn't work either. I woke up crabby and also nauseous.

Friday - good and bad
Jeremy and I took the wheelchair and ran some errands. It probably wasn't the best idea (see Thursday night - bad) but I had been looking forward to getting out. We went to Bed, Bath & Beyond and got a pillow for my leg, and some towels (I know, this is so interesting, tell me more). Then we went to U4EA to pick up some files so I can work from home next week. It was great to see my coworkers, hard to believe I've been gone for almost two weeks. There isn't a very good handicapped entrance to our building so Jeremy carried the wheelchair and I hopped up the stairs. We went to REI quickly (Jeremy ran in and got the water bottle I ordered) and Best Buy, where we spent our $50 gift card. (Sorry if you're bored, but this stuff is big news in my life right now). I was so tired and nauseous by the end of this trip, I didn't even want to stop at Starbucks. I spent the rest of the day resting. And, my foot hurt the rest of the night (this is the bad part).

Saturday - good
I really took it easy today and rested. Grey's Anatomy, My Girl, My Girl 2 helped pass the time. I slept good at night too, even though I had scary dreams. I woke up to pain, took an Ibuprofen, and went back to sleep.

Sunday - good and bad
I stayed home from church again. I woke up feeling pretty good, no pain. I decided to try just Ibuprofen and no Codeine (my latest med, since Friday) so I could think. I sat up at my desk for 2 hours to pay the bills, still feeling pretty good. And then it hurt for the rest of the night. I think I'll try a Codeine.

Ok, I think we're all caught up now.

Pain Update

2008-03-13T12:18:00.003-05:00

OOOOWWWW!

After the doctor's appointment I took 1 Vicodin. That did not help. My foot throbbed, tingled, hurt, all night. It was frustrating because I had sort of been thinking I needed to tough it out until my doctor's appointment and everything would be fine after that, I'd just have to keep weight off that foot. I wasn't planning on having more pain.

I added another pill a couple of hours later and that didn't really help. Later that night the pain got better, and/or I started to get used to it, and I took two pills before bed. That seemed to work and I slept great. I don't feel as out of it on this medication, just tired, so that's good.

Post-Op #1

2008-03-12T17:12:00.011-05:00

6 days after surgery

Last night I went to bed before taking a pain pill, and I did not sleep much - my foot hurt and tingled all night. Not fun. Jeremy woke up around 6 and gave me meds, then I slept until 11:45. Felt a little dizzy and nauseous this morning too but no need for the bucket.

We met with the doctor at 12:45. The nurse took off my cast and we waited for the doctor. My foot is a little yellow and sticky from the betadine. We waited a while for the doctor - Jeremy discovered that my crutches make a comfortable foot rest.

He came in and looked at my incision and sutures (the incision is as long as my pinkie finger). He said everything looked good, no infection. Our reaction was "gross" but the doctor was a little insulted because he was proud of his suture work, saying it would leave a good (I think that means minimal) scar. I'm supposed to keep resting - not be up and about for more than 15 minutes each hour, keep the leg elevated. They wrapped up my leg with the same brace piece as before. You can see from the photos that it's not as swollen as before surgery.

Now it might look like I'm wearing the same outfit as in that other photo and that is true but it is clean, and I keep rotating the same three comfy outfits, ok?

I see him again next Wednesday to get the stitches out. At least four more weeks of non-weight bearing, then I will move from the soft cast to a boot, still with my foot at a 45 degree angle. The Percocet is gone so now I'm on to Vicodin. We'll see what kind of crazy side effects come from that.

I thought I'd be able to go to work tomorrow but the doctors want to make sure I'm resting still and not taking too much on. So... we'll see...

First Outing

2008-03-11T16:09:00.007-05:00

It is really nice outside today (40 degrees is really nice in Minnesota) so Jeremy took me for a little walk in the wheelchair. We went to the main office of our apartment building to pick up a package (House Season 3). I had a blanket over my legs, I looked like a real sick person. It was nice to get outside for a little bit.

Jeremy went out to run some errands. He stopped by the DMV to get my Handicapped Parking Pass. It was $10, and the doctor prescribed it through July.

The pain and nausea are better today. I'm down to 1/2 the pain meds so I can concentrate a lot better too! I sat at my desk (with my leg propped up on the ottoman from my sister) for about a half hour to balance the checkbook, and that felt OK. One step closer to going back to work!

Jeremy's doing a great job of taking care of me. He's getting used to the routine: pain meds every 5 hours (not for long!), switch ice packs every hour or so, keep all the necessities within my reach (crutches, bucket, phone, ipod, laptop, teddy, blankie, remotes, water).

(View from the top of the tulips from my mother-in-law and our house-warming poinsettia)

Thank God for the bucket

2008-03-10T13:18:00.007-05:00

I woke up this morning around 6am feeling a little dizzy and nauseous. I had some Sprite and some food, and got all set up on the couch before Jeremy left for work. I slept through all of Notting Hill. I decided to turn my trip to the bathroom into a super trip - I went to the bathroom, grabbed an empty ice cream bucket, a new ice pack, and a Sprite.

Ok, here comes the gross part. I threw up big time. Luckily I had the ice cream bucket, imagine me on crutches trying to make it to the bathroom in time. My mom showed up a few minutes later so she helped me take care of the bucket. She made me some cinnamon-sugar toast since I was still a little queasy. She brought me a card, a Starbucks gift card, and Grey's Anatomy Season 3 - woo hoo! Thanks Mom, Kaley, Jody, and Corey.

I thought maybe my pain meds were causing the nausea so I tried just Ibuprofen - nope, didn't work. Mom and I watched Grey's Anatomy, then Jeremy came home from work. I tried the pain meds again and so far, so good. We watched ER and Down To You. I'd say today was the worst day so far of recovery just because of the nausea and the pain. Hopefully tomorrow will be better! I need to drink a lot more water... It's easy to get dehydrated laying on the couch all day, believe it or not.

A word about the painkillers
My doctor prescribed Percoset and another pill for nausea. They are weird. They make me really sleepy, like I could sleep all day and sleep all night. When I am awake, they make me kind of dopey, like I'm not all there. They also give me really vivid dreams that feel real. And, they make my legs twitch, which freaks my husband out. Oh and they do a pretty good job of taking away the pain. I don't know why I'm telling you all this. Friends & family, ignore this stuff. This is for me to look back on and for others who've injured their Achilles.

The first shower

2008-03-09T18:05:00.003-05:00

I took my first post-surgery bath today. It felt great to be clean. You think that's gross? 3 days without showering? Well, it is, but you try being 5'11" on painkillers and not being able to get your cast wet. Anyway, I feel much better now.

It still hurts quite a bit when the painkillers wear off. And whenever I stand up. It feels like there is a lot of pressure around my foot, it is a weird feeling. I don't really know how to describe it except that it is very uncomfortable.

After Surgery

2008-03-08T18:09:00.004-06:00

Well, it definitely hurts much worse after surgery. And, these painkillers make me feel a little woozy and sleepy. I see the doctor again on Wednesday.

My friends and family have been awesome. My U4EA coworkers stopped by on Friday with a Starbucks coffee (decaf nonfat mocha, mmm), some almond croissants, a Target gift card, a card... We bought "Once" and "House Season 2." The Firm, one of our clients, sent over some beautiful flowers. My mother-in-law stopped by and brought some beautiful tulips. It is nice to look around from my *permanent place on the couch and see these things. My mom brought us some yummy dinner for Friday night, and tonight Jeremy is making stuffed shells. I'm listening to the new Mars Volta CD thanks to Alberto & Corey. The kids have been great too, very sweet and helpful.

Surgery went well

2008-03-08T17:48:00.008-06:00

We had to be at High Pointe at 10:45 am. We went to the waiting room, where we signed a bunch of things, answered same list of questions, and waited. We saw some guy win both showcases on the Price is Right. Then the nurse came for me, and I hobbled with her over to my pre-op room. She put in a IV, did some other tests, marked my left ankle with a stamp that said "SURGICAL SITE." I had to put on a gown and a robe, and those cool slipper grippy socks that they give you at the hospital. I only used one and I don't know what happened to the other one. Once I was ready to go they let Jeremy come in and sit with me. He was being a total goofball, found the surgical site stamp and started stamping himself. Then he found some wipes and wiped those off, mostly. Then he actually read the container where he got the wipes - "not for use on skin." Oops.

I met my anesthesiologist, he is a big guy with an accent. I can't remember his name so I'll call him Vladimir. He asked me a few questions, said I'd have a tube down my throat during surgery but I wouldn't remember that part.

The surgeon came in and said hi, asked us if we had any questions. He said the surgery was like this: the tendon is like two ends of a mop. So he sews each side together, and then sews the two parts of the tendon together, then closes up the skin. He signed my left leg as the surgical site.

Another guy from the anesthesia team came in, gave me one of those shower cap things, and gave me some antibiotics through my IV. Then they wheeled me into the operating room. It wasn't as cold as people say it is - the bed was heated, and I had a warm air blanket on too. There were two nurses in the room, plus the two anesthesia guys. They put monitors and all that stuff on me, verified the type of surgery, etc. Then they put a mask over my face and told me to take deep breaths.

I woke up in the recovery room. It was dark, and my bed was comfortable. I heard the nurses chatting, they liked my glasses. My leg was hurting so I told the nurse, and she gave me something through the IV. There was a girl to my right also in recovery, also named Briana. In my stupor I was a little confused and thought maybe the nurses thought I was the wrong person. After sitting in recovery for a while, they put me in a rolling Lazy Boy and brought me to the second recovery room. Jeremy and his dad, Mike came in. The nurse gave me some Sprite and animal crackers. It was great, I was so hungry. And it was great to see my husband and his dad. I pounded through the food and the nurse brought more Sprite. I also started my dose of painkillers. The nurse gave us two ice packs - They put the ice on my shin, at the top of the "cast." He said it works like a radiator, cooling the blood as it goes in towards my foot. Interesting, huh?

After a while in recovery I was OK to go home. Jeremy went to fill my prescriptions and pull up the car, and the nurse put me in a wheelchair and took me downstairs. I sat in the backseat with my leg up on the seat. I can't put any weight on the bad foot at all. Luckily I had a few days to get used to the crutches before having surgery.

When we got home, I was feeling tired and a little *off from the medication, so Jeremy got the wheelchair (another thing we got from Goodwill) and wheeled me upstairs. Of course I had to go to the bathroom, then he gave me a surprise - a little stuffed teddy bear with a cast and a crutch that says "Get well Soon." It was so cute, I started crying. There is something about surgery and stuffed animals, they are just comforting.

I spent the rest of the day on the couch, only getting up to go to the bathroom. Jeremy made me my favorite egg sandwich for dinner, oh and I had a really good pizza for lunch too. So no, I didn't lose my appetite.

Today's the Big Day

2008-03-06T08:48:00.005-06:00

I slept OK last night. I was a little nervous. I had a couple of dreams about not being able to have surgery because my blood wasn't clotting. My husband said I've been watching too many ER shows. He woke up around 4 and couldn't get back to sleep. Finally he went and got gas and some groceries. I fell back asleep and he woke me up at 8 (I told him to wake me up at 8:30, but I guess that's as long as he could wait). He got me some surprises: A People magazine, a red rose, strawberries, and he is making me a special dinner tonight. Isn't he sweet?

But right now, I am HUNGRY, because I can't eat or drink anything. My husband is eating spaghetti for breakfast, lol. He wanted to eat something gross so I wouldn't feel bad.

Typos

2008-03-05T19:25:00.003-06:00

Ok, I'm a good speller. But I've noticed that my thoughts get a little ahead of my typing, so sorry in advance for misspellings or mis-wordings (like that one).

Surgery is Scheduled

2008-03-04T17:28:00.003-06:00

Left Achilles Tendon Rupture repair will be 12:00 pm on Thursday March 6, 2008. Not much else to say about that!

Days 1-5: Before Surgery

2008-03-04T11:09:00.010-06:00

Follow Up with the Orthopaedic Surgeon
First, you have to follow up with a specialist. I saw mine at 2:20 pm on Monday. He did the Thomson test, said I fully ruptured it, and we set surgery for Thursday. I spent the morning figuring out which doctor I should see, how to get there, and how to get a hold of my X-Rays from the ER. Thank God for my loving husband who left work to take me to my appointment.

Dentist Appointment
Oh yeah, I also had to get two cavities filled. Luckily I was able to switch the appointment to Monday so my husband could take me. I don't think I could have navigated the ice and skinny stairs without him.

Cancelling Everything
Since I won't be able to put weight on my foot for at least 2 months, I pretty much had to cancel everything. I need to find a sub for my Wednesday night volleyball league, I had to back out of the big Arrowhead tournament, we're cancelling our snowboarding trip to Colorado in April, can't do the FIRM FIT either... Oh, but did I mention this: my team from Saturday ended up winning the tournament! I guess they didn't need me. They picked up a player - thanks Karen - and ended up winning the tournament. That made me feel better.

Getting Around the House
My new spots are the couch and the bed. I go back and forth from those two locations. I traded in my fashionable purse for a mini Timbuktu bag that I can actually carry with crutches. My sister is getting me one of those shower stools (from Goodwill) so I can take a shower. I want to get a couple more stools placed around the apartment so I can stand and rest my bad leg. It is very difficult to carry anything and move anywhere with crutches, so my husband is helping me brainstorm ways to get around that. I want him to just wait on me hand and foot, but his idea is probably a little more sensible.

Pre Op Physical
They drew some blood, checked my vitals, asked me a bunch of questions, and sent me on my way with a thumbs up for surgery. They threw in a few good natured jokes about me hobbling around on crutches. A big thanks to my mom for taking me to this appointment, and then coming over and cleaning our apartment.

Get a lot of awesome stuff from Goodwill
So I guess Goodwill loans out medical equipment. My sister works there, otherwise I never would have known. Tonight she brought over a shower stool, a toilet seat thingy with handles, and a wheelchair. She has a couple more cool little gadgets for me too. When the simplest things become extremely difficult, these gadgets will be great. Already I love the shower stool, I used it in the bathroom to rest my leg on while getting ready for bed. So much easier. I think I'll save the toilet seat thingy for after surgery. The wheelchair will work great for shopping or other places where I'd have to hobble on crutches for a long ways. Thanks Kaley! and Goodwill!

Call my insurance company to confirm financial responsibilities for the surgery
I called Member Services, and a very friendly lady (I am not being sarcastic, she was really friendly, I was surprised) told me that Woodwinds, the facility I was having my surgery at was a Level 2 facility, meaning insurance would cover 80% and we would be responsible for 20%. So, I asked about the other facility my surgeon had given as an option - Level 1, meaning we'd only be responsible for 10%. What!!?? That is so dumb. It is Wednesday, the day before the surgery, I've already pre-registered at Woodwinds, I can't change the surgery location... can I? I left a message for my doctor about it, I haven't heard back yet. UPDATE: they switched me to the cheaper place, at noon. Wait, does cheaper mean crappier? I hope not...

Get a handicapped parking pass
I found the application online for a temporary pass at a very unofficial looking website - but the form looks official. I just have to get my doctor to fill out the bottom portion, and in 4 weeks I'll be able to park close!

Have awesome co-workers
My co-worker Erin stopped by today with a card from everyone at work and the best chocolate chip cookies ever eaten. Even though I had to hobble downstairs twice to let her in (mix up with the buildings and me not bringing my cell phone with me) - it was great to see her. We caught up on what's going on at work. Everyone else is picking up the slack from me being gone (thanks guys), and I hope to be back sometime next week.

Don't worry about a little numbness
I had a nice dinner with my husband (tiki burgers and tator tots) and we watched ER on DVD. Around 9 my foot started feeling like it was falling asleep. I moved it around, took the boot off, iced it, accidentally dropped the boot on my husband (he didn't like that very much), and finally called my doctor. He said it was usually caused by swelling and to elevate my foot (which I was). He didn't seem worried about it, said take the boot off, no ice, no Ace bandage, and relax. So, I did.

Welcome to my Blog

2008-03-04T10:57:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I am not a blogger type person. I hope nobody reads this. But, since I'll be spending a lot of time laying on the couch, I thought I'd record my experience.

I tore my Achilles on Saturday, March 1, 2008. I was playing in a Reverse 4s volleyball tournament at St. Kate's. 3rd match of the day, 1st game, against my setter from college. I wasn't doing anything spectacular, in fact I can't really remember the play, I stepped back to push off forward and I felt something like someone kicked me in the back of the leg. I turned around and no one was there. My team helped me up and I could put weight on my foot, I just couldn't push off with it. It was a very weird feeling.

After 5 hours in the emergency room I found out I tore my Achilles. I knew that was bad, that's about all I knew.

If you compare the two feet you can see that the left ankle area is a little swollen. It didn't really bruise, it just turned yellow. So far, it has been a lot less painful and swollen than spraining my ankle in college. p.s. don't look to closely at my toenails - eew!