Oh Dear!

On Tuesday, 23 September, I tore my left Achilles tendon playing basketball.  It's only a partial tear not a complete rupture.  As you see, I now have a leg in a plaster cast and it will remain so for six weeks!  Only 38 days to go; not that I'm counting.

I have an appointment at the Orthopaedic Clinic on 05 November when I should get out of the cast and into a "ski boot" support. In the meantime I'm building my upper body strength and my right leg tackling the stairs in my three, yes three, story house. All told I'll probably be on crutches until late November.  The rehab sounds tough and will take 3-4 months.

As far as the Vexillia Limited is concerned, I can't get to the Post Office without someone to help me. So until December, I will only be posting parcels once a week on Saturdays, when my wife can help me.  Shame really as we're quite busy.

I can't paint, play wargames, or go to the football as I have to keep my foot elevated above my hip for most of the time or the leg will swell inside the plaster.  Luckily I've lots of books I've been meaning to read ...

Update: 12 November 2008

Well it’s seven, yes seven, weeks since I tore my Achilles tendon.  Last week they took the cast off.  Hooray!  The partial tear has repaired well and everything is now fully connected.  I can now lift my left heel off the ground which I couldn’t before.  It was heaven to sleep without the cast.

The leg looked awful after the cast came off – red, swollen, very sore to the touch and no muscle tone at all. Most of this has improved in the last week when I’ve been in my “ski boot”.

It is set at 20 degrees to elevate the heel and protect the newly repaired tendon.  That’s what the dial on the ankle is for.  It should go down to 10 degrees next week if all goes well.  I’m still house bound but I can walk more naturally in the boot as I’m allowed to bear part of my weight on my left leg.  This was forbidden when I was in the cast.

Today I had my first appointment with the physio and I now have a series of stretching exercises and a few early weight bearing toe raises to do three times a day.

Now the “rehab” has started I feel that life is moving on and things are on the up.  My aim is to be walking without the boot before Christmas.  Here goes.