9 June-Breaking news

It is now 3 days since I am back from my trip, and I eventually got this ultrasound appointment. I am waiting. The pain has recessed a lot. I found a way to walk with the crutches putting my foot forward and blocking the ankle slightly bent. It doesn't hurt, and I start to dream, well IronMan Austria is probably not for this year, but I should be fine for the half-IronMan in Dublin mid-August and then the full IronMan in Barcelona early October. I really want to do the one in Barcelona. It is supposed to be a fast course, and I should do well and get a good time. Well it is a cheap way to beat my PB of two years ago, it was in Nice, but hey I am not getting any younger and I have got to take whatever opportunity happens.

The nurse call me, she is nice but they are busy so no time is lost. "Please confirm name, date of birth, remove your sock, lay down on the table the doctor will be with you in a minute." 

I do as requested, and while waiting keep dreaming about my summer plans, my family, my sister, my work... 

The doctor arrives, very friendly, a bit of gel and then he says: "It is not good. The tendon is torn and there is quite a lot of swelling on and around the tendon. I will call an orthopedist to check if he can see you now".

Ten minutes later and one floor higher, still using my crutches method, I am invited into the orthopedist suit; a very nice guy. So in 1 minute, he looks at me, at his colleague's report and ask me to do few movements with my foot so that he can check the calf, foot and
ankle. Then very calmly he says, "In my whole career I never saw a half ruptured Achilles tendon, they are ruptured or not - like you are pregnant or not-in your case it is ruptured, but not cleanly. So first the tendon has to rest and to help recover I will put a cast.". Stupidly I ask "A cast?", meaning why not just a boot or some kind of bandage. Reading my mind, he says "Yes a cast, you will have to keep it for 4 weeks. Then I will reassess the situation. If it heals well, then you will get a boot and you will start some physiotherapy treatment". So, I think "Great, I will start running in few weeks", but he carries on "You will keep the boot for 3 to 8 weeks, but I may have to perform surgery after the 4 weeks." and he starts to apply the cast. He probably feels that I am a little concerned, so he goes very gently "The radiologist you saw for the ultrasound, is a good friend of mine. When you go out, talk to my assistant, you are not very at ease on crutches and she will show you some alternatives. Now the cast is done, wait ten minutes for it to harden then you can go but don't put weight on your foot, and see you in 4 weeks.". Nice guy, he just makes me realize that my dreams for summer and for the rest of the year are utterly shattered.

Going back home, look onto the internet.... Well I will be lucky if I start some light jogging by December...

         

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

13 August-Didn't meet expectations

Image
So when the orthopedist told me I was good to go on two shoes, I was very excited. I knew I wasn't going to run the next day but I was still too optimistic or naive regarding what I will be able to do. So the next day I went to the pool to practice some calf raise exercises, see picture on the right; hardly exciting! So I did a bit of this then I swam a little too. It was complete shock to realize how much water fitness and feel I lost in over 2 months. When swimming I felt uncomfortable not properly coordinated and very slow. I manage to do a couple of 50 meters breaststroke and freestyle. Since then I have been back another 3 times. Sadly I couldn't go during the week, I think it would have helped a lot, but for now I practiced only at week-end, hopefully from next week it will be different. Little by little I am progressing, Every session so far, I have been swimming for longer, and with longer repetition 50 meter, then 100. I am doing a bit of back crawl as well. What I
Read more

22 August-Breaking the ice and rolling on two wheels

Today, I managed another milestone; I used my bicycle to go to work. It isn't very far just 2 km away. There is a little hill to climb half way through. I didn't plan to cycle, it just happens. As I was getting ready to go to work my son asked me to help fix his bicycle. While doing this I decided to give it go, I have been training a few times on the turbo and I thought I was ready, and the weather was fine... So I climb on the bike, pedal. Yes, the hill is short but tough enough...but it felt so good to be back on the saddle. Next week-end if the weather is good, I should try the road bike. Hurrah 😃 Otherwise, not much is changing. I am still battling with a swollen foot. So as a result, I am not doing any calf raises. So I am not doing much specific exercises, but a bit with the elastic band. At least, I can train few times a week on the bike trainer, and I swim also 2 or 3 times a week. Fitness wise I can start to see some benefits, That's all for now, while the fo
Read more

10 December-Getting there

Image
This now 3 weeks since I have started to " run " again. So far so good. Always the same routine, 20 min or so on the cross trainer, then 15 or so min on the treadmill, then 5 min on the leg press. I do that twice a week. I also do many times a day some calf excercises. The only difference between the sessions is the treadmill, I increase slightly the speed every week, and swap between 15 min and 20 min duration. I started at 8km/h for 15 min, then did 20min still at 8km/h, then moved at 8.4 then 8.8 and yesterday for the first time was over 9km/h (9.2 exactly). 18-Nov 21-Nov 25-Nov 02-Dec 05-Dec 09-Dec 8 15' 20' 8.4 15' 20' 8.8 15 ' 9.2 15' It would really be good if I could take part to some events before the end of the year. So maybe I will do: The goal mile  on Christmas day with a target time of 10 min, and/
Read more