On March 5th, I had foot surgery. The doctor thought that the heel pain I had been having for the previous 6 months was caused by some kind of damage to the plantar fascia. We had tried exercises and new orthotics, but the pain was not going away--it was getting worse! Finally, I told him do just do the surgery. He planned to lengthen the plantar fascia, remove the affected nerve, and be done. He said I'd wouldn't need full anesthesia and I would be able to walk on it right away (with a walking cast), with a full recovery in about 6 weeks.
As it turned out, just before the surgery, he was pushing in all the places he thought my foot should be hurting. It wasn't, so I showed him the location of the intense pain. Of course he pushed on it--OUCH! Right then and there he changed his mind about the surgery. He wanted me under full anesthesia. That's the last thing I remember until I woke up. The doctor said that he first removed some bone spurs, but that they couldn't be what was causing all that pain, so he looked around a little and was shocked to find that my Achilles tendon was nearly torn all the way through at the point of attachment to the heel. He used a brand new type of suture, which he described as being somewhat like a Molly bolt, which screws into the heel and then somehow sucks the tendon right inside the bone. I may have understood the explanation better had I been fully awake. Anyway, he was very glad I had had the surgery when I did, so that the tendon didn't rupture or come completely detached.
This photo was taken right after the sugery.
As it turned out, just before the surgery, he was pushing in all the places he thought my foot should be hurting. It wasn't, so I showed him the location of the intense pain. Of course he pushed on it--OUCH! Right then and there he changed his mind about the surgery. He wanted me under full anesthesia. That's the last thing I remember until I woke up. The doctor said that he first removed some bone spurs, but that they couldn't be what was causing all that pain, so he looked around a little and was shocked to find that my Achilles tendon was nearly torn all the way through at the point of attachment to the heel. He used a brand new type of suture, which he described as being somewhat like a Molly bolt, which screws into the heel and then somehow sucks the tendon right inside the bone. I may have understood the explanation better had I been fully awake. Anyway, he was very glad I had had the surgery when I did, so that the tendon didn't rupture or come completely detached.
This photo was taken right after the sugery.
Seven weeks later I had the cast removed
Ugly!
A boot! This stayed on for three weeks, and by the end of that time I was able to put a little weight on the foot and hobble around the house. Then I switched to a shoe and was back on crutches for awhile. Now, almost 4 months later, I can walk with scarcely a limp (most of the time). No running allowed, yet, though. Not that I could. It is still very stiff and sore, but is getting stronger. The doctor says I am making great progress, so I just have to keep being patient.
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