 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all - just ruptured my right achilles last night playing squash - boo hoo. Am having an op tomorrow to repair and then rehab...
Given ski season now looming happily nearer - any thoughts from those in the know as to when i might be able to ski in 11/12??? Am 43 and otherwise fit and in good health...
Cheers
Patrick
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DoubleBombardino, Downer.... at least you should have time to be fit for the BB.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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DoubleBombardino, I expect he'll be along in a minute...
Seriously, sorry to hear about your injury, hope you mend really quickly and indeed in good time for the BB.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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DoubleBombardino, that's poo, sorry to hear that!
Your surgeon and physiotherapist will be better placed to advise you because they will know the exact extent of your injury and your current condition (and also how motivated you are during post-surgical rehab to do what your physio tells you to do!).
You'll be surprised at how quickly surgical wounds heal and at how resilient the human body is, even at your age 
Hope it all goes well. Pop back to keep us updated.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Not one of the nicer things that an happen. Did mine in 2009. Had the op at the begining of April and skied at Christmas. Surgeon (who is Chelsea's man for such things) said it takes 6 month for a premier league footballer to get back to full training. Do everything by the book and expect to do several thousand calf raises and you should see some March / Spring skiing. Good Luck.
Ian
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DoubleBombardino, length is everything, avoid contracture and you will ski again, but do it steadily as advised by surgeon+physio 
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Zero-G, thanks for that message, and yes even at ripe ol' age of 43 the body is responding with gusto. Am now kitted out with a bionic boot - so sexy in fact I enquired about possibility of a matching one for the left foot, to no avail...Still on crutches and hopping about - biceps booming, right calf fecked.
Physio's rec is that I forget about skiing before 6 months are up, and interestingly there are a number of instances of achilles injuries incurred whilst skiing, caused by what I dunno. And then another physio, an aussie, recs I shld be on the piste for the BB - well what opinion are you gonna run with  ?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Good luck with the recovery, unfortunately Achilles injuries are a b*tch. Get to that physio and like ian999 says expect a few calf raises.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Poor bug. Did mine playing squash, too. And I was winning. And it was a week before my daughter was born. I was popular.
Your calf muscle will shrink like nobody's business. Get prepared to do lots and lots of exercises. your hospital may have an ankle class which would help you get back into shape. I understand that 6 months is a typical recovery period to get back into some sort of decent shape (with 12 months to get back into tip-top shape).
Re doing the Achilles skiing - friend did his on some moguls, but I understand that the most strain you put onto your Achilles usually when skiing is when you remove your boots 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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What a nightmare. Funnily enough I've just come on here to get some advice about skiing after achilles rupture. I did mine a year ago and missed out on the snow last season - I just didn't feel confident enough to test my leg out. The trouble with achilles rupture, as your surgeon and physio will tell you, is it's an agonisingly long recovery and you have to put a lot of work in once you can load bear (endless bloody heel raises and standing on one leg). As dobby said, your calf will shrivel away - for each week you're in the boot, you'll need a month of exercise to get the muscle back. Please don't rush it and don't start the exercises/weight bearing until the experts give you the go-ahead - re-rupture is still quite a risk. If you haven't found it yet, http://achillesblog.com was my lifeline when I did mine. Good luck with the recovery - definitely not six months I'd want to revisit in a hurry.
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Listen to Mellyski - he/she is right. Don't rush. Re-rupture is common - I know of someone who came out of plaster, stood on a Lego brick the same day and re-ruptured.
Having said that, make sure you do your physio exercises - I was a lazy monkey so my recovery took longer than expected.
One good thing - you have had an op and recovery should be quicker than if you had been treated conservatively (i.e. foot in plaster for 12 weeks)
Good luck with the recovery and let us know how you get on.
Cheers
Dobby
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You know it makes sense.
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How is the recovery going? have you started to put some movement back into it?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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My friend ruptured her achilles in May playing soccer. here in Calgary they don't do surgical repairs. its been a long slow recovery, but she is now contemplating some running.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DoubleBombardino,
Good to see that things are coming along as well as could be expected.
Once I recovered from my rupture I got myself some custom-made inserts for my shoes - my physio told me that I have a horrible over-pronation, foot-rolling thing when running/walking and the inserts have really sorted out the aches and pains in my achilles.
If it's any consolation, the achilles that I ruptured is far stronger than the other one.
Stick at it and hope to hear that you are back on your skis in no time.
Dobby
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Glad to see you are progressing well but are you sure you should be taking your boot off at all? As you say you are very vulnerable at this stage without it. I was told to keep mine on at all times including sleep and shower - had to get a boot condom thing! When you get heel lifts they might be basic hard foam jobs. If so go and buy some gel ones asap as the foam are seriously uncomfortable.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Glad to see you are progressing well but are you sure you should be taking your boot off at all? As you say you are very vulnerable at this stage without it. I was told to keep mine on at all times including sleep and shower - had to get a boot condom thing! When you get heel lifts they might be basic hard foam jobs. If so go and buy some gel ones asap as the foam are seriously uncomfortable.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Glad to see you are progressing well but are you sure you should be taking your boot off at all? As you say you are very vulnerable at this stage without it. I was told to keep mine on at all times including sleep and shower - had to get a boot condom thing! When you get heel lifts they might be basic hard foam jobs. If so go and buy some gel ones asap as the foam are seriously uncomfortable.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ian999, dobby, Cheers guys - boot off permission given by physio just for sleep and bathing. In fact gonna arrange a victorian bathing chair to get my legs into the Dawlish sea today!
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Just found this thread - fascinating reading as I suffered a partial tear, playing cricket, at the end of July. Seven weeks in plaster followed, with another six weeks in an orthopadiec boot. I was scheduled to ski on January 5, but due to continuing stiffness, soreness and a weak calf muscle, put it off until March 5.
My physio, as great luck would have it, is a former British junior team ski racer, and is completely sympathetic to my need for some snow action. She is certain I'll be ready as long as I continue with the exercises (leg raising and stretching).
But today is d-day as I'm putting my boot on for the first time in anticipation of a trip to Milton Keynes, Hemel or even Gloucester later in the week.
I'd be interested to know how you are getting on DoubleBombardino!
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LOTA, Good to hear you're gearing up for the piste.
I'm skiing in mid march ie nearly 7 months post op. Recovery going q well bar a strain injury in front of r foot - meaning the calf raises are not doable right now but plenty of other stuff to do eg step machine, bike and lots of standing on one foot....
Will do a full update fore/aft the Dolomites trip.
Do take it easy on the artificial slope, sounds like full strength some way off. Re an earlier comment on getti g in out of boot, from what i can gather that shld be low risk as achilles not under strain in that position.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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DoubleBombardino
Well done. Hope it all goes really well. I stood t the top of a gentle blue and had about 5 seconds of mine games with myself the said "what the hell" and set off. Nothing happened other than I found myself skiing. Not sure what else I thought was going to happen!
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Double B - sound words, thank you. I've a slight strain in my right foot as well which means the leg stretches aren't quite so effective! The boot fits beautifully and have worn it for several hours with no ill-effects. Going for a slide at Milton Keynes next week - and much heartened by ian999's comments!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hi there - did my Achilles in skiing off piste down back of Les Grands Montets a few years ago now (just as snowHeads started up) - just a strong "up" movement and by the CRACK I thought it was the plastic of the ski boot broken - until I couldn't stand up. Took from beginning of March - end of August before I could think of a long walk / short run - but then improvement was rapid.
apparently Achilles tendons are thought to rupture because they have weakened over time - so I assumed that it would have "gone" within the next few weeks if not skiing - so had no mental problem getting back on the skis the next season !
Anyways - Good Luck !
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Safely back from Soelden/Obergurgl - with a full week's skiing and nothing but the odd ache from the injured achilles!
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LOTA, Good effort.... I am off on the slopes from this weekend and hoping for similar +ve results....will report back.
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You know it makes sense.
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Following this with great interest as I am now 12 weeks since hearing the 'pop'
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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HutToHut, LOTA, ok here goes. Am off next week and hope to report back with lots of  but here is the kind of stuff I've encountered for those reading those who are at an earlier stage of achilles grief....
As you can read earlier in thread, my right achilles popped in late August 2011, joined back together again via surgery. 2 weeks cast, +10 in Vacoped boot. Lots of exercises, stretches etc. Been fairly disciplined about this, main thing I found is to be patient as some smart back bottom always seems to be a back to skiing 10 weeks after achilles pop - what you don't hear is those who did that then repopped!.
Around week 12-14 really got a lot more mobile and began to do a fair bit of walking, swimming etc, then lots of cycling in the gym. Main problem I encountered and still have it is a strain problem in the right foot, towards the big toe. Physios think I developed a bit of a weird gait from all the walking with crutches etc and also possibly too many long walks before the muscles/joints had woken up to fact I was back - that led to pressure on that joint - now got orthotics and various exercises to help cure. Unfortunately this has meant that calf raises have not been an option for a few weeks, and so to compensate have been using step machine in gym to work the calf in a different way. Calf muscle still well down compared to the other leg; will be many months before it is back to normal.
Its now just < 7 months since I did it, and am intending to ski next week. This is going to sound mad, as I am nuts about skiing and almost the v first thought after it went was "oh crap, that is the PSB and January skiing gone" - but right now I am not massively fussed if I go there and find it is not working out. But I imagine what will actually happen is I'll get there to San Cassiano, do a run or three, sip a Calimero and then find the crack-cocaine habit that is skiing works its wonders all of a sudden and I'm off.
For what it is worth, my advice to those who are now going through this period themselves is: relax, keep stretching and exercising but don't be too fussed if it takes a bit longer than you'd thought, get a good physio (I am still getting free physio at RDE in Exeter, a brilliantly good hospital and well worth everyone's tax contributions) and by pushy with the medics if there is not much support coming from them, and book a ski holiday for about 7-8 months after the surgery to help the motivation. Each month that passes sees you doing stuff you could not possibly have done the previous month and is great to reflect on that. Only other tip is drink plenty of Guinness
I hope to report back in couple of week's time with tales of fun times in the slush, and the confidence re-built for some more serious skiing come the EoSB. But if it does not work out for some reason then a week of prosecco, pino bianco, pasta fresca and pizza will do me just fine
HutToHut, all the best for your recovery
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Poster: A snowHead
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DoubleBombardino, thanks for your replies here and on my older vacoped thread (when my username was e.g.) Turns out I did fully rupture mine, no surgery straight into vacoped for eight weeks. I had good range of movement and a little swelling out of the boot. Ankle mobility and strength has impoved in just three weeks since starting physio. Just got to keep doing the exercises.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Been to the physio again, steady improvement but muscle power is still down. Said that tendon is sliding well (amongst the mass of scare tissue). Now I'd noticed the scar tissue as the area is no longer narrow like the other. Is this going to affect the fit of my ski boots?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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HutToHut, funny that. I'd not worried about that, but on my first day on the piste two weeks back it did rub ever so slightly on the back of the boot. Yet following day that seemed to stop. Maybe I was skiing better that second day, dunno, or maybe I was hyper-aware the first day. So, my advice is give it a shot. If anything I reckon the longer the week went on the better the achilles, ie being stretched etc. Good luck!
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