First Doctor Visit

After the events of trying to get referred to an orthopedic, I finally got an appointment for Tuesday - 2 days after I hurt my Achilles. Not too bad actually considering how HMO's work. I was feeling pretty good. Gina is coming with me everywhere at this point, what a great support she is. We get to the office for our visit and there is a ton of paperwork to fill-out. Gina is a trooper and fills it our for me and only has to ask me a few questions. We finally get back to the exam room and the nurse takes off the casted splint and we wait. My ankle is swollen and black & blue. Doctor comes in and has me lay on my stomach so he can see the back of my leg. He moves the foot a little bit and squeezes the calf and I almost hit to ceiling because the pain is so bad. I sit up and he asks me a few questions and says I have 2 options. Surgery or no surgery. He tells me the recovery will be about the same and that it really doesn't matter if I do surgery or not. He leaves and says we can talk about it for a few minutes. WHAT!!! No recommendation...no advice. NOTHING!! I don't know what to think. He makes it sound as if it really isn't that bad. Maybe it isn't, I think. He comes back and we try to ask him his opinion and he says that he has had really good luck with both approaches. He says we can think about it for a few days and he will have me back in a cast (full short cast this time - no splint) and we will come back in 2 weeks to have it off. If we decide to have surgery that would be the last date we could decide. I couldn't believe that he wasn't going to do any additional testing to see how bad it was. Gina and I leave a littel perplexed. I tell her I am going to research on my own a little before I make a decision and talk to several people about the injury. But I didn't feel as if I got enough information to make a decision at this point. She thinks it is a good idea. We get the cast and leave. Maybe 20 - 30 minutes total in the back office.exam room. We were a littel deflated to say the least.

We are thinking - WHAT NOW!!!

E.R. Visit

Most of the time when someone talks about going to the E.R. everyone cringes, myself included. The pain associated with an Achilles Tendon injury is as bad as people say. It is a 12 on the scale of 1 - 10. I had only felt pain that bad one other time in my life (my finger got caught between the panels of a garage door when it closed). So here we are in the car driving to the E.R. with my wife driving and my 2 boys in the back not sure what to think. For the sake of my kids, I had to hold back the tears. Ben, my youngest, is deeply sensitive and I think he could see right through me. He is crying in the car for me. We get to the E.R. and immediately get to an admitting person who take our information. My wife's sister meets us there and takes the boys (although Ben really really wanted to stay with us because he wanted to help me). We get back to the actual E.R. or so I thought....just another waiting room. But it didn't last long. We have now been in the E.R. a total of 25 minutes and we are in a room, waiting for someone to come in. 5 minutes later we get to see him. A physician assistant is going to help us. He says there is a definite problem and sends us off for an X-ray. Well, I know I am not a doctor, but I have been around enough to know that an X-ray isn't going to show anything if it is a tendon injury. X-rays show bone, not soft tissue. I ask about that and he said I was right, but X-ray is always the first step and they can not do an MRI in the E.R. Ok, go get the X-ray and even the X-ray tech says that nothing is going to show up. Back to the room and they give me some pain medication and start a splint. They say I have to see an orthopedic specialist so they can order the MRI and find out what the true problem is.

So my trip to the E.R. was only 2 hrs and I got pain meds, a splint, crutches and a referral. Not bad on the time, but we got the bill a few weeks later (thank goodness for insurance) that was over $1400.00....may part was only $50.00. Whew!!

OUCH!!!!

I have played baseball and softball almost my entire life and the only significant injury was a rupture ligament in my glove hand (left) the day before I turned 16. Never really a pulled muscle or strain anything. So I should have known something was up when I pulled my hamstring at the first game of the season. Sat out a few games played one then pulled it again. Never had this happened to me. Fast forward to the end of the season tournament. I am batting third and we are in the top of the first. I get to second base....batter behind me ropes a liner to left field and I take off for third and round it going home. Half way home and the left fielder hits me in the back of the ankle with his throw home...or so I thought. I hobbled across the plate not able to put much weight on my left foot and tumbled to the ground after I scored. I try to get up and need assistance from my teammates. They asked what happened and I tell them that the ball hit me in the ankle....they said no it didn't, the ball was never thrown home. UH, OH!!!
It hurts and I mean a lot. I get ice and put it on while sitting on the bench. I can't play in the field the first inning even though I am supposed to just pitch. I sit there, in pain while my team disposed of the other team. They come in and ask how it is. I try to get up and it shoots pain up my leg. But it is my turn to bat and if I miss my turn it is an automatic out the first time. I can't put pressure on it but I can stand on my other leg and not swing the bat. Maybe the pther pitcher will walk me. I go up the the plate with bat in hand. The opposing manager calls time-out and makes a deal with our manager. he can tell I am in a lot of pain. No out will be called if I don't bat....he doesn't want me to get hurt any worse than I already am.
I go sit down to wait for my wife to get to the game as she was coming to watch anyway. As soon as she gets there, I decide I have had enough...off to the ER.

My poor Achilles

3 weeks ago I ruptured my Achilles Tendon playing softball. Man, can you say PAIN!!! I am going to attempt to document my road to recovery, however long it may be. Original estimate put it around 6 month for day to day activity and about a year to resume the activities I was doing before. So....without further delay....my Achilles blog.

WOW - how quickly it comes back

A few lackluster weeks. A few "ok, I'll have just one". A few very busy weeks of eating out and not caring because I was so tired. And poof - there it is.

Back at 220 lbs.

I was avoiding the scale for a few weeks because I didn't want to know. But now that I do....hold up. Take a step back. Take a few deep breathes.

Ok, now that I am settled....WHAT DO YOU MEAN 220 LBS!!!!!

Time to refocus. I know how it happened. I know how to get back on track. And now that summer is almost here...it is time. 20 yr reunion this summer too. A few great reasons. So full speed ahead at weight loss again. Take 2 (not 2 cookies - duh).

Motivation

I am trying to find this motivation that seems to be evading me. For some reason, there is a lack of it floating around me. I have been doing good for a while, but the business of life seems to drain it out of me. I am not eating well, I am not working out, I am letting things go just because I don't want to do it. I know, it could be lazy, but I think I need a swift kick in the figurative butt. What I need the Jillian Michaels from the biggest loser to get me going. I would love to work out with her for a few weeks. Wow talk about motivation.

Anyway, if anyone sees my motivation laying around, will you please tell it to come back to me....I really need it.

A long gap

Again a long time since I last posted. BUt - no weight gain, but no weight loss. Which isn't all that bad. I haven't been working out. That means my diet is good for keeping steady.

I moved the treadmill inside the house in front of the big screen 2 weeks ago. My first run was last Saturday - 2 miles as a consistent pace. I felt really good afterwards. Not out of breath at all.

I ran again last night and went 3 miles at same pace. Same result. I felt really good afterwards and think I might keep the pace the same and go for 5 miles tonight.

Wish me luck.