Torn gastrocnemius, not ruptured Achilles tendon

[Jaded]

When I tore my calf muscle I heard it go, a ripping noise, and then it was excruciating and swelled up. Rest and massage sorted it, but not before some spectacular bruising in my foot.

[Ian H]

I wish I hadn't read this thread. I'm now hobbling around wincing in sympathy. Hope you get it sorted quickly. Make a bloody nuisance of yourself until you get somewhere.

[Wowbagger]

No return call from the doctor this evening. However, my leg felt so much better that I'm reasonably confident that it's not the Achilles tendon, but a tear in the muscle a few inches higher up - which was what I thought at the time it happened. Walking is going to be a problem for some time to come, but at least I can put weight on my foot without pain, as long as I don't try to lift my heel.

I'll give it another day and then, when I see how it develops, get another doc's appointment to confirm/negate the original diagnosis, and ask for some recommended exercises for when it's recovering properly. As things are, I don't feel justified in sitting around in A & E for 3 or 4 hours (or more). It just doesn't seem serious enough at the moment to justify that.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I'd probably feel the same way - the rate of improvement is reassuring.

Not directly related, I know, but about 3 years ago I broke my calcaneum, a clean break all the way through. It was absolutely excruciating and even the slightest touch on the heel was agony. Initially I thought it was my Achilles. I went to A&E, where they didn't think it warranted an X-ray, and was advised to return if it didn't improve. It didn't - got more painful if anything - and fracture was eventually diagnosed. 8 weeks (or possibly even 12?) in one of those plastic cast things.

I'm sure a ruptured Achilles would also fail to improve by itself. See how it goes.

[mcshroom]

No return call from the doctor this evening. However, my leg felt so much better that I'm reasonably confident that it's not the Achilles tendon, but a tear in the muscle a few inches higher up - which was what I thought at the time it happened. Walking is going to be a problem for some time to come, but at least I can put weight on my foot without pain, as long as I don't try to lift my heel.

I'll give it another day and then, when I see how it develops, get another doc's appointment to confirm/negate the original diagnosis, and ask for some recommended exercises for when it's recovering properly. As things are, I don't feel justified in sitting around in A & E for 3 or 4 hours (or more). It just doesn't seem serious enough at the moment to justify that.

It took less than 10 minutes for me to be seen at A&E as a self admission last month. It's picking the time of day. 9:20am and a Wednesday morning was pretty quiet, even in a trust that is chronically understaffed.

[Wowbagger]

I am always tired, but so much so this afternoon that I went to bed shortly after 3.30. The next time I looked at the clock it 5.50.

I am really knackered again, which I suppose could be something to do with my body telling be to get some sleep so that I can recover from this bloody debilitating injury. It's been a week now with no obvious improvement, although I did think it was getting better last week. It's got to the point that the whole of my leg below the knee is very swollen, my foot as well, and each time I move from a lying to a sitting position I can feel the blood pumping into my leg and it bloody hurts. There's no sign of bruising, which is apparently quite common in these cases.

I will make another doc's appointment for tomorrow. I have phoned the hospital and they have received the referral but no appointment as yet.

[chrisbainbridge]

I would second going to A&E on a Wednesday morning about 9.00am, explaining the situation and how it is getting worse and let them assess you.  I bet you will be in the next fracture clinic and going for an ultrasound.

[Wowbagger]

Well, I went to A & E this morning, as Dez had an appointment for a mole removal. The nurse also thinks I have a ruptured Achilles tendon: her test was quite simple. I knelt on a chair with my feet hanging and she pinched one calf at a time. My right foot moved and my left foot didn't, apparently, indicating no attachment betwen the calf muscle and the heel. My leg is now in plaster and I have an appointment at the fracture clinic on Thursday to assess the injury and to put a lightweight go-faster plaster on. My foot was x-rayed but there was no evidence of any broken bones. It seems that sometimes this injury can pull a lump of bone off the heel.

Oh well, I shall have to try not to be too much of an old grouch. It's a bugger.

[mcshroom]

Hmm, plaster isn't fun.

Good luck with the fracture clinic and I hope it gets sorted soon.

[andrewc]

Feet up,  catch up with the reading & listen to some good music.   

I've got a _lot_ of classical CD's.   Would you like me to put a box set in the post ?

[peliroja]

Oh bother, Bagger. Putting your feet up and resting is not something I think you are particularly good at. I hope you manage to find something to entertain you. Leans. xx

[Jaded]

Crikey!
Well, at least it is properly diagnosed now, and so can be treated. On with the recovery!

[JenM]

Good news that it is being treated more seriously - take it easy. The frightening thing is that it didn't take that much to do the damage - setting off from a standing start with a loaded bike is something we all do when touring.

[Kim]

Good news that it is being treated more seriously - take it easy. The frightening thing is that it didn't take that much to do the damage - setting off from a standing start with a loaded bike is something we all do when touring.

I notice that most upright riders don't habitually make use of the low gears to do so, however.

It's a habit I developed before discovering the darkside, on account of owmeknee, and I highly recommend it to the panel.  It does require hub gears or anticipation when stopping, though.

[Wowbagger]

Remarkable, wasn't it? How many times had I done exactly the same that day? A dozen or more? And the previous day? That was a lot more because of course Bob and I did some off-road by the Chelmer and I dismounted at least once to help him out of the mud - except some walkers got there before me! We all must have done the same hundreds, if not thousands, of times this year: every time we stop at lights, roundabouts, junctions, for any reason whatsoever. I think when it has recovered it is going to give me a bit of a mental block to get over.

Good news that it is being treated more seriously - take it easy. The frightening thing is that it didn't take that much to do the damage - setting off from a standing start with a loaded bike is something we all do when touring.

I notice that most upright riders don't habitually make use of the low gears to do so, however.

It's a habit I developed before discovering the darkside, on account of owmeknee, and I highly recommend it to the panel.  It does require hub gears or anticipation when stopping, though.

I'm not sure that it would make any difference which gear I was in: it was my standing foot.

[delthebike]

I'm not sure that it would make any difference which gear I was in: it was my standing foot.

You should have kept the ballet training going and your pointe would be stronger! 

[Kim]

I'm not sure that it would make any difference which gear I was in: it was my standing foot.

Ah, of course it was.  I start off with my left, and forget that most people don't until I ride a tandem.

That's even more worrying, really.

[Canardly]

Good job you have the diagnosis confirmed old thing as it could have led you to doing something you shouldnt, and making matters worse.

[Wowbagger]

Under the circumstances I shouldn't have gone to Mildenhall on Sunday - but I'm glad I did!

[Jurek]

Late to this.
I hope you heal swiftly, Wow.

[Tim Hall]

Late to this.
I hope you heal swiftly, Wow.

This is Wow. Swiftly isn't a word often associated with the Bearded Magnificence. If healing switfly isn't an option, at least heal slowly, surely and very well.

[Wowbagger]

This business of using crutches is worrying me. In normal use it's quite a problem because of my weight. If I get an arthritic attack in my wrists, as per York to Hull last year, or the Tan Hill Ride, I'll be completely immobilised.

I'm also finding it a bit of a struggle keeping all my weight on one leg for vital functions like going for a slash. I tried it sitting down but that wasn't very helpful as getting up again is difficult. Hygiene is an issue because you get up using the crutches, wash your hands, and then use the crutches again.

But the worst worry is that my right leg, when moving around on crutches, is repeatedly doing almost exactly the same thing as my left leg was when I ruptured the Achilles tendon. If the other one were to go I have no idea what I'd do.

[delthebike]

This business of using crutches is worrying me. In normal use it's quite a problem because of my weight. If I get an arthritic attack in my wrists, as per York to Hull last year, or the Tan Hill Ride, I'll be completely immobilised.

Can you ask for arm pit crutches, if they still have them? Weight will be at the shoulder then and the wrist will just guide the crutch.

[Kim]

This business of using crutches is worrying me. In normal use it's quite a problem because of my weight. If I get an arthritic attack in my wrists, as per York to Hull last year, or the Tan Hill Ride, I'll be completely immobilised.

Under-shoulder crutches might help?  I accept that they're considered to be a work of Stan.

We've actually got a set in the Cupboard Of Doom somewhere, though no doubt you could locate a more convenient source.

I'm also finding it a bit of a struggle keeping all my weight on one leg for vital functions like going for a slash. I tried it sitting down but that wasn't very helpful as getting up again is difficult. Hygiene is an issue because you get up using the crutches, wash your hands, and then use the crutches again.

Hmm, hopping to the sink is probably contraindicated when you're not a small child.  That said, hygiene is greatly improved by not having to poo in bed, I find.   

But the worst worry is that my right leg, when moving around on crutches, is repeatedly doing almost exactly the same thing as my left leg was when I ruptured the Achilles tendon. If the other one were to go I have no idea what I'd do.

Wheelchair, obviously.  Really hope it doesn't come to that.   

[Jakob]

This business of using crutches is worrying me. In normal use it's quite a problem because of my weight. If I get an arthritic attack in my wrists, as per York to Hull last year, or the Tan Hill Ride, I'll be completely immobilised.

Under-shoulder crutches might help?  I accept that they're considered to be a work of Stan.

They're still very common here in North America.

Wow, you are going to hate the first week on crutches. It'll feel like you can't do anything and everything you try is a major struggle, but you will adapt and in a couple of weeks, you'll be fine.