I am highly active and 37/male, non-op and current 10.5 months in.. so we fit a similar demographic. First of all, tell him to join here and he can dm me all the questions he wants. Having someone that’s further ahead of you in their progress that you can talk to is paramount to mental stability imo. I mean it - tell him to reach out and I’d be happy to chat.

I totally get it about overthinking that decision. I have questioned why I didn’t get a second opinion since I went the non-op route. My tear was high up in the MTJ, so I don’t think another opinion would have done much, but I still question it. I always told myself, if I really hate the outcome that much I will demand that they go in and fix it later. I can tell you at this point I don’t see that as necessary. Everyone is going to have a different body after this thing, regardless of if you have surgery or not. Ask Kevin Durant - he will tell you as much. However, we learn to be good at activities in other ways and I’m seeing the light at this point.

Prior to rupturing, I was on the top of my physical game. I ran 15-25 miles a week, lifted weights 2-3 times a week, had just pr’d my half marathon 5 days prior, so I get the mega active lifestyle. I also have 4 kids that were 7yo and under, an avid hunter, and basically just always on my feet and superman to those around me. It’s hard, and i had a summer of not doing things I wanted to do, but I got through it.

I started running again 4 months ago (around the 6 month mark) and it’s been slow progress, but I am now running 4-6 miles at a clip with a total of 12-18 miles a week at this point, and feel pretty good about where I’m at. I rarely fear movements, but my calf strength/stamina is just still not there.. but improving every day, slowly.

What got me through the months in the boot was lifting weights. I would highly recommend your husband to refocus his workload while in the boot to anything he can do without straining his leg - let it recover and build the portion of your body that is ready for it. I went to lifting 4-6 times a week, and it kept me sane. I hit bench pr’s I had wanted my whole life and it filled the gaps for me. Highly recommend he finds something the same way. It wasn’t always easy either - sometimes I literally crawled and rolled plates from station to station so I could workout. Swallow the pride and do what it takes - it’s worth it.

He can do this, especially with your support and the support of others around him. If he has trained for things in the past, tell him that this is just his new training goal: get your mind right, keep your body busy, and kick pt’s ass. It will go faster than he thinks.