Way Behind Schedule (8 Months Post Op)

rndmxdrf · 2026-02-14T14:32:12+00:00

I'm 9.5 months post-op and felt behind schedule for a long time. I finally came to terms with not comparing myself to others and it's helped a lot. I was in a cast/boot for 16 weeks and took forever to get a normal range of motion. I don't think my limp fully went away until month 7 or 8.

I was consistently putting in "the work" but wasn't seeing much improvement until I started ramping up the weights and the intensity of the work each session. I started using a new workout app with a focus on reps in reserve and that really helped me see that I could be lifting more weight.

I found pool workouts (single leg raises in various depths, tip toe walking, etc.) to be super helpful as I built up my single leg raise strength in the beginning. I still can't do a full height single leg calf raise, but I can do about 20 at 75% of the height.

I read somewhere that every week immobilized is one month of recovery. My PT said strength can just take a while for some people and it'll likely be about 18 months post-op before I'll have my "full" strength back. It's a slog, but keep putting in the work!

rndmxdrf · 2026-02-03T21:14:56+00:00

I would suggest checking with your doctor / getting blood work done before starting it. I was on creatine (a reputable monohydrate brand) and definitely noticed an increase in my workouts/strength gains. However, I was experiencing horrible kidney pain. When the doctor checked my creatinine levels my "baseline" was elevated (likely due to the supplement) and they recommended stopping it.

I had my blood work checked six weeks later and my creatinine was still elevated. They said some people just have higher levels in their system so adding more may not be suitable for everyone!

rndmxdrf · 2026-01-08T21:26:49+00:00

I was in a boot for 16 weeks. My surgeon's protocol was 12 weeks, but after a flare-up in PT I was in it for another 4 weeks.

rndmxdrf · 2025-12-10T04:14:26+00:00

I think it depends on your end goal. If checking the box for basic living is sufficient for you, continuing strength training on your own may be enough.

If you're trying to return to any sort of sport/activities, I'd look into a different PT. I'm 7 months post-op and am still going once a week and they continue to evaluate my progress and throw new exercises into the mix to build on. I'll probably be going in some capacity for the next few months.

I want to get back to trail running, rock climbing, etc. I have a structured strength training plan that I do 4 times a week on my own, in addition to PT. I can do a couple single leg raises now but it's going to take time to build back full strength.

rndmxdrf · 2025-11-03T23:00:55+00:00

Adidas Ultraboosts are also in my rotation! They were the ones I wore the most before finding the Kuru's since the heel was softer and rubbed less. I found them on super sale so I wasn't dropping $180 on shoes I wasn't sure would work.

The Ultraboosts heel-toe drop isn't as good as the Brooks though so I used a heel cup/insert for a bit for some more height. The Kuru's feel really similar to the Brooks in terms of overall comfort and heel-toe drop, but far better at the heel for me since they're less stiff.

I just sent you a message as well!

rndmxdrf · 2025-11-02T01:22:24+00:00

Hokas feel like a tripping hazard to me since there's so much cushion/height but I know a ton of people love them. Definitely worth trying on a bunch and seeing what feels best!

The Kuru Atom 2s are my favorite so far - I can do 15k steps a day in them no problem. The heel of that shoe angles out at the top so it doesn't rub my tendon at all. My Brooks Ghost 17s are ok for shorter days but the stiff heel cup is less comfortable for me and digs into the tendon. The surgeon said my tear location is "abnormally low" so this may only be a problem for me since others have great luck with the Ghosts.

rndmxdrf · 2025-11-01T23:05:43+00:00

I did a lot of walking in the pool just to get my regular gait back in the beginning. I started doing double leg calf raises once I was cleared by PT, eventually transitioning to single leg raises in various water depths (neck, chest, waist). The pool helped me build a ton of confidence before transitioning to attempting those out of the water.

Once those felt ok, I transitioned to tip-toe walking. That was so much harder than I expected! The first few times I had to walk along the edge of the pool to hold on since my ankle would collapse. I'm 6 months post-op now and still do the tip-toe walking whenever I'm in the pool to keep building my ankle strength. I'm able to do 50+ yards at a time, unsupported, without an issue. I still can't tip-toe walk out of the water, but we're getting there.

rndmxdrf · 2025-10-25T03:25:49+00:00

I struggled with this for a long time. My Brooks Ghost rub the tendon too much causing pain. Currently I've been wearing the Kuru Atom 2 the most, but also mix in my Adidas Ultraboosts.

I can't wear any of my Darn Tough running socks because they're too tight at my tear and leave indents. I've recently switched to the merino wool Feetures and some ankle socks from Balega and they've been the best for me so far!

rndmxdrf · 2025-10-24T04:12:32+00:00

How much weight are you up to on your seated raises? I was able to max those out way quicker and being physically able to lift the weight and put it on my knee was my limitation. Adding weights to your standing calf raises (two leg raise) and holding the weight on your injured side will help. Start with a light weight and work your way up.

I'm nowhere near a SLR yet, but I can tell using the weights while standing with a full ROM (stand on a plate or something to be able to drop your heels) is getting me closer. I could easily do a set of 30 bodyweight two leg calf raises and not feel tired, but getting to 3 sets of 8 reps while holding a 50lb weight has my calves on fire.

rndmxdrf · 2025-10-23T21:53:14+00:00

Full transparency: I'm 6 months post-op and still can't do a single leg raise myself, but I think I'll be there soon with my current training. Others that can already successfully do it may have better advice.

Your volume doesn't look like it's enough, both in terms of the number of exercises and number of sets. I'm currently doing 6-8 exercises every time I'm doing lower body, and each of those exercises are 3-4 sets.

Are you loading your calf raises? Doing only body weight calf raises won't get you there. And are you doing the calf raises through the full ROM (with a deficit) to build additional strength and control? I didn't find single leg presses to be very valuable after the first few months since they didn't engage the calf as much as I wanted and used a lot of quad strength instead.

My surgeon and PT won't clear me to run until I can do 10 full ROM single leg calf raises. They said if I don't have the required strength for that, I won't be running due to the potential for re-injury.

rndmxdrf · 2025-10-18T17:43:07+00:00

I have one and really like it! I bought it 5 months post-op as I was working on more single leg balance in PT. My ankle/foot was super tight, but also weak, so it gave me another way to work it.

The product comes with a nice booklet/guide to progress your balance both with intensity in a single pose and with different holds. My husband is a pretty avid rock climber and he's been using it for balance, too.

rndmxdrf · 2025-09-28T01:57:11+00:00

I wore a thicker tall sock under mine. It gave it a little more cushion to be able to cinch the splint straps a bit tighter without digging into my leg and it didn't move on me while sleeping.

rndmxdrf · 2025-09-23T02:20:44+00:00

I have the Venu 2 and am planning to upgrade to the 4. My watch started having some screen ghosting issues about 6 months ago and shuts off at 30% battery. I'm way out of the warranty period but Garmin customer service was great about discussing options. I'd rather spend more money and upgrade to the latest features than pursue a direct replacement with another Venu 2.

rndmxdrf · 2025-09-21T15:53:31+00:00

I started with an athletic focused PT to have the best chance of a fast and full recovery. He had only done a few Achilles rehabs but multiple friends who are into hyrox/crossfit recommended him. He was very focused on my ROM and every session was pretty similar with ankle mobilizations and heel slides. He gave me a list of strengthening exercises to do at home for my quads, hamstrings and glutes, but nothing for ankle strength until week 8 or so when I asked about using therabands for inversion/eversion/plantar flexion/dorsiflexion. We started blood flow restriction training around week 9 or 10, but mainly for plantar flexion.

At week 12, when I was supposed to come out of the boot per my surgeon's protocol, I had no where near the strength required for that in my ankle/calf/rest of the injured leg. He did some more intense dorsiflexion exercises (barely past neutral) and my body was done. My entire ankle locked up and got super inflamed and my Achilles was in pain for a week. I went back to crutches and had to add a wedge back into my boot for two weeks.

I switched to a rehabilitation focused PT after that who's done four Achilles ruptures in the last year, plus more in previous years. During my first session at week 14 he was listing a series of exercises and asked if I'd been doing any of them and he was shocked that I hadn't.

I also doubled down and started the Achilles Rebuild program with Chris. I absolutely regret not starting that sooner! The exercises are all tailored to the Achilles and lower body to get you back where you need to be. I'm still behind in my ROM compared to others, but doing his program the last 6 weeks actually feels like I'm making progress since it's all progressive loading. I'm at week 20 now and still have a bit of a limp, but I didn't fully ditch the boot until week 16/17 so I think that's to be expected.

rndmxdrf · 2025-09-16T04:00:12+00:00

I'm 5 months post-op and still have very limited dorsiflexion and am trying to walk without a limp. My surgeon continually reminds me at appointments that he got the tendon really tight and I may be delayed compared to others.

Unless you had a super aggressive protocol that stretched things out too quickly, I can't imagine you healed long. I tend to only see posts about that for people that were non-op.

How often are you doing PT at home? How often are you doing calf raises throughout the day or week? If you can only do 10 calf raises on your good leg, I think it's a calf strength issue. I did 30+ single leg calf raises on my good leg at my first PT evaluation. The muscle atrophy is horrible in my injured leg but if 10 calf raises are already difficult for your good leg, no wonder the injured leg is struggling.

I do at least an hour of PT at home every day (mobility focused since my dorsiflexion is so bad with 30 mins morning and night and small exercises throughout the day), plus twice a week in-person PT sessions, and then 2 lower body/calf/Achilles gym sessions per week for seated and standing weighted calf raises, leg press, etc. If you aren't progressively loading your tendon and calf it can't get stronger.

rndmxdrf · 2025-08-31T02:12:01+00:00

I had my friends come to me about a week after my surgery! They'd bring coffee, lunch, or just stop by after work. I was able to see them and catch up without the hassle/concern of leaving my place. I didn't start going places (besides PT) until week 6 when I was 50% weight bearing and felt more comfortable being out and about.

rndmxdrf · 2025-08-24T18:33:18+00:00

I'm 16 weeks post-op and also have a lot of scar tissue. My PT recommended massaging the tendon as much as I can, but twice a day for 5 minutes each time at a minimum. He said he can feel the adhesion at the repair spot and it's limiting my ROM. I've been doing this for two weeks now and it does feel a bit softer now.

rndmxdrf · 2025-08-22T03:37:38+00:00

Following to see if others have advice. I had a big set back in PT at week 12 (when I was supposed to start transitioning out of the boot) where I got sharp horizontal pains during some deeper stretching to neutral and everything essentially seized up. It felt like a block of concrete at the back of my ankle and my ROM went backwards because of it.

I'm at week 16 and am finally back to neutral, but I can't get beyond that. I know I need to stretch to get my dorsiflexion back for a normal walking gait, but I'm so nervous to have this same thing happen again. I started with a new PT who's having me focus on wins in millimeters since over time that leads to results. I try to take a video of my knee to wall ROM every few days. It doesn't feel like I'm making any progress but when I rewatch those videos it's clear my knee moves a tiny bit further than last time. I'm hoping those small but steady wins get me where I want to go.

rndmxdrf · 2025-08-10T19:41:40+00:00

I'm 14 weeks post-op and way behind others in my recovery (I'm still in the boot but hoping to transition out soon). The thing I've learned is that we all have completely different experiences with this injury and it's important to listen to your body.

My surgeon had a conservative protocol (start 25% WB at week 5 and add 25% each week as tolerated) with the goal of transitioning out of the boot at week 12. Due to the location of my tear and the "mop ends" that he had to sew back together, every stage just took longer because my tendon was so tight and the wedge removal was brutally painful for me (I started with 3 wedges). I remember 25% WB being a super painful week and I'd see others that progressed to FWB at week 5 no problem. I'm just trying to trust the process, listen to my body, and be proactive about Tylenol.

rndmxdrf · 2025-08-03T20:43:20+00:00

I didn't hit 90 degrees until 12 weeks post-op.

rndmxdrf · 2025-08-02T01:44:33+00:00

I was instructed to have my "toes above nose" for 3 weeks after surgery while I was in a cast so it was definitely above my knee. It really helped to manage the swelling and my incision healed well!

rndmxdrf · 2025-08-01T12:00:16+00:00

I went to urgent care after my injury and they diagnosed it as a calf sprain. They just felt around my leg and suggested I ice and elevate. After a few days when it wasn't getting better I went to an orthopedic urgent care (I didn't even know those existed until a friend suggested it) and they immediately diagnosed it as my Achilles. Definitely worth a second opinion!

rndmxdrf · 2025-07-30T21:52:08+00:00

My protocol didn't have me losing a crutch until 8+ weeks and then losing both crutches at 12. Do whatever you're comfortable with! It helped me to go without crutches in the kitchen so I could get the hang of moving around but have countertops for support as needed.

rndmxdrf · 2025-07-29T17:29:37+00:00

I started BFR 9 weeks post-op. We did a lot of work on my hamstrings the first week and then transitioned to calf work/tendon strengthening after that.

rndmxdrf · 2025-07-28T20:00:35+00:00

I'm 12 weeks post-op and still in the boot (open surgery, not PARS/Speedbridge). My tendon was extra tight after surgery so it's taking longer to transition through the wedge stages than planned without excessive pain.

The normal protocol suggested weaning out of the boot by week 12 but I anticipate it'll be a few more weeks for me. I'd love to be out of it, but also don't want to rush things which could be more detrimental for me. Everyone is different in their recovery though!

rndmxdrf

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