From "Can't Walk" to "Like to Run" (Warning: Surgery pics)

Apologies to my MFP friends who've already heard the story. I thought I'd share it here too as a way of paying back to the peeps who've helped inspire me.

In 2007, I was working out with my younger brother, studying/practicing football fundamentals. He was playing linebacker and I was playing running back. I ran a drag route, caught the ball, stiff-armed my brother, and then turned and accelerated to spring toward the end-zone (that taught him to play soft coverage on me over the middle:) Four or five steps after the stiff-arm and subsequent acceleration, I heard a loud "snap" and felt immediate pain in my left leg.

I thought Mike had dived at my leg, but when I turned around to yell at him, I saw he was not near me and had, instead of diving, taken an angle to cut me off on my path toward the end zone. Puzzled, I turned...hopped a few times toward the end zone, and then lay myself down on the ground and started feeling my ankle area with my hands to confirm the source of the pain. Having been around football for years, I knew about Achilles ruptures and I feared that that's what had happened to me. Eventually, I would find out, confirmed by doctors, that it was indeed a complete rupture of the Achilles and that I had a long road ahead of me in terms of recovery.



Recovery had a number of setbacks. For various reasons, surgery was delayed. When I finally had surgery, the docs had to remove tendons from my toes to strengthen and give blood flow to the Achilles. The wound opened up at one point and I contracted a staph infection. I wore a pic line for almost six months. The wound failed to re-close on its own and I had a number of subsequent surgeries...ultimately turning to a plastic surgeon for help...before the wound closed and I could begin to heal. My muscles atrophied enough, and some were lost during the time between the injury and surgery, that my left leg will always be a little smaller than my right (my brothers call it my "spare tire leg";). I ended up not walking at all for almost a year and then, when I started walking again, I had to wear a heeled-support and use a cane.

By the end of 2009, I could walk again with some proficiency, if with some limping. I had to wear good shoes since some toe tendons had been removed thus rendering the toes less-than-helpful with walking/retaining balance/etc. By the end of 2010, I could walk without a noticeable limp (though at the end of a long day, my leg/foot was certainly tired and would often cramp up). In 2011, my leg/foot had regained sufficient strength that I'd go for long walks without too much pain.


In 2012, I ran a 5k (I kind of shuffled/walked the whole thing and I was SUPER sore for almost a week afterward).
Earlier this year, I started doing cardio (30 Day Shred, etc.) (previously, I'd been unable to withstand much, if any, exercise that had much impact...but at this point, I was able to do it.) Earlier this year, I ran a 5k, was surprised at how well I did, and then decided that it was time I started running again. I've been running consistently since then and plan to continue.

Last month, I ran a Half Marathon. I finished in 02:09:47 (just under my ten-minute-mile goal. Later that night, while reflecting on the race, I got emotional because the run signaled to me that my "recovery journey" was over. I of course intend to keep running, so THAT's not "over"...but I feel like I've finally "caught up" to where I ought to be, and now I can just focus on becoming a fit person instead of trying to just become a functioning one.

I'm proud of myself for that little "comeback milestone". Similarly, I'm proud of all my MFP friends who are overcoming obstacles and reaching all their little comeback milestones. I'm proud to be on the same team as you and pushing in the same direction--fit and healthy living for a fulfilling life.

#goyou #gome #goteammfp