mcm007:
How did you guys tear your achilles, was it diving ?
To save me a lot of typing.. here's the story I posted on TDS:
An on the boat type of dive accident
Ok. This one isn't quite a dive accident, but it's something that definately is related, and something you might want to think about next time your on the boat.
3 weeks ago, the seas were a little confused. The current was running one direction, and the wind was pushing the swells perpendicular to the waves, so the boat was getting that broadsided pitching from port to starboard.
I finished my dive, and climbed up the ladder. The captain has strict rules about boarding his boat. You must have your mask on, reg in your mouth, and fins on, so if you happen to fall off you can see, breathe, and swim.
So I get on deck and start walking toward the portside benches. Being the toughass that I am, I wave off the mate who offers to unclip my 40. The boat got a decent sized swell as I was stepping forward with my right foot [left foot flat due to fins of course], and I unconsiously lean into the pitch so I don't fall over.
I felt and heard a loud "POP!" come from my left leg, and my knee went forward a little bit more, and somehow I managed to launch myself over to the bench and sit down.
My first instinct was that my leg snapped. I couldn't explain it, but I was sure I had broken my leg. We got me out of my rig, and we went over to the other bench so I could lay down a second. Someone went to get the captain, he came out and suggested a MedEvac. I wanted to wait a second until I got out of my suit since I didn't want to be responsible for everyone needing to wear life jackets for a couple hours if it wasn't necessary.
Once I got out of my suit I realized that it wasn't possible that my leg was broken, but there was definately something wrong. There happened to be a vet on the boat, the closest we had to a doctor, and she ran me through a couple tests. She originally thought my achilles was ruptured, but then ruled that out when I asked for a second chance at pushing on her hand.
I felt a lot better, although limping pretty severely, by the time we got to the dock. The 5 hour drive home [a standard transmission] was uneventful; actually downright relieving and comfortable; as long as I pointed my foot to clutch.
Monday morning I went to the Doc. He said it was a calf strain, no big deal. Ice it a couple days and it'll be good in a week. Call if it's still a problem in 3.
So I decide if I can get my gear to the airport, I'm gonna take it on my Truk Lagoon vacation the next weekend. It got better swellingwise and range of motion wise over the vacation, but I still seemed to have trouble walking. I was very flat footed, and walking in sand was downright painful since my heal would sink and my calf could hold my foot up.
After some delays due to a Typhoon, I didn't get home until thursday. I waited through the night to make sure the flight enduced swelling was down, and decided to call my orthopedic surgeon to check it out and give me some advise. I figured I just needed to get into a PT program to get the healing progressed.
I saw one of the other docs in his office because he wasn't available. She put me on the table and performed a Thompson's test [lay in good trim position w/ feet up, they squeeze your calf and your foot will point]. However my left foot didn't move.
She exclaimed about how my PCP completely blew the call, and wisked me off to the MRI sled [all of 15 minutes after I got there]. She had to get to surgery so she saw me today to look at the MRI.
It's not a total rupture of the Achilles, but there's only a few spagetti strands of tendon left, and it's acting like a total rupture. I have the option of casting for a couple months, but she doesn't think i'll get much more strength back then I currently have [e.g. permanent limp and kick *** parking for life], or we can operate.
The delay in surgery [3 weeks, 2 days... it's tomorrow morning] is going to cause some complications, as well as the location of the tear [being higher up the calf then normal]; and rehab will be quite long.. "You might make the tail end of ski season".
Now I don't really know the answers to this one, and you all can discuss it; but I do know that there isn't a chance in hell I'm walking across a pitching boat with fins on again. I don't know for -sure- that was the cause, but I think it's pretty close to likely.
