Training Log Archive: Shminty

After trying a lot of different treatments and without much improvement with my heel over the previous 10 months I decided six weeks ago to have surgery. Could have had it done sooner but decided to get the best surgeon I could to do the work and he's only in the UK once a month or so.

Had some soft tissue removed from behind the tendon and a bit of bone cut away with only minimal work on achilles itself. Strange experience as I was only under a local anesthetic so awake the entire time. Although the area was numb could still feel some stuff but hard to know exactly what was going on as I couldn't see (probably a good thing) but confident I could tell when the surgeon was pushing his finger between the tendon and bone. Fortunately he did warn me just before he started using the hammer to take off the bone spur!

Recovery time is slightly longer and more complicated than I first thought. Basically have to walk with crutches for a couple of weeks, then I can start cycling after 4-6 weeks and hopefully running after 6 weeks. Of course that all depends on not getting the area infected which apparently is relatively high with achilles ops so got to be extra careful till skin has healed fully especially as I have a bone 'wound'.

Surgeon was from Sweden and had been an orienteer as a junior. Told me he had operated on elite orienteers before and that he had read in the swedish newspapers just yesterday about the national team members arrested by Italian police for running around naked (thought it was a good publicity stunt).

C • Hope it goes well, who is t... 9