The Achilles tendon is a wrap – six months post surgey

It was the expiration of the temporary disabled placard that struck the female DG: That meant it had been six months since surgery to repair her partially torn left Achilles tendon, even though she keeps thinking  five months. So it was fitting that she also had her final appointment with Dr. Oloff today and was told “you’re too healthy to be seeing me any longer.” While at SOAR she also ran into master caster Joe, so was able to give him a final round of thanks, too. Now if only the right hamstring was less cranky. It’s always something…

Another milestone: return to the Dish

The female DG tooked her surgically-repaired Achilles tendon (ahead of the curve in healing thanks to platelet-rich plasma therapy just like Tiger!) and tested it on real hill work, the ups and downs and Stanford’s Big Dish area. What a thrill to be back – and how nice to have the company of walking partner Jeannie. And not a twinge of pain felt.

Just like Tiger – benefiting from platelet-rich plasma therapy

OK, let’s get this confession out of the way: The female DG is online a good portion of each 24 hour period – but still doesn’t get much news online. She’s just used to coming home and reading the newspaper, meaning that print thing with ink.

So it was only Tuesdays night, undoubtedly 36 hours or so after the story  broke (in someone’s time zone) that she read first in the San Francisco Chronicle (edited version) and then the New York Times (full version) , the news that Tiger Woods – in a guilt by possible association – is a) a steriod user (full guilt by association due to criminal investigation of Canadian Dr. Anthony Galea); b) was administered human growth hormone by Dr. Galea (the implication of the edited Chronicle story) or c) took advantage of what other elite athletes – and those who are less elite but are in the right place at the right time like the female DG – used platelet-rich plasma therapy to hasten recovery from a muscle or other tissue injury. Unless there’s some other new evidence, she’s voting “c.”

There is irony in the Dec. 15 front page New York Times article which casts Dr. Galea’s medical practice in less than glowing, if not somewhat damning, terms. That same newspaper also profiled Dr. Alan Mishra on the front page in February of this year, heralding “a promising treatment for athletes – in blood.” Both doctors are utilizing platelet-rich plasma therapy. Both undoubtedly treat a number of “elite” athletes – but one of them, Dr. Galea, just happened to treat the current object of media frenzy, Tiger Woods.

The female DG is a recipient of platelet-rich plasma and is waiting for the headlines to break about her “outside the lines” treatment. The surgeon who repaired her partially-torn Achilles tendon in July – Dr. Lawrence Oloff – packed the repaired tendon with platelet-rich plasma before closing up. Because she lives in Menlo Park where Dr. Mishra practices, she consulted him for a second opinion before undergoing surgery; he offered an alternative to surgery – just injecting the wounded tendon with platelet-rich plasma. For a number of reasons, she chose surgery – and platelet-rich plasma.

This the female DG will never know: Did the packing of her surgical wound with platelet-rich plasma contribute to her “ahead of the curve” recovery from Achilles tendon surgery? She is starting to jog and is pain free.

Another thing she doesn’t know: When will the media leave Tiger Woods alone even though his candidacy for sainthood is off the table?

20 weeks post surgery: to jog or not to jog?

That was the the question on the female DG’s mind this morning. While a non-option today – she walked with the male DG and they simultaneously got interested in photographing the same small patch of sky in the otherwise cloudy sky, she knew that would be the first question she asked Oloff today. After yesterday’s four interval jog amidst her morning walk, the tendon was achier than usual (usual being no ache, even after walking four miles, her uppermost limit at the moment). But was that ‘good’ ache or ‘bad’ ache? Stressing to recovery or doing harm?

So while Oloff looked at her now fully healed (at least externally) heel/ankle, she asked: “When can I start jogging?” “A month,” was the first response. But when she said she was aiming for a New Year’s jog in Central Park, he ok’d 10 minutes intervals (after asking what her former weekly mileage was). What she will do tomorrow morning, she’s unsure. But she knows more of what’s right and what’s not will get sorted out when Heidi visits both DGs on Saturday.

Another milestone: inching toward jogging

Four months post Achilles tendon surgery to repair a tear, the female DG walked her longest distance this morning – four miles at a brisk pace. In fact it was brisk enough that she thinks she did the route in about the same time as she used to jog. That, of course, was always at a slow jogging pace. And now for confession: she actually did jog for about two blocks. It felt weird; it’s been almost six months. But no apparent ill effects. And she’s not going to be stupid.

Thoughts four months post Achilles tendon surgery

So, while the female DG was recounting the lovely walks the DGs took during the Thanksgiving four-day holiday, the four month milestone, which came on Nov. 26, was overlooked. She continues to think she’s doing really well. She did ice after the walks but, hey, so does Tim Linsecum (ok, his arm is worth tons more than her left foot/ankle). What’s kind of weird is the subtle not quite throbbing that comes at the end of the day. It’s not at the site of the injury/surgery but a more diffuse feeling that starts at the ankle and goes up the calf a bit. This, of course, is when she needs the wisdom of Heidi (who the lucky male DG gets to see tomorrow) to understand what’s at work here. Meanwhile, the jogging itch is getting more earnest. She sees Oloff next week and is starting to think about a jubilant, if short jog, on New Year’s Day in Central Park. What a cool way back that would be.

Return of the dawn patrol – at least for a morning

The female DG is not supposed to be walking for exercise for another couple of weeks, per Dr. Larry Ollof’s instructions, but given that the male DG is without walking partner Scott, she ventured out with him for a dawn jaunt around the neighborhood around sunrise this morning. She doesn’t think it was any farther than some of their recent walks through airports (the Southwest gates at San Jose are currently really far from the security check point).  She got to take in all the Halloween decor and see the full moon set. And is no worse for wear.

Up to 40 minutes on the elliptical

The female DG extended her time on the elliptical machine to 40 minutes this morning, followed by her various PT exercises. She’s still lousy at balancing on one foot – both feet, not just the “bad” left foot. But no ill effects to the added five minutes. Pre-surgery her time on the elliptical went by more swiftly listening to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Now she’s totally into the sequel, “The Girl Who Played with Fire.” An audible book is a different experience,  but she has no idea when she’d find time to actually read these really long novels.

Being a “fast healer” has its pitfalls

OK, this will make the most sense to people who understand the female DG’s passion for the San Francisco Giants, one of whom was coming out of Dr. Lawrence Oloff’s office as she was coming in today. In fact, she almost bumped into him.

It was well publicized last July when a certain Giants shortstop (playing in Triple A Fresno) had surgery to repair a broken toe on his left foot by the team’s foot specialist, who just happened to be the female DG’s surgeon. Toes and tendons are different deals, but it seems both need time to heal.

So, while Oloff pronounced the female DG “well ahead of the curve,” he cautioned her to not “overdue,” advice he said he’d just given to a previous patient who was also a fast healer. Strength exercises are to continue but walking is to remain limited. She’s itching to walk and the male DG needs a walking partner on Tuesday and Thursday. Doesn’t walking build strength? (She is sensible enough to get an opinion from physical therapist extraordinaire, Heidi.) But then again, like the more famous patient, what she really wants is to be ready for spring training – or in her case, jogging at dawn.

End of dashing about, patience a reality again

All of the great travels and visits with good and long time friends have been a bit of a smokescreen, the female DG realized today. As long as she was on the go, she didn’t have to think about how she yearned to get jogging again. The mile or so walk on Saturday resulted (or did it? was that really the cause?) in a bit of a cranky tendon on Sunday. Today it was back on the elliptical and visit with physical therapist T, who continues to marvel at how far along the  female DG is on the recovery curve. Guess she has that to be grateful for – the alternative is terrifying.