My Personal Nightmare - 14 with Achilles Tendonitis, time in boot, cast, crutches

(USA)

I am 14 and have had pain in my heel due to achilles tendonitis for about a month and a half(since august 26, 2010).

It got so bad that I cant even walk. I have been on crutches for about 2.5-3 weeks.

My orthopedic doctor said that I need to be in a boot, then a plaster cast, then crutches. THEN if all that doesn't work have surgery. I am on my last treatment as I have been on crutches for a while.

I am still in pain so obviously my Tendonitis is not getting better.

Question time:

1) WHEN will my doctor actually tell me I need surgery?(How long will I be on crutches before he thinks surgery the only option)
2) If I have surgery what is the actual procedure(its not a rupture, just plain tendonitis)?
3)How long is the recovery?
4)How much will surgery cost?
5)Outpatient or overnight stay in the hospital(I've herd both)?
6)How bad is the pain after surgery?



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Joshua Answers:

Hey USA.

1. You doctor will tell you you need surgery when every thing else s/he suggests fails to help.

2. I don't know what the procedure is for surgery. It just all depends. If it comes to that, ask your surgeon EXACTLY what they plan on doing.

3. Don't know. Depends.

4. Don't know. Depends.

5. Depends on what they do for surgery.

6. Don't know. Depends. Like all surgery, it's going to hurt. A lot. The question is, how fast does it go away, and does it actually fix anything?



Questions of my own:

1. How long has this -really- been going on?

2. What started it?

3. Did it come on fast or slow?

4. Where -exactly- does it hurt?

5. What's your ankle's range of motion?

6. Seriously, you've been in a boot and THEN a cast? As of this moment I don't have anything nice to say about your doctor, if that's true.

7. How's your health overall?

8. Any previous injury to the area or otherwise?

9. Anything else of interest?





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Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com