My achillies hell: More drama

P-U-N-K

Almost a good news bad news sorta thing....
You now have an answer. Although it is one
that keeps you from running for a while.

Depending on the dose, the side effects to prednisone
are sorta rough (oral doses).

Since I am not in your...uh....cast or shoes...
its easy for me to think that I would have started with
the attempted draining.

In any case, I feel your pain. I was forced to lay off
for nearly 7 weeks. Back running now and enjoying it more
than ever.

Quoted message said:

I will throw this out for those who want to learn more about the
achillies heel and who may suffer in the furture.

Quick recap: My achillies pain began a year ago. I saw a chiro and a
sports therapist. They did massage, elctro-stimulation, ultrasound,
exercises. I have used an iceberg over the past year. I was able to
run a fall 1/2marathon and a full marathon. After those, I reduced my
milage, but nothing got better. I have run a total of 22 miles in
2005, and it still hurts.

I was referred by my MD to an orthopedic surgeon: X ray was
inconclusive, so he did an MRI. Suddenly there is an answer. I have a
smallish tear in the tendon where it attatches to the heel bone, and a
cyst between the tendon and the bone. The readiologist actually thinks
the cyst is in the bone; the orthopod isn't quite sure.

So now I am in a boot cast for 3 weeks, and taking prednisone. If this
doesn't cure me, the doc will go in with a syringe to try to drain the
cyst. If he can't, he'll have to go in to remove it.

It is not clear to the doc whether the cyst formed as a result of the
tendon tear, or the tendon tore because of the presence of the cyst.

I will let you know more when I know something.

I really, really miss running.

Brian Jones

Leo Reed said:

Almost a good news bad news sorta thing....
You now have an answer. Although it is one
that keeps you from running for a while.

I agree, on both counts.

Quoted message said:

Depending on the dose, the side effects to prednisone
are sorta rough (oral doses).

I am taking 60 mg for 2 days, then 50, 40, 30, 20, 10. Then I am done.
What do you mean "rough?" I guess it is a steroid, so I thought I
would do a few push-ups every day and maybe get me some Mark McGwire
arms (though I don't suppose that would be helpful in a marathon).

Quoted message said:

Since I am not in your...uh....cast or shoes...
its easy for me to think that I would have started with
the attempted draining.

I had the same thought, but I think the doc is not very optimistic that
it is drainable (the cyst may be a hard mass, or even bony), and he
didn't want to do anything invasive without first exhausting other
possibilities.

Quoted message said:

In any case, I feel your pain. I was forced to lay off
for nearly 7 weeks. Back running now and enjoying it more
than ever.

Are you all better now, Leo? I haven't heard from you much since your
trouble.

Brian Jones

Quoted message said:

I will throw this out for those who want to learn more about the
achillies heel and who may suffer in the furture.

Quick recap: My achillies pain began a year ago. I saw a chiro and a
sports therapist. They did massage, elctro-stimulation, ultrasound,
exercises. I have used an iceberg over the past year. I was able to
run a fall 1/2marathon and a full marathon. After those, I reduced

my

Quoted message said:

milage, but nothing got better. I have run a total of 22 miles in
2005, and it still hurts.

I was referred by my MD to an orthopedic surgeon: X ray was
inconclusive, so he did an MRI. Suddenly there is an answer. I have

a

Quoted message said:

smallish tear in the tendon where it attatches to the heel bone, and

a

Quoted message said:

cyst between the tendon and the bone. The readiologist actually

thinks

Quoted message said:

the cyst is in the bone; the orthopod isn't quite sure.

So now I am in a boot cast for 3 weeks, and taking prednisone. If

this

Quoted message said:

doesn't cure me, the doc will go in with a syringe to try to drain

the

Quoted message said:

cyst. If he can't, he'll have to go in to remove it.

It is not clear to the doc whether the cyst formed as a result of the
tendon tear, or the tendon tore because of the presence of the cyst.

I will let you know more when I know something.

I really, really miss running.

Brian Jones

Sorry to all those who pay attention to such things. I just realized I
have been misspelling achilles. Arghh!

Brian Jones

Brian:
I understand why a boot cast would help an Achilles tendon tear, but
why would a boot cast help a cyst?
Whatever the case may be, good luck!
Murph

Quoted message said:

Brian:
I understand why a boot cast would help an Achilles tendon tear, but
why would a boot cast help a cyst?
Whatever the case may be, good luck!
Murph

I understand that the immoblization will help to heal the tear, which
cannot heal in the presence of the cyst without immobilization, because
the cyst continues to irritate the tear. Hopefully we are working on
the tear and the cyst at the same time.

Brian Jones

Quoted message said:

I am taking 60 mg for 2 days, then 50, 40, 30, 20, 10. Then I am done.
What do you mean "rough?" I guess it is a steroid, so I thought I
would do a few push-ups every day and maybe get me some Mark McGwire
arms (though I don't suppose that would be helpful in a marathon).

There ya go, think positive. Prolonged use will cause some
serious water/fluid retention and bone density loss.
THe little amount you are taking for a short time
should not be an issue.

Quoted message said:

I had the same thought, but I think the doc is not very optimistic that
it is drainable (the cyst may be a hard mass, or even bony), and he
didn't want to do anything invasive without first exhausting other
possibilities.

Probably a good idea.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Are you all better now, Leo? I haven't heard from you much since your
trouble.

The graft has "taken" and I am back to my plodding.
The first week was hell, even though I had done two weeks
of water jogging and biking.
My "long" runs are only 5 miles, but its coming back.
I figured I could sit on my ass for 7 weeks, no problem.
I was wrong. Now I know what others have gone through
on this NG when forced tolay off because of injury.

Off for a much needed spring break with my kids!

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