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The secret of managing such days is realising early enough to stop before a major disaster and focus on another activity, well away from the workshop. I haven’t been able to crack this yet and only give up after having made a major faux pas.

Dave W

It's a rare workshop day when I don't make a mistake. Likewise it's a rare day at the gliding club when I don't get a rollocking for something or other!

Andrew

I know it's time to stop when I can't find something I put down half a minute ago…

Sorry to hear about the tendon Mark.

A mate of mine had the same happen to him a couple of years back, on a Saturday evening. Not a good time to require an ambulance. Finally picked up by one from well outside the area. He ended up giving the paramedic directions to the hospital.

Good news is that he made a full recovery. Do so hope you do the same.

Mike

Mike

Hi Mark, in Feb 2017 I had my right achilles tendon resected to remove a large 10-15 mm dia calcified growth inside it. The doc resected it but there was enough damage that he added an artificial tendon to it woven into the calf muscle and attached to the heel bone with some stainless screw eyes. Doc did a great job and all healed up well afterward. No more horrible pain as I had before the operation from that big ball inside my tendon! The worst part was staying still for 9 weeks afterward, in 3 different casts, and applying no weight at all to the leg during that time. I got used to the routine though, I'm sure you will too. Great time for planning and sketching if your caregivers can get you a hard backed sketch pad and pencils, calculator, etc. I had gathered up all necessary bits and supplies to make a couple of Airfix plastic model kit locomotives and a couple times a week my wife would get out the boxes of stuff I needed set up on a card table so I could work a while. Made the time go faster!

One big problem I had was with the Percocet pain killers that were prescribed for post-surgical pain. They did work well on the pain but cause a major digestive blockage which was less than convenient in the state I was in! The Percocet are addictive too, and when I ran out, my brain was sending me major anxiety messages to get more of that stuff. However after a few days off the stuff I was fine, and did not need the meds by that time. Dangerous stuff though, easy to see why people get hooked on it. Smooths the day right out though……suggestion though is to take as little Percocet or other opioids as you can and get off it as soon as possible.

I was very careful to follow the doc's instructions exactly to the letter, same when you start physiotherapy. If you do, you greatly improve your odds on a great recovery. Good luck!