Achilles Debridement

August 9, 2023

It's a scary thing - I was told that I would be face down during the procedure.  Well, how else would they operate on the back of my ankle?  From resurgens.com:  "Achilles tendon debridement surgery removes this damaged tissue. Debridement of the Achilles Tendon promotes healing by improving the blood flow in the affected area and exposing healthy tissue."  It also says that the Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body.  I did not know that. 

Causes of this thing?  It sprung up out of nowhere.  My husband says my warranty has expired.  Nice.  A lot of trips around the sun can do it, and I can pinpoint when I used my right foot the most - landing jumps when I skated in my 30s.  Lots of them.  My doctor says we can't know for sure, but I prefer this explanation.  Surgery is in about 5 hours from this writing and I'm a bit anxious about the "face down" nature of the surgery, as I'll be in special headgear so my eyes will be protected "to prevent blindness."  When I heard that, I was rather stunned. 

I know I'm in good hands and my surgeon just got back from vacation and will be very refreshed so that's all good.  Onward, upward and I'll look forward to being pain free finally and get back to my active life without wimpy things like foot cramps and having to use those power scooters at Walmart (although they are kind of fun and turn on a dime).