I'm a Product Designer, creator, and educator based out of San Diego, California. I’m passionate about designing technology and experiences in order to help maximize human potential.
By day, I’m a Senior Product Designer at San Francisco based tech company, Zendesk, and in my free time I make videos about design, careers in tech, and life on here on RU-vid.
Learn more about me on my website: www.alexaleighh.com
Horrible injury. Fortunately you're young & apparently have support. Good luck on continued recovery! I'm dealing w/ a Haglund deformity in which the Dr. has recommended Achilles detach & reattach.. Much more risk w/ age & we older people by & large are not near as resilient. Thanks for good info!
Thanks for sharing... I just had achilles repair and removal of a heel spur (that was causing the damage to my achilles) just over two weeks ago. For me, after the splint, they put me in a non-weight bearing cast that I'll wear for 6 weeks, then I go into a weight bearing cast for another 6 weeks (!), then a walking boot and PT. So I am in for it! I suspect because my injury was more a long-term stress thing then a sudden tear makes a lot of difference for how long I have to be in the cast. I was jealous of you getting to wash your let so soon after, haha! Happy you are making a full recovery!
Hi Alexa, Thanks so much for your videos. They have been so helpful both practically but more in terms of keeping hops up of returning to things I enjoy! I have probably missed it, but a quick practical question: At what point did you start feeling comfortable standing in a shower without boot or support or chair. The question is mostly around fear / headspace rather than mechanics. Cheers and thanks
My husband is almost 2 weeks postpartum after surgery, surgery is next week hope he can get the cast off and maybe be back in the boot 🤔… we plan a cruise months ago and supposed to go next month, I’m not sure how it’s going to go but he didn’t want to cancel it
So glad to hear it! I've been dealing with stiffness lately but I also am having another baby in October and I haven't really had much of a break to focus on fitness again since this injury. I know it will come again one day!
Congratulations on being a mum and thanks so much for making this videos. I’m on day 5th since my Achilles tore, I have a cast and I have been told that it’s my choice whether to go through surgery or not. I’m very confused and don’t know what would be best. I’ve heard that the chances of this happening again are less if you get the surgery and also that both paths will heal equally (Achilles strength ) but non surgical will take longer. What did you doctor said about that? Thanks so much !!!!
Thank you!! I decided to get surgery because it was and still my intention to stay active and get back into playing basketball again (once I am no longer having kids). From what I remember hearing, it's more recommended to get the surgery if you are younger and want to get back into the same level of physical fitness -- but reminder, I am not a doctor and I am not referencing any data in this share. I personally didnt think twice about this and went the surgical route which is what my friend in ortho and doctor recommended.
Ooo interesting, my knee on my opposite leg also started to hurt a bit after jumping at PT for the first time post-op 🤔 Glad to hear I’m not the only one and that your pain subsided after a little more time! 🙏
One thing I found out 2 wks. ago was that you may have jewelry made of gold or silver while having an MRI, but no other type of alloys. That's because I could not under any circumstance get my wedding ring off. I actually called the facility in the a.m. and asked them.
I'm looking at Achilles repair for some tears and thickening, not a rupture. I was surprised to hear you got to do weight bearing so early. I think I will probably have to wait approximately 3 mos. Yikes!
Thank you so much for making all of these videos about your recovery journey! I ruptured my left Achilles on April 27th and had surgery May 7th. Your videos have been so helpful to watch!
I ditched the crutches for the first time at my doctors office so I felt safe in the regard. My leg (and my mind?) just seemed ready, I'm not sure how else to put it.
@@HelloImAlexa That makes sense, if the MD approves it you feel more comfortable. I think I’ll need to work on it. Thank you for responding I appreciate it eases my mind. 💗🙏
Hey Alexa! Thank you for all these videos, they have been very helpful. How is your performance at sports and running now that it has been 2 years since the injury? I am 5 days post op and feeling pretty down about my situation. As a very active person I am concerned about how this will effect my performance at running/hiking/surfing for the rest of my life.
You're so welcome!! The truth is I'm not active in the way I was before at the moment because I got pregnant with my son the year of my recovery (I was jogging through 2nd trimester!). Then I was recovering during postpartum and then had no free time to focus on fitness really for the first 9 months. I got pregnant again with my new baby the following month and was put on bedrest for the 20 weeks. It's been a journey and I'm eager to get back into it again. I plan to work with a PT and/or trainer before getting back into playing sports but that is my long term goal!
I had surgery this past thrusday. So far, things have gone closley to how you described. If anyone is curious the nerve blocker for pain is no joke! Take your pain med, and muscle relaxers as soon as you get home so that you can have what you need. I recieved mine somewhere around 12pm I started experiencing intense pain around midnight. By then it was too late and I had to double my dosage lol I do not recommend doing that! It took until Friday evening for the pain to subside and as of Saturday morning I no longer have taken any pain med or muscle relaxer. I suffer from migraines, and felt feverish most of the day Saturday, I did a virtual visit and the NP told me it was okay to take something for it. I live alone so one of my cousins came to stay with me for the surgery, and the day after that was very helpful due to dizziness etc, but day 3 she left and I already have most of the things that were recommended to purchase from Amazon. The scooter is THE BEST! I am moving around on it downstairs where my livingroom and kitchen are and I use my crutches upstairs. Be sure to get the shower protector for your wound/splint/cast/boot. I ordered the thigh length one just to make sure I covered the maajority of my leg. It's not expensive, but you can opt for the knee length. This is the second time I've torn an achilles. I tore my right achilles 12 years ago, had surgery but the process was a little different for instance that time it was a month until I had surgery (because of follow ups, holidays, and testing) vs this time I tore it on Thursday night went directly to the ER, saw a surgeon Friday afternoon, they diagnosed gave me a boot and scheduled my surgery for this past Thursday. I was in a cast after surgery this time I was wrapped in a splint. I recieved a nerve blocker this time, the last time I did not, so i was given Vicodin to take instead of this massive pill I took. I also wore that cast for 3 weeks, had stitches removed, then given a splint for 2 more weeks, then was into a boot. I have learned this is possibly because they used a graft to repair my right tendon which is not as common anymore. I say all of this to say the process to me was a little scary because I immediately thought I was not going to be able to move around, but following most of these videos I've found a way to feel good about it, and I'm not confined. My surgeon even recommended the scooter for post op getting around the house etc... so I was impressed. I also was about to throw all my tennis racquets in the trash but I see plenty of people go back to their sports, and I like to play so I decided to find braces to help, and ways to build the strength back up following physical therapy ( orangetheory offers a row class which builds core and legs).
Thanks so much for sharing!! Phew, two achilles tears is no joke. I'm definitely nervous about that now, not gonna lie. Sounds like you're on the up and hope recovery is going well!
Did you have pain after 1 year of Achilles tendon surgery , i ruptured my Achilles tendon and i am in the 11 week post up , but doctor didn't give me walking boot i had a cast about 6 week , bu i still i am not walking
I didn’t! Only afterwards when my doctors protocol required it. Post-op it was on at night until I was out of the boot completely. And yes I used the leg raise pillow every night after surgery until I was out of the boot. Hope that’s helpful!
Thank you so much. Did you experience any bruising in your foot prior to the surgery? I was good for the first 3 days but noticed a bruise today. They gave me a boot said I get around on it until surgery on Thursday. I’m just curious.
I'm in Australia. I'm on the Aged Pension. I use Medicare - the public option for health cover. I drove to the nearest hospital when I ruptured my tendon. At the hospital they did X-rays and Ultrasound to confirm the rupture they then put my leg in a cast. 2 weeks later they put on a moon boot. All this cost nothing. I partially re-ruptured the tendon and went to my doctor's and got an ultrasound. My doctor referred me to a phyiso at the hospital. I've seen him twice now. I'm past week 8 and hope to leave the moon boot behind soon.I didn't have to pay for any of this either.
First day after surgery was worst pain I ever felt. took heavy pain meds but seem like wasnt doing anything. Second day pain decreased a lot and 3rd I was okay.
It´s mindblowing and at the same time annoying for me how in my country the treatment is: after my achilles tendon surgery first check and removing hard cast by a doctor will be in 24 days. Yours was after 8 days. After I´ve ruptured my achilles tendon, trauma doctor said to me, there is nothing broken. She wanted to give me a cast and after 3 days I´ve supposed to check at my practicionist. I raised a voice at her that I´ve torn a part either tendon or some muscle and I demanded for proper doctor that will check my injury and I was right they called proper doctor and he straight away told me I need surgery. Crazy. I´m 2 weeks after surgery right now.
HELP ME 😢😢 FOR 1 Yr iv not been able to go on tiptoe at all on my right foot. Includes swollen achilles tendon 😢. A Yr ago while dancing at a gig I felt like a massive kick from behind?? Does this mean it's totally snapped or partially torn please? When I walk its painful.
Thank you for the encouraging videos and congratulations on your little one! I am still waiting for an MRI, EIGHT weeks after first seeing my ortho. My insurance required PT before an MRI which seems backwards since the PT isn't 100% sure what she is treating, plus the PT is more expensive than the MRI. My injury is also older than eight weeks - I thought my shoe was too tight at first, then kept wondering if someone had run into me with a grocery cart from behind (that hadn't happened). I made the conscious decision to keep walking for exercise in the air cast because my treatment date has been so open-ended. I'm keeping the rest of my body as strong as possible so that if I do need surgery, recovery may be a little quicker and easier.
I'm 4 weeks post op and agree with the suggested purchases. I found a knee scooter with a basket and no regrets. The basket comes off when you don't need it. I found I needed it and it could carry WAY more than a fanny pack. Plus that's extra weight on my scooter and not my body. WIN!! There are cheaper versions of the shower leg cap that work just as well. In a pinch so does a trash bag and some athletic tape. Knee pillows are the best, I bought 2. One for bed and one for the couch. I had to buy a shower stool as I didn't have one but the stress I went through trying to figure out how to shower 1 legged was worth the 20 bucks I spent on a shower stool. I would have added crutch pads. Your boot is your best friend the crutches are a close second but they KILLED my wrists and armpits. Cheap wraps I found on Amazon saved the day!
I am 5 weeks post op and shocked at lack of leg muscle. Major visible difference in injured leg and non injured leg. Did your muscle return and how long does it take?
Yeah it's wild how fast it depletes. My muscle is back and equal to my other again but I don't remember how long it took. At least 2 months after starting PT because that's when I remember being able to walk more normally again but it was probably even a bit more after that. Hope that's helpful!
Thank you so much Alexa. You got the mid-substance bridge implant which I discovered after my surgery was done: to me, it is a the best technique to prevent re-ruptures and it was not until the day of the surgery that my doctor told me that they do not do that. mid-substance bridge implant is bullet proof against re-ruptures. There is no better support system than these people who have gone thru this and are kindly sharing their experience. I just got my hard cast removed and my surgeon has my food in the boot at 20% angle + 25% body weight allowed on the food with crutches support. Then after 2 weeks, I am supposed to move to 10% angle and 50% of body weight allowed on the injured foot still with crutches. Physical therapy has also been ordered and if things go well, I'm supposed to be dropping the crutches at the 2 months after surgery mark. I'm lucky enough to be able to work from home and I am using that time to pursue the things I putting off for years because I was "too busy running around" This is the ultimate test of patience and mental resilience. Foot in boot when sleeping and whenever working. Foot in boot when sleeping because some people accidentally re-rupture while sleeping. I move myself to a bunk bed and mounted a PC monitor to the roof of the bed so I can work and study with minimal movement. Worse possible scenario would be a re-rupture because I'm heavy and I can tear that joint again. Which would be a nightmare. There was really no pain that required that I take the Oxycodone or Gabapentin or even Ibuprofen because I’m truly anti medication (unless absolutely necessary). This is a Tylenol extra strength kind of injury for me. No ice either and I was not trying to prove anything to anyone.
Oh wow well that's reassuring to me to know about the procedure I got. Thanks for sharing your story and insight with everyone here. Hope you're feeling better now and the recovery is going smoothly!
Fellow graphic designer here, but about 2 years later joy has significantly limited the customizability they once had, I found it similarly limiting like your experience with the knot and Zola
Oh nooo that's a bummer to hear 😣 I found The Knot and Zola to be really hard to work with so hopefully Joy is still better in that regard but I haven't used their platform in a while of course.
Oh I see all of the links now. Very helpful, thank you!! I saw that scooter when I was looking for them, and a lot of the reviews said that the tires weren't that great, and that they scuffed up the floors a lot. I'm assuming it was fine for you? Did you mostly use it outdoors? Any trouble with cracks in the sidewalk and rocks etc... ?
@@wlee80 Oh interesting! Yeah scuffs weren't an issue for me at all. I used both inside (on one level of my house) and outside. You definitelyyy start to recognize how cracked and broken the sidewalk is while using one. It was so helpful though and worth it for me even going slow over cracks etc. Def have to be careful outside though.
Yes I am! Its one of these ones: www.dji.com/products/camera-drones#mini-series Congrats on hitting a year 🎉 SOO great to hear you had a good game too, that's amazing
Tore mine 2 weeks ago And had surgery after 5 days I am on urgent care list.So devastating specially when your are play sports.I play basketball but On this happen might everything’s change.Thank you so much to your video very interesting
I’m glad I found your channel. I ruptured my Achilles back on 30 March and I finally am getting surgery on 25 April and watching your videos has given me a good head start on what to expect. Thanks for posting your recovery!
I ruptured mine a week ago. I can’t stop thinking about what could have caused and how I’d try to prevent it from happening again in future. Do you have those thoughts? And if so, do you have an idea of what caused yours?
Oh 1000% -- I wasn't in any pain nor had any recognizable issues prior. My hunch was that it was because I was ramping back up again post-covid and I wasn't as strong or flexible than before from playing less during those years 😕
