Ruptured tendon in calf question

[kis95]

Yesterday I was chasing after my two-year old, and as I went to run, I heard a distinctive ripping sound and felt a very disconcerting sensation in my right calf. I'm unable to put my heel flat on the floor unless my knee is bent, and of course then I can't straighten my leg. My calf hurts to touch on the meaty, inside/back part, although when I'm sitting, it doesn't hurt at all really (twinges a bit). Any swelling is minimal (it's now almost 24 hours later) and I have no bruising yet, although I woke up with a pale reddish oblong mark on my leg this morning where it's sore. I went to the walk-in clinic (hobble-in?) at the hospital and had it checked out. The Dr told me that on examination, she is sure that I have a complete rupture of the tendon that kind of "hooks" up the back of the calf. I can't remember the name of it, but she was certain it wasn't my achilles tendon (I can still move my foot). For treatment, she suggested icing my calf, but that's it. She said it should heal in a few weeks, and that I can't do any further damage.

Is there anything else I can do? I have three children - five, four and two-and-a-half - and it's just about impossible for me to stay still when I have a house, kids and husband to look after. Would wrapping it help it feel more stable? When I'm 'walking', I often step funny and my calf HURTS and feels like something is...not where it should be. The Dr described the rupture as a blind snapping up (blargh!). I live in a two-story house, and going down the stairs is very precarious. I guess I'm also wondering if it's true that I can't do any more damage to my calf? I want to just suck it up and plow through this injury, but I want to make sure I don't make things worse.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[JD1963]

Hello and Welcome to MedHelp! I am the Orthopedic Community Leader for MedHelp. I am fairly new to this site and I am trying to search back to see if I can help anyone with additional information. I noticed you posted on a old post (I hope they respond), so I thought I would try to help a little. I don't know your history, but if is like Kis95 and it is not a Achilles Tendon issue, I'm guessing it might be Gastrocnemius (calf) muscle injury. Please remember the acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation), this should help with the discomfort. I wish I could help more, but this is one of those "give it time to heal injuries". I think in my 25+ years as a Orthopedic First Assistant I only remember taking one to surgery because of it's severity. Best wishes! jd1963

[Kimbull]

I have these exact symptoms.  What did you do? What was the outcome? How long until you were back to normal?
Thanks, Kim