An avid bicyclist, Shon Zeller, was a bit surprised when he heard a snap come from his ankle during a pick-up game of basketball.

The 57-year-old airline pilot had just come home from a trip and was enjoying a game of driveway basketball with family and friends on Memorial Day.

“I stepped back to fake out my 6’2” son and snap,” the Wheaton man recalls. “I looked at him and said, ’You heard that right?’ and he said, yep.”

The “snap” was the sound of a ruptured Achilles tendon. There was a complete tear of the tendon with a 4 centimeter gap in his right ankle, leaving him feeling like his foot was dangling.

Four months and one surgery later, Zeller is well on his way to recovery, recently completing a 20-mile bike ride. He’s also back to work, piloting commercial flights.

"The injury was a setback and the surgery was the beginning of the way back," says Zeller.

But the key to being where he is today was his physical therapy. On medical leave for three months after surgery, Zeller was dedicated to his therapy, eating right and doing what he could to give his muscles the best shot at recovery.

“Depending on if you are dedicated, the way back can leave you in a better place than you were when you had the injury,” he says.

The day of his injury Zeller contacted a friend, who also happens to be a physical therapist. She said he should stay off his feet for the night. She also recommended Zahab Ahsan, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group-Orthopedics.

Just two days later, Zeller had an exam and was scheduled for surgery.

For most patients, recovery from surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon typically takes about a year; nine months if the patient is an avid athlete. But Zeller, who is an avid cycler and participates in other endurance sports, is breaking even the norms for an athlete, Dr. Ahsan says.

After a minimally invasive surgery to repair the Achilles tendon, he spent five days in a splint then started on physical therapy. Zeller transitioned to a walking boot for the next five weeks to protect his Achilles’ repair. By the time the boot was removed, he was walking normally.

"Allowing for an aggressive rehabilitation program with an experienced physical therapist is the most important component to Shon’s recovery,” Dr. Ahsan says.

The focus since then has been rebuilding full strength and working on more athletic movements.

"The fact that I’m where I’m at is really a testament to the team,” Zeller says, noting that at 15 weeks post-op he was walking without a limp, is working on heel raises and expects to be doing some jumping exercises soon.

For others recovering from injury, Zeller encourages patients to take confidence in what their team is telling them. It can be difficult to trust that the injury is healing properly when it is not yet back to 100 percent, but he encourages patients to follow their team’s advice. If the advice is to hold off on a certain activity, hold off. If it’s to move ahead, take that step.

"When they tell you it’s good; it’s good," Zeller says. "You have to trust in the team to get you to the point to where you can do the work."

The orthopedic team of experts at Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group-Orthopedics provides exceptional orthopedic, sports medicine and podiatry services for patients of all ages. We use the least invasive treatments necessary to help you get back to the activities you enjoy, as quickly as possible. Learn more.