Bronko, I ruptured my Achilles on 4 Dec. and had surgery on 24 Dec. After surgery I had a cast that hurt my foot and leg so the Dr. removed part of the cast to alleviate the pressure. After two weeks I was put in a stabilizer boot and cannot put weight on my foot as directed by the Dr. I see the Dr. next week and I think he is going to let me start PT in a pool. I still have swelling in my foot and the calf muscle is slightly sore and losing muscle. Overall, there hasn't been much pain beyond the initial pain with the cast. Cannot wait to get started. Turkey season starts in April. Good luck.