In early December, I sustained a complete tear of my right achilles tendon. I was warming up for climbing at JT by running up a boulder a few feet and jumping back down, something I've done frequently. On one of the attempts I bounded up from the ground and planted my foot at such an angle as to put too much force on my foot. I heard a snap that sounded like a tree branch breaking and knew right away I'd torn my achilles. I opted for surgery for the repair after consulting with no less than 5 orthopedic surgeons.
My questions to those of you who have sustained partial or complete tears of your achilles tendon, did you have surgery or go the non-surgical route? What was your healing experience? How long before you were back to your previous physical activities?