I wasn't a runner at all
I wasn't a runner at all before I started MR/BFR. My first week out I put in 16+ miles in VFFs. Second week I had managed about 8 miles of BFR before BAM! -- peroneal tendonitis. I didn't know the warnings about TMTS until I had already done WAY TMTS.
The ankle soreness wasn't too bad at first, but there was some swelling. I didn't run, but I didn't really stay off the ankle at all. Then I made a serious mistake and kept my regular appointment to donate blood. The ankle wasn't really bothering me that morning and I did not yet realize how serious the injury was, so I didn't give it a second thought. Within a couple days (still not giving the foot any rest) the ankle swelled worse and I could hardly bear weight on it.
For the next week I treated with rest, ice/heat (alternating), compression, elevation and Advil. Once I could bear weight comfortably I started slowly with these rehab exercises.
http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/library/sports_health/peroneal_tendon_strain_exercises/
I found swimming to be not only a good cardio alternative while I wasn't running, but a help for the ankle. I also found that sitting with my ankle in the hot tub using the water jets to massage the ankle was a great help.
Two weeks later I started adding a short walk just before the rehab exercises. I continued to go barefoot all this time.
The pain was gone after I started treating the injury seriously, though some tenderness continued for several weeks. The swelling was there for 2 months(!) and I did not start running again until ALL of the swelling was gone and there was no more tenderness. Then I eased back into running very, very slowly. This was almost 2 years ago and I've not had any problems with that ankle since then (knock on wood).
In my case, at the time of the injury I had only been a runner for 2 weeks, so waiting 2 months before running again wasn't nearly the frustration for me as something like this is to a seasoned runner. For what it's worth, I was 40 years old at the time of the injury. I've found that healing in my 40s takes much longer than healing in my 20s and early 30s ever did. If you're younger, you may find your recovery goes faster than mine did.
My advice is to use the rehab exercises in the link as soon as your foot can handle them. I found the wobble board exercises most helpful. I continued that exercise routine long after the ankle healed and, 2 years later, I still do them on a periodic basis. Tendon injuries generally heal slowly due to the relatively low blood flow to tendons; donating blood while healing a tendon injury is not a good idea. Use heat and massage (a hot tub works great if you have access to one) to help increase blood flow to the ankle. Avoid running until the injury heals. At the very least, avoid racing until the injury heals so that you're not tempted to push it. If you do run, take a least one rest day after each run to allow time for delayed feedback from the ankle. A heel lift might help, but I did fine going barefoot nearly all of the time (not just during exercise, but all throughout the day, even at work).
Good luck with it. Hope you heal quickly!
Peace,
Karen
