Jill that really sucks. Im assuming when you said its a rupture that youve seen you doctor, theyve done the tests for it and its a full (as opposed to a partial) rupture.
Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body. Its strong but not very flexible. The classic sign of an achilles rupture is not being able to lift up onto ones toes (i.e. like when you do calf raises) when standing, although it may be possible to point the toes while not weight bearing.
Usually a ruptured achilles with need surgery to get fixed. After which, you might have up to 3 months in a case. But if its only a partial tear, then surgery might not be necessary and you just have the cast (still usually for a period of 3 months or so) but if STILL hasnt healed by that time, then they might consider surgery. And ofcourse, with all sports injuries, surgery is followed by rehabilitation to regain flexibility and strength.
You probably already knew this stuff.
However, there was an intereting read in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery in June 2004. They did a comparison study (surgery vs. non-surgical conservative treatment) for achilles rupturess. The non-surgical treatment had patients wear a hard cast for a short time, and then switch to a lighter cast and finally to a functional, removable brace that was worn for one month. It was found in the study that "
nearly all (91 percent) of those patients who participated in sports before thei injury were able to retun to sports."
So theres still hope for you yet
Either way, good luck with your injury. If you need some exercises for rehab, which im sure your doctor or physical therapist will give you, just let me know. While i dont know them off the top of my head, i can certainly look them up and tell you.