Stepping Up My Game

I had another great week!  I hope you guys don't start to get bored with my updates.  I hope they inspire you so that you keep pushing and moving forward.  I started this blog with the intention of turning it into a positive recovery story, so that anyone suffering a Lisfranc injury has hope, and a light at the end of the tunnel that it will eventually be over, and eventually be just a memory.  My injury ended up being on the severe side of things, so yes, there are things that I will never be able to do again (at least, they aren't recommended if I don't want another surgery in 2 years, so yep, taking the doctor's advice), but there are plenty of things that you still CAN do.

I was hoping that this feeling of encouragement and happiness about recovery would have come maybe a few months ago and I really didn't expect the injury to take this long to heal.  Patience is the key and you just have to have it.

So what did I do this week that has me so excited?  Another hike!  I increased my distance and elevation gain with this one, last week's was more of just a baseline on where I was.  Last week's hike was about 2 miles round trip, 0.75 each way and then some tooling around the reservoir, with overall about 450 ft. of elevation gain.  On Friday, I had the day off work and we celebrated my hubby's birthday by going on a hike that was a little more challenging than last week's.

This hike was located in Millcreek Canyon,  on a trail called Rattlesnake Gulch (I'm in Utah, not Colorado) and led to a beautiful overlook of the Salt Lake Valley.  It almost double the distance of last week's adventure, 3.4 miles roundtrip with about 750 ft of elevation gain.  My foot held up so great.  I actually didn't have much pain at all during the entire hike, and it started to get kind of sore about a third of the way back down the trail.  I did have to kind of think about my foot in general though, since the trail was super rocky.  I was conscious of every step, where I was putting my feet, and my weight on each foot.  I was trying not to put too much weight on the right foot, especially on the steep parts.  I tried to lead with my right foot as much as possible so that I wasn't pushing off too much on it.  I let my left foot be the back foot to push myself up the hills.

The rocks really tested my balance and I was grateful for my trekking poles.  There was one section that was almost all rocks, and I tweaked my ankle just a bit.  My foot is seriously not used to this type of activity and this is helping to work on stability.  As anxious as I might be for pushing the foot, I am seeing huge leaps of progress the more active I am.  

I also found out that my cardio totally sucks.  Definitely need to work on that aspect!  During the steepest part of the hike my heart rate got up to 203, according to my Polar Heart Rate Monitor.  I didn't die though.  Overall, it took me about 1hr 50 min to do the hike, exactly on point with the average hiker pace for the Wasatch Mountain Club.  (Slow clap?)  I honestly don't care about pace or speed.   Maybe next year that can be a goal.  Right now it is just about completing the hikes!  I burned about 1300 calories on the hike which had me feeling awesome afterwards.  And yes, we treated ourselves to a birthday dinner at Ruth's Chris later in the evening.

Pics!

Going up the trail (this was the non-rocky part :) )

At the top - if you zoom in you can see the Salt Lake downtown skyline!

Looking west to the other side of the valley; Oquirrh Mountains in the distance

Looking down at Salt Lake Valley.  The abandoned pipeline is in view, which Google tells me used to power parts of the valley years ago!

The next day, my legs were for sure sore, especially my calves and quads.  Most importantly, my foot was only mildly sore.  Compared to last week's 2 mile hike, and this week's 3.4, it definitely felt more sore this week than last week.  But not really enough to bother me much.  I some gardening that Saturday and we hung another bird feeder, ran errands, and did some shopping, so I still was able to be on my feet and fairly active throughout the day!  There was one point where we had gone to pick up some flowers for the garden at our favorite nursery, and the hubby told me that I was WALKING TOO FAST for him.  What!  (In his defense, I had a pair of tennis shoes on, and he had flip flops, but still)

As I think about it, maybe a year ago if I had gone on this hike pre-injury, I might have noticed the pain or the differences in my two feet.  Maybe it would have bothered me.  Other than getting used to how to hike all over again, I am so pleased with how my foot held up.  I wasn't bothered.  A little sore, but not bothered.  Considering all the time, surgeries and trauma my foot has been through, this was exciting.  This is my new normal now.

And I'm fine with that!

Another First - Hiking!

I had an absolutely fabulous day today!

The weather was finally nice & warm, so Nate and I hit the trails this morning.

I was pretty nervous.  This was my first real attempt at hiking since my injury.  During the spring and summer months, hiking was the way I loved spending my weekends and my favorite way to exercise. I didn't really get to do any hiking at all last year, and the last real hike I did was King's Peak in the summer of 2014.  Then I broke my foot and everything changed.

The hike I chose was a fairly easy one.  It's a hike I've done about a dozen times and one that can be done earlier in the season with little snow, and it's one of my favorites.  There are technically 5 points you can hike to on this 9 mile hike, but I chose to hit only the first one that is about a 2 mile round trip.  It isn't that steep, but still a really good workout!  The goal wasn't to hit any PR's, or do it as fast as I could, or anything like that.  I simply wanted to prove to myself that I could do a hike.

I expected to be slow.  I expected my foot to hurt.  None of that really happened.  It was 0.75 miles to the Lower Bells Reservoir (my destination) and I was able to reach it in about 27 minutes!  In peak performance, it typically would take me 15-20 minutes to get that far.  My pace hadn't slowed that much!  I was taking a little bit of extra time navigating the parts of the trail with rocks, just to be careful.  I brought along my trekking poles and they helped with balance.  My foot actually didn't hurt very much at all.  I could feel muscles working that I hadn't used in a very long time, though, especially on the uneven ground.  We got to the Reservoir and I wanted to go a bit further, so we did a lap around.  We followed the trail mostly, but took a wrong turn and ended up in a swampy, muddy mess.  I was really dirty by the end, but it was all so much fun!  The only part I struggled with was getting back onto the actual trail - we ended up having to bushwhack a bit to get back to the top.  I still have been struggling with calf raises and coming up on my toes in general, and found myself having to boulder up and be on my toes.  I can't say that it was "painful" but it was kind of an uncomfortable feeling trying to push off the right foot.  Like a muscle that you are overstretching or trying to lift something that is too heavy.  I think that it was good that I pushed my limit a little bit, hoping to get that part back to normal eventually!

I was most terrified of going downhill, actually.  So, I thought it would be a slow and painful process and that it would take forever.  But, I didn't!  I did slow my pace down some because I felt a little anxious and really wanted to be careful not to slip or slide down the trail, but the foot held up awesomely.  I used my poles a lot to steady myself coming down.  By the time we made it back to the trailhead, my foot was starting to get pretty sore, mainly in my navicular area.  I think it was going all kinds of crazy angles and just working my foot out in a way that hadn't been done in a while!

Bell's Canyon - Lower Reservoir

I switched to my flip flops after the hike, and getting my foot out of my hiking boot was a bit difficult since it had kind of swollen up a bit.  But really, no real pain.  I expected to be sore for the rest of the day, and while I could tell I'd had activity, I was really surprised how not sore I actually was!  This made me very excited!  I am very encouraged, and thinking already about what I want my hike next week to be.

Update:  I woke up the next morning, a bit sore, but nothing terrible, and nothing I couldn't handle.  I didn't even need to take advil or pain meds, or anything to get through the next day.

I am super pumped!

Spectator

I've had quite an eventful couple of weeks!

I went in for a check-up at TOSH last Monday.  Doctor visits are always hard for me because it is a reminder of just how bad my injury was, and how life-changing it has been for me.

I got a set of x-rays taken, and everything appears to be lined up properly and healing well.  My bones are still not quite as strong as they were before, and it will just take time to build back the bone density.  Otherwise, the x-rays looked great and there were no major issues that could be seen.  The doctor did say that he could see evidence of very mild arthritis through my midfoot already, but it was nothing to be concerned about at this point.

I am still having quite a bit of pain and stiffness in my big toe.  There wasn't anything on the x-ray that could point to the cause.  The doctor examined my foot, and he thinks that it is just stress on the foot after not using it for so long.  He said to continue with my plantar fascia stretches, and to also work calf stretches in, by hanging my right heel off a step and dropping it down.  I also still cannot really come up on my toes at all on my right foot, and the doctor said that that is usually one of the last things to come back.

I was also given clearance to start weaning out of my Superfeet.  I have been wearing those inserts for arch support ever since I started weight-bearing, so I've become quite accustomed to them.  But, my arch has built up enough strength now to be able to support my foot on it's own, so I can begin to phase them out.  I wore a pair of boots to the grocery store over the weekend without them, and I didn't really notice too much of a difference - other than there was a lot more room in my shoe!  Walking barefoot has certainly gotten a lot easier; it's not my favorite thing to do, but at least I can stand walking around on it a bit after I get out of the shower without running for my shoes first thing.

I got the standard set of instructions for the next 4 months until my next appointment:  low or no impact exercises, a stiff supportive shoe, and monitor for pain.  The next time I see the doctor will be the 1 year post-op mark.  

I also took another trip last weekend, to Phoenix.  The hubby was doing the Spartan Race, and I signed up to be a Spectator, so I could watch him compete.  It was HOT down there - 90 degrees - compared to about 50 here in Salt Lake.  I had a lot of mixed emotions about him doing the race, though.  We had an agreement that I would NOT cry the entire trip or there would be consequences.  It was incredibly hard though, because every fiber of my being wanted to be out there with him running the race.  He was also running it by himself, and that made me so nervous for him, and I felt bad I could not be his support.  But, as a Spectator, I still was able to see him quite a bit on the course.  They block off an area for "spectators" in the main festival area, and you are able to see about 6 of the obstacles.  But, there were 22 of them in the race!  

I don't do well with "rules" so after he took off from the start line, I started my own race around the course to find him and cheer him on! I had a course map and an iPod.  I was really surprised at how my foot held up during my escapades.  I was climbing hills and walking around with no real pain, or problems!  Descending was another story - although it was mostly psychological.  I didn't have the confidence or trust in my foot when I was coming down a steep hill, so it was very slow, and steady.  But, I made it, with no falls!  I trekked my way to 6 obstacles (Over-Wall, Rope Climb, Herculean Hoist, Rolling Mud, Barbed Wire Crawl, Bucket Brigade), plus the 8 in the designated area.  So, I got to see him do over half of the race!!  I took pictures and provided vital nutrients such as Gatorade and water.

I also watched him tackle the obstacle that caused my injury!  It was nerve-wracking and really hard to watch, (and exponentially harder not to cry while watching), but he conquered it like a boss.  He later admitted that he was shaking the whole time, and that he had "words" with the obstacle.

He finished the race (mostly) injury free!

And I didn't cry!

Rampage!

Well, I've been boot free, hardware free, and walking in my shoes for a month now!

I should be really excited.  But, I'm kind of not today.  Yesterday, I went in for another physical therapy appointment.  Stephanie always asks about my pain levels and what I still feel is difficult for me.  I started off by saying that I still have pain, or at least some degree of discomfort with every step, but that it was mostly manageable.  I was pretty excited to hit some milestones, such as getting 10,000 steps and going back to the gym 5 days a week.

But, she was concerned about the pain, and not very excited to hear that I was having any, so we took a look at my foot.  I've got a couple of issues going on.  First, my big toe joint is super stiff, and is definitely the source of my pain on the left side of my foot.  It hurts a lot in the "toe knuckle" (?) area and I can feel it all the way down into the arch of my foot.  She said that I am only at about half the range of motion I should be in that toe, and that I need to get upwards of 70 % for a normal gait.  So, lots of stretching needs to be done to help correct it, and I'm supposed to stretch my foot on a wall for 3 sets of 30 seconds, 3 times a day.  I did the first set in the PT office and I could already feel the difference.

Then, the more concerning of the two, is that she says she believes I have the beginnings of a stress fracture on my 3rd metatarsal head.  I was complaining about a pain spot that wasn't anywhere near my incisions, or where I even broke my foot.  She pushed on the sore spot and could definitely see something going on, since it was swollen and she could see her fingerprint indent stick for a couple of seconds after she pushed on the area.  She said that she did not like that at all, and that I would need to dial down my activity for a couple of weeks.  Essentially, my little metatarsal bones cannot keep up with all of the activity I am doing, so they are screaming at me to slow down.  I am also putting a lot of stress on them (~200% of my body weight) because of the issue with my big toe joint.  It's a classic case of overcompensation. Instead of doing physical therapy exercises every day, I will now be doing half sets, every other day.  And, I need to stop walking around so much. WHAT??  I thought I was doing good!! I thought trying to get 10,000 steps was a good thing. I still can do the bike, and the elliptical, since that is non-impacting, and any weightlifting should be done while I am seated.  So, I'm kinda pissed, and angry, and frustrated.  I don't feel like I am doing that much!  I feel like it is such a set back.  She even said that going back into the boot for a bit might be good.  So I spent the entire car ride home, stewing in silence, with the worst case of resting bitch face you've ever seen!  When we got home, Nate asked if I was done rampaging yet.  Nope... savin' that for the blog.

I want to get better.  I want to go hiking.  I want to WALK WHEREVER, WHENEVER AND HOW MUCH I WANT.  Is this so hard to ask for?  It has been seven months now.  SEVEN.  I feel so deflated by my stupid foot.  I could just cut it off, you know.

So, I have to take it easy.  I've got to cool it with the walking around at work and walking in general, and it looks like my boot will be coming with me on vacation next week.  Stellar.  I want to figure how to work it into a costume somehow, like a pirate with a peg leg.  I think I could pull that off!  I also found that my pair of hiking boots feels so much better than wearing my tennis shoes.  Hardly any pain, and the shoes are super sturdy and offer really good support.  So, I may have to switch to that as my primary shoe if I am doing a lot of walking.  They are purple, so, matching them is kind of a challenge, but IDGAF.

In other news, husband has committed to doing the Spartan Race in Phoenix next month.  I of course am going with him, but will be siloed into supportive wife/water girl this time.  It sucks that I can't do the race with him, but I'm not dumb and I know my foot isn't ready to even attempt something like that.

I have also asked husband to write a guest blog post.  I think it would be great for the blog to get a spouse's perspective on the injury and what a spouse/significant other/close friend could expect with the whole injury process.  Or just general thoughts and feelings.  Maybe some tips to help you deal with a crazy emotionally raging wife?  I don't know.  I'm calling him out officially now though, so it's not an idea I am just kicking around anymore.  It is decided.  Stay tuned!

How to Work Out with a Lisfranc Injury!

Wondering how to work out with a broken foot?  These are my experiences working out with a Lisfranc injury, but I'm sure it could be applied to any lower extremity injury that has you non weight bearing.  I have been working on this post for a while.

Maybe I should have posted this a long time ago, but now that I've been through nearly 5 months of trying to keep my workouts interesting without putting weight on my foot, I thought I'd share how I got through the conundrum.

I've found that there are really two types of people who get Lisfranc injuries:  random freak accidents (falling off a step or a car accident), and crazy athletic people.  Now I know the two are not mutually exclusive and there are plenty in between, but I fall into the "insane gym rat" kind of people.  Before my injury, I went to the gym every day (sometimes twice a day), and on the weekends I went hiking or snowshoeing or biking or running, anything outdoorsy.  If I didn't time myself at the gym, there's a good chance I could be there for hours.  Or all day.  And now all of a sudden I was faced with an injury that completely flipped my world upside down and took away what I loved most.  Instead of the pity party, I moved past it, and got creative with what I could do.

Three things:  1) Get comfortable with weight lifting (yes, girls!) and 2) Say goodbye to cardio for a while (more on that later..) 3) If you are going to a public gym (aka not your set of weights and a bench in your basement kind of gym), people will want to talk to you about your injury, whether it is about the scooter, or boot, or why you are crazy enough to come to the gym with a broken foot.  Most of the time, I was more than happy to talk to people.  Other times I wanted to get in my workout and be done!

If you're a seasoned gym rat (we can smell our own) you've probably already figured out these on your own.  But if not, or you feel a bit lost, here are some ideas!  I mainly stuck to dumbells (DB), resistance bands (RB), and body weight (BW).  **Disclaimer:  Obviously, I am not a doctor or a certified fitness trainer.   Do these at your own risk and after you've consulted with your doc that it's OK.**  

Shoulders (aka my "glamour" muscles - since I love showing them off in a tank top)
I either sat on the workout bench, or I stood up and rested my knee of my injured leg on the bench - whatever is more comfortable.
Shoulder Press with DB - 3 sets of 15 reps
Upright Row with DB - 3 sets of 10 reps
Shoulder Shrugs with DB - 3 X 20
Front Raise with DB - 3 X 10
Alternating One Arm Front Raise with DB - 3 X 20
Lateral Raise with DB - 3 X 10
Alternating One Arm Lateral Raise with DB - 3 X 20
Reverse Fly with DB - 3 X 10
One Arm Shoulder Press with DB - 3 X 10
Alternating One Arm Shoulder Press with DB - 3 X 10 (5 each arm)

Chest
Most of these were done just lying down on the bench.
Chest Press with DB or Bar - 3 X 12
Chest Fly with DB - 3 X 12
Close Grip Chest Press with DB or Bar - 3 X 12
Incline Chest Press with DB - 3 X 12
Incline Chest Fly with DB - 3 X 12
Incline Close Grip Chest Press with DB - 3 X 12
Knee push-ups (wide arm, close arm or diamond stance) - 3 X 15
Decline Push-ups (knees and good leg on the bench, hands on the floor) - 3 X 15
Incline push-ups (push-up off the bench with knees on the floor) - 3 X 15

Biceps
Not a ton of options here.  I felt like trying to work my biceps was the most awkward of all the exercises; I couldn't get my stance in a good position for an effective curl.  Mostly, I either sat on the bench or rested the knee of my injured leg on the bench.
Basic Bicep Curl with DB - 3 X 10
Hammer Curl with DB - 3 X 10
Angled Bicep Curl with DB - 3 X 10
Cross-body Bicep Curl with DB - 3 X 10
Bicep Holds with DB - Hold the curl at the halfway point (90 degree angle) for 20 seconds, repeat 3 times.  (You can also hold at the top of your curl or towards the bottom for a more super awesome bicep burn)
Half Curls with DB - Start in a 90 degree/halfway curl position.  Curl from halfway to the top for a set of 10.  Then curl from halfway to the bottom of the curl for a set of 10.
21's with DB - Curl from halfway position to the top for 7.  Curl from halfway to the bottom for 7.  Then do 7 full curls.  (7 + 7 + 7 = 21...I'm good at maths!).  Repeat 3 times.
**Note you can do all of these with a resistance band too!  Just stand on your good foot on the band with your other knee resting on the bench.  Or you can hook the resistance band under the bench legs and sit.

Triceps
These were done either sitting on the bench, or on the floor.  Or resting knee position.
Tricep Kickbacks - 3 X 10 with DB on each arm
Skullcrushers with DB or Barbell - 3 X 10 (Laying down on the bench - Be careful not to smash your face!  Don't take the exercise too literally.)
Overhead Extension with DB or RB - 3 X 15
Dips off the bench - Extend your good leg as far out as you are comfortable; the more straight and farther away your foot is from your body the more you work the tricep.  Rest your injured leg at a 90 degree angle on top of your good leg's thigh.  Do 30 dips, or as many as you can!
Tricep Push-ups - 3 X 15 - Do these pushups on your knees with your arms close to your body in a narrow position.  Bend at the elbow and engage your triceps as you push up and down.

Back
Superman Lifts (Body Weight - laying on your stomach) - 3 X 15.  Hold in "Superman" position for 30 seconds in between each set.  You can pulse or flutter kick with your legs for more super power.
Swimmer - 3 sets of 30 seconds - Like the Superman, but make a swimming motion with your arms and legs as you lift your chest off the ground.
One Arm Row with DB - 3 X 10
Laying Row with DB or Barbell - Lay on your stomach on the bench and lift the DBs or Barbell up like you were doing a standing upright row.
Lat Pull Downs with RB - 3 X 15
Rear Fly with DB - 3 X 10
Seated Rows with RB - 3 X 15 - Hook your resistance band to your good foot or to the legs of a bench and pull back like you were doing a standing row.

Core
Lots and lots and lots of options here!  All of these pretty much are floor exercises.  Add a resistance band, a dumbell, yoga ball, or Bosu ball for more awesome abs.
Plank on knees
Crunches, bicycles, side crunch, leg lifts/lowers, reverse crunch, Russian twists, toe reaches, v-ups, jack-knife crunch, scissor kicks, cross body crunch, "X" crunches, frog crunch, windshield wiper crunch, side heel taps, side bends, full sit-ups

Cardio
Like I mentioned, I really did struggle finding a good, consistent cardio option.  My doctor didn't clear me for swimming, but that is a great no-impact cardio exercise to do if you are cleared for it.  I did use the rowing machine, but only with my good leg.  I kind of hung my injured leg off to the side and just pushed off with my good foot.  I also loved to kickbox before injuring myself (think Billy Blanks/Taebo here, not MMA fighting) so I would sit on the bench and just do upperbody portions of the workout, like punches, speedbag work, etc.  I'm sure I looked like a flailing maniac so I only did that at home!  But, it did get my heart rate up.

The Good Leg
I wanted to do a few exercises to keep my good leg strong.  There weren't a ton of options but here were a few basics:
One Legged Glute Bridges (I found it most effective to put my good foot on the gym bench, and press up from that position.  I kept the injured leg at a 90 degree angle while my foot rested on my thigh)
One Legged Leg Press (on the leg press machine in most gyms)
Pilates - I did a lot of Pilates moves on both my legs, laying on each side.  Clam shells, leg lifts, leg pulses.
One Legged Hamstring Curl (with a yoga ball or on the TRX) - I laid on the floor and put my good heel up on the yoga ball/in the TRX strap.  I pressed up into a glute bridge and then would roll in and out on the good leg.
Firehydrants - Kneeling on all fours, I could work my hip flexors in both legs.
Quad Raises - I hooked a resistance band around my foot (or around my ankle) and straightened my leg.  I would then bend it at the knee to a 90 degree angle, pushing through the heel to activate my quad muscles.

If you are working out a lot, try to stick to 1 or 2 muscle groups each day, and alternate different muscle groups during the week.  If you aren't working out as much (like 1 or 2 times a week, focus on one or two exercises per muscle group, and try to get them all in for more of a total body workout.


I hope that this was helpful for you in some way, if you are looking to keep up your fitness while you are dealing with your foot or leg injury.  I know I would have gone crazy if I stopped going to the gym.  My cardio sure suffered, but I wasn't about to let my hard earned muscles waste away!

Now go get your iPod, flip on some tunes and bust out a good sweat!

10k

Good news, everyone!

This week was the first time I've hit my step goal since my injury!  It only took six months.  I have been slowly but surely working up to the goal, getting closer and closer each week, until finally it happened!  I was pretty stoked, once I hit it.  I had a day filled with walking, around the office, during my weight lifting session, a grocery trip, and cooking and cleaning at home.  And surprisingly, I wasn't that sore the next day.  I was a little, but nothing too noticeable.  It did make me a little sad though, because 6 months ago, hitting 10,000 steps was nothing to me.  That was mostly every day.  If I were to hit 25k or 30k steps though, I would get super excited and felt like I'd accomplished something.  Still, I'm just so thrilled to be physically able to walk that much in a day again without it ending in the fetal position.

I also had my first PT session on Wednesday with Stephanie since the hardware removal surgery.  I wanted to address a couple of things with her, and check on my progress.  In my last blog post, I described not really being able to come up on my toes, or push off the ball of my foot when walking.  Basically, she said that I should get that back in time, but there's no guaranteed formula.  I asked about stretches, or strengthening exercises that I could do to make it easier, and she was pretty against doing any of that, and wanted me to wait until my foot was ready naturally.  There are still plenty of tendons in the midfoot that are healing, and she advised to just let that happen and not push through pain at all.  I should do what I can do and what is comfortable, and no more.  That was disappointing, because my mind is skipping ahead to hiking season and I'll need that functionality in my foot if I have any hope of doing some of the ascents I am planning.

Secondly, I asked about weight lifting for my lower body.  Just basic stuff, like squats, deadlifts, lunges.  She wasn't sure, so she called Dr. Van Boerum while I was at the office, and asked him about it.  She said he was none too thrilled at me doing it, ever, but if I'm going to do it (which I AM...duh!) that I will need to wait until the 9 month mark post op (early April) to start doing any lifting.  And, when I start, I need to start at a weight that I am capable of doing 3 sets of 20.  So, what a bummer, I still have 3 more months to wait until I can start my lifting regimen again for my lower bod.  I'm totally going to be the girl that skips her leg days for a while!  

I also asked her about my limp.  I hate my limp and I try really hard not to do it, but it does take some concentration and focus when I am walking.  I was walking down the hall at work the other day, concentrating, and not thinking that I was limping.  But, I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a long time, and he looked down at my leg and asked me what had happened and it looked like I was hurting.  I guess I was limping and didn't even realize it!  Stephanie said that the limp and my gait should start to correct it self the more time that passes.  It is different for everyone.  I could start seeing a difference in a few months, it may take a year, it may be 5 years and I still have it.  Any thought of having a "normal" foot again is kind of out the window at this point, were kind of her words.  I can deal with a limp around my family & close friends, but I feel like I am wearing a gigantic neon blinking disabled sign when I'm in public.

Something I've noticed since I've been completely out of the boot, is that have a tendency to hold my big toe up in a flexed position as a default.  If I'm thinking about it, I'll correct it, and force my big toe down, but it's kind of how it naturally wants to be, especially when I'm barefoot.  I was worried this would somehow cause a problem, so I asked Stephanie about this too.  She said that it was a normal, compensation response because my extensor and tibial muscles are still weak in that foot.  As they get stronger, my foot will do that less and less.

During my session, we worked on balance in the shoe and without.  It still sucks, but getting better.  I got a new set of exercises to do, most are focused on loading weight laterally (stepping side to side) and twisting my foot in a standing position.  None of which are causing pain.  As far as progress goes, she thinks I am ahead of where I should be, or where others are with a similar level of injury, so that was good at least!  She thinks that I am doing so well that I can start seeing her every 2-3 weeks instead of every week.

I've been settling back into some of my old routines, going to the gym pretty regularly and working on nutrition to get my weight back under control.  I have been doing the elliptical on some days even, despite how much I hate the machine.

I see Stephanie again in a couple of weeks, then it's off to Mardi Gras for a much needed travel vacation! 

Boot the Boot

Yesterday was my first day that I was allowed to be out of the boot all day!

I've been working on weaning out of the boot for the last week and a half or so.

I still don't walk "normally", or what I would consider normal anyway.  I think that will just take time.  I move pretty slow when walking, and I have a little bit of a limp.  As the day goes on my limp starts to get a little worse.  I can't say that walking is necessarily painful, but my foot feels stiff and a unnatural. I still have plenty of hardware inside my foot that I am sure is not helping.  I don't know how long it will take until things start to feel normal again, but I can say that I'm just happy to be walking.  My arch still isn't ready to support my barefoot, so I need to have shoes on, preferably with an insert, to do any walking around.  I have been trying to stand up more in the shower, rather than using my gimp stool, but my right foot still feels slippery on the tile.  Like my foot can't grip onto the smooth surface or something, so I still need to steady myself on the wall.

I did have a follow-up appointment this week at TOSH.  They took a set of x-rays, and this is the very first time I've taken a weight bearing x-ray on my right foot!  I was a bit sore afterwards, since I had to be barefoot and my foot is still not ready for that.  The doctor indicated that everything looked great, and had me schedule surgery on December 15th to remove the two screws.  I was very specific that the surgery not conflict with the new Star Wars movie release, since I already have purchased our midnight tickets on opening night!  He confirmed that my plate will stay in, mostly because the navicular bone does not get a lot of blood supply and taking it out may cause it to just crumble.  Ain't nobody got time for that.  Also, all of the screws will stay in the plate as well.  I guess I'd always just assumed that they would come out.  I can feel them, and it bugs me, but I'm sure after a while my foot will just get used to it's permanent guests.  There is also a screw head that is across my Lisfranc joint (at the base of my 1st and 2nd metatarsals) that is poking my inside arch.  It's been increasingly painful as I start to increase walking without the boot.  It has been really tender the last few days.  When I mentioned this to the doctor, he pressed down on the area to confirm it was the screw and not anything else.  My yelp confirmed that yep, it's the screw.  Ow.  It was so sore that day after he did that.  Jerk!  Lol.  I'm glad that screw will be removed in a couple of weeks.

Thankfully, I've got a lot of vacation time banked at work, and I will use most of it for my surgery and my holiday vacation.  My co-workers unfortunately won't be seeing me much in the month of December!

For Black Friday, Nate and I splurged a bit and purchased a spin bike for our basement gym.  Since I can't run, I actually couldn't even really walk for exercise right now, I wanted something at home that I could do for sustainable cardio.  I really have been limited to lifting weights with my Power Blocks, or my TRX.  While I love both of those,  I need to do cardio (says the extra 20lbs I've put on since surgery!) and that is not really an option with strength training.

Even when I can start walking enough to increase my heart rate enough to the point of cardio, let me remind you that it is winter in Utah.  Not only is the air freezing cold, and the ground icy, but we have this lovely thing called inversion, when the cold air gets trapped in the mountain valley, along with all the smog and pollution.  It's quite disgusting, and breathing the air outside is not pleasurable.  Most of January and February, when the inversion is at its worst, I struggle to breathe and often have horrible sinus issues. Exercising outside just makes it that much worse.  Here's an example of the lovely crap the Salt Lake Valley gets to deal with for the majority of the winter:

  
I also had a birthday this week!  I'm now at the ripe old age of 32.  Nate got me a gorgeous necklace
that holds my wedding ring, and took me on a hot date to Ruth's Chris where I had the most phenomenal surf & turf.

The last time I got fancied up was for our anniversary in August.  I was still on my scooter, non-weight bearing and I had to keep my foot elevated most of the time.  It was great to be able to go out without having "special needs" and I could be a normal girl for a night out on the town!  It also made me reflect on how tough this year has been on me (and Nate) and I am so grateful that I had my best friend by my side the entire time and I realize that I could not have made it through this without him.

Husbandless

No, not forever!  Just next week.  Nate needs to travel to New York for work next week (his 3rd time this year!) so he will be gone.  This will be the first time since my injury that I am without my husband, for an entire week!  I hate it when he is gone, even when I am 100% healthy.  I'm glad that he is traveling now, and not 4 weeks ago.  I am much more stable now than I was then.

I will miss him; it sucks having to live without your best friend in the entire world.  I know I will still be able to Skype with him, but there's nothing like his presence.  He cheers me up when I am down, he makes me laugh, and I still get warm fuzzies and tinglys when I look at him.  Last time he traveled, we Skyped while watching Game of Thrones together.  Because we are nerds like that.

 I'm a bit bummed since last time he traveled to New York, I got to spend the weekend with him there.  I ended up only needing to pay for my flight out there, since work was covering his travel expenses.  We saw Book of Mormon, went running in Central Park, went up to the Empire State Building, had pizza in Little Italy.. all of your typical New York stuff.  That is not even an option now even if I wanted to go.  No way I could navigate the airport, or the subway or getting in and out of a taxi, carrying my luggage, and all the fun times that come with going on a trip.  It was our anniversary yesterday (12 years!), and we are celebrating this weekend before he leaves.  It would have been fun to spend the weekend in New York, but New York will always be there.  Well, unless there's a zombie apocalypse.  New York is probably pretty screwed then.  8 million people, isolated on an island.. not the best scenario for survival.

I do have a doctor's appointment on Monday, and my mom will be taking me.  She is also going to spend a couple of days with me at my house to keep me company and help keep me sane, since I'll be housebound all week.   I'm just super bummed Nate won't be there with me at my appointment. Hopefully, I'll get this gross cast off and graduate into a moon boot.  I did finally get some signatures from friends on my cast!

I'm anxious to see my x-rays and see how my foot is healing.  I can pretty freely wiggle my toes and move my foot a little inside my cast - not nearly as flexible as my left of course but it is progress!  I'm also starting to get the "my foot is asleep" sensation again, which I haven't had since my fracture happened!  My toes look like little old lady toes; they are super wrinkly.  I assume that is from all swelling that happened and from dry skin.   I still have my stitches so I'll be getting those out.    I'm also looking forward to some physical therapy and talking about exercising (maybe being cleared to swim?!) I'm hopeful.

I've been keeping up my exercise routine and I feel myself getting stronger.  I am hitting the weights about 4 times a week, and going up in weights even!  People keep telling me I am crazy.  My upper body is much stronger than it ever was pre-injury.  I can press almost 20lbs more than I was comfortable doing before, and I keep progressing.  I've never focused so much on my upper body before, it is a total change for me.  I think my body likes it!  However... I'm pretty scared to see how much squat/deadlift and lower body power I've lost.  Nate says my right leg looks and feels like a jello mold.  Sexy.

i've totally been hogging all the weights from errrbody

I've also been going in to work every other day.  That seems to be the right balance for now.  I still have a hard time getting comfortable at my desk, so a day on and a day off is giving my body the rest that it needs.  I'm also not used to wearing a left shoe, since I was home for 6 weeks straight, I never put on shoes!  So, having a shoe on my left foot bugs me.  I always take it off after a few hours of being in the office and I hide it under my desk.  I also have been wearing my vast collection of Victoria's Secret yoga pants to work (the most comfortable pants ever) and just hoping no one notices.  The position I have to get myself in to elevate my foot is not a very forgiving one in business casual pants.  You guessed it, Zero F*cks Given!

I'm both excited and not excited for Monday.  I get to see the doctor but have to send the hubs away until the weekend.  I'm just hoping for good news from Dr. Van Boerum!

4 Weeks Post Op - Operation Get Swole

It has been 4 weeks post surgery today!  In some ways, I look at the time has passed, and it has flown by.  In other ways, I look at it and it seems like it has taken forever to get here.  Doesn't matter, I hit the milestone and am a third of the way through my non-weight bearing phase.  Hooray!  In two weeks, I'll be halfway - I have to keep breaking it into manageable chunks to keep it from feeling overwhelming.  Kind of like weight loss!

I haven't noticed a ton of changes to my foot.  It does bother me that I can't see what's under there and how it's actually looking.  I can't say that it necessarily feels "good" but it doesn't feel bad either.  I don't have a lot of pain when I'm simply sitting or laying around, aside from the random nerve firings or cramps that I feel.  My incisions do itch from time to time so I am very aware that they are there.  When I'm up and about and/or don't have it elevated, I definitely feel my foot becoming angry and swelling up.  And of course, when I bump my foot (especially when my toes get pushed) it still does hurt quite a bit!  The biggest offender has been my cat.  He frequently likes to "kiss" (aka rub his face all over) my foot and sometimes he gets a bit overzealous and his expression of love causes me shocking pains.

My cast is also starting to loosen up as the swelling has gone down.  It doesn't feel quite as snug and supported as it used to, mainly in my ankle area, so I feel like I actually have a little bit of motion and wiggle room inside the cast.  

My left ankle is still hurting, and it is becoming quite annoying.  I'd like to be able to get up/pivot/hop/put weight on that foot without much pain but I haven't been that lucky yet.  It does feel a lot better when I put the lace up brace on, but if I wear it, I'm pretty much limited to flip flops because it doesn't really fit into any of my other shoes.  I have very much not been caring about fashion these days though, just whatever is comfortable and practical.  Zero F*cks Given!

I did make an actual physical trip in to the office yesterday!  It felt great.  It was a rainy and gloomy, and I kind of wanted to just stay home under my couch blanket, but I REALLY wanted to go in.  So, Nate loaded me up into the car and off we went.  I'm really lucky I get to work in the same building with my husband!  I had an easy enough time getting in to the building (thanks handicapped parking), and I found out the building is pretty accessible, so I didn't have any issues getting around or through doors.  As luck would have it, the handicapped accessible door right by my desk is broken, so I have to take the long way to get out of my area.  I see it as an opportunity to get a bit more exercise worked in to my day.  The biggest challenge I've come across that keeps me from wanting to go in everyday is the comfort issue.  In my 8 hour day, I couldn't find a way to sustain comfort.  I was able to elevate the foot on my cube desk, but it was awkward and put a lot of pressure on my back and on my other joints.  I could only stay in that position for maybe 45 minutes, before I'd have to get up and scoot around and stretch my muscles.  I had a lot of people make a comment to me that I didn't look comfortable... they were absolutely right.  It sucked.  Here I am resting uncomfortably at my desk (and shhh... I haven't updated my calendar since June)

But, along with going in to the office, I also had access to the office gym.  Pre-injury, I visited it everyday and I have a strong band of gym buddies that I have been really missing!!  So of course, I had to make a trip in.  Ever since Spartan, Nate has been undergoing.... 

"Operation Get Swole"

.....and he is doing an amazing job!  He is focused on bulking up and hitting his "glamour" muscles.  Basically he is hitting the weights pretty intensely and eating a billion calories a day.  He makes his daily uber shake, which consists of more calories than I eat in an ENTIRE day.  I can see his body transforming and his shirts are getting too tight in the chest and shoulders!  He is so sexy... I just enjoy looking at him :D  I hope to have some progress pics of him soon!

So, I went along for an Operation Get Swole workout session with Mr. Stud Muffin and activated the beastmode.  

















I got a lot of stares and some funny comments about working out in my cast.  But ya know, Zero F*cks Given!  My favorite part was getting to see my trainer, I hadn't gotten to see her in a month so we had a lot to catch up on!!  She's had her fair share of injuries and offered lots of advice, coaching and encouragement for getting through the injury.  The most important of that is just allowing my foot to heal and not try to start doing things too early.

My office visit was a success and a break up of the monotonous couch life.  I can't say that I was super productive that day because of all the socializing I did with my co-workers.  I need to get the comfort situation figured out, so that I can go in the office more.  It was also exhausting spending an entire 8 hour day there, I need to work up my strength for being back full time.

Pimp My Scooter

I am coming up on 3 weeks post-op, and I'm feeling pretty good about things.

My new scooter arrived via Amazon, and the first important order of business was to pimp that sucker out!

Sheepskin cover for my knee pad?  Check!
Headlight (recycled from Nate's Ragnar gear) for nighttime bathroom trips?  Check!
Basket for carrying stuff and things?  Check!
Purple bike bell for warning both husband and animals to get out my way?  Check!

Now I can scoot in style.  I've also lovingly named my scooter "Trumpy" ( Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Pod People reference for all you non-nerds.)

This week, I found an inspiring blog post from one of my favorite female athletes, Amelia Boone. http://raceipsa.blogspot.com/2014/12/on-being-broken-rehab-and-recovery.html She injured her knee training for the Spartan World Championships and had to have surgery, and was out of the sport for a while.  I think a lot of things she said resonated with me.  When a huge part of your life revolves around being active, and you are sidelined with an injury, you feel like a part of you, a part of your personality and identity, is gone with it.  You have to find the things you love and have passion about that don't revolve around being active, whether that is taking up a new hobby or simply changing your routine.  It can be so easy to have a pity party, and sit around feeling sorry for yourself, but you've got to push through that and find ways to keep yourself happy.  Which is exactly what I did.

I have a home gym in my basement, with a TRX and a set of powerblock dumbbells.  I knew I couldn't do one of my typical workouts, but I just got a little creative and managed to work up quite a sweat!  I figured this foot injury was a chance to focus on some upper body strength, so I worked on my chest press, rows, shoulder press, 1-legged push-ups, tricep kickbacks and bicep curls.  I also found a ton of core exercises to do, included some 1-legged planking!  It actually felt really great to get back to some physical activity, after a couple of weeks of being couch-bound.  It's pretty amazing what a good workout can do for your body AND your mind.  And most importantly, I still can activate beast mode!

I also had a lot of outings (Nate calls them adventures!) this week too.  It's pretty important to get out of the house.  I saw three movies (Terminator Genisys, Ant-Man and Inside Out), went to two grocery stores and even cooked a meal.  My cousin Mark came through with my 3rd treat-of-the-week from Spain, which included chocolate covered figs with brandy, fig preserves, breakfast muffins, and tabasco infused olive oil!

A while back, I'd posted if there was a medal for the LisFranc injury, and all the bones I broke in my foot.  Turns out, there is!  Cuca, Todd, and Clara made me my very own personalized medal!

 

It's now been given a permanent place on my medal hanger!

All in all, Week 3 has had more ups than downs, which is a good thing.  My foot is healing, and I can feel it getting better each day.  Each morning, I test my toe wiggling skills, and they are improving bit by bit.  I am starting to get some movement back in my big toe even!    The cast hasn't been too bad, it feels like my foot is more protected than in the splint.  My toes are exposed though, and when I'm out in public I have severe PTSD of my toes getting bumped and sending pain shockwaves up my leg, so I try to keep them out of the way as much as possible.

Next week, I start returning to work, but I'll be mostly virtual.  I hope to make it in the office soon though, even maybe next week, because I miss my co-workers so much!  It was nice having actual, live, physical people to talk to.  I also miss all of my gym buddies at work.  I plan to still make gym appearances, but all my exercises will be above the waist.  Which, I'm finding, is a TON of stuff!  I think my mood will improve once I start to get back to "normal life" which includes going in to work AND the gym.  I'm still just really bummed that I haven't been able to hit the mountains this hiking season.  I had dreams of doing Olympus and Timpanogos.  I'm still hoping I can do the Color Run in my wheelchair though :)