Literally stumbled & Fell down; now back to start over.

[Stonie]

Hello everyone, it's been a while.

 

I stopped logging onto NF after being here for nearly 2 years - all the things it taught me about creating a healthy lifestyle had well and truly sunk in. I was putting in time at the gym, getting better at my chosen sport of Roller Derby - passing my skills and becoming a fully-fledged bouting skater, something no one thought I had the guts to do - and was managing somehow to eat healthy and balance my 40-hour-a-week job as a waitress with all of the above and somehow not dying of exhaustion (although I'm sure I came close a few times!)

 

10 days into 2017 and I was kicking its butt. Meal prepping every Sunday, doing all those things, feeling good. 

 

On the 11th day I had a day off from work. It was a beautiful day, so I went for a skate with a teammate. Our plan was Skate park --> Beach Skate --> Pub.

Awesome way to spend a day off, right?

 

It would have been, had I not rolled slowly backwards up the slight incline that is the skatepark bowl, lost my balance, and crumpled into a heap right on top of my right ankle. I knew as soon as I landed that it felt wrong, so after a green whistle, an ambulance trip to the hospital, some x-rays, and a phone call to my mother, I learnt that I'd snapped my ankle in two places. All my well-laid plans to have a kick-ass 2017 shattered in front of me. Like my ankle. Haha. 

 

After an interesting cocktail of drugs and (the longest) 6-days in hospital, including surgery on my ankle to install 8 screws and a plate to hold the bones together, I was sent home and told to stay off it for 6 weeks, with at least another 6 weeks of re-learning how to walk and re-strengthen the muscles in my leg. From being on my feet 40 hours a week + going to the gym + skating 5 hours a week, being non-weight-bearing and stuck at home was NOT IDEAL.

 

After two weeks I went into my first post-op appointment with the Orthopaedic surgeon and everything was looking great, bone and wound-healing wise. I however, was shocked and saddened; my once strong roller-derby-crafted calf was deflated and bruised all over. The bruises I can handle, the soon-to-be scars I can handle, but how quickly my leg had deteriorated after only two weeks had really got to me. I love my legs, they literally hold me up through all parts of my life. It doesn't look like my leg anymore. I want my old leg back.

 

I am 16 days into my non-weight-bearing recovery period and I'm bored. Mentally, I'm sort of enjoying it. Dr. Who marathons and catching up on all the video games I've only half-played (Witcher 3, I'm looking at you) are great, but I miss the endorphins from exercising, roller skating, hell, I even miss the challenge of being at work, busting out coffees and doing a hundred things at once like only good waitresses can do. I really miss roller skating. 

 

I've lost my routine, my sleeping pattern (thanks for that, uncomfortable moonboot) my ability to leave the house, and all my reasons to get up in the morning. So I've come back to the rebellion to give myself some goals that I can aim for, some semblance of a routine that I can follow, something I can look forward too that I can do at home while I'm stuck here passing the time. I can't have the rest of my body wither away like my right leg is. 

 

My plan is to start small. Doing a few basic bodyweight exercises daily, starting at one rep, and adding one daily. I was never great at committing to exercise at home, hence I ended up with a gym membership, but now I have literally no choice. I have to stick to things I can do without the use of my right leg, so for now I'm going to limit myself to core and upper body workouts. 

 

I also need to stay involved with my Derby league community if I ever hope to get back to my old level of skills, which means I'll be going to training despite the fact I can't skate. As a fully cleared skater I can help the newbies, take notes on things the coaches are teaching the veterans, and get my social fix with my teammates while I'm there. I'm also a committee member of the league so while sitting at home I have no excuse not to get things done that I can do while sitting in front of my computer (filling in grant applications, making phone calls, etc.)

 

And I need to look after myself while I am healing. This means warming up before exercising, taking rest days in between bodyweight days if I plateau or can't hit the reps I am up to, taking breaks while marathoning video games or netflix or being on the computer (and going for a "walk" or getting outside or doing housework) and eating home-cooked food most of the time (even if it is like an episode of cutthroat kitchen while cooking on a knee scooter)

 

Come the February challenge I am going to knuckle down on all of these things, but as it's Feb 1 today I'm not going to wait three days. Today is the day to do the things.

I will be able to walk again.

I will get back to bouting skater level.

I will get back to the gym and lifting weights. 

I will get back to working at my fullest capacity.

But it is going to take time.