OK, I admit…one of the hardest parts of this injury is not being able to work out. I used to love to swim or take a walk, and now, that is out of the question. I can still lift weights if it’s upper body, but not anything else. On the other hand, perhaps this is what I need.
1. Do not work out every day. Take at least one day off each week. Three days of strength training (45 minutes to 1 hour each session) and 3 days of interval cardio exercise (20 minutes each session) is enough.
2. If your joints begin to hurt when you exercise, something is wrong! You are either injured or you just need to take a few days off. You will come back stronger after a little rest.
3. The more intense the exercise, the more rest your body needs to recover. For example, speed exercises and plyometrics (jump training) should be done 2 days a week at the most.
4. Change up your exercise routine (weekly) to avoid repetitive stress injuries.
5. “No pain, no gain” is NOT a good exercise philosophy! If you have sharp pain in your muscles, tendons, ligaments or joints, something is wrong! Get medical help.
So having a tear in my Achilles still confuses me since I don’t “stress” this muscle in what I do. But I still feel this was a sign that I was overdoing. Therefore, now, I am trying to not worry and enjoy the break. It would not hurt if I even put on a few pounds.
Did you know one form of torture is having an itch that cannot be scratched?? Just don’t think about it. Truly, this is a discipline of focus. Shall I focus on the massive annoyance under my cast for which is impossible to reach? OR, should I not focus on the massive annoyance under my cast for which I cannot reach? It’s not clear. OK, I WON’T think about it. This is not working. Apparently, when your leg experiences itching, it means it’s in the process of healing. Well, this is a cruel joke.
Another challenge of the casted ankle are my little piggies. Seriously, what needs to be invented are toe cuffs! Instead, my mom cut off the toes of one of her socks and placed them over the large bulk around my foot. Cute.
I SLEPT! The pain was not as intense in the evening, and I actually awoke quite rested. Sadly, I would not get to go to church today, but I did spend some time in the Word.
What’s the plan today!? Hmmmm….. Well, it has been recommended to me to watch Downton Abbey. Saturday was Season One. What a guilty pleasure!! We used to countdown the minutes to Friday night for Dallas, and this reminds me of that a bit. I love seeing Elizabeth McGovern in a series! I remember her in a Kevin Bacon movie about babies (She’s Having a Baby), and since then, I’ve missed her. She plays such a perfect part with a mix of compassion, austerity, and wit. Maggie Smith is also perfect in the role of the matriarch. The beauty of her character is that you want to hate her because she is so above-it-all, and then you see she has a big heart. Season Two is now beginning with the war against Germany. I’m sure hoping Anna will be with Bates and Mary will wed Matthew. Again, a fun guilty pleasure, and I never do this!! 🙂
Oh yes, the little girl! She was part of the fun today! Her cooing and aahing and her adorableness and ….the fact that I can’t do the mundane is killing me. My mom has to carry her to change her diaper, to put her down for a nap, to put her to bed, to bring her to me to feed her. Meanwhile, I hop around to TRY to help out as much as I can. Honestly, the frustration of being so helpless gets to me. I tend to focus on the things I CANNOT do: For example: Going to the store, getting my mail, grabbing a cup of coffee, carrying my child as I walk…
Now, what CAN I DO? Let’s focus on that:
Spend more time in my Bible and with God, building a stronger bond with my mom, watching Downton Abbey with a friend/mom/family, reading a great book (like Every Great Endeavor by Tim Keller), taking silly pics with Coti
What the heck did you do, mommy? How can I help? Coti sensed something was amiss when he saw me hopping around. Now, he comforts me as only he knows how.
Took a Vicodin at 11pm last night because the throbbing began. Not only was the incision felt throughout my body, but the nerves in my leg pulsated. Without truly falling asleep, I decided to get up and attempt to crutch my way to the kitchen and eat something. I also popped another Vicodin at 4am. Now, the pain is really starting. Thankfully, I slept until 8am, and as much as I wanted to sleep, I needed to be with Tatum. This morning, I am really experiencing the full brunt of this injury, physically. WOWZA!
Humbled. Thankful. Confused. Many different emotions flood my mind, but the most important one is my love for Tatum, my mom and Coti. Family and togetherness…These things are what matter, and I don’t think I ever have known this concept until now.
As my eyes opened this morning at 5:50am, I was reminded of all the advice I had read the evening before on various blogs. You should absolutely believe everything you read on the internet. (*wince*) Yes. I received the full gamut of advice scattered from the blogosphere, so you can imagine when my eyes opened this morning, I was ready for EVERY……..NOTHING! It’s like getting ready for a baby to arrive! For every piece of advice, there’s two-hundred points which refute or alter what has been given. I figured, let’s be prepared for the worst; that way, I’ll be ready, eh?
As I showered and dressed for the day ahead, fashionning my lovely BOOT and crutches, I imagined what was to come…no more hobbling around on two feet for a while, and….the woes continued. Poor me. (get over it already!). Denise rang at 6:15am, so I kissed my dear mom goodbye (Tater and Coti were still sleeping) and headed out the door in my sock. (I forgot to put my right shoe on.) We arrived 2 hours early, and they prepped me. That basically means I wait until I get my anesthesia. They did dress me in this cute purple outfit with matching Bair Paw socks. Not bad for $2200 (*wince wince*) Dear Denise waited until I was under, and then went back home. They gave me the various warnings of what I may experience (i.e. nausea, constipation, sickness, general fussiness (ok, they didn’t say that). Dr. McDreamy came in to answer all of my questions. Although I wanted to ask him if he was doing anything after the surgery, like massage my foot (:-) ) I decided that was not an option. He assured me to make sure I move around and not lay in bed too much. If I am to lay down, my foot must be elevated. 8:45 surgery begins (supposedly).
10:30am, I see the clock and wonder….”am I alive?” Kelly, my “are you awake and do you feel your toes” nurse, was lovely and fetched me 2 cups of ice chips. Delicious! Denise came, and off we went to the pharmacy for my PAIN MEDS (if I should need them), antibiotics, and Tylenol. BUT FIRST, “Starbucks drive-thru????” Coffee was not the recommended drink for after the surgery, but supposedly my IV gave me 1 1/2 Big Gulps of water so I figured I was hydrated. I was feeling GOOD!
Home at 12:30. Coti ran to kiss me, and Tater was swinging and ready to give me a SMILE!
GETTING AROUND: Return to the SCOOTER discussion here: This is my saving grace. I decided, upon McDreamy’s recommendation, to rent a Roll-A-Bout so I could get around the house faster and hold Tatum in my Bjorn. Now, this is the secret weapon. Today, I have basically been hands free to do what I need to do like fix food, clean up, use the facilities (:-), etc….. The crutches are super for when I am out of the house or need to walk up the stairs, but this thing is BRILLIANT!!!
So, now, I am resting in my mother’s delicious cozy bed, elevated leg and pillow-propped head. Heaven. I have enjoyed feeding and playing with Tatum, snuggling with Coti, solving the crossword puzzle with mom, looking for a way to rent San Francisco for tonight’s entertainment, and of course, blogging/writing/emailing/texting/communicating!
The LEG! Plus…see my Bair Paw sock; (a parting gift from the hospital)
Overly humbled, I will make the best of this situation, as I have seen God’s hand in this. This journey will not be wasted, for I know I have much to learn, and hopefully, I can pass on some wisdom in the process.
My Achilles Tendon is torn. Yep, Dr. Wassluski, aka, Dr. McDreamy (my my..he’s a cutie!), will be sewing my muscle back together! Apparently, he wants me moving around as soon as possible, so in my cast, I’ll be using my crutches for the first two weeks. Then, I return to the office for a follow-up to replace the cast with some other contraption. Upon those two weeks (after 4), I get to don this lovely $250 boot. You only get one, so this is some pricey shoe! I’ll be such a fashion plate and hopefully will start a trend.
After 6 weeks, boot on, I start PT, then after 8, I can start to exercise WITH my foot! YAHOO! In the meantime, I hope to keep my core strong and my upper body strength in tact. I know with crutches, I’ll be able to pounce around and stay strong.
Today, in my lovely boot and attempted crutch maneuvering, I “prepared!” Mom and I strategized about how to FIRST handle Tatum. My goal is/was to hold her as much as possible since I cannot carry her. While my mom gets her bottle ready, I can hold her, then when she returns with the bottle, I can feed her and hold her more! Mission accomplished. The changing….well, now that gets to happen via mom. Unless……. IDEA! A scooter! (To Be Continued.)
We also cleaned the house, went grocery shopping, affixed mobiles to various sleeping fixtures for Tater, made phone calls, cancelled appointments, paid bills, organized the needs for my day (i.e. set out clothes/fixed meals/aligned vitamins… you know..anal retentive things!) OH….and we also prayed prayed prayed. Lights were out at 10pm!
Tomorrow awaits. My dear friend, Denise will take me to my surgical location since my mom has to stay with Tater Tot.
P.S. The word has spread that this surgery is occurring. WOW! I cannot believe how many people have come out of the woodwork to express their prayers and their offers to help my mom and me. Tatum and Coti will have so much attention…I shall not fret. This accident has proved to be such an opportunity to see God work in such amazing ways. I’m blessed to have wonderful support.
Today, in my Bible Reading on YouVersion, I read Exodus 15-17. Although, I have read these passages numerous times, and not to mention a whole movie was made about the parting of the Red Sea, this time it struck me: We go from gratitude to grumbling often in our lives. God then provides so much grace.
Case in point: Miriam sings: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” (21) They were all filled with such thankfulness for God’s provision of escape and the destruction of the Egyptian followers. THEN the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (25) Moses cried to the Lord and He made the water sweet. He provides even after we complain.
It did not take long for them to FORGET God’s miracle of the Red Sea parting. Upon even providing water, He makes for them “a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
It’s not rocket science…We forget WHO is our HEALER!; We forget WHO is our PROVIDER!> In fact, he provides manna for JUST THE DAY, and yet they still try to hoard and save for the following day. The manna becomes worm-infested and inedible. They had no FAITH.
What a lesson. God provides an incredible blessing in my life: TATUM! Yet, sometimes, I grumble and complain. May I remember the blessing of her presence when she cries non-stop. May I remember having FAITH in HIM when I don’t know what to do. His grace is sufficient for all that occurs.
