A week into my recovery I can now wiggle my toes (inside my cast) without severe pain in the outside of my calf. Most of the pain had been in my lateral/outer ankle and calf at the time of the injury. The first week almost like clockwork I’d be awakened by cramps or some stiffness in my injured leg, unable to stretch it straight because of a tightness in my calf. This usually got better after I got out of bed and moved. By 9-10p I would get really intense cramps and pressure in that calf again, but they would go away after elevating my leg and taking ibuprofen. Now I just have a pressure sensation in my leg especially with prolonged upright sitting or standing, but this goes away once I put my leg up.
I’ve had moments where I felt like my body betrayed me – I was hitting some big personal goals in my fitness, but clearly I pushed myself to the limit. Now I’m learning how resilient the body can be – it’s amazing how I can feel the healing process this early into my recovery. I’m also learning how thoughtful my friends are – and how I can do better as a friend when one of them goes through their own challenges. And I’m seeing how attentive my husband can be – making dinner, putting it in my lap, cleaning up, picking me up from work, etc. Seeing that whole “in sickness and in health” vow fulfilled sure makes this whole thing much more bearable.
Outings take some extra effort, but I’m an extrovert and hate being cooped up for too long. Here, we’re on on our way to our first outing together on crutches, to a wonderful hidden gem of an Italian restaurant in Long Beach, and then to see the movie Us. Aside from walking the entire length of the mall to find an elevator, only to realize it was behind where we’d entered, things went pretty well.
The next day I finally opened my knee scooter, which was rented and arrived that week. I was excited to move a bit easier and was hoping to take it on the walkway near the beach. It was 80 degrees in April. A beautiful day to be outside. The scooter assembly was easy enough, but my first steps with it were unbearable. Eeeeeeek, the wheels squeaked loudly on our wood floor. Same thing on the concrete outside. It was so loud. It was then that I saw my emotional resilience was not so strong. I couldn’t bring this noisy thing to work or anywhere. I’d been looking forward to moving more freely, and I knew I wouldn’t enjoy to the beach walkways on crutches – I’d tire just getting there from the car. So back to the couch I went. My husband let me sulk a little, but then I chopped the veggies while he threw things into the crockpot for our homemade spaghetti, and being able to at least do that made me feel better. As for the scooter, I’ll exchange it sometime this week.
This week I also met with Jamie Hagiya – she’s a professional CrossFit athlete, former USC basketball player, and owns a gym in my neighborhood. She also tore her Achilles’ tendon while competing in 2014. This is my only photo with her – she’s in the blue dress on the left as Elsa from “Frozen,” emceeing a fun Halloween-themed competition. I did a personal-best 160lb clean lift in front of her, then failed at 165lb. “You almost had that – next time!” she said. I’ll never forget that.
I met with her briefly last week to learn more from an athlete’s perspective about recovering. Some of the things that stuck out were how she shifted her training afterwards, how she stayed positive during recovery, and some good tips for the knee scooter. She also reminded me to just feel things sometimes. To be ok with those moments of frustration and sadness over the temporary loss of my athletic self. Whereas Alethea Boon, another professional CrossFit athlete, is known for winning a CrossFit open workout 7 months after an Achilles rupture, Jamie only started jogging 5 months after her surgery (my PA told me I could as soon as 13 weeks after injury – we’ll see about that).
Everyone’s recovery is different, physically and emotionally. Sure, mine has had its ups and downs, but I can’t be thankful enough for many blessings as well, especially my friends and family.
Aldene’s Alright 