January 2007
Just when I thought I was out of the woods, I’m back on the injured list. I did not assign this entry a specific date because the injury actually happened over the holidays in late December, and I have been working through it ever since. I was involved in a freak accident while on vacation between Christmas and New Year’s. The incident had nothing to do with skating or any other athletic activity. It was very traumatic, and I am going leave my description of it right there. I have decided to write 2006 off as a wash and just move on emotionally. I have lived forty years and was never injured until last summer. Now I look like Calamity Jane. However, my spirits are good and my attitude is positive.
Immediately following the injury my husband was on the phone to the front desk of the resort. We had help within a minute. Near loss of consciousness, I was packed into a golf cart by caring personnel and driven a few hundred yards to the on-site medical facility where I was given emergency care and treated for shock. I was hyperventilating and severely traumatized. Somewhere in this disaster I managed to crack a joke that sent my husband and my Valium-wasted self into fits of laughter. An ambulance rushed me to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery. On the way out of the resort, someone backed into the ambulance. Lucid enough to appreciate the ridiculousness of this situation, I asked the EMT if we had blown a tire. Then I saw the driver outside arguing with a motorist. My husband told me later about the guy with a trailer-load of donkeys that cut in front of the ambulance and refused to get out of the way. I love Mexico.
Within an hour of the accident, I was in emergency surgery, but not without suffering again from fits of hyperventilation and traumatic shock. Everything imaginable had been injected into my bloodstream including something that gave me an allergic reaction. As I finally calmed down and regained awareness, my husband assured me there was no threat to my life; although, I could hear an irregular heartbeat on the monitor, which is not my typical condition.
Now I am on disability and will be out of the workplace for a total of about three months. No love lost there. My boss can be a hard-edged cold person. Yes, she went through the proper motions of kindness. I understand she has a department to run and she had to solve personnel issues, but it is obvious that no friendship exists between us. I allow my husband to deal with her as much as possible. Sadly, while spending the night in the hospital, I continued to have fits of shock. The doctors, who are some of the most compassionate people I have ever met, came in regularly to hold my hand, cheer me up, encourage me, tell jokes, and help me gain perspective. My husband realized some of my post-surgical panic was job-related rather than due to the accident. When I actually had place this injury in the context of my work-life, I freaked out. This is the same job I started this fall on crutches and was subsequently treated like crap by several key people. And here I am temporarily disabled again. This is going to go over like a lead zeppelin.
Since I returned home from vacation (which I did not consider spoiled, by the way), I have been under the care of doctors, a physical therapist, and a psychologist. I am making an excellent recovery. This injury will in no way affect my ability to skate, though my doctor has advised me to do no more than go for a walk on a nice day. I am resting at home, calling old friends and relatives, reading, and counting my blessings. I will be having surgery again in a few days of this writing.
I look forward to getting back on the ice and hope I recover sufficiently that I can at least stroke around for emotional well-being at a daytime public session in the near future. I feel strong and determined. I can overcome this injury. My doctor believes I will make a complete recovery. I do too.
Tuesday January 23, 2007
The Orthopedist 6
I have not been to the orthopedist for a few months. I tried to make an appointment in November or December and no convenient times were available, so I decided to wait until after the holidays. The ankle was not giving me any problems, and I was confidently regaining skating skills. Exercise loosens up the joint and I do not limp after I have warmed up. Unfortunately, I do limp in the morning when the affected area is most stiff and after it tightens again following exercise. Regular exercise plays a very important role in my ability to achieve a normal range of motion and eventually stop limping all together. Of course, I did not know I would have another injury and would be out of work on disability. I got an evening appointment and my husband took me for an ankle check up.
An x-ray was past due since I had not had one since my last visit at the end of September. The x-ray looked great. The bone appears as though it was once broken, but it has completely healed. The orthopedist gave me his blessing to start running again but not to be surprised if I cannot run five miles tomorrow. This would be for two reasons: the ankle simply lacks strength from injury and lack of use and I have lost cardiovascular conditioning. I have missed running/jogging terribly. For me, it is the ultimate cardio workout. I also got an athlete’s ego rush out of my growing endurance. My stamina, speed, and strength were all improving before I broke my ankle last July. Psychologically, my accomplishments as a runner meant as much to me as my skating accomplishments. These sports are very different, but progress is obvious in both. Running can be monitored by numerical data. How many miles? How fast? How much time? Some people like to chart their skating successes by testing or performing, a method that never gave me any satisfaction. I gauged my progress based on feedback from coaches and improved ability to execute elements that were once beyond my grasp or very difficult.
Some skaters might not be interested in running because it lacks a creative or artistic element. I actually enjoy mixing a purely physical form of exercise into my fitness routine. I do not have to worry about presentation when I am running. This does not mean a runner’s posture is unimportant and the way the runner works her arms does not contribute to her performance, but no one scores a runner based on her costume, facial expression, or connection with the audience. After participating in a presentation-focused sport for so many years, I find the difference refreshing. Even though I do not compete in either activity, I am aware of the standards by which athletes are evaluated. I could probably benefit from coaching on the track as well as at the rink, and I am interested in looking into that for the future.
Now that I have medical clearance to run, my husband and I are planning to invest in a gym-quality treadmill for our home. Although I like to run outdoors, I prefer to minimize impact to my joints. Maybe I will run on the street or a school track occasionally but will do most of my workouts on a cushioned treadmill.
I will be returning to the orthopedist for a one-year final check-up in July. By then, I should be recovered from my new injury and back in good physical condition.
Read about my other trips to the orthopedist: 1 2 3 4 5 .
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