Yesterday marked 4 whole months since I broke my ankle!
Can you believe it?
Sometimes I can; other times I can’t.
I do know that it was the first thing I thought of when I woke up Sunday morning. The milestone meant that much to me.
I told a friend at church on Sunday that I am a completely different person from who I was four months ago. Between my ankle and the Mr.’s health issues, I’ve changed. So much.
My physical therapy is going well, as always. I seriously love the place I go to.
Tuesday was tough (work-wise), let me tell you. It was the day that I had to proctor the FSA writing test…two sessions of it. This meant an entire day on my feet with not a lot of breaks. I also proctored in the building furthest from my classroom (props to the Guidance administrator who wanted me to be able to use the latest technology). Walking back and forth with tubs of material was just too hard. I made a special request to proctor in my building when the kids take the FSA reading comprehension exam in April. That was a day I wished I could have had PT so I could be hooked up to the TENS unit afterward.
On Wednesday, I got to add a new exercise…balancing one-legged on a Bosu ball.
That’s not me, and I don’t balance while holding onto a medicine ball. I place it between two parallel bars and stand in the middle on my right ankle (the one I broke). I had to stand for one minute. I couldn’t balance the whole time. It was soooo hard, and my hip got very sore. Strength training is a big part of what I’m working on right now, in addition to flexibility and mobility. Still, it felt good to move from the foam pad to the ball…progress!
Wednesday evening, the Man in the Brown Truck dropped off something I’d ordered the week before…
It’s a TENS/EMS unit…similar to what my therapists put on my leg after I finish each session, only smaller and portable.
Can I tell you how much I love this? It has different settings, and they are just wonderful. It was worth the $60 I paid.
I’m still not at the point where I can wear regular shoes for long periods of time. I’m starting to get frustrated, though. I want to wear my favorite dresses, so I finally caved and put together this ensemble on Thursday…
Yeah, it wasn’t my favorite, but I’m learning that some things don’t matter when you’re recovering from an ankle break.
On Friday, I decided (sparked by me noticing my shoulders…and decreasing muscle definition) to start the Body Beast program I had planned to begin the week I broke my ankle…
It’s almost all weight lifting.
I want to be buff! Bikini season is right around the corner!
So, for Day 1, I did chest and triceps.
It felt wonderful to pull the weights out again.
It was hard, though. I started with low weights because it had been awhile since I’d worked out.
I wore my new ear buds the Mr. bought me for Christmas. Look at the calorie burn!
I felt so accomplished when I finished…a little more like my old self!
Saturday morning, I did Day 2 – Legs.
It was ugly, y’all.
I had a meltdown halfway through; some of the moves were not feasible for me. I discovered that I couldn’t do lunges where I had to put my right leg back. My ankle just wasn’t flexible enough yet. When I told my physical therapists about it, they said I’m also not strong enough.
It was sooooo frustrating, but I watched the guy doing modifications and incorporated them into my routine.
Pushing through built my confidence.
The calorie burn was BIG too!
On Sunday, after church, I did Day 3…biceps and back.
I loved this video, even with my modifications.
After I worked out on Sunday, I spent almost seven hours in the kitchen preparing several dishes. It was almost 8pm when I finally sat down.
Sixteen weeks out, I think I’m strong enough to do what I want.
I’m learning that I still have some serious limitations.
For instance, working out three days in a row was brutal on my ankle. Not taking Sunday off to rest did a number on me, and I paid the price today (Monday). Not only was my ankle swollen, but it hurt pretty badly on the outside where my plate is.
My physical therapist wouldn’t add a new exercise because I’d overdone it, so I’m relegated back to just upper body workouts.
There’s a fine line between working hard, as I promised my therapist I’d do during my first visit, to remembering that yes, I’m still recovering, and no, I cannot push myself so hard.
I think, too, that people see me walking and assume I’m better.
I’m not there yet and won’t be for a long time. Although I’m on my feet, and I’m smiling (most times) on the outside, I’m still in pain. It’s not always bad…especially in the mornings…but my ankle is shot around lunchtime, and it’s downhill from there.
I’m on my feet a lot more because the Mr. has been sick. I am cooking tons, which means more time on my feet in the afternoons. I don’t mind attitude-wise, but my ankle hates life. Thankfully, the Mr. is very understanding and makes things as easy as he can.
I guess the message for this past week is that I continue to make progress, but it’s still slow. My physical therapists are incredibly encouraging and tell me that I’m making great progress, but they gently remind me that it’s going to take a long time.
I still can’t walk down steps without holding onto something. It doesn’t matter which leg I lead with; each presents its own problems…either lack of flexibility or lack of strength.
But I’m walking…a little faster than the week before.
My balance is getting better too.
And so I continue to plod through this journey…slowly…gratefully…aware of the blessings that I would have never received had this not happened to me.
God is so good.
God is so great.
He loves me; He provides for me; He’s healing me.
His timing is perfect, and I trust in that.
As always, I continue #findingjoyinthejourney…even if that journey takes me two years. I’ll never stop being grateful.
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