It's been a busy time here in Blighty with the 2012 Olympic fever which has been gripping the nation !
I can't tell you how wonderful it is to finally be able to blog about how happy I am & how well I feel.
I did lose my job as I feared I would. In fact just a few days after my last posting I was notified of my probable redundancy. It was a shock when it was confirmed even though I'd had my own fears for a few months. Of course I sought legal advice etc, but after a difficult few months deliberating over what to do I have decided not to look back !
I have been attending hydrotherapy now for 2 1/2 months & it has helped me immensely, god I wish I'd done this a while ago. I was referred after my last relapse in April & I seem to have gone from strength to strength in the past couple of months. I am still only able to wear flat supportive shoes but I am not utilising the metatarsal bar & appear to be coping very well without it. I have focused much more on the foot recently, taking notice when I am in pain & developing an awareness of the amount of time I spend on it etc. Resting it when it needs it & accepting that pushing it beyond it's limits (I.E ignoring the pain) is detrimental to my long term recovery. I realise that all of these points may seem obvious to anyone reading this, but I am a strong willed, stubborn & determined personality, accepting the restrictions that having a serious injury bring has not been easy for me to do.
The positive of being made redundant has been that I have been able to take a couple of months out to rehabilitate the foot with my focused attention. I have not had to drive 7-800 miles per week & rely on Ibuprofen to get me through the day. I have also registered & got a rehabilitative programme organised with the local gym. At the moment it is all sedentary stuff & not too demanding. But it's a start & I'm grateful to finally be at this point after so many setbacks !
I have been swimming & took a holiday to Bermuda last month. I spent all of my time in flip flops & swimming or snorkelling. The freedom of movement I experienced was so uplifting, I think it gave me a sneek preview into what my life could be like without pain & with improved mobility which has spurred me on to work harder at getting fit :-)
I returned home in love with Bermuda, such a beautiful island with friendly people & a wonderful climate.............. I will return :-)
I visited Weymouth at the start of the Olympics to take in some of the sailing action (spectator only) & stayed in a holiday park nearby which had a dry ski slope. I decided to take this opportunity to see If I could get the foot into a ski boot & to attempt a couple of very gentle runs down the nursery slope. The good news was that I could get the boot on, my confidence was low & I struggled with the reduced muscle in my right leg. But this was also a positive experience, as it left me with a clear understanding of what work I would need to do to be able to enjoy skiing again, importantly I feel that I can now allow myself to look forward to being able to do it again one day.
I walked for a couple of miles & some of it was quite uneven & tricky, even involving a little bit of climbing during the visit to Duurdle door, but the sense of achievement on reaching the top was exhilarating !
I've also purchased a second hand bike for myself & have been out on a two mile bike ride. Not exactly a marathon, but again a start & an important step in the direction that I have wanted to go for so long.
I still require Ibuprofen most days, but only maybe one or two doses, I'm no longer dependant on it to be able to do things.
In October I am going on a trip to Hawaii & I'm determined to be fitter & stronger than I am now, what I can achieve will depend on what I can do & my commitment to getting fitter I know but I certainly am looking forward to being able to be mobile & strong enough to enjoy this trip to its maximum. I also want to try to go on a ski trip next Feb perhaps, so I will set that as a goal to work towards whilst I'm at the gym.
Maybe it's the whole Olympic fever surrounding the Team GB successes or just that I've finally reached a turning point in my recovery, but what's really great these days is how much more positive I feel in myself, I am now allowing myself to look forward & dare I say it -to a life beyond Lisfranc !
I can't tell you how wonderful it is to finally be able to blog about how happy I am & how well I feel.
I did lose my job as I feared I would. In fact just a few days after my last posting I was notified of my probable redundancy. It was a shock when it was confirmed even though I'd had my own fears for a few months. Of course I sought legal advice etc, but after a difficult few months deliberating over what to do I have decided not to look back !
I have been attending hydrotherapy now for 2 1/2 months & it has helped me immensely, god I wish I'd done this a while ago. I was referred after my last relapse in April & I seem to have gone from strength to strength in the past couple of months. I am still only able to wear flat supportive shoes but I am not utilising the metatarsal bar & appear to be coping very well without it. I have focused much more on the foot recently, taking notice when I am in pain & developing an awareness of the amount of time I spend on it etc. Resting it when it needs it & accepting that pushing it beyond it's limits (I.E ignoring the pain) is detrimental to my long term recovery. I realise that all of these points may seem obvious to anyone reading this, but I am a strong willed, stubborn & determined personality, accepting the restrictions that having a serious injury bring has not been easy for me to do.
The positive of being made redundant has been that I have been able to take a couple of months out to rehabilitate the foot with my focused attention. I have not had to drive 7-800 miles per week & rely on Ibuprofen to get me through the day. I have also registered & got a rehabilitative programme organised with the local gym. At the moment it is all sedentary stuff & not too demanding. But it's a start & I'm grateful to finally be at this point after so many setbacks !
I have been swimming & took a holiday to Bermuda last month. I spent all of my time in flip flops & swimming or snorkelling. The freedom of movement I experienced was so uplifting, I think it gave me a sneek preview into what my life could be like without pain & with improved mobility which has spurred me on to work harder at getting fit :-)
I returned home in love with Bermuda, such a beautiful island with friendly people & a wonderful climate.............. I will return :-)
I visited Weymouth at the start of the Olympics to take in some of the sailing action (spectator only) & stayed in a holiday park nearby which had a dry ski slope. I decided to take this opportunity to see If I could get the foot into a ski boot & to attempt a couple of very gentle runs down the nursery slope. The good news was that I could get the boot on, my confidence was low & I struggled with the reduced muscle in my right leg. But this was also a positive experience, as it left me with a clear understanding of what work I would need to do to be able to enjoy skiing again, importantly I feel that I can now allow myself to look forward to being able to do it again one day.
I walked for a couple of miles & some of it was quite uneven & tricky, even involving a little bit of climbing during the visit to Duurdle door, but the sense of achievement on reaching the top was exhilarating !
I've also purchased a second hand bike for myself & have been out on a two mile bike ride. Not exactly a marathon, but again a start & an important step in the direction that I have wanted to go for so long.
I still require Ibuprofen most days, but only maybe one or two doses, I'm no longer dependant on it to be able to do things.
In October I am going on a trip to Hawaii & I'm determined to be fitter & stronger than I am now, what I can achieve will depend on what I can do & my commitment to getting fitter I know but I certainly am looking forward to being able to be mobile & strong enough to enjoy this trip to its maximum. I also want to try to go on a ski trip next Feb perhaps, so I will set that as a goal to work towards whilst I'm at the gym.
Maybe it's the whole Olympic fever surrounding the Team GB successes or just that I've finally reached a turning point in my recovery, but what's really great these days is how much more positive I feel in myself, I am now allowing myself to look forward & dare I say it -to a life beyond Lisfranc !
Just when you think you are on top of things...I'm glad to hear you are in good spirits. I was thinking about how much better I am feeling. Until I realized that I plan everything around my foot. I enjoy doing water aerobics, but have to be careful. I do the hot spa after and that seems to help.
ReplyDeleteIt has taken a long time to get here --a year and a half. But much less pain. I still can't wear regular shoes, but I can wear my berkinstocks and ortho type sneakers. My doctor told me I can do anything that I want. I'm a bit gun shy. I never want to have this kind of medical experience again. Never, ever.
Take care,
Sissy
Hi Sissy,
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you ! I completely understand your comments.......... I think the thing is Aceptance :-)
On reflection what held me back the most pyschologically was refusal to accept the changes that this injury brings. The carefree freedom of being 100% healthy is something that we all take for granted in life. But after sustaining an injury like Lisfranc that all changes. I too live my life still around the foot, I have to plan footwear for whatever I may be doing. I often pack additional shoes (flip flops in my hand bag etc). But just the fact that I am walking reasonably well these days & am able to walk for a mile or two & can get on a bike gives me hope. I also have been told to try things by my docs, although badminton, running or harsh impact sports are a no for now. I will always need calcium supplements, I will always have to ensure my balance is well balanced for bone nutrition & I will have bone density scans for the rest of my life. It's funny but I often have dreams about being somewhere without shoes, slipping off a kerb stone & twisting my foot etc but on the whole I am further forward than I was even six months ago which is what I try to focus on. It's been 14 months for me so far, I do lack confidence in my physical strength which I need to overcome, but I think taking things tentatively is working for me. I have stopped looking too far forward, just a week or two at a time & I have stopped trying to second guess what my end recovery stage will be. This has helped me manage my expectations. Lisfranc is a rare, life changing & individual injury, of course I wish it had never happened, but it did & I guess I have just found my individual way of moving forward............ Take care Sissy, stay in touch.
Helllooo! I just checked my blog and cannot believe the hits I have had. Thought I'd bounce over to see if you had posted and you did! I am glad you are doing well! Keep up the Positive Mental Attitude - it makes all the difference. Hoping you can get out on the water before the Autumn storms set in!
ReplyDeleteRegards, Glenn AKA Justchillin
Glad to read you are doing better. You nailed it. Acceptance was the key to a recovery for me. A very wise man had to get me to realize that first before I could really move on. My foot is still improving and I had my surgery last April. I still plan my physical activities around my foot, but it's slowly becoming a non issue. It will be the same for you as well.
ReplyDeleteHey, I have just read your entire blog. I must say I found it very interesting. I am 23 years old and in my 10th week of a Lisfranc injury. Reading your story has definitely changed my perspective of my injury. Its very good to hear you are finally doing well after all the downfall's. Being the age I am, I have been very worried that I might not get to even do the simple things like wear thongs (flip flops) or run around and play with my kids (when I have them some day!) but I feel that I can overcome obstacles that I may run into better after reading your story, kinda gave me a more optimistic look at it because things CAN get better.
ReplyDeleteMy surgery was ORIF, 3 screws. I have just gotten out of my cast and now wearing a boot, only partial weight bearing and just trying to get my body back in the motion of walking. So far I have had no complications (aside from the damned injury itself) and fingers crossed the rest goes smoothly.
I hope there are no more downhill slopes for you to encounter in the future and that things continue to get better! Thanks for a great up and of both the ups and downs of this horrendous injury.
Hey Daniel, thank you for your lovely comments, I'm glad my scribblings have been useful :-) Rest assured I am still improving despite all of the set backs I had. You will wear flip flops, in fact I find them really comfy. You will need to be patient & not rush things (like I did!) you will play with your kids I'm sure although you might get beaten by them in the 100 metres at their sports day :-)
ReplyDelete