Day 85: Frightful Ankle Adventures.
I’ve just past 11 weeks after surgery. I’m walking, balancing on one foot, doing physical therapy, and my foot is still swelling like a monster. I am convinced I can feel the syndesmotic screw - sends zingers through my foot and aches. I’ll cover day 83, 84, & 85 as it includes exciting things such as me taking a flight for the first time since the injury and attending the 2016 Division 1 WFTDA playoffs in Montreal!
Taking it one day at a time and practicing patience. Those are pretty much the words I live by these days. Really, one step at a time. I started physical therapy one week ago and have already progressed in my ROM, balance, and strength. It’s very exciting even though the progress is small!
Day 83: On arrive, Montréal!
I still get quite a bit of swelling and my ankle just wants me to call off walking after a certain amount of time... the fatigue sets in and it just aches, throbs, and expands. Additionally, flying was not too kind to my ankle. The following photo is after 12 hours of travel which included a flight along with a plethora of standing and walking.
Got a hefty vitamin/supplement regime I’ve been on daily. At the start of my recovery, I was taking bone pills but stopped after I had some stomach/digestive issues. Additionally, I need to refill on my probiotics . . . #gimplifedietaryissues (Do hashtags even work in Tumblr? Probably not. . .)
Multi
B6
D3
Glucosamine
Homeopathic arnica pills
Homeopathic pills for nerves
I’m pretty much a pill-popping machine..
Day 84: Playoffs Time!
So far, I can confidently say Montreal is a wonderful city. The public transportation is easy to navigate and there’s plenty of it, the hot, humid, summer weather is just what my 5th generation Floridian self needed, and the greenery all around the city is a refreshing change from the golden-brown California hills. Not to mention the venue which playoffs are being held at is a former Olympics venue and it’s pretty neat.
I’ve mostly been slinging merch for my league and helping on the sidelines with coaching/call-offs by mirroring the bench staff.
But I also had the opportunity to go to the final Montreal Food Truck fest of the summer! The choices were plentiful and overwhelming. So many tantalizing smells wafting in the evening breeze towards my nose! My stomach was immediately allured by a simple, yet expertly made, grilled cheese sandwich for an appetizer. Then, my new-found merch booth buddy from Texas (Thugs) and I indulged in a spicy, zesty cocktail that was basically a salad, specifically arugula, with tequila. It. Was. Delicious. We still didn’t know what we wanted so we decided since salad was done, it was time for fruit. May or may not have been in liquid form and in a super tacky cup.
We walked around a bit more, sipping our cocktails, as the decisions were forming. When I saw the crepe truck donning a Breton flag, I knew I had to give it a go. I blame my snootiness regarding crepes on living with a French Breton woman for the past two years . . . but damn, it was a good savory buckwheat crepe! Jambon + fromage!
My team won v. Boston which means we are a step closer to Champs! I’m glad I am here to be a part of it and help out, but it has not always been easy -- more on that later.
Day 85: I Want to Ride My Bicycle
Today, ambitious with my frightful ankle adventure, I decided I was going to bike to the venue. Google maps told me it was only about a 30 minute ride - no big deal right?! To start the day, I indulged in a large almond milk latte and tasty egg and bacon sandwich at Café les oubliettes. Gotta get those nutrients!
Well, turns out I biked close to 15 km today (and I just converted it and realized that’s a little over 9 miles). Got slightly lost which added a few kilometers to my trip (and 30 minutes...) to the venue but it was a beautiful day for a bike ride!
Yes, my ankle is swelling and achy, but it didn’t completely turn into a pumpkin. Celebrating that progress indeed.
Back to the derby . . . we played Texas today. Once again, I was assisting off track. The game did not go as well as the previous given we lost by a 146 margin, but there were some shining moments of gloriousness to be seen.
Tomorrow, BAD plays the tournament hosts, Montreal, on their home turf. It’s going to be one helluva game, that’s for sure. The winner of the game places 3rd and clinches a qualification for WFTDA Champs in Portland. High stakes. But I believe this golden squad can do it. One jam at a time.
Being at playoffs, part of the charter, and not playing due to injury is both horrible and yet amazing at the same time . . . but mostly horrible. Yes, I’m indulging in food and drinks I wouldn’t be if I were skating. Yes, I get to spend a bit more free time exploring the city and biking around on my own time. Yes, I’m still supporting the team off the track. And those are all amazing things. But I would trade it all to be recovered with my ROM and strength back, skating on that track with my sparkly gold helmet and team, monitoring my food and drink so I can perform my best, and I would really love to partake in our team cheer while stomping both my feet in unison with the group, not just my left foot.
There’s this horrible sensation I’ve been feeling when things haven’t gone so well for us on the track. It’s a deep-seeded sinking feeling in my stomach that also tightens up my chest. Deep breathing helps but once it takes root, it’s hard to make the feeling dissipate.
There’s obviously more to it than all that, but scratch the surface that’s what you get. I’ve been practicing patience, working to sell merch so we can bring in money for the league, and being attentive to the game in order to help the bench when it comes to game time. I am okay. I will survive. This too shall pass. It’s not the end of the world. I know all of these things. And I am doing the best I can to take it one step at a time so I can be back on the track strong, fast, and unrelenting. But I am not going to rush it. I will continue to take my time, flex it out with the good ol’ ankle 4-way, and focus on healing fully and becoming stronger.
