Your Lisfranc joint, also known as the tarsometatarsal joint, lies within your midfoot area as part of a bone cluster that makes up the arch along the top part of your foot. The joint plays a role in transferring force between your midfoot and forefoot area. Common symptoms of a fracture or dislocation include ...
Well, my first session of physical therapy is in the books! I went to see the Lisfranc specialist and she is going to help me get range of motion back in preparation for walking again. I scheduled my 2nd foot surgery to remove some of my hardware for October 13th. Once those are out, I can start bearing weight on my foot. My doctor is conveniently out of town when I would have hit my 12 weeks, so I will be delayed by a week, but I'm still really excited! I'm no stranger to physical therapy visits. Nate had a piriformis issue in 2013, I had a pulled trap muscle in 2015, so I've become very familiar with it. The specialist practices at a clinic in Holladay, a bit of a drive from my house but not too bad. I talked to her before she started to examine me and even though Lisfranc injuries are rare, she sees a lot of them because that is her field. I felt really comfortable with her and the treatment she's going to give me. She used to work at the TOSH hospital and is very familiar with my doctor and his PA, who I've become great friends with. She was very impressed with my scooter and how pimped out it was. She even called some people over to see it because she thought my headlight was hilarious. It is so important to stay positive and give off a positive vibe with other people. It makes things feel so much better! First, I had to fill out a bunch of standard doctor forms. Health history, medication, etc. There was a chart in the very back that had a diagram of the body and I was supposed to draw on it where I had pain. There was also a chart to code the type of pain I was having (ex. ooo - pins and needles, xxx- sharp pain, /// - stabbing pain, etc.) I started to draw on my foot on the paper and realized I had all of those things, so I wasn't going to waste my time drawing it all out. Then the therapist examined me and took measurements of the ranges of motion on both my left and right feet. I didn't know what all the numbers meant, but she had a protractor type ruler that measured angles when I pointed and flexed my foot. She also measured my foot for swelling. My left foot was at 46 and righty was at 47.5. Whatever that means. She then wanted to know what type of activities I wanted to get back to post-therapy, and went over some things I already knew, like running. I learned that while I physically will be able to run, it will just make arthritis set in that much faster and eventually I will need a fusion when that occurs. I'd rather prolong that as long as I can so I should keep running to a minimum. It is still not recommended for me to move my foot side to side at this point because of the navicular stress. After my measurements were all entered and we had a nice discussion about the injury, we started to work on exercises. I got a list of them to take home to complete as homework, and made another appointment again in 3 weeks. I won't need to see her that often until I actually start weight bearing. For now I get to practice these well modeled exercises. I actually have been doing some similar stuff at the gym, but now I at least know what exercises to target. Here's also a cute foot video of how the little piggies are looking and *gasp* wiggles!!! So, I probably should tackle this whole "learning to walk" thing first, but I've already set a fitness goal for 2016. I want to complete the Wasatch Back Ragnar. What? Thought you said you can't run, missy? You're right, but my goal is to walk it. Speed walk it! It's a little under a year away, and I think I could train pretty hard to be a really fast walker. I was a slow runner so I may be able to even match my pace if I work really hard at it. I'm not going to be a 9 minute mile like my superstar husband, but I can do a 12 minute mile perhaps! One of my regrets was not running Ragnar with Nate this year. It was a week before Spartan and I didn't want to push it that much before the race. But, Superman over here did it. I should have just done it!! Grrr. Milestone for next week: getting my hair done. At the salon. Haven't done that since the injury. But I need it. So. Bad.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to break your foot? Or maybe you recently broke your foot and you aren’t sure what the future holds for you. Based on my recent experience of breaking my foot I’m here to help you better understand what it’s like to break your foot. I’d like to preface this entire post that everyone’s broken foot experience is different. For example, everything that I read online right after I broke my foot scared the crap out of me.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
A Lisfranc injury is an injury to the midfoot. It is an injury which is often misdiagnosed and mistaken for a simple sprain.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
I've had quite an eventful couple of weeks! I went in for a check-up at TOSH last Monday. Doctor visits are always hard for me because it is a reminder of just how bad my injury was, and how life-changing it has been for me. I got a set of x-rays taken, and everything appears to be lined up properly and healing well. My bones are still not quite as strong as they were before, and it will just take time to build back the bone density. Otherwise, the x-rays looked great and there were no major issues that could be seen. The doctor did say that he could see evidence of very mild arthritis through my midfoot already, but it was nothing to be concerned about at this point. I am still having quite a bit of pain and stiffness in my big toe. There wasn't anything on the x-ray that could point to the cause. The doctor examined my foot, and he thinks that it is just stress on the foot after not using it for so long. He said to continue with my plantar fascia stretches, and to also work calf stretches in, by hanging my right heel off a step and dropping it down. I also still cannot really come up on my toes at all on my right foot, and the doctor said that that is usually one of the last things to come back. I was also given clearance to start weaning out of my Superfeet. I have been wearing those inserts for arch support ever since I started weight-bearing, so I've become quite accustomed to them. But, my arch has built up enough strength now to be able to support my foot on it's own, so I can begin to phase them out. I wore a pair of boots to the grocery store over the weekend without them, and I didn't really notice too much of a difference - other than there was a lot more room in my shoe! Walking barefoot has certainly gotten a lot easier; it's not my favorite thing to do, but at least I can stand walking around on it a bit after I get out of the shower without running for my shoes first thing. I got the standard set of instructions for the next 4 months until my next appointment: low or no impact exercises, a stiff supportive shoe, and monitor for pain. The next time I see the doctor will be the 1 year post-op mark. I also took another trip last weekend, to Phoenix. The hubby was doing the Spartan Race, and I signed up to be a Spectator, so I could watch him compete. It was HOT down there - 90 degrees - compared to about 50 here in Salt Lake. I had a lot of mixed emotions about him doing the race, though. We had an agreement that I would NOT cry the entire trip or there would be consequences. It was incredibly hard though, because every fiber of my being wanted to be out there with him running the race. He was also running it by himself, and that made me so nervous for him, and I felt bad I could not be his support. But, as a Spectator, I still was able to see him quite a bit on the course. They block off an area for "spectators" in the main festival area, and you are able to see about 6 of the obstacles. But, there were 22 of them in the race! I don't do well with "rules" so after he took off from the start line, I started my own race around the course to find him and cheer him on! I had a course map and an iPod. I was really surprised at how my foot held up during my escapades. I was climbing hills and walking around with no real pain, or problems! Descending was another story - although it was mostly psychological. I didn't have the confidence or trust in my foot when I was coming down a steep hill, so it was very slow, and steady. But, I made it, with no falls! I trekked my way to 6 obstacles (Over-Wall, Rope Climb, Herculean Hoist, Rolling Mud, Barbed Wire Crawl, Bucket Brigade), plus the 8 in the designated area. So, I got to see him do over half of the race!! I took pictures and provided vital nutrients such as Gatorade and water. I also watched him tackle the obstacle that caused my injury! It was nerve-wracking and really hard to watch, (and exponentially harder not to cry while watching), but he conquered it like a boss. He later admitted that he was shaking the whole time, and that he had "words" with the obstacle. He finished the race (mostly) injury free! And I didn't cry!
A Lisfranc injury is a significant injury that involves the midfoot. It is sometimes referred to as a midfoot sprain and it is often has a lengthy recovery time -especially compared to the average ankle sprain.
I haven't walked in 94 days. 3 months. It seems like such a long time to me, but in the grand scheme of things I suppose it really i...
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
The Color Run is known as the Happiest 5k. No times. No judgement. Just go out there and have fun. Nate got home from New York on Friday morning. Hooray! I was so happy to have him home. He hadn't seen my boot or foot yet since he was out of town for my appointment. So, we went home and immediately "played doctor" ;) I took my boot off and was showing him my range of motion exercises. He pulled up my video from Tuesday and compared the two and gave me a passing grade. I also showed him my muscle atrophy, the source of all my crying and tears for the past week. He immediately burst out laughing and exclaimed how cute my little chicken leg was. All this crying I did, and he was laughing? Then I realized, had he been home for the initial big reveal of the foot, he would have done the same thing, and my reaction would have been more of a comical one rather than an upsetting one. He just has this uncanny ability to turn negative things into a positive for me, and remind me how things are going to get better and I don't need to worry about it. So I stopped my mopiness about my atrophy and moved on to other more important things, like getting ready for the Color Run! We picked up my wheelchair Friday night and headed up to the Color Run in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday morning. I was really sad I wasn't able to run it, let alone walk it, but I was really excited to be doing something "active" and in my element for the first time since that fateful day in June. I thought I'd be embarrassed by the wheelchair but it was actually kind of awesome. I for sure got a lot of attention. Although, the first part of the morning was a little rough going. We had parked in the parking garage of the SLC Library, which was right around the corner of the starting area for the race. As my luck would have it, the elevator was not working!! So, I hopped out of my wheelchair and with Nate's help I hobbled/hopped up 3 flights of stairs and we made our way to the festival. That was quite the workout! There was a Zumba instructor on the stage and all of these people were over there doing Zumba. Ah, it pained my heart. I haven't been to a Zumba class in about 2 months. I used to go every week and shake my ass with my ladies. I met up with my Mom, and her husband Dave, and friend Cheryl, as well as my sister-in-law Jessica, and her husband Todd, and my niece Clara for Team Sparkle Motion!! Nate pushed me in my wheelchair anywhere I wanted to go, and I first I was rather disturbed by the fact that I couldn't control my destination. But that was over quickly and I succumbed to his direction. We hopped in the starting line and off we went! Everyone walked and kept pace with the wheelchair girl as Nate pushed me. It was really hard for me to judge pace though. Was it a good pace or a leisurely pace? I have no idea. Clara thought it was the most amazing thing and wanted to ride in my lap versus her stroller. I loved having a passenger in my chair (although strangers kept thinking she was my daughter) and she was so excited when we rolled through the color stations. I actually got a good quad workout keeping her balanced in my lap so there was that! The weather was beautiful, and the race was really fun. I was really thankful for all of my family and friends that supported me and made it possible for me to still participate in the race. I could not have made it this far without all of them. It did a lot for my spirits. And we got crazy decked out in color!! (before color!) (during color - wheelchair selfies!) (after color!) My foot was pretty angry and swollen after the race, since it was kind of at a downward angle in the chair, and it took us about an hour to finish. So I went home, elevated and stretched it (and thank goodness the elevator was working on the way back to the car in the parking garage), and it was good to go afterwards! I also coughed up color for quite a while after the race so next time I'll be sure to wear a bandana or some type of cover over my nose and mouth! I also got some "boot bling" this week, a leopard print sock that I can fit on the inside lining of my boot and a few red flowers that I can attach to my boot straps. I can now have some fanciness to the gimp life! Yeah! My big milestone next week is seeing the physical therapist on Wednesday. I feel like I'm making good progress on my range of motion, but I don't have any idea where I should be. I take my boot off 4-5 times a day to work on the stretches and I feel it getting less stiff and less painful every day. Yay! Although, when I move my toes (well attempt to move my toes) and I move my foot around, I can feel the metal grinding around in there. It doesn't hurt, but it is a really uncomfortable feeling. The tops of my toes are still pretty numb. Hopefully I will get feeling back one day. My incisions are starting to heal pretty well. I've been using an exfoliating bar I got from Lush that has porridge and oats in it to gently exfoliate the foot in the shower and I think that is really helping with my skin. It's starting to look less scary and Frankenfooty.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
Well, my first session of physical therapy is in the books! I went to see the Lisfranc specialist and she is going to help me get range of motion back in preparation for walking again. I scheduled my 2nd foot surgery to remove some of my hardware for October 13th. Once those are out, I can start bearing weight on my foot. My doctor is conveniently out of town when I would have hit my 12 weeks, so I will be delayed by a week, but I'm still really excited! I'm no stranger to physical therapy visits. Nate had a piriformis issue in 2013, I had a pulled trap muscle in 2015, so I've become very familiar with it. The specialist practices at a clinic in Holladay, a bit of a drive from my house but not too bad. I talked to her before she started to examine me and even though Lisfranc injuries are rare, she sees a lot of them because that is her field. I felt really comfortable with her and the treatment she's going to give me. She used to work at the TOSH hospital and is very familiar with my doctor and his PA, who I've become great friends with. She was very impressed with my scooter and how pimped out it was. She even called some people over to see it because she thought my headlight was hilarious. It is so important to stay positive and give off a positive vibe with other people. It makes things feel so much better! First, I had to fill out a bunch of standard doctor forms. Health history, medication, etc. There was a chart in the very back that had a diagram of the body and I was supposed to draw on it where I had pain. There was also a chart to code the type of pain I was having (ex. ooo - pins and needles, xxx- sharp pain, /// - stabbing pain, etc.) I started to draw on my foot on the paper and realized I had all of those things, so I wasn't going to waste my time drawing it all out. Then the therapist examined me and took measurements of the ranges of motion on both my left and right feet. I didn't know what all the numbers meant, but she had a protractor type ruler that measured angles when I pointed and flexed my foot. She also measured my foot for swelling. My left foot was at 46 and righty was at 47.5. Whatever that means. She then wanted to know what type of activities I wanted to get back to post-therapy, and went over some things I already knew, like running. I learned that while I physically will be able to run, it will just make arthritis set in that much faster and eventually I will need a fusion when that occurs. I'd rather prolong that as long as I can so I should keep running to a minimum. It is still not recommended for me to move my foot side to side at this point because of the navicular stress. After my measurements were all entered and we had a nice discussion about the injury, we started to work on exercises. I got a list of them to take home to complete as homework, and made another appointment again in 3 weeks. I won't need to see her that often until I actually start weight bearing. For now I get to practice these well modeled exercises. I actually have been doing some similar stuff at the gym, but now I at least know what exercises to target. Here's also a cute foot video of how the little piggies are looking and *gasp* wiggles!!! So, I probably should tackle this whole "learning to walk" thing first, but I've already set a fitness goal for 2016. I want to complete the Wasatch Back Ragnar. What? Thought you said you can't run, missy? You're right, but my goal is to walk it. Speed walk it! It's a little under a year away, and I think I could train pretty hard to be a really fast walker. I was a slow runner so I may be able to even match my pace if I work really hard at it. I'm not going to be a 9 minute mile like my superstar husband, but I can do a 12 minute mile perhaps! One of my regrets was not running Ragnar with Nate this year. It was a week before Spartan and I didn't want to push it that much before the race. But, Superman over here did it. I should have just done it!! Grrr. Milestone for next week: getting my hair done. At the salon. Haven't done that since the injury. But I need it. So. Bad.
Sleeping used to be one of my favorite activities before my LisFranc injury. Now, I kind of dread it. I have the hardest time getting comfortable at night. My incisions will start to itch randomly, or bump up against the side of my fiberglass cast and cause an uncomfortable sensation. Or, I'll get a visit from the little gremlin that lives inside my cast, and he will randomly stab my foot with a knife, or a searing hot poker, or a taser. Whatever he can find. I have a pillow fort set up, that encases me in a wall of softness. This helps will my comfort level, because I can rest my elbow or knee on the pillows and take some pressure off because my foot demands to be elevated at all times. But, it also closes me off from my husband, so I kind of feel like I'm in cuddle jail. I miss snuggling with my nice, warm, husband and drifting off to Hawaii Dreamland. I'm a side sleeper, and sometimes I can contort my body into a position that will allow me to somewhat sleep on my side, still have my foot elevated, and not have too much pressure on my incisions. But, it's like getting all 9 (that's right, 9, I got your back, Pluto) planets to align. I still can't stand the sensation of a blanket on my exposed toes, so I have to stick my foot out of the covers. That drives me insane, because ever since I was a little girl, I have hated to have any body part hanging out of the covers. Because monsters will get them. So I lay there, staring at the ceiling in the dark, imagining all of the horrible creatures lurking unseen in my bedroom looking for a midnight snack. I used to be able to read for an hour or so, and that would make me nice and comfy and sleepy. I could probably read all night now without getting tired. Even on work nights, I am staying up well past midnight still reading my novels. Then finally turning my Nook off, and tossing and turning for what seems like days. Then my cat decides she wants to cuddle with me, so she comes and lays on my chest and belly. And she'll sit there purring, softly nuzzling my face, pawing at me with her adorable little paws, drifting off to her own Hawaii Dreamland. I suppose it's more like Tuna Dreamland or Treats Island. Of course I can't move or disturb her once she's fallen asleep - that would be rude. Eventually she leaves to go bully our other cat for her nightly capers. I hear him being tackled and screaming like a little girl. I chuckle and can focus on getting comfortable again. I have tried different sleeping techniques, breathing exercises, and playing around with the settings on the Tempurpedic to induce that lovely feeling of being tired. To no avail. Don't get me wrong, I can take a sleeping pill, or a Melatonin, or a Klonopin, and that'll do the trick right quick. But, I want natural sleep! I have to remind myself that this is only temporary! It's been 3.5 weeks since surgery. Only 8.5 more weeks being in a cast or boot. Then... it's all about Hawaii Dreamland.
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
Looking for exercises for slimmer, thin thighs? (Heck yes!) Want an easy thigh workout you can do without equipment? (Yep!) This bodyweight-only thin thigh workout is for you! Confession... my thighs are my number one source of insecurity. Before I was a trainer, I used to do tons of leg exercises to try to slim down my thighs but they'd get big and bulky instead... So there I was getting results I didn't want, wasting tons of my time in the gym, and thinking something was wrong with me... when the reality is, I wasn't using the right strategy for my
Ten weeks post-op! And I had another physical therapy session! I went to see Stephanie (my lisfranc physical therapist) again, and she was really excited for my progress! My swelling is down a half centimeter in my right ankle, which she assures me is a really big number, as far as feet and ankles go, after seeing my reaction of sheer disappointment. I'm only 1 cm off from leftie. Yay! She also measured my range of motion on my right foot, and I've improved 14 degrees. 14 is a much bigger number that I can get behind. I've been working diligently on my ankle pumps. Then, I got a set of new exercises to do for the next few weeks leading up to my 2nd surgery to remove the pins. My favorite is picking up marbles with my toes (video below)! My toes were super, super stiff at first but they gradually loosened up and I could pick up more and more marbles with my piggies. I tested out leftie to see how she'd perform picking up the marbles and she was an old pro. One day righty will catch up. Also, marbles are hard to find in stores so I had to get them from Amazon! My new list of exercises includes 2 hamstring strengtheners and a harder clam stretch. I definitely am feeling the burn of an unused hamstring when attempting the exercises. I trust and will obey anything my physical therapist tells me, so she thought that she was hilarious when she told me to crutch over to the treadmill, and then informed me that we will be doing some walking this session. A look of sheer terror must have came over my face because she grabbed my arm and said, "Just kidding!" Ha ha.. very funny Stephanie :) Although I am looking forward to the day that we are able to get up on the treadmill and walk for the first time. She did give me something to look forward to, however. She said that the day I get my stitches out from my hardware removal surgery, she will see me back to back from that appointment with Dr. Van Boerum. And, we'll start putting weight on the foot that day! I also had been having some nagging nasty pain over the top of my foot since getting my stitches out a few weeks ago. I assumed that it was one of my screws or pins irritating the area and that it would go away once I got them removed. But, the pain wakes me up frequently in the night, and I take my boot off and massage the area and stretch. I also can only keep my boot on for a couple of hours during the day before the pain strikes and I need to take it off, massage and stretch. When I told Stephanie this, she immediately knew the problem, left the room, and came back with a circular piece of foam. She cut a hole in the center. She had me point to the spot where the pain was the worst; it was not hard to miss as it was red, angry and puffy. She placed the foam pad on top of my foot and centered that spot in the hole she had cut, and then had me fasten my boot as normal. THAT FIXED EVERYTHING. It turns out that my boot strap was just severely irritating that part of my foot and there was a tiny part of my incision that was not healing because of it. Since she hooked me up with that extra padding, I have not had an ounce of pain! (at least not in that spot - it still hurts when I bang it around and I'm not careful with it lol) Also, last weekend, I was able to make it INTO the stadium for the Utes game! It actually was much easier than I anticipated, thanks to the help of the hubby and my mom. I tailgated for several hours beforehand, making sure to ply my body with plenty of alcohol incase it was a bad experience, but not too much, since I didn't want to have to use the bathroom during the middle of the game. That was what I was most anxious about actually. My friend had a great idea though, for future use maybe. He suggested I wear Depends or some sort of adult diaper. We got to the stadium very early, about an hour before kick-off, so that I'd have plenty of time to get into the stadium and up to my seat, without encountering too much of a crowd. It was a complete success. The floor inside was nice and smooth with no cracks at all so I cruised along on Trumpy ringing my bell at people that got in my way. I couldn't believe it actually worked and people got out of my way as I was rolling by! Usually I do that just for the humor aspect. Anyway, Nate helped me up the 35 rows to my bleacher seat, and much to my delight, there were people cheering me on in the stands as I hopped. "Way to go girl!" "That's dedication!" "That girl is still going to the game... awesome!" I scooted on my butt along the bleachers to my seat, while Nate went back down and he and my mom took Trumpy to Guest Services to hang out until the game was over. It was the 9/11 tribute game, so there were 3 paratroopers that dived onto the field before the start. So awesome. The only problem I had during the game, is when something exciting was happening, everyone stood up. It completely blocked my view of the field and the jumbotron, so I had to ask what was happening every time. But, that was the worst of it! The Utes won over Utah State, and I DIDN'T have to go to the bathroom the whole time! Despite of all that tequila I drank... We waited a few minutes for the crowd to clear, and Nate left to retrieve Trumpy from Guest Services. My mom stayed behind with me. I didn't really want to hop down the stairs, so I used my l33t tricep dipping skills to dip myself down 35 rows of bleachers to the entrance. I hopped on my scooter and off we went out the exit. I had a group of guys following close behind me because I was going pretty fast, and people were scrambling out of the way for me to pass, and they used me as a crowd clearer. At least I'm good for something! I had a ton of fun, my team won, and there were no casualties. Although, Trumpy was left unsupervised in a room full of other mobility assistance devices at Guest Services during the game. Who knows what kind of trouble he got into.....
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
Hi Everyone! Long time, no blog updates. So, I thought I'd check in now that it's been about 2 years since my lisfranc ORIF surgery, I think things are just about as normal as they ever are going to be for me, which I am totally fine with, by the way. What have I been up to since the new year? Nothing much out of the ordinary! I've been doing a lot of getting back to just my normal routines. I am hitting the gym regularly again, about 3-4 times a week. There's not a whole lot that I find myself unable to do, unless it comes to a lot of jumping or high impact exercises. I do a lot of weight training, spinning, yoga, and bootcamp classes. I haven't gone back to the treadmill - I never really liked that anyway! - but I when do the cardio machines I spend a lot of time on the Stairmaster, since I think it helps continue to build strength in my legs and foot in general. I also love doing the rowing machine, and there is a new rope trainer at my gym that I've been really excited about. Think a never-ending rope climb, and a total upper body burn! I have found so many things to do that I really don't think about what I can't do anymore. If I'm in a class at the gym and we are doing an exercise that hurts to do or I'm not comfortable with - I just modify it, plain and simple. There's no shame in it. I haven't run very much since Ragnar; not that I don't want to, or can't, but a lot of that has to do with winters sucking in Utah and I don't dare run outside. And, as mentioned above, I dread the treadmill and haven't really figured out how to effectively use it since my injury; I find it hard to get the right pace. Now that summer is here, its regularly getting over a hundred degrees everyday. I am a zombie in the morning and hate working out first thing, and that's really the only time I could run if I was going to do it. I'm anxiously awaiting Fall so I can enjoy being outside again, and get in a few runs in the cool air. I can now successfully do multiple single leg calf raises on my right foot. Weighted, even! I focus a lot of my strength and weight training on my legs. It is of course great exercise but also functional, since my lower body is where I really need to build the most muscle, strength and stability. I've gradually gotten back in to practicing my box jumps, and even took a little video of jumping onto the Bosu balancer at the gym a few weeks ago. It took almost two years to do that with confidence and without pain, but I eventually did get there. Which is pretty much the motto for this injury. You're going to get there, I promise. I'm also right back to hiking every weekend, working every Sunday to log more and more miles during the hike. I feel like my left foot/leg is still the dominant one, so I've been trying to focus on building up the right one more, but it doesn't come naturally. I can actually come up on, and push off my toes when climbing a steep hill. That was something that I wasn't able to do last year so it's definitely an improvement! I used to feel super competitive about hiking, focusing on how fast I could do it and compare it to my previous time, and how fast I could fly up and down the mountain. Now I just go at whatever pace feels good, not caring how long it is taking. Going uphill, I take in the sights, and stop for breaks when I need them. I'm still a little slow on the downhill and have to really concentrate on my footing so I don't slip on rocks. As long as I pay attention to every step I take, I am fine. But I get so distracted by the beauty of the mountains, the natural scenery and wildlife, that I need a little slip to remind me to stay focused! (OOO SHINIES) I frequently stop and take pictures on the way down. I at least try to set a goal of going faster on the downhill than the up, which usually works out! I feel a lot more trust in my footing this year, and a lot more confidence. But, I still get anxious when it comes to the steep downhill parts of hikes. I am not joking in the slightest though when I say I have to pay attention to every step; I literally look right in front of my feet the whole time! If I do slip, I'm not so great on the reflexes and catching myself. I take it slow and do what is comfortable. I try not to think about, or worry about, what anyone else is thinking of me, even if I'm going slow and I have to let others pass me on the trail. Hiking is one of the things that makes me the happiest in my life, and I look forward to it every week, so I am going to do it my way! My foot is still sore for pretty much the rest of the day after hiking though. That hasn't changed. The same with a lot of activity or a long walk or run; my foot gets tired and angry. At times, painful. It is what it is though; it isn't enough to stop me from doing what I'm doing or deter me from doing what I want. I did "run" the Dirty Dash in June, about a month ago. It was just a 5k, and a lot of slogging through the mud. I only skipped two obstacles, but pushed myself to at least attempt them! It was a lot of fun, and I'm glad I did it! The race was held in Soldier Hollow which was the first time I've done a race there since my injury. A lot of feelings came back, but only for a moment. I've moved on. There are times when I re-live it, and think "what if I didn't fall that day?". A lot of things would be different. But this injury has changed my perspective on things in so many ways, taught me a lot about life, myself, and about others, that I'm not sure I'd want to change that. I hate that I had this stupid injury, but grateful for all of the experiences and people that I've met, and been able to help along the way! I think about my foot everyday. Mostly in the morning in those first few steps getting out of bed. Or when I encounter some stairs - which I'm about 200% better at - but I still have to think about it. When a storm is coming, the metal in my foot swells and I feel the pressure change. I feel like an old lady trying to get up off the floor or in and out of the bathtub at times. I won't lie, I have pain in some fashion every single day. Honestly though, it's such a part of my life now. I'm not bothered by it. When I read blogs of people saying they still felt pain 2 years later, 5 years later, I was crushed. Here I am though, 2 years later, and so proud of where I've come, and all I've done to get here. When I started this blog, I thought full on that I would be the miraculous recovery story and just back to my old self and exactly how I was before. I'm not. But to tell you the truth, I don't even remember what my foot felt like before my injury! It really is all about perspective and living in the now. What's next for me? Keep setting goals, blasting through ceilings and breaking down barriers. I will lace up for Spartan in 2018. I will finish the race. I may do it at my own pace and skip some obstacles, but I'm not competing with anyone here. I'm not even competing with myself. I'll be out there to face my fears and my demons. I'm done thinking about what could have been, and embracing the health, and life, that I have now, no matter what the challenges are. Thank you for reading, friends!
Finally, after 25 weeks of healing from lisfranc surgery, I am able to do 2 full hours of regular housework, including being able to vacuum!! I never thought I would say I enjoyed doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen, picking up, getting out Thanksgiving decorations etc!!! My foot told me I need to stop, but that's OK. I can honestly say, I am thrilled to be able to take back another part of my life!!! I also decided to move up my hardware removal surgery to Nov 20th. This decision was based on my insurance, who will pay for the entire surgery if I have it done by the end of 2013. I traded a couple of e-mails with my physical therapist (whose wife has still not had their baby boy yet) and he wants to come and observe my operation! (My surgeon and my PT have a good relationship.) I am absolutely thrilled!!!!! How cool is it that he wants to follow my case even after I have graduated from PT!!!! plates and screws after lisfranc surgery 24 weeks post op So, in a few weeks I will be saying "good-bye" to the plates and screws that were imperative to my healing bones!!
On 6/27/15, I sustained a significant fracture to my Lisfranc joint from a 10 foot fall during an obstacle course race. On 7/7/15, I had ORIF surgery to repair a commuted fracture to my navicular bone, fractures to my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cunieforms, a fractured cuboid, and dislocations of 4 metatarsal bones. This blog is my experience. Hopefully it will help others who have suffered this horrific injury and inspire you to overcome life's obstacles.
If you want to know how to get rid of saddlebags aka the outer, upper thighs and are looking for a killer saddlebag workout, this is for you. If you’re like most of my clients, the only saddlebags you want to see are purses... not the unwanted bulges of fat on the outer thighs and hips. That's why I'm sharing my top tips on how to get rid of saddlebags and a fun saddlebag workout made with some of the best exercises for the hips and upper, outer thighs. How to Get Rid of Saddlebags If you're
A Lisfranc injury is a significant injury that involves the midfoot. It is sometimes referred to as a midfoot sprain and it is often has a lengthy recovery time -especially compared to the average ankle sprain.
