Bad Things Happen in 3's (Or More)

I awoke on a Wednesday with a cold. It was the first time in a very long time that I was really sick. After making it through the day, I played in a softball game at night, sliding for a fly ball in the outfield and ending up with a raspberry leg wound that covered a third of my leg. Now, let's limp ahead a few days.

After not playing volleyball for many months, I wanted to get back out there. So on a Monday night, we played. The first hour went fine but then things turned. Passes weren't made, balls went out of bounds. Our 1-0 lead quickly turned into 13-1. It was terrible.  Their backcourt guy was creeping up, dumping shots short on us. I tried to burn him deep but he returned it. A moment later he dumped another one. Frustrated I swung hard - at best this was over his head and in play; at worst I would send the ball to the rafters and buy us a moment to recover.  It went sailing out by a mile and I put my hands to my head, exasperated. Then, WHAM! I am on the deck.

Just like that. Hit the ball, step left, step right and CRACK, CRACK CRACK! I felt my right ankle blow like fireworks, popping off three or four times. I dropped like a rock and put my hands to my face as pain raced up and down my leg. It hurt so bad I couldn't roll over to my back for a moment, even though my friend was telling me to get down. I laid on my back, hands buried in my eyes to push down some of the pain that seemed to be bubbling over.  I knew instantly that I was in trouble.

Within a couple of minutes I could pull my shoe off. Teammates rushed for ice and had my ankle wrapped in a bandage. I kept it elevated, unable to move for several minutes.  When the blinding pain had subsided, I hopped into a wheelchair and moved off the court.  But sitting there I grew dizzy and, fearing I would blackout from the pain, pulled myself back to the floor.  Sarah arrived, and I was wheeled to the gate, into a cab, and to the hospital, that sits - thankfully - about 2 min from our door.

This doesn't look good

Half cast

An very Indian experience later and I was back from the x-ray, my foot not broken, and half casted to reduce mobility.  I crutched around for a few days and had an MRI.  When I met with the doctor, he put the images on a light screen. "Oh no!" he said, eyeing the first image. "Yeeeeeshshh" he hissed, glancing to the next, then, pointing and speaking to his assistant, "Look how big that is."  Now, when different circumstances may have called that comment a compliment, it wasn't the case. He turned back to me and said, "This is a serious injury."  "Well, it felt serious," I said.

Diagnosis: Full thickness tear of the anterior talo fibular and calcaneo-fibular ligaments. Contusion on medial malleolus and medial aspect of the talar dome.
Translation: Two of the three ligaments that hold my ankle together are ripped and there is a sizeable bruise on the bone of my foot.

I am ordered off the foot for at least another week and told PT would take 2-3 months. He was happy with my fitness and said surgery was not needed.  I may be able to run and bike in the summer but I probably cannot do hiking, volleyball, or other lateral movement sports for 6 months or more.

Later that day, after watching my team play softball, I was crutching home and smacked my toe (other foot) on my crutches.  Instant pain, but the beer helped. The next morning after a restless sleep I tried to get around but couldn't walk. My toe was broken. Unable to move, I missed my team playing in the final game of the season.  Only via wheelchair could I go to the evening's closing ceremony. Oh, and MSU lost in the Final Four. Bad day.

Broken toe and bruising on top part of foot

Timing was not great -  I will miss: the softball tournament, the weekly Canada vs. USA softball game; the British History Half Marathon, the healthy challenge (and competition in our school that I have not lost in 8 years) and the Two Hearted Marathon (a trail race I was hoping to win this summer).   If I cannot come back and train, my trip to Venice in the fall for the marathon may be in jeopardy. I am still unsure if I can play weekly hockey this summer with my brother.  When it rains, it pours.

After 1 week, I cut the cast off. It was annoying and my foot floating in it, causing pain every time I moved. I was much more careful about my foot with it off than when it was on. 

Inside, non-torn side still bruised a week later

Bruising on torn side - 1 week later

Swelling on inside ankle - 10 days post injury

Swollen, gross elephant foot (lines from the Ace bandage wrap in skin) - 10 days post injury

So the above ends the summary of events and diagnosis. I am struggling, unable to do much of anything. All cardio is out and with the toe injury, just getting around is very difficult. People, kind as they are, have asked 1,000 times what happened, and it gets hard to answer. It is like reliving a trauma each time. They mean well. Other annoying comments have been the person who asks daily, "Any better today?" but not nearly as bad as the many, and I mean many, who have said, "Yeah, I have been there" or "I have dealt with this all my life." What? I mean, not to downplay it, but I can't imagine a ton of regular people being out for 2-3 months with full tears in most of their foot.  Not to mention, if this happens to someone regularly, they wouldn't play sports. I am so afraid to play again, knowing the pain it was to have it happen just once.

I am doing a lot of core work since it is the only thing I can do with my feet like they are. I started lifting a bit but 1) it is hard to get to and from the gym and around it and 2) lifting sucks.  My pushup streak is again in jeopardy as I cannot get on my toes (for a week I was doing 1-legged push ups, now I can't get any feet so I have to put my feet on the couch and do downward-angled push ups). After doing 6 months consecutive, my streak broke in the Grand Canyon. Since then, I have logged nearly 10 months straight, but I find myself in a difficult place to finish again. The thought of starting over demoralizes me.