3 weeks since I snapped my achilles tendon at an early Monday morning Crossfit class. The week was going to start out normal, Monday 6am class just like normal then head to work, instead ended with an ambulance to the ER just 15 minutes after starting.
I was in the last round of sprints and side steps in the warm up, my body was warm and my heart was pounding but I guess the load and force exceeded what my still cool tendon could handle. My coach heard the bang, like a gunshot I'm told, I heard the bang too but didn't know if it was in my head or not. I plummeted immediately to the ground. I knew the instant that I fell that I ruptured it, that I would opt into the surgical repair and that I would be 'out' for probably a lot of the year.
After a few hours in the hospital I was sent home with a fibre glass cast and told that I would be called for surgery so had to fast from 10pm every day until I heard otherwise. I got the call on Thursday and had the surgery to stitch my tendon back together. Recovery was fine, although there was some pain induced shaking on wake up which was quite strange. Spent the night with hourly obersvations in the ward with 5 others including a drug addict that got admitted at midnight and the obligatory snorers. Needless to say I didn't get any sleep, not helped at 4am when one of them pooped the bed. Public hospitals.
I am thankful though - socialised medicine. I haven't paid a cent. Not one. And I won't have to. I get my full salary while on the couch and all these handy little things to help in my recovery like this knee scooter. Since I can't drive for 3 months, I may also get the use of a hand controlled car to make my transition back to work easier.
I was in the last round of sprints and side steps in the warm up, my body was warm and my heart was pounding but I guess the load and force exceeded what my still cool tendon could handle. My coach heard the bang, like a gunshot I'm told, I heard the bang too but didn't know if it was in my head or not. I plummeted immediately to the ground. I knew the instant that I fell that I ruptured it, that I would opt into the surgical repair and that I would be 'out' for probably a lot of the year.
After a few hours in the hospital I was sent home with a fibre glass cast and told that I would be called for surgery so had to fast from 10pm every day until I heard otherwise. I got the call on Thursday and had the surgery to stitch my tendon back together. Recovery was fine, although there was some pain induced shaking on wake up which was quite strange. Spent the night with hourly obersvations in the ward with 5 others including a drug addict that got admitted at midnight and the obligatory snorers. Needless to say I didn't get any sleep, not helped at 4am when one of them pooped the bed. Public hospitals.
I am thankful though - socialised medicine. I haven't paid a cent. Not one. And I won't have to. I get my full salary while on the couch and all these handy little things to help in my recovery like this knee scooter. Since I can't drive for 3 months, I may also get the use of a hand controlled car to make my transition back to work easier.
Isn't that nifty? I'm so excited because it means that I don't have to be so house-bound. I can pop over to the supermarket or down to the coffee shop. One outing definitely wore me out though. I blame the anaesthetic and not the fact that I haven't used my muscles in 3 weeks.
I'm starting to feel a lot more like myself. I stopped taking the Codeine and Tramadol pretty quickly as it was playing all sorts of tricks on me. Just taking some less intense doses of drugs when I need it, sometimes it feels like it balloons for no real reason but I guess it will figure itself out shortly. I even think the anaesthetic is beginning to leave my system and for the first time since surgery I have slept more normal in the last 2 nights - going to bed and waking up at more functional human times. It feels good to get back on track, finally.
The moonboot got put on this week, it felt good to get out of the heavy post surgical cast, but this is still very much uncomfortable. And I have 2 pair of pants that fit over it so pyjamas are still my number one choice.
The doc says I'm still not allowed to remove it for 4 weeks. I have to treat it like a cast. I don't really know the point in the moonboot if it's just the same treatment as a cast? I have, of course, taken it off though to relieve me of some restriction for a few minutes and to let my leg breathe. It feels good.
I titled this 'Injury Ladened and Still Excuses' because since I've been on the couch I know I should be more productive, I should write more, I should blog more since I haven't been doing that at all lately and of course I should spent more time reading and studying.
I'm not entirely sure what my excuses are for not doing those things. It requires effort that I guess I can't give just yet. I'll continue to blame the anaesthetic. Honestly, I can't even watch the tv because that requires too much as well. I just sit, I don't even think, just sit. I also get to talk to my handsome boyfriend which perks up my day 100%.
My hope is that as I begin to feel more like myself that I would do these things that I always find every excuse under the sun to not do.
It's going to start with push ups from my knees. Drop and give me 20.
