2011: An Ankle Odyssey

As of today it's been just about exactly one month since my ankle surgery and four months since the original injury. Long story short: the orthopedist put me in a boot for a month to see if that fixed me without surgery, but it didn't, so I had surgery to fix the teeny tear in my tendon.

But that wasn't all that was fixed. I think I've mentioned weird ankle pain when running or walking before; I can remember walking home from elementary school and pain shooting up my right ankle and not getting better until I sat down for a while. I've never had this sort of pain in my left ankle, only my right - which, coincidentally, was also the ankle I sprained back in April.

The surgeon made some vague reference to some kind of muscle issue discovered (and fixed) during surgery, and he clarified it when I went back for my first post-op appointment ten days later. The peroneal brevis muscle in your calf is supposed to end at your upper ankle, about where the top of a bobby sock would be. Mine extended all the way down and wrapped around the bottom of the ankle bone. The little space that runs behind the ankle bone really doesn't have much room: just enough for the two tendons that go through there. With the muscle there too, it means that whenever I worked it (like running or walking), it would expand with blood and thus cause pain and inflammation and probably wasn't helping the torn tendon any either. So he cut the extra muscle away to fix the problem. If I hadn't busted up my ankle, this lifelong issue may never have been spotted.

In short, I was too beefy for my own good.

I'm still in a walking boot for a couple more weeks, and have thus far have not been assigned physical therapy. Once I can walk normally again I'll start looking into another gym. My "big news" (which would have entailed moving halfway across the country) ended up falling through, so I'm staying in this area for the foreseeable future.

Which is fine. I just miss going to the gym. The other day I picked up the novel I'd been reading on the exercise bike and finally finished it. It felt weird to read it while lying in bed, but I knew if I didn't pick it back up I'd have to start over from the beginning, and I didn't want to do that. Oh well; I'll start another book when I finally get back into regular gym visits.

Running to Stand Still

Not literally running, of course. I'd considered titling this post "one step forward, one step back," but thought making a U2 reference was more snazzy. Or something.

Anyway, a couple things: first, I cancelled Nutrisystem. I've lost a fair amount of weight, but truth be told I have so much food left over that I'll technically still be on Nutrisystem for at least another month. Which is fine. My husband is looking forward to cooking more, and we've both learned a lot about portion control. My real issue will be lunch - I really suck at making decent lunches - but I think we'll be able to find some kind of reasonable substitute. There are plenty of, for example, single-serving soups out there. I'll find something I like.

Second, I cancelled my gym membership. I had mixed feelings about this, but in the end it just made sense. My main reason is because of my ankle. I got the results from my MRI last week and learned that I have tears in my lateral collateral ligament in two places, as well as multiple partial tears in the deep tissue of the deltoid ligament. I unfortunately couldn't get an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon until June 20, and if he decides surgery is the best route then I will be on crutches for the rest of the summer at least. It's not worth going to the gym just to do arms; I can use my kettle bells for that.

I could have just suspended my membership for a few months, but there's also the possibility of my life making a drastic change this summer, which would necessitate quitting this gym anyway. If things turn out not to happen the way I'm sort of expecting them to, I can always sign up with another gym in the area. I liked this one because it's comfortable and close to work, but it's also more expensive than other options.

I'd like to also mention that both Nutrisystem and my gym (Sport & Health) let me cancel easily and immediately. I had absolutely no trouble whatsoever.

Catching up (again)

Yeeeeah. Been a while. First it was the BookCrossing Convention, then only a week later, on Easter Sunday, I sprained my ankle. Badly. "Grade 2 or possibly 3," the doc said; they think I tore a ligament. May 23rd is my Day of Reckoning: at that point I'm either 100% healed or we start looking into surgery. Ugh, I so hope it doesn't come to that. But anyway, since I can't go to the gym, I decided to use some of my time convalescing to take my measurements again.

The last time I took my measurements was December 29, 2010 - so that's what, not quite five months ago. I've lost two inches in my waist and hips, one inch in my bust and thigh. I've also lost a total of 26 pounds in that time. A bit of a plateau, actually, but I'm not complaining.

Now I just need to figure out what the hell size jeans I wear now. My old ones are falling down so badly I look like an ad for crack prevention. Ha!

Exercise Update

Under a lot of stress. Went for a walk around the neighborhood last night.

Distance: 3.29 miles
Time: 1hr 5min
Average speed: 3.04 mph
Calories burned: 246

I haven't been going to the gym (no time!) but this helped a bit, I think.

Weekly Weigh-in

Weight change this week: -4
Weight change so far in 2011: -24

I weighed myself this morning, before breakfast. I know I will have miraculously gained like five pounds between now and just before dinner, which is when I usually weigh myself, but I think I'm going to allow myself the fantasy for today.

Weigh-in and Confessions

I neither lost nor gained this past week, which is actually pretty impressive considering it was my birthday weekend and we went out to eat three times.

This morning, when stopping at Dunkin' Donuts for some coffee, I purchased an apple fritter. I don't know why I did it. I wasn't hungry, and it's not like I'd been craving apple fritters. But I bought it, and I ate it, and I'm terrified I'm falling back into my old habits. Sigh.

Gym Recap

I wanted to run, but my iPod seized up and I couldn't remember the key sequence to unfreeze it (for future reference: toggle the hold switch, then hold the center button and menu button at the same time until the screen turns off). Then I was going to do a half hour on the recumbent stationary bike, but there weren't any foot straps to be found. Without the straps, my feet flap around all over the place. It's just a mess. So I ended up on the regular stationary bike, which was kind of uncomfortable. I don't know what it is, but I always feel like I'm sliding off those things, no matter how much I lower the seat. Obnoxious.

Anyway, here's the summary:

Stationary bike (non-recumbent)
35 minutes
12.6 miles
206 calories

I haven't been to the gym in ages. I just haven't been able to drag myself there lately for some reason. Guh.