Just wanted to check in quick before heading out of town for the holidays!! Hope everyone is doing well. If you’ve never played Friday Confessionals before, don’t sweat it. The only rule is that there isn’t any – everything goes, and you will not be judged for it. If you feel so inclined, you can check the official rundown post… GAME TIME!
1. I feel kind of badass…
A buddy of mine the other day told me I was tough as nails, and have the hardware to prove it. It was just kind of a nice reminder that this hasn’t, and won’t take me down. I am still that little feisty redhead… just have to turn the fire down for a little while. 
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
2. I am way behind on Christmas…
Christmas is in less than 48 hours. I just finished wrapping all my gifts at 5pm tonight. I just finished making the rest of my gifts this afternoon. (They are very Pinterest inspired… I’m actually tackling that “post-surgery crafts” board!) Oh and by the way we are heading out of town tomorrow morning. Wooops!
Luckily there are quite a few people who I am doing gift exchanges with after Christmas… Which means I will still have time to shop for for them when I get home on Monday. 
Not going to lie: don’t hate the fact that everything will be on sale!
3. Not working out is not working out…
At least mentally. It’s not even so much the I’m going to blow up into the size of a baby whale thing… calories in vs. calories out is something I know how to balance. But it’s just having all this TIME on my hands to do NOTHING!! Previously, my day was taken up with practice > work > eat > sleep > repeat. Right now my work is on hold (I work at a University… winter break), and going to practice obviously isn’t happening if I’m only able to do toe-touch weight bearing. It just feels like too much couch time, and it makes me frustrated. 
Maybe I just need to bulk up my “non-active to do list“.
BUT… for full disclosure I do still get to go to the gym. My doc is thoroughly encouraging to use the arm ergometer, and I’ve been getting “better” at it day by day. But it kind of feels like waiting to watch ice freeze… and it’s obviously not what I’m used to. I miss squats!!!!! (<- whining voice)
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Post-surgery update:
It has only been 9 days… but it feels like it has been 3 weeks. Several changes worth noting:
Physical Therapy: Those exercises that were so hard last week? Not so hard anymore! I can do all of them unassisted, and with much less difficulty/pain than before. Today I booked PT for about 6 weeks out, and am excited to get started with it and start makin’ some progress!
Post-Op Appointment: Was this morning, and it went very well! Healing and rehab is all on track. My wound is closing nicely (and I will be able to get in the POOL on Monday!!!! So you better not here me giving a Friday Confessional next week saying “the pool is so boring!” Trust me. I’ll take it.) I will go back for xrays at the end of my six weeks (January 25th… yeah, it has been circled on the calendar for a month) and pray that the above “fresh Christmas tree cut” on my femur has fully healed!
Forearm Crutches: … have honestly changed my life. Up until my post-op appointment today I was using the traditional, under the arm crutches. And I’m pretty sure my skin was rubbed almost all the way down to my rib bones!! They make sheepskin coverings for the underarm crutch pads to help reduce friction, but I was literally wincing with every step and didn’t think the little lamby skins would cut it. If you have ever been on crutches for an extended period of time and experienced this rubbed-raw sensation, you have my deepest sympathy.
So today then, I talked to my doctor about forearm crutches. He said more and more athletes are choosing them, and they tend to work out even for non-weight bearing assistance because our breed (so to speak ) already has greater arm strength. Yeah… after all this hand cycling and upper body only weights, I’d like to think I have some arm strength!!
Reader Qs:
Any additions you can give me for this non-active to do list?
Have you ever been on crutches? What for, and did you burn off all your underarm skin?
Any big holiday plays / Santa Shuffle 10Ks / extravagant field trips planned?
Take care, be good to yourself, and be safe if you’re hitting the roads.
-E
So glad to hear the recovery is going as well as possible! Knock on wood, I’ve never had to use crutches. You’ll sure be building up some arm/shoulder strength in the next few weeks! Hmm… I’m trying to think of some “non-active” activities for you… reading? I really don’t enjoy reading, but I suppose if I was confined to the couch, I’d probably pick up one of the 5,000 books the husband has suggested! Merry Christmas!!!
I’ve been reading some… haha but most of the reading I did before was at the gym during cardio!! Fail. >=/ Cooking is a no-go – hah it’s one thing I truthfully just do not enjoy. Maybe I need to get Netflix
@Holly – I’ve been reading some… haha but most of the reading I did before was at the gym during cardio!! Fail. >=/ Cooking is a no-go – hah it’s one thing I truthfully just do not enjoy. Maybe I need to get Netflix
Hey there!
So I’ve been a not-so-secret lurker (just saying that makes me feel like a creepster-which I promise i’m not!) for awhile. Then stopped reading blogs for awhile when I started grad school (i’m in P.A. school-Physician Assistant for most non-medical people
, but started reading your blog again. I’m sorry you’ve had to have a second, more major surgery-but I really hope this one works and gets you out there with no pain so you can do what you enjoy most!
I got sidelined this year (from February onwards) halfway through marathon training with some pretty severe overuse knee injuries that may have caused permanent damage I’ll have to live with–and I know how rough it is to go from being active (in every way from running to biking to swimming, etc) for several hours a day-to suddenly being sidelined for 2 months from everything except some minor swimming.
But-why I really meant to finally post on your blog is that I have a solution to your not being able to carry coffee while on crutches. Have you every heard of “Contigo” mugs? Costco (at least the multiple ones i’ve been to) sells them during the winter for 2 mugs/$20 or you can probably order them online. They autoseal and don’t leak, even if turned upside down. I throw mine in my backpack on the way to school-it gets abused all the time, in my car, messenger bag, at the bottom of my locker. And, i’ve never once had it leak on me. Pretty. much. amazing. Oh, and I’ve had it keep my tea hot for 5-6 hours!
Hope you can get ahold of one and lug it around while you are on crutches!
Glad to see that your recovery is progressing well. Hang in there. I spent a fair amount of time on the arm ergometer after my ORIF surgery to my tibia. It will make you appreciate the sports you love when you can return to them and at least its a little something. I hope PT keeps going well for you and you keep tackling the new exercises they prescribe for you. You are continually in my prayers. You are one tough lady. Wishing you a speedy recovery and a Merry Christmas!
I’ve never been on crutches, but I’ve been given them many times and I’ve always “tough guy’d” it out, usually leading to much longer recoveries – I might’ve gone with the forearm ones. I’ve got a favor you could do for me, to put on your “to do” list; I’ll send it to you by email or Facebook message.
@Brynna – Hey there – so glad you finally commented!! So funny you say that about Contigo mugs, because I’ve had two of them before (from Costco) and even given them as gifts!! Sadly, they WERE abused to the point of no repair. Someone *coughroommate* took one and lost it at work, and with the other one thought it would be OK to putt in the dishwasher and melted the seal!! I know they still have them though, so maybe I’ll have to look into that again. Thanks for the suggestion!
Sorry to hear about your knee
but actually I would like to know more about it and what’s going on! If you ever need to vent… you’ve got an ear. 
@Nancy – Wow… thanks for such a sweet message Nancy! I hope you had a great Christmas!!