One Step at a Time

What a great week of recovery this has been; So much progress has been made! I started driving again, went back to work, I got to take an actual shower and got to hang out with some of my fabulous friends!

Driving proved to be a little tough, only because I hadn't used my leg muscles in over a week. Pushing the pedal wasn't hard at all but the next morning, I could feel the burn! (This only lasted a few days though.. so no worries!) Work was work; and I felt like I had been hit with an 18 wheeler Monday afternoon. Even though I kept my feet and legs elevated while I was at my desk my legs and ankles were extremely swollen and really bad bruises popped up.

Friday morning I visited Dr. Davis again and he removed the stitches and the steri-strips. My legs already feel so much better! He cleared me to take a shower and the new steri-strips they put on should stay on a few more days. He told me I am progressing so well that maybe when I come back in two weeks I can start jogging!!!!! (YIPPPPPEY!!!! I was over the moon about this!) Since the weather has been a little nicer I have seen more runners than I did in the past year. Ok, maybe not all of last year but it has certainly felt like it!

Warning for all of the squeamish: You may want to skip down to the bottom. I am about to share my progress in photos!

 



So after work on Monday I thought my legs are never going to be pretty again, this is terrible, etc., etc. Then after my doctor visit on Friday I felt a little better... These strips should come off soon and then we can work on the marker stain!



So to celebrate my wonderful week I spent my Saturday night with some great friends, delicious sushi, and cards!! I absolutely can't wait to get back to running and reaching more goals!

Road to Recovery

Well it's been a little over a week now that I had the fasciotomy procedure done. This week has been full of.... SLEEP! I feel like I have been in hibernation sleeping 10-12 hours a night and taking 2-3 hour naps after lunch! I honestly don't know what I am going to do this coming week at work; I better pull out the kindergarten nap time mat!!!

After the surgery it was a little hard to walk, especially with the crutches, but the pain was never really bad for me. I took the pain medicine through Tuesday and decided I didn't need it anymore. On Wednesday I only used one crutch and that thing just got in the way. After stubbing my toe on it and pinching my arm between the crutch and a chair, I decided I was totally over them! I finally ditched those by Thursday (6 days after the procedure)! NOTE: I am still walking like an 80+ year old grandma, but I am getting around!

Dr. Davis bragged on me at my follow up appointment on Friday and of course I have to share... I got the label of a "Tough Patient" since I only took my pain meds for a few days and because I was there without crutches! After the nurse re-wrapped my legs and I started my long journey up the 20 foot hallway, Dr. Davis caught up to me (easily!) and said again how impressed he was of me walking without crutches. I was thrilled!

The only bad things I have experienced this week while recovering is:

1. Sleeping on my back with my feet and legs elevated.
2. The incisions on my legs.

You are probably thinking well that's not bad; I completely agree. If the worst part of the past week was sleep issues and the looks of an incision (I almost passed out the first time I seen them...) then I am doing pretty durn good. I obviously caught up on my sleep and the incisions will get better with time.... sooner than later I hope. Until then, I will wear my fair share of maxi dresses this spring!

So all in all, I am extremely happy (so far) with choosing this path. I absolutely can not wait to get back out on the track. It will be a slow start, but eventually I will be running stronger than before. Until next time... XOXO

Playing Catch Up

This is a totally new arena for me... I have never really liked to write but I feel like this is something I need to do and will eventually start to enjoy. Some of you may know that in the past year and a half I took up with running. 2 years ago I would have probably bet against everything I own if you would have told me I would be running and actually love it. Guess what?! I would have lost.

It all started with running a mile or two here and there with my sister, Terra. She had ran a 5K before and ran to exercise but nothing more than that. We decided that we should start training for the local "Cotton Row 10K" in May, so that is what we did. I am not sure when the love affair with running started but mid-March 2012 we decided we would be running our first half marathon in November. Each day we would check off another run on our list getting closer and closer to our races and continuously registering for more! (More on our races and accomplishments later...)

Fast forward to February 2013...

I registered for the Oak Barrel Half and had been training since mid-January. I was enjoying getting back to the groove of training and on a schedule, but not loving the treadmill so much! One Sunday I went out to the park for my 8 miler and something just did not feel right. I thought my calves were going to EXPLODE, my feet felt like they were falling asleep and this all happened before I made it to one mile. I tried to "push through the pain" and ended up only running 3 miles that day. I decided I could do my 8 miler the next day and didn't think twice about the "pain". The next day I didn't make it to a mile and the same pain came up along with knots on my calves. I got referred to an orthopedic surgeon and had an appointment that same week. Little did I know I have what they call "Exertional Compartment Syndrome". (http://orthopedics.about.com/od/overuseinjuries/a/compartment.htm)

My doctor said I could have the fasciotomy procedure done or I would have to stop running. Stop running was something that I did not want to do... I mean one of my goals this year was to run a full marathon. I wasn't ready to stop or find something else to do. I felt like I still had a ton of miles left to run. On the other hand though, he was going to cut both of my legs in very visible spots. I literally thought my nerves were going to take over. I was caught between not being able to do something I love and my legs being cut up and scarred.

I chose to have the procedure after going back and forth, googling the procedure (which I don't recommend), and searching runner blogs on the recovery from the surgery. All the feedback I read was brutal which freaked me out more, but my doctor really helped me understand what was going to happen and every step we would take to make sure things that I read would not happen to me. My procedure was this past Friday so I will have an update soon on recovery and how the scars are shaping up... I am too chicken to look at them right now!