Broken, But Not De-Feeted

Youve gotta be #@$#!% kidding me! This was the thought scrolling through my head as I heard the bones in my right foot snap last Thursday. Yes, if youve been in my little blogging family for a while, you already know that in February 08, while running along my favorite trail, I wiped out in some mud, rolled my ankle and fractured a biggish bone in my left foot. Well, its just a little over a year later and, through some freakish convergence of karma, stupidity and nature, Ive now taken out the other foot&same exact bone, on the same trail, at almost the same point, wearing the same shoes. But, this time, its a complete break, two pieces. So rather than walking around with a boot for 6 weeks, Im on crutches, one-footed, for at least a month, before I even get to the walking air-cast stage. Ive been injured before, but never something that took away my mobility in any meaningful way. And, Ive got to tell you, this really sucks. I dont like being on crutches. I dont like that I have to plan my trips to the kitchen. I dont like that I cant drive myself around. I dont like that I had to eat my sandwich standing in the kitchen, because I didnt realize I couldnt carry it with crutches in both hands. I dont like that I have to ask for help for things that Ive done for myself for 43 years. But, mostly, I mortified at how open Ive become to the notion of man-fannypacks! And, I am not loving the potential for imbalances, misalignment, atrophy, weight gain, loss of condition and wellness that this whole experience has the potential to rain down upon my life. Because, I have to be honest, I didnt exactly go into this injury the picture of health. In fact, Im pretty confident that this injury was due, at least in part, to some major postural dysfunctions that resulted from my lack of attention to the changes in my body that occurred during my not-so-complete recovery from last years foot-astrophe. I didnt respond nearly as aggressively as I should have, from both a nutritional, postural and fitness standpoint. And, it left me with a lot of aches, pains, lack of fitness and excess weight. But, this time around&Im not rolling over. Ive spent the better part of the last week researching the stages of repair for bone breaks, along with the activities and nutritional approaches that facilitate healing. Knowing that one part of my body will essentially be an orphan limb for 4-12 weeks, I am drawing upon my fitness and yoga background the create a staged conditioning and dynamic myofascial repatterning program designed to counter the effects of my unbalanced workloads. One of my biggest challenges, though, will be cardiovascular exercise. My ortho says everything weight bearing is out and I cant even swim, unless I strap my legs to a board and only use my upper body. Ill be trying that out this week and reporting back on how it worked. But, Im in the early stages of brainstorming ways to get my heart moving&without using my feet. If anyone has suggestions, Im all ears. And, one more thing. Though its only been a week on crutches, Ive already begun to work in shifting my mindset away from the suck-factor and back onto the learning factor. Already, what Ive experienced has opened my eyes to what people who rely on crutches or other aids for a lifetime are challenged with. I am truly humbled by how many little things have to be done differently when your body doesnt function the way other peoples bodies do. Im awed by those who live with physical challenges far beyond what Im experiencing with such grace. And, Im thankful to have so many people in my life who are here to support, inspire and encourage me. To share in the journey. Normally, Id turn most of my energy inward at a time like this and focus on helping myself. But, I figure weve grown a pretty phenomenal community here, one thats certainly made my life richer. And, one thats collectively waaaaayyyy smarter than me. So, this time around, Im going to try something different and open up to your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. On ideas for effective cardio that doesnt use the legs (tough challenge). For me, and also for anyone else going through a time of physical and, yes, even emotional recovery. So, feel free to share away, gang