Monday, July 21, 2014

Ouch! Doing so well, and then a detour

Yesterday my natural grace and coordination led to a badly sprained ankle.  As in, I can't bear ANY weight on it right now.  I went to the hospital to have an x-ray done and they said nothing is broken.  I'm surprised, but thrilled.  It doesn't hurt to badly right now as long as nothing touches it and I don't put any weight on it or move it.  It's in an aircast splint and I'm on crutches.  No weight bearing for three days, and then only as pain allows for the next couple weeks.  Like I want to push that one!  I can only take tylenol for pain because of the restrictions post-bypass, but as long as I'm resting, that's fine.

While I'm THRILLED it's not broken, I'm still sad that this has gotten in my way temporarily.  I have been doing really well since my last post, going to the rec and jogging and walking frequently.  I was on my way there yesterday when a step in the garage foiled my plans.  My eating is much better as well.  I've seen just a bit of change on the scale, but I'm reminding myself that by increasing my cardio, I'm also gaining muscle again.  Best measure - I'm feeling a lot better about myself.

I will be getting a LOT of upper body/ core work with the crutches for the next couple weeks.  I'm hoping after a couple of days I might be able to swim (with the aircast on).  I'll probably also try to get to the arm machines (you know, the ones that look like you're pedaling a bicycle with your hands).  My fitbit numbers are going to take quite a hit.

Logistics around my house are going to be hard.  My boys (11 and 13) depend on me way too much.  They are used to me making every meal, and most snacks.  I warned them yesterday that they are going to have to make their own food for at least the next few days, and help make mine - I just can't carry anything when I'm non-weight bearing on crutches.  They sounded very supportive and understanding, but reality will hit today, I'm sure.

I also can't walk the dogs - so they will have to take that over as well.  Laundry - well, luckily my 13 y.o. son owes me two loads!  He's a sneakerhead (collects and trades sneakers - it's weird, but think baseball cards).  Normally my boys can earn $1 for doing a load (washing, drying, and carrying upstairs, but yesterday my husband came up with something BRILLIANT.  Justin wanted to go to a shoe store and we made him sign a contract that each time we take him to a shoe store he owes us 2 loads of laundry.  He went to one yesterday, so I have two freebie loads waiting in the wings!  Woo-hoo!

Luckily I had just made up a batch of my sauteed julienned zucchini & onions, with veggie crumbles and spaghetti sauce on top, so it just needs to be heated up with mozzarella on top for my dinner for the next 3 nights.  I've got a bunch of lentils with caramelized onions cooked in the fridge, so put a little cheddar and greek yogurt on that and my lunch is prepared for the next week.  Scrambled eggs I'm good for today, and tomorrow I can either have my husband make them for me or make them while sitting on a stool in the kitchen and just have everyone get everything for me.

It's my left ankle, so I can theoretically drive, although I won't be doing much of that.  It will help that I can take my kids up to the pool at the rec and just sit on a lounge chair with my leg(s) up.  Summer break = cabin fever, and while I can entertain myself (with the computer, books, and some knitting on a loom), my kids will start bouncing off the walls and/ or bugging each other.  The dogs are also a bit freaked out by crutches and aircast, not to mention that I'm not the one walking them.  They'll get used to it.

They said to plan on the aircast and modified activity for at least 2 weeks, and the aircast for more vigorous activity for 2 months after that.  So, when I feel up to jogging again, I'll have to find a way to get a shoe over this thing.  Still, it's not a cast, and I will keep reminding myself it could be SO much worse.

On the other front, I've turned in my applications for grad school - a Masters of Education - School Counseling.  I'm waiting for my recommendation letters to get turned in, but everything else is in.  I hope to enroll for Spring 2015, and probably won't hear until October if I've been accepted anywhere.  I also found that as a part-time student with a low undergrad GPA from 22 years ago, there won't be any financial aid for now.  That stinks, but I can scrape to pay for one class at a time for the first year, and then I'll have a nice high GPA to submit for scholarships.  Eventually I'll have to go full-time, and then I'll be eligible for a G.A. (graduate assistant) position which can cover most of the tuition.  Hopefully I'll be able to land one - usually only about 10% of students do.  And there will be loans.  But, it will all be with it - and grad school will not be the hardest thing I've done by a long shot!!!

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