Friday the 13th

On Friday the 13th, I left my old job, knowing that Monday was bringing a new opportunity. After getting home, Eric, Christie, Brian, Andrew and I went out on ATVs. Eric borrowed a yamaha rhino from his friend, Jason, to show me that we should buy one.

So, Eric decided it would be fun to do a quick donut. See the passenger seat? See the seatbelt? See the rollbar cage? Specifically see the part of the bar that comes from the bottom - where your feet go - and up towards the blue part of the rhino?

Well, what do you get when the rhino doesn't land on four wheels?

A broken Jackie.

I was wearing my seatbelt and a helmet, and yet, (from either throwing my foot out to brace myself, or from my legs falling out when it tipped) my foot ended up under that roll bar.

Eric rushed me to the hospital as fast as he could while being careful to go gently over the rocks coming off the mountain. A BLACK bruise, and a bump just under the size of a tennis ball appeared on my foot. Eric was extremely concerned something was broken. We put a cold Capri Sun on it, and by the time we got to the hospital, the bruise was gone, but my foot was HUGE.

I told each doctor/nurse there that I had two rules - 1. no broken bones, and 2. no cutting my foot off.

After a visit to the hospital, I left with NO broken bones, and a small boot thing.

A day later...I took a picture of my foot just for you. :)

Notice, I've got cankles!

And my right foot is like 1000 sizes bigger than my left.

All scratched up.

Monday, I went to the podiatrist and found out that I bruised my tendon. Crutches and a LARGE boot for THREE weeks.

A boot is AWFUL. It weighs a million pounds AT LEAST. Under my boot, I had a "soft cast" - a cast made of three layers of bandages.

Taking a shower was unsuccessful. I wasn't supposed to get the bandages wet, and yet, I did. :( That was Wednesday. They instructed me to put my own ace bandage on, and come in Thursday to get it wrapped again.

This is when I took it off - it's nasty because it's all wet, and the ace bandage makes my skin wrinkly. You can also see all the rest of the bruising.

Later that night when it was finally dry.

Thursday morning, I had it rewrapped by the doc. I asked him again about the recovery time - time on crutches, time with the boot, time to be healed, etc. He told me I'd be off crutches within the week, a boot the whole time it's healing, and three to four weeks for healing.

Thursday night, I put an ice pack on, and it leaked out and got the bandage all wet again. SERIOUSLY? So, here's a picture.

I didn't want to get the bandages wet again, so I kept rewrapping it after my showers each day.

Friday morning...

Saturday

Sunday

The next day, I went back to the doctor, and he put me in one ace bandage, told me I was allowed to take it off to shower like normal again, but still needed to wear it when I'm not showering - and of course, with the boot. He said to still use the crutches as much as I can - and just be gentle with it. He said I could go swimming in my pool for my birthday, but wouldn't go roller staking. (What happened to being off crutches within the week?)

Thursday, June 2nd, I went back to the doctor. June 3rd would have been three weeks injured.

The doctor told me that...

1. I still have five to six weeks to heal (from the time I hurt myself - June 17th = 5 weeks)

2. I need to stay on crutches as much as possible for better healing

3. Still rest, ice it, and elevate it.

4. Still in the boot.

5. A tri would be quite possible on July 30th -but training for the tri - not happening.

6. There is an absolute possibility that when he finally says my foot is healed, something else could still be wrong, and we can't MRI it until this first part feels healed. He said if I start using it again, and then it starts hurting, we'll do an MRI. He knows everything is in-tact still, and that nothing is torn... just have to heal the bruise.

7. It's not JUST a bruised posterior tibial tendon but everything surrounding the tendon as well.

8. After 6 weeks of non-use, muscles atrophy...

Six weeks? Are you sure it's not just under four? Yes, the right one is the one injured. And creepily skinny and muscle-less.

Tuesday, June 7th

8 more days until my next appointment... Hey foot, how do you feel about being completely healed by then please? :)