Posts Tagged ‘knee brace’

Brace Yourself

November 15, 2012

I saw an orthopedic /sports medicine doctor today, who diagnosed me with a fractured patella. It remains a mystery as to how I could have fractured my knee, when there was no trauma, but somehow I managed to do it. I am very talented that way.

I am now the proud owner of a huge, ugly, clumsy knee brace that goes from mid thigh to my calf.  It is in 3 non-harmonious shades of blue, that looks terrible with everything.

It is ironic, that the pain was becoming manageable, I could bend my knee,and walk gingerly. Now, I am unable to so any of that, thanks to the brace.

I spent $60 on taxis today, and could barely get in with my stiff unbendable leg.  The pain in my knee is becoming a pain in the butt, but it could be so much worse than it is.

It’s been a crazy few weeks of hurricanes, elections, freak blizzards, an insanely busy work schedule and now, a fractured knee cap! All in all, each of those things could have turned out so much worse than they have , and I am grateful that in the end, they are all just big inconveniences.

The good news is that once this heals, I should be able to resume running, cycling and high impact circuit training again. It’s going to be a long 4 weeks, but I am relieved that it is something easily treatable that does not require surgical repair,or have long term ramifications.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving to enjoy time with my family and friends, and reflect on all the good things that have happened this year.

( and maybe get to cuddle little Landon who will be 6 weeks old by then!)

Tags:, , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Ouch Update

November 11, 2012

Image

I hobbled to the doctor’s office on Friday morning, and left with a heavy-duty knee brace, a prescription for a strong anti-inflammatory and a referral to an orthopedist/sports medicine doctor.

I made it to the office with assistance, and spent the day propped up in front of my computer with an icepack.

The anti-inflammatory has its plusses and minuses; it makes me feel a little “woozy”, but it has completely obliterated all of my chronic, cranky gym aches and pains. It ‘s effect on the knee is less profound, but today I can walk gingerly with a major limp, which is better than the slow-mo version of the painful chicken dance I was doing, in an effort to propel my body forward without actually walking.

Getting around New York City is a challenge. Taxis are scarce during rush hour, which seems to be several hours long in evening, where it is almost impossible to get a cab. Hailing and then running to hop in before someone else does is not an option these days.  Not to mention how much I HATE taxis, but I will save that one for another time.

I spent the day in bed yesterday with my laptop, trying to get ahead on some work, as my hours in the office need to be limited.

I am cautiously optimistic that I will be able to get around minimally in the next few days.

While this totally sucks, I do believe it is my body telling me to slow down.  The last 2 weeks of storms, work, power outages, and voting (we stood outside in the cold for 1 ½ hours just to cast our ballots) combined with getting up at 5:45 to make it to the gym before getting to work extra early has finally taken its toll.

My house is a mess, my CSA vegetables are rotting in the otherwise empty refrigerator, and the content of my blog has been more about updates on my personal survival than on the intended subjects of food, fashion, fitness and family.

I am making lists, prioritizing, and asking others for help.

Hopefully, this will be something that will heal on its own, and not require surgery.

Thanksgiving is coming, and I will need to take an alternative approach to getting the annual feast ready, but it will get done, even if it is mostly prepared from a bar stool.

Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern. I will keep you posted, but it’s time to move on to other more interesting subjects!

Tags:, , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

What’s in YOUR Gym Bag?

April 23, 2012

Today I decided to clean out my gym bag.

This bag is the clown car of all gym bags. I am amazed at what I pulled out of here, and I spared you the photo of the sweaty workout clothes, and dirty socks!

Every day, I lug this bag as I take B across town to school, go to the gym, walk 1-¼ miles or so to the office, and then back again, with a short grocery stop on the way home. In addition to this, I have an insulated lunch bag, and whatever clothes I need to wear for the day. On the way home, I add the groceries to the mix. DId I mention that I do all of this in 4-5″ heels? No wonder my shoulders and neck ache.
While many of my friends dream of employing chefs and laundresses, what I really need is a Sherpa.

Mind you, my gym has all of the various and sundry necessities: Kiehl’s shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion, deodorant, hair gel, mouthwash, razors and shaving cream. They even have great hairdryers, and cotton balls, Q-tips and feminine hygiene supplies. So why I am I carrying all stuff around?

Let’s take a look at the innards of my gym bag, shall we?

  • 2 pairs of sneakers: One for running/cross training and one specific for cycling. They are not interchangeable, and I often combine more than one type of exercise in a session.
  • Elastic knee brace and gel toe spacers: Over the counter remedies for my constant, yet chronic aches and pains. The big bottle of Advil? Same story.
  • Make-up bag
  • 1 metal water bottle: Water is a must for hydration, and disposable plastic bottles are bad for people and the environment. My beat up Cycle for Survival/Memorial Sloane Kettering Hospital water bottle is a motivator to keep pushing and stay healthy.
  • IPhone and ear buds. Not only does it keep me plugged in at all times,my Equinox app functions as my gym membership card and lets me book my bike for cycling class and keep track of my workouts. Spotify provides the soundtrack via perfect playlists!
  • Hair elastics: A ponytail is a must! 5 ponytail holders? Not so necessary!
  • Deodorant, organic argon oil for my hair, and some feminine hygiene products.
  • Tums and an extra contact lens.
  • 2 mini flash drives, because one never knows when they will need to transfer data unexpectedly. I do know, that the likelihood that I will be doing this at the gym is quite low.
  • 5(yes 5!) different lipsticks and lip treatments. I never wear makeup at the gym, but the gooey tube of clear lip balm keeps me from chewing on my lips when the effort gets tough! The other 4? I’m not really sure why they are there!
  • Cash, Metrocard and my lock.
  • Wallet, sunglasses and keys. All legit.
  • 2 types of hairbrushes, one for brushing and one for styling.
  • Altoids: Have you ever gone absolutely anaerobic next to someone who ate garlic for dinner? Don’t be that person; have a mint.  The person on the next treadmill or bike will thank you for it!

I am about to repack this, and see what I can live without. I suspect it won’t be much more than a few lipsticks and a flash drive or 2.

I bet I am not the only one out there carrying my life around in a nylon tote bag. I just showed you mine, now you show me yours! What crazy things do you carry in your bag?

photo: Spencer Jones/Glasshouse Images exclusively for Indigo Jones

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in fitness | 2 Comments »

%d bloggers like this: