Happy Anniversary PR

Well what do you know, I haven't blogged in months and months and now the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of my ATR is here. Since August 2010 and my 4minute and 58 second 400m adventure, there has been a complete return to normalcy. Life is busy and I guess once I got back on my feet (ba dah dum) there was no time to report progress...well, I know that's just an excuse for not making time :)

Since my last post I was able to accomplish my goal of "running" a 5K in November which was my 6 month anniversary. After that I ran a New Years Resolution run and improved my time and actually ran the entire event :) I have been fortunate enough to compete in a CrossFit Games competition and although I cannot keep up with the big dogs, I still felt proud of being in the mix with such great people and athletes.

So, here's the deal...Today marks the one year anniversary (on the track calendar) of the Julie Maurer 2010 Achilles Tendon Rupture and as a gift to myself I vowed to run - I mean really run- the 400m dash. The 400m goal was set back when I first started walking again on my own. Once I lost the crutches I found myself on the track just to get steps on the pedometer. As of last August one lap around the track would take five minutes of my life!!! At the time it was O.K., because my walking skills were still in there infancy, but today I am running and jumping and pretending that I am NOT turning 37 on Monday!!! And today I RAN the 400m. I mean I really ran it!!! Although, around the 300m mark I felt like a ton of bricks going up hill with the parking break on, I still finished it in a time of.................. drum roll please..............1 minute 13 seconds!!! O.K. it's not stellar, it's no 44 second world record, but IT IS MY PR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there we have it, one year in and I am better than new. Now it's time to improve that PR!!!

Hang in there to all my ATR com-padres... there is hope for the future!!! And THANK YOU TO ALL MY FRIENDS THAT FED ME AND ENCOURAGED ME ALONG THE WAY :)

Set your goals! And Good Luck!!! I BELIEVE IN YOU :)

400M PR 4min 58sec

Howdy friends! I missed you :) I feel like I don't have a whole lot to tell you... But, I'm sure once I get started I will find plenty to blah blah blog about.

The boot is officially retired unless of course I decide to do some sort of hiking adventure, but I just don't have that on the docket so I think we're all safe...well I am...for now.

This past week I discovered that I can walk a 400 meter loop (one lap around the track) in 4 minutes 58 seconds!!! This is exciting and also deflating. I am happy to be walking sans boot and I am sad that I am being lapped multiple times by the kids at the track. There has been some swelling in the ankle region as I push myself more, but that seems to be subsiding.



For the record, this guy is Jeremy Wariner and he is a Track and Field gold medalist. He can go around the track 5-6 times in the time I go 400m. His time in Indianapolis this past weekend was 44.67 secs!


I still walk with a limp and anytime I have been OFF of my foot for a bit and I get up to go again it feels like I am starting over! First thing in the morning is THE WORST!!! I feel like a gremlin got in there in the middle of the night and tightened it up another inch! Once I get moving I do pretty O.K. but sometimes (like when I'm trying for my PR {personal record} in the 400m) I'm feeling so good and then I think, "I bet I could jog," and then say I jog about ten steps and THEN it hurts again and I'm sad and depressed again and I think I'm never gonna be normal again... :(

Who am I kidding, normal? Again? .....Well, you know what I mean :)

SIDE NOTE RE: A FELLOW ACHILLES TENDON RUPTURER:
So, there is a fresh new ATR out there and my heart just breaks for him. His name is John Orozco and he is a great young gymnast. This weekend was the Visa Championships in Hartford Connecticut. This competition qualifies athletes to Worlds which is generally a preview of the Olympics. I am so sad for John, but have great hope that his determination and - let's face it - his youth will have him back in time for LONDON 2012!!! Fingers Crossed.

*By the way, John's gymnastics was a lot more impressive than my round-off back handspring back tuck...
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BACK TO ME, "CUZ THAT'S JUST THE WAY I AM:

Stay tuned for my new PR in the 400, I hope to knock off a few seconds this evening and I'll keep you posted...as long as it's a success ;P

Nine days until the next appointment and I'll hopefully have an idea when PT
(physical therapy) can start.

Ba da ba da ba da that's all folks!

Since there is no more boot there are really no more adventures of where the boot has been. I do have this one last pic of the boot about to go to sea :)

The Boot on Lake Michigan along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shoreline about to be happily sent to Davy Jones Locker ;)

Have a great day! Keep on keepin' on!

Achilles Rupture and Road to Recovery: More Progress More Frustration

Achilles Rupture and Road to Recovery: More Progress More Frustration: "I guess I'm just in a dumpy kind of place right now. I shouldn't be. I just got back from a great girls getaway. I have a beautiful famil..."

More Progress More Frustration

I guess I'm just in a dumpy kind of place right now. I shouldn't be. I just got back from a great girls getaway. I have a beautiful family. I am walking with and without the boot! But sometimes I just get in the dumps. I'm sad (and grateful) that the girls getaway couldn't last a little longer. I am nostalgic (and proud) that my family is getting so big and independent. And I am disheartened (and impressed) with the progress I am making on this Achilles rupture and road to recovery.

Maybe it's because I am a Gemini? Sign of the twins, the yin and the yang, back and forth, blah blah blah... I guess the good thing is at least I can recognize the positives even when I'm feeling negative
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Here is the quick update:

• I am walking without the boot around the house and I can already see my calf muscle getting stronger. That feels great!

• I am still unable to stand on my toes even in the pool. When I discovered that unfathomable weakness, it just about brought me to tears...I don't know why? I mean I have been with me every step of the way. I should realize it's just the next step in the process. But, not being able to go on my tippy-toes EVEN UNDER WATER really kicked me in the face and reminded me that there is still a long way to go.

• Yesterday I walked 400M ON LAND without the boot!!!

I ended up doing it without shoes too :-P

As it turns out the incision area is still very tender and I could not tolerate the shoes for too long. The funny thing was I totally felt like a little kid walking around in daddy's shoes as I slid into my tennies for the first time and awkwardly clomped around in my bedroom!




I was on my feet a lot yesterday and had some pretty significant swelling, so I watched SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and iced that puppy!
(I like to pretend that's a poster of me).




I am at once limited AND strong and I just have to keep reminding myself to look at this experience from the right perspective. I am blessed to be surrounded by people who remind me to just keep going :)

No excuses!

I came across this next link via Facebook and my friends at Oakland County CrossFit. They have not only helped to keep me sane but have been supportive and motivating along this entire journey. I still get frustrated with myself but I am also inspired by others. If you have a few minutes watch Kyle Maynard. He isn't waiting for something as easy as an Achilles to heal...He just not waiting PERIOD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ0VgKGophI


AND NOW that you all may feel a little lazy but hopefully INSPIRED, here comes the traveling boot section of the blog :)

First stop the Trophy Room at Boyne Mountain

Next stop the boot in a tree in Petoskey

I call this Adventures with PETOSKEY PEDICAB!
I highly recommend them :)
Josh and Calvin were delightful hosts and gentlemen
They didn't make one comment about our weight
P.S. Josh is taking the picture

The boot works the booty with BABY GOT BACK
Karaoke night at Giuseppe's in Charlevoix
If you go there say HI to Ray the bartender! He was also the bouncer and kept us safe!

The Boot on the Mountain
going down the chairlift

Good Bye Up North --- for now

For now the boot is home. I still wear it when I leave the house, but I will be wearing less and less over the next week or so!

Thanks for checking in! I love feed back! It's also fun to share with your friends :) Pass it on!!!

Keep On Truckin'

Howdy Friends!!! Good News!!! I went to see Doc Fugle today and he says I am right on track and I should come back to see him in a month...A MONTH!?!?! UGH! How about three days? Maybe a week? TWO WEEKS TOPS!!! Nope, it's a month, but here's the thing, over the next month my orders are to start walking at home without the boot! WITHOUT THE BOOT!!!


(Psst, don't tell, but I started doing that last week...hey, sometimes a girl has to pee and doesn't want to take the time to pull on a compression sock and then lace and velcro a boot...I'm just sayin').


The next step for me is in two weeks when I have the green light to walk OUTSIDE without the boot!!! I am giddy with excitement! Here's the deal, I have permission (nagging monotonous internal voice: two-weeks-from-now-as-long-as-I-practice-at-home-on-flat-even-surfaces) to go OUTSIDE of the home to MORE FLAT and EVEN surfaces and ........

W - A - L - K!!!!

I do realize that I am over using the punctuation that represents excitement, but I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW EXCITED I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and somewhat NERVOUS :-/

At the doc's office I felt like I have been ordered to walk a FINE line. On one hand they keep telling me to "BE CAREFUL! We don't want you to re-rupture" which is quickly followed by "Why are you limping? You need to push through." I am continually looking for the middle ground between being too aggressive and too tentative... So far so good 'cuz every time I go visit Doc seems pleased with my progress.

Since I was such a model patient I decided to push the envelope and ask (O.K., beg) for rehab...Doc Fugle says, "you may not need rehab." The other doctor said, "We'll get you into therapy, don't worry." ;) So, I decide this is a good time to mention my plans to run a 5K on the 6 month anniversary of my ATR (achilles tendon rupture)... and he stops... he looks at the ground, so I repeat my request for permission only louder, thinking he didn't hear me and he says, "GIMME A MINUTE, I'M THINKING!" Ooops, I hope I didn't make him mad... Then he says, "We'll talk about it in a month..." A MONTH! Again with the MONTH?!?! (Maybe I did make him mad)? No talking about Physical Therapy or running for one more month.



In the meantime I will be enjoying a little getaway with the girls. I'll be doing some swimming which I have not only been given permission but have been encouraged to do! I will also be shopping and karaoke-ing which I have been discouraged to do, but eh, it's vacation!!! :)

In case you are following the boot here she was today:The boot at Piano lessons

Thanks for reading...pass it on!

I'm a WEANer!!!

That's right!!! You heard it hear first!!! I am off the crutches :)

Last Wednesday I went to see Dr. Fugle and he and his peeps adjusted the boot to just five degrees short of whatever normal is. AND he said I can start walking without crutches, to which I replied "WHAT? YOU CRAZY" and I gave him three snaps in a Z formation!!! Not really, but when I tried to walk in the office it was a MASSIVE FAIL!!! Oh Lord, it HURT!!! I really did THINK he was crazy and he thought it was funny, but he told me I could wean myself off the crutches over the next week by spending a couple of days on two crutches and then a few days on one crutch and finally none!!! Just the boot!

Day 1 Wednesday (after appointment)-Two Crutches - Add Weight:
YEEOOUCH!!! The new angle SUCKS!!! It hurts like H-E-double hockey sticks, PLUS, the boot MOVES now!!! That's right, instead of just being in the stretched position it flexes and when it reaches it's maximum (new) angle I see stars and I break out in a sweat and sometimes get a little light headed...mother of pearl it hurts!

Day 2 - Two Crutches/Lets Try One? - Oooh I feel so free, well not really, although, now I can carry stuff in one hand! But, I am so SLOW.

Day 3 - One Crutch - Aw Screw It: I started the day with one crutch, but at some point it was just in the way...So, I hobbled around still VERY SLOWLY and not at all smooth, but with both hands free and life was GOOD...UNTIL I sat down and then tried to get back up and then I needed one crutch again, cuz maybe when the Doc said to spend a couple of days on one crutch he knew what he was talking about :-/
This evening I used the crutches at Eddie's high school reunion. It's kinda weird going back to the crutches after knowing I can walk without, I felt a little like a fraud, but mostly I knew that after a loonng first day of walking I could not count on being fully able-bodied...

Days 4,5 and today: There is some soreness in the back of my knee on the ATR (achilles tendon rupture) leg. I know this feeling, it's sort of a feeling of hyper extension mixed with weakness. I tend to baby the tendon by walking somewhat straight legged and due to my bow legs it can result in a minor hyper extension in the knee all to avoid the "full" range of motion that the boot allows (that I should be striving for...please don't tell)! Every first step is filled with pins and needles and after a period of time I begin to feel pain and fatigue. I try to concentrate on keeping my toes forward and walking properly, but I know that I get lazy and do what is less painful on my achilles when I want to keep going and it starts its nagging. The result is... now I need a chiropractor! I can feel soreness in my opposite hip and up and down my back, but all in the name of PROGRESS!!! It's a good theme, I think I'll stick with it :)

My next appointment is next week and we shall see what we shall see!!! I am anxious and nervous to start physical therapy but mostly anxious!!!






The Boot and the Blog and the Dog


The Boot on the way to the Monroe Jefferson Class of 1990 High School Reunion

Click Click Boom...I mean Boot

Seven weeks on crutches is kind of a long time. I still have a ways to go, but today (7/14/10) marks another milestone in the recovery process. I am going in for another turn of the dial, another crank on the wheel, a click click BOOM!

In the past three weeks since my first boot adjustment I have noticed SOME range of motion (ROM) returning.

Immediately after surgery I could wiggle my toes and that was the complete ROM for my foot/ankle/achilles.

One month post op I had the boot adjusted from a very pointed down position (plantarflexion- if I am not mistaken) to a slightly less pointed position, but still not flat enough to walk on. There has been some achy-ness in this process, but nothing requiring pain medicine.

This is what it looks like today while trying to stand with my feet together. When standing completely straight I am not able to get my left heal to the ground... YET.



However, when I do put a little weight on it I only put weight in the heal which means I am standing all cockamamie which in turn makes me wonder how my knees, hips and back will be feeling as the process continues?!?! OH WELL, WHO CARES, because at least THE PROCESS CONTINUES!!!! YAY!

(Yay, for now, I may not be so chipper after the click, click, boot)!

***On a good note, while comparing my incision to others posted on the internet machine, I will say that my surgeons are meticulous with the needle! A great sew job THANKS and THANK GOODNESS!!***

In case you're following the boot...Here it is on the 4th of July with pal Leigh Leigh. We crutched and wheeled to down town Lake Orion and rolled back home for sparklers and and Costco Fireworks in the driveway... :) GO BOOT!