Argh..I'm going to go crazy

[crazycanuck]

I'm going crazy...

*phew*...We recieved the MRI results back today and it's good yet not so good news. I won't be biking on a trainer until possibly mid december but I dont need surgery I tore my PC & my MC ligaments. I have to wear a full length leg brace (ok full length if you're short like me ) for a month & the the doc (ortho sports med dr) will reassess.

Gee, i'm going to have a funnier tan line now! Ha Ha..

So, I must ask..how am I going to not go nuts? I don't want to add to the obesity epidemic! I can't swim for another few weeks I think. I can reaaly only walk to & from the train station(30 min walk) then to work. I will try the sand on the dog beach. I still have to rely on Ian to drive though.

If anyone can assist me in the quest to maintain some type of fitness level let me know. That and keep my dear man sane.

oh, one more thing-my pilates studio knows i'm hurt and i'll speak to them about working round my injuris

Thanks!

c

[lph]

Aaaah - you poor thing, I feel for you. I'd be going crazy too if I were you. But no surgery really is a good thing! You don't want to mess around with a scalpel more than absolutely necessary, in my non-professional opinion, never know how things are going to heal.

But I'd be more worried about mental health than obesity Try to get out there and walk, even if it's just meandering around looking at the scenery. Can you swim? Lift weights? Maybe it helps if you think of recovery as a different kind of biking challenge, one that is challenging your patience and creativity more than your stamina.

[crazycanuck]

I will have to wait for clearance from the shoulder dr in terms of swimming.

I'm sure the beach will help

c

[margo49]

Visualisations.
I like those scenic ones with like wolves running thru the landscape. I had a cd with nice music plus wolf howls and snuffles and it's got me thru a lot.
I had a dolphin one too (on tape) that had a spoken bit before the dolphins that got me thru chemo.; pm me and I can give you names.
Reading books with lots of action pics in- either animals or people. Ditto National Geographic or Discovery Channel television.
This really works best if you are the kind of person that can talk herself into (and out of) things and lives in her head half the time anyway (or would like to or has to stop herself from it).
$0.02

[Tri Girl]

I don't know how to keep from going crazy, but I just had to say that you look so "stiff" in your leg brace. That's a monster brace!!!
Hope you heal up soon so you can get back out there. All this just as the weather was warming- drats! Hope you can still have some fun before the weather turns chilly again.

[OakLeaf]

Ouch.

Your PT really should have some suggestions for you on what, if anything, you can do for cardio.

If you can walk 30 minutes (! that's a long walk with an injury!) I don't know why you couldn't swim with a flotation board, flutter kicking your legs only until your shoulder recovers. Depending on where exactly your shoulder injury is, possibly you could do whatever that stroke is they used to teach in lifesaving, with breast stroke arms and flutter kicking your legs? Or a dog paddle, even?

I'm remembering from swimming after my ACL tear years and years ago, that I had a lot of trouble with foot cramps because I wasn't fully extending my knee. If you can walk on the leg, I'm assuming you can extend it to within 5 degrees, but you just have to remember to keep it extended while doing a flutter kick.

I wouldn't do unilateral resistance exercises though. Muscle imbalances are worse and harder to remedy than a little temporary atrophy, IMHO.

Sending healing vibes your way.

[bmccasland]

CC - strolling? Spring is always my favorite time of year, so maybe go for a stroll? As for keeping your mind occupied, any silly books you've wanted to read? Cat Who? series? Exercise your library card?

Here's some good thoughts to keep you from going completely stir crazy.

[mimitabby]

do some weight lifting with your non-hurt limbs? this burns calories too!
don't forget crunches. Figure out a way to do crunches that doesn't hurt the hurt parts?

[sundial]

Oh CC!! I'm so sorry you have to be (somewhat) housebound.

How about taking up a neat hobby like beading? Or knitting? Or better yet, painting?

I don't know how you walk any distance in that horrid contraption but I found that my balance is affected and if I'm on uneven ground--watch out! Plus with your arm in a sling, it adds to a balance issue. If you do work out, maybe a seated weight training program?

Your body is working hard right now repairing so it's using lots of calories. I wouldn't be so concerned about weight as I would your sanity.

Sending you lots of hugs ((((((((((((((CC))))))))))))))))

[maillotpois]

Wow, CC - you look like Robo cop - or maybe the bionic woman - with those braces and slings! Cool effect!

I know being laid up is awful - especially if you are just dying to get out there. My 6 months off the bike was pretty grim last year. But you at least have a light at the end of the tunnel, right? You have a pretty good estimate of when you will be back - when they reassess for sure you will be given a good time frame. So it's not a "never". And walking is great exercise - don't underestimate that.

For now, heal yourself!!

[IFjane]

Oh CC! I am so sorry - wish I had the magic solution to the going crazy thing. I am in the midst of a non-motivational period myself right now and I don't even have an injury as an excuse.

Hang in there - I think the ideas everyone else have posted are great. Keep us up on your progress/prognosis.

{{{{{{{{HUG}}}}}}}}

[RoadRaven]

Oh CC... *tongue firmly in cheek* You are just going for the sympathy vote

Just look at your name, you are ALREADY crazy!!! How do you get crazier than crazy?


Seriously? Get SKY installed and watch those "57 channels with nothing on" that The Boss sings about - there might be something!
(Tour of Southland is on at the moment and we watched the first stage's highlights last night - bl**dy awful weather down there... watch that and be glad you don't have to ride in weather like that)

Find a friend who likes music as much as me (but who lives a tad closer) and then work through their CD collection - we have just over 500 CDs!

Yup Mallio - she is def bionic woman now - I can hear the sound effects as she reaches for her keyboard - hey, that makes me think too... search out some weird/unusual forums, become a member under a completely new identity and post weird and unusual posts while you are waiting for TEers to post something you can respond to here...

Heck CC, you'll have to treat it as a taper... you'll come back rearing to go... time will pass, and you know it is important to let it - time is the greatest healer for breaks and bruises and torn bits.

And if i had an enforced "lay-up" time i'd take up Sundial's solution and paint. I used to paint heaps before children, but since kids and fulltime work I have never had the time and keep wishing I did...

(((((((CC)))))))

[elk]

hey...you got a dog beach?!?? Take that smiling dog for a long hobble!!

speedy recovery....

[7rider]

So, I must ask..how am I going to not go nuts? I don't want to add to the obesity epidemic! I can't swim for another few weeks I think. I can reaaly only walk to & from the train station(30 min walk) then to work. I will try the sand on the dog beach. I still have to rely on Ian to drive though.

If anyone can assist me in the quest to maintain some type of fitness level let me know. That and keep my dear man sane.

Ouch. Can you put weight on the leg? Are you on crutches? Be careful of the sand, that you don't twist your knee on the soft, uneven surface.

When I was out of commission after a knee injury - and later after surgery - I caught up on all those books I had been *meaning to read* but just never had time to crack open! Re: fitness. Yeah, talk to your PT and get some recommendations there. Whatever...take it easy. Don't hurt yourself (more). And stay away from the pantry!! Read or start doing crossword puzzles or knitting or organize that sock drawer or ANYthing to keep yourself occupied and away from the mindless munching.

Good luck and feel better soon!

[Wahine]

I will second the please be careful on the sand comment. It's a good way to tweak your already tweaked knee.

I have a windsurfing/cycling friend that broke her knee very badly at the end of August. She was totally out of comission and no allowed to weight bear at all on the leg. She managed to do Pilates with her brace and we had her in a pool in water up to her low chest area doing exercises for her leg after about 3 weeks. She would walk forward and backward, side to side, do squats in the water, leg lifts in all directions, knee bends......You should be able to so something like that pretty quickly but clear it with the Doc first.

My friend also took up knitting which helped her deal with the injury a lot. And, she lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks even though she wasn't doing anything, so I wouldn't worry too much about blimping out. Like others have said, you metabolism will be up for a while to try to deal with the injury.