Hi there!

I wanted to share a bit of a more personal story this week as I have been healing an almost fully recovered left ankle.

Long story short: I rolled my left ankle after stepping off a water taxi onto Ward’s Island last Saturday. (There were many factors, I was carrying my bike and lost my footing, the ground was wet and I was wearing unsupportive flip flops, the taxi driver let me off at a platform that was noticeably of a higher drop than the one used for the common public, I could go on…)

View of the city from a water taxi heading to Centre Island, 2018.

No one is really at fault here. I’m not angry, agitated, or annoyed that it happened. If anything, the recovery period and time off has allowed me to rest, ask for help from those near and dear to me, and realize how abundant this help can be even when we think we are “able-bodied” and “ready to take on the world!” much like I thought.

Lessons learned:

Your Mindset is KEY when it comes to Recovery.

You can either sit around and wallow in your shame, pain, and victimization, or you can allow this moment to become an opportunity to slow down and consider all the things you can enjoy in the present moment.

You can’t ignore the feelings of excruciating pain as your body begins to heal itself from the inside out. “Time will only tell” has been a common saying for any misshapen sprain, roll of this particular joint. To be honest, I was in a state of overexhaustion and physical shock when I first laid down the evening of my injury. I was hyperventilanting and my heart was beating a hundred of miles per minute. The moment I started recognizing these physiological factors that were changing so drastically in body, was I able to really seep into the acceptance of recovery. The RICE technique helped to reduce the swelling and pain down on the first day (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation - thank you CPR & First Aid Training!) Deep breaths, Reiki energy healing, and reflectional writing also helped as I visualized the tiny cells and plasma being sent form the heart to rebuild the torn fibres in my foot. It seems silly and childish, but where you mentally focus your energy, the oxygenated blood will get to with greater ease.

On that note, feel EVERYTHING.

The pain, the sorrows, the joys, and the relief. during a recovery period. Obviously, don’t mentally torment yourself while feeling this physical pain, especially if it persists or gradually gets worse over the days. Seek professional help if necessary. And of course, Be extra gentle, kind, and comforting in your thoughts to yourself. It was not easy asking finding alternative ways to do things such as pouring water into a glass, walking up and down the stairs, and even getting off the couch to use the washroom initially required extra effort and minimal movement.

I am safe, I am held, I am on the slow road to recovery, I am so interconnected with all the energies around me.

Be Grateful.

I am so grateful for the help that I did receive from friends and family. My parents immediately came to my aid the night that I made it home by bike following the injury. My father helped me ice and elevate my foot, while providing lots of foot rubs and comfort. My mom helped take care of the dogs and made sure I had plenty to eat in the fridge and a clean house to walk around in. My friends checked up on me for regular visits and offered to walk the dogs, bring over dinner, and massage my foot as scar tissue began to build up. Especially in a time during a pandemic, where you feel there isn’t a lot of help available to you, IN ADDITION to feeling isolated in the same four walls at home, having this temporary disability of not being able to do mundane tasks can seem jarring. Know that help is always there when you call, you can always Trust there are people that care enough to provide a helping hand.

I am abundant in resources that can help me when I call upon them.

I realize I cannot always do it alone.

Strength is greater in numbers.

REST but also Mobilize and Strengthen when You Feel You are Ready.

Mobilizing my ankle with yoga, pilates, and low intensity endurance exercises.

So movement and the lack of ability for movement during recovery can have a HUGE impact on mental health and ability to see the bigger picture. We can either put ourselves down for not being at the optimal level of performance or strength as we used to be and that all of our efforts in recovery will feel like they are lacklustre or “not good enough” in comparison to our past selves. Or we can work day by day with smaller, more accessible activities, whether it be walking, stretching, ankle raises on the stairs ( with support), or even swimming to help rebuild damaged muscle tissues and slowly recover our strength back without overworking the sensitive tissues.

I spoke to many friends and colleagues whom have experienced a similar sprain or fracture in their ankle or foot. The majority of us tend to reinjure ourselves because we

don’t take enough time to rest
start actively using our injured joint again and/or
become fearful of movement and expect the worst to happen if we suddenly incorporate slight movement again.

By all means, if you feel it is necessary to see a professional to assess your physical condition and ability to move, they would be of first priority (physiotherapist, physician, osteopath, etc.) I started walking on my left foot with minimal support (a compression sock) after three days following the injury without any pain. This of course may be different for each person and the severity of the sprain or injury. I spent a LOT of time lying down during the first two days on the couch, keeping my left leg elevated on a pillow and icing it with a cold pack cycling for 20 minutes on and off, which helped speed up the recovery. For the past 5 days I have been doing low-intensity exercises such as going on small walks with the dogs in the neighbourhood, doing yoga and calf stretches, and applying myofascial release using tune-up balls and hand application. Ligaments, fascia, and muscles that are not in use for long periods of time atrophy (lose strength and deteriorate in muscle fibres) over time, so small amounts of movement everyday has helped me incredibly.

I am lucky I get to move my body that does not feel forced or uninhibited. I take joy in all that my body has the ability to do today.

Overall, this experience has been an eye-opening one for me, especially in the midst of summer where social gathering bans have been lifted during quarantine. I am fortunate to have recovered effectively in a quick manner, but am also very mindful not to do anything to overexert it or feel shame, guilt, or remorse for it happening. I truly recommend staying hydrated and eating a nutritious diet of anti-inflammatory foods including a lot of healthy fats and colourful fruits and vegetables has really helped me on my recovery journey. As quarantine should be considered as a marathon, not a race to complete, so too will my ankle benefit from lots of rest, small amounts of exercise, lots of mindful movement, additional support (insoles, sports tape, supportive closed-toe shoes, etc.) over the course of time to manage rehabilitation and future injury prevention.