Everything is Unfolding Magnificently

When I ruptured my achilles 6 weeks ago I remember thinking, "Holy shit, I can't believe this happened to me AGAIN."  I also remember thinking it was a blessing and a curse that I knew what to expect. 

It was a blessing that at the time of rupture I knew what it was and I knew that it wasn't an emergency. No wasted time in an ER (or so I thought).

It was a curse because I knew it was going to hurt like an EM-EFfer and that I was going to experience a lot of frustration over the course of the healing process.

It was a blessing because I knew I had the hutzpah to get through it and come out better and stronger on the other side.

It was a curse because I knew how much I was going to have to ask for help… I hate asking for help :(

But what proved to be a huge blessing was that I have my old posts on this blog to look back on and help me make comparisons as well as stay on track for a strong comeback!

For ATR (Achilles Tendon Rupture) 2013 I used a different doctor from ATR 2010 because of scheduling (ok lets face it, because of my lack of patience - 2013 Doc could get me in sooner).  I now know that that was foolish of me, BUT, IT'S OK!!! EVERYTHING IS UNFOLDING MAGNIFICENTLY.  To be clear, I believe the 2013 doctor is a good surgeon, I'm just not as thrilled with his follow up care, hence my joy of having previous experience along with my good fortune of being able to look back at my documentation!

2010 Doc was very involved with my first several weeks of follow up.  2013 Doc says he's trying to save the patient from too many office visits… Well, I like hand holding… or Achilles holding… or any kind of holding following being sliced and diced.  I feel capable and confident, but I also feel like 2013 Doc is less approachable and doesn't really want to be bothered… I don't care to feel that way post op… thankyouverymuch.

This week I've noticed that I can put a little weight in my heel which made me curious as to when I became PWB (partial weight bearing) after the first go round.  Turns out it was week 4!!! I'm just about to week 5 post op!!! With no communication with my doctor for 2 more weeks, I feel kinda gypped with his approach.  But I remind myself that EVERYTHING IS UNFOLDING MAGNIFICENTLY. I am fairly in tune with my body AND I have all the information I need from my own past experience.

I have become a firm believer that everything happens for a reason (hence the mantra, "Everything is unfolding magnificently"). I believe that even though the tough times in life suck, they often lead to blessings that could only have been revealed by going through the tough stuff…Capiche? Capiche.

SO HERE'S SOMETHING EXCITING…  If my past blog serves me right I can look forward to being off the crutches in the next couple of weeks!!  

HERE'S SOMETHING SCARY…  The incision, compared to my last incision,  is not healing as well… It's healing, but not as nicely…

I will continue to be a model patient and I will continue to put faith in the mantra and I will believe with my whole heart that only good will evolve from this challenge.

With that being said and with the things I've been reading, not just my own gobbledygook, but more inspiring comeback stories, it's time to start planning THE COMEBACK GOAL!!! The first time I did this I was recovering alongside David Beckham and Kalin Lucas (MSU Basketball)…well, not actually, but via the internet. :P  My doctor told me not to expect much for a year.  Then I read about these dudes.  Becks, closer to my age, wasn't having such a great recovery, but 19 year old Kalin Lucas was making a great comeback focused on the NCAA championships… That's when I knew I needed a focus.  I set my goal for a 5k six months post op. It took me 31:09 to complete the Schrauger Memorial 5k… it wasn't pretty, more like a hobble than a run, but it got done and that felt good.

NOW, I see the stinker Kobe Bryant saying he's made a 3 MONTH comeback!!! 
http://tracking.si.com/2013/08/05/kobe-bryant-recovery-update/

I began to feel like a wuss after I read this, so I did a little digging and it turns out The Kobster will NOT actually be ready for the season opener which falls around his 6 month post op mark this week… The moral of the story is "YOU CAN'T RUSH IT."

SO IT STANDS… MY GOAL IS… First, to do no harm ;) to be patient and heal.  Second, to rehab, rebuild and restore. Third to walk and then run and then BOUNCE, JUMP, REBOUND!!!!  Oooh I just got excited there!!! I'm going to bounce again!!! 

O.K., O.K., let me not forget my first and second goals so soon.

The 5k I am leaning toward is the Corktown 5k in Detroit that generally falls the weekend before St. Patrick's Day.  A run and beer!!! I see no better incentive and no better way to celebrate!!!
I have a bigger goal in mind for my one year anniversary, but I'm not quite ready to share… 

Let's see how it all unfolds!!! 

A Trophy… I mean atrophy.  This is what I will measure against once I get to start to rebuild!

This is my healthy healing wilted kale and spinach with garlic and red peppers… which I chased with 3 powdered doughnuts and a beer… it's all about balance ;)

The boot and the girl at the Detroit Free Press International Marathon… GO TEAM!!! Cate and I are fans of people being fit and fighting cancer!
Cate worked the water station and the boot and I cheered real loud ;)

The boot and the cast at the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor… Of course ;P 
It's true, my baby boy is also on crutches

Have a glorious day and remember… EVERYTHING IS UNFOLDING MAGNIFICENTLY!!!

Achilles Rupture and Road to Recovery: It's a What I CAN DO Day

Achilles Rupture and Road to Recovery: It's a What I CAN DO Day: Last week I was blessed with my first trip back to the box after surgery… As I walked/crutched into the box I was immediately flooded with j...

It's a What I CAN DO Day

Last week I was blessed with my first trip back to the box after surgery… As I walked/crutched into the box I was immediately flooded with joy!  There's something about the smell of sweat, chalk and rubber that, for me, is soothing and comforting.  I feel at home in a gym.  Not just at Oakland County CrossFit where I have a special connection, but really… any athletic facility… Like pulling on your favorite old jeans, it just feels right!

BUT THEN… As my buddies started their warm ups and moved on to the WOD I began to see all the things I could NOT do. :(

I tried to quiet my mind and focus on some ring rows.  I had no plan… no goal… so I very quickly quit.  EEEEWWWW, I hate that word… QUIT.  GIVE UP.  LOSE.  But I did in that moment.

I reverted to one of my other strengths which was sideline coaching and cheering… That was O.K. for the WOD, but once that was over I was left with my personal disappointment.

Here's the deal, I have to rely on people A LOT right now.  Andrea/Boss came and picked me up, Anette drove me home, people are going out of their way to keep me up and I let them (And Me) down.  Not that they were counting on me to get my workout done in order to make their day any better… but you know, when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for you… I don't know, I just don't want their generosity to be for some bullshit pity party of mine… :P

So, I was mentally beating myself up on the drive home and vowed to my mind-gremlins that they were done for, finished, kaput!!! I now have a standing weekly date to get a ride to the box as well as a personal mission to write and execute a specific workout.

I sat down and threw up a list of movements that I felt comfortable with and then wrote out work out #1 for this week.  The first draft looked like this:


I finished everything on the workout. I do have some tweaking to do, but it felt good to have a plan and to complete it.  I also have movements to add, as well as some creativity, but again, it felt good to have a plan and to walk in the gym and keep my eye on the list of things I COULD do instead of the wall balls and burpees that I could not do with my friends… ("with friends" being the ultimate desire, cuz lets face it I EFFING HATE WALL BALLS).  ;)

Here's something interesting… I could not do a lot of the stretching because the pain at the surgery sight was way too intense… Stretching will be limited to upper body for a while longer.

Besides a physical outlet I have been reading up on some of the best healing foods.  Now, since it is such a chore for me to prepare food, my first choice of healing foods are the AMAZING, GENEROUS, KIND, TASTY dishes that my friends have been bringing me!!!

Chicken Shack from Lisa B.
Homemade Spaghetti AND Sloppy Joe's from Rob C.
Mushroom Chicken AND Taco Night  from Joyce F.
Creamy Chicken Bake from Katie F.
Lasagna from the Haddads
Pizza Lunch with Bailey and Freaky H.
Chicken Spaghetti from Dana S.
White Bean Chicken Chilli from Kelly C.
Broadway Grill lunch with Carol G.
Salmon Spinach salad lunch with Joe C.

This is my first line of Thank You's… I may even write out old school cards… but I have to admit I'm a bit of a procrastinator in that regard, HOWEVER, I PROMISE I AM NO LESS GRATEFUL!!! 

I AM SO THANKFUL AND FEEL SO LOVED!!!

(Except this one day when my soon-to-be ex-husband ate the food that was prepared for me and left me with nothing to eat… I thought that was a pretty dick move even for someone who's divorcing me…{of course this is a dick move on my part, being a tattle tale… Please forgive me, I'm still working on my issues}  LOOK, I don't mind sharing and he had the food for dinner the night before, but he took the rest for lunch and left me with nothing to eat… I just don't get it).  But I can't let the actions of one person overshadow the love and grace of so much good in my life!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!

Back to nourishing foods after surgery…
Connective Tissue Healing:                                                                                                                 
      "Healing after surgery may often require special support for connective tissue, which will have to be regenerated for complete healing.There's research evidence to support a focus on four vitamins when connective tissue healing is required, and those four vitamins are: vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, and the B-complex vitamins. You'll be covering the bases well in this situation if you emphasize green leafy vegetables in your diet.    
     In post-surgery healing, collagen proteins can become an especially important part of connective tissue repair."

I will be filling my basket with some of these foods this week:

• Kale, Spinach, Asparagus (help in the production of collagen; also helps body use this protein more effectively)
• Garlic (sulfur for collagen/contains lipoid acid & taurine, for rebuilding damaged collagen fibers)
• Tuna & Salmon (protein + omega 3's)
• Red Peppers (contain plenty of antioxidants…promotes collagen)
• AND CHOCOLATE (because it makes me happy and happiness heals)!  

****(6 Foods that Enhance Collagen Production)

I could keep rambling on but it took me 5 minutes to read to this line… If you're like me you stopped being interested 2 minutes ago… HAHA :)

So here's a few adventure pics from this week and I'll see you next time!!! If you're getting a kick out of this, please share or comment!  Love ya friends!!! 

STAY STRONG. 
STAY HEALTHY. 
HELP EACH OTHER.

Sometimes I have a hard time sitting still… So Bubby spots my L-Sits on crutches :)

Internal and external rotation work with the bands… It's a What I Can Do movement!!!

Jacob's Senior Homecoming with his sweet friend and Jimmy John's colleague

Adventures in Healing Begin… Again

Ok, so I wanted to be super serious, dedicated and consistent on writing this blog this time around… But there's something funny about having all the time in the world on your hands… It seems the more time I have the less I get accomplished… You feel me??? 

I know I've read studies and articles on human nature and how we work within the time frame which we place on ourselves… With a quick Google search, Wikipedia reminds me it's called Parkinison's Law - "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."

At the moment I feel like I have an eternity to read, write and watch netflix. I am ashamed to say that Netflix is winning… SMH :(  Please don't judge… At least you can't see me sitting here in 3 day old pajamas surrounded by candy wrappers and fruit flies… Not gonna lie, it's not always pretty.

I've been struggling to figure out what to write about… I'm mean I've done it before…ruptured my Achilles that is. You ALL have done something like it before… You get broken, it hurts, people are nice to you, you heal, you strengthen and you go back on your way… Ain't no thing… we all gotta do it sometime…


Ok, so maybe Achille's surgery is a little bigger than say a sprained ankle or even a broken arm, but it's no cancer, it's not life threatening… UNLESS of course you live here and you have no compassion for people outside of yourself (I may have visions of poking someone in the eye with my CRUTCH)… 



yes that is a dig at my soon to be ex husband.  I love him dearly and I wish him well on his personal journey, but I am not impressed with him as a compassionate human being at the moment. It could be the pain talking… but it's not.





I'm pretty sure I went through this the last time around… Trying to justify and balance just the right amount of self-pity with the drive and fortitude needed to not only heal, but to come back a stronger, smarter, better person than before.  

I'm a work in progress.  A Sicilian Hippie my mother dubbed me once… Peace, Love and FU!! I'd like to believe there's some sort of yin-yang going on there…. You tell me… or better yet… don't.

I am two weeks post op.  Today I got the cast removed and was put into an adjustable boot. 

LUCKY ME… 

I ALREADY HAD ONE!!! 

YAY!!!

I'm on a 4 day regimen of adjusting the angle on the boot.  Every 4th day for the next month I will be adjusting the boot by 10 degrees until my ankle reaches a 90 degree angle with my tib/fib. 

This is different from last time where I had weekly visits with my doc and he checked on me and did the adjustments… I have much more power this way!!! Also, I don't have to try to secure as many chauffeurs… Doc says, "No Driving."

I have every intention to post soon with some adventures of the boot/cast.  That was a fun and helpful part of the journey three years ago… we'll see if it has the same joy this time around :)

Here are some of the first couple of adventures:

Ice cream and baby cows :)

Starbucks, Target and Ellie

An ER adventure in the middle of the night

Yummy meals made with garlic, basil and love

Chivalrous Jacob :)

And of course keeping the foot elevated!!!   

Peace out friends!!!

Love, Julie 

Oops I Did it Again….

HOLY CRAP!!!!! 

I can't believe I'm here… 

At this blog… 

AGAIN!!!

My last post was in May of 2011… 
Look, it's right down there …  

I honestly never thought I'd be here again.  

Then again, maybe I pondered it from time to time. 

Maybe there would be a little sting in my ankles while doing double-unders… 

Maybe there would be some fire in the Achilles' at the beginning of a run or the morning after a run.  

I thought I was listening to my body when I would promptly take a week (or two) off of getting in any workouts.  

I'd like to tell you it was because I am so in tune with my body, but in reality it had everything to do with life and prioritizing (or not prioritizing) and using the self diagnosed "ankle owies" as a reassurance that my lackadaisical (which I totally wanted to spell: laxidasical) approach to my physical fitness was actually balanced and responsible…

Seriously, it's LACKAdaisical??? I've been pronouncing it wrong my ENTIRE life?!!?  

I hate when I find out how stupid I am… :(

So the truth is I'm a part time fitness freak, but a full time enthusiast!!! I love movement.  I love moving, I love sharing with others cool ways to move and get strong, I love and appreciate the cool movements of others… be it dancing, gymnastics, football, baseball, track and field, swimming and diving, circus tricks, skate boarding, snow boarding, BMX, weightlifting… 

I LOVE IT!!!   IT'S FACINATING!!!   IT'S AMZING!!!

Human machines are awesome… the end.

SO…. What was I doing???

I was doing the exact same thing as last time, only this time I wasn't showing off in front off a middle school track team… so I've got that going for me…

I was doing a Round off, Back Hand Spring, Layout (the first time it was just a tuck… just saying)

Only in this clip, all my tendons and muscles stuck nicely together… as they should.  

Look, I am almost 40 years old (just 8 months to go). I REALIZE this might not be the most normal behavior for a 40 year old, BUT IT IS NORMAL FOR ME!!!! This is what I love. This is how I fight the "old-timers gremlin" in my head. I'm a kid here and I LIKE IT.  

Don't get me wrong, I feel it after a few tumbling passes. I see pretty little sparkles sometimes, but I LOVE IT and much to the chagrin of my friends out there… I PLAN TO DO IT AGAIN… (You know, as soon as they sew me back together).

WHY SURGERY??? Precisely because of my obstinate attitude displayed in the previous paragraph… I'M BOUNCY DAMMIT!!! and I plan to be bouncy again.  I could opt out of surgery, but the healing will include much more scar tissue which has less elasticity than muscles and tendons.  Therefore, taking into consideration my bouncy nature, a higher likelihood of rerupture… and AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!!!

So I opt for the longer recovery process in order that I have a longer and bouncier lifestyle after the fact…

Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. I have so much more to share with you on how this has been a blessing even though it brings with it so many challenges and how it is affecting every avenue in my life… 

Peace out friends… See you on the other side of the knife!!!

XO, 

Julie Catherine Barnes Maurer

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...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!