Surgery Update, part 3

I am now done and graduated from physical therapy. My next doctor appointment is a month away. I am a regular participant in everything at dance class, even leading a fitness class during our Oireachtas prep Saturdays.

Did I really heal this fast?

Three months seriously flew by! Maybe I just feel that way because the past month has been a blur with the beginning of the school year and my own insistence that I never have days off to do nothing.

For the most part this past month, when I wasn't working, I was doing something to improve my physical fitness. I was at physical therapy getting essentially an hour and a half personal training session. I was running (yes, running!) in the fitness center on the treadmill. I was choreographing a show treble reel for the Baltimore Comic Con.

So, yes, I finally got to attend a comic con in my Captain America dress! I entered a costume contest for fun, and danced on stage for a bit of an audience. They went wild! My costume was totally a hit, and I loved getting all the comments on how cool an Irish dancing Captain America is. Now, I'm going to dedicate a whole post to this outing very soon, but until then, have a picture!

I have officially registered for two feiseanna this fall before the Oireachtas. I will be doing only the set dance competition at Rhythm of Ireland to try out my new Downfall of Paris without the stress of having to push myself to have the other rounds ready (namely slip jig). Hopefully all goes well, and if not, there's still time to perfect it before the SRO (and if not, there's the ol' standby Planxty Drury). My one and only three round competition will be Feis Culkin a few weeks after.

And now for something completely not related to healing... Remember when I mentioned I won an instagram contest hosted by Marvel and Dr. Pepper that was run during San Diego Comic Con? My prize came in the mail last month. I was expecting five Dr. Pepper cans, which I got. What completely blew my mind was that they came in a fantastic case signed by the Avengers: Age of Ultron cast! Consider me blown away.

Goals: Stamina all around
Days till Os: 66

Surgery Update, part 2

When I last posted, I was just about to start physical therapy.  Now, I am a little over two months out from surgery, and I have come so far since then!

My first week of PT was tough.  I was weaning myself off crutches that week, as well as learning that PT after surgery is apparently more painful than PT after healing from an injury.  I had barely any movement when I first started, in my third week out from surgery.  Now, I am through my initial six weeks of PT, and set to do four more weeks.

I was one hundred percent off crutches my fourth week after surgery.  That was the week that I also received a wonderful shirt made by my dance buddies.  They were making shirts for nationals, and wanted to make sure I was included too!  It was a nice surprise, and nearly made me tear up with all their kind get-well messages.

Six weeks out from surgery was one of my most exciting weeks yet.  I was finally able to give the boot the boot!  I spent the week relishing in the feeling of wearing two shoes again as I went on a vacation to Ann Arbor, Michigan with my mom and one of my sisters.  I spent a lot of time walking around the Michigan campus, and the general downtown area, all the time (mostly) happy that I had shoes that matched.

I have probably a week or two before I can slowly start into dancing again, but I already have my back to dance outfit chosen!  I found the shirt at TJ Maxx and couldn't in good faith as an Irish dancer, pass it up.  The shoes are my I Can Wear Two Shoes Again present to myself.  They're Nike Free shoes, and I know they will be invaluable as I ease back into dancing, especially during long ceili practices.

It may be a month or so until my next post here, so fear not in my silence! Work will be starting up next week, and I expect it will take a few weeks to settle into my schedule after all the Back-to-School-Nights, physical therapy, beginning of fall dance classes, and weekend excursions planned.

Goals: Keep up my PT exercises

Days till Os: 108

Surgery Update, part 1

As you all possibly know, I had my ankle surgery on June 18th to clean up scar tissue and tighten up some lateral ankle ligaments (with the Bröstrom procedure).  My podiatrist deemed it a success!  It has now officially been three weeks since surgery, and look how my ankle is healing!  Even through the really messy pictures from 1-2 weeks after my surgery, my podiatrist said ,"Looking good."

Weeks 1-3

The first week after my surgery was the most difficult, as I was the most "helpless."  I got to stay at my parents' house since they have less stairs, and someone there to take care of me at all times of the day.  I spent a lot of time on the couch, mainly watching soccer and napping while listening to audio books.  I also celebrated turning a quarter of a century with a Captain America themed party (of course).

The second week after my surgery, I moved back to my apartment.  In the latter part of the week, I was able to get rid of the splint, and go into the boot with partial weight bearing on my ankle--one week ahead of schedule!  Having a removable boot made it possible for me to spend time at the pool now, in supplement to spending time on the couch, this time watching Orange is the New Black.

This third week after surgery was spent voraciously keeping up with information from the North American Irish Dance Championships.  QuickFeis was very helpful this year!  I also got to participate in the lighting of fireworks!

I went back to the podiatrist this past Monday, and while I'm still in the boot, my goal for this week is to wean myself off crutches (still ahead of schedule!), and start physical therapy (I go tomorrow).

From the last day of June onwards, I have also been completing a daily workout routine (modified of course because of my injury), and I promise to share more about that with you in my next blog post!

Goal: Get rid of the crutches
Days till Os:150

Mini Update

Injury recovery:

• Things are going swell!  I tape up my ankle for each dance class I go to for safety measures.  I am finally getting my stamina and confidence back (and just in time for three back-to-back weekends of feiseanna).
• I have started learning a new set dance (Lodge Road) and hope to have it completed before surgery.  You know, so I can sit around and not dance it for three months, before seeing if I can remember it for the Oireachtas.

Feiseanna:

• I will be traveling to three feiseanna in the next three weekends!  I am really excited to have the chance to compete before I go in for my surgery.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these won't be my only feiseanna for the year.
• First up is the Holy Angels Feis in Charlotte this weekend.  I've never been to this feis before, and the overall cap was really small, so I'm hoping for a low-key return to competition.  Mind you, my competition is 16 and over, so it will be fun to compete with people nearly ten years younger than I.
• Next will be CCE (preceded by a day at the Virginia Renaissance Festival).  I am bummed that this feis has changed to three rounds.  As bad as this is to say, I was looking forward to not having to dance my treble jig.
• Finally for May will be a new feis in Maryland, the Hurley Feis.  

Antonio Pacelli:

• Last month's post resurrected a Rince go Bragh blog post from two and a half years ago.  Check out the most recent revision of 'Dancing Frugally,' and don't forget to check back on the community section frequently to read other bloggers' content.

Life:

• This fantastic edit was found floating around tumblr.  I think it's hilarious.

• I got a new Irish dance themes phone case from Rainy Day Designs!

• My grandfather built me this beautiful shelf to showcase my dancing awards!

Goals: Make it through three rounds on Saturday

Days till Os: 213

2014 Goals and Other Odds and Ends

I have procrastinated this year on my annual yearly goals post.  (In fact, I have procrastinated too much on blogging all together since my last post).  My 2014 goals officially include:

1. Heal my ankle.
2. Post on Rince go Bragh biweekly.
3. Feis as much as possible in May and June.
4. Heal from ankle surgery.

2014 has not been the best start to my new.  The second week in January, I was practicing slip jig at dance, and landed a jump wrong and tore two ligaments in my right ankle.  Two ligaments that were previously been torn in 2012, the last time I had slip jigs as my soft shoe dance.  Since I've now torn ligaments in this ankle five times, my podiatrist suggested I have surgery to a) tighten my loose and unstable ligaments, and b) clean up the scar tissue that has formed.  

I will be having surgery instead of attending nationals this summer.  I am yet unsure of the recovery and rehabilitation time.  Will Oireachtas be part of my dancing career this year?  Will I be able to keep my ankles healthy for another two years to chase my world qualification goal?  If I have to put off qualifying events for so long, will my perseverance even be paid off with an actual world qualification?

I wish I had the answers to these questions.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Feiseanna I want to attend (barring ankle health and willingness to travel):
• McGrath Feis (I'm registered.  I'll be there.  Will I dance?  Probably not.)
• Holy Angels Feis
• CCE Feis
• Hurley School Feis (A new northern SR feis?!)
• Feile Rince Charlotte
• Old Dominion Feis
• Have you been over to Antonio Pacelli's new community section on their website lately?  I blog there monthly with separate content from Rince go Bragh!  Be sure to take a look at other blogger's content as well! [Check it out!]

Goals: Don't dance yet.  Don't do it.

Days till Os: 292

Mini Update

In this month's edition of Mini Updates: Oireachtas, feiseanna, performances, and a giveaway!

Oireachtas Prep

• As much as I hate to say this, I haven't been practicing as much as I should.  My current practice plan was put on hold from when school started until essentially now.  This week, though, I'm getting back into doing a very focused 20 minutes of drills a day, whether it be stamina, or rhythmic bits from my hornpipe.
• I also suffered a minor set back last Wednesday that had me more scared than anything.  In the first dance practice of the fall and as I was running through my reel's second step, I twisted my ankle.  I judged it to be a minor sprain, as here I am a week later dancing.  Taped up, but dancing.
• This past Sunday was the first day of our Oireachtas team practices. I'm on two mixed teams, which I think is awesome.

Upcoming Feiseanna

• I have registered for both Rhythm of Ireland Feis in October, and the Coyle Feis in November.  More later on individual goals for each feis.

Halfway to St. Paddy's Day

• Performance number two (Fairfax Irish Fest) went very well.  We performed with a live musician, which was a great practice opportunity for the younger dancers performing about being flexible and adaptable with tempi.  I greatly enjoyed meeting with younger dancers from my school who I don't usually see due to being in a different class.

A New Look

• Right before school started, I cut off all my hair! (Well, not all of it, but a lot of it).  I have experimented with a bun wig to great effect.  I can still be the Star Spangled Girl With the Curls...my curls are just much smaller (and held in by many more bobby pins).

Do you want a free pair of ghillies? (Who am I kidding, of course you do!)

• Fellow Irish dance blogger and author, Christy Dorrity is releasing her very first novel for young adults entitled Awakening: Book One of the Geis.  The book is based in Celtic mythology and is about an Irish dancer, so she is hosting a giveaway to win a pair of Hullachan Pro ghillies.  To find out how to enter the giveaway, click here.

Awakening: Book One of The Geis
by Christy Dorrity
Photo: courtesy Christy Dorrity

That's it for me dance fans! Hope your next month goes smoothly!

Goals: Seriously, do your daily 20 minute drills. No excuses.
Days till Os: 73

Mini Update

Injury recovery

• I have finished my first round of physical therapy!  Already, my ankle is nearly back to full strength and flexibility.
• I began my second round of physical therapy three weeks ago and will finish the day before I leave for New Orleans.  This was recommended for extra strength since I'm still not 100% back with my dancing abilities.
• At my recent visit to my podiatrist, he said that everything was healing nice and tight like it should. 
• My dancing is improving on the daily.  As of Monday, my slip jig is finally feeling back to it's pre-injury self, I even added an over back into my lead!  My hard shoe focus is mainly getting my stamina back up.
• Fun fact: I use a roll and a half of athletic tape each day I dance to tape up both ankles for injury prevention and maintenance.  I own a case of athletic tape for this reason, and I will probably be halfway through this box by Oireachtas.

Oireachtas news

• My confirmed dances for the big day: solos (senior ladies), mixed four-hand, ladies eight-hand, and figure choreography.  It promises to be a long day since the southern region so lovingly puts all the senior solos and all teams on the same day.
• I designed the shirts you'll see my dance school wearing at this years Oireachtas.  I won't give any sneak previews, though.  You'll have to wait till the SRO to see them, but let me say, we will stand out.
• We recently were on a two week break with dance classes, and while it doesn't fall at the most opportune time, I was able to fit in small drilling sessions at home, which have had varying degrees of success.  Less success after Sandy hit and I got behind in job things.

Other dance things

• October has passed, and with it my five year dance-iversary!  Happy five years of dancing to me.
• This past weekend was Feis Culkin, which I chose not dance in.  I decided to save my ankles from intense competition until my Oireachtas marathon day.  Regardless, I did have nightmares the night before the feis about showing up late to dance even though I wasn't registered.
• Check out these pants.  Just look at how perfectly they match my solo.  Plan on me wearing them at the Oireachtas.

• Also in my Oireachtas fashion suitcase: this Captain America shirt to rock on the day that I'm dancing so I can be the Star Spangled Girl with the Curls.  I still have to do some tailoring for easy over the wig removal...

Goals: Stamina/sharpen steps

Days till Os: 25

Injured, again?

Nation's Capitol feis was supposed to be my triumphant return to Irish dancing.  Five an a half months after blowing out 60% of my left ankle, I was healed enough to get back to feising.  I had done so much preparation for this feis, including lots of practice time on my own since my dance school is on summer break.  I finally felt like I was 100% back to dancing.  I knew that I was going to rock this feis because I could get through all three rounds.

It, apparently,wasn't meant to be.  As I was warming up for my competition and running through my slip jig, I landed an over wrong and knew right away that something was not right.  Just like my last injury, I felt that terrible sensation of ligaments popping apart as I landed.  Limping back to where I parked my stuff, part of me knew I wasn't going to dance that day, no matter how much I taped my ankle up and no matter how many Advil I took.  This was hands-down the most disappointing feis of my life.  I was so close.

An hour after injury.
Note the tan line and poodle sock indents.

After another MRI, it turns out that I completely tore my anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments, partially tore my deltoid ligament, AND did something funky to some tendons.  I am currently in a boot and on crutches for the next two weeks until I re-visit my podiatrist and hopefully obtain my physical therapy prescription.

Here's to a speedy recovery and the hopes that I can dance at the Oireachtas.  If I can do this, if I can dance at the Oireachtas and qualify for 2013 worlds (as it's been my goal since 2009), this will be one of the best comebacks ever.

Goals: Heal
Days till Os: 116

The Traveling Feis Monkey: Sara in Virginia

Sara is the first of many awesome Irish dancers I'm going to be meeting this year.  I was born right after Sara was cleared to dance from her major injury in February.  We registered for our first feis of the year, Nation's Capitol in Tyson's Corner.

I helped with all sorts of feis preparation.

This past Sunday was the day I was looking forward to most.  I was loving placed in Sara's dance bag in the morning and toted to Tyson's Corner where I got to hang out at my first feis!  While I was there, I got to see many championship-level dancers show their stuff on the dance floor, as well as meet another dancer from Sara's school.

Unfortunately, the day did not go as planned.  While Sara was warming up, she injured her ankle doing an over.  Luckily, I was there for comfort, however she had to leave before her competition even began.

Where will I go next?  Check out my Facebook page for more of my adventures!

Injured: The happy ending

I went to my very last doctor's visit yesterday morning.  The funny part about this appointment was that I spent more time waiting around than him actually visiting me.  He came into the room, looked over the note from my physical therapist, and asked if I hurt and what I was doing.  After assessing all this, he said I didn't have to see him again, but to still take it easy if my ankle hurt (I did tear three ligaments after all).

Today, I graduate from physical therapy.

Because of all this wonderful news, I decided to register for the Nation's Capital feis next month.  I am feeling extra motivated right now, especially after attending Old Dominion feis to run stages.  Being there without dancing was bittersweet: I know I would not have done all that well since I began easing into dance a month ago, but being there all day had me really itching to put my solo dress on...

Last night was my first hardcore practice since my time easing back into dance last month.  Inspired by being cleared by my doctor and by the feis this weekend, I decided to run through all three rounds, including the new slip jig steps I tweaked.  In honor of this practice, I wore a new Pinterest and Feisonista-inspired outfit, which came in especially handy in my lack-of-circulating-air practice area.

I am lucky to have a practice area that I can use at essentially any time.  It's a racquetball court, so the downsides are no mirrors and it's extremely loud, but the floor is nice and it's spacious.  I am very much lacking in stamina and general leg strength due to being out for so long, but I am planning on practicing in my space two or more times a week until the feis.  Have a video montage of last night's practice session, including all my wonderful brain farts:

Goals: Stamina and cross
Days till Os: 163

Injured

This is the story of how I gave up Irish dancing for Lent.  Don't worry, this will eventually be a very inspiring story because it's actually still a work in progress.  This story is about how I destroyed 60% of my ankle.

Two weeks ago at dance class, everything was normal.  I led the class in the usual warm ups.  We did our normal drills across the floor.  It only took one second for it all to change.  I decided to try for some extra height on my plushenko because hey, that's what drills are for.  I prepped, I jumped, I spun, and then something went wrong.  I came down from the jump, landing on the side of my foot.  I immediately felt things popping and contorting.  The pain was immediate.  As I hobbled to the side of the dance floor, all I could concentrate on was not crying. I sat down and was given ice, all the while fighting immense pain.  With a small crisis taken care of, dance class continued as normal.  As the ice and Advil I had taken began numbing the pain, I knew I should leave dance class and begin the trek to my car and eventually home.  Standing up to leave, that's when the tears I was doing my best not to shed came.  One of the guy dancers assured me that this is probably the best time for this sort of thing to happen anyways--I'm not preparing for worlds.  There are no competitions coming up for me.  I will heal.

One hour

The next day I went in to the podiatrist.  It was immediately clear to him that I did something horribly wrong, and luckily he didn't want to manipulate it and poke at it too much.  I then had x-rays to look for broken bones.  In truth, I wanted a broken bone.  Once they heal, you are golden with only a little physical therapy to strengthen it back up.  Tissue damage takes longer to heal, and if it heals wrong, surgery is involved. Nothing really showed up on my x-ray, other than a healing stress fracture in my first metatarsal (which I didn't know about).  I was then told to get an MRI.

Six days.

My MRI was scheduled for Monday morning, the results were sent to my podiatrist, which bring us to Tuesday afternoon.  He walked in the exam room and said, "You did a good job on your ankle."  Unfortunately, there was no fracture.  No, instead, I tore three ligaments, one completely, and two others only partially, effectively damaging 60% of the ligaments that hold my foot onto my leg.  It was then that I asked the vital question here: will I dance again?  My podiatrist then asked if I was going after a professional career, and I said no, just trying to qualify for the world championships in the spring of 2013.  The good news is that yes I will dance again and that I need to put his name somewhere on my list of sponsors (joking)!  The bad news is that it will be a few months after lots of PT and hoping my ligaments don't heal too loosely (surgery would be needed), and hoping that I don't get tendinitis.  I was put in a boot and told to come back in three weeks.  Maybe then I'll be off my crutches...

Now, two weeks after the fact, I am about to go in to dance class for a short bit this evening to let everyone know what happened.  Can't wait to see their faces when I tell them what really happened after I so calmly handled (I thought) doing this damage.  Hopefully I will be able to help out with various St. Patrick's day activities since I won't be dancing!

Goals: Heal up!