Six months post accident

Today marks six months since I was hit by a car while running. While I found information on pelvic fractures in the elderly, I could not find much for younger people and nothing for runners. If someone has a pelvic fracture and has questions (or needs to vent), I am always available.

Flashback:
Super Bowl Sunday (February 2nd) I was scheduled to go for my 10 mile run during my Glass Slipper Challenge training. I successfully complete a HOT 5 mile run the day before so in order to beat the heat, I ran at 6 am. My plan was to run up the hotel zone in Cancun. I figured this would be the easiest and safest route since I did not have to cross any roads. A little over half way through my run, I heard a loud noise and turned to the side. I had a split second to process a car was sliding towards me. The pain was excruciating. I was on all fours screaming (I am not too proud to admit this). Later, I figured this was because I was putting pressure on my broken pelvis. 

Despite the corruption of the tourist police of Cancun, I was eventually able to find out that the guy who hit me was drunk. He went over the median, two lanes of traffic, and the curb to hit me. This was at 7:10 in the morning. The ring in my pelvis was stable so I was able to fly home and did not need surgery. My American doctor diagnosed me to have three fractures in my pelvis which required 6 weeks of non weight bearing on my right leg. I could not move. It took all my strength to get out of the wheelchair to go to the bathroom. By week 2, I noticed significant muscle loss in my right leg and butt. I started physical therapy later that week and continued physical therapy for 16 weeks. This was a huge turning point for me because it helped wake up my muscles so by my 6 week checkup I could start walking with crutches. A week later, no crutches (yes, I still got sore if I tried to push myself too hard the first or two after I started walking). I missed almost all of my winter and spring races, but salvaged the NJ Half by signing up for the relay and walking my portion of the race.

Shortly after that I was cleared to run. It was 12 weeks and 3 days after the accident. Four weeks after I started running I was able to complete my first race- Hibiscus 5 miler. 

blurry action shot

Today:
I am mostly symptom free there are still a couple of issues. My achilles feels like there is a knot or something movable on it. It was bothering me since I started walking, but with a recent week off of running it has been pain free. 

Recently while walking I felt a pain in my pelvis (roughly 5 1/2 months post accident). I am not sure if I just twisted my leg slightly while walking or what, but every once in awhile I felt a pain. It did not seem to bother me running until a week or so later. After the Electric Run I took a week off from running, cycling, everything except strength training. The next run I had was in Mexico City and it went well. I do not feel pain, but it feels like my pelvis/hip area is always popping in and out of place. Example: like cracking your elbow or another joint. Oh yes I did survive running in Mexico this time. I ran along a major road but then into a park. No cars here.

There are smaller issues that I am not sure will clear up. My hip flexors are always tight if I am not always stretching them (like at my desk during the day type stuff). I seem to have worse circulation in my right leg. Whenever I crouch down where my leg and knee are bent then stand up, my leg then feel like the it was asleep and painfully waking up. This is only after a few seconds. Other than those issues, all of my other pains and symptoms have cleared up. I am still a lot weaker and slow than before, but am working on it. My longest run post accident has been 7 miles and I plan on duplicating that next weekend.

Moving Forward:
I have an aggressive plan for the fall. The Philly Rock n Roll Half Marathon in September, the Wineglass Half Marathon in October, and the Philly Marathon in November. I am seriously considering downgrading the marathon to the half marathon. While for the most part I am meeting my mileage marks, I am so much weaker than where I feel I should be for training for a marathon. The deadline I give myself is the end of August. I will see how my body responds to adding more miles while I really get into half marathon training. Even if I have to downgrade, being able to compete and complete these races will be a huge accomplishment. It is not about winning a race, but about being able to run. I feel fortune and blessed to be at the point I am. I just want to get out there and run.



Don't forget to vote for me for the Runner's World cover contest 

or if please consider donating towards the Wounded Warrior Project. Every dollar helps! I am running my first half marathon post injury and hoping to raise $500.

Dear Physical Therapy

It has been quite awhile since I have written and I apologize. Between taking care of my husband (foot surgery, we're getting good at taking care of each other), traveling for work (DC), and the World Cup (Go USMNT!), I have been a busy bee. 

I completed physical therapy a few weeks ago and wanted to share my story while it is still fresh in my head. I first went to PT 2 weeks and 5 days after the accident. At the time, I could not lift my leg up or bend my knee. My right leg was noticeably smaller than my left. I could not separate my legs in any way- even moving my right leg a centimeter to the side was a massive challenge. My right leg had virtually lost all of its muscle. Even though it was my right pelvis that was fractured, it effected my entire right leg and back. My core, butt, and leg were still swollen and at that point my rib was cracked. I felt broken. Going from training for the Glass Slipper Challenge (10k on the Saturday, half marathon on the Sunday) and feeling strong to not be able to put on my own socks was quite a shock. 

The day after the evaluation, I had my first real appointment. I had trouble getting up on the table and needed a step stool with a handle. Started off with some kegels and some breathing exercises to help with the core. I did the most basic moves such as pulling on a band attached to my foot so my knee could bend. The first couple of weeks were a lot of range of motion movements. The results were immediate. By the following week I had some movement in my leg. The few muscles that were left were waking up from hibernation. Once my leg could move up and down, I could start to bend down to pick things up (you never realize how much of a butterfingers you are until you can't pick anything up). This helped my quality of life tremendously. I started working on moving my leg from side to side. We did this by lying down and moving my leg/foot along a slippery board. I can remember the first time I tried the exercise and thinking how excited I was I could move my leg that way. All of my exercises were on my back. The exercises seemed so simple but were targeting specific muscles. My "cardio" during this time was an arm moving machine. Pre-accident I was in the athlete's range for blood pressure and had a healthy heart rate. The stress of the accident and stress of healing had caused my blood pressure to jump up and it never came back down. Without cardio and still trying to heal, I knew it would be awhile until I reached 'normal.' 

St. Patrick's Day brought the good news that I was allowed to start weight bearing on my right leg. The 3 1/2 weeks of physical therapy had me thinking I would be able to walk. I started off slowing easy pressure on my leg and a week after St Patrick's Day I attempted to walk without crutches. I took a lap around the inside of PT without any issues. All of the therapy helped me gain enough strength to start walking. I was still not allowed to run or do any hard pounding movements with my leg. The one fracture was at the Acetabulum (socket part of the ball and socket leg bone) so the doctor didn't want any extra pressure on that part of the bone. With me being able to do weight bearing and walking, the PT was able to introduce more exercises.

 

Step up on the box with the right leg. Step down using my right leg first.

Like a reverse leg press- used it as well to work my shins and calves

hamstring curl

steamboats- something I can do post-PT

hurdles- lifts my leg up and works the heal to toe movement

Six weeks after St Patrick's Day I had a follow up with my doctor. X-rays showed my bones are fully healed and I could now handle running. Quite possibly one of the happiest days of my life. I waited to talk to my PT a couple of days later. On April 30th I got the all clear from the PT and tried out running for the first time in over 12 weeks.

My PT worked in other exercises such as jump rope, jumping off of a box, and squats. My leg muscles were getting better, although nothing like they were before. I ran a mile every day in PT. It felt quite taxing at first, but my muscles got used to it and I started to increase my speed. 

squat down on one leg while the heel touches the ground

weighted three way hip- move my leg back then angled to the side then straight out

During this time, I worked outside of PT doing some of the exercises and working on my core. I would run an additional couple of times a week. Eventually I worked up to running 5 miles for a race in Hawaii. Once I came back I really thought I had to be at the end of PT. I felt I could do everything I needed to (just slower). 16 weeks after I started PT, I was finally done. I went from not being able to lift my leg to running races. My PT provided me with some information so I could continue with exercises post PT. Most of these I did while I was there.

There were times I was frustrated and thought I could have been moving fast, but overall I had a good experience with PT. I worked hard every time, usually doing a few more reps than required and asking to increase weights sometimes. So thank you to physical therapy and physical therapists everywhere. You helped me get to where I am which hopefully means I continue towards my races in the Fall.

Half way there!

Today marks my first race missed. I would have completed the Enchanted 10k this morning and started preparing for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. The Glass Slipper Challenge would have been a really good test for me and a first step towards mentally preparing for a marathon. I have been really positive throughout this experience, but missed race days might be my weakness. I will be avoiding Instagram (@ladylionrunner) for sure this weekend.

(Glass Slipper Challenge medals I would have earned- image from runDisney)

On a more positive note, tomorrow registration opens for the Marine Corps Marathon lottery. My goal for 2014 is to be able to complete this race. It might be a bit ambitious considering I'm sitting in a wheelchair right now, but I have more determination than ever!

Today also marks the end of three weeks. The doctor said 6 to 8 weeks so it potentially means I’m halfway to healing the bone! I started PT this week to help keep as much muscle as possible. I worked on range of motion exercises and stretching out the hip. I already feel a difference and it feels amazing. When laying down, I can slowly bring my leg up and bend my knee. I feel incredibly tight so any stretching or movement is really needed. The PT also said once the doctor gives the ok I can work on running in the pool. Looks like I’ll be in the market for an exercise bathing suit. I considered training for triathlons after all my races for 2014 so I will still be able to use the bathing suit after PT is over. Any recommendations on what type?

Two week progress

Swelling has gone down, although my foot is still sensitive. My back feels a lot better, but not quite 100%. Today I can hear popping in my sore rib. The doctor in Mexico said a fracture might develop later even if he could not see one on the X-ray. I still have a black and blue elbow but it is not sensitive to touch anymore. I have been working on using the crutches but still feel like a baby giraffe learning how to walk.

I can sit for longer periods without feeling sore, but my rear end is pretty much always sore. With running, I am use to being hungry ALL the time but now I’m rarely really hungry. With a few exceptions I am trying to keep up with eating well.

I have had some good milestones these past couple of weeks. For one, I can get to the bathroom on my own. I can get in and out of bed although I still need helping prepping the bed to go to sleep. I was able to take the crutches downstairs, but I do not feel steady enough to do this without someone nearby. These little movements have made me feel more independent.

My Glass Slipper Challenge and Cherry Blossom 10 miler were both deferred. Unfortunately the Hershey 10k would not defer my entry. I am still hoping to be able to walk the NJ Half, but I will know more once I get to talk to the PT. The doctor has allowed me to do some basic movements in order to help keep muscle atrophy at bay. I fully expect to be able to run by the Hibiscus 15k although I am not sure how much training I will be able to get in. Before being hit, I joined a Glass Slipper Challenge group on Facebook. It is really disheartening to see the excited ladies talk about their costumes or the details of the race. I had to leave the group so I could avoid negative thoughts. Luckily I bought outfits I could reuse for running anytime. However, I was wearing the red Under Armour compression shorts when I got hit. (of course that was my first time wearing them grr) We simply could not get them off and over my broken hip without cutting them. 

My new goal is to register for the Marine Corps Marathon. It is a lottery system this year so I may or may not get it, but I want that to be my ultimate goal back to health. 

And now starting from the beginning...

Everything in my life changed in an instant. One minute I was training for the Glass Slipper Challenge and the next minute I was on the ground in extreme pain.

The Glass Slipper Challenge is a runDisney race which consists of the Enchanted 10k on the Saturday and the Disney Princess Half Marathon on the Sunday. This race was my first back-to-back race and my first I had to travel for. I was excited to get out of the bitter cold that had been hanging around all winter. I much rather run in the cold than the heat, but this was a particularly rough winter. Immediately after the Glass Slipper Challenge, I would have to start training for my three races in April. While I had run most of my life, I had just started racing the year before with the Hershey 10k as my first race. 

On January 31st, my friends and I traveled down to Cancun for a mini vacation. This was the end of week 7 out of 10 of my Glass Slipper Challenge training. I would have to complete a 5 mile and 10 mile run. My 5 mile run was later in the morning when the temperatures were in the 80s. The miserable heat convinced me to wake up early the next day and start my run right at sunrise. At 5:15 am, I woke up and started my pre-run routine. Shortly after 6 am I started running up the hotel zone of Cancun. Further up the hotel zone there is a walking path maybe 10 feet off of the road. I stuck to that path and hit the end of the hotel zone then turned around. The walking path had just ended right before the Grand Park Royal so I went back to the sidewalk, running against the traffic. At 7:10 and about 5.73 into my run I heard a loud noise and turn around. I saw a car sliding towards me. There simply wasn't enough time to get out of the way. The car hit me and I felt pain I could never explain.

(my ride back to the resort after being at the police station)

Pelvis fractured in three places, contusion on my lower back, what felt like bruised ribs, minor whiplash, my entire leg was swollen and tingling, all of my muscles felt tight and sore. I learned at the hospital a drunk driver crossed the median, two lanes of traffic, hopped the curb, and had hit me.

I started this blog to chronicle my recovery back to running. I no longer think of trying for a PR or working on building on my distance for my ultimate goal of a running a marathon. Right now I am trying to mend my hip to get back out on the road. I want to come back stronger than ever and am determined to do so.