FlowerPower Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 (edited) Am here for a bit of a moan, truthfully. Please feel free to share yours too if you'd like. I've had the unfortunate circumstance of getting myself into an accident, taking a really bad high-powered landing (from my main sport) and completely busting one of my ACL's in the knee and wonderfully mangling the meniscus right before (adult) beginner classes started again at the beginning of the year. Due to the seriousness of my particular injury (others can wait a year and be fine) I had to have surgery incredibly quickly (within the month) which will extend recovery in addition to the limitations surrounding the actual injury itself. 😟 It's a bummer, I was really getting into my classes (started October last year) and super excited to show my progress as I had been practising at home and finally understood how a pirouette worked. My physios and consultants have said that dance and impact sports are the last things that you can really go back to following this sort of injury but I'll ask whether I can do simple barre work when I'm strong enough. It's a bit heartbreaking when you're not allowed to do the activities you enjoy the most. Even things like reading are harder following injury and post-surgery as you're experiencing either fatigue, pain, or both so you have little concentration power. Friends and family however have been absolute legends, hanging out, checking-up, driving me to hospital, and making me meals in Tupperware. My hamstrings are still weak and hurt a lot when used as part of them was sacrificed in the name of future balance, control, and proprioception and the quads atrophied (typical of the injury) quite a bit. But I am on the mend and I'm finally walking (with the crutches). Onwards! Edited February 28, 2020 by FlowerPower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 Oh dear FlowerPower how awful for you. I do hope that you can get back to ballet, even if in a less impactful way on your leg. Please let us know about your progress. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlowerPower Posted February 28, 2020 Author Share Posted February 28, 2020 Will do - I'm already doing sort-of squats. I might have to have an assessment by the dance studio's physio beforehand but I'll look forward to it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear your news. Might this be one of those instances where floor barre is a good starting point, when the time comes, if you can't do impact? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 I feel your pain FlowerPower ...did my first ballet class back on Tuesday this week after 7 months away! I had triple ankle fracture with dislocation and now have frozen shoulder ( using crutches??) so still can’t drive which is a real nuisance( poor partner having to ferry me everywhere locally) It was a small return to ballet with lots of adapting but felt good. Ive also now done some swimming...well I say swimming but it was really exercises in the pool some for foot and some for arm.. bit of a geriatric session lol! It’s really annoying going from a reasonably fit active person to an almost semi invalid position and sometimes it’s hard to be mature and be patient about it all! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 I'm so sorry, FlowerPower! That's so sad and frustrating for you. I really hope your recovery progresses as quickly as possible and that in due course you will be able to resume classes. Just think of Steven McRae or Tierney Heap - you're in good company having to fight your way back after injury!! So glad you're walking again and that you've had such good support. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowlight Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 Flowerpower - can I suggest, with your physio's approval, you consider pilates to help you regain your strength after your injury. Great at all round strengthening but less stressful on the body than dance. Pilates forms an important part of training for many dancers - and there is good reason for it. Make sure you find a good, qualified instructor who can give you one to one or small group attention as it is so important that you are doing it right. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 I think surgery does take it out of you I think I more or less slept the whole of September ..well on and off ...( accident was first week of August) but if your body is healing that’s a good thing!! Presumably when you are ready you will get some physio from the hospital? Or has this started already? It all takes time and usually longer than you think it will! But if you aim for small bits of progress and that work becomes your focus then things will gradually improve. Pilates and gentle swimming and even yoga can all help initially I’m sure you will be back at the barre before long 😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlowerPower Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 (edited) 22 hours ago, LinMM said: I feel your pain FlowerPower ...did my first ballet class back on Tuesday this week after 7 months away! I had triple ankle fracture with dislocation and now have frozen shoulder ( using crutches??) so still can’t drive which is a real nuisance( poor partner having to ferry me everywhere locally) It was a small return to ballet with lots of adapting but felt good. Ive also now done some swimming...well I say swimming but it was really exercises in the pool some for foot and some for arm.. bit of a geriatric session lol! It’s really annoying going from a reasonably fit active person to an almost semi invalid position and sometimes it’s hard to be mature and be patient about it all! Ooh no, that's a crazy injury. I hope you're feeling better! I've heard of others developing frozen shoulder from crutches so I wouldn't be surprised. I'm not sure if it's too late, but can you engage your scapulas and core at the same time as you are using your crutches? I was lucky, at the hospital after the injury nurses spotted me struggling with crutches and found me the correctly sized ones and showed me how to use them which I think has helped stave off shoulder issues for the most part (though I did wake up in pain a good few times!). I totally appreciate feeling frustrated about not being able to get around - have you been able to get back into using public transport (if it's there!)? How do you feel, back in the pool? I was swimming regularly too pre-injury and I'm mildly scared about going back in. I'll need to harass my friends to take me I think when I'm cleared to go. To answer your other post and glowlight's, I do have access to physios who I am listening to as religiously as I can. They have you on exercises within three to six days of the surgery and ideally six weeks pre-surgery. So I've been exercising the last month plus seeing a sports ACL specialist once a week to get a more rounded treatment. The NHS knee class is actually really good but there's only so much they can do! With pilates, I've tried it before but due to spinal fusion (joy, more limitations 😅) I don't get on well with it so I do actually need one-on-one or small group sessions and will definitely consider it and yoga (which I quite like). Edited February 29, 2020 by FlowerPower 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlowerPower Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 23 hours ago, alison said: Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear your news. Might this be one of those instances where floor barre is a good starting point, when the time comes, if you can't do impact? Absolutely - I did like barre work so will definitely ask about it. I'll eventually be able to get back into impact stuff but only on the say-so of the physio. It'll drive me nuts, not being able to spin or jump on the leg but will look forward to it when I can. 😄😄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 I’m okay on public transport now just make sure don’t get up till bus stops to make sure don’t get thrown about too much! Easier said than done when up in London 😬 but easier down here in Brighton. I was really nervous of going in the pool again and ended up going to the health suite of one of the Brighton hotels which had a small pool and large sauna and now steam room. They charge just £5 for the day and no membership. There is a reasonable gym as well and it’s £8 if you want to do both. In case anyone is in Brighton it’s at the Queens Hotel right down near the pier. There are other hotels but they are much more expensive and facilities not really any better. I went there on a friends advice and it’s really easy to get in and out of the pool there without having to haul yourself up those ladder step type things impossible for my arm at the mo. I had to invent a few swimming strokes but it was good exercise for both arm and foot! And did a few ballet type exercises as well. When I went one afternoon last week I was the only one in the pool which was great! Once my arm has improved a bit will go back to usual pool in Brighton which I really like too but this is a great interim option and the water is that bit warmer too 😊 The yoga class I do is a very gentle form anyway working a lot with the spine ...it’s called scaravelli yoga and you sort of slowly work your way into poses so as not to stress the body great if you like a slower speed anyway or are recovering from injury...though it’s not specifically for that. I find it a great antidote to ballet in normal circumstances. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Swimming pools are great for doing ballet-related exercise and rehab in. It's amazing how much further up I can get my leg when it's supported by the water 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Yes I know infuriating isn’t it! I could get right to the top of the Demi pointe on the injured foot in the pool but no such luck in class yesterday! My bourrees were a sort of step and drag the foot across the floor ...very graceful 🙄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlowerPower Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 I'm late coming back to this! London has mostly been okay travel wise - barring buses acting to their own timetable and having to shout at people to a) not help me, b) [please] get out of the way. The first being that my balance is pretty good (with the walking sticks at least) and being grabbed or something taken from my hands without warning is so unhelpful, rude, and would throw me right off. Not sure why people can't ask first (unless the person is actually falling to the ground)? Update - two weeks ago, my brain auto-threw a crutch aside and I managed to hobble alright without it. Then last week, the other! Both following weight bearing PT sessions. And today, I took a very careful stroll (around the house) without the knee brace. While I haven't shrugged off the crutches or brace for safety as I can't navigate variable grounds yet and I have strict surgeon's orders, what a relief to feel like things are plodding along alright! I'm excited that my exercises include standing leg exercises like calf raises and even the tiny little baby squats (which feel ridiculous) and I can just about do tendus though they can't brush the floor and the leg isn't quite perfectly straight yet. I was able to balance long enough on the injured leg to do a couple of tendus with the good leg and it felt soooo good. Ridiculous. 😂😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlowerPower Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 On 04/03/2020 at 12:22, LinMM said: Yes I know infuriating isn’t it! I could get right to the top of the Demi pointe on the injured foot in the pool but no such luck in class yesterday! My bourrees were a sort of step and drag the foot across the floor ...very graceful 🙄 Ah no, how are they feeling now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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