"OUCH!" - I'm not sure these were my exact words ( I think it was more of a scream of agony) as I missed the last 2 stairs at home Wednesday night and mashed my right ankle into the pavement. Feeling the all too familiar 'pop' on the lateral side of the ankle joint followed by shooting pain and instantaneous swelling above my running shoe - I was simultaneously angry, fearful, and praying that I had not just broken my 'good' ankle.

After a long day of work and teaching, I was happy to be finally home again. As usual, I was multi-tasking. Carrying my back-pack with my changes of clothes, water bottles, protein powder, left over food from my lunch, dinner, and various snacks, I also had the mail, my phone and my fitness ball tucked under my arm. I was reading the envelope to one of the pieces of mail trying to predict its contents when all of the sudden - what I thought was my last step - most certainly was not. Down I went. Hard. So hard (and loudly), my landlord came flying out of the garage to check on me - at the same time I was banging on the door for James to rescue me. Thankfully both were home as I'm not sure how I would have managed if I had been alone.

Once inside, James (who also happens to be a Nurse) went into action - and its a good thing. I was so incapacitated with pain and disbelief I wasn't able to do anything to help myself. All I kept thinking was "How am I going to swim this weekend?". That and the knowledge that the Fitness Conference I had registered for months ago was happening this Saturday! How was I going to participate? How was I going to drive? How was I going to work next week? Crap! I had a hill workout to teach the next day! What was I going to do??? Maybe I could wrap it and..... As James was handing me pain & anti-inflammatory meds and wrapping my ankle in ice he looked at me hard and said "don't even think about doing anything stupid like teaching tomorrow or trying to swim this weekend" DAMN! He knew me too well! Still, I needed to be able to get around. A panicked facebook message went out to good friend and super athlete Gary Robbins for his well used and awesomely modified crutches (drink holder and phone/wallet pocket included). Thanks to modern technology, he got my message from the road in Tacoma and called right away. After he asked all of the appropriate questions like "are you crazy" and "did you do it on purpose (haha)", he gave James directions on how to break into his house to get said crutches for me. :) Thanks Gary! 

12 hours later (the next morning) we were sitting in Emergency at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver after waking up in a considerable amount of pain and a new shape and colour to my ankle that had developed over night. After the young intern sarcastically asked why it had taken 12 hours for me to get in for x-rays (he was actually quite funny), James responded for me with a head nod in my direction "stubborn" he said, then they wheeled me away. The verdict thankfully was that it wasn't broken. Advice was the usual RICE and as much rehab as pain would tolerate. Sigh. 

So here I sit, day 2, on the couch with a smorgasbord of ice, traumeel, pain medication and pillows trying to do all it is I am supposed to be doing to heal. I am doing my air alphabet (I promise Kelly) , gently stretching my achilles and calf, dreaming of running, swimming, and driving. I have been reminded of the valuable lesson of the consequence of being distracted.

My training partner did an ocean swim after work yesterday and said the water was 'frosty'. I hope to get in one more time before it gets too cold. I am telling myself that maybe next week I will be able to swim. I will most certainly try anyway. It's just how I'm built.
K