If I could turn back time

2012 has been the stage of an unprecedented act in my life. I am glad to close it, almost 13 months to the day after the accident, a few hours before celebrating 2013.

13 months later... Epilogue.

Indeed I am just out of my last rehab stay: three weeks in the same European rehab resort for injured sportspeople (Dec. 10-29). Paradise. An exhausting paradise, though. All in all, I spent 11 weeks in that heavenly hospital, i.e. 3 full months, punctuated with immersions into real life.

Throughout the year, I relearnt to stand on my two feet, relearnt to walk, relearnt to run, jump, land, relearnt to juke, change directions, speed up and slow down, relearnt to cycle and skate...

I had to re-mobilize the whole leg, get back amplitudes (stretching/flexing), build muscle back...

The final exam is pretty encouraging. I am in the clear and it is still improving: the traumatism is still fresh!

My legs are the same size (which was still not the case one month ago) and almost the same shape, the knee is still loose but the stop is clear (means that the ligament actually grew back although not as tight as before), I got back all my strength (still less endurant and tonic) and almost all my amplitudes (still a bit rusty on the flexing). But I have the green light to work on that and do whatever I want.

Gonna miss the view...

My room.

Single room with balcony and bay window onto the ocean.

Sunset at 5-ish just when I finished my classes.

Seriously, would shower with the door open to admire the view!

...and the atmosphere

...and the people

...and the working like mad

...and the food

K-Tape Experiment

Today, I had my knee k-taped.

These elastic tapes come from Japan and are the new trend! Indeed, not only are they multipurpose: useful to reduce swelling and bruises, stimulate or relax muscles, stabilize joints... but they are also catchy and fun as they exist in tons of colors.

The first time I was introduced to those flashy stripes was during the Roller Derby World Cup in Toronto, as k-tape was heavily used by the physiotherapists, especially that of Team USA. Which was a good point for us (Team France) because the tapes were also matching our colors... given that we were in red and blue like the Americans!
It was misleading, by the way. Once, a spectator asked me when *we* were playing... Dude, do you really care that much about Team France or did you just mistake me for a member of Team USA? Victim, but proud.

The second time I met the k-tapes was in my rehab center where they are also used a lot, especially to reduce bruises of post-surgery patients: put without being stretched, they make folds on the skin, which helps lymphatic flow. It WORKS.

I was taped during my second stay in rehab because I had periosistis on both my legs. It is meant to work well on tendonitis and all, but I must say that, apart from reminding me that I had to keep it easy thanks to the flashy yellow and blue colors on my shins, it did not help much.

One year ago... I left my knee in Team France

One year later...
"with" and "without"...

One year ago the French Team was in Toronto for the first ever Roller Derby World Cup.

One year ago the French Team played against Sweden. HERE

One year ago I had a little misfortune...

One year later, I am (almost) back to square one.

One more month to hold on and I can close the chapter!

RELATED POSTS:

• News of my knee for nosey people
• Toronto World Cup Coverage
• I left my heart in Team France
• World Cup Preliminary Groups Draw
• 2011 French Team

The CERS strikes back but I will survive!

Wow you are spoilt today, two puns in one headline!

You must have concluded that:

Yes I'm back in the CERS* !! and Yes it is no picnic...

Note: Strangely enough, this is the second tribute I pay to a freshly dead black female singer in a CERS article. Not on purpose. First Whitney, now Gloria. Should definitely stop going to that place!


 

After 4 weeks spent in February, I signed again. I am in the room next to my previous one: I don't have the amazing view onto the ocean (I mean, I cannot contemplate it when I am lying in my bed) but I can see the training field, which proves to be very useful to check if the weightbearing class has started!

In February, I had program number 2.

Now I have upgraded to number 3, the last stage!

There are three main threads in the center, according to if you are in post-surgery (level 1), semi-strenghtening (level 2) or re-athletisation (level 3). Your doctor puts you in one of the three categories, individualizes your program and adapts it to your special needs. I am *so* glad I have been given the same medical team as last time!

It's back. Back?!

That's
(my interpretation of)
the conclusion of the MRI
I took this afternoon.

Remember that I had an appointment at the surgeon's lately? Alright, I only talked about what happened before and not about what happened next. I left the surgeon with:

1) an appointment for an MRI
2) another appointment to discuss the MRI
3) an appointment with a colleague of his for an iso-kinetic test. All of this concentrated in less than a week. Efficient.

Back in the Saddle

At the physio's while warming up on the eliptor, I mentionned that my knee was hurting a bit today.  

"What did you do since last time?"

"Err--I tried to rollerskate..." 

I was clearing myself profusely when she stopped me and said that I had done right. (Right??) Yes because I'm ready now and the motor patterns will help my knee remember how it works. 

I didn't exactly confess that I had spent the three hours of practice on skates running simultaneously the trainings of the advanced and freshmeats all alone, showing all the drills. But then I won't complain if I have her blessing!

"Warm up, take it easy and have fun this weekend, you're doing good!"

They tried to make me go to rehab...

...and I said 'Yes Yes Yes'

4 weeks’s a long and a short time altogether. And I was longing for this retreat as much as I was dreading it. Longing for being taken care of and sweating, dreading for managing to fit in and make friends. In this first summary I will concentrate on the sweating part, the socializing stuff will be the subject of a second post.

I was in room 432: A single room with a large bay window looking onto the ocean. The bed was the same kind as you find in hospitals with the head and the foot that can be lifted up – which happens to be handy when you want to read or work on your computer. Every morning at around 7:30, the nurses would knock at each door to wake us up. Breakfast was served from 7:30 to 8:30 except on Sundays (rest days) when we could oversleep until 8-ish!

CERS

First day at the CERS*.

Put my clothes in the cupboard. Single room with ocean view. Met the nurse. Met the doctor. Met the physiotherapist. Had a look around. Showered. Ate.

Now waiting for the real thing to start: physio-physio-physio from 8am to 5pm. Alternating with proprioception, balneotherapy and work-out. Every day. 4 weeks. Back in March.

Deep breath: GO!

 

* European Physiotherapy Center for Athletes.

RELATED POSTS:

• Dark Side of the CERS
  
• They tried to make me go to rehab... and I said Yes Yes Yes!
• I feel free...
• Superman's dead
• News of my knee for nosey people

News of my Knee for Nosey People

Before dedicating an article to the World Cup in Toronto, I’d like to share an unfortunate consequence: My knee didn’t survive the tournament, which led to a couple of misfortunes…

I know the question is burning your lips: How did it happen?

I took a hit, fell on both my knees like a rock’n roll guitar player (hell yeahh). And basically that’s it: hyperflexion and bad luck.

It didn’t hurt. My leg just wouldn’t respond – which is quite annoying when you’re in the middle of a jam. Made me think it was not a big deal at first. But seeing no improvement whatsoever and still feeling no pain as days went by, I started wondering – eh!

As soon as I came back from Toronto, I followed the advice of the physiotherapist: I saw a good bunch of practitioners (thanks dad) and did a MRI.