One foot in front of the other....

Think back to watching the movie "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". It has the cute penguin, a bunch of elves with rhyming names, Kris Kringle, and a Winter Warlock. There is a scene where the Winter Warlock is doing what all evil beings must do in a kid's flick, go from bad to good. As he is learning to walk along the symbolic path of morality, there is a great tune that encourages him to put "one foot in front of the other". That is the soundtrack of my life right now!!!

To bring you up to speed- I spent Thursday laid up in my living room with ice and a propped ankle. I did homework, watched t.v., read, and stared longingly out the window. There were some heavy rainstorms that day, but I would have given anything to be able to run outside in it! Thursday night I went to an Urgent Care place. Tell you what, this place was awesome! It is a facility that is able to diagnose and treat injuries that aren't "ER" worthy...and therefore, there is no ER wait, and the people are much, much nicer!! After an hour or two at Urgent Care, it was determined that yes, I did have a fracture. Turns out it is what is called an "avulsion fracture". When I fell, the ligaments stretched and pulled like a sprain, but went a further and literally pulled chips of bone off. I had a few chips of bone floating detached from the ankle bones. Home I went on crutches, awaiting (rather impatiently) an appointment with the orthopedist. 

Fearing the worst, and hoping for at least an air cast, I headed off to the doctor. Turns out that this kind of fracture can be treated without a cast (dancing around as if I'd just won a million dollars, except not really, because I can't stand on my foot) He said that it would be about a week before I would be able to fully support my weight on it, but I was allowed to try a bit each day to get stronger.

Well, as is my tendency, when someone gives me an inch, I tend to go a mile. By Sunday night, I had tried to walk a bit without crutches. This is great, because as much as a klutz as I was before, you should see me try to walk using two sticks. So anyway, walking=OUCH.... but I was able to do it! I've been able to walk, but in such a weird way that I swear I've forgotten how to do it properly. I can't really bend my ankle while I walk, so I have this weird shuffling gait that allows me to keep the weight off a specific part of my foot. I have to concentrate so hard to walk normally that it looks like I'm figuring out a ridiculous calc problem....plus, it hurts, so I don't try much. And then today, I went outside into the world (what a glorious achievement for someone with no access to a car right now!) and went to a movie and to a store, and overdid it, so I'm back to ice and pain killers. Before you start to scold, don't worry, I've heard enough already, and I'll take it easy.

I think I've finally come to terms with missing the auditions. Others will come. In fact, there are auditions for another musical coming up that doesn't require dancing (!) , so I'm focusing on that for now.

Another downer? I CAN'T RUN FOR A MONTH. I was doing awesome! I wasn't "regularly" running, but it was often enough where I was improving. Now, I can't run for a month! Hmmm....walking here I come!!! Have I told you my goal for this yet?  I don't think so---- by the end of the year, I want to run the a path that stretches 26.2 miles....all the way to the steps of the Philly Art Museum!!!

Another adventure that I've thought up? I haven't played softball in about 8 years...since I had to make the choice between softball or music. Maybe I'll play in a summer league : )

Well, it's that time. Practicing tomorrow!

Much Love,
Lauren