Seriously??!@# Just thinking about it makes me upset, BUT for the sake of this I’ll put it out there: I’m injured.  It’s not a devastating injury, or one of those extreme crashes…but this one has me out for a while.

It’s been a while since my last update on here.  But let’s rewind back to January 2019 and let me fill you in on what happened.

So I got my helmet on, my gloves, safety glasses, a decent pair of riding shoes, even shin/knee guards…. safety first is always on mind, but I still sprained my dang ankle.

So I was at home during the New Years break back in January and just wanted to get out there and ride my bike.  Because that’s what bikers do.

I decide I want to practice some trials skills, so as always I suit up with my protective knee/shin guards so I don’t end up with another one of those nasty shinners.  

Well, I get on my bike and rode down the block to the park area where I can get some space to do a few standing hops with my front wheel on a picnic bench and rear wheel on the ground.

Nothing fancy.

Guess what happens next?!

My “Worst” Bike Injury

I lose my balance and began leaning left. No biggie I just need to put my left foot out to brace so I don’t completely fall over, right? Pretty normal, right?

It just so happened that I put my left foot down in a grassy area that had  uneven ground.  The grass looked flat, but the ground was hidden. For all I know the ground beneath grass is “supposed” to always be completely flat!

I assumed wrong boys and girls. I assumed very wrong.

Next thing you know my ankle ROLLS with all my weight and bike on it…
      I hear a snap….
               now I’m flat on my back in a muddy and grassy area…
                     and my bike is down on the ground next to me.

So I laid there for a few seconds contemplating life with the wet mud soothing my back.

I had to pull myself together.  When I finally did that’s when I felt my ankle radiating some pain.  I So I slowly got back up on my feet.

I could stand on it at least, barely.  So the snap I heard or felt wasn’t a broken bone.  But I was also cringing about what just happened to my foot.

Luckily I was still able to SLIGHTLY walk on my left foot.  

So I picked up my bike, get on the seat and slowly pedaled with just my right leg home. It’s kind of interesting to pedal with only one leg, never really tried it but with an ankle injury I wasn’t thinking about it at the time.

What’s wrong with my ankle?

I sprained the crap out of it.  Real bad.

I iced it immediately, but it still literally turned black and blue and purple a few days later.

I’ve sprained my ankle before, but this was THE WORST episode.  I could use every curse and swear word to describe it.

So over the course of the month I take it very easy.   I also had a snowboarding trip in February about a month and half out so I definitely wanted it to heal before than.

It did, mostly.  Maybe 80-85%.

I went snowboarding on it and just took it easy without doing any crazy tricks or jumps.  It felt ok, but not 100% as I would describe it.

Then life happens.

Planning the Wedding

So I also got married… what?!  

Yeap. June 2019.

So up until now July 2019 I have had only 2 mountain bike rides the whole year.  My last ride was in April 2019 when I felt better after the 1st sprain in January. 

That was so long ago.  Very sad.

After that I haven’t ridden mainly because of all the wedding planning, having a job I still need to attend to, and a barrage of other things in life.

Well anyways, during the wedding in June, I decided to bust out some dance moves that from back in high school.  Well I don’t have the same body of a 17 year old anymore so my ankle gave out. Well, mostly because dress shoes are no good for breakdancing. 

I got some great pictures from it, but I’m beating myself up for pushing myself and then hurting myself.  Yea dress shoes with no grip or cushioning = no good for your feet.  That’s me below:

So stupid, and so sprain #2 on the same left foot happened again.

Gosh DANG it.

Doctor’s Diagnosis

So up until this point I had not seen a doctor to check up on my ankle.  I really should have for the one back in January.. but since I’ve had sprains before and they heal correctly I thought .. ehhh I don’t need to.

But today July 19 I finally decided to see a podiatrist/foot ankle doctor.

I go in for for his opinion.  I got xrays, and he says I don’t have any fractures (great!) maybe a slight something from when it was rolled .. but nothing is broken that needs to be healed skeletally.  Is that a word? 

Foot bones are fine… great to hear!

BUT.. he wants me to go in for an MRI to check out my tendons and ligaments and cartilage which is understandable.

I know it’s a sprain but I know it’s not the bones, its the stuff connecting things together in there that’s the problem right now.

I go in for an MRI next week which I’ll update the status of later.

My symptoms are the following:

1. Flexing ankle at the limits all the way up or down I can feel some pain
2. Stairways are a little tough because of #1
3. Some pain at top of foot when in a squat position
4. I cannot attempt to jump high at all, because the motion of pushing off the ball of my foot causes pain in ankle
5. Ankle doesn’t feel 100% stable therefore I’m not confident in partaking in active sports or activities
6. Outside ankle still visibly swollen.

What Happens Now?

Doctor told me that had I been a pro athlete type of ankle injury would put me out at least 1 month. Possibly more depending on MRI results.

So I just need to take it easy before I see him again.

All of this totally sucks.  

I’ve been very inactive as well and have feel like crap because I can’t get the exercise I need due to this ankle.  Gaining weight and eating bad.

I sound depressed but I’m actually not haha, I just got married!

I just hope that everything turns out okay with my foot, and that my ankle will eventually get back to 100% without surgery or whatever.

I just want to get back on the bike!

Will update soon..

Until then, Rider up!