I can't believe I started a blog.

I’m Kristen — 20-something, writing/communications/PR gal by day, ballet dancer by night and weekend. I’m also an overachiever, to the point of having 207 bones.

When I first found out I had os trigonum syndrome (a painful impingement caused by an extra bone in my ankle), I poked through dusty little corners of the Internet trying to find information on this condition that, while seemingly common among dancers, is rare among “normal” people — even athletes. (“Did you WebMD it?” a friend asked. I tried, but the search results came back empty. This may be a good thing because in true WebMD fashion, the site probably would have told me I have a freak form of ankle cancer and three days to live.) 

My research turned up plenty of medical journal articles in which I understood about 17% of the words, but very few firsthand accounts of dealing with os trigonum syndrome, having surgery, and recovering. I wanted to read real stories, told by real people, about the ups and downs and when can I ditch the boot and crutches and dance again?

The few resources I did find were tremendously helpful: I enjoyed Ballet Austin dancer Michelle Thompson’s upbeat posts about her surgery and rehab on dance blog The Winger. I also found plenty of insights on Ballet Talk for Dancers, a message board that, incidentally, also helped me find my Cinderella pointe shoes. (Lovely Freed Studio Operas, fear not. This is a temporary hiatus. I will return to you soon.)

So that brings me to this blog, which is at once an attempt to keep friends and family updated throughout my surgery and recovery and to provide information to anyone else — especially dancers — who might land here after browsing the Interwebs like I did. This is also an attempt to keep myself sane while I’m couch-bound and out of ballet. Homegirl doesn’t like sitting still.  

My surgery (more specifically, os trigonum excision and FHL tendon/trigger toe release) is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26. Until then, I’ll post some background info and explain how I got to this point. After surgery, I'll share updates on my recovery and return to ballet. If all goes according to plan, I hope this will be a short-term writing project and that I’ll be back to happy, healthy dancing soon!