Surgiversary

Today marks one month since my ankle surgery, so I figure it’s a good time to update my long-neglected blog. I’m doing pretty well — back to my normal routine (with the exception of ballet), and just trying to hide from the “What Not to Wear” camera crews that are inevitably lurking around my workplace. I’m still rocking the dress clothes/sneakers/ankle brace combination…or, as one colleague called it, “the Metro look.” I hope Stacy and Clinton, as New Yorkers, will understand.

So, where were we? From two to three weeks post-op, I saw a lot of improvement in my ankle. I was able to start exercising every day by riding the stationary bike, swimming, or doing the elliptical machine. At the three-week mark, I could point my bad foot about as far as I could before surgery — which, granted, is still not as good as my other foot, but a massive improvement over the previous couple weeks. I started doing some gentle barre work like my surgeon encouraged, but experienced pain and restricted motion, especially in demi plie.

This past week, I have to admit that I’ve been feeling a little low. Since I’m exercising every day, feeling fit and healthy and generally normal, I feel like I should be performing full-length ballets or banging out fouettes on pointe. But this isn’t the case — recovery is going to be a long journey, and I’m still early in the process. I know surgery isn’t a magical fix, especially since I had pain and range-of-motion problems for over a year, but I still feel a little nervous about being able to gain the strength and ROM I need to resume dancing. While I am seeing consistent improvements, right now I am nowhere near the plantar flexion I need to be able to dance on pointe.

I know I’m only four weeks out, and I’m lucky I can keep up my stamina and burn off some energy by doing daily cardio. (Plus, I’ve been trying to eat more protein because it helps with healing, so I’m feeling lean and mean!) But I miss dancing so much. Sure, it’s nice to come home from work, cook dinner, and relax…but really, I just want to change into a leotard and tights, swing my dance bag over my shoulder, and head right back out the door.

Earlier this week I was reading the new Pointe Magazine, which includes a column about the Lilac Fairy variation from Sleeping Beauty. On the very rare occasion that a lot of people are absent from pointe class, we get to learn a variation, and the last one I learned was Lilac Fairy. I hated all the piques on the right (bad) foot and wobbled all over the place, but nailed the diagonal — the huge sissonnes and double pirouettes. I was reading my magazine seriously aching to do those big, gorgeous jumps!

Hopefully that isn’t too far down the road. In two weeks, I head back to Indianapolis for my third post-op appointment. No offense to my surgeon, who in addition to being a rock star is a very nice guy, but I hope this will be the last time I need to see him! I’m actually excited for my physical therapy session (...is that weird?) because I will see a different PT, a former professional ballet dancer who specializes in dance medicine. I’m confident that she will be able to make great suggestions and give me a timetable for getting back into ballet. My studio is currently on a break between the summer intensive and fall classes, which resume August 11. I, for one, plan to be there!