Friday, September 10, 2010

My Latest Fashion

My Latest Fashion Ooooooh yeah. This is going to be all over the runway for Spring. You heard it here first.

So, I ran too hard at the gym. Really. I was in boxing class and we were doing a partner drill where your partner rolls up a towel the long way and loops it around your waist. Then they stand behind you and hold onto the ends, squatting down to give the most resistance. Then you cartoon run and try to pull them across the floor. This is much harder than it sounds. My partner is someone I've worked with before and she is about the same size as me. So I'm running, running and she isn't moving. Well, come on! I know I can do better than that. So I redoubled my efforts and then I felt something pop in my left calf. Bad.

I tried to put weight on it, couldn't. Felt like I was going to faint, then like I was going to puke, then like I was going to faint again. Luckily, none of that happened. The gym employees literally carried me out of the gym in a fireman's carry (I made them put me down before we got outside because no cab would pick me up if they were carrying me).

I went to the emergency room where I sat in the waiting room in howling pain for four hours (I was doing yoga breaths and tapping the other foot to try to deal with it and the other people waiting kept looking at me askance). I went back. They did an X-ray. Then they said, "By the way, an X-ray will only tell us if the bone is broken. It's not." Well, duh. They said that maybe my calf muscle had torn, maybe detached from the bone, but my Achilles tendon was fine (huge relief).

They put me in a cast. I spent a day on crutches and wow, do they suck. I had to ask a co-worker to carry my lunch from the microwave to my office because you can't hold anything! I have to flash my badge to get back to the hallway where my office is after using the bathroom, and I couldn't figure out the timing of flashing the badge and then hopping over sideways to open the door and then push through it with the crutches before the time expired and the door locked again.

I came home and traced a pattern while standing on one leg. Don't recommend. Also not recommended: making meusli while standing on one leg.

Went to the orthopedist this morning. The "good" news is that the muscle is still attached to the bone and mostly intact, just a really bad pull. I am in the boot for four weeks and we'll re-evaluate a few days before I leave for my long anticipated vacation. He warned I may still be in the boot in Turkey. Oh yeah. But I am back on two feet walking approximately five inches per minute and I can't tell you how good it is. I live in a third floor walkup. Hopping up to the third floor is really quite excruciating.

My first thought, after "I think I'm going to vomit" was "Thank goodness it's not my sewing leg!!!!" Since I won't be going to the gym for a while, I'm going to have to make sure I use that time to sew rather than sit around snacking. Don't know how much I'll be modeling though!

Can I just say, thank goodness I made all those dresses I can just pull over my head!

Unmentionables 9-2010 Current output is three pairs of much needed panties. These are made from the same knockoff H&M pattern as the last set. I determined that lace isn't great for the leg openings (not strong enough or good enough recovery), so I ordered some black picot elastic from Sew Sassy, the source of the stretch laces. Love the picot elastic look and will be using it to trim a neckline soon, I think. The legs on the panties look wavy when sitting flat, but fit perfectly when worn. I already purged three old pairs from the drawer, which felt good.

Sooooo, does anybody know any cardio exercises that can be done sitting or standing stationary? I can do most strength exercises, including even shallow squats and dead lifts, but figuring out how to burn calories is going to be my biggest challenge.

62 comments:

[patty the snug bug] said...

oooooo.... i can't help you with the cardio q, but last summer I had what is probably a very similiar injury. I was gardening in our front yard, which is super slanty, so my calves got very stretched out then when I walked up the hill my left calf just popped. Like a rubber band. Funny thing is my husband was talking to the neighbor and I knew I had minutes 'till the fainty/pukey feeling. I hopped to the car, got in and sat quietly. About a minute later he noticed me in the car and asked what I was doing and I was like "we have to go to the emergency room". He was completeley flummoxed! It wasn't my achilles either (thank god) they just wrapped me up and made me have crutches - it was the tendown in my calf that I can't remember the name. The orthopedic guy said that tennis players get this injury all time. Tennis players, and you know, people like me. Who walk.

It really recovered quickly, though! good luck! and I'm inspired to get some stretchy lace and make some underoos for me!!

Trudy said...

Oh my gosh! I am so sorry. I must say that you are the cutest person in a cast though. Hope you get better soon.

Trudy
www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com

Little Hunting Creek said...

oh no! I do exercises in the pool, because I can't walk far or stand up that long either. I hope that you recover quickly - this just proves what I'e always felt - exercise is dangerous :)

MushyWear said...

Oh, so sorry to hear of your injury. Pamper yourself and get better soon! Love the undies.

Anonymous said...

Trena, so sorry this happened to you, and hope you mend FAST! Regarding cardio, does your gym have one of those exercise "bikes" where you sit, but the pedaling is done up top with the arms/hands? This is so great for people with injuries like yours. Just a thought. Hope you find something that works in the interim. At least you can still sew. Does aerobic sewing count? ;)

Best wishes,

SherryV

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

I'm sorry this happened but glad that you had it treated right away. Also hope that you don't have to wear the boot in Turkey...that would be a downer, for sure!

Reethi said...

Ouch! (Incidentally, do you have a picture of the bra strap things you were looking for? I can go look for them in the fabric district, we have a couple of nice notion places...)

Penny said...

I did have an Achilles tear and, for the record, it HURTS! I found that lugging around that heavy cast after surgery was a workout in itself. I'm sorry you got injured and I'm glad you have the dresses to make dressing easier.
Susan

kmw said...

Yikes! I'd avoid the squats, even shallow. Much as I hate the arm bike, it's a good option for you. An elliptical machine *may* be okay, if you have access to one that lets you use arms (to take some strain off the work your legs would do). Just be smart about it (you know, avoid things that hurt!), and heal fast!!! Good luck!

DD said...

I work in DC and happened to see you this morning. My first thought was CUTE DRESS!!LOL!! Then I said hey that's Trena from Slapdash Sewist. Then I noticed the crutches and thought maybe that wasnt her. LOL!! Hope you feel better. BTW LOVE the Good it aint my sewing leg. Oh BTW I met you at PR Philly. It was nice to meet you and I'm sure you'll be up and around before you know it.

Clio said...

Ouch! Thank goodness it wasn't something worse or in your sewing leg!

Karin said...

Ouch! I am sorry to hear that this happened. Sewing is a really good strategy to keep from snacking. I can't think how you will be able to burn any cals unless you can take the cast off to get into a pool for water aerobics or something like that.

Heal soon!

Jackie said...

Ooooh, I'm sorry to hear about this I but hope you'll be better soon! Cute underwear.

meli88a said...

Owiee! Torn muscles hurt. I hope that you heal easily and quickly.

Angela said...

Oh no!! Good thing it isn't your sewing leg! Hope you heal quickly and prety pretty undies!

Amanda S. said...

Oh no! What a pain! The "thank goodness it's not my sewing leg" comment made me laugh. That's exactly what would have been going through my head as well. I'm hoping you make a quick recovery. The panties are cute!

Anonymous said...

Ow! Hope that it heals quickly!

Eugenia said...

Oh no! What a nasty thing to happen to such a nice person! I do hope you get better very soon - I'm sure you will, nature is quite amazing like that. Perhaps sewing at twice the speed you normally do will help burn a few calories? Great panties!

Uta said...

That sounds painful... I hope you get better soon! (No idea on the calorie burning, but I found that my appetite decreases when I'm forced to be sedentary - even when pregnant, which I had with both my pregnancies.) So I'd say don't worry too much, just try to get well in time for your trip!

Digs said...

Oh the hazards of being active and fit: poor you! Hopefully the pain will subside within a very few days, and from then on it'll be "just" the inconvenience of the thing. Best wishes for a rapid recovery!

McVal said...

I'm so sorry about your leg! My leg knee was out of commission after a Taekwondo camp that I attended several years ago. For about 6 weeks, the inside of my knee was bruised from a bunch of big guys kicking a kick pad on top of it. Yeowch. Nothing I could do but wait for it to heal. Good luck to you and your leg!

NancyDaQ said...

Ouch!! Sorry to hear about your leg. I don't think there's really a cardio solution for this one except maybe water aerobics. Did your ortho have any recommendations? Here's to quick healing and have fun sewing in the meantime.

Mae said...

Oh Trena I'm so sorry you've had this injury just before your Turkey trip. I'm a 58 yr old gym junkie and I'm ultra cautious- I take a long term view, and when I have an injury, no matter how minor, I prefer to take time out to recover to ensure more years at the gym. You are young and you will recover quickly, but please give yourself a break! You don't need to burn calories. You are tiny and gorgeous. If you put on a bit of weight you can lose it when heve recovered. Please rest. You probably have travel insurance- please conside rescheduling your Turkey trip, if that is an option.

Sew-4-Fun said...

Ye-ow! I hope you recover quickly so you can ditch the boot before Turkey. Take it easy on those stairs of yours.

Vicki said...

Oh you poor thing!!! Well, you don't need cardio - have a break, but just reduce your food portion sizes a bit. Me I haven't been to gym for 2 years and have not put on weight! gym is too dangerous :) But if you must exercise, how about ball or weight excersises using your arms. hard work raising arms above head - up and down, side to side etc holding a ball or weights.

Rhoto said...

:-0... So Sorry!! Exercise?? TREAT yourself to comfort foods is my idea!!
Soft hug, Rhonda (who's overweight, remember..)

Dana said...

All I can think of is OOOWWWWWWWW! And you're still trying to think of ways to excercise? OOOWWWWWWW!

Hope you recover quickly with very little pain ;)

Rosie said...

T - sorry about your injury. I'm very happy it's nothing really bad. As much as you don't want to hear it - just chill out! The only cardio I can think of is swimming as you don't want to risk causing additional injury. More rest - quicker recovery and hopefully you won't be in the crutches when you are in Turkey. I hope you received the pics I sent.

I love the new undies!!

I managed to sustain a really bad left ankle sprain on Wednesday evening just walking home in my sneakers. I think the sidewalk was uneven. When I planted my left foot down - my left ankle twisted and hit the pavement. Yes, I thought I saw a putty tat. I have been home resting, icing, applying compression and elevating my leg. I know how you feel.

wendy said...

Oh no! Yikes! I had almost exactly the same injury to my right calf muscle 4 years ago- I was in "the boot" cast for 5 weeks. Be really careful, and make sure you do all the physical therapy when we get out of the cast- I had a high ankle sprain two years later on the right leg since my ankle was weakened by the weak muscle. If you can, get a wobble board to do therapy exercises on!

I hope you get better soon- rest up, and lots of luck!!

Victoria said...

You poor thing **hugs**! Although you're not 100% I love how you're making the best of it and still trying to exercise (smile)! Thank goodness it wasn't your sewing leg indeed! Well get better and btw, cute undies!

a little sewing said...

Oh I am so sorry to hear about the prolonged, intense pain. I hope you are not feeling so bad now. I guess you will be able to write the book on how to get by with crutches. And, re: the exercise, I am sure I'd be asking the same questions. I rely on exercise to feel good. Hopefully the doctor can refer you to a physical therapist and you can get some good facts on what is safe and what's not. (I have no idea!) Maybe exercise in a pool somehow?
Fortunately, being young and fit will be a big advantage.

marysews said...

Try some of the exercises from T-Tapp. Here's a discussion about sitting exercises: http://forums.t-tapp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45670

kbenco said...

That is really horrid.
Can you do single leg cyling on a stationary bike at your gym - even keeping the affected leg supported on a chair or box, you can get a good workout.

AllisonC said...

Oh no poor you, that sounds like a really bad tear. I hope you recover quickly. On the selfish side it does mean we will all get to see (even) more sewing projects from you!

Faye Lewis said...

Wow girl. Make sure you take care of that - don't stand for long periods of time.

Kyle said...

aw Trena, I sorry to hear about your injury. I'm sending healing energy your way!! This too shall pass. And accept help from your coworkers, like with the door and such. Don't worry about the calories. You are tiny!

Mary said...

Oh, I'm so sorry. As someone who is on the other end of the healing curve, I send you hope and patience! Good luck on the cardio stuff-I just got a little flabby over the summer and lived in my yoga pants. :-( I went to the Y this week and met with a trainer. She was helpful-perhaps you can do that.

Carol said...

Oh that really does suck! Make sure you actually take the time to heal that is recommended by your doctor! As for sitting down cardio, anything with weight about the heart centre will increase your heart rate. Shoulder and triceps exercises are a great start. Hold a 5kg above your head, keeping the elbows close to the ears then lower down behind you and raise again slowly. Shoulder presses work, too. I'd try 3kg weights for that. I'll ask my trainer for some tips; she has two clients in wheelchairs, so she knows what to do. Good luck in the meantime and do try and relax!

Christina said...

Oh man, that sucks bigtime! Good for you for looking for ways to exercise. If it were me, it's just be the sofa and Netflix streaming for a month.

Vegan said...

Oh, no! Hope you're better soon!

I suffered an ankle injury last year, and yeah, carrying your food is impossible. Luckily, my fridge and microwave and right next to each other, so I went through a lot of frozen veggie burgers.

badmomgoodmom said...

So sorry you are injured. I heard from several sources that Turkey is amazingly beautiful. With the cast, the men there will be tripping over each other to help you out.

Marie-Christine said...

Oh, ouch! One of my coworkers did that on his bike a couple years back, thought he'd been hit by a car at first it felt so brutal. And he was in a cast for 6 weeks :-(. But the good news is that he did recover fully, and is now doing the same bike routine, just paying more attention to extreme effort. Really, your arteries will be fine if you don't work quite so hard :-). Be a good girl and work hard at the physical therapy afterwards, OK? Meanwhile, take it easy, and yes, this is the time to stock up on underwear, winter coats, pull-on dresses.. Sigh.

LindaNan said...

Try giant arm circles. They will get your heart pumping.

laparesseuse said...

So sorry to hear about your injury. I had the same challenge re getting cardio when I had a torn meniscus. One thing I did was the Pilates "hundreds" every day (multiple sets) with variations that made it harder (angle of my legs, on a foam roller for instability). Even though it's not the duration of cardio work that you're used to, it's at least something to get your heart rate up -- and it's a great core workout. You could use an ankle weight on your healthy leg to balance out your boot. I hope that you will heal quickly so you can fully enjoy your trip to Turkey. I was in Istanbul for a conference in February and absolutely loved it. I definitely plan to go back for a holiday. I'll look forward to hearing about your travels.
Karen in Paris

Kitty Couture said...

Sorry about your pulled muscle Trena! That sounds so painful. I know how much it sucks not being able to use a leg. I hope you still get to enjoy Turkey. Thinking good thoughs for you!

Cassie said...

How about the Hover?

You know where you face the floor on your elbows and knees and make sure your butt is level with your back/neck... or lower.

It's part back/stomach/shoulder strength but man holding that for a minute makes your heart race.

Otherwise you could easily grab a pilates video which is almost all done on the floor. Good for a light cardio work out.

mochimo said...

I'm so sorry to hear that you hurt yourself. I hope you'll be better very soon!

Andrea said...

I hope your leg heals up fast, and I am also glad that it's not your sewing leg. As for working out, what about chair aerobics or exercise bands?

Love the underwear!!! I've got fabric and lace to make some, but haven't tried it yet.

Lilian said...

Whoaaa,that sounds rather painful. I'm so sorry for you. I hope you will recover soon! I'm afraid I don't have any useful exercise-tips.
Reading your story, I had a flasback. When I broke one finger and relocated another one (this year, at home), I hurried inside, snatched my mobile and sat down on the couch, because I felt I was going to faint. And I believe I did, because I remember waking up and hearing a sound in my ears like there was a big, working machine outside the house. Luckily I was clear enough by then to call someone.

Take care of yourself!

p.s. Love the undies

judy said...

Sorry to hear about you leg! REAL bummer getting injured exercising! Try punches for an upper body cardio workout....I do a jillian michaels dvd where that is part of the cardio workout. Cute panties!

BrusselsSprout_Katharine said...

:((((
Hugs... that's tough! Never realized how the badge thing can be so annoying. Turkey... well, you need a vacation now. Things will work out *good vibes*

Have a try with weightlifting. The greater muscle mass formed will burn more calories over a 24h period than cardio can. You won't get big or bulky, and you don't need to do tons of light reps to avoid getting big--your female hormones will prevent you from getting big. Lift 'like a man' but do 1-2 wks of light weights to give you a chance to learn good technique and to strengthen your ligaments. I suggest Videofitness for DVD reviews, or Cathe.com (NAYY) who shows impeccable technique.

Linda L said...

That sounds very painful. I probably would have just passed out!

Sigrid said...

Auw, that's a painful experience. Get better soon, best wishes for a good recovery before your vacations.

The Sewing and Knitting Loft said...

You might try going up steps/stairs backwards. I broke my pelvis a few years ago and eventually was on a walker...doing steps going up backwards was the only way I could manage. Hopping was too painful. Good luck and get back in the swing of things by vacation time.

Alex said...

Yikes! I'm so sorry to hear that. DH just broke his right Hand so I've been doing as much as I can for him. Sucks not to have all your limbs. I hope you are doing ok and are great for your vacation.

Miss Amy said...

Didnt go through all of your comments, but BOXING is awesome cardio if you are stuck sitting or stationary.

What a horrible accident, love your new knickers though, I think I need to copy your idea and make myself some too :)

Get better soon!

BConky said...

That stinks you got hurt doing what we all should be doing- exercising. Go see a physical therapist to get ideas of how to exercise without injuring yourself further. Hope you get it off before your trip.

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm so sorry. How awful. I bet the disruption of your normal life is so hard to deal with. Here's to a speedy recovery.

Anonymous said...

So sorry for your injury. I did the crutches, cast, boot thing back in 2008 after a broken ankle. You are so right about how awful it is. I flew to Vancouver (east coast to west coast) with the boot and crutches.

Adelaide B said...

Crutches do indeed suck! I hope your recovery goes without a hitch.

Cennetta said...

Boo hoo. Sorry to hear and "see" your misfortune. Take care of yourself.

The panties look great. I've been thinking of trying my hand at sewing them too. I already have remnants and elastic lace. I just need to do it.

senaSews said...

Oooh no! I'm so sorry for you. I hope you get well soon!