It’s a…..

….skiing-orthosis! I got my skiing-orthosis last Friday, it’s a perfect fit. It was so weird to stand on one leg while the knee was bended. It’s been four years since I was able to bend my knee while weight bearing without falling down. Strange… and exciting!

I tried skiing on it on saterday. The turn to the left was amazing I was able to put pressure on my ski and my ski wasn’t drifting at all! This is my ‘bad’ turn since my weak leg is the right leg and I’m usually not putting pressure on it so my ski drifts. But the other turn, to the right, was impossible and this is my ‘good’ turn. The knee wouldn’t bend at all, that way my leg was “too long” to be able to carve, I ended up in a plow. The gas spring is too heavy for me right now.

Today I went back to get a lighter gas spring but unfortunately there wasn’t one available that was light enough. He will get the new ones next week just in time for the La Molina training trip which will be a great opportunity to start testing with the lighter gas springs. For the races this weekend I will work with what I know works. I’m using the new skiing-orthosis without a gas spring but with a end point at 85 degrees so my knee won’t bend too far and I will have enough control. I skied this way with my walking orthosis up to now so I know it will work. And with the new skiing-orthosis my leg is a lot better supported since its designed for skiing so I have a lot more control then with the walking orthosis. All though I won’t be able to use the advantages of the gas spring for this races I’m still very happy with this solution. Without the gas spring my right ski is drifting again but less then with the walking orthosis. So I’m still pretty confident about my skiing at this moment and I feel ready to race next weekend. With big thanks to Frank Jol who build and designed the skiing-orthosis.

I had a Jersey shore theme party last week. All though it was a very busy week and I wasn't able to stay long and go all 4 days, I still had a lot of fun with my friends and with dressing up for this party.

with friends

with my sister and brother

I have packed almost all my stuff, prepped my ski’s and bought what I needed. I am ready to go to Austria! So excited.

skiing slalom again

It’s been way too long since my last update.

So where to begin…

I have been skiing a lot in the last weeks and it’s getting better! I started slalom again about a week after I started skiing. My ankle doesn’t bother me at all and the irritation I have with the plate in my ankle is getting better. I feel pretty confident and strong at the moment which is good, my first race is 2 weeks from today! In st Lambrecht Austria, I’m getting excited.

There has been progress with the ski-orthosis and I will get it next week! More on that to come.

Last week I had a medical career event, a good way to meet some doctors and talk about my future. A very positive thing was that a surgeon told me that I still could become a surgeon, that my leg isn’t a problem. I’m so happy just to have the possibility, I thought that it would be a problem since I can’t run (which is about the only thing I can’t together with walking in heels). I guess this is it for now, I have been busy but not everything is that interesting.

Back to…..Skiing!!!

I did it, I made come back number 2!

Tuesday I went skiing for the first time since my ankle surgery, not the first time since I broke my ankle… But that’s a totally different story.

I was wondering when do you stop saying “I have a broken ankle” and start saying “I had a broken ankle”, well I guess that moment is here now I can ski again.

So back to Tuesday, I was nervous, wasn’t sure how I would do, I knew I was ready but still… The muscles in my lower calf (those are the ones that still work) are still tres petite, I’m working hard to make them strong again but they don’t seem to react that much. The doc suggested electro stimulation especially since a lot of exercises won’t work for me, I’ll see if that works. 
My first run was a bit insecure but after that I got my confindence back and I started to ski. I was quite happy with how I skied, the trainer (from my skiclub) said that I skied pretty good considering it was my first time back. Best of all my ankle was totally fine, it didn’t hurt and it didn’t swell that much, not more than normal. The only problem was the metal plate on my fibula, it’s superficial, you can actually see it through my skin. That isn’t a very nice feeling and my skin was red afterwards. Hopefully me skin will adjust, and I’m getting new ski boots and they’ll be adjusted so they don’t give too much pressure on my plate. I needed new boots for my ski-orthosis anyways.

Today I had my 6 week post cast check up with doctor Kerkhofs, he was happy with my progress. He was very pleased that my ankle didn’t react to the skiing. He told me that the swelling (my ankle still is very swollen) is normal and will stay at least a year if not for ever, oh joy….

On the other hand he wasn’t too happy that the plate is bothering me that much (not just while skiing, it bothers me a lot more) he said that I needed to make sure that it doesn’t break through my skin. He can’t take my plate out right away the bone isn’t strong enough. So I probably get another surgery in a couple of months, bummer.

Monday I went to the orthopedic technician because I broke my orthosis… the thing is made out of carbon but I still managed to break it. I’m really good with breaking stuff. Luckily they were able to fix it right away, I can walk on a broken tibia and fibula but I can’t walk on a broken orthosis, weird. I'm not allowed to jump anymore, because my orthosis will break again if I do. But they don't want hold me back from pushing myself so they are thinking of an solution. Unfortunately, still no news on the skiing-orthosis.