Injury Update and What's Next

September 28, 2024

Figured I would take a little time to check in with the blog, even though I do not currently have much in the line of riding going on.

The Tuesday after Town Hill I went to the orthopedic surgeon's office for a consultation. I had sent in my x-ray images from the ER, and I also brought with me the CD that super barn mom Addie had advocated for me to receive when we were at the ER. By the time the doctor saw me, after consulting all of the x-rays, he made it clear that surgery was not a question but the plan. I have since learned that the type of injury that I have is commonly referred to as a Lisfranc fracture, and it is an injury in the mid foot area. Surgery was needed in my case because the damage in my foot was in a central location where many of the ligaments and tendons in the foot connect. It's a busy and important area of the foot, so the doctor was adamant that surgery was the only option.

I went in for surgery that Friday, August 30, and then spent that weekend with Drew and my parents at their house on the Cape. I had so many family and friends ready and willing to jump in and help me out, which I am so thankful for.

Foot x-ray post surgery - they put one 'button' in to keep the tendons in place, and a small dissolvable screw in as well to assist with alignment during the healing process

The post-surgery cast was huge and very heavy. For a foot injury, I was surprised to wake up to a cast that went all the way up to my knee. I was required to avoid any weight bearing on that foot during the time of having the cast, so I had to continue to use and get used to the crutches. I am also lucky that my boss at work happen to have a knee scooter from one of her kids' previous injuries that required one. She has been letting me borrow that during this injury and it has been a game changer for moving around the house and completing simple tasks like letting Wally out.

Being down one leg has not kept me from the barn, though. When I had the cast on I tried to go nearly every day just to take Sophie out for a groom. She loves a good curry, and it is my duty as an obsessive horse mom to make sure she has no new nicks or scrapes each day (because as we all know, horses spend most days trying to find new ways to hurt themselves). I also really feel grounded when I spend time at the barn - it's like a reset. Having the cast on kept me from being able to do a lot of things normally, so still being able to find a way to see my pony was good for the soul. I also want to give a quick shout again to the amazing Addie, who provided me with this game changer of a tool in the form of a crutch bag. You can see it in the picture below - it holds my keys, wallet, phone, my chapstick, and a drink. Having never been on crutches previously, I can't tell you how hard it is to find space for all of your belongings in your hands when you also have to hold the crutches. Thank you immensely to Addie for this, and an additional note of appreciation for it having my logo ♥️ so incredibly thoughtful!!

Sophie and I discussing our results on our dressage test at Town Hill - just a few things to improve 😜

I got the cast off after about 10 days, and they put me into a walking boot - like one of those air cast things. So far this device has been great. I spent two weeks with it on and being allowed to partial weight bear, and then as of this past Tuesday I am allowed to fully weight bear without crutches. I have been slowly trying to wean myself off of using the crutches full time over the last few days to make it possible for me to try to take them away for a longer span of time each day this week, and that has certainly paid off. I am also down to just one pain medication a day, which is huge progress! My doctor also prescribed laser therapy treatment a few times per week which I have been doing, and I think that has been helping to speed up the healing process. I am super happy with how smoothly the healing process has been going so far, keeping my fingers crossed it continues that way 🤞

Besides getting a daily groom from me, Sophie has also been kept in some work with our good friend Julia in my absence. Julia's been giving Sophie some great flatwork and we've even squeezed in a few jump sessions, which both Sophie and Julia thoroughly enjoyed. I also had Julia test drive a new bit I grabbed from a sale that Fager was having, and so far, after one ride with it, Sophie seemed to go quite well in it. I am itching to try it out myself! I have to seriously shout out Julia because, with her, Sophie is getting the exact work to what I would normally be trying to do, and it is so clear that Sophie likes her and gets along well with her in the tack. Soph has been going amazingly well, and is showing consistent softness and through-ness with Julia as the pilot. It has been a pleasure to watch from the ground and I feel so lucky that she has been willing to help us out. Sophie can be a bit of a challenge in her own way, and she makes it clear when she isn't getting along with someone. She's never dangerous under saddle, and I truly would love to just let anyone and everyone plop on her and have a go because she is so fun, but she doesn't love inconsistent riders and riding, and I respect that. I remember Jacqui telling me that I know my horse better than anyone, so I should be making the calls that are in her best interest always. In this case, it's giving her consistency. Sophie & I both owe Julia big time!!! ♥️

Sophie letting Julia and I know that flatwork in the indoor is stupid when there's jumps set up outside!

If everything goes according to the plan I've made in my head, I think I have just a few short weeks left before I can get back in the tack. I might even start squeezing in a few bareback walking hacks here and there while I'm still in the boot since I'm allowed to fully weight bear now. The only thing on my calendar at this moment is potentially a clinic at Equine Affaire, if we are accepted and I am fully recovered by then, which I anticipate I will be. I figure that might be a nice way to finish off 2024 for both Sophie and I.

I am more eager than ever to start organizing next season's plans. I have already stalked the Area 1 and 2 calendars to see what is currently posted for 2025 events, and I am starting to formulate a plan for Sophie and I that'll allow me to reach our next goal. Due to my season ending earlier than planned for 2024, I think I'll try to head down to Area 2 at the start of 2025 for a few of the earlier-in-the-season shows. As for now, once I am back in the tack, we will spend the winter continuing to improve on our flatwork and maybe look for a beach ride at some point if we're lucky!

I am also so close to getting my Massachusetts riding instructor's license, which is a requirement for those teaching in the state. Once that's taken care of, I will start trying to get back to teaching lessons - which if you know me, you know how much I loved doing that. I can't wait to get back to it!

I appreciate the continued support on the blog. I'll try to throw in a few updates here and there as I continue healing, and hopefully it'll only be a short while before I can go back to posting riding updates.

K