:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :happy: :sad: I have had shin splints this week so I know I":bigsmile: m overdoing again so I will just walk for the rest of month to just keep trying I keep going up an down like yoyo so all we can do is try so keep it up troops and hang in their get yourself a great day!!~~:flowerforyou:

Hi All! I'm Dee and I have Hypermobile Joint Syndrome, and I'm allergic to wheat. I've had multiple dislocations and overuse injuries from exercise. Right now I'm working with a personal trainer, despite the cost, to increase my joint strength to avoid more injuries. I'm so weak right now! This syndrome makes it hard to exercise effectively, because I get spasms, muscle fatigue, knots and joint swelling from all but the very lowest impact exercises BUT I'm finding my place and getting stronger. Won't let this keep me down!

Howdy all!
I recently had a bad accident that left me with a cracked rib and two fractures in my foot. Doctor says I have to be on crutches for up to 3 months and then physical therapy after that. I may have foot pain for up to a year. I do a lot of hiking in the summer, and snowboarding in the winter, so this does not sit well! I know there isn't anything to do for a cracked rib except rest for like 6 weeks. I'm in week 3. I am just waiting for it to heal so I can at least do some light arm lifting and ab work. I feel like a lump just sitting around at all day!
I had ACL surgery about a year ago, so I'm used to being down a bit, but unfortunately I also think I may have torn some meniscus (or ACL again) in this accident so I may have knee problems in a few months as well. Hard to say since I can't put weight on that leg right now to tell. Just felt like venting!
I have also had back problems in the past from lifting super heavy things, so if anyone needs advice on backs or knees let me know. I have also done P90X multiple times so I know which exercises can be done with certain body pains.
Hang in there everyone! It can get better.

Hi, I'm Lauren. I'm so glad to have found this group as it is exactly what I was looking for.

For the past two years I have been struggling with (hopefully only temporarily) life-altering injuries. Initially I was diagnosed with a fairly garden-variety hernia. Six months later it was operated on - but they cut the wrong place! This unnecessary cut became badly infected and I spent a week in hospital, and a futher 2 months laid up while the gaping hole healed.

I actually managed to recover to the point that I was capable of a single 5km run before my second surgery (within 3 months of the first). Recovery from the second surgery was (I thought) surprisingly slow, roughly 6 weeks, but I continued catching every cold and stomach bug that went around for the next 4-or-so months. Despite this, I managed to build back up to running 3km a few times a week, and some form of moderate exercise on the other days..........

......when I noticed another lump. One year had passed since initial diagnosis; I had quit my studies due to disability and could not now continue them.

The doctors said it was another hernia, possibly coming through the scar tissue. It was much more painful than the previous hernia; within 2 months I had ceased running, and within 3 months I had to stop walking.

Through trial and painful error, I discovered that I could not do any excercise that involved moving my legs (because of the location of the lump even swimming and pilates hurt). I also dicovered that I could not lift or carry anything, or use my core for much more than standing or carrying groceries.

Six months ago it was diagnosed as some weird, rare bulging vein that might as well be a hernia, because it looks and feels much the same. I am still waiting for my third surgery.

Initially I just accepted that I would put on weight during my second year, but I continued gaining with no sign of stabilising. I decided to try mfp to track my consumption.

Happily, I had the recent epiphany that I CAN wave my arms around frantically, so I bought a wii with wii sport and Just Dance, hahaha.

I've literally had to change everything about my routine, from my career path to my leisure activities.

I am an ecologist - my favourite activities used to be chasing frogs, catching snakes, climbing mountains, traversing streams, camping, running to keep fit, and general hiking. I now sometimes go for a 2km totter down by the river, or the beach; bash my boyfriend in wii boxing; watch television (which has never been an interest in my life); and have shifted my career focus to making ecologically informative maps and websites. COMPLETE overhaul.

I put on 10kg over this time, most of it in the last year.

The experience has been positive, but has not always felt that way, and I still miss my old life. I am thankful that HOPEFULLY SOON I will have this third operation and will be able to get back to the things I love.

I should mention that, while I didn't really suffer depression, I did experience disfunctional levels of anxiety...

I can help with a) exercise ideas, b) mental health issues, and c) a little bit with diet ideas.

I'm here to support

Hi everyone, it's so good to find this group! I'm a 25 year old newley-wed, originally from Toronto, Canada, but now living in Switzerland with my Swiss husband. I have a degree in Anthropology and education, and will be a *real* classroom teacher in August! I'm learning German, love yoga, and love any kind of yarncraft and cooking/baking.

I've been dealing with a very injury and pain-prone ankle since I tore some ligaments when I was 6 years old. I was in a cast for 6 weeks with a serious sprain when I was 16, and in November 2010 I sprained it right before my sister's wedding which I was the maid of honor, and didnt get medical attention until I sprained it a second time, a week after her wedding (I did wear heels for her wedding, and was crying the whole time in pain, but it looked like I was crying for her). This took months to heal, but after practicing yoga every day for 10-30 minutes, it was back to normal by this time last year. Unfortunately I had the worst sprain of my life in November of 2011 while walking on some uneven pavement with my husband. I went to hospital and was in a cast (that I could walk on) for 8 weeks. The cast came off in January, and it's been incredibly slow to recover, and so disheartening. Before I sprained it in November, I had started running, and was just beginning to love it when it happened. The longest I've been able to run now before being in pain has been 7 minutes. I can do some yoga, but not nearly as well as before, and although I have lost weight, I'm pretty sure a lot of it has been muscle. I am a supply teacher, and can be on my feet all day, this leaves me in pain for days after sometimes. I will begin physiotherapy once my husband and I complete our move at the end of the month. I am also pigeon-toed and the doctor who looked at my x-rays last time told me that I had flat feet and deformed ankle bones (pretty upsetting that it took 25 years of my life to get that diagnosis).

It's so nice to find a support group here, I hope we can all overcome our injuries and that we have access to good healthcare. I wish you all the best and hope to join in the conversation here!

Julia

Hi Everyone,

I have recently joined MFP (today is my 50th day) and this would be the first group that I have joined.

I have my own unique set of challenges. I was in a horrific car accident in my youth, that left me with broken legs and a bad back. I have more metal in me then a scrap yard!!! :laugh: That was 19 years ago, and I have been battling back ever since. For many years, I thought my weight is what saved me that night, and I used my weight as a security blanket... for protection. Since then, I have realized that it was my strong will that kept me alive, and not my weight, so I knew that it was time to shed this weight.

I am ready to start living again.

With the help of an amazing physiotherapist, who helps me manage my pain, and increase my flexability, I have been able to increase my exercise to daily, and I do aquafit, walk my dogs, and have even tried yoga and the elliptical. I am doing things now I never thought were possible. But they are, and I AM doing them!

With the help of MFP I have been able to loose an additional 14 lbs so far. Making my overall weight loss achievement 79 lbs.

I am looking to meet others to share this journey with, laugh whenever we ca, and support each other along our roads to recovery.

Pleased to meet everyone and looking forward to chatting you all up.

Shoelips33

July 23 will be 2 years ago that I had a bad accident, broke my leg, dislocated my knee, fractured my knee cap, and was left with 2 slipped disk in my kneck and 3 in my lower back. Previous to my accident, I was an outdoors person, worked out at the gym 2-3 days a week for a couple hours and walked/jogged 5 miles almost everyday. I was very active and physically fit and barely jiggled anywhere. Since then and after physical therapy and rehab of almost 6 months for all of my injuries, I tried getting back on my feet and exercising and building myself back up. Well, needless to say, that has been impossible, because I cannot run/jog due to the fact that my ACL and PCL is still torn (Dr is beggin my to have reconstructin but I keep putting it off because I have already had 3 surgeries, rods and pins have been removed...thankfully...and frankly just don't feel like going back down again and having to work myself back up because I went thru heck and also a major depression after that) and my kneck hurts so bad and my back is likely to lock up on me at any wrong move...blah hate that...so anyways, I used to be one of those people that was addicted to exercise because it made me feel SOOOOOO good and I loved it. Needless to say, I can no longer do the things I did before. I jiggle more and hate that but I can live with that. I can walk with my knee brace on but not as fast as I used to. It takes me 40 minutes to walk 2 miiles at a pace of 3.5. Anyways, just wondering if there are any people out there that are in a situation similar to mine and what do you do to encourage yourself and combat the feelings of knowing you will never again be what you once were? Yes, it will improve somewhat when I have acl/pcl reconstruction but I won't ever be able to jump hoops again. I do good at losing weight still and am actually 10lbs below my goal weight I set for myself after I had my little girl but I get down when I see all the people logging their exercise and I can barely walk 2 miles in 40 mins.... I am about to get myself a bike an dtry that for low impact on my knee and my back. I have vigorously began to count and watch what I eat. Reading these post has been very encouraging...let's keep our chin up and remember the worst shall pass...it might not all go away but it will get better with time and we will do what we possibly can do...

Thanks for the encouragement and I will encourage you as much as I can!

Hi Everyone,
I am currently recovering from a bad wakeboarding accident that left me with a right broken ankle, hairline fracture in my right shin and a partial tear in my left ACL. I have another 6 weeks on crutches and not cleared for wakeboarding for 6 MONTHS!! I am so upset as I am currently living in Asia with access to the worlds BEST wakeboarding parks.

I have been eating clean and training hard the past 6 months and have felt amazing. However, since the injury, it's been a challenge to get around, eat properly and get motivated to do any sort of physical exercise. I try to go for an hour's crutch hobble a day, but it's just not sufficent. Being home a lot, I'm eating more and am slowly gaining all the weight I worked so hard to get off.

I guess I'm looking for support and possible suggestions for workout routines that enable core and upperbody with cardio.
HOW DOES ONE DO CARDIO ON CRUTCHES???

Hi everyone, I'm brand new to MFP and struggling to find exercise I can do! My right patella is cracked and I have undiagnosed pain in my left knee. I have plantar fasciitis as well but I can usually get through that with icing and stretches. The knee injuries concern me because both were static injuries so I fear further injury. I guess what I mean is that I don't mind the pain but I don't want to further injure myself!

JUSTVEGAS,
I am recovering from a left torn ACL and Right broken Fibula, I created a few great workouts that have little impact on your knees. Lot's of mat work and zero to low resistance. Send me a PM if you'd like to hear more. As I mentioned to AlaskaDawnita, you should look into physio or a few sessions with a trainer to get a few more ideas. And most importantly, please have any workouts checked by your doctor.
Check youtube as well. There are some great workouts on there for knee injuries. BUT DO RESEARCH AND GET THEM CHECKED FIRST!
Good luck in your recovery