Recoveries, Accidents and Miracles

My knee felt better tonight. I didn't skate, but I did stretch with the team before practice. For the first time, I was able to bend my knee far enough to do the stretch where you lie down and pull your foot up behind your butt so you're almost sitting on it. I tried it Monday and couldn't do it at all.

Tomorrow is my last day before leaving for Dallas. The team is meeting up Friday morning at 8. Tomorrow I have a ton to do, but I hope to get in a workout. My mother will be here at about 5 p.m. Charlie will be at school from 9:00 to 1:00. During that time I have to go grocery shopping, clean out my car, make up the bed in the guest room, and work out. There's a lot more to do, like packing and cleaning up my house, but some of it can be done after Charlie gets home. He always takes a long nap right after playschool.

Speaking of the little guy, yesterday he pulled a very heavy mirror down onto his head and cut himself. He was fine, but I nearly stroked out. About an hour after that, once I had him bathed and cleaned up and had convinced myself that he was okay, he slipped and busted his face on the kitchen floor. That one happened on Tim's watch while I was in the bedroom vacuuming up tiny pieces of glass from the first accident! We thought he was fine, but then today while I was eating lunch with a friend, I noticed that his tooth was chipped. I'm taking him to the dentist Monday.

If only dentists could prescribe Xanax for mommies with rambunctious little boys...

Oh, by the way, I just had to post the greatest moment in football history. (So far!) I still get chills every time I watch this. Tim and I were both on our feet, and I'll never forget the way we looked at each other when we realized it was good. It was definitely one of those moments that you will always remember where you were when...

Getting Pumped

I've been looking for ways to help my teammates get mentally pumped up for the bout against Assassination City this Saturday. One of the girls posted these quotes, and I think they rock:


"I am motivated by accomplishment, not pride. Pride consumes the weak--kills their heart from within. If I fall--I will get up. If I am beaten--I will return. I will never stop getting better. I will never give up--ever. That is why I succeed."

and...

"Why do I succeed? I succeed because I am willing to do the things you are not. I will fight against the odds. I will sacrifice. I am not shackled by fear, insecurity or doubt. I feel those emotions--drink them in and then swallow them away to the blackness of hell."

Tip?

Don't use the wheel cleaning machine at the rink. It gets water into the bearings, and they rust. I learned this lesson the hard way, and will be ordering new bearings this week along with the new pads that will hopefully save my knee next time I take a spill. And new wheels. And a new mouth guard. And a helmet because I cracked mine.

Yeah, I tend to learn lessons the hard way.

My advice to newbs regarding your first gear purchase is simple: Don't take the "I'm gonna buy cheap stuff in case I don't stick with it" approach. Cheap shit gets you hurt. Find the team member who's obsessed with knowing every detail of every piece of equipment on the market, and ask her for advice, then buy decent equipment. I ended up with cheap shit not because I wasn't sure if I'd stick with it, but because I didn't know it was cheap shit when I bought it. I walked into the sporting goods store, said I was playing roller derby, the guy started pulling shit off the shelves, and that's what I bought. Research? Ha! Now I'm having to replace my gear, and I'm hurt. That's way more expensive than just buying decent gear to begin with.

Rock 'n Roller Derby

The Derby Does Dallas fundraiser was last night at the Thirsty Hippo. We had about 120 people show up, and we made a little over $500. It was so cool to have all these bands come play for free just to support the Southern Misfits. We're trying to think of something nice to do for them, but what do you do? Send flowers?

My MRI didn't show any meniscal tears, thankfully. Dr. Rouse said I have some significant inflammation and swelling around the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus, which is doctor talk for the cartilage on the front, outside part of the knee. I have some physical therapy exercises to do. They suck. The goal is to strengthen the quadricep (thigh muscle) so that it can bear more weight and take some of the pressure off the joint. This is good motivation to keep trying to lose weight as soon as I get my knee to where I can use it.

The Widower and I are excited about the Saints-Vikings game today. We're going to order some pizza from Jaybird's and cheer for New Orleans. You're going down, Favre!

First Post

Less than three months into my roller derby career, and I have apparently screwed my knee up. I saw an orthopedist last week, and he thinks I tore the lateral meniscus. I had an MRI today, and should hear something back soon. I think surgery is the only way to fix it since the cartilage won't repair itself due to the fact that it has no blood supply, but I'd gladly undergo a relatively simple arthroscopic procedure if it meant I'd soon be back to normal. I've been limping around on this thing for a month now, and have gained back four pounds of the weight I worked so hard to lose.