My sympathetic pigeons,
I know you will sympathize with PeaceBang, who has a very sore paw.
I fell off the treadmill last night and banged up my left foot something awful, which is all my fault because I was walking on the treadmill BAREFOOT and one should not commit such stupidities. One should also not hop off the treadmill without turning it off, as one is not a little an agile little bunny and is apt to go falling all over oneself, smashing her foot into a state of black-and-blue swollen agony.
OWCH OWCH OWCH, pigeons!
But as one has obligations, for example to attend a dinner with a colleague within the hour and then a clergy gathering the next day, one must soldier on. And I have, my dears. I have soldiered bravely on but as soon as I finish composing this post I am going to take myself, this lovely glass of hard cider, an ice pack, my foot and myself to the chaise to read and rest and elevate. RICE, right! Rest, ice, constrict and elevate! PeaceBang prefers her own take on this advice, which is BASE or bellyache, alcohol, sleep, eclairs.
Quickly though: when one is unable to get a decent shoe on one’s foot because of injury, one must make do. And it is ONLY at those times when the hideous horribleness of a Croc may be acceptable or even (as PB is wearing right now) a TEVA sandal WITH A SOCK.
I know. I know. You are crying, aren’t you? Your PeaceBang, who has a religious devotion to hot boots and platform shoes, has been brought that low. She is wearing Tevas with SOCKS, and from there it is just one small step to shapeless, faded jeans and camp shirts with big floppy arms. It could happen, but she is determined that it shall not.
The question is, when one is injured to the extent that they really have no choice in footwear (which is a slightly different case than that of the pigeon who is permanently limited in their choice of footwear but still has SOME options) and must wear sandals with socks, what does one do with the rest of one’s look?
My response is: be comfortable. It’s one thing if you’re in orthotics all the time and can adjust your look to accommodate non-fabulous shoes — you are, one hopes, not in pain. You can still have a polished look and rock great garments, accessories and grooming details, just not fantastic footwear. However, if you’re recovering from an injury, surgery or chronic pain, dress in a low-key, comfortable manner that is still professionally appropriate but communicates, “I don’t look at my sharp best because I am NOT at my sharp best.” Today I did full hair and make-up and wore big earrings because if I felt that if I was well enough to attend our clergy gathering, I needed to look presentable. But it takes me ten minutes to walk down the hall, so I also wore black yoga pants and a brown comfortable jacket with a an interesting neckline. That was as much effort as I could expend.
Sometimes you can’t communicate vibrancy and relevancy with your look. Sometimes the best you can do is communicate, “Hey, I managed to get out off the couch! Glad to be here!” Do remember to keep a smile on your face and graciously accept people’s help. And if you really can’t stand the pain, stay home and take care of yourself. Remember, the church hasn’t had sexy martyrs since the first few centuries and we’re not taking applicants at this late date.
I love the BASE system! LOL! Siorry about your tootsie, hope you feel better soon.
If you need ankle support and you foot is not swollen, a lace up work boot made of stiff leather is better than an Ace wrap, according to the doctor I saw after spraining an ankle. So, that time I simply wore both boots, on both feet. (I wouldn’t recommend wearing the ankle-supportive boot on an injured foot and something that does not match on the other because I don’t think that is safe.) The Stephanie Pearl McPhee sock pattern know as Lenore is nice peeking out of the top of a work boot.
Did you try an ACE bandage with thin socks & flats? I think Dr Marten style boots would work too as they lace up like sneakers only higher & will support your ankle but look better
Get well soon!
Hope you’re soon walking in the light!
Feel better soon!!
I hope you heal up quickly!
A few years ago, I was still quite new here and I dashed down a back stairway after a board meeting and twisted my ankle something fierce. I was rescued by a most gracious gentleman (and another intrepid soul who informed me that he at first interpreted my cries for help as a stray CAT! Quelle horreur!) Determined to prove that my humor was not injured in the fall, I winged that I absolutely HAD to be able to wear heels in two days time. (Honestly, I had a funeral that was ABSOLUTELY mandatory to attend, and the issue was not so much one of fashion, but of the dangerous lack of suitable flats.) My hero proved his metal by only BARELY rolling his eyes at me.
I managed to alternately ignore the foot or suffer so greatly for a couple of weeks, and honestly, in retrospect, that sucker was probably broken and I ought to have dealt with it more maturely, but who wants to go to the ER after a board meeting?
I know this is going to sound terribly immature and shallow but if I can’t get back into my signature boots for day and sexy heels for nights out, I am going to be seriously depressed. Like, how am I supposed to go out dancing in SENSIBLE SHOES?
Am I supposed to sing in blues bars wearing UGGS? Merrill Jungle Crocs? *sobs*
I feel ya. I broke my ankle skiing in March, and my foot was in a cast. I wore my Merril on my non-injured foot and wore yoga pants to work. Nobody cared. People held doors for me, and I got all kinds of sympathy. It still sucked, though.
Ah, yes. A month ago, I had a little bike crash and the resulting bruise swelled my hip up the size of a small watermelon. (Literally). I stayed home from work for two days- even skipping Sunday- because the pain wuld have been far too martyr like.
But I love the sexy martyrs comment. Rawr. 🙂
One of our preachers did something similar a couple of weeks back. Fell down stairs at 8am when preaching at 10am.
She did strapping and splints and wore a pair of loose linen pants that fitted over the top, with a smart top and then a linen shirt worn loose to give a jacket-like effect. (she had a black sock, no shoe and a plastic split on affected foot, and a black trainer on the other.)
Although she said she felt like she was dressed for the beach, she actually looked FANTASTIC. (BTW she’s in her mid-70s and a total inspiration.)
From previous foot injuries, if a bandage is too much faff (and it almost always is) a support sock (you can probably buy ’em labeled “flight socks”) compresses nicely.
Please get an x-ray of your injured foot! Frequently small bones in the foot are broken and need additional help to heal correctly.
best wishes from an admirer,
cecilia
Holding you in the light with great helpings of sympathy chocolate. Feel better soon and be gentle with yourself. Also LOVE the acronym BASE. You go girlfriend…go slowly, but you GO!
I sprained my ankle very badly a couple years ago and was in a brace, which meant that I could only wear clogs, so I chose Dansko and Taos because at least they are not Crocs.
After the brace came off, I was still healing, and I found that my Dansko Sonja clogs were the only shoes that didn’t leave me hobbled at the end of the day. So I wore them, in black, with my black dress pants, and it wasn’t too bad.
But an ankle is not a foot, and if I couldn’t get my foot in a shoe… I don’t know what I would do. KUDOS TO YOU, though, for not wearing flip-flops!
Heal.
Re: socks with Tevas (only appropriate when kayaking or camping) LL Bean used to have Polartec socks with outrageous prints. If one is going to flaunt a rule, it should truly be an exceptional exception.
Wishing you piles and piles of eclairs filled with lots and lots of creme anglaise made by loving and caring hands.
Did a similar spill a few years ago, but it was outside on slippery grass after a brisk walk in God’s fresh air while I composed a crackerjack ending to Sunday’s homily. DH thought my calls for help were one of the neighbor’s kids screaming at play (“Really honey? How many of the neighbor’s younglings know your MIDDLE name?” LOL!)
Went for Xrays and a hairline fracture was found, so I was assigned a Cryoboot with an attached thermos of ice water. Hmmmmm. How do you accessorize THAT?
For the next few weeks, I wore either wide-legged pants over the boot, or a skirt. The challenge was finding a shoe whose heel height matched that of the boot.
The joy in it was the nurturing I received from my congregation, and my lesson learned was to accept their ministering with a gracious spirit, and not “soldier on” grimly.
Back in May I sprained my ankle and did a couple of weeks on crutches. After it had officially “healed” and I could walk on it safely, I found that my ankle and heel were still quite swollen by the end of each day, and none of my regular shoes would work for the office or for worship. I went to the shoe store and channeled BTFM, wandering the aisles and asking, “What Would PeaceBang Do?” I found a respectable and sorta cute sandal in a half-size larger with adjustable straps around ankle and heel that was perfect, so I bought two pair (tan and black) and wore them for the rest of the summer. You would have been proud of how put together I looked from the calves down, though there was no variety and increasing puffiness each afternoon. Just adjust the straps, and it’s good to go…
I guess the point is, even after the official “healing” of your foot and ankle, you may still need to pay special attention to footwear and make sure you’re giving your foot room to swell a little each day as it returns slowly to its strong self.
I also found great help in recovering flexibility after a sprain by doing Chaz Rough’s “Yogamazing” episode specifically “for feet and ankles.” You can find him on iTunes. I promise, I’m just a fan of his, not a profiteer.
On days that my arthritis is really acting up and I need to be dressed up for a formal occasion, I’ll wear a nice outfit with slacks and tennis shoes. I carry myself so much better when I’m able to walk comfortable and confidently that I think my carriage and attitude offset the shoes. If I was having a flare and wore heels, I would be in agony, I wouldn’t socialize, and I’d be hunting for the nearest chair. With tennis shoes or flats or whatever my condition will allow for the day, I project through my words and actions that which my image will not totally allow. [And THAT’s what we call working it, my dear! – PB]
I hope you soon are up on both feet and in kickin shoes.
I pray that your foot heals without complications quickly. Having broken my hand this summer and needing to be in a cast, then brace, then splint for 4 months I feel your challenge.
However, I have to ask what’s with the yoga pants? I don’t get why a nice pair of pants would not have served. Maybe I don’t have the right kind of yoga pants but mine are clingy in all the wrong places and I would never consider being in a professional environment in them.
Combine RICE with BASE, get thee to a Reiki practitioner, and take everybody’s best wishes to heal fast & well, dear PB!
I too have a dinged up ankle and am bemoaning the footwear. My doctor actually called to prescribe sneakers — she knows me too well!
May I share my little trick? I am wearing thick tights, my ankle brace and a LEGWARMER over the hideous contraption. Of course, I also wear one on the other leg, as well.
This works to disguise the ugly white plastic brace pretty well. Heal well!