Broken Ankles, Roller Derby, Running, and The Age of Information: A Collection of Links

I'm a child of the Age of Information. My doctor didn't . . . how do I put this? He didn't give me a lot of information about my recovery. In fact, I'm not even sure I used the right pronoun back there (though I'm not just assuming he's male; I heard someone else say "he"). I never met him. I'm assuming he was there sometime after I got knocked out for surgery and left sometime before I woke up. I met some of his students, and they all seemed competent. In fact, everyone seemed perfectly competent, but no one really wanted to explain anything (I don't even know how many screws are in my leg or where the incisions are), and I wasn't in much of a position (coming out of anesthesia) to push the point.

So, you send home an information junkie with her first broken bone armed only with some very general discharge papers (which I read 67 times) and metal plates in her leg and then tell her she can't stand up for weeks, leaving her alone with a computer, misery, and curiosity. What's going to happen? She's going to Google. That's what.

The thing I have been most concerned about is if/when/how I will recover and return to running and roller derby, the two athletic pursuits that have become a core part of me and that I really, really enjoy (and that I'm now suspecting may have been my homeopathic way to combat some depression and anxiety).

The internet, though, is a mean, mean place. Most of what I've found is either sponsored content written to try to sell knee scooters (I already bought one! Leave me alone!) or long message board threads of other people talking about how they still can't walk a year later and their lives are ruined or how the metal plates in their legs will literally eat them from the inside if they try to run.

Mostly so that I can have the links in one handy place but also so that anyone else looking for this can find them easily, here's what I've found that was positive and helpful:

• Gin and Fishnets is a blog about derby, and the author broke her ankle (in a break eerily similar to my own) back in May 2013. She has some posts on it that mostly serve as "hey, you're not alone" comfort, but also have some hints and tips. The most helpful post to me was one about overcoming "The Fear," which I can already feel creeping into my mind. 

• Pynk Fitness has a post entitled "There is Life after ORIF" which is also roller derby-specific and has amazing tips about how to recover well. It's practical, inspirational, and informational. 

• This one is not derby-specific (the author broke her ankle wearing flip flops), but she had ORIF and has gone on to complete triathlons and run long distances.

• Livestrong has a couple articles about workouts to try when you have a broken ankle. Here's one for chair cardio and here's another for strengthening moves. 

• Here's another (not derby-specific) story of injury and recovery from the blog Bear to Bruin. There's a pretty amazing story at the end about the author bonding with another gym-goer over their surgery scars. 

• This post is from a runner and has a very specific timeline of how his fitness activities increased during his recovery. 

• Here's a site called Derby Hurts that's a place for the injured derby girls to console one another. 

• "How to Survive a Derby Injury" has some great tips and good motivation. 

• "Returning to Roller Derby After a Broken Leg" is similarly motivational. 

• "Phonexies Do Rise: Coming Back From a Derby Injury" is part motivational, part sobering. 

That's what I've got so far. Hopefully if a broken ankle brought you to this page, you are recovering well and keeping a positive outlook. Good luck!