The fractured ankle has been both an interesting and frustrating experience. I've learnt a great deal of patience and have finally accepted the slower pace of life attributed to only having one leg and being denied the use of hands whilst on the move. The first two weeks were incredibly frustrating, having to factor in extra time for showering, changing, preparing, planning any logistics. During this time I had developed a reliance on Hong Kong cab drivers which have allowed me to commute anywhere further than 500 meters. Learning to use the crutches, agonising over staircases, dealing with a fatigued right leg and having to battle the tribulations of trying to keep the cast dry and clean whilst showering are all challenges that frustrated me to no end.
A lot of time was spent horizontal, with the injured leg raised above the head to reduce swelling. Given the bulkiness of the short cast there are a limited number of activities available to an injured person in that supine position. For me, that meant a lot of time watching TV series (Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and Scrubs all featuring heavily on my TV). Reading, managed to finally finish up on Confederacy of Dunces and Gladwell's Tipping Point. The unfortunate thing was that my internet had been canceled and I was rather disconnected from the outside world. It was a recluse lifestyle and despite the lack of physical stimulation (update: I have started going to the gym) I managed to keep myself relatively sane and boredom free. Still I enjoyed the forced downtime and afforded my body the much needed rest that i've been longing for.
The biggest disappointed was the cancelation of the end of year trip to Europe. I had planned a Paris and London trip between Christmas and New Years and due to the severe swelling and my incompetence on crutches the thought of being in Europe during the winter made the cancelation an easy decision. Despite protests from my friends, as well as the forever battle with 'fomo' I decided to cancel the trip and spend Christmas in Hong Kong. To date I have only taken a 3 days of annual leave, with work continuing unaffected aside from the odd physiotherapy and specialist morning appointments.
From my point of view, there are things that I am thankful for. There are certain advantages to being in Hong Kong - despite the frustrations of uneven footpaths and the high crowd concentration, the short distances and relatively affordable taxi system has allowed me to remain quite mobile. So far, there's no itch or irritation with the cast and I believe that has to do with wintertime. 5 minutes on crutches and the perspiration starts even in 10 degree weather, I can't imagine the inconveniences in summer. Finally, the constant support from family and friends. Yes, there have been raised eyebrows when people discover that yoga was the cause of my fracture but the messages, emails, calls and Oolaa lunches have made it a lot less painful.
The concierge staff at my apartment, Grandview Gardens were particular helpful. Holding doors open, often with reassuring words of "Slow down" and "be careful" as well as helping me take my dirty laundry out to the local laundromat. My disciplined house cleaning had disappeared with my lack of mobility and after almost two and half years living in Hong Kong I finally succumbed and enlisted the help of a cleaner to come in and clean and tidy my apartment on a weekly basis. Another service that was employed was online home delivery of groceries and supplies, this meant that everything I needed was delivered to my door (My first order was a calcium rich invoice full of milk, yogurt and cheese).
A lot of time was spent horizontal, with the injured leg raised above the head to reduce swelling. Given the bulkiness of the short cast there are a limited number of activities available to an injured person in that supine position. For me, that meant a lot of time watching TV series (Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and Scrubs all featuring heavily on my TV). Reading, managed to finally finish up on Confederacy of Dunces and Gladwell's Tipping Point. The unfortunate thing was that my internet had been canceled and I was rather disconnected from the outside world. It was a recluse lifestyle and despite the lack of physical stimulation (update: I have started going to the gym) I managed to keep myself relatively sane and boredom free. Still I enjoyed the forced downtime and afforded my body the much needed rest that i've been longing for.
The biggest disappointed was the cancelation of the end of year trip to Europe. I had planned a Paris and London trip between Christmas and New Years and due to the severe swelling and my incompetence on crutches the thought of being in Europe during the winter made the cancelation an easy decision. Despite protests from my friends, as well as the forever battle with 'fomo' I decided to cancel the trip and spend Christmas in Hong Kong. To date I have only taken a 3 days of annual leave, with work continuing unaffected aside from the odd physiotherapy and specialist morning appointments.
From my point of view, there are things that I am thankful for. There are certain advantages to being in Hong Kong - despite the frustrations of uneven footpaths and the high crowd concentration, the short distances and relatively affordable taxi system has allowed me to remain quite mobile. So far, there's no itch or irritation with the cast and I believe that has to do with wintertime. 5 minutes on crutches and the perspiration starts even in 10 degree weather, I can't imagine the inconveniences in summer. Finally, the constant support from family and friends. Yes, there have been raised eyebrows when people discover that yoga was the cause of my fracture but the messages, emails, calls and Oolaa lunches have made it a lot less painful.
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