Many of you know by now that I recently broke my leg. It happened on a kid’s scooter – of all things – coming home from a family gathering late one night with my son. No, I wasn’t drunk but high (a natural one), having just launched my book and all pumped up for a tour across Canada and the U.S. To this day I’m unsure exactly what transpired that night except that I was babbling away when the scooter hit the curb.
Breaking a bone (let alone 2) is not a fun thing. In fact, it has been the most painful experience I have ever gone through in my entire life. Bone pain is a big shock to the entire body and compared to this, natural childbirth was an absolute breeze. I mean it. So, that night in ER they cut my favorite pair of stretch Levi jeans off of me to take countless x-rays which indicated 2 complete breaks in my left tib and fibula. The doctors immediately suggested surgery but I refused, instead choosing to take the route of a cast – plaster all the way up to my thigh. I thought I could heal naturally, however, after 2 weeks of relentless pain, new x-rays showed that my bones were not coming together but rather separating. Surgery was quickly scheduled and after a 2 hour procedure, my bones were held together by an assortment of titanium hardware.
Landing in the hospital was a new experience for me and to be honest, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Not to say that the hospital was incompetent, it just doesn’t feel empowering being confined to a bed in the orthopedic ward with dozens of other patients suffering from traumatic bone fractures. Sadly, most of them elderly, in pain and very vocal. (Another reason to take control of our health while we still can!) Fortunately, the staff warmed up to me after the initial shock about my diet, lifestyle and stance on things such as hospital food (jello!), meat, blood thinners and enemas - a whole new blog post altogether…Because I only drank the green juices and smoothies that Mark brought to me every day, this raised a lot of attention and before I knew it, a very concerned dietitian dropped by to discuss calories and nutrition with me. Yes, she got an earful 
Barely out of anesthesia and unable to stand, I quickly clarified what does and doesn’t constitute a “balanced diet”, and within no time at all, simple raw meals of fruits and vegetable crudites were served to me in bed. Wow. Talk about trailblazing. (video soon to come)
Being out of commission can be isolating and quite humbling. Basic things we take for granted such as getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, bathing, answering the phone or making a simple smoothie (let alone fetching a glass of water!) suddenly becomes the impossible without the helping hand of a loved one. And it’s not easy having to ask for everything – especially for someone who’s independent and enjoys doing things their way! Nor is it easy to be sedentary, cooped up indoors day in, day out, alone with a hot water bottle and bed sores just as hiking season is at its peak. Or, for that matter, to be able to understand the lessons in such a difficult challenge. But really, there’s no choice other than to accept the situation as it is, surrender and see this experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. Of course, some days are easier than others.
I’m grateful to my boys Mischa & Mark for both being there and goofing off (see photo) during this time, as well as my loving 81 year young mother who insisted on moving in with us that first month, and who gave everything that special, female touch. I’m also blessed to have a few dear friends check in on me regularly to refill my hot water bottle, make green juice, chat, listen, and bring endless bouquets of fresh cut lilacs to my bed. Many thanks and blessings, I so appreciate it!
today’s food log:
- 4 ozs e3live
- chlorella tablets
- MSN
- E3 Renew Me
- 5 cups of “bone tea” (comfrey, oatstraw, horsetail, boneset)
- 1 quart green smoothie (made by Mark, not sure of ingredients but most likely sprouts, nettle, banana and collard)
- bowl of dark juicy cherries
- 1 TBSP schinoussa superfood
- chlorella
- chia-maca-lucuma-vanilla pudding
- green juice (alfalfa, sunflower, kale, celery, cucumber)
yesterday’s log:
- 4 ozs e3live
- chlorella tablets, MSN, E3live Renew Me
- 1 quart green smoothie (mango, spinach, sprouts, brazil nuts)
- 1 bowl of home made kale chips (delish!)
- chia- sesame-tahini-banana-maca pudding
- large glass of green juice (sprouts, kale, cucumber, celery)
- 5 cups of “bone” tea (comfrey, oat straw, horsetail, bone knit
I’m slowly on the mend, learning to walk in my new air cast and making steady progress with every day. Unfortunately my left leg’s muscles have atrophied (& my right leg’s muscles grown!) so I am trying to rebuild by stretching and moving my foot as much as possible. I’m also eating lots of foods rich in calcium and minerals (kale, collards, nettle, sesame, maca & tons of algaes) and making sure to drink cups of “bone set” tea – a concoction of various herb for strengthening the bones. My goal is to be off the crutches by June 24 when I’m hopping on the train to Toronto on my own for a week of book signings. I definitely need to step it up a touch – especially since I’ll be hobbling around the big city in search of a new pair of Levi’s!
I’m getting there!
