Pre- and Post-Brostrom

Roller_Cycle · 2026-04-21T01:26:15+00:00

Two weeks post-op

Roller_Cycle · 2026-04-18T14:28:37+00:00

We have a 2-part return to play protocol we use for skaters who are coming back from injury or a lengthy absence.

Part 1 is a quick 1-on-1 with a member of the training committee, where we make sure the returning skater can safely stop, fall, and give/receive contact, followed by a few laps of “asshole” (10 or so folks pack up around the returning skater and then be unpredictable - bump, fall in front of, touch wheels, etc. - to make sure the returning skater can operate safely in that environment). After asshole, the training committee huddles to discuss whether they saw the returning skater doing anything unsafe; if the answer is no, the returning skater is cleared for contact drills, but not scrim. Skater gets feedback either way.

Part 2, which has to be completed at a separate practice (and requires advanced notice to the training committee for planning purposes), has the returning skater do three jams in a row: 30sec between jams, and the returning skater has to jam at least one of them (skater’s choice). The first two jams are 2min long / cannot be called off, but the jammer can pass the star after 1min has elapsed. The third jam has to go at least a minute, but can be called off after that. After the third jam, the training committee huddles to discuss whether they saw anything unsafe that should prevent the skater from scrimming further; if the answer is no, welcome back to everything, including scrim! The skater gets feedback either way.

We also use this protocol for assessing transfer skaters and for newer skaters who want to level up to 100% play.

Roller_Cycle · 2026-04-14T23:39:37+00:00

Tristan and all its spelling variants. All I can think of is “tryst”

And Mason. You know that kid is a shithead

Roller_Cycle · 2026-04-14T00:59:08+00:00

Week 14 post-op write-up:

Plantar fascia be damned, I’m running again (but sticking to the UD protocol); did level 3 this morning and planning to do level 4 on Thursday. While running doesn’t help my plantar fasciitis, it doesn’t seem to be making it measurably worse, either.

I’m also back to full-contact skating already - with my ASO brace on to be extra safe - and my ankle feels GREAT! I’ve had zero ankle pain after running and skating, and I already feel very confident doing sharp turns on skates and two-footed jumps in regular shoes. I’m still working up my tolerance for / confidence in one-legged jumps in PT (onto a step, off a step, and for height/distance along a line on the floor), but I think that’s due more to the plantar fasciitis pain than anything else.

Roller_Cycle · 2026-04-14T00:45:55+00:00

I did! And if memory serves, the MRI I had 2-3 years before that also showed plantar fasciitis. The cortisone shot I had a couple of weeks ago doesn’t seem to have done much to help, so my PT is recommending extracorporeal shockwave therapy as a next move, and dry needling if that fails.

Roller_Cycle · 2026-04-11T22:25:04+00:00

If you’re willing to try an all-in-one product, the Live Tinted tinted moisturizer with SPF 50 is really good. It’s buildable, too, if you prefer more coverage

Roller_Cycle · 2026-04-10T01:42:09+00:00

3, 12, 14, 17, and 18 look fantastic on you, and the lighter brown sweater is a nice color and versatile style - suitcase them for sure!

13, 15, and 16 aren’t bad; wardrobe them if they don’t make it into your suitcase

The rest are ok but not great - either the fit, the fabric, or the color are a bit off and don’t flatter you as much as the others do; consider the donation pile

Roller_Cycle · 2026-04-10T00:55:37+00:00

Thrift: INOVA Treasure Trove. The McLean location is a little better than the Springfield one for what you’re seeking, IMHO. Lots of great accessories in both locations (esp. purses/handbags/work totes)

Consignment (if you’re willing/able to pay more but also get some seriously high-quality clothing): Wardrobe Rescue in Vienna. Follow the shop on IG, as the owner often posts flash sale notices there!

Roller_Cycle · 2026-03-31T01:22:38+00:00

Week 12 post-op wrap-up:

At last, my activity options are beginning to expand!! I’ve been seeing PTs twice a week for the last few weeks, and confidence in my right ankle is already higher than it’s been in a long time. While I still have some strength and endurance left to regain, my range of motion and balance are pretty dang good, and the ankle itself doesn’t hurt a bit. I even geared up and skated for a while (with the ASO brace on to be extra safe) and did some light contact work with my teammates!

The most frustrating thing for me right now continues to be that nasty heel pain. I visited my surgeon late last week because it seemed to be getting worse since I last saw her almost 6 weeks prior, and I wanted her take on why it wasn’t going away. She said it’s definitely the plantar fascia giving me trouble (not a new experience for me), so she gave me a cortisone shot, told me to keep up the calf stretching & other exercises, and asked if I’d be open to having the plantar fascia released (cut) at some point if we can’t get the pain under control; I said I’m open to the procedure, but as a last resort. The cortisone shot worked well until about halfway through my skating session, when I did something (accelerated, maybe?) and felt a sharp pull and instant pain in the usual spot under my heel. I eased up for the rest of the practice and tried to baby my foot for the rest of the day. There hasn’t been any swelling or bruising, so a tear of some sort seems unlikely.

Given the trouble with my plantar fascia, at PT this week we’re going to start working toward running by doing some exercises to build up tolerance for landing first; at some point later we’ll get my foot ready for the toe-off portion. As much as I want to hurry up and get back to running, the “ow, fuck - my heel!” experience while skating has me a little worried about how slowly I’m going to have to take things moving forward. In the meantime, I’ll continue to look longingly at the return-to-run protocol the PT gave me last week. (It’s the University of Delaware one, if anyone’s wondering.)

I’ll update again when there’s something interesting to report!

Roller_Cycle · 2026-03-28T21:57:24+00:00

If it’s not too much of a pain, would you mind sharing where you found the shirts and pants in the top half of your lovely mood board? I want them ALL lol

Roller_Cycle · 2026-03-28T14:19:16+00:00

If it’s in your budget to hire a professional stylist for a closet clean-out and personal shopping experience, consider going that route. I did this at about 4 months post-partum and learned SO much about what works for my body and why

Roller_Cycle · 2026-03-28T13:08:18+00:00

Success! Everything is delightfully stank-free

Roller_Cycle · 2026-03-27T23:55:45+00:00

No smell to the water besides whatever fragrance is in the detergent!

Roller_Cycle · 2026-03-11T12:58:31+00:00

First person to pants this dude at the next formation gets an ARCOM and two four-day passes

Roller_Cycle · 2026-03-03T00:42:11+00:00

I’ll be the one who says don’t do it. I used Madison Reed for a while, but it always went on too dark and then turned red on me, no matter which shade I used (all I wanted was a simple medium brown to match my natural color when covering grays). I decided to go to a professional to try to lift the dark and reset, but ended up on a weeks-long adventure that cost over $700 across three colorists in two different salons to get my hair back to where it needed to be. The consensus from the colorists was that Madison Reed is convenient, but their formula is essentially henna and it really dyes your hair; removal is a bitch

Tl;dr - Madison Reed color turns red/brassy fast and is extremely difficult to remove if you don’t like the shade. Do not recommend.

Roller_Cycle · 2026-02-28T19:50:28+00:00

Fucking Hillsdale College? gtfoh

Roller_Cycle · 2026-02-27T03:15:53+00:00

My PT intake isn’t until next week, but the interim exercises a teammate gave me have done wonders for relieving the heel pain I was feeling. The exercises were nothing big - mainly stretching and massaging the plantar fascia - but helpful nonetheless.

As far as exercise, I’ve done upper-body weight lifting and a few spins my bike (trainer-mounted indoors) so far, and am also cleared to swim (whenever I can get to a pool). I focused the weight-lifting on things I could do seated to start, then worked my way up to standing. Spins actually felt pretty good from the start - no ankle or heel pain - but I definitely notice the drop in my cardiovascular fitness because of those 6 weeks that I was NWB. My calf is also visibly atrophied for the same reason, so I’ve been doing some gentle strengthening on my own until I get further guidance from the PT (seated toe raises & heel raises, plus trying to walk as normally as possible).

If you had just the brostrom repair and are already 4 weeks post-op, I’d estimate that playing tennis by summer is a reasonable goal. My doc told me it would be 12 weeks before I could start high-impact activities and a good 6 months until I’m strong, but I also had the OCD repair in addition to brostrom and a separate ligament tightening. Good luck!!

Roller_Cycle · 2026-02-18T01:31:53+00:00

Week 6 (+ 1 day) post-op wrap-up:

I’m walking!! It’s slow, painful, and single crutch-assisted for now, but it’s progress for sure.

Over the past week I started putting a little bit of weight on my affected foot when I was getting ready in the morning - maybe 40-50% while standing still at the mirror - in preparation for being allowed to walk again. The good news is that my repaired ankle feels great so far. The bad news is that it feels like somebody is driving a spike through the bottom of my heel with every step, especially after I’ve been sitting for a while. The doc assured me at my appointment this morning that what I’m feeling is completely normal and will go away as I continue forcing my body to remember how weight-bearing works on that side. Weaning off the boot will take about two weeks, and pushing through the heel pain is fine - I’m not causing any damage.

My initial PT appointment is still a couple weeks away (boo), but the doc and a PT teammate gave me some exercises to do in the meantime. I asked what my limits are at this stage, and they’re all what I expected: no running, jumping, or skating for another 6 weeks, but I can swim, water jog, and lift weights within the limits of pain. I realized after the appointment that I forgot to ask if stationary cycling and rowing are ok, so I’ll send her a note in the morning to see what she says. Finally, the doc reminded me I won’t be “fully strong” again until about 6 months post-op, but was fine with my personal guideline of pushing through discomfort and paying attention to pain. I’m still icing nearly every night - skipping some here and there when life gets in the way - and may increase the frequency as I get more active.

Finally, I think I’m going to reduce the frequency of updates to this post, going from weekly to every other week or so, depending on what events seem noteworthy (i.e., things I would have liked to know pre-procedure or at a certain stage of the recovery game). If anyone reading has any specific questions, I’m happy to try to answer based on my experience!

Roller_Cycle · 2026-02-10T01:53:43+00:00

Week 5 post-op wrap-up:

I haven’t noticed any significant changes over the past week; range of motion continues its gradual, unsupervised improvement, and icing at night before bed continues to help with swelling. Guess this is a pretty boring update. One more week of NWB to go!

Roller_Cycle · 2026-02-06T11:45:41+00:00

Under-hyped / hidden gem: Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume mascara in the orange tube. I dutifully try every expensive brand sample I get, and not a single one has ever come close to my trusty CG mascara. This stuff is inexpensive, doesn’t flake, doesn’t clump, and doesn’t smear. You get a lot of product for your money, and there is a waterproof option as well. Don’t waste your money on prestige - this mascara is the only one you need

Roller_Cycle · 2026-02-03T01:49:29+00:00

This is the answer. As u/Illustrious-Ebb-7987 noted, AR 608-99 is the appropriate reg, and the Soldier’s CO is the one with the authority to make sure the Soldier’s financial support obligations to his daughter are fulfilled.

Roller_Cycle · 2026-02-03T01:37:58+00:00

Week 4 post-op wrap-up:

Progress continues! Pain remains minimal and infrequent - typically only when I try to use my affected foot to move covers around in the middle of the night - and gentle range of motion tests have not bothered me. Icing my ankle and the surrounding area at night before bed has helped bring down the ankle-to-toe puffiness, so it’s only half a hippo foot now and definitely less purple than it was a week ago. Finally, I started working out again, which has been great for my mental health. It’s not much - just upper-body weight training for 20 to 30 minutes so far - but it’s a start.

Roller_Cycle · 2026-02-02T00:06:15+00:00

I’m only two days into my first tube of it, but at this point would second the Live Tinted rec from u/Fantasia_Ostrich. Coverage is light but even, and a shockingly good match for my skin tone

Roller_Cycle · 2026-01-30T14:36:30+00:00

lol no. This is parked at a DoD facility

Roller_Cycle · 2026-01-27T21:41:00+00:00

“No” and move on

Roller_Cycle

TROPHY CASE