Lauren joined the KBPT team in 2012 and has been described by her clients as down to earth and passionate. She has run marathons, cycled from London to Paris, completed the Three Peaks Challenge and is also a well-known burlesque performer. In this KBPT blog, she tells us how she was injured whilst out running in December 2022 and discusses her road to recovery.
Thanks for talking to us, Lauren. Can you tell us a little about the incident?
I was on one of my regular runs in West Ham Park, east London, and an off-lead dog collided with me on the path. It all happened so quickly. I heard a pop on impact and I knew it wasn’t good. Sorry if you’re squeamish but my foot was no longer attached to my ankle.
The people who were with the dog and another runner carried me to a bench and someone called an ambulance and got hold of my partner. The pain was incredible and I could feel myself going into shock. The ambulance arrived about 20 minutes later and the paramedics gave me morphine, put my leg in a brace and rushed me to Newham Hospital.
That sounds horrendous! What happened once you arrived at the hospital?
They took an X-ray of my leg and told me there were six or seven breaks, including my tibia and fibula. They gave me ketamine for the pain and tried to crack everything back into place, then took more X-rays and put a soft cast on me. I was totally tripping as they’d given me such strong drugs – I was barely aware of my partner who was right next to me!
A few hours later, I was taken to The Royal London Hospital where I was told I’d need to have two surgeries. I had my first surgery on New Year’s Day and my second a few days later and they put an external fixator (a stabilising frame) on my foot. I came out of hospital after 11 days. It was definitely not the best start to 2023.
You had the frame on your foot for several months… how did you cope with that?
I was given the option of having a frame or plates and they told me I was a good candidate for the frame because I’m a personal trainer and performer. I’ll be honest though, I freaked out when I woke up from the second operation and saw the frame around my foot with all the bolts and wires!
Each bar of the frame could hold 100kg and helped to realign my bones. With the frame on, I was able to put weight on my foot within two weeks and, once I got the bottom bit of the frame taken off in February, I could start doing plyometrics (e.g. squats and donkey kicks) as part of my twice-weekly physiotherapy. My physio said they had never seen someone do plyometrics like this with a frame on.
What impact has your injury had on you?
It’s been tough as I’ve not been able to work, perform or exercise fully but I’ve tried to stay positive. I’ve really missed the physical things in particular, like running and cycling, and I had to pull out of a snowboarding trip. I put all my energy into my recovery and was totally exhausted after physio some days.
I decided to use the time I had to gain some new skills. I run a vegan blog (@justveganin) so I took courses in digital marketing and Adobe Photoshop and blogged from home when I couldn’t get out and about. I also learnt a new performance skill – contact juggling.
The main thing was trying to have a 9-to-5 routine so that I didn’t just sit and feel sorry for myself. I did miss work and having a sense of purpose but I kept telling myself that worse things could happen.
How are you doing now?
I feel pretty strong but I have a few more months of healing – I still can’t run or ride my bike, for example. Unfortunately, I’m guaranteed to get arthritis in my ankle in the long term so I still go to physio at The Royal London Hospital twice a week. But I do have a big goal for Spring 2024 – I want to trek to Everest Base Camp!
Wow, Everest sounds fantastic! It seems like you’ve taken a lot of positives from this awful experience… what are the main things you’ve learned?
Absolutely. I’ve learned that when you have a setback, you have to take a breath and get back up. Also, consistency is vital for getting results – especially when you’re doing injury rehab.
More than anything, I’ve realised how lucky I am to have such a great support network. My partner has been amazing – she’s so kind and has made a not-so-great situation much better. My friends and family have been there for me throughout and my dog has not left my side!
I’d also like to say how incredible the NHS is. My doctors, nurses, surgeons and physios made a really scary and insanely painful experience more bearable. They are true miracle workers.
The KBPT team and your clients are so pleased to have you back, Lauren!
