Felicity’s Injury Story

In October of 2009 I had surgery on my right anterior tib-fib ligament. My ATFL had been almost completely torn since February of 2008. The injury originated when I was assaulted by an ex-boyfriend and, although I had gone to the emergency room, I had no idea how extensive the damage had been. I was diagnosed as having a sprained ankle and sent home. I experienced intense pain for several months following the altercation but couldn’t afford to have it looked at again until October 2009.

Prior to my injury I had been dancing for about 5 years and trained in bellydance, ballet, pointe, tap and jazz. After my injury, I had an incredibly hard time bearing weight on my right foot alone and working on pointe was completely out of the question. Luckily, I found a fantastic podiatrist and was diagnosed properly and operated on all within a week. After a month and a half I was sent to physical therapists that specialized in working with athletes and sports injuries. I greatly appreciated this because they were very supportive and committed to getting me back to dancing and were willing to work with me in order to keep me dancing throughout my recovery. (My overall recovery time was about a year and a half in order to even out my muscle tone and flexibility in both legs.)

I have now been dancing for 12 years and was recently cast into a local contemporary dance company. I have also returned to pointe work pain free. I am graduating from a community college this year with an AA in Fine Arts with an emphasis in theatre and dance, and two certificates in jazz and modern dance. In the Fall I will be transferring to obtain my BA in Theatre Arts and Dance with a minor in Musical Theatre. Without the great care of my doctors and physical therapists I would not be the dancer I am today. The nature of my injury and my length of my recovery has made me so much stronger both physically and emotionally. My dance company strives to address women’s issues through dance and performance art and I cannot think or a better way to use my passion and my personal experiences to better my community.