Injuries Suck!
What a year 2022 has been - I have achieved so much physically and have been revelling in being injury-free all year….until the 31st December.
On Saturday 31st December I was putting the final touches to the preparation of a dish I was contributing to our New Year feast. I simply bent down on my haunches to put something in the fridge and before I knew it I was rocking backwards (and had nothing to hold onto to break my fall), so fell backwards into a kitchen draw handle and the cabinetry where the microwave was housed. I expected to simply pick myself up with only a small dent to my pride and instead found I’d done significant damage to my back and hip.
The pain was excruciating and immediate. I couldn’t believe what I had a done. I attempted to walk it off thinking “this will subside”…. but it didn’t.
So instead of heading out to a local art gallery wine bar with the family for fun pre-dinner drinks, I ended up taking pain-killers and trying to work out just how much damage I had done and where the pain was coming from. It’s Monday now and I’m still in A LOT of pain. My back is bruised from my bra-line down and my right hip keeps twinging and feels like someone is stabbing me with multiple knives. It well and truly sucks.
I am sharing this because the experience has provided me with some valuable insights - yes, there is always a silver-lining and I wholeheartedly believe that everything happens for a reason, so perhaps these are some of the things it’s here to teach me.
Since it happened I have been robbed of my:
Dexterity - there are certain things I can’t do with my right arm, ex: even hugging is painful so I’m using my left hand and arm more
Mobility - I’m constantly working out which movements my body CAN make right now and becoming aware of movements that cause muscle spasms and pain
Flexibility - I’m unable to do simple things that I would do normally. Simple tasks like bending down have become much more challenging
Sleep - I have struggled to sleep more than 2-3 hours at a time so as a result am tired and restless
Vitality - Not on great form and feeling far from my usual happy-self
My mood has been lower than usual and my sense of humour has been harder to access
Speed - I’m unable to do ANYTHING quickly
Spontaneity - EVERYTHING requires planning
I’m experiencing pain from making simple movements - even things like sneezing, hiccupping or blowing my nose hurt my back
I have to ask for help, support and assistance - right now I have had to accept that I have physical limitations and pain
Weight - I feel heavier and like I want to loose weight to feel better
Strength - I feel compromised and weaker
So what are my insights?
Core Strength - I am SO happy that I have been doing Pilates Reformer now for nearly 8 months and been working on my core strength. I now know how important the core is to support my lower back and it’s confirmed for me that I need to continue with that training into 2023.
Being well-rested - I usually sleep REALLY well and now attribute my levels of resilience and positive mindset in large part to the quality of sleep I experience, so I’m looking forward to getting back to that.
Being spontaneous and being able to do ‘ANYTHING at ANYTIME’ - I really value spontaneity. Being physically and mentally able to take anything on that I choose at anytime REALLY matters to me, so the sooner I’m better, the happier I’ll be.
Never be complacent - I think until this happened I was blissfully oblivious to feeling anything except being able to train whenever I wanted and now that choice has been taken away from me I don’t like it. I never thought I’d say it but I miss lacing up my trainers and being able to head out for a run or being able to jump on my bike or the Paddle Board Moving forward I will be more appreciative of my abilities and choose to ‘move’ more often.
Weight - When I am well and injury-free I focus on being strong and energised, not on my weight. So moving forward I’m going to listen to this lesson and aim to loose 5-10 kilos in 2023 by focusing on being well, eating nutritionally rich foods and fuelling my body so that it can perform at its best.
Support from others - I am fiercely independent so asking for help doesn’t come naturally to me. I think the universe may be reminding me that I can’t always achieve things alone and that being part of a team can be really rewarding, so tomorrow I’m heading to see our local Osteo to get some professional support.
Arnica - If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from all the hours of training I’ve done and the small number of injuries I’ve had so far, it’s that Arnica is BRILLIANT for helping to bring out bruising and speed up recovery, so I’ll be purchasing some tomorrow.
I hope these insights help you as you start your personal well-being journey this New Year. Here’s to being well in 2023!
Best wishes, Tee-Jay x
